Jan. 20, 2017

S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

J an u ar y 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

Charlotte Catholic: Former substitute sues diocese for sex discrimination 3

INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español..................................11 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes.................. 3-7 Schools............................8-9 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................10 U.S. news...................... 14-15 Viewpoints................... 18-19 World news.................. 16-17

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‘We have hope’ Sunny day greets hundreds as they march for life in Charlotte

Joyful hands bring faith to deaf and hearing-impaired St. Matthew Church hosts national conference for the deaf 5

Cougar Caritas: Charlotte Catholic’s gift to Charlotte 1,000-plus students perform days of service 8

3 Catholic school enrollment opens for 2017-’18 academic year 8

Our faith

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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St. Agnes: virgin and martyr Pope Francis

Prayer brings light of hope in dark times

P

rayer has the power to awaken hope in men and women, even in the face of death and destruction, Pope Francis said.

People often feel unworthy to turn to God when they are in need “as if it were a self-interested prayer and, thus, imperfect,” the pope said Jan. 18 during his weekly general audience.

“But God knows our weakness; He knows that we remember Him to ask for help and, with the indulgent smile of a father, He responds graciously,” he said.

The audience took place at the beginning of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which for 2017 had the theme: “Reconciliation: The love of Christ compels us.”

Addressing the different language groups, the pope prayed that all Christian communities would “be open more to reconciliation” and communion.

“In this same spirit of hope and with gratitude for the progress already made in the ecumenical movement, I ask your prayers for this important intention,” the pope told the Englishspeaking pilgrims.

During the audience, the pope reflected on the prophet Jonah, a man who first tried to run away from God’s call and initially refused “to place himself at the service of the divine plan of salvation.”

Nevertheless, the story of Jonah is a “great lesson about the mercy of God who forgives,” the pope said.

Jonah fled from his task of preaching salvation to the people of Ninevah who – in the eyes of the Israelites – “deserved to be destroyed, not to be saved,” the pope said. But when a dangerous storm hit, the pagans aboard his ship immediately prayed to their gods; a just reaction in the face of death because only then “man experiences his own frailty and his own need of salvation,” he said.

The storm passed once Jonah accepted his responsibility and asked to be thrown into the sea, the pope continued, which moved the pagans to a sincere fear of God and “to recognize the one true Lord of heaven and earth.”

The people of Ninevah, he added, also had the experience of facing death yet being saved in the end, which led them to know and experience the truth of God’s love.

This experience of God’s divine mercy is a reminder for all men and women to recognize the “surprising occasions of knowing hope and encountering God,” Pope Francis said.

“Prayer brings you to hope. And when things become dark, with more prayer there will be more hope.”

Feast day: Jan. 21 Benjamin Mann Catholic News Agency

On Jan. 21, the Church honors the virgin and martyr St. Agnes, who suffered death for her consecration to Christ.

Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine tradition celebrate her feast day Jan. 14.

Although the details of Agnes’ life are mostly unknown, the story of her martyrdom has been passed on with reverence since the fourth century. On the feast day of the teenaged martyr – whose name means “lamb” in Latin – the pope traditionally blesses two lambs, whose wool is later shorn on Holy Thursday and then used to weave the white pallium worn by every archbishop.

Born into a wealthy family during the last decade of the third century, Agnes lived in Rome during the final major persecution of the early Church under the Emperor Diocletian. Though he was lenient toward Christians for much of his rule, Diocletian changed course in 302, resolving to wipe out the Church throughout the Roman Empire.

Agnes came of age as the Church was beginning to suffer under a set of new laws decreed by Diocletian, and his co-ruler Galerius, in 303. The emperor and his subordinate called for churches to be destroyed and their books burned. Subsequent orders led to the imprisonment and torture of clergy and laypersons, for the sake of compelling them to worship the emperor instead of Christ.

Meanwhile, Agnes had become a young woman of great beauty and charm, drawing the attention of suitors from the top ranks of the Roman aristocracy. But in keeping with the words of Christ and St. Paul, she had already decided on a life of celibacy for the sake of God’s kingdom. To all interested men, she explained that she had already promised herself to a heavenly and unseen spouse.

These suitors both understood Agnes’ meaning and resented her resolution. Some of the men, possibly looking to change her mind, reported her to the Roman government as a Christian.

Agnes was brought before a judge who tried first to persuade her, then to threaten her, into renouncing her choice not to marry.

When the judge showed her the various punishments he could inflict – fire, iron hooks, and the rack – Agnes smiled and indicated she would suffer them willingly. Instead, she was brought before a pagan altar and asked to make an act of worship in accordance with the Roman state religion.

When Agnes refused, the judge ordered that she should be sent to a house of prostitution, where the virginity she had offered to God would be violated. Agnes predicted that God would not allow this to occur, and her statement proved true. The first man to approach her in the brothel was struck blind by a sudden flash of light, and others opted not to repeat his mistake.

But the Roman governor’s son Procop, who had at first sought to make Agnes his own, lobbied the judge for her execution and she was sentenced to die by beheading. The executioner gave her one last chance to spare her life, by renouncing her consecration to Christ – but Agnes refused, made a short prayer, and courageously submitted to death.

St. Agnes, who died in 304 at about age 13, was venerated as a holy martyr from the fourth century onward. She is one of seven women saints, excluding the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorated by name in the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. The saint’s statue is

El Greco collection at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Detail of St. Agnes from “Madonna and Child with Saint Martina and Saint Agnes”

by El Greco, 1597 or 1599. This painting and “Saint Martin and the Beggar” were part of one of El Greco’s most important commissions. They originally hung opposite each other, flanking the central altar in the Chapel of St. Joseph in Toledo, Spain. St. Agnes holds a lamb, with which she once appeared after her death to worshipers gathered at her tomb in Rome. also among those on the colonnade in St. Peter’s Square.

She is the patron saint of chastity, gardeners, girls, engaged couples, rape victims and virgins.

Your daily Scripture readings JAN. 22-28

Sunday: Isaiah 8:23-9:3, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17, Matthew 4:12-23; Monday (Day of Prayer for the Protection of Unborn Children, St. Vincent, St. Marianne Cope): Hebrews 9:15, 24-28, Mark 3:22-30; Tuesday (St. Francis de Sales): Hebrews 10:1-10, Mark 3:31-15; Wednesday (The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle): Acts 22:3-16, Mark 16:15-18; Thursday (Sts. Timothy and Titus): 2 Timothy 1:1-8, Mark 4:21-25; Friday (St. Angela Merici): Hebrews 10:32-39 Mark 4:26-34 ; Saturday (St. Thomas Aquinas): Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19, Luke 1:69-75, Mark 4:35-41

JAN. 29-FEB. 4

Sunday: Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Matthew 5:1-12; Monday: Hebrews 11:3240, Mark 5:1-20; Tuesday (St. John Bosco): Hebrews 12:1-4, Mark 5:21-43; Wednesday: Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15, Mark 6:1-6; Thursday (The Presentation of the Lord): Malachi 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40; Friday (St. Blaise, St. Ansgar): Hebrews 13:1-8, Mark 6:1429; Saturday: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21, Mark 6:30-34

FEB. 5-11

Sunday: Isaiah 58:7-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Matthew 5:13-16; Monday (St. Paul Miki and Companions): Genesis 1:1-19, Mark 6:53-56; Tuesday: Genesis 1:20-2:4, Mark 7:1-13; Wednesday (St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita): Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17, Mark 7:14-23; Thursday: Genesis 2:18-25, Mark 7:2430; Friday (St. Scholastica): Genesis 3:1-8, Mark 7:31-37; Saturday (Our Lady of Lourdes): Genesis 3:9-24, Mark 8:1-10

Our parishes

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

DSA campaign raises record $5.7M during Year of Mercy

Charlotte Catholic: Former substitute sues diocese for sex discrimination

‘We have hope’

saints to help remind people today that sin never has the last word.

“We have hope – hope in Our Lord and Our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Peter Jugis was also present and spoke to the marchers before they began the march.

“I appreciate all of you being here to witness to the sanctity of human life, the unborn child in the womb. For those who have come from nearby and those also who have made sacrifices to come from other parishes further away in the diocese, thank you for your sacrifices you have made to be here today. We pray that the Lord will reward you for the sacrifices you make for this very important cause for our country.”

Once the marchers reached Independence Square, Father Eckert delivered the keynote address.

One of the points that he made was “We need to avoid turning in on ourselves, thus risking our salvation,” he said.

But, he continued, “We have the opportunity to experience heaven in this life, as well, to participate in true and lasting love.

And what is love? What does it mean?

Does it mean we skip through life, happygo-lucky, lackadaisical, listening to music

CHARLOTTE — A former substitute teacher is suing the Diocese of Charlotte, the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system, and Charlotte Catholic High School, claiming that his civil rights were violated when the high school decided to stop calling him for substitute teaching work.

Lonnie H. Billard, a retired drama teacher at the high school, claims in a federal lawsuit that he was removed from the school’s list of substitute teachers in late 2014 after he announced plans to marry his male partner.

The federal lawsuit argues that the school’s decision violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion.

The lawsuit was filed Jan. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on Billard’s behalf by the North Carolina affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Charlotte-based law firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen. It contends that Billard was unlawfully discriminated against because of his sexual orientation, his intended same-sex marriage, and “because he does not conform to sexbased stereotypes associated with men in our society.”

In a statement issued Jan. 11, Billard’s attorney said the school’s action was discriminatory. “Lonnie was fired because he announced his marriage to his longtime partner, who is a man, and that is sex discrimination, pure and simple,” said Chris Brook, legal director for the ACLU of North Carolina.

According to the lawsuit, Billard is asking for an unspecified amount of back pay and benefits, compensation for “emotional distress,” punitive damages, and an order blocking the diocese and its school system from “further discriminatory conduct.”

“The Diocese of Charlotte does not typically discuss ongoing litigation,” David Hains, diocesan communication director, said Jan. 13.

Billard retired after 11 years from his teaching job at Charlotte Catholic High School in 2012, not long after he was named Teacher of the Year.

He continued working at the high school as an occasional substitute teacher for the next two years, for a total of about 36 weeks, according to the lawsuit.

In October 2014, Billard announced on Facebook that he and his male partner were planning to get married the next May. All employees of the diocese agree upon their employment to follow the diocese’s ethics policy and a personnel policy that requires them to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with

MARCH, SEE page 13

LAWSUIT, SEE page 13

SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Last year was a record for the Diocesan Support Appeal campaign which concluded Dec. 31.

The theme, “Whatsoever you do,” highlighted the Jubilee Year of Mercy celebrated by the universal Church in 2016, emphasizing the works of mercy.

The 2016 DSA campaign received $5,760,369 from 17,360 donors across the diocese – nine percent over the campaign goal of $5,300,000 and the most ever raised in this annual appeal.

Overall, 60 percent of parishes across the diocese reached or exceeded their goal. The average DSA gift was $321.

The annual campaign funds more than 50 programs, including the core

Photos by SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Hundreds of people marched past St. Peter Church in the annual March for Life Charlotte Jan. 13. Many prolife participants carried signs to call attention to the tragedy of abortion as they processed through the lunchtime crowds on an unusually warm Friday afternoon.

Sunny day greets hundreds as they march for life in Charlotte SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

operations of 23 ministries and agencies that serve thousands of people across the diocese – most notably, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for its counseling, food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, elder ministry, Respect Life and other programs, as well as the programs and ministries of the Education Vicariate.

The DSA also supports multicultural ministries, seminarian education, the permanent diaconate, the annual Eucharistic Congress, and the diocese’s housing corporation.

“The ministries and programs that are financially supported by the DSA are the instruments we use to promulgate many of the corporal works of mercy throughout the diocese. The generosity shown through donations that come to the DSA from all corners of the diocese is truly a blessing,” said Kerry Ann Tornesello, associate director of development for the diocese.

Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the annual DSA. Parishes that exceed their goal keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes that fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.

Some of the parishes receiving rebate funds include St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, St. Thérèse Church in Mooresville, Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, and St. Mark DSA, SEE page 13

CHARLOTTE — Babies with toothless grins wearing “All Life is Precious” stickers were just some of the bright signs of hope seen at the March for Life Charlotte Jan. 13. The 11th annual march drew hundreds of men, women and children hoping to bring a positive prolife message to the streets of uptown during lunch hour.

Unseasonably warm weather prompted a joyful spirit among the marchers, who hoped to witness to the sanctity of all human life and for the need to love mothers and their children who find themselves in a difficult situation.

“What a great opportunity we have on a glorious day like this to point people towards the love of Christ,” said Father

John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, as he addressed the marchers before leaving the Pastoral Center parking area on the 1.5-mile march.

He asked for the intercession of the

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More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos and video highlights from the March for Life in Charlotte

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: JAN. 25-28 March for Life Washington, D.C.

JAN. 30 – 1:15 p.m.

Mass for Catholic Schools Week St. Mark Church, Huntersville

JAN. 27 – 11:30 a.m.

Mass Giving Thanks to God for Gift of Human Life Basilica of National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Washington, D.C.

FEB. 1 – 1 p.m.

Mass for Catholic Schools Week Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro

FEB. 4 – 11 a.m.

Mass for World Day for Consecrated Life St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events January 20, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Volume 26 • Number 8

TEt festival: 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27-Sunday, Jan. 29, at St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, 4929 Sandy Porter Road, Charlotte. Live music, Lion dancers, food, games and activities for the entire family. Everyone welcome. For details, contact Bao Vu at 704-504-0907.

1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

Cello concert: 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Cellist Justin Page will perform the complete set of cello suites

by J.S. Bach. Everyone welcome.

Suspicious Cheese Lords in Concert: 3 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 29, in the Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont. The Washington, D.C.-based male vocal ensemble will perform “Franken Mass,” a complete Mass setting crafted from different larger works by Senfl, Palestrina, Mouton and Carpentras. Hear how a war song, a love song, a Gregorian chant, and a polyphonic motet can be reanimated into ”Franken Mass.” Presented by Arts at the Abbey. For details, visit www.bac.edu or call 704-461-6012.

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photos. Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org. All submitted items become the property of the Catholic News Herald and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all others.

POSTMASTER: Periodicals class postage (USPC 007-393) paid at Charlotte, N.C. Send address corrections to the Catholic News Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203.

Evening Novenas: Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 1505 East Kivett Dr., High Point. All are invited to pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Join them in praying for the needs of your families and for our hurting world. For details, call the parish office at 336-883-0244.

Men’s Prayer Group: 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Thursdays at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

Join Father Christopher Roux and other area Catholic men for Sunday Gospel meditations, the rosary, and fellowship. For details, call the parish office at 704-3342283.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING

reflect, refocus and rejuvenate your marriage. Retreat led by Father Martin Connor, LC. For details, go to www. rcgreatercharlotte.com.

7th annual Catholic Men’s Conference: Saturday, March 4, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Guest speakers include: Robert Rogers, Father Bill Casey, frequent EWTN guest, and Steve Beuerlein, former Carolina Panthers quarterback. For details, go to www.catholicmenofthecarolinas.org.

SUPPORT GROUPS ‘Encouragement for Women New To The Area’: 10 a.m. to noon starting Wednesday, Feb. 1. at St. Therese Church, Room 202-203 , 217 Brawley School Road Mooresville. An all-women, 10-week “Just Moved/ Newcomers’ class” providing encouragement for women going through the transition and adjustment of moving.

Based on the book “After the Boxes are Unpacked,” this is an opportunity to meet others, make some time for yourself to share, and be assured by new friends that you will not feel lost in the shuffle. For details, call Sophia McNiff at 704-508-2217 or Tracy deRoos at 704-663-3575.

Gaudium Musicae Concert Series: 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte.

Concert will feature Gate City Camerata, UNCGreensboro’s elite faculty student ensemble, presenting traditional and contemporary chamber works. For details, go to www.stanncharlotte.org.

“Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are:

MOTHERING WITH GRACE: Second Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. For details, go to www. motheringwithgrace.org.

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups

ASHEVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. SALISBURY: 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, Sacred Heart School, 385 Lumen Christi Lane

Shining Stars Adult day respite: Meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Shining Stars is a nonprofit adult day respite program for members of the community with early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

For details, call Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org

Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group members. For details, call the parish office at 828-926-0106.

Candlelight Walk for Life: Starting at 5 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 22, at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., Charlotte. All Catholics are invited to mark the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on its actual date with a special candlelight walk in uptown Charlotte. Event will begin with Mass at 5 p.m. at St. Peter Church in uptown followed by a 6 p.m. silent half-mile candlelight walk to the federal courthouse to pray for an end to abortion.

For details, go to wwww.prolifecharlotte.org.

St. Matthew Parish Mission: Jan. 23-25 at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Father Christopher Krymski, OSM, director of the National Shrine of St. Peregrine and associate pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago, will lead the mission. His passion for the healing power of Christ through St. Peregrine is evident in all of his publications on the patron saint of cancer and other serious illnesses, as well as radio broadcasts where he shares his love for St. Peregrine.

Pro-life rosary: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at 801 N. Elm St. and Sunset Drive. Outdoors, rain or shine. Please come and help us pray for the end of abortion, and feel free to invite anyone who would be morally supportive of this = important cause. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

CHARLOTTE Maronite Mission: Masses are offered every Saturday at 7 p.m. at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. The Maronite Mission of Charlotte is an Eastern rite Catholic Church in full communion with the pope.

RETREATS & Lectures ‘The Altar and the Throne,’ Catholics and politics in 2017: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the Fellowship Hall at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro. Guest speaker Deacon James Toner. Light refreshments available. For details, call Jeannine Martin at 336-294-4696, ext. 225.

Seeking purpose Retreat: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, in the New Life Center at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Come and discern your gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them to help build up God’s kingdom. To register, go to www. stmatthewcatholic.org.

Latin Mass Class: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Allen Center Cafeteria at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. Father Jason Barone will explore the importance and beauty of Latin as the Church’s official language. The presentation will answer many questions including: How did Latin become the Church’s language? Why does the Church still use Latin? How Latin is uniquely suited for the Mass? Class will be preceded by a 6 p.m. Latin Mass in the church and a light dinner served by the Charlotte Latin Mass Community. Everyone welcome. RSVP by Monday, Jan. 30, to Chris Lauer at info@charlottelatinmass.org.

Marriage Getaway weekend retreat: 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, at Kanuga Conference Center, 130 Kanuga Chapel Dr., Hendersonville. This 25-hour retreat will help you

Alzheimer’s Caregiver and Family Support Group: Meets the first Monday of the month, 6:30-8 p.m., in Family Center Room 203 at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Organized with the Alzheimer’s Association, the monthly meetings are for the caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s. For details, email Janet Urban at jgraceart@yahoo.com.

YOUNG ADULTS ASHEVILLE THEOLOGY ON TAP: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Asheville region. For details, check them out on Facebook, Twitter or MeetUp. CHARLOTTE AREA: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/charlottecatholicyoungadultministry, and at: St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry” St. John Neumann Church: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Unbound Charlotte Conference coming March 10-11 KANNAPOLIS — Unbound, a ministry which equips local churches and ministries to pray for the spiritual and emotional freedom of others, will host the Unbound Freedom in Christ Conference March 10-11 at St. Joseph Church.

Unbound is a nonconfrontational ministry which focuses on the love, mercy, healing and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. It was co-founded

by Neal and Janet Lozano of Heart of the Father Ministries, Pa. The Lozanos have more than 30 years of pastoral experience helping people find freedom in Jesus Christ. Neal Lozano is an international speaker and a leader of evangelistic outreach to students. Janet Lozano leads the training team and missions.

The session on Friday, March 10, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is a training session for those who wish to

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

(Above) Members of the Joyful Hands Ministry Choir wore teal T-shirts to a special Mass for the National Catholic Office for the Deaf Pastoral Week conference Jan. 15 at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. The American Sign Language choir from Gardner-Webb University signed a praise and worship song for the deaf and hearing-impaired congregation at the end of Mass. (Below) Priests from around the U.S. and Canada sign during the NCOD Mass on Jan. 15.

Joyful hands bring faith to deaf and hearing-impaired St. Matthew Church hosts national conference for the deaf SueAnn Howell Senior Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Participants in the annual National Catholic Office for the Deaf Pastoral Week Jan. 13-17 had an unusual and beautiful opportunity to worship together at Mass Jan. 15 at St. Matthew Church. Deaf priests and some hearing priests trained in American Sign Language signed throughout the Mass, even signing parts of the Eucharistic Prayer.

During the one-hour Mass, sign-language interpreters were positioned on each side of the sanctuary, interpreting the Mass and leading deaf and hearing-impaired parishioners in signing the Mass parts and songs.

Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, served as the main celebrant. Eleven priests attending the conference concelebrated Mass.

More than 100 members of the National Catholic Office for the Deaf from around the U.S. and Canada attended the Mass at St. Matthew Church and also the conference

held at the Charlotte Crowne Plaza Executive Park Hotel in south Charlotte. The annual conference gives laity and clergy the opportunity to gather and receive valuable training and resources for deaf ministry in their dioceses and parishes.

St. Matthew Church has offered deaf ministry for its parishioners for more than 10 years under the leadership of pastor Monsignor John McSweeney.

“We are honored to host this national group,” Monsignor McSweeney said. “A very important aspect of our Masses at St.

Matthew is the signing for the deaf. We are delighted that St. Matthew is able to host this event.”

Father Shawn Carey, a deaf priest from the Archdiocese of Boston who serves on the board of directors for the National Catholic Office for the Deaf, signed the Gospel reading at Mass.

“Deaf ministry is important because oftentimes the deaf people feel isolated, they have no access to faith, and they do need faith to have a good life and serve the Lord.

They have to. Without that, then they are lost sheep, like an island all alone. But if they have faith, we can encourage them to continue their faith and follow the call of God.” He expressed that for many years the Catholic Church was unsure of how best to minister to the deaf. deaf, SEE page 12

apply this ministry in their parishes. The training consists of a teaching and a ministering session. A teaching entitled “UNBOUND: Principles and Practice” will be presented, then reinforced during the conference as each of the principles is examined in depth.

Participants will use their training on Saturday, March 11, on the ministry team. One person will lead the group as those recently trained pray for those from the seminar who request prayer using the model that had been taught. The ministry team will pray during each session of the conference, so attendance is necessary at the entire conference.

Attendance at the Friday training session requires a special registration process.

The Saturday conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is open to everyone, with no special registration requirements. The day will include praise, talks by Neal Lozano, prayer time and the Father’s blessing.

Interested attendees are strongly encouraged to read Neal Lozano’s book “Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance from Evil Spirits” before attending the training session or conference.

For more information and to register, go to www. unboundchltnc.org/conference. html. Questions may be directed to Julie Jahn, ministry leader, at 704-560-9202 or unboundchltnc@ gmail.com.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Superintendent, Office of Catholic Schools Diocese of Richmond Virginia The Catholic Diocese of Richmond, VA seeks a highly qualified, innovative and strategic leader for the position of Superintendent, Office of Catholic Schools.

The Superintendent will oversee the vision and planning for 29 Catholic Schools serving over 9,000 students, located throughout the state of Virginia.

Salary is commensurate with experience and will conform to diocesan guidelines.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae and diocesan application to Sara Board, HR Coordinator, via email to jobs@richmonddiocese.org.

Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

During his retirement celebration Jan. 12, Dr. Cris Villapando and his wife receive a blessing from Bishop Peter Jugis as Bishop Emeritus William Curlin joins them in prayer. Villapando also received an award (below) for his 20-plus years of service to the Diocese of Charlotte.

Faith formation director retires Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

THE ORATORY 434 Charlotte Avenue, P.O. Box 11586 Rock Hill, SC 29731-1586

(803) 327-2097

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

Women Through the Centuries February 10-11, 2017 April 7-8, 2017, June 2-3, 2017 Participants may attend any or all of the weekends.

Sister Susan Schorsten, HM & Sister Gay Rowzie, HM Who have been some of the women on whose shoulders we stand? We will come to know some of these women – women who have been saints and sinners, prophets and visionaries, women like us who have made a difference in their families and neighborhoods. We will become acquainted with some of these women who have gone before us, from the first to the twenty-first century.

The weekends will consist of a Friday evening and all day Saturday, with liturgy and lunch included. Space is limited, so early registration is suggested.

Sister Susan Schorsten & Sister Gay Rowzie are Humility of Mary Sisters. Both were active in the Diocese of Charleston for many years before moving on to other ministries and now have returned to this area.

$50 each session

$40 additional each weekend for Friday night lodging (includes room, Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast)

CHARLOTTE — Dr. Cris Villapando, diocesan director of faith formation programs, was honored for giving 20 years of service to the Diocese of Charlotte and 45 years of service overall to the Church as he retired this month.

During his tenure, Villapando has worked with clergy, parishioners, catechists, vicariate personnel and parish catechetical program leaders in guiding the diocese’s overall faith formation efforts, including youth faith formation and RCIA programs.

Among other accomplishments, Villapando crafted the diocese’s confirmation guidelines as well as a home catechesis policy, he established a recognition process for catechists, and he developed a handbook and training programs for parish catechetical program leaders. He also formed the diocesan Commission on the RCIA and oversaw the process and Rites of Election each year across the diocese. He also offered catechetical outreach to the growing Latino, Filipino, Vietnamese and Korean Catholic communities.

Before coming to Charlotte, Villapando also served in the dioceses of Richmond and Dallas, the Archdiocese of Denver, and at the University of Dallas.

“We will miss your presence but will count on your sage advice and friendship,” said Father Roger Arnsparger, diocesan vicar of education, during a reception and award presentation Jan. 12 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. “You may retire from the office, but we will still count on your prayer and counsel.”

Bishop Peter Jugis prayed a blessing over Villapando and his wife, thanking him for his dedication in bringing people closer to Christ.

“May Almighty God keep you from all harm and bless you with every good gift.

May He set His word in your heart and fill you with lasting joy. May you walk in His ways, always knowing what is right and good until you enter into your heavenly inheritance,” he prayed.

In brief remarks, Bishop Jugis noted

Villapando has interacted with and inspired “literally thousands” of people over the years.

“On their behalf I wish to thank you for your dedication to them, helping to form them in parish formation teams and parish formation programs, and for the other great work that you have done. That legacy is what we continue to build on” as the diocese continues to grow and deepen in faith, he said.

Bishop Emeritus William Curlin noted the growth of the Charlotte diocese has been “because of the goodness of people like you, with your wonderful gifts and your dedication and your great heart.”

“Continue to use your gifts,” he told Villapando. “You don’t retire from being Christ-like, you just have a new dimension in how you spend your life and how you enrich others’ lives.”

Villapando thanked all those who have worked with him over the years, especially his colleagues in the Education Vicariate, noting that his mission in education and evangelization has been about changing hearts and bringing people closer to Christ.

“You are all incarnated grace for me,” he said. “Thank you.”

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief All welcome to Tet Festival CHARLOTTE — St. Joseph Vietnamese Church will host its annual Tet Festival Jan. 27-29, celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year. The festival to welcome in the “Year of the Rooster” will include live music, traditional Vietnamese food and games, as well as performances by the parish’s own Hidden Dragon Lion Dance team.

The festival will be held from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Friday, Jan. 27; 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28; and 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29.

Admission is free.

— Catholic News Herald

Local CCHD grant applications are due Feb. 15

Photos by John Cosmas and Mike FitzGerald | Catholic News Herald

Latin Mass celebrated in Huntersville HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church offered a special Solemn High Orchestral Latin Mass with the Carolina Catholic Chorale Jan. 15. The Mass was originally scheduled for Jan. 8, the Feast of the Holy Family on the Extraordinary Form calendar, but the liturgy was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Nearly 600 people attended this first Solemn Latin Mass at the parish, which featured the chorale providing music from Antonio Caldara’s “Mass in A Major” as well as several pieces from Mozart. Father Joseph Matlak, pastor of St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Rite Mission in Charlotte, offered the Mass with Father Jason Barone from St. Ann Church as deacon and Father Jason Christian from St. Thomas Aquinas Church as subdeacon. The Huntersville parish plans to offer more Latin Masses on Fridays during Lent.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) remains one of the U.S. Catholic Bishops primary efforts to fight poverty at the grassroots level. The annual CCHD national collection, held in November, is a source of both national and local funds to support organizations addressing the root causes of poverty in America. Seventy-five percent of collected funds support CCHD’s National Grant Program, while 25 percent of the funds stay in the Diocese of Charlotte to support local CCHD poverty fighting efforts.

This past spring, 12 local CCHD grants totaling $39,000 were distributed to non-profits located in nine cities of the diocese: Belmont, Brevard, Charlotte, Gastonia, Greensboro, Hickory, Shelby, Waynesville and Winston-Salem.

In the Diocese of Charlotte, the Local CCHD Grant Program is sponsored by Catholic Charities. Information about this grant program can be found on Catholic Charities’ website at www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs. Grant funded projects address poverty (and/or related social concerns) at its root causes. Non-profit organizations that give people who are poor a voice in how to address their struggles with poverty

OUR PARISHESI

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are especially encouraged to apply. Grants provide funds of up to $5,000. The deadline for completed applications to be submitted via email, for consideration in the 2017 round of grants, is Feb. 15. All non-profit applicants and their projects for which funds are sought are reviewed according to stated grant guidelines and eligibility criteria, including a review of the conformity of the organization and proposed project with Catholic social and moral teachings.

Applications from non-profits which are not Catholic entities of the diocese must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from a pastor or deacon familiar with the non-profit’s work.

— Joseph Purello

Boone Knights fund new hymnals BOONE — Boone area Knights of Columbus made two special presentations to Father Matthew Codd, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church, Dec. 17. The Knights presented Father Codd with a check for $1,100 that they raised to help with the purchase of new hymnals for the church. The Knights also gave him a Knights of Columbus Cross of Virtues, provided anonymously by a knight who recently joined the council.

— Amber Mellon, correspondent

Candlelight walk for life planned CHARLOTTE — All Catholics are invited to mark the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on its actual date with a special candlelight walk in uptown Charlotte Sunday, Jan. 22.

Sponsored by C-PLAN, the event will begin with 5 p.m. Mass at St. Peter Church, followed by a silent half-mile walk by candlelight to the federal courthouse to pray for an end to abortion. The walk will begin promptly at 6 p.m. in front of the church.

St. Peter Church is located at 507 S. Tryon St. in Charlotte. Parking is available in the BRIEFS, SEE page 12

A Gift for the Ages Our daughter’s baptism. Her first Ccommunion and confirmation. Last week she was married. We are grateful that we were able to establish a charitable gift annuity with the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to benefit our Catholic school.

To receive the free brochure, “A Simple Guide to Gift Planning” contact Ray Correia, Director of Planned Giving at 704-370-3364 or recorreia@charlottediocese.org

Our schools 8

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Diocesan School Board has openings for 2017-’18 year CHARLOTTE — The Diocesan School Board has vacancies beginning with the 2017-’18 school year. Knowing that this board is advisory/ consultative to the superintendent and the bishop on matters relating to all diocesan schools, the board members put aside individual school or parish needs to work in the framework of the entire diocese.

To be eligible to serve, a board member must be a practicing Catholic, be a participating member of a diocesan parish, be at least 25 years old, be able to work effectively with others in achieving consensus, be willing to make necessary and substantial time commitments to attend meetings and related board activities including active participation on board committees, and have a genuine interest in and commitment to the diocesan school system.

The term of office is three years. Board members may serve two full or partial consecutive terms.

For details and an application, email Theresa Ramirez in the Catholic Schools Office at tramirez@charlottediocese.org.

Applications and a pastor’s letter of verification/ recommendation are due by Feb. 17.

Interviews will be conducted with selected applicants. Appointments are made by the bishop.

St. Michael announces geography bee winner GASTONIA — Fifth-grader Caz Wilkinson (pictured) won St. Michael School’s school-wide National Geographic Bee for students in grades 4-8 Dec. 15.

Fourth-grader Quinlan Hahn came in second place. The school was one of thousands of schools Wilkinson around the United States that participated in the 2017 National Geographic Bee program.

Wilkinson will move on to take a qualifying test. The top 100 scorers in North Carolina will then be eligible to compete in the state Bee on March 31. The state winners will go on to participate in the national championship Bee rounds May 15-17.

— Tammy Eason

Knights contest winners announced GASTONIA — Eighth -grade students at St. Michael School recently participated in the annual Knights of Columbus Essay and Poster Contest. They were instructed to write an essay entitled “The Responsibility of a Catholic Citizen in a Free Society.” The title for the poster contest was “Substance Abuse Awareness.”

Members of the Knights of Columbus judged the students’ entries. The winner for the essay contest was Rachel Lowry, and the winner for the poster contest was Eian Catindig.

— Tammy Eason We welcome your school’s news! Email items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

Catholic school enrollment opens for 2017-’18 academic year CHARLOTTE — Enrollment for the 2017-’18 academic year has opened for the nine schools in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system.

The nine schools are: St. Ann School (PK, TK-5), St. Gabriel School (K-5), St. Matthew School (TK-5), St. Patrick School (K-5), Our Lady of the Assumption School (PK-8), St. Mark School (K-8), Holy Trinity Middle School (6-8), Charlotte Catholic High School and Christ the King High School.

MACS schools are accredited through AdvancED-SAC-CASI (Southern Association of Schools-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement).

MACS offers a pre-kindergarten class for 4-year-olds at two schools in Charlotte: Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Ann. Kindergarten programs are offered at six MACS schools. Two schools, Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte and St. Mark in Huntersville, go through the eighth grade.

MACS also offers four special needs programs at various locations: n Providing an Appropriate Academic Catholic Education (PACE): A selfcontained program designed for students in grades 2-6 with average to above

average cognitive ability and a diagnosed specific learning disability. The goal of PACE is to return students to the general classroom once they have mastered the necessary skills to achieve at grade level.

This program is housed at Our Lady of the Assumption School. n Modified Academic Program (MAP): A program for grade K-12 students whose learning needs can best be met in a modified academic environment. Students receive specialized instruction in reading, math and writing while on a case-by case basis learning with their peers in social studies, science and religion classes. MAP is housed at St. Ann, Holy Trinity Middle and Charlotte Catholic High schools. n The Matthew-Morgan program: A program that provides an inclusive educational experience for students in grades K-4 with Down Syndrome.

Students are included in the general classroom with support from a teaching assistant. This program is housed at St. Patrick School. n Learning Support: Learning Support is offered to provide additional academic support to students in the general classroom who are struggling

academically because of learning challenges. It is provided at all nine MACS schools.

Tuition discounts are provided to participating Catholic parishioners. For 2016-’17 tuition rates for participating Catholic families were: $3,664 for half-day pre-kindergarten or $5,693 for full-day pre-kindergarten; $6,212 for elementary school (transitional kindergarten through fifth grade); $6,883 for middle school, and $10, 066 for high school. (Tuition for nonCatholic or non-participating Catholics is higher.) Tuition for the MAP, PACE and Matthew Morgan programs is different from what is listed above. A discount for families with two or more students is available.

Rates for 2017-’18 should be available in Feb. Financial assistance is available to qualifying families based on need.

Additional financial scholarships are available through the state.

For enrollment information, contact Admissions Director Rebekah Ruhle at rdruhle@charlottediocese.org or 704-3703273. General information is also available at www.charlottediocese.org/macs.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Cougar Caritas: Charlotte Catholic’s gift to Charlotte 1,000-plus students perform days of service Carolyn Kramer Tillman Special to the Catholic News Herald

CHARLOTTE — More than 1,000 Charlotte Catholic High School students shared the spirit of the Christmas season through “Cougar Caritas,” a new charity initiative that placed them throughout the Charlotte community for two days of service just before the Christmas break.

On Dec. 17 and 19, students took part in a variety of projects throughout the city, including preparing and delivering meals, bringing Christmas cheer and music to nursing home residents, making care packages for wounded veterans, assisting special-needs children with horseback riding therapy, sorting and wrapping Christmas gifts for underprivileged children, caring for animals at the Humane Society shelters, cleaning signs and painting fences on the greenway, organizing food pantry donations, and many other charitable works. Sixty-two different projects were planned and carried out over the two days, resulting in more than 5,000 total service hours spread across Charlotte. Forty-one different agencies, from Huntersville to Rock Hill, were served by the high school students.

One project, which took place in the high school cafeteria, involved more than 100 students preparing meals for Servants with a Heart, a Waxhaw organization that distributes the meals to hungry families in Haiti, through a partnership with Samaritans International. In addition, Servants with a Heart distributes a percentage of the meals locally. Charlotte Catholic students prepared and packaged an amazing 51,000 meals, which then were

packed in boxes that the students decorated with messages of Christmas cheer.

Other projects completed were: n Preparing and organizing 1,280 donated books for underprivileged schools, assisting Promising Pages n Making blankets and preparing toiletry kits for the homeless, assisting Urban Ministry n Making dog beds and dog toys for animal shelters, assisting the Humane Society, Project 2 Heal, and Hollyz Hope n Making bouquets of flowers for nursing homes, spreading Christmas cheer to Elmcroft and Hillcrest n Making sensory games for Alzheimer’s residents, assisting Suzanne’s Cottage n Improving trails at the visitor’s center, assisting the Raptor Center n Making tote bags for homeless children, each of which contained a stuffed animal and a story written by CCHS students about the stuffed animal, assisting A Child’s Place n Making coloring books and games for children in hospitals, assisting Levine Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House “Caritas,” a Latin word meaning charity and Christian love of humankind, was an easy choice for the all-encompassing theme of the day of service, said Mary Jayne Dawson, director of Campus Ministry and organizer of the initiative.

“With such a wide variety of service projects occurring in a single day, it was important to give this event a name that

embodies all that we do, and the spirit in which we serve,” she said.

Charlotte Catholic’s current school year has been named a Year of Virtues, focusing on nine particular virtues: acceptance and humility, responsibility and justice, gratitude, hope and peace, compassion and kindness, forgiveness, courage and grace, faith and joy, and charity. December was the month that CCHS students focused on charity.

The purpose of the Year of Virtues is to encourage the desire to practice good deeds and positive behaviors at school, at home, and in the community. Focusing on one virtue each month encourages school-wide conversations and actions to demonstrate each virtue, and allows the students to celebrate with a common language throughout the school year.

“Cougar Caritas is our response to the conflict, hurt, and confusion so evident in our city, our state and our nation these last few months,” said Jeremy Kuhn, co-chair of the English Department. “It CARITAS, SEE page 13

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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CCHS sophomore carries on, expands ‘Cougars 4 a Cure’ cause SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Cougars 4 a Cure, a local outreach effort to create awareness and research funding for bladder cancer at the Carolinas Healthcare System’s Levine Cancer Institute, will continue for a fourth year.

Mitchell Salvino, a Charlotte Catholic sophomore, has taken over the effort started in 2013 by his brother Matthew, now a freshman at Duke University in Durham.

Cougars 4 a Cure was created after their mom, Denise, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2012. To date, it has raised nearly $70,000 for Levine Cancer Institute and the Carolinas Bladder Cancer Fund.

Mitchell Salvino is proud to carry on the effort that his brother started three years ago, along with Charlotte Catholic’s junior varsity basketball coach, Andre Speech, to tie in a hoops event with the cause. Varsity coach Mike King and the basketball program will continue to lend their support at the event coming up Friday, Feb. 3.

“We go about raising money by selling T-shirts with the C4C logo here at school during each lunch period and before and after school,” Salvino said. “We also have a dress down day on Feb. 3 and everyone brings $1 or $2.

Everyone who buys a shirt and wears it to the game gets in to the game free that night.”

This year the Cougars take on West Mecklenburg High School at 7 p.m. Feb. 3 at home.

Salvino has been successful in increasing the number of Catholic schools participating in Cougars 4 a Cure this year, expanding the dress down days where students can wear casual clothes instead of school uniforms and voluntarily donate funds to Cougars 4 a Cure and even purchase C4C T-shirts.

“St. Matthew, St. Gabriel, St. Patrick and Holy Trinity are also having dress down days this year,” he said.

Salvino’s younger sister, Morgan, is in seventh grade at Holy Trinity Middle School, so she will be able to

participate this year.

“I am very proud of my sons, Matthew and Mitchell,” Denise Salvino says. “A lot of times when a family has to deal with cancer, they band together to get the person who is diagnosed through the surgery, treatments and get back to their lives before they were impacted by the disease.

“It is rare for people to want to stay involved once all these activities are over for the loved one and then try to help out others. It is even more rare for teenagers to want to do this.”

She said Matthew, Mitchell and Morgan all like science and a key component of that is research, so they all were very curious about the latest bladder cancer research.

“You will see that the treatment for bladder cancer has roughly been the same for the last 30 years, but the doctors at the Levine Cancer Institute are trying to change that through research.

“Matthew, Mitchell and Morgan wanted to support this research, and the best way for them to do this is to raise money. Hopefully as they get older, they will be able to work at LCI and help conduct some of the research.

Matthew interned at LCI for the last three years, and now Mitchell will intern at LCI this year.”

The American Cancer Society estimated in 2016 that more than 76,960 new cases of bladder cancer (about 58,950 in men and 18,010 in women) would be diagnosed.

Unfortunately it was also estimated there would be about 16,390 deaths from bladder cancer (11,820 men and 4,570 women).

Mitchell Salvino said they hope to raise more than $30,000 this year.

“I enjoy raising money for cancer research,” he said. “I remember my mom going through surgery and now she has regular screenings. I am just trying to raise money for people who are going through that.”

To purchase a T-shirt or donate to Cougars 4 a Cure, go to the link associated with the CCHS online store at www.charlottecatholic.americommerce.com/store/c/89Cougars-4-a-Cure.aspx.

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Epiphany blessing at Charlotte Catholic CHARLOTTE — Father Jason Barone, assistant chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School, offered a Latin High Mass Jan. 5 on the Vigil of the Epiphany in the school chapel. Following an ancient tradition, he blessed Epiphany water, salt and chalk for families to use in their homes. He then proceeded to bless the school after the Mass, using the chalk to draw a cross over the front door along with the following characters: 20+C+M+B+17. The 20 and the 17 stand for the new year, and the letters C, M and B are both the initials of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) as well as the initial letters of the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat,” which means “Christ bless this house.”

Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Open Houses

Faith & Service

Academic Pre-K Program STEM iPads & Technology Athletics Clubs and Activities Family Events

Band

Art

Open House Tuesday, Jan. 31st 9am-11am

Open House Wednesday, Feb. 1st 9am-11am

Open House Thursday, Feb. 2nd 8:30am-10:30am

OLA Catholic School

St. Patrick Catholic School

St. Ann Catholic School

olacatholic.org

saintpatrickschool.org

stanncatholic.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

(Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae) who are also her close friends battle racism and segregation, she gradually wins the respect of her well-meaning but initially unenlightened boss (Kevin Costner). In adapting Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, director Theodore Melfi successfully re-creates the tension of the Cold War space race, while showcasing family values and Christian piety as well as wholesome romance through the widowed protagonist’s relationship with a National Guard officer (Mahershala Ali). Given that the film also provides a personalized insight into the struggles of the civil rights era, many parents may consider it suitable for older teens, despite screenwriter Allison Schroeder’s occasional resort to light swearing for rhetorical emphasis. At least one use of profanity, several milder oaths, a vague sexual reference.

CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG

In theaters

‘Live by Night’ Style trumps substance in this glossy crime drama tracing the rise of a Boston-bred gangster (Ben Affleck) in the Florida of the 1920s and ‘30s. After a near-fatal conflict with the Irish-American kingpin (Robert Glenister) with whose girlfriend (Sienna Miller) he was having an affair, he seeks to avenge himself by allying with his enemy’s principal rival (Remo Girone), the leader of the Hub’s Italian mafia. Dispatched to the outskirts of Tampa to supervise his new boss’ rum-running racket, he falls for the elegant scion (Zoe Saldana) of a wealthy but shady Cuban family and clashes with a local evangelist over his plans to build a casino. Morality, social commentary and Christianity of the revival meeting variety are all part of the mix in Affleck’s serious-minded adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s best-selling novel. But the faith on display is tattered, the ethics muddled and any consistent message gets lost amid the climactic hail of bullets. Questionable values, frequent violence with some gore, semi-graphic premarital sex, upper female nudity, a couple of uses of profanity, constant rough and crude language.

CNS: L(limited adult audience); MPAA: R

‘Hidden Figures’ Appealing fact-based drama about an extraordinarily gifted mathematician (Taraji P. Henson) working for NASA in the early 1960s. As she and two equally brilliant colleagues

On TV n Friday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Vulnerable: The Euthanasia Deception.” A chilling look at the effects recent euthanasia and assisted suicide laws have had on society, featuring personal testimonies, with expert legal and medical analysis. n Sunday, Jan. 22, 9:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Sidewalk Chronicles.” Documentary about women in crisis pregnancies, and the pro-life movement heroes who reach out to them with love and support. n Tuesday, Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Napro.” Groundbreaking documentary informing women of a natural alternative to mainstream women’s health care, vis-à-vis hormonal contraceptives. n Wednesday, Jan. 25, 11:30 a.m. (EWTN) “Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Celebration of Vespers.” Pope Francis presides over the vespers service celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, from the Basilica of St. PaulOutside-the-Walls. n Friday, Jan. 27, 9 a.m. (EWTN) “March for Life.” Live, complete coverage of the most important pro-life event of the year: the annual March For Life in Washington, D.C. n Friday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “40.” A pro-life film with a focus on how the legalization of abortion in America has affected women, children and society for more than 40 years. n Saturday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “The War of the Vendee.”

Deeply rooted in their Catholic faith, as preached generations earlier by St. Louis de Montfort, the people of the region of Vendée rose against the French Revolution, clamoring for their faith and throne. n Sunday, Jan. 29, 3:45 p.m. (EWTN) “No Greater Love.” After finding out he was nearly aborted, Deacon Julio reflects on how this and other events in his life have shaped his calling to the priesthood. n Wednesday, Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Beatification of Benedict Daswa.” Friends and family honor the beatification of Benedict Daswa, a martyr who spoke out against the ritualistic killings running rampant across South Africa.

Thank you!

This week’s edition marks the 1,000th edition of the Catholic News Herald.

Since our first issue was published on September 6, 1991, the Catholic News Herald’s mission has been to provide a Catholic perspective on the news of the day and be a voice of evangelization in western North Carolina. For more than 25 years your diocesan newspaper — and more recently, its online, video and social media platforms — have documented the news of three popes, four bishops, dozens of church and parish hall dedications, and countless stories about people doing God’s work in the 92 parishes and missions of the Diocese of Charlotte.

We appreciate your support in our mission to serve Christ and connect Catholics in western North Carolina.

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Giuliana Polinari Riley | Catholic News Herald

Photo provided by Eddie Williams

¡ Viva Santo Niño!

‘Perdonar asi como el Padre perdona’

HICKORY - El 14 de Enero los feligreses de la Iglesia de San Aloysius celebraron la Fiesta del Santo Niño de Cebú, que conmemora el descubrimiento de una imagen del Niño Jesús en los restos de una batalla del siglo XVI entre los españoles y los nativos de Cebú , Filipinas. El tercer Domingo de cada mes de Enero, millones de católicos acuden a Cebú para el colorido festival conocido como Sinulog, colocando la isla y toda la Filipinas bajo su patrocinio. En Hickory, los fieles se reunieron para la misa ofrecida por el Padre Larry LoMonaco, párroco, seguido por una celebración con una oferta de danza Sinulog y presentaciones.

FOREST CITY — Padre Angel Espinoza de Los Monteros de la Diocesis de Puebla, Mexico compartío una charla sobre el perdon en el matrimonio en la Iglesia de la Immaculada Concepción en Forest City el pasado 6 de Diciembre. Mas de 100 personas asistieron al evento, las cuales fueron cautivadas por el estilo humoristico de Padre Angel. El principal mensaje de la charla fue “Perdonar asi como el Padre perdona.” El Padre Angel Espinoza de Los Monteros tiene una licenciatura en Teologia Moral y una Maestria en Humanidades classicas y comparte charlas acerca de Los valores morales en la familia en Muchos paises del mundo.

®

Experienced Executive Director Wanted for Pro-Life Organization

MiraVia, Inc. (www.mira-via.org) a privately-funded nonprofit corporation operating in Charlotte and Belmont, North Carolina is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. MiraVia provides a wide range of services to pregnant women and their children, regardless of their economic, social, religious, racial, or ethnic background. MiraVia is registered in the P.J. Kenedy and Sons Directory of Catholic Charities. The organization employs 16 people and the annual budget is approximately $600,000 with total net assets of approximately $3 million.

Responsibilities include representing MiraVia to build support for the organization and its mission; working with the Board of Directors toward the continued development and improvement of the organization’s strategic plan and to set & meet organizational goals; providing direction and leadership to MiraVia staff; driving private fundraising in concert with the Board of Directors, including annual fundraising events such as the Annual Banquet and Golf Tournament; positioning MiraVia for corporate and institutional funding; driving marketing and communications in coordination with the Board of Directors and MiraVia staff; positioning the organization as a thought leader in the pro-life community on a local, regional and national level; working with other pro-life organizations to create efficiency between MiraVia and other organizations providing services to pregnant women and their children; cultivating and directing a network of volunteers and supporters for MiraVia; assisting the Finance Committee in the creation of the annual budget and manage the organizations’ finances in concert with the approved budget; and overseeing and having ultimate

WWW. M I R A-V I A .O R G

responsibility for all compliance activities (audit, annual 990 filing, licensing requirements, etc.); Qualifications include demonstrating a passion and commitment for the mission of MiraVia as well as show evidence of a successful career path showing significant management and advocacy responsibilities. While nonprofit experience is preferred, candidates with both for-profit and non-profit experience would be a strong plus. Experience with fundraising is strongly preferred. Candidates must demonstrate strategic thinking skills and an ability to develop, budget, organize and execute a strategic plan--past experience in strategic planning is a strong plus. Candidates must be action oriented and demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills as well as strong presentation and public speaking skills. Candidates must have demonstrated supervisory skills and experience in managing a successful team of people.

Minimum Education and Experience: A master’s degree in Social Work or Public Administration and four years of experience in a human services field including two years in a supervisory or managerial capacity; or graduation from a fouryear college or university and six years of experience in human services field including three years in a supervisory or managerial capacity; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to the President of the Board of Directors, Jordan Raniszeski, at President@mira-via.org

12

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 OUR PARISHES

BRIEFS

DEAF

FROM PAGE 7

FROM PAGE 5

underground garage next to the church. For details, go to www.prolifecharlotte.org/event/ candlelight-walk-for-life.

Youths participate in lock-in DENVER — The Youth Ministry at Holy Spirit Church organized an overnight service lock-in last month for the parish youth, including those who will receive the sacrament of confirmation this year.

They did several service projects including working at the East Lincoln Christian Ministries, raising money and wrapping gifts which they donated to a family being aided by the Denver Pregnancy Care Center.

They “adopted” the young mother and her 9-month-old son, providing gifts ranging from a wooden rocking chair and a stroller to baby clothes. The teens wrapped the gifts on the evening of the lock-in.

— Doreen Sugierski, correspondent

Father Carey, who is deaf, admitted that his vocation had its challenges, as he was initially denied entry to seminary. He was encouraged to persevere when he attended a movie providentially called “Signs,” where the main character becomes a priest at the end of the movie. He knew then he had to continue his journey towards the priesthood. He found St. Patrick’s Seminary in California, which offered a program for deaf men studying to become priests. They had interpreters to help seminarians study for the priesthood.

“Now I am a priest for almost eight years!” he said. He was ordained in 2009

by Cardinal Sean O’Malley at Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston and now serves as the director of the deaf apostolate for the Archdiocese of Boston.

Father Matt Alcombright, pastor of Mary, Mother of Hope Church in Springfield, Mass., is the director of deaf ministry for the Diocese of Springfield. His parish is the home of deaf ministry for the diocese. He is not hearing impaired but is trained in American Sign Language. Father Alcombright served as homilist at the Jan. 15 Mas. “I was ordained in 2012 and became director of deaf ministry a month after my ordination,” he explained. “Deaf ministry is important to the Church because, as the Church teaches, we are supposed to have one faith, one people, one language – universality – and that includes the deaf.”

“As the Church documents say, it’s ‘full, active and conscious participation,’ so if you have deaf people with no interpreter or

nothing for them, there is no participation, there is no consciousness of what is happening,” he said.

“It’s so important as to what the Church wants us to do. The Church wants us to provide these ministries not only to the deaf but those with any kind of disability.

We need to provide for them,” he said.

Laureen Lynch-Ryan, a regional board president for the National Catholic Office for the Deaf, helped to organize the annual conference.

“The National Catholic Office for the Deaf hopes to provide support for pastoral workers throughout the nation, so we that can maintain deaf ministry and provide education not only to deaf children but to deaf adults and their families, so we can help them continue to grow in the Catholic faith,” she said.

Local deaf and hearing-impaired parishioners also attended the conference and some served as lectors at Mass.

Ron Kolodziej, a parishioner of Holy Spirit Church in Denver, signed the first reading. Deaf since the age of 5 after contracting the measles, Kolodzielj said he feels called to assist others in hearing the Word of God and growing in their faith.

For more than a decade, he has served the deaf and hearing-impaired community in the Diocese of Charlotte, volunteering as an interpreter and also in faith formation ministry.

One of those whom Kolodziej assisted is a young man named Patrick Vellia, whom he has helped since Vellia was a teen. Vellia signed the second reading at Mass Jan. 15.

“Deaf ministry is an important aspect of the Church because it provides communication access to the deaf and hard of hearing members of the Church in a medium that they may receive the Word of God,” Vellia said.

Vellia participated in Life Teen during his high school years and founded the Joyful Hands Ministry at GardnerWebb University while attending college there. After Mass, the Joyful Hands Choir performed a special song for the congregation.

Jona Maiorano, coordinator of deaf ministry at St. Matthew Church, believes the National Catholic Office for the Deaf has worked diligently to compile or create resources that are accessible to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and then disseminate that information to parishes.

“They have developed religious education resources that are available to churches or parents for providing religious education to their children” she said. “NCOD also provides churches with training on how to work with their deaf ministries, in addition to providing spiritual opportunities and training for deaf and hard of hearing Catholics that want to be involved in the Catholic Church. Their efforts enable Catholics who are deaf and hard of hearing the ability to live their faith fully.”

The St. Matthew Knights of Columbus hosted a banquet for the conference participants after the Mass.

For more information The National Catholic Office for the Deaf is dedicated to providing pastoral ministry to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, so they may fully participate in the life of the Church.

The NCOD does this by providing resources to bishops for developing and supporting deaf ministry programs, develop and provide religious education materials and provides pastoral training opportunities. To learn more, go to www.ncod.org.

The Life and Legacy of Thomas More

Confirmation Coordinator at St. Mark Catholic Church The St. Mark Faith Formation Department is seeking a full time Confirmation I and II coordinator. This position coordinates all aspects of Confirmation preparation for teens adhering to the Diocesan protocols of Confirmation.

This position also provides support to the Fidelis Youth Ministry program.

Successful candidates should have the following: • Bachelor’s degree in Theology/Religious Education or a related field and a minimum of 2 years of experience in an educational environment.

• Comfortable leading large group activities and ability to interact well with middle-school students with a focus on relational ministry.

• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written) are essential • Ability to carry out supervisory duties in relation to catechists • Proficiency with MS Software • Bi-lingual a plus • Practicing, confirmed Catholic. Knowledge and understanding of Catholic teachings and practices are required. As stated in the Diocesan Employee Handbook: “All of our employees must respect, appreciate and uphold the teachings, principles, legislation, policies and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church in both word and example”.

A cover letter and current resume can be forwarded to donna.smith@stmarknc.org, by Jan 31st, with an anticipated hiring in late February.

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January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

MARCH FROM PAGE 3

all the time and eating from one of the countless delicious restaurants around us?

No!” He quoted C.S. Lewis, “To love at all is to be vulnerable.” Opening oneself up to love can be scary, he continued, but it also offers hope and the only sure way to heaven.

Kathy Belfiore, who was adopted as an infant and is now a board certified medical technologist, mother and lector at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, also spoke to the marchers, sharing her and her brother’s story of being adopted by a loving family and growing up to lead a fulfilling life.

People of all ages joined in the march and to hear the presentations in Independence Square.

Several parishioners from St. Luke Church in Mint Hill participated.

“We come out every year because this is something we can’t let go,” Bob Hayes said.

“If we don’t let the public know that this is a problem, it’s not a problem. We have to show them we’re here and to pay attention.”

Deb Lawrence and her husband also attended.

“This is something we believe in,” she said. “We think this is a basis of our faith.

I’m not sure of where the confusion is. It’s

LAWSUIT FROM PAGE 3

the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Catholic teaching holds that marriage can only be the union of one man and one woman.

According to the diocese’s human resources office, substitute teachers are classified as temporary employees. They have no benefits but they are subject to the same policies as other employees.

DSA FROM PAGE 3

Church in Huntersville.

Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel Church, recently expressed his gratitude to his parishioners for helping exceed the parish goal, telling them that many are blessed through their generosity.

“We have worked at broadening our base of support by use of mailings, bulletin and pulpit announcements, signage, etc.,” he

CARITAS FROM PAGE 8

is Charlotte Catholic’s Christmas present to the city, a day of school-wide service projects on and off campus to honor the Reason for the Season.

“Every meal made, every gift bag stuffed, every present delivered, every therapy animal groomed, every residence cleaned, every greenway trail cleared is time, talent, and treasure joyfully given.

Every visit with a veteran, every story to a kindergartner, every Christmas card for a stranger, every carol to the elderly is simply one more kept promise to imitate

just important. If we don’t do it, it won’t get done.”

Charlotte Catholic High School students Lewis and Charlotte Nazarian were enlisted to help carry a banner and a sign behind the statue of the Blessed Mother in the March for Life. They have recently relocated from Rochester, N.Y., where they say the prolife movement is not as active as it is in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“I’m a huge supporter of the prolife movement,” Lewis Nazarian said. “I have friends who have had parents or relatives who have been victims of abortion. I have friends who have been failed abortions and have survived, and seeing them and the sanctity of their life has inspired me to continue and strive to help this cause and help those who are in danger of such an awful thing.”

Charlotte Nazarian added, “I think it’s really important to show the young people are just as involved as the elderly, because often we get a bad rap as being the prochoice generation – but we are the prolife generation.”

Marie Cook traveled from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin with her 7-yearold granddaughter, Catherine.

“I wanted to bring our granddaughter to see this part of the Catholic Church, to see what we believe,” Cook said. “It’s such an important thing to educate the young on what is right or wrong. She has been showing her (prolife) sign to everyone this morning.”

Billard’s lawsuit comes after he was unsuccessful in pursuing a discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May 2015.

The EEOC investigated the complaint but decided not to pursue the case.

At Billard’s request in November 2016, the EEOC gave him a “notice of right to sue,” telling Billard that he had the right to file a lawsuit in federal court, but only within the next 90 days.

— Catholic News Herald

explained. “With over 1,000 households participating, we are close to having one-third of our registered households contributing.”

“We see the DSA as an opportunity to have parishioners see themselves as part of the broader Church and identify with their being part of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Funds raised in excess of our goal are mainly used to respond to needs similar to those funded through the DSA,” he said.

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Jesus Christ’s own loving sacrifice.”

Principal Kurt Telford added, “I am grateful to the faculty – led by Mary Jayne Dawson and Jeremy Kuhn – for providing leadership to Cougar Caritas and, of course, to our students, for carrying this out so well.”

Also, the traditional Charlotte Catholic High Christmas Child Campaign – a 30-year partnership between Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Charities and the high school – was another success this past December.

Under the direction of Dr. Lincoln Sigwald and the student council, students and their families donated more than $14,000 in toys and money to purchase items for needy families. Because of their generosity, 71 children received Christmas gifts this year.

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13

Our nation 14

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

U.S. bishops say that prayer, local dialogue key to bringing peace Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Catholic Church has a “tremendous responsibility to bring people together in prayer and dialogue, to begin anew the vital work of fostering healing and lasting peace,” said a report by a U.S. bishops’ task force released Jan. 5 in the wake of last year’s incidents of violence and racial tensions.

The work to “root out racism and create healthy dynamics in our neighborhoods” is a long-term project, but the scope of it should not cause fear or intimidation, wrote Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, chairman of the Task Force to Promote Peace in Our Communities, in the report’s introduction.

He also said “the Church is at her absolute best when she is a bold and prophetic voice for the power of the love upon which our faith is based, the love of Jesus Christ.”

The task force is taking on a broad issue, but in its report, it breaks down what needs to be done into a few recommendations to the U.S. bishops, urging them to focus on: n Prayer: Masses, rosaries, prayer services during the year. n Local dialogues: conversations on race and dialogues hosted by parishes or dioceses. n Parish and diocesan training: intercultural competence training for staff and parishioners. n Opportunities for encounter: providing forums for people to examine local challenges firsthand. n Support of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which funds groups that address concerns about race, poverty and

violence.

The group also recommended that the National Day of Prayer for Peace in our Communities be an annual observance, urged U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop committees to provide resources for racial healing and stressed that a statement on racism from the bishops was “more important than ever.”

A summary of the findings of the task force – convened last year

by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., then president of the USCCB – was presented to the U.S. bishops in November at their fall assembly in Baltimore.

The full report – online at http:// bit.ly/2iMX8rS – highlights some of the activities promoted by the task force last year, including the nationwide celebration of a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities Sept. 9 and listening sessions and interviews between members of the task force and community members.

In describing some of the discussions that took place among task force members – both bishops and lay leaders – the report notes that there is not a one-time solution for overcoming racism and violence.

In stressing the work ahead, the task force praised previous bishops’ statements on racism, but said they were “not sufficient to address the difficulties of the moment.” It also urged Catholics to look at where they might be contributing to race issues “from hiring practices to parish and school closures.”

The group stressed that the Church should continue to pray for the challenges facing communities not just “in the heat of a tragic moment” but throughout the year.

Bishop opposes death sentence for man convicted of killing churchgoers Catholic News Service

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jurors unanimously agreed to sentence Dylann Roof to death for killing nine black churchgoers.

In closing statements before the deliberation Jan. 10, the unrepentant 22-year-old told jurors that “I still feel like I had to do it,” the Associated Press reported.

Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said in a statement that the Catholic Church opposes capital punishment and reminded people that all life is sacred.

“We are all sinners, but through the Father’s loving mercy and Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice upon the cross, we have been offered the gift of eternal life. The Catholic opposition to the death penalty, therefore, is rooted in God’s mercy. The Church believes the right to life is paramount to every other right as it affords the opportunity for conversion, even of the hardened sinner,” Bishop Guglielmone said.

“Sentencing Dylann Roof to death conflicts with the Church’s teaching that all human life is sacred, even for those who have committed the most heinous of crimes. Instead of pursuing death, we should be extending compassion and forgiveness to Mr. Roof, just as some of the victims’ families did at his bond hearing in June 2015,” the bishop added.

The jury had to reach a unanimous decision to sentence Roof to death. Had they disagreed, he would have been automatically sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted of 33 federal charges last month, including hate crimes.

Roof acted as his own attorney and did not question any witnesses. In his FBI confession, he said he hoped the massacre would bring back segregation or start a race war, the Associated Press reported.

Bishop Guglielmone offered prayers of support for those who were killed and their families.

“Our Catholic faith sustains our solidarity with and support for the victims of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church massacre and their relatives.

We commit ourselves to walk with these family members as well as the survivors as they continue to heal from the trial and this tragedy,”

CNS | Jason Miczek, Reuters

Police lead suspected shooter Dylann Roof into the courthouse in 2015 in Shelby. Jurors unanimously agreed to sentence Roof to death for killing nine black churchgoers in 2015 at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C.

he said.

The bishop asked people to continue to pray for the victims, survivors and families connected with the shooting. He also encouraged people to pray for Roof and his family.

“May he acknowledge his sins, convert to the Lord and experience His loving mercy,” Bishop Guglielmone said.

The Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of Emanuel A.M.E. Church, Tywanza Sanders, the Rev. Sharonda Singleton, the Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, the Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., the Rev. Cynthia Hurd, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lance, and Susie Jackson were killed in the shooting.

— Contributing to this report was The Catholic Miscellany, newspaper of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C.

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Cardinal Dolan has a minute to read from Book of Wisdom at inauguration WASHINGTON, D.C. — New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said the Scripture passage he chose to read at the Jan. 20 inauguration of Donald J. Trump as president – Wisdom chapter 9 in which King Solomon prays for wisdom to lead Israel according to God’s will – was an easy one to make. “I pray it all the time,” he said and joked that “the Lord still hasn’t answered the prayer.”

Jokes aside, Cardinal Dolan said that Solomon’s prayer has been one offered to God for centuries. In the prayer, Solomon acknowledges that God made humankind “to govern the world in holiness and righteousness and to render judgment in integrity of heart.”

The king continues by asking God for wisdom, “the consort at your throne, and do not reject me from among your children.” Solomon also pleads with God to send wisdom “that she may be with me and work with me, that I may know what is pleasing to you.” He asks that his “deeds will be acceptable and I will judge your people justly and be worthy of my father’s throne.”

As for his appearance on the podium at the start of the inaugural ceremony with three other faith leaders, Cardinal Dolan explained that he was “flattered” to be invited to participate by inauguration planners.

Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “I think this might be a very good time, a better time, to pursue our goals,” Cardinal DiNardo said during a Jan. 12 conference call promoting National Migration Week, Jan. 8-14.

“I think the (bishops’) conference is trying to start a conversation with the transition team of the president-elect,” said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president.

“We continue to help elected officials ... to understand the issue,” he added. “I think we are trying to establish that communication.”

Cardinal Tobin looks to bridge chasm between faith, life in anxious world NEWARK, N.J. — The chasm between faith and life is the greatest challenge facing the Catholic Church today, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin said at his installation Mass, and he urged the Church to be salt for the earth so that the presence of Christ does not become “a comforting, nostalgic memory.” Delivering the homily during the liturgy Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, Cardinal Tobin said he wanted to head off “a growing trend that seems to isolate us, convincing us to neatly compartmentalize our lives” as people attend Mass on Sunday and then doing “whatever we think we need to do to get by” the rest of the week.

Cardinal Tobin said his appointment reminded him “that stakes are incredibly high” as he assumes leadership of the richly diverse Archdiocese of Newark. “If we permit the chasm between faith and life to continue to expand, we risk losing Christ, reducing Him simply to an interesting idea of a comforting, nostalgic memory. And if we lose Christ, the world has lost the salt, light and leaven that could have transformed it,” he said.

Bishop disappointed with change in U.S. policy to Cuban refugees

Father Scanlan, college and Church leader, dies at age 85

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairman of the Committee on Migration at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he was disappointed with President Barack Obama’s new policy ending a long-standing agreement that allowed Cubans who arrive in the U.S. without visas to remain in the country and gain legal residency.

“Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities,” Obama said in a Jan. 12 statement. “By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries.”

The repeal of the policy, dubbed “wet foot, dry foot,” was effective immediately and followed months of negotiations. It was praised by the Cuban government as “an important step in advancing relations” between the two countries.

In a Jan. 13 statement, Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, migration committee chairman, said the U.S. bishops have “welcomed normalizing relations with Cuba,” but he also noted that “the violation of basic human rights remains a reality for some Cubans and the ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy helped to afford them a way to seek refuge in the United States.”

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — Franciscan Father Michael Scanlan, whose name is almost synonymous with the Franciscan University of Steubenville, died Jan. 7 at Garvey Manor, a Catholic nursing home in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, after a long illness. He was 85.

The priest transformed the struggling College of Steubenville, now known as the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in the 1970s. He was its longtime president – from 1974 to 2000 – and then chancellor at the university from 2000 to 2011 when he retired.

Bishops still have hope Congress will pass immigration reform WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite the apprehension over policies that could be enacted by a Republican-led Congress acting in accord with a Republican president in Donald Trump, the U.S. Catholic bishops remain hopeful that Congress will pass an immigration reform bill.

“This is a new moment with a new Congress, a new administration. We should up our expectations and move very carefully on comprehensive immigration reform,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-

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15

Our world 16

catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Guard the faith, make it grow, pope tells parents at baptism

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Lady nursed Jesus,” he told them.

Later, before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said the feast of the Lord’s baptism helps “us to the rediscover the beauty of being a baptized VATICAN CITY — Parents are charged with guarding the faith people.” given to their children at baptism and helping them become true The baptized, he said, are “sinners saved by the grace of witnesses by example rather than just rules, Pope Francis said.

Christ, truly inserted by the power of the Holy Spirit in the filial By asking the Church for faith for their children through the relationship of Jesus with the Father and welcomed into the sacrament of baptism, Christian parents have the task of helping womb of Mother Church” where Christians are capable of being their children to grow so that they “may be witnesses for all of brothers and sisters with everyone. us: also for us priests, bishops, everyone,” the pope said during a Noting John the Baptist’s feelings of unworthiness in baptizing Mass in the Sistine Chapel.

Jesus, Pope Francis said John was aware “of the great distance During the Mass Jan. 8, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, between him and Pope Francis Jesus.” baptized 28 infants However, Jesus –15 boys and 13 came into the girls. world to bridge the “Faith is not gap between God reciting the and man and “to ‘Creed’ on Sunday reunite that which when we go to was divided,” he Mass: It is not said. only this,” the After His pope said. “Faith baptism, Jesus is believing that begins His which is the truth: mission of God the Father salvation, which who has sent His is characterized Son and the Spirit “by the style of a which gives us humble and meek life.” servant, armed The pope’s brief only with the homily centered strength of truth,” on the meaning he said. of faith, which All Christians, he described as a the pope added, lifelong journey are called to follow that “is lived” and Jesus’ style of leads to becoming proclaiming the a witness of Gospel without Christ. “shouting Parents, he CNS | L’Osservatore Romano, handout or scolding continued, must Pope Francis baptizes one of 28 babies in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 8. someone.” also teach through “True mission is their example that never proselytism but rather attraction to Christ. But how? How faith “means trusting in God.” is attraction to Christ done? With one’s own witness that comes While the pope spoke, the faint cries of a child echoed throughout the Sistine Chapel, causing a chain reaction of crying from a strong union with him through prayer, Adoration and concrete charity, which is service to Jesus present in the least of infants. our brothers,” he said.

“The concert has begun!” the pope said jokingly. “It is because After reciting the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis prayed for the the children are in a place they do not know; they woke up earlier parents and for the children he baptized, as well as for a “young than usual. One begins with one note and then the others mimic. catechumen” he baptized Jan. 7 in the chapel of the Domus Some cry simply because another one cried.”

Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

Acknowledging that some babies might be crying because they “I invoke the Holy Spirit upon them and their children so are hungry, the pope urged the mothers to not be ashamed to that this sacrament, which is so simple yet at the same time so breast-feed their children in the chapel.

“Mothers, nurse them without fear, with all normality, like Our important, may be lived with faith and joy,” the pope said.

Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

In Brief Upcoming synod needs young people’s voices, pope says VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis asked young people to tell him, their bishops and pastors about their hopes and struggles and even their criticisms. In preparation for a meeting of the Synod of Bishops focused on youth, the pope wrote a letter to young people, saying the Church wants “to listen to your voice, your sensitivities and your faith, even your doubts and your criticism. Make your voice heard,” the pope told young people. “Let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls.” The pope’s letter was released Jan. 13 along with the preparatory document for the synod. The document includes a series of questions to be answered by national conferences of bishops and other Church bodies. The responses, along with input from young people themselves, will form the basis of the synod’s working document. Pope Francis chose “Young people, faith and vocational discernment” as the theme for the synod gathering, which will be held in October 2018.

President Abbas: New embassy a sign of pope’s love for Palestine VATICAN CITY — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Pope Francis for his support of the country’s new embassy to the Holy See. “This is a sign that the pope loves the Palestinian people and loves peace,” Abbas told the pope Jan. 14 before heading to the inauguration of the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See in Rome. The pope welcomed Abbas with open arms, embracing the president and saying, “It is a pleasure to welcome you here.” “I am also happy to be here,” Abbas replied. The Vatican said the two leaders spoke privately of the contribution of Catholics in Palestine and their “promotion of human dignity and assistance for those most in need, especially in the fields of education, health and aid.” The pope and Abbas also discussed the peace process and expressed hope that “direct negotiations between the parties may be resumed IN BRIEF, SEE page 17

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January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE 16

to bring an end to the violence” and to find “a just and lasting solution.

Catholic priest found dead in northern Mexico MEXICO CITY — A Catholic priest has been found dead in northern Mexico, marking another attack on clergy in a country where the widespread violence of the past decade has not spared Church leaders. The body of Father Joaquin Hernandez Sifuentes, 42, was discovered Jan. 11 in Parras de la Fuente, approximately 90 miles west of his workingclass parish in Saltillo, while his vehicle was discovered abandoned in another state, the Coahuila state prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Details on the disappearance of Father Hernandez remain uncertain, although Saltillo Bishop Raul Vera Lopez said Jan. 11 that two suspects had been arrested.

Global papal prayer network continues to evolve VATICAN CITY — Last year, more than 13 million people around the world watched Pope Francis explain one of his specific prayer intentions each month. The 90-second, personal explanations in “The Pope Video,” first launched in January 2016, encouraged people to join an estimated 50 million Catholics who already had a more formal relationship with The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, better known by its former title, the Apostleship of Prayer. The prayer network, which is more than 170 years old, continues to evolve. After the debut in 2016

of the monthly video on www.thepopevideo.org, the new year began with Pope Francis adding a second monthly intention – an urgent prayer appeal. For January the appeal was for the homeless struggling with cold temperatures and indifference. For decades the Apostleship of Prayer distributed two intentions for each month: one focused on needs in mission territories and the other on a matter considered more universal. The lists were published a full year in advance after going through a long process of collecting suggestions, getting input from Vatican offices and being translated.

Doctrinal chief dismisses idea of ‘fraternal correction’ of pope VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church is “very far” from a situation in which the pope is in need of “fraternal correction” because he has not put the faith and Church teaching in danger, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Interviewed Jan. 9 on the Italian allnews channel, TGCom24, Cardinal Muller said Pope Francis’ document on the family, “Amoris Laetitia,” was “very clear” in its teaching. In the document, the cardinal said, Pope Francis asks priests “to discern the situation of these persons living in an irregular union – that is, not in accordance with the doctrine of the Church on marriage – and asks for help for these people to find a path for a new integration into the Church according to the condition of the sacraments (and) the Christian message on matrimony.” In the papal document, he said, “I do not see any opposition: On one side we have the clear doctrine on matrimony, and on the other the obligation of the Church to care for these people in difficulty.” The cardinal was interviewed about a formal request to Pope Francis for clarification about “Amoris Laetitia” and particularly its call for the pastoral accompaniment of people who are divorced

and civilly remarried or who are living together without marriage. The request, called a “dubia,” was written in September by U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, patron of the Knights of Malta, and three other cardinals. They published the letter in November after Pope Francis did not respond.

Pope: Vocations require prayers, open doors, big hearts, busy hands VATICAN CITY — While God is the one calling people to a vocation, clergy and religious have to cooperate by being inspirational role models, keeping their doors open and giving restless young people constructive things to do, Pope Francis said. Praying for vocations and holding meetings to discuss effective strategies are key, he said, but if those things are done “without making sure that the doors are open, it’s useless.” The pope made his remarks near the end of a Jan. 3-5 conference on pastoral ministry for vocations, sponsored by the Italian bishops’ conference national office for vocations.

Setting aside his prepared text, the pope told his audience it was too early in the day to make them fall back asleep again by reading aloud something they could read later. Instead he wanted to talk to them about the conference theme of the divine command – “Get up!” The pope recalled how Peter heard this call while he was sleeping, chained in prison awaiting trial.

offer dignified living conditions and be places for true rehabilitation. He expressed his sorrow and concern over the “massacre” in the Amazon city of Manaus, “where a very violent clash between rival gangs” resulted in at least 56 deaths. The riot began Jan. 1 and authorities regained control early Jan. 2. Prison gang members took other prisoners and some guards hostage, decapitated or mutilated some of their victims and shot at police, according to early reports. During his weekly general audience at the Vatican Jan. 4, the pope asked people to pray for those who were killed, for their families and for all inmates and employees at the Manaus detention facility.

— Catholic News Service

Fix overcrowded prisons unfit for human life, pope says VATICAN CITY — In the wake of a deadly riot in a Brazilian jail, Pope Francis called for all prisons to

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 20, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fred Berretta

Humility: The antidote to our divisive culture ‘Humility is an indomitable strength if authentically inculcated, and it is essential to our spiritual lives.’

O

ne of the many noble facets of Catholicism is that its teachings hold the answers to life’s most difficult challenges, if we only take the time to seek, understand and embrace them. Let’s face it, our world has some really daunting issues.

We cannot rely on secular values alone to save us, because they are subject to constant change, and sadly at times even outright rejection and mockery.

Sometimes these values seek to destroy the good.

Each day, news reports are full of examples of diverse forms of human arrogance, from the politically hypocritical, to the vain, narcissistic celebrity, to the vile hatred of those who murder with diabolical intent. Pride takes on many forms and too often resonates in those who are in prestigious positions or who have attained a certain power, whether in government, business, media or entertainment. All of us are susceptible to pride and possess it to some degree, as it is the most deceptive and subtle form of sin.

Adding to this is the reality that we routinely consume, through the media, a highly emotionalized cocktail of self-gratifying sensory inputs. Over time this has influenced us more than we may realize. It is one of the reasons why our nation is so divided politically, and it is at times a cause of division within the Church. We seem to be weakening our ability to gather facts, reason and debate rationally and objectively, and choose instead to argue on a hyper-emotionalized level. As long as we do this, we will continue to erode our foundations.

We must look to our faith. Part of the solution lies in an unlikely, simple virtue that seems like a well-kept secret in our confusing times: humility.

The great St. Augustine, known as the Doctor of Grace, said: “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.”

The challenge is that in our modernized, progressive mindset, humility is no longer praised as a strength. However, humility is an indomitable strength if authentically inculcated, and it is essential to our spiritual lives.

In a practical sense, humility can be best thought of as recognition of reality, or truth, and then behaving in a manner that optimally corresponds to that reality, for the greatest good. Christ on earth was humility incarnate, and the greatest example because He was truthful in His actions, words and thoughts, and He behaved in a perfect manner for completion of His salvific mission.

We misunderstand humility if we view it as something timid or lethargic. The virtue has nothing to do with diffidence or lack of zeal; it has to do with facts and reality. We humble ourselves before God whenever we recognize we are less than God and did not invent ourselves, and He has the power, not us. We are humble in a pragmatic sense whenever we do our best to properly assess facts of any given situation, and process those in a way that does not allow our egos to drive a biased outcome that does not yield the greatest good. We

Protecting God’s Children We proclaim Christ to the world around us by our efforts to provide a safe environment for all people, especially the young and the vulnerable.

In 2002, the bishops of the United States issued the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter addresses the Church’s commitment to respond effectively, appropriately and compassionately to cases of abuse of minors by priests, deacons or other church personnel.

DIOCESAN REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTING MINISTRY-RELATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR 1. Any individual having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery.

2. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities. The individual reporting the incident to the Chancery will be notified of the particulars regarding the Chancery’s filing of the incident with civil authorities.

3. This reporting requirement is not intended to supersede the right of an individual to make a report to civil authorities, but is to ensure proper, complete and timely reporting.

Should an individual choose to make a report to civil authorities, a report is still to be made to the Chancery.

The charter can be found on the diocesan website, Charlottediocese.org, click on the tab, “Safe Environment.”

are humble when we respect legitimate authority in all of its forms.

Pride is a terrible end game because as it says in scripture, “Pride goeth before the fall” (Proverbs 16:18). When we look back across history, where now are all those proud men who knew such great power, such adulation, such glory, in the flashing few moments of their lives, but all of whom met a devastating end? Attila the Hun, Nero, Caligula, Napoleon, Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, to name a few among many? Their memories reek of terrible evils, and their contribution was destruction. Pride does not discriminate its prey, and it can be found in the rich, the middle class and the poor. It sows negativity and darkness wherever it dwells, and must be attacked directly with the right tactics. We first start and always conquer that which within us is proud. Our greatest caution should be toward our own inner self that tends to seek its glorification.

Humility, in all of its forms, is a key antidote and veritable weapon to counter the many evils of our present times. We must ask God’s help daily in receiving it. It is never too late to begin, and if we desire success in our spiritual journey and other aspects of our lives, we must take this foundational virtue to heart and strive to practice it. As another great Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila, once said, “There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.”

Fred Berretta is a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

January 20, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

Deacon James H. Toner

Barbara Case Speers

Deliver me from evil

What we know that ain’t so:

“What you think is the right road may lead to death” (Prv 14:12)

Doing it my way What we think is the right road

O

ur pastor is an innovator, an improviser, a mover and a shaker. We love the way he ad-libs during Mass – and the upbeat and humorous homilies he offers. Best of all, though, are the cool innovations he adds to the Mass. In other churches, the priests stick to the script, but our pastor isn’t afraid to be stylish.

But it’s the wrong road In the sybaritic culture in which we live, silence is rare, solemnity is forbidden, and sacredness is incomprehensible. We are awash in the profane – and often we don’t know it.

Too often we confuse the blasphemous with the blessed, the modern with the moral, and the hollow for the hallowed. Anything new and shiny is seen as progressive. As the French writer Charles Peguy put it, though: “It will never be known what acts of cowardice have been motivated by the fear of not looking progressive enough.”

Moreover, the New American Bible offers this translation of 2 John 9: “Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ that he does not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ does not possess God.” When we are present – and assisting (that is, joining with the priest) – at Mass, we are at the foot of Calvary. The Baltimore Catechism answers the question “What is the Cardinal Robert Sarah best way of assisting at Mass?” this way: “The best method of assisting at Mass is to unite with the priest in “Sacred Liturgy,” by offering the Alcuin Reid, editor (San Holy Sacrifice, Francisco: Ignatius, 2014) and to receive Holy Communion” (364). Because Mass re-presents Christ’s sacrifice, the Mass at which we assist and Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary are one single sacrifice (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 1367). Mass truly belongs to the Church Triumphant (those in heaven), to the Church Suffering and Expectant (those in purgatory), and to the Church Militant (those of us who, by the grace of God, are working out our salvation in fear and trembling, as Philippians 2:12 says.)

The Mass must never be thought of as

‘The Mass is not a place where men meet in a trivial spirit of festivity.’

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the “property” of a certain priest or parish.

Not too long ago, I was in Connecticut, and I went to Mass at a “progressive” church where the priest improvised many of the prayers. After Mass, the priest jovially greeted me, and I had the chance to inquire: “Father, why do you make up the Mass as you go along rather than offer the Church’s prayers?” Taken aback, he replied: “Because that is how our community wants it!”

What he meant, of course, is that he wanted to do it – pray the Mass – “his way.” The Second Vatican Council taught, however, that no person, “not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority” (“Sacrosanctum Concilium,” 22).

In Leviticus, we find mention of two priests, Nadab and Abihu, who decided, for unspecified reasons, to make an offering to the Lord “such as He had not commanded them.” They were promptly incinerated (10:1-2). They had violated the rules and rituals laid down by Moses. I rush to write that no one is hoping that fire will descend upon anyone who improvises in and during the liturgy!

To be sure, Mass in the Ordinary Form can accommodate distinctive cultural norms and expressions. As Bishop Peter J. Elliott has pointed out, however, “theatricality was another modernist tendency, first evident in the liturgical decadence of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when sung Mass became the vehicle for a concert. This decadence returned after (Vatican II), but in a twentieth century form focused around the individual. Some celebrants imagined that they were entertainers, imitating a television personality with off-the-cuff comments and jokes, even amidst the prayers of the Mass.” He continues: “There is no such thing as a ‘spontaneous liturgy.’”

Mass is centrally about worshiping God. It is never about human achievement.

Some key liturgical questions involve inculturation, which is a new term for an old Catholic obligation. How do we, as two writers put it, “contextualize and indigenize” the Christian message? St. Paul and other missionaries, for instance, had to adapt to non-Jewish believers. The Christian message is not merely European, and it must be incarnated in every society and culture. This requires recognition of and respect for various liturgical expressions but without validating, say, magical practices, superstition or novelties contrary to the Gospel.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, from Guinea, is profoundly aware of the benefits and liabilities of inculturation. He urges caution, saying that if one “claims to adapt the liturgy to his era, to transform it to suit the circumstances, divine worship dies.”

Mass draws us near to God. We may be drawn to the “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) on different paths, but always reverently, to worship the God who loved us to His death.

Deacon James H. Toner serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

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P

roverbs 3:5-7 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; in all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil; this will mean health for your flesh and vigor for your bones.”

And in Psalms 139:13-16, we read, “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. My very self you know. My bones are not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book, all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.”

In remembrance of the March for Life, established to pray for an end to abortion, I offer the following reflection from the perspective of those who have been victims of abortion:

I could have been a president establishing peace throughout the land, promoting charity and liberty to every child, woman and man. I could have been a teacher encouraging young minds to explore the height of the universe to the depth of the ocean’s floor.

I could have been a mother caring for my family in selfless love, or a hardworking father who believes in God above. I could have been so many things, but my life was wrongfully cut short. The doctor raised the scalpel when my mother chose to abort.

I screamed in pain and agony, prochoice delivered me. Torn asunder, burned alive, murdered, where no one else could see. Please, dear mother let me live, my body-soul to another give! Don’t you know my worth? Don’t you know my strife? I implore – God implores, deliver me from evil and give me life!

Barbara Case Speers is a writer who lives in Hickory.

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Tomorrow will be an eternal “tomorrow” with no sunset, with the Lord forever if I am faithful to this “today.” And the question that I ask you is what the Holy Spirit asks: “How do I live this ‘today?’ ” Pope Francis

From online story: “Don’t procrastinate on faith, live today, pope says” Through press time on Jan. 18, 4,541 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 6,796 pages. The top five headlines in January so far are:

n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald...........................................................344 n Gloriously sunny day greets hundreds as they march lor Life in Charlotte Jan. 13................ 307 n 2017: The Year of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.............................................................................. 223 n Celebrating the Epiphany with Latin High Mass................................................................................. 196 n Eucharistic Congress theme announced............................................................................................... 138

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