Jan. 6, 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 6 , 2 0 1 7

2017: THE YEAR OF MARY Bishop Jugis announces Marian theme for Eucharistic Congress on Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1

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INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español.................................10 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes........ 3-9, 12-19 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies........................11 U.S. news.......................... 20 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news....................... 21

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A year of seeking Mercy 2016: A look back at year’s top local stories and photos

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MARCHING FOR LIFE

Scenes of Christmas spirit

12-13

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Pray for an end to abortion: Join the Jan. 13 March for Life Charlotte

God beckons us closer to Him through the infant Jesus, Bishop Jugis preaches

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Hilary of Poitiers Pope Francis

When a mother loses a child, reach out with tears, not words

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n the depths of despair, when no words or gestures will help, then cry with those who suffer, because tears are the seeds of hope, Pope Francis said. When people are hurting, “it is necessary to share in their desperation.

In order to dry the tears from the face of those who suffer, we must join our weeping with theirs. This is the only way our words may truly be able to offer a bit of hope,” he said Jan. 4 during his weekly general audience.

“And if I can’t offer words like this, with tears, with sorrow, then silence is better, a caress, a gesture and no words,” he said.

In his first general audience of the new year, the pope continued his series of talks on Christian hope by reflecting on Rachel’s inconsolable sorrow and mourning for her children who “are no more,” as written by the prophet Jeremiah. Rachel’s refusal to be consoled “expresses the depth of her pain and the bitterness of her weeping,” the pope told those gathered in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.

“Facing the tragedy of the loss of her children, a mother cannot bear words or gestures of consolation, which are always inadequate, always unable to alleviate the pain of a wound that cannot and doesn’t want to heal,” he said. The amount of pain, he said, is proportional to the amount of love in her heart.

Rachel and her weeping, he said, represent every mother and every person throughout history who cry over an “irreparable loss.” Rachel’s refusal to be consoled also “teaches us how much sensitivity is asked of us” and how delicately one must approach a person in pain, the pope said.

Jeremiah shows how God responded to Rachel in a loving and gentle way, with words that are “genuine, not fake.”

The pope said God answers with a promise that her tears are not in vain and her children shall return from exile and there will be new life and hope.

“So often in our life, tears sow hope, they are seeds of hope,” he said, emphasizing how Mary’s tears at the foot of the cross generated new life and hope for those who, through their faith, became her children in the Body of Christ, the Church.

This innocent “Lamb of God” died for all of humanity, which is always important to remember, especially when struggling with the question of why children are allowed to suffer in this world, he said.

The pope said when people ask him why such suffering happens, he said he has no answer. “I just say, ‘Look at the crucifix.

God gave us His Son, He suffered, and perhaps there you will find an answer.’”

‘A searcher after God,’ a ‘troublemaker’ “They didn’t know who they were.” This is how Hilary summed up the problem with the Arian heretics of the fourth century.

Hilary, on the other hand, knew who he was – a child of a loving God who had inherited eternal life through belief in the Son of God. He hadn’t been raised as a Christian, but he had felt a wonder at the gift of life.

Yet his search for the meaning of life wasn’t easy.

In the words of Olivier Clément, “For a long time he was a searcher after God. He moved from hedonism, to stoicism, he tried out sects and esoteric cults... .”

In his heart, Hilary knew he wasn’t a beast grazing in a pasture. Human beings should rise above desires and live lives of virtue, philosophers wrote. But Hilary knew deep down that humans were meant for even more than living a good life.

So he kept looking. He was told many things about the divine, many that we still hear today: that there were many gods, that God didn’t exist and that all creation was the result of random acts of nature, that God existed but didn’t really care for His creation, that God was in creatures or images. His soul told him these ideas were wrong.

At that point, Hilary later wrote, he “chanced upon” the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. When he read the verse where God tells Moses “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), Hilary said, “I was frankly amazed at such a clear definition of God, which expressed the incomprehensible knowledge of the divine nature in words most suited to human intelligence.” But still he was troubled. Now he knew the giver of life, but what was he, the recipient of the gift? Was he just created for the moment to disappear at death? It made sense that God’s purpose in creation should be “that what did not exist began to exist, not that what had begun to exist would cease to exist.” Then he also found the Gospel of John, where he read about the Son of God and how Jesus had been sent to bring eternal life to those who believed.

Finally, Hilary’s soul was at rest. He wrote, “No longer did it look upon the life of this body as troublesome or wearisome, but believed it to be what the alphabet is to children ... namely, as the patient endurance of the present trials of life in order to gain a blissful eternity.”

He was baptized in about 345, and about 350 the clergy and laity of his hometown, Poitiers, France, elected him bishop because of his intellect and zeal. And it wasn’t long before his newfound faith got him into trouble.

The Arians, who did not believe in Christ’s divinity, were growing in power and persecuting many faithful. When Hilary refused to support the Arians, he was exiled from Poitiers to Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey) in 356. The Arians couldn’t have had a worse plan – for themselves.

Hilary had known little of the whole Arian controversy before being banished. But being exiled from his home and his duties gave him plenty of time to study and write. He learned everything he could about the Arians, and then he began to write: “Although in exile we shall speak through these books, and the word of God, which cannot be bound, shall move about in freedom.” Writings of his that still exist include the 12-book series “On the Trinity,” “Commentary on St.

Matthew’s Gospel” and “Treatises on the Psalms.”

After three years the emperor kicked him back to Poitiers because he was tired of having to deal with the troublemaker, “a sower of discord and a disturber of the Orient.” But no one told Hilary he had to go straight back home, so he took a leisurely route through Greece and Italy, preaching against the Arians as he went.

In the East he had heard the hymns used by Arians as propaganda.

So when he was back at home, Hilary started writing hymns of propaganda himself to spread the true faith. These hymns are the first in the West with a known writer.

A favorite motto of his was “Ministros veritatis decet vera proferre” (“Servants of the truth ought to speak the truth”).

St. Hilary died in 367 or 368 and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851. His feast day is Jan. 13.

— www.catholic.org

Your daily Scripture readings JAN. 8-14

Sunday (The Epiphany of the Lord): Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12; Monday (The Baptism of the Lord): Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Matthew 3:13-17; Tuesday: Hebrews 2:5-12, Mark 1:21-28; Wednesday: Hebrews 2:1418, Mark 1:29-39; Thursday: Hebrews 3:7-14, Mark 1:40-45; Friday (St. Hilary): Hebrews 4:1-5, 11, Mark 2:1-12; Saturday: Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 2:13-17

JAN. 15-21

Sunday: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, John 1:29-34; Monday: Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 2:18-22; Tuesday (Anthony): Hebrews 6:10-20, Mark 2:23-28; Wednesday: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17, Mark 3:1-6; Thursday: Hebrews 7:25-8:6, Mark 3:7-12; Friday (St. Fabian, St. Sebastian): Hebrews 8:6-13, Mark 3:13-19; Saturday (St. Agnes); Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14, Mark 3:20-21

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

Our parishes

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

2017: The Year of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Bishop Jugis announces Marian theme for Eucharistic Congress on Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1 SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — The new year brings with it some special Marian anniversaries in the Church, Bishop Peter Jugis noted in his homily at Mass on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. “We begin this New Year 2017 as we begin every new year – continuing the Christmas season and honoring Mary, the Mother of God, on the Octave of Christmas,” he said during Mass celebrated at St. Patrick Cathedral.

But, Bishop Jugis noted, “This New Year is special because in 2017, we are marking several important Marian anniversaries. So it seems appropriate that on this first day, drawing attention to our Blessed Mother Mary, we should make note of the special anniversaries coming up in 2017.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe establishing the Militia of Mary Immaculate.

“We know the sufferings, of course, that Maximilian Kolbe underwent during the occupation of Poland,” Bishop Jugis said. “That movement he established as a young priest in 1917, the Militia of Mary Immaculate, was a program of spiritual renewal through dedication and consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Since then, it has grown into a worldwide movement of spiritual renewal.”

Because of these two Marian anniversaries, he continued, some have suggested that 2017 should be called “The Year of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

“There will be big festivities going on this year in Fatima, Portugal,” he said. “At Fatima, Our Lady reveals her Immaculate Heart to us. She says, ‘In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’

We might ask the question: Triumph over what? And, of course, we know the answer: Triumph over all evil.”

Mary’s purity, sinlessness and holiness triumphs over all evil as we see in her Immaculate Conception, he said. God EG

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allowed her, at the moment of her conception, to triumph over original sin, crushing the head of the serpent. “In the end she says, ‘My Immaculate Heart will triumph,’ she assures us.”

Bishop Jugis shared that there is another interesting anniversary this year. Thirty years ago on Jan. 1, 1987, St. John Paul II announced a Marian holy year for the Church, to run mid1987 through mid-1988. To celebrate that Marian holy year, the pope wrote an encyclical about Mary, “Redemptoris Mater.”

“To help us celebrate these special anniversaries this year, we chose a line from Mary’s Magnificat as the theme of this year’s Eucharistic Congress: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,’ ” Bishop Jugis announced.

“Those words come from the account of the Blessed Mother’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the visitation. At her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, Our Lady, with the Infant Jesus in her womb, is filled with joy and she praises God: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My soul magnifies the Lord.’ ” Her words are fittingly echoed in the theme of the 2017 Eucharistic Congress, he continued.

“When we are nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion and we receive Christ within us, we

receive abundant graces, abundant holiness, so that our lives become a living proclamation of the Lord’s greatness, His goodness and His holiness.”

“The Eucharist manifests itself by our living proclamation of God’s goodness and greatness in our lives,” he said.

The first day of the Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte is also a Marian holy day: the feast of the birth of Mary, Sept. 8.

“We begin the Year of Our Lord 2017 begging the maternal intercession and protection of our Blessed Mother. What a great way to begin a new year – asking the Holy Mother of God to protect us and to intercede for us,” Bishop Jugis said.

At the conclusion of his homily, he drew from a beautiful prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bishop Jugis shared that he believes we can all use this verse in living our faith this year under the watchful eye of Our Blessed Mother: “O Jesus, help us to live as worthy sons and daughters of so noble a mother.”

More online

Eucharistic Congress theme announced

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Bishop Peter Jugis delivers his homily Jan. 1 on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

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2017 Eucharistic Congress Diocese Of Charlotte

September 8 & 9

CHARLOTTE — The theme for the 2017 Diocese of Charlotte Eucharist Congress will be “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” which comes from the first chapter of the Gospel book of Luke. The Marian theme will set the tone for the annual gathering of thousands of Catholics at the Charlotte Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8-9.

The theme is placed in the familiar logo that consists of an altar cross and gold disc symbolizing the Eucharist.

The Eucharistic Congress has grown in popularity since it was first celebrated in 2006. More than 15,000 people attended last year’s event.

— David Hains, diocesan director of communication

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from the New Year’s Day Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral

More online At www.goeucharist.com: Check out the official website for the Eucharistic Congress, where updates on keynote speakers and registration information will be posted as details are announced On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch the promotional video for the upcoming Eucharistic Congress

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Diocese announces special collection dates for 2017 CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has announced the dates for eight special collections for 2017. These annual collections fund vital ministries and help support our priests and religious who give generously of their lives in service to the Church.

The 2017 special collections and their dates are as follows: n Jan. 14-15: Combined Mission Collection.

This annual collection funds five separate initiatives: the Collection for the Church in Latin America, the Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, the United States Mission Collection, and the Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa. n April 15-16 (Easter Sunday). Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education. The Seminarian Education Program, in which 24 men are currently enrolled, is primarily funded through the annual Diocesan Support Appeal, the Friend to Seminarians Program, and this second collection. The diocese also uses the funds from this collection to sponsor workshops and programs to help keep priests informed of developments in theology and pastoral practices. n April 29-30: International/National Combined Collection. Donations received from this collection benefit five organizations: Catholic Relief Services, Collection for the Holy Land, Collection for the Works of the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence), The Catholic University of America, and the Catholic Communications Campaign. n May 13-14: Trinity Dome Collection for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. n Sept. 16-17: Priests’ Retirement and Benefits. This collection goes to support the Diocese of Charlotte’s 21 retired diocesan priests, 94 diocesan priests actively serving the faithful of western North Carolina, and 47 religious order priests from nine religious orders for whom retirement contributions will be made. n Oct. 21-22: World Mission Sunday (Propagation of the Faith). This collection supports the work of the Church in its missions around the world. n Nov. 18-19: Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This collection funds CCHD, founded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help break the cycle of poverty by funding organizations that help people help themselves. With its mission of improving education, housing situations and local economic development, the CCHD continues to make a positive impact in communities nationwide.

Twenty-five percent of the funds from the collection are put to use in the Charlotte diocese. n Dec. 9-10: Religious Retirement. This appeal, coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office, offers support for senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests whose communities lack sufficient retirement funding. Nationally, some 33,000 women and men religious past the age of 70 benefit.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: Jan. 2-7, 2017 Annual Retreat for Bishops JAN. 10 – 11 a.m.

Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte JAN. 15 – 11 a.m.

Mass for the Solemn Monastic Profession of Brother Gregory Marshall, OSB Mary Help of Christians Basilica, Belmont Abbey

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 6, 2017

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups

Volume 26 • Number 7

Pro-Life Rosary: 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 801 North Elm St. and Sunset Dr., High Point. Outdoors, rain or shine. Parking available nearby. Come to pray for the end of abortion. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

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

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.

Mass in the Extraordinary Form: 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. The Carolina Catholic Chorale and Orchestra will perform “Mass in A Major” by Antonia Caldara under the direction of Thomas Savoy. For details, call the parish office at 704-948-0231.

Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Morning Reflection: 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. All women in the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to this free event. Mass will start at 9 a.m. with a reflection to follow at 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker is Father Cory Catron. For details and RSVP details, visit www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

Charlotte March for Life 2017: Noon Friday, Jan. 13. Park and assemble at 11 a.m. in the parking lot at the corner of South Church and West Palmer streets across from the Diocesan Pastoral Center (1123 S. Church St., Charlotte). A Mass for the unborn will also be offered at 9 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. For details, go to www.marchforlifecharlotte. org.

Procession for Life: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at Charlotte Catholic High School Chapel, 7702 Pineville Matthews Road, Charlotte. Mass will be held in the chapel at 9 a.m. Immediately after Mass participants will pray a decade of the rosary, continuing the rosary in the car as they travel to pray on the sidewalk with Father Jason Barone at Family Reproductive Health abortion facility at 700 E. Hebron St. Eucharistic Adoration will be in the chapel for those who are not able to go to the abortion facility. Participants will return to the chapel for Benediction, after about 30-35 minutes of prayer. For details, go to www.charlottehelpers.com.

Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Evening Reflection: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at Holy Trinity Middle School Chapel, 3100 Park Road, Charlotte.

The social will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by announcements and the reflection. Guest speaker is Father Joseph Matlak. This event is free for members and non-members. For RSVP details, visit www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

C-PLAN’s Candlelight Walk for Life: 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 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/event/candlelight-walk-for-life.com.

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.

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.

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.

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:

Men’s Prayer Group: 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Thursdays at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road, Charlotte. Join Father Christopher Roux and other area Catholic men for Sunday Gospel meditations, the rosary, and fellowship.

For details, contact the parish office at 704-334-2283.

St. John Neumann Church: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING

St. Matthew Church: On Facebook at “Young Adult Life: A St. Matthew Ministry”

“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: ASHEVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. CHARLOTTE: 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

SALISBURY: 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, Sacred Heart School, 385 Lumen Christi Lane RETREATS & WORKSHOPS 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.

SUPPORT GROUPS 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.

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.

St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry”

St. Patrick Cathedral: on Facebook at “St. Patrick Cathedral Frassati Fellowship-Young Adult Ministry” St. Peter Church: look them up on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/St-Peters-Catholic-Young-Adult-MinistryCharlotte-NC St. Thomas Aquinas Church: online at “Aquinas’ Finest,” www.stacharlotte.com/finest Our Lady of Consolation Church: contact Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871 St. Mark Catholic Church: online at www.meetup. com/St-Mark-Catholic-Church-Youth-Audult-Ministry/ St. Michael Church in Gastonia: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Gastonia area. Meets once a month. Online at www.stmichaelsgastonia.org/youngadults.

Holy Spirit Church in Denver: call Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207 ST. LEO The great church: online at “Winston Salem Frassati” www.wsfrassati.com GREENSBORO WAY OF CHRIST: The young adult ministry at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro: at www.stpiusxnc.com/woc, on Facebook at “wayofchrist” and Twitter @wocgreensboro or email Dan McCool at wocgreensboro@gmail.com

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 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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‘It touches at the heart of the Gospel, welcoming the stranger.’

St. Gabriel parishioners help resettle refugees in Charlotte SueAnn Howell Senior Reporter

CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel parishioners, heeding the plea from Pope Francis for parishes to shelter refugees, have responded to the call to assist a family fleeing ethnic and religious persecution.

Last March parishioners, in partnership with Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, welcomed a family of four from Myanmar – the first refugees to be served by the new Refugee Resettlement Ministry at the Charlotte parish.

The Khai family – father Gin Sian, 28, mother Cing Pi, 27, son Joshua, 3, and daughter Zo Nu, 2 – belong to the Chin minority ethnic group from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The Chin people have suffered widespread and ongoing ethnic and religious persecution since the overthrow of the democratically elected government in 1962. The family entered the U.S. after spending several years in Malaysia awaiting United Nations refugee status and U.S. entry approval.

St. Gabriel’s Refugee Resettlement Ministry is comprised of 20 volunteers who began planning to welcome the Khai family last January. The Homemakers of Mercy Ministry (a partnership between St. Gabriel and St. Matthew churches) helped by providing household goods for their first apartment – including silverware, lamps, towels and furniture.

Refugee Resettlement Ministry volunteers set up the apartment, stocked the refrigerator and pantry, and welcomed the family at the airport when they arrived. Since then, volunteers have provided English tutoring, taken the

Photo provided by Karen Brown

The Khai family – father Gin Sian, 28, mother Cing Pi, 27, and their children Joshua, 3, and Zo Nu, 2 – escaped persecution in Myanmar and resettled in Charlotte thanks to help from St. Gabriel Church’s new Refugee Resettlement Ministry. family on outings to Discovery Place and parks, and assisted with basic household management (paying bills, helping with doctor appointments, driving, purchasing bus passes for Khai and Cing Pi to attend ESL classes), and provided the family with essential items not covered by government assistance.

Besides group dinners, the Refugee

Resettlement Ministry hosted birthday parties for Joshua and Zo Nu, set up a Christmas tree, and organized play dates and basic language lessons. Most importantly, the Refugee Resettlement Ministry provides a support system and friendship network to the Khai family as they adjust to living in their new home.

“In nine months, this young family of

four has made tremendous progress in assimilating to their new home,” said Karen Brown, volunteer coordinator at St. Gabriel Church. “The father of this family (now) has full-time employment and recently got his driver’s permit.”

Speaking through a translator provided

by Catholic Charities Office of Refugee Resettlement, Khai and Cing Pi expressed their gratitude for everyone’s efforts in welcoming them and shared that they felt that “the furnishing of the apartment was excellent.”

“We are very happy to be here because we have freedom,” Khai said. “We believe we will be successful because we have a lot of opportunities, especially the wellestablished system of the government, good education, etc.”

Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor, said the Refugee Resettlement Ministry continues the longtime commitment people in the Charlotte diocese have had to welcoming refugees.

“I was introduced to this ministry on my arrival in 1975 when Catholic Charities was working with Vietnamese refugees.

“It touches at the heart of the Gospel – welcoming the stranger. It attracts many hands and hearts who find joy in providing every imaginable need and blesses those who give and receive,” Father O’Rourke said.

For more information about the Refugee Resettlement Ministry at St. Gabriel Church or volunteering with Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement Office, go to www. stgabrielchurch.org/RRM, or contact its leaders, Tammy Greyshock at tsgreyshock@ charlottediocese.org or Marilee DeVillers at deandevillers@gmail.com.

— Karen Brown contributed.

Saint Benedict Press hosts Cameroon Fellows SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Three members of a Catholic university in Cameroon had a unique opportunity to live in the U.S. for four months, participating in a fellowship program with Charlotte-based Catholic publisher Saint Benedict Press.

The three fellows – Mbog Pierre Alain, Tchana Franklin and Catherin-Kelly Ako Taku – took part in a Saint Benedict Press Publishing Fellowship designed to teach college students and young adults how to run a Catholic publishing operation. They learned about book design and production, sales and marketing, order taking and fulfillment, accounting and general management.

The fellowship program with the Catholic University Institute of Buea arose from a friendship between Saint Benedict Press CEO Bob Gallagher, a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, and Father Basil Sede, former parochial vicar at the parish.

Father Sede, a visiting priest from the Diocese of Buea in Cameroon, recently talked about the rapid growth of the Church in his country, as well as his bishop’s efforts to train Catholic business leaders and entrepreneurs through CUIB. “While Cameroon is blessed with abundant natural resources and a well-educated workforce, employment opportunities for young people are limited,” he said.

“Bishop Balango Bushu hopes to change that. CUIB trains students to become not employees, but employers – ones formed by Catholic moral and social teaching.”

When Bishop Bushu and CUIB’s president Father George Nkeze came to Charlotte to visit Father Sede and call on diocesan officials in 2015, Gallagher and his son Conor Gallagher invited them to their offices. There, the idea for the fellowship was hatched.

“It is a privilege and blessing to partner with Bishop Bushu, Father Nkeze, Mbog Alain and our outstanding Saint Benedict Press Fellows to develop a publishing

operation to spread the faith in Africa,” Bob Gallagher said. “The Catholic University Institute of Buea is unique in training its students to be not just employees, but transformative employers with outstanding moral and spiritual values. CUIB is a beacon of hope for Africa.”

During the fellowship, the three met CEOs of local businesses, toured a printing operation, participated in a film production, and conducted event sales at the diocesan Eucharistic Congress.

Alain, a CUIB employee, said, “It has been an amazing experience to come to the U.S. to get the knowledge and skills especially in this area of publication. On a personal note, I think I got a lot in terms of the appropriate skills to go back to contribute to the development of the partnership between Saint Benedict Press and the Catholic University Institute of Buea.”

“It has been an enriching experience, being able to come to the U.S. for the first time,” Taku, a senior at CUIB, said.

“Being able to do everything with the printing press and everything else has been amazing. It is not in my line of study, but I have been able to do so many things, to discover so many things. It was really enlightening.”

Franklin works in IT at the university, maintaining the school’s website. “It has been wonderful,” he said. “I don’t know how to qualify the experience, but it was very fruitful. I learned how to handle an IT department for a Catholic publisher. I really thank God for us coming to the U.S., coming to Charlotte. I think we are very blessed.”

Besides the friendships they developed at Saint Benedict Press, the fellows attest that they received a warm welcome from the community, with special welcomes at St. Vincent de Paul Church and St. Benedict the Moor Church, where Father Sede is now pastor, as well as by Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

They were appreciative of the volunteers with the housing ministry of St. Matthew, St. Peter and St. Vincent de Paul parishes, which provided furnishings and thoughtful

Photo provided by Rick Rotondi

Three fellows from the Catholic University Institute of Buea spent four months learning about Catholic publishing thanks to Saint Benedict Press in Charlotte. Pictured with them are Bob Gallagher, Good Will Publishing CEO, and Rick Rotondi and Conor Gallagher of TAN Books. homelike touches for the fellows’ temporary apartment.

The fellows returned to Cameroon Dec. 13.

In Cameroon they will help launch a publishing joint venture between CUIB and Saint Benedict Press. The venture will start with a bookstore and showroom at the university, and fulfill bulk orders from schools and parishes in Buea and Cameroon.

Saint Benedict Press and CUIB expect the publishing venture will expand to serve other countries in the region, where the Catholic Church is growing faster than anywhere else. More than 17 percent of the Church’s nearly 1.3 billion Catholics live in Africa.

Saint Benedict Press is continuing its fellowship program in 2017, with two new fellows scheduled to arrive in February. Alain will also return to Charlotte for an additional term as executive fellow.

— Saint Benedict Press contributed.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 OUR PARISHES

John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter Jugis incenses the crèche after placing the infant Jesus in the manger during midnight Mass Dec. 25 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

God beckons us closer to Him through the infant Jesus Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of people singing the joyful strains of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” helped ring in Christmas during midnight Mass Dec. 25 at St. Patrick Cathedral.

The cathedral was filled with parishioners of all ages for the midnight liturgy, which was celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis reminded those gathered that God “wants to draw us into the circle of His salvation and His love,” and he encouraged them to draw close to God through the infant Jesus this Christmas.

“Throughout all of salvation history, He has been reaching out to us trying to draw us closer to Himself, and in Bethlehem He accomplished that in a most powerful way,” Bishop Jugis said.

God, who created us and knows our weaknesses and our deepest longings of the heart, came to us in the form of an infant so that we would be able to love Him more easily, he said.

“Just think of the genius of this! What do human beings really love?” Bishop Jugis continued. “He knows that we love babies.

How can you not love a baby?”

Just then – as if on cue – a baby in the congregation began to laugh and coo, to everyone’s delight.

“In order to draw us to Himself, and to draw us more closely to His love, He comes as an infant child. The Son of God comes as a little child – and we are naturally drawn to Him.” “How can you resist loving Him? How

can you resist loving a baby, when the baby is God? “The tenderness, the love and the affection that we have for the infant in the manger is ultimately tenderness, love and affection (we have) for the Son of God, Jesus.”

Throughout His public ministry, Jesus continues to encourage us to draw near to God, reminding us of His love for us and calling us to repent of our sins. Jesus gives us His own Body and Blood in the Eucharist, He sends us the Holy Spirit, and He reminds us that He is with us until the end of time.

“How can we run away from that love, first demonstrated to us in the Child at Bethlehem?”

“Christmas is the feast of God’s love – God coming to live with us, to save us, God coming towards us. And at Christmas, we are drawn to love God in return,” he said.

God’s love should transform us and move us to reconcile with others and let go of past grievances, Bishop Jugis said.

“God is calling you close to Himself again this Christmas through the love you have now for the infant Jesus. So spend some time looking into the eyes of that infant Child in the crib, and love Him. Because that is God’s design for bringing you to experience His love,” he said.

“May God bless all of you and your families this Christmas and keep all of you in His tender loving care,” he prayed.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

Holy Spirit Church in Denver held its Children’s Christmas Pageant Dec. 11, followed by a potluck dinner and the lighting of the crèche.

Christmas spirit in our hearts ...

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from midnight Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral

John Bunyea | Catholic News Herald

Holy Cross Child Development Center in Kernersville held its Children’s Christmas Pageant Dec. 8. Pictured are “shepherds” from the 4-year-old class singing praise to God.

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

Photo provided by Cathy Chiappetta and Joan Guthrie; Giuliana Polinari Riley and Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

(Top, from left) Children of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City and Holy Spirit Church in Denver recently took part in Children’s Christmas Pageants.

Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, celebrates Mass on Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

Photo provided by Amy Burger

Photo provided by Connie Ries

Young people at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville presented a Christmas Pageant Dec. 18 in the parish social hall. The program included a reenactment of the Nativity story, followed by carols in both English and Spanish and a holiday reception featuring sweets, treats and hot chocolate.

Children at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury take flowers to place next to the crèche during the Christmas Eve Children’s Mass. Also pictured is Sister Elizabeth Castino, Hispanic coordinator.

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

(Above right) Midnight Solemn High Latin Masses were offered Dec. 25 at St. Michael Church in Gastonia (pictured) and at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

(Right) St. Elizabeth Church in Boone was illuminated by candlelight during midnight Mass.

Giuliana Polinari Riley and Amber Mellon | Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Deacon Rasmussen dies aged 72 Freedom in Christ Conference featuring: Neal Lozano – best-selling author and Executive Director of Heart of the Father Ministries AND Janet Lozano – team trainer and mission leader for the Unbound Conference Ministry Unbound ministry empowers people to take hold of the freedom they have been given in Christ.

Leadership Training: March 10, 2017 from 8:30am – 4:30pm

SPACE IS LIMITED Full Conference: March 11, 2017 from 8:00am – 4:30pm Training and Conference location: St. Joseph Catholic Church 108 St. Joseph Street Kannapolis, NC 28083 For more information or to register: www.unboundchltnc.org/conference

TAYLORSVILLE — Thomas Andrew Rasmussen Jr., 72, of Taylorsville, passed away Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at Catawba Regional Hospice in Sherrills Ford. The funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 27, 2016, at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory with celebrant Bishop Peter Jugis.

Born June 3, 1944, in Hampton, Va., he was the son of the late Thomas A. Rasmussen Sr. and Mary “Maxine” Malone Rasmussen.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served his country during the Vietnam War. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Belmont Abbey College and a master’s degree in counseling from Appalachian State University. He worked with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, and he served as an American Red Cross counselor in New York City following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.

He served faithfully as a permanent deacon after being ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte by then Bishop John F. Donoghue on June 19, 1988, at St. Joseph Church in Newton. His first assignment was in Newton, and in 1991 he was assigned to serve at St. Aloysius Parish.

After earning his master’s degree in counseling, he provided counseling with a Christian perspective to the parishioners of St. Aloysius. He was also very active with the parish youth and performed mission work for the Church in Philadelphia, in Mississippi Rasmussen following Hurricane Katrina, and in Raleigh.

His presence at St. Aloysius was a mark of his own belief in God and his love to serve those that God put in his path. He was also deeply involved in pro-life work and was a licensed professional counselor with Rachel’s Vineyard.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant sister, Margaret Novella Rasmussen.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Carol Owen Rasmussen; son Thomas “Andrew” Rasmussen III and his wife Melissa of Bethlehem, N.C.; daughter Bridget M. Rasmussen and her husband Gregory S. Marler of Lewisville; brother J. Christian Rasmussen; grandchildren Carson Marler, “Kate” Katherine Marler, Ruby “Alice” Marler and Kinley Rasmussen; and his treasured nieces, nephews and extended family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Maryvale Mother House, 2522 June Bug Road, Vale, N.C. 28168; or Catawba Regional Hospice, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, N.C. 28658.

Bass-Smith Funeral Home in Hickory was in charge of arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

Maggie Valley deacon passes away, aged 83 MAGGIE VALLEY — Deacon Gerard (Jerry) Peter LaPointe Jr., 83, died Dec. 18, 2016.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 23, 2016, at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley with Father Joshua Voitus officiating. A Mass will be celebrated with the family in Florida at a later date.

Deacon LaPointe was born in Franklin, N.H., on Feb. 12, 1933, to the late Gerard P. Sr. and Lillian Trottier LaPointe.

Together with recently deceased brother-in-law, John Weeks, he was coowner of LaPointe and Weeks Texaco until he opened LaPointe and Sons Auto Body Repair. He retired in 1985 and moved to Maggie Valley, where he enjoyed woodworking, building hot rods, restoring antique cars, and living in his LaPointe creekside cottage in Maggie Valley.

He was a retired deacon in residence at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley. He was ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte on March 9, 2001, at St. Margaret of Scotland, the same parish he served for almost 16 years.

His service to his parish community, his local community and the diocese gives testimony to his love for God and all those he served. He will be greatly missed, and his ministry will have a lasting presence for all those he served.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Lorraine LaPointe.

He is survived by his sons, Michael and Peter; his daughters, Christine, Marlene, Lisa and Alicia; his sister, Eileen Weeks; his grandchildren, Matthew, Erica, Danielle, Michael, Nikaela, Katie and David; and his greatgrandchildren, Kendall, Jordan and Amelia.

Garrett Funerals and Cremations of Waynesville was in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Start With Us.Stay With Us. St. Ann Catholic School stanncatholic.org

St. Gabriel Catholic School stgabrielcatholicschool.org

St. Matthew Catholic School stmattwildcats.com

St. Patrick Catholic School saintpatrickschool.org

Our Lady of the Assumption olacatholic.org Catholic School

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St. Mark Catholic School stmarkcatholicschool.net Holy Trinity Catholic htcms.org Middle School

Christ the King ctkchs.org Catholic High School

Admissions: discovermacs.org 704.370.3273 facebook.com/discovermacs

Charlotte Catholic gocchs.com High School

NOW ENROLLING!

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Young adults enjoy holiday ballet performance

Parish packs food for families SWANNANOA — St. Margaret Mary Church’s St. Vincent de Paul Society recently sponsored a Christmas Food project to benefit 50 families in need over the holidays. On Dec. 17 volunteers gathered to fill four boxes of food, including fresh produce, for each family – a total of 200 boxes.

— Claudia Graham and Laurie Zone-Smith

CHARLOTTE — More than two dozen young adults from St. Patrick Cathedral enjoyed a showing of “The Nutcracker” by the Charlotte Ballet Dec. 15 at the Belk Theater. The group of young adults gathered to enjoy a cocktail hour and socialize before the ballet performance, which featured one of their peers, Sara Warren (pictured above, holding a bouquet of flowers).

The cathedral’s young adult ministry is already planning events for 2017. Details are online at www.stpatricks.org, on Facebook, or via email to youngadult@stpatricks.org.

— Father Richard Sutter

Holy Cross hosts ‘Breakfast with Santa’ with Catholic flavor KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Columbiettes Auxiliary 8509 hosted ‘Breakfast with Santa’ Dec. 10 for 70 children and parents of the parish. Unlike a typical “Breakfast with Santa,”

OUR PARISHESI

the event was oriented around Jesus and His birth. Children played Pin the Tail on Mary’s Donkey, Christmas Bingo, and made birthday cards for Jesus while a storyteller read a book retelling the Christmas story. After breakfast, Santa Claus stopped by for a visit.

— Denys Davis and Marianne Griffin

Housing Corp. seeks new board members CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. is seeking experienced real estate professionals and people with lending, equity investing, legal, real estate development, accounting or other related skills to serve on its board of directors.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and résumé to Adriel Cardenas, director, at ajcardenas@charlottediocese.org before Friday, Jan. 13.

For details, go to www.charlottediocese.org/ housing.

St. Matthew Catholic Church Presents:

Henri Nouwen:

The Imperfect Spiritual Guide Instructor: Carla D’Rozario, MA Wednesdays, January 18, 25 and February 1 7 to 9 pm - Cost: $30

All are Welcome!

Two decades after his death, Henri J. M. Nouwen remains one of the most prolific and accessible spiritual teachers of our time. The Dutch-born priest - who called the world his parish - was an academic, a chaplain and caregiver, and a peace maker. Reading any one of the forty books Nouwen authored is an invitation to journey with him in our struggle to accept our human vulnerability and imperfection and embrace our identity as the beloved of God. While exploring Nouwen's life, ministry, and spirituality of the heart, class participants will have the opportunity to study the polarities that draw us deeper into our own spiritual life and closer to the heart of God. The simplicity and depth of Nouwen's spirituality will engage and touch you, whether you've never picked up one of Nouwen's books or have read them all.

Carla D’Rozario studied Spiritual Direction and Ignatian Spirituality while earning her M.A. in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University. Carla's previous ministries include facilitating marriage preparation, providing pastoral care to seniors, retreats and companioning immigrant families.

To register for this class online with credit card payment go to: www.stmatthewcatholic.org/SMU To view all course offerings in St. Matthew ‘yoU’niversity Winter/Spring Semester go to: www.stmatthewcatholic.org/SMU For more information please contact: Michael Burck, Director of Adult Faith Formation at: mburck@Stmatthewcatholic.org or call 704-543-7677 x 1020

St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte, NC 28277

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 10

La Epifanía y la Estrella del Mar Rico De Silva “Entraron en la casa y vieron al niño con María, su madre, y postrándose, lo adoraron. Después, abriendo sus cofres, le ofrecieron regalos: oro, incienso y mirra,” (Mateo 2:11) ste domingo, 8 de Enero, celebramos en la Iglesia de los Estados Unidos, la Epifanía del Señor. Una fiesta que marca el final de la época de Navidad en la Iglesia. La Epifanía se conoce mejor en nuestros países de Latino América como la fiesta de los “Reyes Magos,” y generalmente la celebramos el 6 de Enero, exactamente 12 días después de la Navidad.

Recuerdo de niño, como generalmente recibíamos regalos también el día de los Reyes Magos --- no tanto como en las Navidades, pero siempre mis padres nos sorprendían a mis hermanos y a mi con algún ‘regalito.’ Esta tradición de celebrar el día de los Reyes aquí en los Estados Unidos realmente no existe en las comunidades de habla-inglesa, y desafortunadamente parece estar

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desapareciendo en nuestra cultura Hispana en este país.

El Evangelio según San Mateo para este Domingo de Epifanía es uno de mis favoritos porque está lleno de simbolismo, y nos puede inspirar a ver esta gran tradición de una manera diferente, y tal vez celebrarla de una manera más significativa de este año en adelante.

La lectura de este Evangelio comienza así: “Jesús nació en Belén de Judá, en tiempos del rey Herodes. Unos magos de oriente llegaron entonces a Jerusalén y preguntaron: ‘¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos que acaba de nacer? Porque vimos surgir su estrella y hemos venido a adorarlo.’” Mateo cuenta que los tres Reyes Magos llegaron a la corte del Rey Herodes porque ellos vieron ‘surgir su estrella y hemos venido a adorarlo.’

Aunque el Evangelio no lo menciona, tradicionalmente se interpreta que estos reyes magos provenían probablemente de Persia, pero existen otras interpretaciones que por sus regalos de oro, incienso y mirra, probablemente venían del antiguo reino de Sabá, lo que se conoce hoy como el país de Yemen. Pero, cualquiera que haya sido su país de origen, pienso que lo importante es que los Reyes Magos

THE ORATORY

Center for Spirituality

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

(803) 327-2097

rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

The Sayings Gospel Q: Synoptic Source – Independent Gospel Thursday, February 2, 2017 or Saturday, February 4, 2017 9:30am – 4:00pm Dr. Peter Judge Virtually all scholars think Mark was the first of the Gospels and the narrative source for Matthew and Luke. Those two also have sayings of Jesus in common that most think came from a source called Q. This session will study this material historically, literarily and spiritually for insight and inspiration.

The same program is offered both days.

Dr. Peter Judge did his doctoral work in scripture at the Catholic University in Belgium. He is the Chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department at Winthrop University, where he teaches a variety of courses in religion and scripture.

Cost: $40 (lunch included)

reconocieron la estrella del Niño Jesús desde tierras lejanas, y tuvieron el valor de viajar hasta la corte de Herodes en Jerusalén para encontrar y adorar al rey de los judíos.

San Mateo continua, “Después de oír al rey, los magos se pusieron en camino, y de pronto la estrella que habían visto surgir, comenzó a guiarlos, hasta que se detuvo encima de donde estaba el niño. Al ver de nuevo la estrella, se llenaron de inmensa alegría.” Mateo nos dice que al ver ellos la estrella de nuevo ¡se llenaron de alegría! Me imagino que esa estrella no solo era algo precioso, sino también algo irresistible para los reyes viajeros. Pero, ¿Quién es la Estrella del Norte que nos guía y se detiene encima de donde está el Niño Jesús esta Navidad?

Uno de mis títulos favoritos para la Virgen María es “Stella Maris,” que significa estrella del mar en latín. En la oscuridad de la noche, los navegantes por siglos se guiaban por las estrellas para orientarse hacia el puerto seguro.

Entonces, de la misma manera que la Estrella de Belén guio a los tres Reyes Magos al establo de Belén para que le ofrecieran sus regalos de oro, incienso y mirra, la Virgen María es la estrella de la evangelización en la Iglesia que nos lleva al Corazón de Jesucristo, puerto seguro.

Los Tres Reyes Magos también representan a todos los pueblos gentiles, o no judíos, de la tierra. Porque el Mesías nació para salvar a toda la humanidad, y no solo al pueblo judío. Los tres regalos que ellos dejan a los pies del Niño Jesús simbolizan el oro, porque Jesús es rey; incienso porque Jesús también es

Giuliana Polinari Riley | Catholic News Herald

Los niños celebraron ‘La Pastorela’ en la Iglesia de la Immaculada Concepción de Forest City, el 18 de Diciembre. Alrededor de 60 niños participaron en este emotivo evento. sacerdote, y la mirra (que se usaba para embalsamar a los cadáveres) porque Jesús también es profeta --- la mayoría de los profetas del Antiguo Testamento fueron asesinados por los judíos. Similarmente, cuando nosotros somos bautizados, adquirimos y compartimos por medio de este sacramento en la identidad de rey, sacerdote y profeta de Jesuristo.

La Epifanía, SEE page 24

Mix

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

has renounced the faith under persecution, they voluntarily leave the safety of Europe in order to find their role model and minister to the underground Japanese church. What follows is a long, sometimes harrowing battle between doubt and human frailty on the one hand and fidelity on the other. Director and co-writer Martin Scorsese’s often visually striking drama is deeply thought provoking and emotionally gripping. But the narrative he inherits from Endo is not for the poorly catechized since it stretches and twists fundamental issues of faith and morality in a manner reminiscent of British novelist Graham Greene. Religious themes requiring mature discernment, much violence, including scenes of gruesome torture.

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

‘Manchester by the Sea’

‘Silence’ Dramatically powerful but theologically complex adaptation of Catholic author Shusaku Endo’s 1966 fact-based historical novel about two 17th-century Jesuit missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) in Japan. Shocked by rumors that their mentor in the priesthood (Liam Neeson)

A man (Casey Affleck) crushed by tragedy returns to his hometown on the coast of Massachusetts to become the guardian of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges) in a gently paced and emotionally wrenching drama from writer-director Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count on Me”). Flawless performances, a revelatory flashback structure, and a picturesque natural backdrop buoy the carefully manicured yet naturalistic portrait of a shattered individual who cannot forgive himself for one grave mistake. Eventually, the dramatic urgency of the story wanes and the protagonist’s struggle to recover leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste. Much rough language, some explicit banter.

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

On TV n Friday, Jan. 6, 8 p.m.(EWTN) “St. John Neumann.” An EWTN original docu-drama focusing on the life and ministry of St. John Neumann: a bishop, a zealous missionary, and the founder of American Catholic education. n Saturday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Mary of Nazareth.” Film presentation on the Virgin Mary from her childhood through the Resurrection of Jesus, capturing the essence of her profound faith and trust in God. Part 2. n Tuesday, Jan. 10, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Echoes of Our Choices.” With infertility on the rise, many couples are not fully educated on all the issues and risks involved in reproductive assistance. Neonatologist Robin Pierucci and Dr. Tom Hilgers of NaPro Technology address the risks of in vitro fertilization (IVF). n Wednesday, Jan. 11, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Love’s Bravest Choice.” The inspirational story of St. Maria Goretti, whose life was an example of purity and chastity. She died at age 11 from knife wounds inflicted by a young man who desired to rob her of her virginity. She forgave him before her death. n Friday, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.” St. Gianna Molla was a physician, wife and mother who refused an abortion, despite knowing that the pregnancy could result in her death. n Friday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “The Tragic Path of Suicide.” Ann Moloney and Christine Schmidt discuss ways to prevent suicide, particularly in children and young adults, by detailing the signs and symptoms of depression.

n Saturday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Maria Goretti.” St. Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints in the history of the Church, gave up her life to protect her purity. This film explores her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions. n Friday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Vulnerable: The Euthanasia Deception.” A chilling look at the effects that recent euthanasia and assisted suicide laws have had on society, featuring personal testimonies and expert legal and medical analyses.

Over 8,000 babies killed in Mecklenburg County alone last year!!

Be a witness for the sanctity of human life and an act of reparation for an end to abortion.

The Life and Legacy of Thomas More

Come and save our children today… join the 11th Annual March for Life Charlotte and pray.

Save the date! Friday, January 13 March for Life Schedule Mass for the Unborn 9:00am St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 Guest Preacher Fr. John Eckert, Paster of Sacred Heart Parish - Salisbury, NC

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Fr. John Eckert

11:00am Start to gather in overflow parking lot across from the Pastoral Center at 1123 S. Church St. to prepare for march 11:45am Instructions for march and prayer before march 12:00pm Begin march to Trade and Tryon Streets where Fr. John Eckert will preach; then to the courthouse at 401 W. Trade St. to pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy

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Go to www.marchforlifecharlotte.org for details on parking and signs

3900 Harewood Road NE Washington, DC 20017

SAINT

OHN PAUL II N AT I O N A L S H R I N E

An exhibit featuring relics and artifacts from the Stonyhurst College Collections

Through March 31, 2017 Open Daily 10:00 am - 5:00 pm jp2shrine.org

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iiiJanuary 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

MARCHING FOR

LIFE Pray for an end to abortion

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Join the Jan. 13 March for Life Charlotte CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of all ages in the Diocese of Charlotte are encouraged to attend the 11th annual March for Life Charlotte events that will be held Friday, Jan. 13, to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

The events are meant to be a time of prayer to call attention to the more than 57 million lives lost to abortion since 1973, and the need to end the tragedy of abortion.

The day’s events will begin with a 9 a.m. Mass for the Unborn offered at St. Vincent de Paul Church, located at 6828 Old Reid Road in Charlotte.

The 11th annual March for Life Charlotte will begin soon after the conclusion of Mass.

Marchers will gather starting at 11 a.m. outside the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center, located at 1123 S. Church St. At noon the march will kick off from the Pastoral Center

Follow the march online On Facebook and Twitter: View live coverage from the March for Life Charlotte on the Catholic News Herald’s Facebook page and Twitter (@CatholicnewsCLT) starting at noon Friday, Jan. 13.

towards Independence Square at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets.

Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, will then give the keynote address.

After the addresses and testimonies by local representatives from the national Silent No More Campaign, the march will proceed to the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building and Courthouse on West Trade Street, where a rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed.

March for Life Charlotte billboards will again be placed around the Charlotte area to create awareness about the 11th annual March for Life.

See all schedule details at www. marchforlifecharlotte. org. For inquiries, contact Tina Witt with March for Life Charlotte at marchforlifecharlotte@ windstream.net or at 704301-2531.

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The 11th annual March for L start at noon Friday, Jan. 13 at 11 a.m. outside the dioces parking lot at the corner of South Church streets. Free the overflow lot accessible Street, across from the Pas MACS buses cannot park in – instead, buses should park along the sides of West Palm elsewhere nearby. The LYNX

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January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

March for Life events in Raleigh and Washington, D.C.

END HERE Marchers will then proceed down West Trade Street toward the federal courthouse. After the recitation of the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the march will conclude.

‘The Power of One’ is theme of this year’s March for Life in D.C. WASHINGTON, D.C. — The March for Life Education and Defense Fund has announced the details for the 2017 March for Life to be held on Friday, Jan. 27. “The Power of One” will be the theme of the annual march, which seeks to draw attention to the value of every life and the power of every American’s voice in speaking out for the unborn.

A Mass for pro-life advocates from North Carolina will be celebrated at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of The Catholic University of America at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist.

The March for Life events will begin with a rally at noon on the National Mall, which will be followed at 1 p.m. by a march to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear testimony from women who regret their abortion.

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At the corners of Trade and Tryon streets, presentations and testimonies will be given, including preaching by Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

A time of quiet prayer will conclude the presentations. March organizers caution everyone to be mindful of the busy uptown traffic and obey all laws for pedestrians.

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Marchers will proceed up South Church Street, turning right onto West Carson Boulevard.

LYNX STATION CARSON BLVD.

Marchers will then turn left at the intersection of South Tryon Street and West Carson Boulevard, towards uptown Charlotte, and will continue past St. Peter Church to the corner of Trade and Tryon streets.

Other D.C. March for Life events n A Youth Rally and Mass for Life hosted by the Archdiocese of Washington will take place on Jan. 27.

The ticketed event will be held at the Verizon Center and the D.C. Armory, both in Washington, D.C. For more information about the event, visit youthrallyandmassforlife.org. n The Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy, Washington, D.C., will hold the Fifth Annual Nellie Gray Mass Jan. 27, immediately after the March for Life, at 3p.m. The Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (traditional Latin Mass) will be offered at St. Mary Mother of God Church at 5th and H Sts. N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C. n On Friday, Jan. 27, and Saturday, Jan. 28, Latinos Por La Vida will host its Third Annual Pro-Life Conference in the Sheraton Tysons Hotel in Tysons Corner, Va. after the March for Life.

There will be a concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Entertainment will be provided by Martin Valverde and Azeneth Gonzalez. On Jan. 28 the conference will feature two keynote speakers: Father Augustino, C.F.R., and Dr. Pilar Calva. For details, go to www. latinosporlavida.com/events.

Diocese of Raleigh events

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The Diocese of Raleigh will host a Love My Life Rally for Catholic teens on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh. As part of the event, a diocesan Mass for Life will be celebrated at noon. The March for Life with North Carolina Right to Life will immediately follow the Mass at 1 p.m.

For details, go to www. dioceseofraleigh.org.

Carson Boulevard is also one block away.

Restrooms are available on the first floor of the Pastoral Center.

The crucifix will lead the march with participating priests and deacons, followed by the Divine Mercy image carried by the Missionaries of the Poor, the Blessed Mother statue carried with the Knights of Columbus, followed by all other religious and lay people.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Photos by SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald graphic by Tim P. Faragher | Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 FROM THE COVER

2016

A year of seeking Mercy

CNS | Tiziana Fabi, pool via Reuters; Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Pope Francis closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy at the Vatican Nov. 20, 2016. (Top, from left) Bishop Peter Jugis opens the Door of Mercy at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, one of three in the Diocese of Charlotte designated as a pilgrimage site for the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Father Wilbur Thomas, pastor and rector, opens the Door of Mercy at St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville. Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin opens the Door of Mercy at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

1. The Jubilee Year of Mercy: ‘Be merciful, just as the Father is merciful’ TAKE A LOOK BACK: MORE PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND STORIES ONLINE At www. catholicnewsherald.com: Review the year’s big local, international and national news, read a past print edition you may have missed, and check out some of our favorite videos from 2016 At www.facebook.com/ catholicnewsherald: Tell us: What was your favorite story of 2016?

At www.pinterest.com/ charlottecnh: Read all these stories and see more photos and videos, all in one place, on our Year in Review board

Following Christ the King, whose regal power is love and mercy, means the whole Church and each Christian must “follow His way of tangible love,” Pope Francis said.

Celebrating the feast of Christ the King Nov. 20, 2016, and officially closing the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, “we have received mercy in order to be merciful.”

The Year of Mercy, the pope said, was a call to “rediscover the youthful, beautiful face of the Church, the face that is radiant when it is welcoming, free, faithful, poor in means but rich in love, on mission.”

The Year of Mercy brought more than 20 million pilgrims to Rome, but for Pope Francis, the idea always was that the celebration of God’s mercy would be local: have people experience God’s love in their parishes and send them out into the world to commit random acts of mercy.

The pope’s constant refrain during the Year of Mercy, which began Dec. 8, 2015, was that no one is excluded from the mercy of God, who has shown His love for each person by sacrificing His Son for the salvation of all. All can be forgiven, the pope taught over and over again. And once a person experiences just how loving and merciful God has been, the obligation is to reach out to others with that same love and mercy.

The pope formally commissioned more than 1,100 priests from around the world as “missionaries of mercy” on Ash Wednesday,

giving them special faculties to grant absolution even in cases that usually must be referred to the local bishop or even the Vatican.

Local missionaries of mercy were Father Patrick Winslow, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, and Father George David Byers, administrator of Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews.

Several local pilgrimages during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy were also conducted, including a diocesan Youth Ministry pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland, for World Youth Day. In the Diocese of Charlotte, Doors of Mercy were opened at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville and St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, for pilgrims who could not make it to Rome for the jubilee year.

“The goal of making a passage through one of these three Doors of Mercy to receive the indulgence is that we have a true conversion of heart: to be more merciful with others as God has been merciful with us. The Holy Father notes that just as a pilgrimage to a holy place is a goal to reach that entails dedication and sacrifice, so mercy itself is also a goal to reach that entails dedication and sacrifice,” Bishop Jugis wrote in a special message welcoming the jubilee year.

“During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, may God grant us the grace to know His mercy more deeply through our repentance and conversion from sin, and through this spiritual renewal may we be more merciful with others as God has been merciful with us,” he said.

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM THE COVERI

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2016: A YEAR OF SEEKING MERCY 2. Eucharistic Congress draws 15,000 faithful

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Vivian Carr, Justin Carr’s mother, and her sons, Kenneth Johnston and Ellis Carr, speak during the prayer service at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte Sept. 23, held a day after Carr died from a gunshot wound he suffered during protests in Charlotte that erupted after a fatal police shooting.

3. Racial unrest, deaths rock Charlotte Charlotte erupted in protests for days following the fatal police shooting Sept. 20, 2016, of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, an African-American, outside an apartment complex in north Charlotte.

In response to the violence, Bishop Peter J. Jugis called on “the half-million Catholic men, women and children of the Diocese of Charlotte” to join him in prayers for “peace and justice” for all victims of violence and for law enforcement personnel who have been victims of “unjust violence.”

“Let us pray for all men and women of good will to be instruments of harmony and the always-shining light of Christ in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools and public places,” he said.

At St. Thomas Aquinas Church, just a few blocks from the scene of the police shooting, about 150 people gathered to pray for peace Sept. 21. Father Patrick Winslow, pastor, offered prayers for police and for people who have suffered injustice, as well as prayers for his neighborhood and the city of Charlotte.

“In times such as these, it is good to recall that light shines in the darkness, and it must shine through you,” Father Winslow urged parishioners.

Referring to the Gospel according to St. John, Father Winslow said, “Retrospectively reflecting upon the events of Christ’s cross, His death and resurrection, he observes that the ‘light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’ This bold declaration refers to the triumph of the cross of Christ where the friction of human injustice set ablaze the Light of God in an otherwise dark world.”

“Since then,” he continued, “history has made it clear that the true battlefield upon which the light vanquishes that darkness is not between nations, it is not between races, nor is it in the streets of Charlotte or any U.S. city.

“The true battlefield is within the human heart – within each of us. This is where injustice must be defeated. This is where prejudice and unjust discrimination live. This is the place from which fear and darkness enter the world. And likewise, it is the place where it can be vanquished. I beg you, storm and loot your hearts, not the streets, if you want true change for the good. Vanquish the enemy within and then you will truly help your neighbor.”

Protests continued for a second night Sept. 21 in uptown Charlotte, about 10 miles away from the site of the shooting.

There, 26-year-old protester Justin Carr was shot and later died, several other people were injured, and a few businesses were vandalized and looted.

Carr’s death marked the most violent episode in the week of protests.

A special prayer service was held Sept. 23 at Our Lady of Consolation Church, where the Carr family has worshipped for three generations. It was organized by Father Carl Del Giudice, pastor, to give people a chance to share their feelings about the protests and the tragedy that had struck their parish family.

The dialogue continued in December with a special joint conversation on race, justice and understanding – “Charlotte Catholics: Our Stories in Black and White” – organized by Our Lady of Consolation and St. Peter churches. More than 200 people from 11 parishes participated in the four-hour event.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

More than 15,000 people participated in the Eucharistic Congress Sept. 9-10, 2016, at the Charlotte Convention Center. The congress featured educational programs for adults and children, Eucharistic Adoration, a Eucharistic procession, prayer, the opportunity to go to confession, and Mass. Above, Bishop Peter Jugis begins the Eucharistic procession from St. Peter Church to the convention center.

A strong faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is critical to a Catholic’s life, Bishop Peter Jugis said in his homily for the closing Mass of the 12th annual Eucharistic Congress.

The Sept. 9-10, 2016, celebration at the Charlotte Convention Center drew approximately 15,000 people, organizers said – noticeably higher than the previous year’s attendance of 12,00013,000 people. The event featured approximately 21 hours of continuous Eucharistic Adoration, a Eucharistic procession through uptown Charlotte that stretched for nearly a mile, and a two-hour closing liturgy that was standing-roomonly in the convention center’s largest gathering space.

The theme of the 2016 congress – “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” – echoed the Church’s Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis encouraged Congress-goers to remember that Christ is truly present at every Eucharistic celebration, and the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest sign of God’s mercy.

“Why do we have the Eucharistic Congress?” he asked. “We have a Eucharistic Congress because a strong and genuine Eucharistic faith means a strong and vibrant Church.”

4. Diocese hosts first ‘blue Mass’

Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Members and adult leaders of Scout Pack and Troop 9 from St. Patrick Cathedral attended the diocese’s first Blue Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, as well as (from left) Mecklenburg County Sheriff Irwin Carmichael, Deputy Chief Pete Key of the Charlotte Fire Department, and Lt. Tom Barry of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Father Winslow echoed his message about the battle between good and evil within the human heart during his homily at the diocese’s first “Blue Mass,” a liturgy held in honor of law enforcement and public safety personnel Sept. 29, 2016, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

The Mass had been planned several weeks before the fatal police shooting Sept. 20 which triggered a week of protests in Charlotte that left two AfricanAmerican men dead, several police officers injured, and residents shocked by the violence. The cathedral was filled with people who had come out to pray and express thanks to local first responders, during a liturgy offered on the Feast of the Archangels.

“We see a parallel between your work and theirs,” Father Winslow said. “We see the work you do as sharing in their angelic mission as protector, healer and aid to those in need.”

His parish, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, sits just a few blocks away from where Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by police. Protests erupted there on Sept. 20, and on Sept. 21 Father Winslow led one of the city’s first prayer services for reconciliation and justice.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 FROM THE COVER

2016: A YEAR OF SEEKING MERCY Jubilarians 70 YEARS: Mercy Sister Mary Bernarda Hoff 60 YEARS: Mercy Sister Marian Joseph Baird 55 YEARS: Father Joseph Ayathupadam and Father James Cahill 50 YEARS: Father Albert Gondek, OSFS, and Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton 40 YEARS: Father John D. Hoover 35 YEARS: Father James Byer, Father Francis Cancro, Father Carl Del Giudice, Father Jose Antonio Juya, Father Gnanapragasam Mariasoosai and Father James Turner, OSFS 30 YEARS: Deacon Patrick J. Devine, Deacon Jeffery S. Evers, Deacon H. Paul Herman and Deacon Dario Garcia Ospina

5. Mother Teresa of Calcutta canonized With a large tapestry bearing the portrait of the woman known as the “Saint of the Gutters” suspended above him, Pope Francis proclaimed the sainthood of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Sept. 4, 2016, hailing her courage and love for the poor.

Despite the formality of the occasion though, “her sanctity is so close to us, so tender and fruitful, that spontaneously we

will continue to call her ‘Mother Teresa,’” Pope Francis said to applause from 120,000 people attending the canonization Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded,” the pope said.

Chas Fagan, a renowned American artist and parishioner of St. Peter Church, was the artist behind the image of the saint.

The Knights of Columbus commissioned Fagan to create the official portrait.

Bishop Emeritus William Curlin, a longtime friend of Mother Teresa and her priest confessor, also spoke on numerous occasions about his memories of the saint and the lessons he drew from her ministry to the poor.

Mother Teresa’s ministry, the Missionaries of Charity, which now serves in more than 100 countries around the world, has a convent in east Charlotte where members of her order have cared for the poorest and most vulnerable for more than 20 years.

Mother Teresa herself visited Charlotte in 1995.

“She said that our life as Christians is not to lock Christ up inside, it’s to let Him out of us,” Bishop Curlin said.

“She actually believed when you woke up in the morning, God woke up in you.

Through you, Jesus continues His works of mercy and love and reconciliation.”

Bishop Curlin said he will always remember her joy and her smile, both trademarks of her ministry.

“Her joy was a gift, one of the precious gifts we need in the world today,” he said.

25 YEARS: Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio; Deacon Paul A. Liotard; and Missionary of Charity Sister Mary Flora and Missionary of Charity Sister Mary Magdela 20 YEARS: Father Fidel Melo and Deacon Lawrence P. O’Toole 15 YEARS: Father James Duc Duong, Father Tien Duong, Father Robert Ferris, Father Kurt Fohn, Father Adrian Porras and Father Christopher Roux; Deacon Kenneth L. Drummer, Deacon Scott D. Gilfillan, Deacon Pierre K’Briuh, Deacon David E. King, Deacon Alexander Lyerly, Deacon James J. Mazur, Deacon Mark D. Nash and Deacon Michael J. Zboyovski 10 YEARS: Father Alejandro Ayala and Father James Stuhrenberg; Deacon James L. Atkinson, Deacon David P. Boissey Sr., Deacon Mark S. Diener, Deacon Walter J. Haarsgaard, Deacon Edward A. Konarski Jr., Deacon John T. Kopfle, Deacon (Paul) Pee Lee, Deacon Lee T. Levenson, Deacon Larry G. Lisk, Deacon John A. Martino, Deacon Brian P. McNulty, Deacon Robert T. Murphy, Deacon A. Stephen Pickett, Deacon Michael L. Stout and Deacon Kevin B. Williams

CNS | Stefan Warmth, Reuters

5 YEARS: Father Joshua Voitus

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy made this year’s celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday extra special.

Catholics everywhere sang the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and took part in Eucharistic Adoration. Hundreds of parishioners at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte (pictured above) and Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro venerated first-class relics of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun who first spread Our Lord’s message of Divine Mercy. Also in 2016, St. Matthew Parish surpassed 10,000 registered families – making it the largest parish in the Charlotte diocese and one of the largest in the country.

Champion swimmer Katie Ledecky racked up four gold medals and a silver medal, along with two new world records, during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro – making her the most decorated female athlete of the summer games. For Jesuit Father Jim Shea, pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, Ledecky’s success in the pool comes as no surprise.

Ledecky is his goddaughter, and he’s seen her grow up to become a balanced, sweet young woman who doesn’t shy away from the pressure of success or in witnessing to her Catholic faith. “I’m very proud of Katie,” Father Shea said. “She’s very centered. She’s unflappable. She doesn’t get all upset.” Part of the reason for that is her faith, he said, formed within a close-knit Catholic family and a Catholic education.

“Her faith is important to her, and it sustains her. It grounds her, and it centers her.” That comes as “a great joy” to the Charlotte priest, who baptized her, gave her first Holy Communion, and served as her confirmation sponsor.

Special anniversaries n St. Benedict the Moor Church in WinstonSalem, 75 years n Christ the King Church in High Point, 75 years n St. Joseph Church in Bryson City, 75 years n St. Frances of Rome Mission in Sparta, 50 years n Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Cherokee, 50 years n St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, 30 years n Sisters of Mercy’s House of Mercy in Belmont (AIDS respite care), 25 years

John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald

n Catholic News Herald, 25 years n St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Charlotte, 10 years

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

Approximately 300 Spanish-speaking parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury attended a Living Stations of the Cross, or Via Crucis, on the church campus during Holy Week.

Parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ann churches in Charlotte gathered to welcome the dawn with a “Rorate Mass,” a votive Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that is celebrated during Advent. For this special liturgy held traditionally before sunrise, the church is lit with only candlelight. The celebrant at St. Thomas Aquinas Church was Father Matthew Kauth, assisted by Father Patrick Winslow and Father Jason Christian.

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM THE COVERI

17

2016: A YEAR OF SEEKING MERCY

sueann howell | catholic news herald

The eight men in the first class of seminarians to attend St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte watch Bishop Peter Jugis bless their new cassocks before the inaugural Mass in the seminary chapel Aug. 15, 2016.

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Father Cory Catron and Father David McCanless are pictured during their ordination Mass June 18, 2016, at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

6. Two ordained priests, five more ordained deacons “You are priests of the Holy Year of Mercy.

Shepherd the faithful with the mercy of Jesus,” Bishop Jugis told Father Cory Catron and Father David McCanless during their ordination Mass June 18, 2016, at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

The two men were ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte during a two-hour Mass that drew hundreds of people, including dozens of priests and deacons, women religious, Knights of Columbus and lay faithful.

“God has looked with mercy on us in His Son Jesus, and wants you to be ministers of His mercy to extend His work of salvation in the world,” Bishop Jugis told Father Catron SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald and Father McCanless. “You are priests of Deacons Christopher Bond, Christian Cook, Brian the Holy Year of Mercy. May the mercy of Becker and Matthew Bean bow during their God show forth in your priestly ministry as diaconate ordination Mass at St. Mark Church as you serve the Lord with joyful hearts.”

Bishop Peter Jugis offers his blessing on the new Earlier in June, Bishop Jugis also ordained deacons.

Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and W. Christian Cook to the transitional diaconate. Paul Ascik was also ordained in late September in Rome.

Sacraments

7. Diocese opens St. Joseph College Seminary On March 19, 2016, the feast of St. Joseph, Bishop Peter J. Jugis formally announced the creation of St. Joseph College Seminary during the Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College.

The Diocese of Charlotte established the college seminary in response to growing interest in priestly vocations. Eight men moved in to the college seminary, temporarily located on the campus of St. Ann Church in Charlotte, in August.

It is a “minor” seminary, as its focus is undergraduate men considering the priesthood, one step before enrolling in a “major” seminary where they receive more specific priestly formation. The seminary gives young men the opportunity to live closer to home, continue their college studies while in community together, and interact regularly with diocesan vocations staff.

“I think the faithful of the diocese will be greatly encouraged to know that as we are growing as a diocese, the Lord is answering their prayers and bringing forth vocations,” Bishop Jugis said.

Building for growth Besides the opening of St. Joseph College Seminary, 2016 saw several other building projects at parishes and schools: n St. Pius X Church and School opened the DeJoy Primary Education Center (pictured above), which added a prekindergarten program to its K-8 school last fall, and a 23,000-square-foot Simmons Parish Life Center, which consolidates parish operations on the North Elm Street campus. n June: A new Catholic cemetery was dedicated in Albemarle n August: Holy Trinity Middle School campus completed a major overhaul Hundreds of faithful, including members of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville, took to the streets Oct. 2, 2016, for Respect Life Sunday, participating in “Life Chains” outside their churches, in their downtown areas, or other busy public thoroughfares. Life Chains were organized in more than 30 locations in 24 towns across the diocese, marking the start of Respect Life Month in October.

As of Dec. 31, 2016, in the diocese, there were: 6,369 Baptisms 5,826 First Holy Communions 4,354 Confirmations 994 Marriages 669 people received into the Church

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

Father John Eckert, pastor, baptizes Clarence Brownell during the Easter vigil Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury March 26.

Paul Doizé | Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 FROM THE COVER

Refugee Resettlement Director

2016: A YEAR OF SEEKING MERCY

Charlotte, NC

Let’s keep talking.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte seeks degreed professional with significant refugee resettlement, immigration, overseas, or intercultural human services work experience to direct refugee office and immigration program operations and staff.

A complete job description can be found at ccdoc.org/jobs.

Let’s keep talking.

To be considered, a resume (2 pages maximum) and separate one-page cover letter must be submitted by COB on Thursday, January 26, 2017 to ahloesch@charlottediocese.org.

No phone calls, please.

Photo provided by Amy Burger

CCDOC.ORG

Discover Natural Family Planning Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) provides a practical and empowering alternative used to achieve or avoid pregnancy. It upholds the dignity of the person within the context of marriage and family and promotes openness to life by respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage.

Nearly 60 parishioners of St. Mark Church gathered at Northlake Memorial Gardens Cemetery for an outdoor Mass in November for the repose of all the faithful departed. The Mass was offered by Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar, and assisted by Deacon Louis Pais. The Mass was followed by a procession around the grounds to bless the graves. Unlike many in society, Father Catron said in his homily, Catholics are more comfortable with death because we put our hope in a living God knowing that we too will rise again with Him.

Parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church, along with other local Christians, came together Aug. 13, 2016, for “Cross-a-Thon,” a fundraiser and Christian public witness held each year in Forest City. The fourthannual event drew 400 people who processed solemnly from the church through downtown Forest City carrying wooden crosses of all sizes. The procession concluded with Eucharistic Adoration. This year’s event raised more than $6,000 for the parish’s Regnum Dei retreat center.

Lorenzo Pedro | Catholic News Herald

What will you learn by taking a free, one-day class?

• Effectiveness of modern NFP methods.

• Health, relational, and spiritual benefits.

• Health risks of popular contraceptives.

• Church teachings on responsible parenting.

• How to use Natural Family Planning.

January 7th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class January 21st - North Charlotte, Three Class Series February 11th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class February 12th - St. Barnabas Catholic Church, Arden, Three Class Series For more information visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704.370.3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s annual World Feast in October was a wonderful showcase of many cultures coming together to share their unique foods, dancing and native costumes while celebrating their shared faith.

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

2016: A YEAR OF SEEKING MERCY 8. Arden parish receives $3.6 million bequest An unexpected windfall came to St. Barnabas Church in Arden through the generosity of a couple who quietly left the parish $3.6 million after their deaths. It is the single largest estate gift in the history of the Catholic Church in North Carolina.

Dennis Kushler and his wife Mary had been members of the Arden parish since retiring to the area in 2003.

Their endowment will provide the parish with an estimated $175,000 annual income initially, and it will grow over time.

9. Transgender bathroom policies stir controversy The Obama administration’s directive on transgender access to bathrooms “that treats ‘a student’s gender identity as the student’s sex’ is deeply disturbing,” Bishop Jugis said May 18.

Bishop Jugis reiterated a joint statement from chairmen of two U.S. Catholic bishops’ committees, who said, “The guidance fails to address a number of important concerns and contradicts a basic understanding of human formation so well expressed by Pope Francis: that ‘the young need to be helped to accept their own body as it was created’ (“Amoris Laetitia,” 285).”

The administration’s action followed the Charlotte City Council’s move in February to enshrine rights of “gender expression” and “gender identity” in its anti-discrimination ordinance.

Religious leaders, business people and many city residents said they were alarmed at the ordinance which would have allowed, among other things, people to choose a public restroom or locker room corresponding to “gender identity” or “gender expression” rather than biological sex.

In response, state legislators passed legislation, House Bill 2, to override the city council’s ordinance. The bill also removed certain legal protections for same-sex attracted individuals, which sparked months of protests, economic boycotts and opposition from businesses and national sports leagues.

In December, the city council rescinded the ordinance under an understanding that the state legislature would also back down from H.B. 2, but as of press time legislators have not taken any action to do so.

10. Pope releases ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ exhortation on the family In April, the Vatican released Pope Francis’ postsynodal apostolic exhortation on the family, “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), insisting that God’s plan for the family is that it be built on the lifelong union of one man and one woman open to having children. The pope called for an overhaul of marriage preparation programs and for the prayerful accompaniment of Catholic couples whose marriages have failed.

The exhortation sprang from consultations with Catholics around the world and was discussed by the bishops at the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, Pope Francis said.

Using “Amoris Laetitia” to affirm Church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, Pope Francis wrote that because every situation is different, he would not provide new rules on ministry to the divorced and civilly remarried. However, he urged a new commitment on the part of pastors to provide spiritual guidance and assistance with discernment. A process of discernment, he has said, might eventually lead to a determination that access to the sacraments is possible.

That sparked some confusion. Four cardinals, including American Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, told the media they

formally asked the pope to clarify his teaching on Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried.

When pressed on the question of the variety of interpretations given to “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis has pointed people to Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, whom the pope chose to present the document to the media.

No one has “a right to receive the Eucharist in an objective situation of sin,” the cardinal said, which is why the pope did not grant a blanket permission and insisted that civilly remarried people go through a whole process of discernment and repentance under the guidance of a priest. The discernment called for by the pope, he said, “takes greater account of those elements that suppress or attenuate imputability,” that is, moral responsibility, and seeks a path that would move a person closer to the fullness of what the Gospel demands.

Although not yet meeting the “objective ideal,” such couples would be helped to move closer to perfection, which, Cardinal Schonborn said, “is no small thing in the eyes of the Good Shepherd.”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor; and Catholic News Service

Top stories online In 2016, 122,742 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com viewed a total of 281,977 pages. The 10 most popular stories last year were: n 2016 priest assignments announced...................................................................................................... 6,084 n Father Joe Mulligan to minister to Panthers at the Super Bowl......................................................5,425 n Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly talks about his Catholic faith.................................... 4,331 n Diocese announces college seminary for future priests....................................................................3,363 n Catholic church near site of Charlotte protest prays for peace, justice........................................3,632 n Tri-ritual priest reflects on his vocation, married life...........................................................................3,091 n Charlotte parish mourns death of young protester..............................................................................1,655 n Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration announce merger of two communities................................1,649 n St. Matthew Church surpasses 10,000 registered families.................................................................1,577 n St. Pius X School readies to open DeJoy Primary Education Center.............................................. 1,293

FROM THE COVERI

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In memoriam Mercy Sister Marianne Angert, who ministered at St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville and Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, died Feb. 26, 2016, aged 93. Professed with the Sisters of Mercy for 75 years, she also served as dean of students at Sacred Heart College in Belmont.

Father Edmund McCaffrey, a retired priest of the Diocese of Charleston, who was a former Benedictine monk and former abbot of Belmont Abbey; founder and former head of the political science department at Belmont Abbey College, died Nov. 13, 2016, aged 83.

Augustinian Father John T. Denny, who served as pastor at St. Margaret of Scotland Church and Living Waters Retreat Center in Maggie Valley from 2007 until 2011, died June 20, 2016, aged 58.

Kathryn “Katie” Christine Meseroll, who served at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury as a teacher, athletic director and assistant principal, and most recently served as principal of St. Michael School in Gastonia, died Sept. 8, 2016, aged 29.

Glenmary Father August “Gus” Guppenberger, who served as pastor at Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews from 1976 to 1986, died Nov. 6, 2016, aged 81.

Deacon Steve Horai, who served at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte for almost 30 years, died July 11, 2016, aged 88.

Father Raymond B. Hourihan, who served as parochial vicar at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, parish administrator at Holy Infant Church in Reidsville, and as pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle and St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville, died Oct. 11, 2016, aged 91.

Deacon Dennis Timothy O’ Madigan, who served at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, died Jan. 31, 2016, aged 82.

Mercy Sister Joseph Marie Perez, professed for 69 years, died Nov. 6, 2016, aged 86.

Deacon Thomas Andrew RASMUSSEN JR., who served at St. Joseph Church in Newton and St. Aloysius Church in Hickory, died Dec. 22, 2016, aged 72.

Sister Gretchen Reintjes, CSJ, passionate advocate for North Carolina’s refugees and immigrants and longtime Greensboro resident, died Jan. 22, 2016, aged 83.

Sister Mary Norman Joseph, CLHC, a member of the Maryvale Sisters, who served in various parishes at the Diocese of Charlotte, most recently at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory for 25 years as faith formation and adult education director, died Aug. 21, 2016, aged 69.

Sister Francis Louise Sheridan of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, M.S.B.T., the first non-clergy director of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Charities agency, died Feb. 14, 2016, aged 85.

Capuchin Franciscan Father Stanislaus “Stan” W. Kobel, who served at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, died Nov. 12, 2016, aged 70.

Father Andrew J. Vollkommer, who served at Belmont Abbey and St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia from 1988 to 1993, died Jan. 27, 2016, aged 60.

Deacon Gerard (Jerry) Peter LaPointe Jr., who served at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley for almost 16 years, died Dec. 18, 2016, aged 83.

Monsignor Thomas R. Walsh, who served as assistant pastor and pastor of 13 parishes across the coastal, Piedmont and mountain areas of North Carolina, including nine years as pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, when the new church was built, died Dec. 2, 2016.

Richard A. Lucey, who served as the general counsel for the Diocese of Charlotte beginning in 1992 until his retirement in Jan. 2016, died Oct. 2, 2016, aged 74.

Father Bernard A. Manley Jr., who served at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte; as pastor of St. William Church in Murphy, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hayesville and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville; and as priest in residence at St. Eugene Church in Asheville, died Nov. 3, 2016, aged 94.

Mercy Sister Mary Timothy Warren, who served the Diocese of Charlotte in many ministries such as, teacher and principal of Catholic elementary schools in Charlotte and Asheville; pastoral associate at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte; as well as developing and administering the Lay Ministry Program in the Diocese of Charlotte and Vicar for Women Religious in the Diocese, died July 11, 2016, aged 90.

Our nation 20

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Creating a Culture of Encounter’ theme for National Migration Week WASHINGTON, D.C. — “Creating a Culture of Encounter” is the theme of 2017’s National Migration Week, an annual observance the U.S. Catholic bishops began over 25 years ago.

Taking place Jan. 8-14, the week “is an excellent opportunity to highlight biblical tradition and our mission to welcome the newcomer,” said Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. “While the observance is only a week long, it is a vital time to show welcome, compassion and solidarity with our migrant and refugee brothers and

sisters,” he added in a statement. With over 65 million people forcibly displaced from their homes globally, the world is increasingly affected by migration. The USCCB said goals of National Migration Week include educating Catholic communities about migration and urging Catholics to come together to encounter immigrants and refugees in parishes, dioceses and the wider community. Educational materials and other resources for the special week are available for download at www.usccb.org/ nationalmigrationweek.

New York cardinal to participate in Trump inauguration WASHINGTON, D.C. — New York’s Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan will take part in the upcoming presidential inauguration of Republican Donald Trump. “I am honored to have been asked to offer a reading from Scripture at the upcoming presidential inauguration, and look forward to asking almighty God to inspire and guide our new president and to continue to bless our great nation,” Cardinal Dolan said

CCDOC.ORG

Upcoming Respect Life Events March for Life, Mass for the Unborn Friday, January 13, 2017 9 A.M. – St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, NC March for Life Charlotte Friday, January 13, 2017 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 11 A.M. – Assemble at Pastoral Center, 12 P.M. – March marchforlifecharlotte.org Mass for Life Raleigh Saturday, January 21, 2017 12:00 PM – Halifax Mall, Raleigh, NC Rally and March for Life Raleigh Saturday, January 21, 2017 Halifax Mall, Raleigh, NC Rally beginning at 1:15 P.M., March to follow ncrtl.org/rally-and-march-for-life

in an email to Catholic News Service. Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Jan. 20.

According to the president-elect’s inaugural committee, other faith leaders who scheduled to be present include the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Paula White of New Destiny Christian Center; Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; the Rev. Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International.

Benefits association, diocese file suit over HHS transgender regulation FARGO, N.D. — The Catholic Benefits Association, the Diocese of Fargo and Catholic Charities North Dakota filed a lawsuit Dec. 28 in U.S. District Court in North Dakota against a federal regulation scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 that redefines “sex” for anti-discrimination purposes to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The regulation from the Department of Health and Human Services requires that Catholic hospitals and health care providers perform or provide gender transition services, hormonal treatments and counseling as well as a host of surgeries that would remove or transform the sexual organs of men or women transitioning to the other gender. The HHS regulation requires group health plans to cover these procedures and services. The Catholic Benefits Association is made up of Catholic dioceses, hospitals, school

systems, religious orders and other entities that offer their employees insurance and benefit programs that adhere to Catholic teaching. The regulation, which also mandates abortions be performed, affects health insurers, hospitals and health plans administered by or receiving federal funds from HHS. There is no religious exemption.

Father Tolton’s remains exhumed QUINCY, Ill. — On Dec. 10, Father Augustus Tolton’s cause for canonization took one step further as his remains were exhumed from his Quincy cemetery plot and verified. Father Tolton, a former slave, is the first recognized American diocesan priest of African descent.

In 2011, the Archdiocese of Chicago officially opened his cause for sainthood. While digging up Father Tolton’s grave may seem like a macabre undertaking and the antithesis of the prayer “may they rest in peace,” it is actually a well thought out part of Church law regarding the remains of holy people. “This goes back to a very ancient tradition in the Church for a number of reasons. One was to document that the person really existed and wasn’t a figment of someone’s imagination or some group’s imagination. Finding their grave was the telltale sign that the person lived, breathed and walked this earth,” said Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry, postulator of the priest’s cause. Father Tolton received the title of “servant of God” when his cause was officially opened and a postulator was named.

If the Vatican determines he led a heroic life of Christian virtues, the Church bestows the title “Venerable.”

— Catholic News Service

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Our world

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Vatican says 3.9 million pilgrims visited during Jubilee year VATICAN CITY — More than 3.9 million pilgrims visited and attended papal events, liturgies or prayer services during the Holy Year of Mercy in 2016, the Vatican said. The Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Vatican office that coordinates the audiences and distributes the free tickets to papal audiences and liturgies, said a total of 3,952,140 people attended a papal event at the Vatican. The Vatican released the statistics Dec. 29. Although the total was slightly higher from the 3.2 million visitors received by Pope Francis in 2015, for a jubilee year it still fell short of the 5.9 million pilgrims who visited in 2014. Terrorists attacks in Europe throughout the year are also thought to have discouraged visitors from traveling during what are typically busy tourist seasons in Italy.

In Christmas messages, patriarchs call for peace amid persecution BEIRUT — Lamenting the exodus of Christians from their ancestral homelands, Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East pleaded for peace and security in their annual Christmas messages. In separate statements, the prelates shared their anguish regarding the persecution and uprooting of Christians from the region.

Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of Maronite Catholics, appealed to the international community to work to end terrorism “that is killing and displacing families and depriving them of their rights and dignities.” Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregoire III Laham, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan and Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako offered prayers for Christians suffering in Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian territory of Israel. They expressed hope that Christians would be able to return to their homelands to live peacefully with their neighbors. “If Christians emigrate,” Patriarch Laham said, “it is as though Christ were leaving His country and homeland.”

Pope creates dialogue group after ouster in Order of Malta VATICAN CITY — Following the forced resignation of the grand chancellor of the Order of Malta, Pope Francis has authorized the creation of a special working group to help foster dialogue and resolve any concerns. “In his concern for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta,” the pope has decided to establish the group to collect the facts and “completely inform” the Holy See in a short period of time the circumstances over the recent removal of Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, according to a Dec. 22 Vatican statement. According to the order’s website, the German nobleman was removed “due to severe problems which occurred during Boeselager’s tenure as grand hospitaller of the Order of Malta and his subsequent concealment of these problems from the Grand Magistry.” Despite requests to resign from the Order’s Grand Master, Matthew Festing, and Cardinal Raymond Burke, whom Pope Francis appointed as patron of the order in 2014, von Boeselager refused, resulting in his removal. John E. Critien was elected grand chancellor ad interim Dec. 14, the order said.

— Catholic News Service

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New Year calls for courage, hope; no more hatred, selfishness, pope says Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

Mary shows that humility and tenderness aren’t virtues of the weak, but of the strong, and that we don’t have to mistreat others in order to feel important, he said.

The pope also presided over an evening prayer service with Eucharistic Adoration and the singing of a special hymn of thanksgiving to God Dec. 31 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

As the year ends, he said in his homily, he asked people to reflect on how God has been present in their lives and to thank the Lord for all signs of His generosity, “seen in countless way through the witness of those people who quietly took a risk.”

Gazing upon the manger, we remember how Jesus “wanted to be close to all those who felt lost, demeaned, hurt, discouraged, inconsolable and frightened. Close to all those who in their bodies carry the burden of separation and loneliness, so that sin, shame, hurt, despair and exclusion would not have the final word in the lives of His sons and daughters.”

His sacrifice and love challenges people “not to give up on

VATICAN CITY — Whether the new year will be good or not depends on us choosing to do good each day, Pope Francis said.

“That is how one builds peace, saying ‘no’ to hatred and violence – with action – and ‘yes’ to fraternity and reconciliation,” he said Jan. 1, which the Church marks as the feast of Mary, Mother of God and as World Peace Day. Speaking to the some 50,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the first noon Angelus of 2017, the pope referred to his peace day message in which he asked people to adopt the “style” of nonviolence for building a politics for peace.

Lamenting the brutal act of terrorism that struck during a night of “well-wishes and hope” in Istanbul, the pope offered his prayers for the entire nation of Turkey as well as those hurt and killed. A gunman opened fire during a New Year’s Eve celebration at a popular nightclub early Jan. 1, killing at least 39 people and wounding at least 70 more.

“I ask the Lord to support all people of good will who courageously roll up their sleeves in order to confront the scourge of terrorism and this bloodstain that is enveloping the world with the shadow of fear and confusion,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the pope spoke of how maternal tenderness, hope and self-sacrifice were the “strongest antidote” to the selfishness, indifference and “lack of openness” in the world today.

Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, which was decorated with bright red anthuriums, evergreen boughs, white flowers and pinecones brushed with gold paint, the pope said that a community without mothers would be cold and heartless with “room only for calculation and speculation.”

The pope said he learned so much about unconditional love, hope and belonging from seeing mothers who never stop embracing, supporting and fighting for what is best for their children incarcerated in prisons, ill in hospitals, enslaved by CNS | Paul Haring drugs or suffering from war.

Pope Francis visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square after leading vespers on New Year’s Eve at the Vatican Dec. “Where there is a mother, there is 31. unity, there is belonging, belonging anything or anyone,” and to find the strength to forge ahead as children,” he said. “without complaining or being resentful, without closing in on Just like all mothers of the world, Mary, Mother of God, ourselves or seeking a means of escape, looking for shortcuts in “protects us from the corrosive disease of being ‘spiritual our own interest.” orphans,’” that is when the soul feels “motherless and lacking “Looking at the manger means recognizing that the times the tenderness of God, when the sense of belonging to a family, a ahead call for bold and hope-filled initiatives, as well as the people, a land, to our God, grows dim.” renunciation of vain self-promotion and endless concern with “This attitude of spiritual orphanhood is a cancer that silently appearances.” eats away at and debases the soul,” which soon “forgets that life He urged everyone to help “make room” for young people, is a gift we have received – and owe to others – a gift we are called who are often marginalized and forced to migrate or beg for to share in this common home,” he said. undignified jobs. Everyone has a duty to help them grow and A “fragmented and divided culture” makes things worse, he fulfill “the dreams of their ancestors” in their own nation and said, leading to feelings of emptiness and loneliness. community.

“The lack of physical and not virtual contact is cauterizing After the prayer service, the pope walked into St. Peter’s our hearts and making us lose the capacity for tenderness and Square instead of using the popemobile. He walked the entire wonder, for pity and compassion,” he said, as well as making us periphery of the square, stopping to shake hands, receive cards “forget the importance of playing, of singing, of a smile, of rest, and notes, offer happy New Year’s greetings, bless babies and of gratitude.” chat with people lining the barricades.

Remembering that Jesus handed His mother over to us “makes In the center of the square, the pope prayed silently before the us smile once more as we realize that we are a people, that Vatican Nativity scene, which was created by a Maltese artist. we belong” and can grow, that we are not just mere objects to He also stood before the twisted and crumbled spire from the St. “consume and be consumed,” that we are not “merchandise” Benedict Basilica in Norcia, which like dozens of villages and to be exchanged or inert receptacles for information. “We are towns, was damaged in a series of earthquakes in central Italy. children, we are family, we are God’s people.”

ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | January 6, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Deacon David Reiser

A Christmas reflection A

fter 20-plus years of not being allowed to go to Bethlehem, I finally had the opportunity to do so recently.

The small village of Bethlehem is about 5.5 miles from Jerusalem. In a matter of minutes you can travel from the light, the brightness, the beauty and cleanliness of the outskirts of Jerusalem, passing by the olive groves and the rolling hills of Judea, and enter into the dark and drab Palestinian territory and into the City of David, called Bethlehem.

Bethlehem, the small village where the Son of God was born, became the center of the universe 2,000 years ago – a bright light amid the darkness.

This little village of no importance became the birthplace of hope and light to the world. Yet, this same little place may also become the center of darkness and the end of the world.

In order to venerate, appreciate and meditate upon the spot that our Lord was born, you have to wait about two hours in line and then only have barely 30 seconds to stop and reflect on what took place there 2,000 years ago.

Today, Bethlehem is separated by two nations that are related by our father Abraham, cut off from routine access by a wall that keeps most people out, except foreign tourists who are led there by special guides.

It is sad that such a place, which brought the bright light of Jesus to the world, still sits today in the shadow of darkness.

Here we are celebrating Christmas, when the Prince of Peace is born to us! Yet our world is torn by wars, great and small – each spreading terror, privation, hunger and death, and each an outrage to the God who is love.

These same battles that were fought there and in the past, unfortunately, are the same battles we fight in our daily lives. The powers of light and darkness that each and every one of us face every day – they are the struggles, the conflicts, the disagreements that we face on a daily basis, the frustration with a dysfunctional member of our family, an inflexible superior or a rigid coworker, or maybe even a stubborn volunteer at the parish. We may think we are back at the time of Isaiah, walking among the people in the land of gloom and darkness, in a world on the brink of losing hope.

And that has not changed. Even as I stood, with pilgrims from all over the world, at one of the holiest places in the world, the site marking the place where our Lord was born, there is still conflict and darkness. As people

try to take a moment to consider what took place at that spot where the Son of God, the Savior of the World, was born, they are pushed and shoved by pilgrims and visitors and then rushed out before they even had time to snap a picture.

Yet, Isaiah speaks of hope: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” God works even in darkness, and the evil-doing villains in the human family will never totally or permanently ruin His divine plan.

That is as long as we can hold onto the hope that no matter what is happening to us – and no matter what we may have done to others – God, the true light, will never abandon us.

Christ was born in the night and in darkness, so that He may bring day and light. So, too, we are invited to accept salvation and become people of the light, people who live in the day and who respond to His incredible love.

If we manage to look through the darkness that can sneak up on us during this Christmas season (worries about money, family tensions, and many other stresses), and focus on the light that we have been promised, there is a wealth of joy to be found.

Joy is found in embracing life exactly as it presents itself – complete with its inconveniences. If we expect things to be always neat and perfect, our joy will be very limited. Real life is seldom neat and perfect. It’s filled with ups and downs, problems and blessings.

But there can be hope and joy during this Christmas. Many broken families will be reconciled and many separated friends will make peace, for the power of the Holy Spirit and the light of Christ will transform these souls from darkness to light. I am sure that even Joseph encountered problems with his family, but he reconciled… and took Mary into his home to be his wife.

So, no matter how messy and dark things may get, or how many troubles we encounter, despite the darkness, don’t let this Christmas pass by without seeking the light. And with the dawning of the light of Christ, we can sing the very words that the angels spoke to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

Merry Christmas!

Deacon David Reiser serves at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte. He recently returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Happy New You! Barbara Case Speers

A

s we mark New Year’s Day, we contemplate how we can make the new year better than the year before. Usually, we come up with the typical resolutions to help us reach our goal. Most of us will aim to lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with family, and watch what we eat or drink. We put so much time and effort into our physical existence, yet often forget and neglect our spiritual eternal souls. May I suggest praying the rosary!

Reflecting on the joyful mysteries can reshape our lives. The first joyful mystery is the Annunciation (Luke 1:28-33): “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’”

How can scripture change our lives? Just as the angel proclaimed the coming of Jesus to the Blessed Mother, and she willingly accepted the request with joy, so are we commissioned to tell others about Jesus. Telling others about Jesus confirms our joy in the spiritual hope of heaven.

We read in Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus approached and said to them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’”

In the second joyful mystery, The Visitation, a pregnant Mary travels a long distance on what must have been an uncomfortable

journey to see her cousin. Her visit wasn’t just a social call; Mary put aside her own needs to care for her cousin Elizabeth, who was about to give birth to John the Baptist: “Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home” (Luke 1:56).

When we serve others, we spiritually and physically rejuvenate ourselves. St. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:13: “For you were called for freedom, brother. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.” And Jesus said in John 12:26: “Whoever serves me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me.” In the third joyful mystery we meditate on the birth of Jesus: “…and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).

Similarly, we must open our hearts to Jesus.

The doors to our hearts can be closed due to trials and tribulations we’ve encountered in our lifetime. Should we blame God? Scripture says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that He promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

In the fourth joyful mystery, we meditate on the Presentation: “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,’ and to offer the sacrifice of ‘a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,’ in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord” (Luke 2:22-24).

Mary, who delivered the Messiah, went to the SPEERS, SEE page 24

January 6, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

23

Parish spotlight

Matthew Newsome

Give me the trimmings and trappings of the Christmas season “It was quarter past dawn... All the Whos, still a-bed, All the Whos, still asnooze When he packed up his sled, Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons!

The wrappings! The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!”

— Dr. Suess, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

W

hen the Grinch set out to steal Christmas, he didn’t just take the presents and the food, but the stockings, the tree, and all the trimmings and trappings. We love the trimmings and trappings of Christmas. A big part of what makes this season so special is all the extraordinary and out-of-the-ordinary stuff. Our lives become different during the Christmas season. We fill our homes with greenery, lights, baubles and decorations that we don’t see any other time of the year.

We eat food that we don’t eat any other time of the year. We listen to music and sing songs that we don’t hear any other time of the year.

We love it. It’s our natural inclination to love it. Yes, I know there are some who have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit – usually because of a past tragedy, a wound that gets reopened every holiday. But if we could roll back the clock to before whatever made the holidays melancholy, we would rediscover a childhood Christmas joy.

We love the trimmings and trappings of Christmas because they are festive. But we love them for more than that. Balloons and birthday cakes are festive, yet they fail to touch something deep in our spirits as do the trimmings and trappings of Christmas.

The trimmings and trappings of Christmas are mysterious. They carry a deep history. They come to us from some forgotten place in the past, rich with hidden meaning. There is something deliciously ancient about holly and mistletoe. There is something almost magical about words like “yule” and “noel” that we don’t hear any other time of the year.

The trimmings and trappings of Christmas are so old we have forgotten their origins. But it is not necessary for us to know what they once meant for them to have real meaning for us now.

It occurs to me that the trimmings and trappings of Catholicism are much the same. Most Catholics I know love the external signs of our faith. We love the bells and the incense. We love the candles and stained glass. We love the chanting. We love our holy water and our rosaries. We love our medals and holy cards. We love the clerical vestments. We love the special blessings, special prayers and special traditions of our faith.

Each time we enter a church to worship, it’s like Christmas. We hear music we don’t hear other times and places. We use words we don’t use any other time or place. There is a sense of history about our traditions – a sense of hidden meaning, a forgotten origin. And like the trimmings and trappings of Christmas, it’s not necessary for us to remember their original meanings

to know that they have deep meaning for us.

Every so often I’ll run into a fellow Catholic who finds the trimmings and trappings of our faith distasteful. They don’t like liturgical music. They don’t like beautiful vestments. They poo-poo the special blessings. They think our traditions of the past should be left in the past, scraped off like so many barnacles on the barque of Peter. I cannot help but wonder if they are not somehow wounded. Perhaps, like those who can no longer get into the Christmas spirit, these Catholics who don’t like Catholic things have some misfortune in their past. Whatever it is, I pray that their hearts may be healed so that they might rediscover the great joy of our faith.

Of course, the faith is more than trimmings and trappings. The Grinch couldn’t steal Christmas by taking the

‘Some would argue that the trimmings and trappings of Catholicism get in the way of worshiping Christ.

Hogwash!’ stockings, trees, presents and roast beast.

Christmas is more than that. At the heart of the celebration is Christ, and as St. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:38, not even angels or demons can take Christ from us, let alone the Grinch.

And so Christ is at the center of our Christian faith. Some would argue that the trimmings and trappings of Catholicism get in the way of worshiping Christ. Hogwash!

(Or should I say, “Bah, humbug!”) That’s like saying tinsel and twinkling lights get in the way of celebrating Christmas!

The trimmings and trappings (of either Christmas or the Church) celebrate nothing if they don’t celebrate Christ. If sometimes they seem too much, it is only because Christ is too much! Yet He comes to us all the same.

So I will sit by my Christmas tree and enjoy the odd spectacle of a conifer in my house. Its branches, evergreen, remind me of the eternal life made possible through the Incarnation. I will read “The Christmas Carol” and “The Night Before Christmas” aloud to my children. I will pray the “O Antiphons” at Vespers. I will enjoy the twinkling lights, the wreaths, mulled wine and eggnog. I will go to midnight Mass and worship by candlelight. I will sing carols and dream of sugar plums. I will carve the “roast beast,” and thank God for the trimmings and trappings of Christmas.

Matthew Newsome is the Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.

Giuliana Polinari Riley | Catholic News Herald

Consecration to the Holy Family FOREST CITY — On the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1, parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church prayed the consecration to the Holy Family after each Mass. The prayer program was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, who provided the Holy Family image that had been blessed by Pope Francis on June 29, 2015, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. The order’s first prayer program was held in 1979 and it featured an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas. Father Herbert Burke, pastor, and Deacon Sigfrid Della Valle led the consecration to the Holy Family.

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‘It is time for weapons to be silenced forever and the international community to actively seek a negotiated solution so that civil coexistence can be restored in the country.’

Pope Francis

From online story: “World scarred by war, greed must welcome prince of peace, pope says” Through press time on Jan. 4, 8,240 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 14,056 pages. The top 10 headlines in December were:

n Diocesan Catholic Schools Office steps in to oversee Our Lady of Grace School following principal’s resignation.................................................................................................................................1,197 n Pray the Holy Infant of Prague nine-day novena, Dec. 16-24 ......................................................939 n The ‘12 Days of Christmas’: An ‘underground’ catechism for persecuted Catholics.............670 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald ...................................................... 548 n Christmas Midnight Latin Mass held in Charlotte............................................................................321 n Talking about race, Catholic style.......................................................................................................... 174 n St. Barnabas Church receives $3.6 million endowment.................................................................160 n Deacon Rasmussen of St. Aloysius Church dies aged 72..............................................................150 n Deacon assigned to Queen of the Apostles Church.........................................................................149 n CCHS Marching Band spends Thanksgiving in Chicago.................................................................135

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Employment Opportunity �aith �orma�on ��mini�tra��e ���i�tant �art���e. �lease sub�it resu�e to business@stpeterscatholic.org and write the posi�on �tle in the sub�ect line.

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FROM PAGE 22

temple to fulfill the Law of Moses. Joseph and Mary offered the required sacrifice.

Mary and Joseph didn’t balk, but instead humbled themselves before God. In today’s world, a humble person is considered weak.

Satan knows how to spin words. Remember Eve in the Garden of Eden? Satan and Eve had a little chat before Eve disobeyed God: “But the snake said to the woman: ‘You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.’” (Genesis 3:4-5).

And St. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others.”

In the fifth joyful mystery, Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple, we read in Luke 2:46-47: “After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.”

Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in the crowd.

LA EPIFANÍA FROM PAGE 10

Call for an appointment!

Matthew Joseph MD 828-980-3950 CCDOC.ORG

Entonces, hermanos y hermanas, llenémonos de alegría en esta Epifanía, y dejemos que la Virgen Maria sea nuestra Estrella de Belén que nos guie a los pies de

Sometimes our daily struggles, the people we associate with, hardness of heart, and our selfishness prevents us from entering the church doors and we lose our eternal joy. So often we hear, “That church is full of hypocrites.” When saying this, the person is actually saying, “The church is full of sinners.” Jesus has the answer, in Luke 5:30-32: “The Pharisees and their scribes complained to His disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.’” Yes, the church is full of sinners.

In conclusion, Hebrews 10:19-23 tells us: “Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way He opened for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have ‘a great priest over the house of God,’ let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for He who made the promise is trustworthy.”

Happy New You in 2017!

Barbara Case Speers is a writer who lives in Hickory.

nuestro Salvador para que nos prostremos ante Él, y reanudemos otra vez nuestras promesas de bautismo para que nuestras vidas sean un regalo de oro, incienso y mirra para Jesús.

Rico De Silva es el Especialista de Noticias Hispanas del Catholic News Herald.

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