Oct. 27, 2017

October 27, 2017

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org 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

Communion of saints

INSIDE:

Diocese of Charlotte 2016-’17 annual report St. Luke, St. John Neumann parishes celebrate anniversaries 6

An army of saints surrounds us: Sacred relics in our diocese

16-18

Spotlight on National Vocations Awareness Week

Also inside: Should Christians celebrate Halloween? 2

7 Subscribe today! Call:

704-370-3333

INDEX

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FUNDED BY THE PARISHIONERS OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE THANK YOU!

Contact us.......................... 4 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes................ 3-20 Schools.........................21-23 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................24 U.S. news..................... 26-27 Viewpoints...................30-31 World news................. 28-29

‘It is a great beginning’ Bishop Jugis blesses land for St. Joseph College Seminary 3

Charlotte Catholic High School students rally MACS community to aid Catholic schools in Texas hit by Hurricane Harvey 22

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

In the end, everyone faces God with ‘empty hands’

G

od waits for everyone, even the worst sinner who repents only with his dying breath, Pope Francis said.

“Before God, we present ourselves with empty hands,” he said, meaning that all the good works people have or haven’t done throughout their lives aren’t measured to determine entry into heaven.

“A word of humble repentance was enough to touch Jesus’ heart” and to make him promise eternal life in heaven even to a poor criminal, he said Oct. 25 during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. The pope announced the day’s catechesis would be the last in his series of audience talks on Christian hope, adding that the last talk, therefore, would look at hope’s final fulfillment in heaven.

A curious fact, he said, is that the word “paradise” appears just once in the Gospels; it is used when Jesus from the cross promises the thief executed with him that “today you will be with me in paradise.” The “good thief,” the pope said, had the courage to recognize his sins and humbly ask Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

“It is there, on Calvary, that Jesus has His last encounter with a sinner, to open to him, too, the gates to His kingdom,” the pope said.

The good thief had done no good works in his life and had nothing to show Jesus that he had earned or was worthy of heaven, he said. “He had nothing, but he trusted in Jesus, whom he recognized as someone innocent, good, so different from himself.”

The “good thief reminds us of our true condition before God: that we are His children, that He feels compassion for us,” that He can’t resist “every time we show Him we are homesick for His love.”

The miracle of forgiveness is repeated continually, especially in hospital rooms and prison cells, the pope said, because “there is no person, no matter how badly he has lived, who is left with only desperation and is denied grace.”

“God is father and He awaits our return up to the last moment,” he said, just like the father of the prodigal son did.

“Paradise is not a fairy tale or an enchanted garden,” the pope said “Paradise is the embrace of God, infinite love, and we enter thanks to Jesus who died on the cross for us.”

“Wherever Jesus is, there is mercy and happiness; without Him, it is cold and dark,” he said.

Jesus “wants to lead us to the most beautiful place in existence, and He wants to bring us there with the little or immense good that has been in our life, because nothing is lost in that which He has already redeemed,” the pope said.

A detail from Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment,” in the Sistine Chapel

All Saints and All Souls Days Nov. 1-2 ALL SAINTS DAY

All Saints Day was instituted to honor all the saints, known and unknown, and ask for their prayers. It is usually a holy day of obligation.

In the early days, Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr’s death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. Groups of martyrs frequently suffered on the same day, and in the persecution of Diocletian in 303, the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, concerned that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this was in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost.

Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for Nov. 1. Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration to the entire Church.

Many customs of the feast’s vigil, Halloween, reflect the Christian belief that we mock evil because as Christians, it has no real power over us. The modern custom

of “trick-or-treating” comes from the Middle Ages when poor people begged for “soul cakes” and in return prayed for departed souls.

ALL SOULS DAY

All Souls Day commemorates the faithful departed – those who die with God’s grace and friendship.

Not everyone who dies in God’s grace is immediately ready for the goodness of God and heaven, so we must be purified of the temporal effects of sin. The Church calls this purification of the elect “purgatory.”

Church teaching on Purgatory essentially requires belief in two realities: there will be a purification of believers prior to entering heaven, and the prayers and Masses of the faithful in some way benefit those in the state of purification.

As to the duration, place and exact nature of this purification, the Church has no official dogma, although St. Augustine and others used fire as a way to explain the nature of the purification.

— www.NewAdvent.org and www.ChurchYear.net

There is nothing intrinsically “pagan” or “evil” in celebrating All Saints Day or its vigil, dressing up in costumes, playing games, having parties, carving vegetables or collecting candy from willing neighbors. You are free to do any or all of these things if you wish, because none of them are intrinsically disordered, provided that there are no evil intentions in the act.

Halloween is not a philosophy or system of belief, good or bad, but a set of American customs and practices derived from European ones. It should be noted that Christianity has frequently externally borrowed from pagan customs – e.g., wedding rings, brides wearing white, Christmas trees and Easter eggs – but transformed their interior meaning to conform with Christ.

On the other hand, we do not want to use our legitimate freedom to alienate or scandalize our Christian brothers, which would be a violation of charity.

We should not be a stumbling block for others. If your family members or friends choose not to celebrate Halloween, respect their decision and do not do anything in their presence which they would find offensive.

If you choose not to celebrate Halloween in the common customs, you might consider replacing it with a celebration of All Saints Day or adapting the common customs to highlight All Saints Day, such as handing out holy cards with candy or dressing up your children as saints.

Halloween can be legitimate fun, but the decision of whether to celebrate Halloween should be made prudently, charitably and in conformity with the faith. As St. Augustine said, in essential things there must be unity, in matters of opinion there may be diversity, but in all things there must be charity.

— Catholics United for Faith

Your daily Scripture readings OCT. 29-NOV. 4

Sunday: Exodus 22:20-26, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, Matthew 22:34-40; Monday: Romans 8:12-17, Luke 13:10-17; Tuesday: Romans 8:1825, Luke 13:18-21; Wednesday (All Saints): Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12; Thursday (All Souls’ Day): Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 5:5-11, John 6:37-40; Friday (St. Martin de Porres): Romans 9:1-5, Luke 14:1-6; Saturday (St. Charles Borromeo): Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29, Luke 14:1, 7-11

NOV. 5-11

Sunday: Malachi 1:14, 2:2, 8-10, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13, Matthew 23:1-12; Monday: Romans 11:29-36, Luke 14:12-14; Tuesday: Romans 12:5-16, Luke 14:15-24; Wednesday: Romans 13:8-10, Luke 14:25-33; Thursday (The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica): Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17, John 2:13-22; Friday (St. Leo the Great): Romans 15:14-21, Luke 16:1-8; Saturday (St. Martin of Tours): Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27, Luke 16:9-15

NOV. 12-18

Sunday: Wisdom 6:12-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13; Monday (St. Frances Xavier Cabrini): Wisdom 1:1-7, Luke 17:1-6; Tuesday: Wisdom 2:23, 3:9, Luke 17:7-10; Wednesday (St. Albert the Great): Wisdom 6:1-11, Luke 17:11-19; Thursday (St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Gertrude): Wisdom 7:22, 8:1, Luke 17:20-25; Friday (St. Elizabeth of Hungary): Wisdom 13:1-9, Luke 17:26-37; Saturday (The Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne): Wisdom 18:14-16, 19:6-9, Luke 18:1-8

Our parishes

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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(Clockwise from left) Bishop Peter Jugis places blessed holy medals on the site of the future St. Joseph College Seminary chapel; Bishop Jugis examines the holy medals before placing them in the ground; Father Matthew Buettner drives the “Bishopmobile” transporting Father Matthew Kauth, the college seminary’s rector, Bishop Jugis and Father Jason Barone, vocations promoter for the diocese, through the heavily forested college seminary property.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘It is a great beginning’ Bishop Jugis blesses land for college seminary

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See video highlights and more photos from the blessing of the land for the St. Joseph College Seminary They gathered near what will be the main entrance to the college seminary, and the bishop sprinkled the ground with holy water and blessed it. Then he buried a small crucifix and several holy medals near the future site of the seminary chapel, including a St. Michael medal, Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart medals and a Miraculous Medal.

In his remarks during the blessing rite, Bishop Peter Jugis spoke to the college seminarians about the need to foster devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of the diocese, and the importance of praying the rosary and

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BELMONT — Last Sunday morning under Carolina blue skies, Bishop Peter Jugis blessed the land that will become the permanent home for St. Joseph College Seminary.

The 86-acre wooded site sits along Perfection Avenue in Belmont, just north of Belmont Abbey College. Bishop Jugis was transported to the undeveloped site Oct. 22 on a large green four-wheeler – cheered on by the young men enrolled in the college seminary.

asking for her intercession in their lives.

“It is quite providential that we gather during the month of the rosary, October, for this significant milestone in the history of this great institution which is St. Joseph’s Seminary, to be asking God’s blessing upon this land and the prayers, the intercession and the blessing of our Blessed Mother, and (also for) the prayers of the great St. Joseph,” he said.

The day was also significant as the feast of St. John Paul II, who had a particularly close devotion to Mary. The late pope ordained Bishop Jugis to the priesthood in 1983 in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and in 2003 appointed him as the fourth bishop of Charlotte.

After he concluded the blessing rite, Bishop Jugis commented on the significance of the occasion, recalling the day in March 2016 when he announced the establishment of the college seminary.

“We’ve had a long process of getting to this day,” he said. “Several years, of course, of discerning the Lord’s will for our diocese and discerning the call of many young men for the priesthood. It is a great beginning.”

This site for the college seminary – “our own building and our own land,” he noted – will enable the diocese to continue responding to the Lord’s work in fostering local religious vocations.

That sense of ownership was also instilled in the young men by Father Matthew Kauth, rector of the college seminary.

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The permanent site for St. Joseph College Seminary is located just north of Belmont Abbey College, on an 86acre site off Perfection Avenue in Belmont.

The night before the bishop’s visit, the young men cleared an area near the future entrance, Father Kauth said. They erected a cross made from trees they cut down, then camped out overnight on the site.

“I wanted to be able, in some sense, to claim it as our own,” Father Kauth noted. “This is something that is going to hopefully be in the diocese for perpetuity.

I want them to feel a sense of their claiming the land, claiming it as their home. Not just for seminarians, but for

priests – for the priests to be able to come here. Also, for it to be a place of spiritual grace for the whole diocese to pray for the priesthood.”

“We are going to come out here over the course of the next several months and begin to clear out the land,” he continued.

“We wanted it blessed first by the bishop.

We will be bringing the seminarians out here with some frequency to pray the COLLEGE SEMINARY, SEE PAGE 25

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: OCT. 28 – 5 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville OCT. 30 – 6 P.M. Holy Mass of Pastor Installation for Father Ambrose Akinwande, MSP Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Lexington

NOV. 4 – 9 A.M. Holy Mass for 2nd Diocesan Catechetical Conference Charlotte Convention Center NOV. 5 – 1:30 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Eugene Church, Asheville

NOV. 8 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte

NOV. 3 – 10 A.M. Mass for 70th anniversary of U.S. arrival of Poor Servants of the Mother of God Pennybyrn at Maryfield, High Point

NOV. 7 – 11 A.M. Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

NOV. 10 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte

renewed life that will help us to have a deeper personal relationship with the Lord and fuller experience of the Spirit in our lives. For details, call Aimee Pena at 336893-9534 or Lith Golamco at 732-453-4279.

Charlotte for Mass and overnight Eucharistic Adoration every first Friday-Saturday at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte to pray for the strengthening and healing of marriages and families, the conversion of our nation, and to offer reparation for the sins of mankind through prayer and penance. The vigil will begin with Mass at 8 p.m. each first Friday, followed by Adoration and scheduled prayer, and conclude with 8 a.m. Mass each first Saturday. For details and to sign up for Adoration times, go to www.prolifecharlotte.org.

NOV. 9 – 6:30 P.M. Holy Mass for Legatus Chapter St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events October 27, 2017

ESPAÑOL

Volume 27 • NUMBER 2

Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana: 6 p.m. Jueves, Noviembre 16 en la Iglesia de St. James, 139 Manor Ave., Concord. Ven con nosotros para recibir la Morena de Tepeyac y San Juan Diego junto a la “luz de la esperanza” que viene directamente desde la Basílica de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de México. Para más información, llamar a 704-965-1290.

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

MINISTERIO DE PADRES Y MADRES ORANTES: 7 p.m. el tercer viernes de cada mes, en la Iglesia St. Thomas Aquinas, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Todos los padres de familia están invitados a tener un re-encuentro con Jesús Sacramentado, en una Hora Santa. Todos unidos oraran por los hijos del mundo entero. En este Ministerio, el Rosario es nuestra arma y la Eucaristía es nuestra savia. Para más detalles, llamar a Gloria 704-807-5237.

CLASES DE INGLÉS: 6-9 p.m. todos los martes y jueves en el Community Life Center, en la Iglesia de St. Mary, 205 W. Farris Ave., High Point. Para más información y para registrarse, llamar al 336-848-6970.

SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org ONLINE REPORTER: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

‘BREATHING WITH BOTH LUNGS,’ A PRESENTATION

BY FATHER JOSEPH MATLAK: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at St. Mary, Mother of God Church, 22 Bartlett St., Sylva.

Father Joseph is a bi-ritual priest celebrating liturgies in the Byzantine Rite as well as both the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman Rite. He will speak about how the Church’s different ways of worship inform and illuminate one another. For details, email Matthew Newsome at smff@wcucatholic.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.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING NFP INTRODUCTION AND FULL COURSE: 5-8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 4, St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Topics include: effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting.

Sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230. Class will be in Spanish. La clase será en español.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS 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.

‘BEER, BRATS & BELIEF’ MEN’S EVENING OF REFLECTION: 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro.

Evening includes Mass, reflection by a visiting Legionary of Christ priest and complimentary dinner. Hosted by Triad Men’s Regnum Christi team. To register, go to www. mensreflection.eventbrite.com.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR: Oct. 27-29. 8 p.m. Mass, Friday, Oct. 27, at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730 Link Road, Winston-Salem; 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, and 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Road, Winston-Salem. The Life in the Spirit Seminar is an evangelization tool for a

‘BREAKFAST & BELIEF’ WOMEN’S MORNING OF REFLECTION: 8:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro.

Morning includes Mass, reflection by a visiting Legionary of Christ priest and complimentary breakfast. Hosted by Triad Women’s Regnum Christi team. For details, go to www.womensreflection.eventbrite.com.

CELEBRATION OF THE ORIGINAL FEAST DAY OF CHRIST THE KING: High Latin Mass 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, with a Eucharistic Procession afterwards to honor Christ’s Kingship, at St. Ann Church, 635 Park Road, Charlotte. All faithful are invited to process with statues and images of their favorite king, queen or statesman saints (canonized, beatified or venerable) and to implore their aid upon our nation. The event will conclude with a recitation of the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A plenary indulgence under the usual conditions is granted for those who recite the Act on this feast day. Hosted by the Charlotte Latin Mass Community and St. Ann Parish. For details, email Mike FitzGerald at info@charlottelatinmass.org.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Come pray for the end of abortion, and invite anyone else who would support this important cause. Anyone with difficulty standing for 15-20 minutes is welcome to bring a folding chair. Outdoors, rain or shine. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

HEALING PRAYER SERVICES WITH ALAN AMES: Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 6-8. International speaker and Catholic author Alan Ames will visit three parishes in the Charlotte metro area over three consecutive evenings. Mass each evening, followed by a talk by Ames and a healing prayer service. On Nov. 6 he will be at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Mass is at 7 p.m. On Nov. 7 he will be at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

Mass is at 6:30 p.m. On Nov. 8 he will be at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Mass is at 7 p.m. For details go to www.alanames.org.

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC WOMEN’S GROUP MORNING REFLECTION: 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Come, listen and enjoy the talk by guest speaker Father Matthew Bean. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m., followed by refreshments, announcements and the reflection at 10:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room behind the Chapel.

RSVP via the Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group website, EventBrite registration, to ensure there is enough food.

GUADALUPAN TORCH RUN (LA ANTORCHA GUADALUPANA): 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at St. James Church, 139 Manor Ave., Concord. Join in receiving an image of Our Lady of Tepeyac and St. Juan Diego next to the “light of hope” that comes directly from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. For details, call Leandro at 704-965-1290.

VIGIL OF THE TWO HEARTS: Join Catholics across

SUPPORT GROUPS & RETREATS RACHEL’S VINEYARD WEEKEND RETREAT: Oct. 20-22 in the Greensboro area. Rachel’s Vineyard can help men and women who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey. It creates a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. The retreat works to reconnect people to themselves, their friends and family after having an abortion. For details, email Jackie Childers jackie.childers1@gmail.com.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “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, Nov. 4, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97, Haywood St. CHARLOTTE: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. St. Matthew Church (Charlotte) KERNERSVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, Holy Cross Church, 616 South Cherry St. MINT HILL: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road 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. ST. LEO THE GREAT CHURCH IN WINSTON-SALEM: 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.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JULIA MICHAELS

(Top) What Our Lady of the Rosary Church looked like before the extensive renovation project that began in June.

(Above) Father Ambrose Akinwande, pastor, offers the first Mass in the renovated church.

(Right) What Our Lady of the Rosary Church looks like after the renovation work was completed.

Our Lady of the Rosary parishioners tackle church renovation project JULIA FREDRICA FOY MICHAELS CORRESPONDENT

LEXINGTON — On Oct. 7, their parish’s patronal feast day, members of Our Lady of the Rosary Church gathered to celebrate the successful completion of an extensive church remodeling effort led by the parishioners themselves.

They gathered for Mass, offered by Father Ambrose Akinwande, pastor, to give thanks to God for everyone who labored to make the project a reality, and they marveled at the beauty of the refurbished nave and sanctuary.

“If I hadn’t seen this church from the outside, I would have never dreamed it was the same church,” said visitor Ted Young, who came in to help move the organ, one of the larger components of the project.

The renovation began as a straightforward beautification project for the 75-year-old church – fresh paint and new carpeting, etc. – but the scope expanded as parishioners’ enthusiasm for the idea grew.

Parishioners ended up completely remodeling the nave: removing the cry room and repositioning the organ and choir on a new raised platform at the rear of the church; installing new carpeting; repainting the walls and enhancing them with local cultured stone; and replacing the nondescript drywall ceiling with planks of southern pine that were stained a dramatic dark brown. In the sanctuary, the carpeting was replaced with a highly reflective white porcelain tile to pick up the beautiful light streaming through the tall stained glass windows behind the altar.

Parishioners chipped in with their own labor, saving thousands of dollars, and they

worked for three years to raise money from special events for the project, which totals an estimated $70,000.

Gail and Kenny Capone spearheaded golf tournaments at the Asheboro Country Club and silent auctions in order for the renovation project to begin. The parish’s Hispanic community also raised funds from several festivals it hosted. The parish also used $46,520 of its “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign money on the project.

Said Gail Capone, “We first set out to raise enough money for paint and new carpet, and look at how much more there came to be. It’s all just so amazing and so beautiful.”

Once the parish had the money it needed for the renovation project, Father Akinwande and parishioner John Bloxsom consulted with the Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office to finalize the designs, select materials, and line up teams of stonemasons, electricians, painters and more to see the project through.

Bloxsom is grateful to Morlando for his guidance throughout the project. “His expertise was invaluable, and really made the project flow,” he said.

Parishioners did all the demolition work starting in June. They also sanded and stained all of the ceiling planks – a savings of nearly $6,000 alone. They removed all the pews for the carpet to be installed, then put them all back in place and did the final cleaning just in time for the parish’s feast day celebration.

Father Akinwande and Bloxsom said they have been simply amazed at how many people from all walks of life came together to beautify Our Lady of the Rosary Church.

Father Ambrose Akinwande, pastor, receives the offertory gifts from Karen and John Bloxsom and Judy Pagliaroli in preparation for the Liturgy of the Eucharist during Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Oct. 7, the first Mass offered in the renovated church.

“Just the fact that we can all look up at the ceiling for many years to come and say that we had a hand in that…we all stained those planks,” noted Bloxsom’s wife Karen.

“Momentum really began to build and many people stepped forward to donate additional funds in their enthusiasm and joy after seeing such good things taking place at their house of worship,” Father Akinwande said.

Bloxsom noted that the project ended up

being about more than beautifying a church: it became a unifying force for the parish.

“As the project progressed, people got excited,” he said. Coming together to stain the ceiling planks, move the pews, clean the church and so much more, gave Englishand Spanish-speaking parishioners the opportunity to get to know each other better, share meals, and have fun.

“It is beautiful, if I do say so myself,” he said.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

St. Luke Parish celebrates 30th anniversary Marilyn and William Armstrong and Ann-Maria and Red Luce and Lynn Munday were among those who gathered to celebrate St. Luke Church’s 30th anniversary.

LISA GERACI CORRESPONDENT

MINT HILL — Members of St. Luke Church celebrated the parish’s 30th anniversary with a dinner and dance Oct. 14. About 100 attendees honored the feast day of St. Luke and anniversary of the church with a catered four-course meal, an open bar and a live band. The reception was scheduled to last until 10 p.m., but everyone kept dancing until much later in the evening.

Most of the founding parishioners – as well as retired founding pastor Father Joe Mulligan; Father Paul Gary, pastor; and Deacon Jeffrey Evers – attended the celebration. The welcoming, relaxed atmosphere of the celebration was quite evident, but the historical roots were less obvious.

Thirty years prior, Father Gary was unknowingly present for what was the inception of the Mint Hill parish.

As he explained in the parish bulletin, “I answered the door one night when I was parochial vicar at St. Leo’s in Winston-Salem. Father Mulligan and Bishop John F. Donoghue went upstairs, met behind closed doors, and I never knew what transpired until St. Luke’s was joyfully announced in 1987.”

The late Sister Veronica Grover wrote of the parish’s history: “On the feast of St. Luke, 1987, a handful of people gathered in the movie theater of Matthews Festival to initiate a new parish named for St. Luke. Father Joe Mulligan called his small flock to honor their patron saint by becoming a ‘healing presence in the community.’ So began this parish community, committed to the ministry of justice, peace and compassion for the poor and suffering, committed to making a difference in the larger community.”

Among this “handful” were Marilyn and William Armstrong, Phyllis and Raymond Mennitt, and Catherine and Thomas Ferguson. All from Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte, all making their homes in Mint Hill, knowing that their pastor and friend was establishing a new parish. “I guess you could say we moved to Mint Hill because of Father Joe,” recalls Phyllis Mennitt. The Ferguson and Armstrong families also followed Father Mulligan to Mint Hill.

“By December, Father Joe had found what was to be the first real parish home, in a storefront in the shopping plaza called Mint Hill Festival. It was located between an Eckerd and Movie Mania,” wrote Sister Veronica.

Phyllis Mennitt remembered, “The first funeral we did at the storefront was hilarious. The funeral home workers were rolling the casket right in front of Eckerd to the storefront. A woman came outside, and her face just said it all.”

“Being such a small community made us really have to step up. Everybody involved did everything and loved every bit of it. I was involved with liturgy and adult education,” explained Marilyn Armstrong.

“The storefront was such a welcoming and warm environment, so non-formal. We had coffee and donuts after each service and we got along so well together. Father Joe was so vibrant,” said Catherine Ferguson.

“During this time a lot of people were getting transferred here from IBM. Every time I picked my head up, a new family was standing in front of me. The church was

LISA GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

growing at a rapid rate. We needed a building,” Mennitt said.

A church building was ready in time for the parish’s patronal feast day in 1994.

“Bishop William G. Curlin told me so much incense was used at the dedication Mass in 1995 that the fire alarm went off,” Father Gary said with a smile.

Father Gary is the third pastor of St. Luke Parish, and parishioners say they have been blessed with each priest who has come to serve their growing community.

“Father Joe was late to everything – we called it ‘Father Joe time.’ The 9 a.m. Mass was really 9:10,” laughed Mennitt. “Father Joe is so motivational. He really gets you to commit to things you were too nervous to do, but should do. He convinced me to become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. I told him I was not worthy to serve and he reassured me I was just as worthy as him. He also encouraged me to start the homeless shelter ministry.

There are no pew potatoes with Father Joe around.”

Father Mulligan continues to live in Mint Hill, where he still keeps in touch with parishioners, and although retired from active parish ministry he serves as a chaplain at the Charlotte-Douglas Airport.

Father Jim Hawker served as pastor after Father Mulligan retired.

Mennitt recalled of Father Hawker, “He was so funny!

He would laugh so hard he couldn’t even finish his own joke. You just could not help but love him.”

“Father Jim was here for around seven years. He loved giving homilies. He actually had a different homily for every single Mass – no repeats with him,” said Armstrong.

“He loved receptions. We would have anniversary and birthday celebrations. He brought a ministry of celebration here.”

To this day, at the end of each Mass, parishioners still

recognize each other’s birthdays and anniversaries.

Father Gary came to serve as pastor after Father Hawker retired. He embodies the compassion of St. Luke and the “healing presence” that Father Mulligan desired, parishioners say.

“He is the most compassionate and sweetest man I ever met. He has a gift for saying funerals and helping the sick,” Mennitt said. “I have never heard a better funeral. Every time, my jaw remains dropped.”

Father Gary may not have realized it at the start, but he is continuing to open doors for St. Luke’s in all directions, figuratively and literally, while the parish embarks on a new expansion, develops more ministries, and welcomes an astounding number of new parishioners. The parish has grown from its 42 founding families to more than 1,500 families today.

“St. Luke’s is a great parish, over 1,500 families strong!

Father Joe Mulligan did a great job as founding pastor. He helped build a close-knit, family-oriented parish dedicated to helping others. Father Jim Hawker was the second pastor, and both are well loved by the people here. I am honored to follow in their footsteps,” Father Gary said.

“We are working towards building a church, an education building and social hall on the new property on Fairview Road,” he said, to accommodate the parish’s growth. “We have five Masses every weekend including one in Spanish. Father Richard Hanson helps us every second Sunday at the 4:30 p.m. Sunday Mass. From time to time, we have the help of retired priests, who are always warmly welcomed.”

“St. Luke’s is such an active parish, has fantastic music, and you can really feel God here. Everyone knows each other. Our faces light up whenever we see one another. My faith has grown so much over these 30 years,” Armstrong said as she looked around the church. “It’s like home here.”

Celebrating 40 years at St. John Neumann Church CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of St. John Neumann Church recently gathered to celebrate the parish’s 40th anniversary with an outdoor bilingual Mass on the parish grounds, followed by games, food, music and fellowship. The Mass was concelebrated

by Father John Starczewski, pastor; Father Peter Pham, in residence; Father Pat Hoare, Father Frank O’Rourke and Monsignor Richard Bellow, all former pastors. The day’s events were organized by the parish’s 40th anniversary committee: Jeanette Merwin (chair), Mark Krouse, Eliana Malta, Terry Peeters and Soo Jin Ridgell. St. John Neumann Parish was established in 1977.

In his anniversary message, Father Starczewski noted, “Today we celebrate that the Lord is with us. Over the 40 years of our existence God has blessed His church and as a result we have grown to the parish that we are today. Let us give thanks to our God! The most important way that we give thanks to God for His blessings is the celebration of the Eucharist. The meaning of Eucharist we have all been taught is ‘thanksgiving.’ So it is appropriate that we gather together today to celebrate the Eucharist as one parish family. ... May our parish continue to grow and through our work in the Lord’s vineyard and His continued blessing upon us lead us and many others to salvation until the end of time.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

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SPOTLIGHT ON VOCATIONS

‘It is a sacrament that you are living’ Bishop Jugis celebrates wedding anniversary Mass SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Married couples celebrating special anniversaries this year were the invited guests of Bishop Peter Jugis Oct. 22 at St. John Neumann Church. The annual wedding anniversary Mass honors the vocation of marriage and couples who have been married 25 years or more. Sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, the diocesan event includes a reception with the bishop after Mass.

“I am happy to welcome you to this Holy Mass in honor of your wedding anniversaries,” he told more than 90 couples who, with family members, were present at the Mass.

Drawing from the special readings selected for the anniversary Mass – Gen 2:18-24, 1 Cor 12:3113:8, and the Gospel of John 15:12-16 – Bishop Jugis reminded those present that these readings are the ones recommended for a wedding Mass.

“With these readings and with this Mass, we are remembering the day that you pronounced your wedding vows and began to live your marriage,” Bishop Jugis told them.

“I take this opportunity now to thank you for the witness of your love for each other and your love for the Lord, which you so generously in the past and for years in the future will be demonstrating, to build up not only your own

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Kevin and Amanda McGoff hold hands in prayer during the wedding anniversary Mass with Bishop Peter Jugis Oct. 22 at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte. The McGoffs are celebrating 25 years of marriage this year. families but also to build up the Body of Christ, the Body of the Church.”

Bill and Margaret Johnson, parishioners of St. Thérèse Church in Mooresville, attended the Mass to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple is originally from Cincinnati, where they were married in St.

Bartholomew Church. They have a son and daughter and four grandchildren. The couple brought up the offertory gifts at the Mass.

“The only thing you learn is to say, whatever it is, is: ‘I’m sorry,’” joked Bill Johnson when asked to share the secret to being married 50 years.

Margaret Johnson added, “Communication is the key. You have got to tell each other what is on your minds.”

They have always practiced their faith throughout their marriage, which is very important, they said.

Michael and Valerie Giggie, parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City, are celebrating 25 years of marriage this year.

Married at Belmont Abbey in 1992, they traveled from the mountains of western North Carolina to attend the wedding anniversary Mass. They have nine children ranging from age 6 to 24. Valerie Giggie read the first reading at Mass.

“We’re too stubborn to give up,” she said.

“Prayer certainly plays a large part in that.

Praying and also having children, teaching them as they grow older, helps.”

Amanda and Kevin McGoff were married 25 years ago at St. Paul’s Church in Pensacola, Fla. The couple has five children, ranging in ages ANNIVERSARY, SEE PAGE 25

‘God continues to mold me in every way’ Missionary Brother Truong Le ordained to transitional diaconate SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in southwest Charlotte is the parish home of Brother Truong Le, a Divine Word Missionary who grew up in the parish and attended Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools. Born in Saigon, the youngest of the eight children of Kinh Le and Duyen Nguyen, Brother Truong admits he was “never the smartest kid, the most outgoing, or the holiest.”

“But, somehow in my weaknesses, I always knew to trust in God,” he says.

Now a fully professed religious with the Divine Word Missionaries in Chicago, Brother Truong was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Francis J. Kane, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, on Oct. 1.

The Divine Word Missionaries religious order works in more than 70 countries around the world with the charism of proclaiming the Gospel where it has not been heard or insufficiently sown, Brother Truong explains.

“We witness through community living as we are gathered from all corners of the world. Our community life is marked with ‘inter-culturality.’

As brothers, we strive not only to co-exist with one another but through sincere fraternal love, we hope to incarnate the love of Christ in the service to others.”

He joined the order in January 2010, belonging to the Chicago province.

“I had an inkling of wanting to become a priest at a young age,” he recalls. “That desire expressed itself in different ways, and it was

nourished by friends, family and the community at school and the parish.”

As he prayed more, his faith grew, and he felt called to become more involved at his parish, he says.

“The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Group was influential in helping me to discern what is it that God wants me to become. Upon finishing my college degree (at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the alma mater of Bishop Jugis), my mind was free from preoccupations, and the call to become a priest was made apparent.”

He believes that the prayers of the community and the worldwide Church during the Year of the Priest helped him to recognize God’s presence in every step of his life. “I see that everything I had experienced converged upon the call to become a priest. And in letting go of my plans, that vocation is realized by becoming a religious missionary.”

Brother Truong credits many people for assisting him along the path of discernment.

“There is a countless number of individuals who have helped me along the way from friends, family, formators and confreres. Most notable is

the support which the community in Charlotte has shown,” he says.

“My mother prayed for me every day. And these prayers mattered to me, because while on mission experience in Thailand for two years, they kept me going.

“The transition into a new culture and context is difficult. For a PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BROTHER TRUONG LE young missionary, I was able to overcome the challenges of missionary work by realizing that I have many supporters who give me strength by the sincere words of their prayers and blessings.”

Brother Truong also shares that Father Peter Pham, who serves at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, has been a great mentor to him ever since he was a little boy. Father Pham also served as his spiritual director through college.

“Through his presence and listening, my faith continued to mature. During those years of uncertainties, he was one of the pillars that supported my spiritual life,” Brother Truong explains.

His pastor at St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, Father Tri Truong, has also played a pivotal role, he says.

“When I first met Father Tri, it was at the annual Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte during my college years,” he recalls. “I was with a group of friends and the only one with a ‘significant other.’ Father Tri was promoting vocations to the priesthood for the diocese.

“Out of all the fine candidates, he looked over VOCATION, SEE PAGE 25

National Vocations Awareness Week set for Nov. 5-11 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week Nov. 5-11. This annual event is a special time for parishes in the U.S. to actively foster and pray for a culture of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, reminds us that each of us in the Church has a key role to play in the witness of our vocation in ordinary circumstances.

“As we go about our everyday life and most especially this week, we must keep vocations in our prayers, while, at the same time, being a mindful witness with our own vocation,” he said. “We may never know how our lives may have an impact on someone else’s story.

Simply living out our call as disciples of Jesus Christ fully and joyfully in the world bears witness to the love of Christ as He generously bestows on each of us our own personal call.”

National Vocations Awareness Week, sponsored by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, is designed to help promote vocation awareness and to encourage young people to ask the question: “To what vocation in life is God calling me?”

Observance of Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976.

— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

More online At www.usccb. org/beliefs-andteachings/vocations/ national-vocationawareness-week.cfm: Find prayers and other online resources

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Former IHM deacon passes away FOREST, Va. — Deacon Frederick Carlos Scarletto, 66, of Forest, Va., died on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 13, 2017, at St. Thomas More Church in Lynchburg, Va., offered by Monsignor Michael D. McCarron.

Inurnment was held Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in the columbarium at St. Thomas More Church.

He was born on Feb. 14, 1951, in Canton, Ohio, a son of Fred Michael and Mary Rose Marletto Scarletto.

He was the husband of Anne Therese Dubs Scarletto Scarletto for 45 years.

He was proud to serve his country as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War. “Deacon Fred” faithfully served as business/facilities manager at St. Thomas More Church.

He was ordained for the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio on Nov. 18, 1995, by Bishop Benedict Charles Franzetta.

He also served as a deacon in the Diocese of Albany, N.Y. and the Diocese of Charlotte. He also had the distinction of being a 4th Degree in the Knights of Columbus.

After ordination he began his diaconate ministry at St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Parish in Canton, Ohio, and served as adult education coordinator for five years. While in Canton he also served at Our Lady of Peace Parish for a year before he and his family moved to Schenectady, N.Y. After receiving faculties in the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., he continued serving in youth ministry. He was appointed director of youth ministry for a cluster of parishes in Schenectady. During the next three years, Deacon Scarletto directed catechesis and youth ministry for approximately 350 students in grades 6 to 12.

In 2003 the Scarletto family moved to High Point, where he was assigned to serve at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. He served in High Point for six years until leaving the Charlotte diocese in 2009.

Most of his 22 years of ordained ministry was involved with faith formation, from the very young to adults. It was in the formation of others that “Deacon Fred” found his call and planted the seeds of faith in many he touched.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Edith Scarletto of Bowling Green, Ohio; son, David J. Scarletto and wife Nikea of Wilmington, N.C.; brother, David W. Scarletto of Canton, Ohio; grandchildren, Evelyn, Katherine and Isabelle Scarletto-Scholl, and Miabella Scarletto; and many close friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to a Main Chalice and a vintage Monstrance, both implements of the Order of Deacon, to be used during church rituals. To donate, place “Deacon” in the memo portion of the check made out to St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 3015 Roundelay Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502.

Donations may also be made to the Wounded Warriors Project or the American Heart Association.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory of Lynchburg was in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

(From left, clockwise) Catholic bestselling author and EWTN television host Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle delivers the keynote address Oct. 19.

Jordan Raniszneski, president of the MiraVia board of directors, presents a statue of the Blessed Mother to O’Boyle after her address. Retired executive director Jeannie Wray accepts a bouquet of roses in recognition of her years of service to MiraVia. SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MiraVia’s ‘Love Begins at Home’ banquet held Oct. 19 SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — At its “Love Begins at Home” banquet in uptown Charlotte Oct. 19, more than 850 supporters of MiraVia gathered to raise money and hear the good news about the outreach ministry which helped more than 511 young mothers and children last year.

Bishop Peter Jugis, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey and Monsignor Mauricio West, chancellor and vicar general of the Diocese of Charlotte, offered prayers at the 23rd annual banquet.

MiraVia, which began as Room At The Inn in 1994, helps abortion-vulnerable women choose life and build independent, healthy lives for themselves and their children. MiraVia offers life skills classes, material assistance and moral support to the women who come to them for help – free of charge. Since its founding, MiraVia has helped 7,465 women and their children at its outreach facility in Charlotte.

Debbie Capen, MiraVia’s new executive director, who took over the position last spring after longtime director Jeannie Wray retired, shared the good news of how donations to the outreach ministry helped women and children this year.

She noted that donors contributed more than 31,050 diapers, 1,027 bags of clothing and 4,054 pounds of food over the past year to MiraVia moms and their babies.

Volunteers offered 742 hours of service to assist the mothers and their children at both of MiraVia’s facilities last year.

Capen shared that St. Teresa of Calcutta, whose quote from her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize speech was used as the

theme for this year’s banquet, had written MiraVia a letter in the years before her death.

“Her message is especially important to MiraVia, because back in 1994 she wrote us a personal letter. I still have it in my office. I keep it safe, sometimes I pull it out,” she said. “In that message she wanted us to know that she would pray for our work and that what we were doing was important. She wanted to encourage us.”

Capen explained that part of St. Teresa’s Nobel Peace Prize speech said, “The greatest destroyer of peace today is the cry of the innocent, unborn child…”

She went on to say, “But love begins at home.”

“I hope that she is proud of us here tonight trying to create peace by serving the unborn in the work of MiraVia,” Capen said.

Capen also noted that 14 mothers and their babies were served by MiraVia through their residential facility for college student mothers on the campus of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont.

Two of those mothers chose MiraVia after learning about the program from an article published in Columbia magazine, the international publication for the Knights of Columbus, last June.

Faculty, staff and students at the Catholic college are supportive of the mothers on campus and have been known to throw surprise baby showers for the student moms.

“Belmont Abbey is proof that the culture of life is alive and well,” Capen asserted.

The keynote speaker for the 23rd annual banquet was Donna Marie Cooper

O’Boyle, an award-winning Catholic author and television host on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

O’Boyle had a decade-long friendship with St. Teresa of Calcutta, receiving 22 letters from her over the years. She had the privilege of seeing her 12 times over the course of their friendship.

O’Boyle spoke candidly of the great suffering in her personal life, especially when she was an expectant mother abandoned by her spouse, and her enduring faith and trust in God through it all. She met St. Teresa of Calcutta through her spiritual director, Jesuit Father John Hardin, whose cause for canonization is being put forward.

“She was praying for me,” O’Boyle explained.

St. Teresa told her that saints learned the beauty of the cross. “You are living in the shadow of the cross… You’ve come so close to Jesus on the cross that He could kiss you,” St. Teresa told her.

O’Boyle encouraged those present to reach out to others just as St. Teresa of Calcutta did.

“Our Lord wants us to evangelize like Mother Teresa did, one by one… Every person who came before her was Jesus, in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor. And she lived that Gospel of Matthew. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to Me.’ So every person she ministered to was Jesus.”

“Our Lord calls us all to see Jesus in one another,” O’Boyle said. “Mother Teresa said that ‘Calcutta is all over the world for those who have eyes to see.’”

For more information about MiraVia, go to www.mira-via.org.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Union Presbyterian Seminary Dean Richard Boyce (left) and Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey (right) field questions during a ProtestantCatholic dialogue Oct. 15 at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte.

Boyce invited his longtime friend to speak at the event during this year’s commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘There’s a spirit of generosity here’ Protestant-Catholic dialogue addresses questions on Reformation SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Two longtime friends and spiritual leaders of their local faith communities sat down Oct. 15 at Union Presbyterian Seminary to address their viewpoints on the Reformation. The Protestant-Catholic dialogue took place at the invitation of Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Dean Richard Boyce, who invited his friend, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey, to visit the seminary for a special discussion to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

“I do want to give a personal thanks to my brother in Christ, Placid, for being with us today. We have traveled some long miles together as pastors, as disciples, and even in some of the politics of small town life in Belmont,” Boyce said at the beginning of the dialogue, which was open to the public.

Boyce, a former mayor of Belmont, worked with the abbot on local issues during his tenure. He has known him for decades, as Abbot Placid’s uncle in Richmond, Va., was Boyce’s tennis coach years ago.

The two have had many philosophical and faith-based discussions over the course of their friendship, especially during Boyce’s retreats at the monastery. A Protestant, Boyce shared his admiration for the Benedictine monks and his fondness for praying with them in the abbey basilica and attending Mass with them despite his inability to receive the Eucharist.

“I celebrate this friendship we have and the conversation that we have that has been ongoing,” Boyce said.

During the discussion Oct. 15, Abbot Placid and Boyce took turns answering three basic questions: How has the Reformation blessed the worldwide Church? How has the Reformation harmed the worldwide Church? Where in the Church is further reformation needed?

In his response to the first question, Boyce explained that he was going to “place this blessing under the banner of freedom. I believe that there was a granting of freedom with regard to the interpretation of Scripture.”

He believes the Reformation allowed the Scriptures to be placed in the average person’s hands.

“That runs deep in my experience as a reformed Christian… That study, meditation, sort of ‘chewing’ of

Scriptures has been a gift to me that I attribute at least in some way to the Reformation. ‘Sola Scriptura,’ to get back to the reading of Scriptures on a regular basis.

“I am not in any way claiming that the Church at that time was not deeply rooted and grounded in Scripture. But at least in terms of the average church person’s ability to read and interpret the Scriptures for him or herself, I think that is possibly a gift of the Reformation to the wider Church.”

Abbot Placid said the first question was “obviously an interesting question for a Catholic to consider.”

In several ways the Reformation could be seen as a blessing to the Church, he said, including setting into motion a necessary reform of the Church and its life; refocusing attention on Jesus Christ and faith in Him; and restoring the divinely inspired Word of God, the Bible, to the preeminent place it enjoyed in first centuries of the Church’s life.

“While, as you might expect, I would hold that the reform effort exceeded reform and actually established new institutions, I believe the fundamental intention was to effect a much-needed reform of the Church. The need for such a reform had become increasingly dire in the century preceding the Reformation, but the Church and its leaders had proved unable and unwilling to undertake the work necessary,” Abbot Placid said.

Boyce was moved after Abbot Placid’s remarks, noting, “There’s a generosity of spirit here.”

Both men also shared their concerns over how the Reformation has harmed the Church, particularly the toll it has taken on Christian unity.

“The legitimate desire for reform of the Western Church in the 16th century has lamentably resulted in even deeper divisions of faith and church life between the churches of the Reformation and both the Roman Catholic Church and the churches of the Orthodox Communion,” Abbot Placid said. “The movement of the Reformation itself has splintered into a variety of often mutually exclusive faith communities. This has created a scandal.”

Boyce agreed. “We divide, and we re-divide and we redivide. I don’t think that’s a small scandal in the Church of Jesus Christ. It’s a fundamental obstacle to our witness to the Gospel and to the world.”

The friends also lamented the division that exists

between churches regarding the Eucharist.

“We did not compare notes at all before this,” Boyce said. “I think you see why I value and trust Abbot Placid as a brother in Christ. He has inspired and challenged me in profound ways during our shared journey in Belmont.

Our comments and our hearts seem to be at work in very similar ways on these topics.”

He admitted that during Mass, when he cannot receive Holy Communion, he feels the separation. “That is a painful wound to me personally… that I cannot share in the communion feast with a fellow disciple… But it’s a wound to the (whole) Church worldwide.”

Abbot Placid shared that the inability for Boyce to share in the Eucharist at Mass with the monks was also painful for them. “But since the Catholic tradition in the unity in the Eucharist in both form and ecclesia to the Church, to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church is saying, ‘I wish to be in full communion (with) Francis our pope.’ Out of respect of conscience for those who do not, we are not able to share that communion.”

Where is further reform needed?

Abbot Placid had three suggestions: there needs to be a restoration to full unity in Christian faith and sacraments; the Church needs to avoid the temptation to judge the Gospel by the culture; and the most important, ongoing reformation is that which takes place in the lives of the baptized, as they seek to conform their lives more closely to God’s will.

Restoration of full unity to the one Church of Jesus Christ will be an act of God’s love and mercy, he added, not the result of programs or actions on anyone’s part.

“Nevertheless, the most important reformation and renewal is that which is continually needed in our lives.

For the Church is ultimately the body of Christ, the union of the members with the head. It is a living organism, not an institutional structure. The more we are open to the grace of God, the more we will be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ,” he said.

For his part, Boyce said, “I’m just not convinced that the issues that once divided us are issues that still divide us. I think we need to keep reforming the Church, both Protestant and Catholic, in order to make our community more visible in the world.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Diocese commemorates Fatima centennial Churches across the Diocese of Charlotte held several special events Oct. 13 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mary’s appearances in Fatima, Portugal – including Marian processions and Masses.

— Catholic News Herald

PHOTOS BY JOHN COSMAS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HUNTERSVILLE — Hundreds of parishioners gathered at St. Mark Church Oct. 13 to welcome one of six Immaculate Heart of Mary statues blessed

by Pope Francis. After they prayed the rosary, Mass was celebrated and people had the opportunity to consecrate themselves to the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary and be invested with the Brown Scapular. A candlelight procession around the church followed the evening Mass.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EILEEN ROHAN

GREENSBORO — At Our Lady of Grace Church, parishioners and Father Paul Buchanan, pastor, welcomed the International Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima Oct. 6.

HICKORY — Parishioners of St. Aloysius Church, with Father Larry LoMonaco, pastor, held a 150-foot rosary to form a “living bilingual rosary” Oct. 14 to commemorate the Fatima anniversary, despite the rain – which they called “tears of joy” as a blessing from Our Lady.

PAUL VINCENT PHOTOGRAPHY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HENDERSONVILLE — Parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church welcomed a statue of Our Lady of Fatima for two Masses, after which they prayed the rosary.

BARBARA CASE SPEERS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

BILL WASHINGTON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SALISBURY — Father John Eckert, pastor, and Deacon Jim Mazur led parishioners in a candlelight Marian procession on the grounds of Sacred Heart Church Oct. 13.

MEGAN WHITESIDE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas Church also gathered to honor Mary as part of the church’s monthly Fatima processions on the 13th of every month.

GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

TRYON — A father and son kneel in prayer before a statue of Our Lady of Fatima after a High Mass offered by Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor, at St. John the Baptist Church.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Rosary rallies held

PHOTOS BY GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY, BILL WASHINGTON, AMBER MELLON AND CHRISTINE MCQUEEN RYAN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Members of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon, Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville and St. Elizabeth Church in Boone, among other parishes, participated in the 2017 Rosary Crusade Oct. 14 by praying the rosary for the conversion of the United States. Each year, America Needs Fatima holds a Public Square Rosary Crusade, with thousands of rosary rallies in cities encouraged across the country. These Public Square Rosary Rallies take place on the Saturday closest to Oct. 13, the feast of the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 and the “Miracle of the Sun.” This year marks the centennial anniversary of Mary’s appearances in Fatima.

In Waynesville, parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Church gathered to pray the rosary in front of the county courthouse – remaining persistent in their prayers despite a noisy festival taking place across the street.

In Tryon, Father Roger Arnsparger, pastor, led parishioners in praying the rosary in the church parking lot.

Members of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury gathered in downtown Salisbury where Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar, led the recitation of the rosary and other prayers for the conversion of the United States.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

World Feast: St. Thomas Aquinas Parish celebrates cultures CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Church held its annual World Feast celebration Oct. 13-14. Everyone enjoyed the pleasant fall weather, the great food from various cultures represented at the parish, and especially the fellowship with other parishioners.

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s World Feast

PHOTOS BY DOREEN SUGIERSKI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com Frank Villaronga HL 2018 ad.pdf

Hickory Knights honor 101-year-old member BOBBY SPEERS CORRESPONDENT

HICKORY — “Tony and the Knights” might sound like a famous rock-’n-roll group from the 1950s, but these 11 men, Fourth Degree Knights, are actually part of the highly regarded Hickory Assembly 1713. Yes, they can sing, and today their praise is for 101-yearold Anthony Eugene Llambias, better known as just “Tony.”

Once each month, the Fourth Degree Knights meet for a special luncheon or dinner.

At their most recent gathering on Oct. 1, they honored Llambias for his 60 years of service to the Knights. The Fourth Llambias Degree Knights and their guests savored an elegant menu prepared by the chef and staff at the Kingston Residence of Hickory, and they enjoyed the good company of those who participated in this joyful celebration.

Llambias became a Knight on Oct. 1, 1957, as a member of St. Rita of Cascia Church in Harahan, La. He said he enjoys being a Fourth Degree Knight, especially serving in the Honor Guard. Until a few years ago, he dressed in his regalia for liturgical processions and other events. Llambias has also held

the office of faithful navigator and other leadership positions for the Knights.

Born in New Orleans, Llambias’ father

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OUR PARISHESI

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HOLY LAND with Frank Villaronga, D.Min Director of Evangelization and Adult Education

was from Barcelona, Spain, and his mother was from France. After leaving Louisiana, he brought his strong Catholic faith and his lovely wife Irene to Hickory. That was 30 years ago, only a few years after the Hickory Assembly was chartered in 1975.

He and Irene had two children, Irene and Robert. His wife died about eight years ago, but when he speaks about his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, a big smile brightens his face.

What advice does Llambias have for Catholic men today?

First, he says, “All Catholic men should join the Knights.” Then he adds, “If you are going to be a Catholic, you might as well be the best Catholic you can be.”

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14

catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Phyllis Mennitt and Kathy Capps of St. Luke Church, pictured with teacher Meghan Bernhard, are among “The Angels” who visit Thomasboro Academy on a regular basis, brightening the day for students and teachers.

LISA GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Luke’s ‘angels’ boost morale, build community at Thomasboro Academy LISA GERACI CORRESPONDENT

CHARLOTTE — Kathy Capps and Phyllis Mennitt stroll through “Main Street” of Thomasboro Academy armed with a push wagon of hand-baked goods and a shopping cart of store-bought treats. Smiles gleam on their faces while they receive a celebrity greeting from their biggest fans, the children and teachers of Thomasboro Academy.

Hugs and kisses come from all directions while teachers surround “The Angels” in search of their favorite butter pecan cupcake or double-dipped chocolate cake slice. The teachers look at “The Angels” with a smile and a shake of their head as if the cupcakes are Tylenol, and the “We Care” Team are nurses providing relief.

“When I see them, I know someone let the sunshine through the doors. These ladies have been with us for as long as I can remember, ever since I’ve been here,” claims Academic Facilitator Lori Rondo.

Each Friday morning the “We Care” Team, comprised of Phyllis Mennitt, Ann Marie Luce, Olga Monroe, Marlene Perotta, Fatima Robaina and Kathy Capps, drives from Matthews to Thomasboro Academy to serve the kindergarten to eighth-grade classes. Each teacher receives a baked item, class snacks for each student, and classroom supplies. Even the cafeteria workers and custodians get a snack. Two of the eighth-graders help distribute the snacks with “The Angels.” Some volunteers, such as Luce, go into the classroom and help the students learn to read while the team continues to distribute the snacks. The whole process starts around 11 a.m. and takes about two-and-a-half hours.

“Sometimes we laugh all the way home, sometimes we cry,” Mennitt says.

Destiny, a seventh-grade student “The Angels” have known since kindergarten, dances her way down the hallway, jumping up to give Kathy a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I love you!” she says, clinging to Capps’ neck.

Destiny does not take a treat right away, but marvels at all the choices.

The affection that Capps and Mennitt display with the children is true and palpable – the reason they have pet names such as “Mom” and “St. Luke’s Angels.”

As the middle-school students walk down the hall in a single-file line, “The Angels” call out the name of a boy. No matter how “cool” he tries to appear, the second he looks up, he melts at the sight of Capps and Mennitt, as if it was the first time he saw them as a kindergartner. His eyes grow big, a smile peeps out, and he breaks the line for a hug.

The kindergartners are adorable and love “The Angels” and their cart, too, but the older students have gotten to

‘They just wanted someone to listen to their stories and hug them.’

Kathy Capps

St. Luke parishioner know “The Angels” on a different level, spending holidays, having parities, eating dinners, opening presents, sharing conversations. For them, the St. Luke parishioners are more than great bakers who come over to pass out snacks every Friday. They represent stable figures of joy and love.

For the new teachers at Thomasboro Academy, “The Angels” are a weekly reminder of love, support and thanks.

“We do this so they can look forward to something. The teachers have so much pressure on them. There is minimal parent involvement. Everyone in the community wants to tell them what to do and how to do it, but does not really understand the reality of what is truly happening inside these walls,” Capps says.

“On top of all that, they have bills and their own problems. Many of the teachers are single and young; a lot of them actually call us “mom.” The teachers and I are in constant contact even when I am not there. We are texting and emailing, chatting about school.”

“Sometimes the teachers need more hugs than the students,” says teacher Tamika Truesdale. “Everyone has their own unique relationship with Kathy.”

“She is one of kind,” she adds after having a lengthy conversation about her son and husband. “Make sure you text me those pictures,” she reminds Capps before closing her door, rice crispy treat in hand.

“Thomasboro is not the typical school,” Capps says.

Despite the smiling faces of the students, dressed in their nicely pressed uniforms, Thomasboro is located in an environment that demands constant love, support, guidance and patience.

Out of the 800 students at Thomasboro Academy, 99.6 percent are classified as economically disadvantaged, and about 20 percent either homeless or in a transitional housing situation. The school received an “F” for the 2016-2017 school year, a state rating solely on end-of-grade scores and standardized test proficiency.

But the level of commitment from the administrators, teachers, community and even the students themselves tells another story – a story of hope and of overcoming obstacles.

“Thomasboro is the best and the worst experience all at

the same time,” Capps says. “Some people just can’t handle it. They try to eat lunch and work in the classroom, but it was just not a fit. You can’t be judgmental. You have to roll with the punches. Whatever the child needs from the social workers, to the teachers, to the administrators, to us, we are ready.”

“This all started about 14 years ago when my daughter was in first grade and went to elementary school at Elizabeth Lane. Elizabeth Lane just adopted ‘a sponsor school,’ Thomasboro. All we knew about it was that it was a high-need school,” Capps explains.

“I started there as a lunch buddy. I ate with a girl that was also in first grade just like my girl. That first girl did it. They were all desperately craving attention. They just wanted someone to listen to their stories and hug them. I just fell in love with the whole class.”

As her relationship with the class grew stronger, she started to realize, “These pint-sized kids had adult-sized problems. Instead of ‘I need a pencil,’ it would be more like, ‘I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight.’ Many of the students had behavioral issues. Some were never able to apologize, they had their guard up, they were angry.

Deep down they were just kids that desired to soften up and open up.

“I knew I found my place and this is where I could make a difference,” she says.

“But this is more about St. Luke than me,” she continues.

“Without St. Luke it would have stayed low-key, but St. Luke has made it possible for this movement to grow. I am so awed and inspired by the whole church. During the first visit to Thomasboro, I noticed it was cold and the kids had no coats and small shoes. Straight after, I went to St. Luke’s and asked Father Jim (Hawker) if they could possibly do a clothing drive. St. Luke started collecting clothes immediately. Fourteen years later, we are still collecting supplies, food, shoes and uniforms, in a wooden crate, in the back of the church, marked ‘Thomasboro’.”

During the fall months, Kathy started casually discussing Halloween plans with the kids. The kids got a laugh out of that. They were not going trick-or-treating because the area was too dangerous. Plus, they didn’t have anyone take them. They didn’t have enough money for costumes or candy.

“It made me think – Halloween was such a little thing that kids take for granted, but these kids were really missing out on their childhood, their memories,” Capps says.

St. Luke parishioners came to rescue, and the parish youth group started making treat bags to give to the kids for Halloween.

THOMASBORO, SEE PAGE 25

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

15

Fuzzy blessings Dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, even goats – members of parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte brought their furry friends to church for a blessing in commemoration of the feast of St. Francis earlier this month.

PATRICK HESSION | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Jefferson held its annual Blessing of the Animals Oct. 4.

JOHN BUNYEA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Paul Dechant, pastor, led a Blessing of Animals outside Holy Cross Church in Kernersville.

Using a special bowl with holy water, he blessed parishioners’ pets, including Maximus and Odysseus, owned by Joanna Ruiz and her daughter Evelyn .

Our Lady of Mercy Church families celebrated the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, with a Blessing of Animals Oct. 4. Many families brought their pets to be blessed, including dogs, cats, bunnies, a hamster and two goats. Franciscan Father Joseph Angelini, pastor emeritus, helped in the blessing of animals.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FATHER CARL ZDANCEWICZ

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIZ PENDERGRASS

Pictured with Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor, outside St. Pius X Church in Greensboro is Brendan Queen with his dog Stewie.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONNIE RIES

St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville held its annual Blessing of Animals ceremony with Father Thomas Kessler, pastor, in front of the church Sept. 30.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER

In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, Deacon Ron Sherwood blessed parishioners and their pets at St. Mark Church in Huntersville Oct. 7. Deacon Sherwood began – over the sound of yelps, barks and chirps – by saying, “We are blessed to have all of these beautiful animals with us today,” and then proceeded to read Genesis 1:24: “Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened.” He concluded, “We ask God to bless you and your pets,” and then he sprinkled all of the dogs, cats (hidden in their carriers) and birds with holy water.

16

iiiOctober 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

Boy’s

D

uring a sudden l had an army of Early in the m suffered a hemorrhag his brain. He was rus Center in Charlotte, w to treat the problem b damage.

His mother, Margar to St. Patrick Cathedr Roux, a close family f and anointed Charles to investigate the cau stroke. When he retur brought a reliquary c Francisco, two of the appeared to in 1917. A Lady appeared above The relics of the Po hand as he lay motion

Charles Kennedy, who suffer the relic of St. Teresa of Calc

Communion of saints

ABOVE PHOTO: SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; OTHER PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARGARET KENNEDY

friends rallied to pray saints for his healing increased, doctors pe brain. The pressure i Father Roux instruct Charles’ head. Not lon dropped just enough of his brain. But on th developed pneumonia relics to Charles’ ches After they had mov were taken at 2 a.m. t showed the pneumon “We’ve always had mother.

She recalled Charle at the tomb of St. Cec Fatima, May 13, 2012, to Italy. During the tr Francis and St. Clare where they visited th Frassati, a young man Charles and his famil Pier Giorgio drew his When Charles suffe out to Mary, to Blesse intercession to save th As Providence wou family friend who wa the time, had a second brought it to the hosp And the army of sa

HE COVER

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

‘Francisco has been keeping me company’

’s healing attributed to prayers, intercessions of the saints SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

life-threatening illness, Charles Kennedy saints at his bedside. morning of Aug. 9, 2013, the 9-year-old boy gic stroke when a blood vessel burst in shed by ambulance to Carolinas Medical where he lay in a coma as doctors rushed before the boy suffered permanent brain

ret Kennedy, immediately reached out ral and its pastor, Father Christopher friend. He arrived at the hospital quickly s before the boy was taken for a CT scan use and extent of the damage from the rned for a second visit, Father Roux containing relics of Sts. Jacinta and e shepherd children Our Lady of Fatima A small fragment of the holm oak tree Our e is also encased in the reliquary. ortuguese saints were placed in Charles’ nless in his hospital bed. Family and

red a hemorrhagic stroke, lies in his hospital bed with cutta taped to his arm during a visit with his family.

y to Our Lady of Fatima and to the little g. When the pressure on Charles’ brain erformed surgery to put a shunt in his in his head was dangerously high, so ted the Kennedys to move the relics to ng afterwards, the pressure on his brain that doctors could perform a critical MRI he same night the MRI was done, Charles a. Father Roux told the family to move the st and keep praying. ved the relics to Charles’ chest, X-rays to monitor the pneumonia. The X-rays nia had vanished. a devotion to the saints,” says Charles’

es receiving his first Holy Communion cilia in Rome on the feast of our Lady of , when the family was on a pilgrimage rip they also prayed at the tombs of St. e in Assisi, and they traveled to Pollone, he summer home of Blessed Pier Giorgio n who lived an exemplary life of holiness. ly prayed at the bedside where Blessed s last breath. ered his stroke, Margaret says she “called ed Pier Giorgio, out loud,” asking for their he life of her young son. uld have it, Father Lucas Rossi, another as assigned to St. Patrick Cathedral at d-class relic of Blessed Pier Giorgio. He pital for Charles. aints kept marching in.

The Missionaries of Charity in Charlotte also visited Charles in the hospital, bringing a first-class relic of their founder Mother Teresa to ask for her intercession with his healing.

One of Margaret Kennedy’s sisters, Dominican Sister Mary Cecilia, came from her convent in Nashville, Tenn., bearing a relic of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians.

A niece, who lives in the Netherlands, had the local Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus send a first-class relic of Blessed Mother Maria Teresa of Jesus, founder of the Carmel, who died in 1938. Declared venerable by St. John Paul II in 2002 and approved for beatification on May 13, 2005,

by Pope Benedict XVI, she is in need of another miracle to be raised to sainthood.

Prayers for Charles were also taken to the Chapel of the Apparitions at the Cova da Iria in Fatima. A religious sister whose order helps care for the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and its visitors also took prayer petitions for Charles directly to the tomb of St. Francisco, seeking his intercession.

A statue of St. John Vianney was also brought to Charles’s hospital room and stayed with him throughout his hospitalization. It had been touched to the saint’s tomb by a seminarian who had traveled to France to obtain a statue of the saint for the cathedral, as a way for parishioners to pray for an increase of priestly vocations in the diocese.

“We were begging them (all the saints) to help him,” Kennedy recalls. “Father Roux told him to talk to Mary (the Blessed Mother), to talk to Francisco because he knows of illness. He said, ‘The little shepherds are here. They will take care of you.’”

Charles lay in a coma for three weeks. He was put on a ventilator and underwent brain surgery. When doctors were finally able to reduce his medication and bring him out of sedation, his mother told Charles that she hoped the Blessed Virgin Mary had been with him.

“Francisco has been keeping me company,” Charles replied.

“Every day we prayed with the relics,” Kennedy recalls.

“The whole thing was incredibly miraculous. Charles was healing so quickly. We couldn’t believe it!”

Besides a scar on his head, Charles has a slight paralysis in his left leg that requires him to wear a brace. He cannot participate in some of the athletic activities he once enjoyed, but he enjoys baseball and is able to serve at the altar and play the violin and cello.

“A neurologist told me the week of his stroke that the part of Charles’ brain where the hemorrhage occurred is the musical part of the brain and to prepare for his musical abilities to be affected,” Kennedy recalls. “But his music teacher has been astounded at his ability to play many different instruments so well. Another miracle!”

The Kennedy family made a pilgrimage of thanksgiving Eight months to Fatima, Portugal, in 2016 to thank Sts. Jacinta after Charles’ and Francisco for their intercession in Charles’ stroke, the healing. They are pictured with their pastor, Father Knights of Christopher Roux of St. Patrick Cathedral, in front of Malta invited St. Francisco’s tomb in Fatima.

Margaret and Charles to go to Lourdes to pray for his continued healing.

And last year the Kennedy family made a pilgrimage of thanksgiving to Fatima to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary and Sts. Jacinta and Francisco for their intercession in Charles’ miraculous healing.

Kennedy looks back on everything that happened with gratitude to God. “All of these things are little kisses from Our Lord. These are little signs that the Lord is saying ‘I am with you.’”

Adds Charles, who’s now 14, “I’m grateful for the priests and sisters bringing so many relics to me in the hospital. Although I don’t remember my sickest days in the hospital, I know they (the blesseds and saints) were with me and praying for me.”

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.’

Hebrews 12:1-2 WHAT ARE RELICS? Since its earliest days, the Church has recognized the importance of saints. The Creed expresses Catholics’ belief in “the communion of saints,” the common bond shared by all members of the Body of Christ, living and dead. As a tangible sign of our veneration of the saints who have gone before us, the Church supports the preservation of physical relics (pieces of bone, hair, a heart, a skull), from the saints themselves or of holy objects used in Christ’s Passion or in the lives of the saints.

Veneration of relics is practiced by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, veneration is shown outwardly by respectfully bowing or making the sign of the cross before a saint’s icon, relics or statue, or by going on pilgrimage to sites associated with saints.

Relics must not be worshiped, because only God is worshiped and adored. St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Church who lived in the late third and early fourth centuries, summarizes Church teaching this way: “We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.”

Relics are divided into three classes: n First class: items directly associated with the events of Christ’s life (manger, cross, etc.) or the physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, skull, a limb, etc.). Traditionally, a martyr’s relics are often more prized than the relics of other saints. Parts of the saint that were significant to that saint’s life are more prized relics. n Second class: items that the saint owned or frequently used (a crucifix, rosary, book, etc.) Sometimes a second-class relic is a part of an item that the saint wore and is known as “ex indumentis” (“from the clothing”). n Third class: any object touched to a first-class or second-class relic. Most third-class relics are small pieces of cloth, though in the first millennium oil was popular. Many people call the cloth touched to the bones of saints “ex brandea.” But ex brandea strictly refers to pieces of clothing touched to the body or tombs of the apostles; it is not a synonym for a third-class relic.

The sale or disposal of relics without the permission of the Apostolic See is strictly forbidden by Church law (canon 1190).

HOW ARE RELICS STORED? Reliquaries are containers used to protect and display relics.

Reliquaries can come in all shapes and sizes and are often crafted of precious metals and covered in gems, enamel or ivory.

WHY PUT RELICS IN ALTARS? The practice of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass over the remains of saints dates back to the first century of the Church when Christians prayed and offered Mass in the catacombs around Rome.

Once Christianity was legalized throughout the Roman Empire in 313, Masses began to be celebrated publicly in churches, but Christians still wanted to offer Mass over the relics of saints as a way of expressing the connection between Christ’s sacrifice and the fruit of holiness manifested in the saints.

This tradition continues today, with many church altars containing at least one saint’s relic.

IS YOUR PATRON SAINT NEARBY? Many parishes around the Diocese of Charlotte have relics in their altars or display relics in reliquaries for veneration. The saints are truly among us in the relics of apostles, martyrs, priests, nuns, virgins, Doctors of the Church and humble children elevated to sainthood that can be found inside our churches. Is your patron saint among them?

Turn to page 18 to find out!

17

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The relics of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and St. John Neumann are displayed shortly before they were installed in the new altar of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson in 2014.

TRYON St. John the Baptist: St. Fortunatus, St. Paulina and an unidentified saint

FOREST CITY Immaculate Conception: St. Thomas

ARDEN St. Barnabas: St. Teresa of Avila and an unknown saint relic in altar; second-class relics of St. John of the Cross and St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Adoration Chapel

GASTONIA St. Michael: St. Maria Goretti, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (secondclass), St. Thérèse of Lisieux

LINCOLNTON St. Dorothy: St. Dorothy, St. Peter Verona, Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, St. John Paul II BELMONT Queen of the Apostles: Sts. Purpurati, Reparati, Aurei and Gaudiosi

HICKORY St. Aloysius: St. Boniface, St. Josaphat, St. Thomas Becket

CANDOR Our Lady of the Americas: St. Augustine

ILLUSTRATION | TIM. P. FARAGHER

CHARLOTTE St. Ann: St. Pius X, St. Rita in main altar; in chapel: St. Ann, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Gregory the Great, St. Lawrence, St. Martin de Porres, St. Phillip Neri, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Nicholas, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Maria Goretti, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Agnes, St. Rose of Lima, St. Lucy, St. Albert the Great, St. Raymond of Capua, St. Benedict St. John Neumann: St. John Neumann, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton St. Joseph Vietnamese: St. Agnes De (Bà Ðê) St. Matthew: St. Anne, St. John Neumann, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Bl. Solanus Casey, St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bl. Mary of the Divine Heart in the Daily Chapel altar; St. Faustina Kowalska and St. Peregrine in the chapel for veneration St. Patrick Cathedral: St. Jucundius, St. Justina Charlotte Catholic High School Chapel: St. John Neumann

HUNTERSVILLE St. Mark: St. Maria Goretti, St. John Neumann, St. Richard of Chichester

GREENSBORO Our Lady of Grace: Sts. Eutropius, Fulgentius, Auctus and Amantia St. Pius X: St. Pius X

SALISBURY Sacred Heart: St. Thomas Becket, St. Barnabas

MOCKSVILLE St. Francis of Assisi: unknown relic in altar; relic of St. Francis of Assisi is in the church for veneration

CLEMMONS Holy Family: St. Fructuosus of Tarragona, St. Blandina

REIDSVILLE Holy Infant: St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, St. John Neumann, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The relics of St. Pius X and St. Rita are installed in the new altar of St. Ann Church in Charlotte in 2009.

Editor’s note: This list was compiled from information in the Diocese of Charlotte Archives and from individual parishes. Churches not listed here may not have altar relics or may have altar relics that are unknown or undocumented.

HENDERSONVILLE Immaculate Conception: St. Pius X, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Anthony of Padua, St. John Vianney

WAYNESVILLE St. John the Evangelist: St. Alfonso de Orozco

MAGGIE VALLEY St. Margaret: Sts. Purpuratus, Reparatus, Aorcus and Gaudiosus

ASHEVILLE St. Lawrence Basilica: St. Lawrence, St. Felicitas, St. Zeno

MARS HILL St. Andrew: St. Pius X and St. Charles Borromeo

SWANNANOA St. Margaret Mary: No relic in altar, but a first-class relic of St. Margaret Mary is in the church for veneration

LINVILLE St. Bernadette: St. Pius X, St. Rita of Cascia and St. Anthony of Padua in the chapel; St. Bernadette in the nave

JEFFERSON St. Francis of Assisi: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. John Neumann

Altar relics in the Diocese of Charlotte

Parishes who wish to procure relics for their altar or for veneration in a reliquary in the church typically must apply through the bishop’s office, which then sends a formal written request to the director of the Liturgical Office in Rome, which maintains an extensive collection of saints’ relics who have died after the fifth century.

A parish can ask for a particular saint’s relics, but there is no guarantee it will receive what is requested. Only a maximum of three relics are granted for any one church, and they may not be transferred in any way.

The relics come in a small container, sealed with red thread affixed with sealing wax impressed with the seal of the Vicariate of Rome. (See photo at left of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson’s altar relics before they were installed in the altar of the new church.)

HOW ARE RELICS PROCURED?

18 catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 FROM THE COVER

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

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In Brief

member since 1958 and has served as a local, state and national regent for Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Vickie Kotlarz is the current regent. Other officers include Ellen Kirk, Elia Gegorek and Phyllis Renn. The current members are pictured with Father John Eckert, pastor.

— Bill Washington, correspondent

Airport chaplain attends conference in Sweden CHARLOTTE — Deacon George Szalony, executive director of the Airport Chaplaincy at Charlotte Douglas Airport, was among 62 airport chaplains from more than a dozen countries who attended the 50th annual International Association of Civil Airport Chaplains Conference in Stockholm Sept. 9-15.

Together, in these turbulent times for airports all over the world, they learned and shared how to Szalony reach out to passengers dealing with the emotional and physical strains of air travel. Regardless of their differences in language or religion, airport chaplains minister as one in so many ways, though there are some significant differences.

Air travelers worldwide endure the same pressures and tensions. Whether they are located in Berlin or Melbourne or Nairobi or New York, airport chaplains are called to care for and reach out to both the traveling public and airline and airport employees, offering a helping hand to ease the tensions and pressures of air travel.

Three conference sessions dealt specifically with migration. In all countries except the United States, airport chaplains aid refugees who are arriving with government officials. Various groups charter planes and fly refugees to large European cities, leaving it up to the destination airport to decide what to do with people who have little more than the clothes on their backs.

Each day opened with interfaith prayer, and a Catholic Mass was offered in the Stockholm airport chapel each morning. There was a moving Sept. 11 commemoration led by an airport chaplain from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, who ministered at Ground Zero as a young priest. Eight past presidents shared their vision over the past 50 years regarding airport chaplaincy and where they see this valuable ministry going in the next 50 years.

Learn more about the airport chaplaincy at the Charlotte-Douglas Airport and how to support this valuable ministry by emailing George Szalony at gszalony@msn.com.

SALISBURY — The Catholic Daughters Court Sacred Heart 1759 celebrated the 60th anniversary of their charter Oct. 8. Three of the charter members – Thelma Boulus (the first regent), Charlotte Gardner and Charlotte Taylor – were present for Mass, offered at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury by Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar.

Court Sacred Heart was started in 1957 by 38 women of Sacred Heart Parish. Today’s Sacred Heart Catholic Daughters include members aged 21-100. Gerry Butler, the oldest living member, turned 100 this year. She has been a

SYLVA — Father Joseph Matlak will present “Breathing with Both Lungs,” about how the Church’s different ways of worship inform and illuminate one another, from 1 to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11, at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva. Father Matlak is a bi-ritual priest who offers Mass in the Eastern Catholic (Byzantine) rite as well as both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Catholic rite.

The program is being presented by the Smoky Mountain Regional Office of Faith Formation.

New Knights council established JEFFERSON — On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4, Knights of Columbus of St. Francis of Assisi Council 16839 officially became the newest council in North Carolina.

District Deputy Bob Hall, assisted by Field Agent Bill Matthews and Past Grand Knight of the Boone Council Matt Bagley, established the new officers at an installation ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Church Oct. 10. Father James Stuhrenberg, pastor, blessed the jewels of office, which were then presented to the following: Father Camilo Cardenas Bonilla, chaplain; Bob Breton, Grand Knight; Luis De La Cerda, Deputy Grand Knight; Ramiro Palacio, Chancellor; Rick LaBonte, Financial Secretary; John Pokorney of St. Frances of Rome Mission, Recorder; John Esser, Treasurer; Patrick Hession, Lecturer; Bob Murphy, Warden; James Bieber, Inside Guard; Patrick Bieber, Outside Guard; Paul Baschon, 3-year Board of Trustees; Lenny Andreucci, 2-year Board of Trustees; and Dr. Robert Grajewski, 1-year Board of Trustees.

Following the installation, refreshments were served in the parish hall, followed by the first official meeting of the new council.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

Divine Liturgy to be offered in Canton CANTON — Father Mark Shuey, of the Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Canton, will celebrate Vesperal Divine Liturgy at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Immaculate Conception Mission Church (located at 42 Newfound St. in Canton).

Participating in Divine Liturgy fulfills the Sunday obligation for all Catholics who attend.

Also, the Ukrainian Catholic Mission’s next regularly scheduled catechetical talk and Vespers and Typica with Holy Communion is on Saturday, Nov. 18. The talk, “An Ascesis with Purifies,” will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Vespers is at 5 p.m.; Typica with Holy Communion immediately follows Vespers.

Ecumenical Thanksgiving prayer service being held in Mooresville

CDA celebrates 60th anniversary

Learn more about the Church’s liturgical worship

MOORESVILLE — All are invited to the ninth annual Mooresville Community Ecumenical Thanksgiving Prayer Service that will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church (located at 575 Brawley School Road in Mooresville). Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Therese Church in Mooresville, will deliver the homily. Besides St. Therese Parish and Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church, the following churches will be participating in the service: Christ Community Church, Fieldstone Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, Higher Purpose Ministries, St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and Upper Praise Ministries.

This annual Thanksgiving service is an opportunity for everyone to come together and show our unity and commitment to serving our community. Offerings will bless the Christian Mission and the Mooresville Soup Kitchen.

— Lisa Cash

St. Matthew parishioners support L.A.M.B. Foundation CHARLOTTE — On Aug. 19, a group represented by the St. Matthew Knights of Columbus, Columbiettes and parishioners of St. Matthew Church presented a check for $25,000 to Holy Angels of Belmont, one of the charities supported by the St. Matthew Knights of Columbus. The funds were from the year-to-date collections from the St. Matthew Knights of Columbus 2017 “Operation L.A.M.B.” fundraising campaign for the L.A.M.B. Foundation.

Adopted in 1974 as a statewide program of the North Carolina Knights of Columbus, LAMB’s sole mission is to assist those with intellectual disabilities throughout the state.

Learn more online at www.lambnc.org.

— Richard M. White

Alan Ames coming for prayer, healing services Nov. 6-8 CHARLOTTE — Alan Ames, a layman who travels the world sharing his powerful conversion story and his gift of healing, will visit three parishes in the Charlotte area Nov. 6-8.

Each evening will begin with Mass and will be followed by a talk by Ames and then a time of prayer and a healing service.

Ames, who lives in Australia, last visited the diocese in November 2015.

He was born in London in 1953. In his youth, he was a member of a motorcycle gang, on a path full of violence and alcohol. After he was married, Ames moved to Australia with his family. The turning point of his life happened in 1993 when Alan saw his past life displayed before him and experienced how his sins and wrong ways had hurt God. He saw how Jesus offered him forgiveness from the cross. After some struggles, Ames accepted the forgiveness offered by Jesus. The Lord helped him to come back to the sacraments and to the Church and changed his hatred and pain into love. Later, God called him to be one of His witnesses, sent to carry God’s love into the world. He has brought hope and blessing to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide – the hope and blessing which he himself draws from his sacramental relationship of love with the Trinitarian God. On Monday, Nov. 6, Ames will be at St. Matthew Church, located at 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. in Charlotte. Mass will begin at 7 p.m.

On Tuesday, Nov. 7, he will be at St. John Neumann Church, located at 8451 Idlewild Road in Charlotte. Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, he will be at St. Mark Church, located at 14740 Stumptown Road in Huntersville. Mass will begin at 6:30 p.m.

OUR PARISHESI

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A talk and healing service by Ames will be held immediately after Mass each evening.

For more information about Ames and his healing ministry, go to www.alanames.org.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter; www.alanames. org contributed.

Two Hearts Vigil continues in Charlotte CHARLOTTE — More than 80 people attended First Friday Mass at the second Vigil of the Two Hearts devotion at St. Patrick Cathedral Oct. 6. Father Santiago Mariani, parochial vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte, offered the Friday evening Mass devoted to the Sacred Heart, and heard confessions afterward. After Mass, many of the faithful stayed for nocturnal Eucharistic Adoration, praying for their families and for the nation’s conversion. The event concluded with First Saturday Mass in the morning.

The monthly vigil is organized by the Catholic Pro-life Action Network of Charlotte (C-PLAN) for the purpose of offering penance for sins and praying for strengthening of families and the nation’s conversion. For details about November’s vigil, go to www.prolifecharlotte. org/two-hearts.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

Knights host fish fry HAYESVILLE — The Knights of Columbus from Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission held a fundraiser fish fry, open to the public, on Oct. 20. Proceeds went to the Knights’ General Fund, which contributes to programs such as Special Olympics and Wounded Warriors.

Pictured above, Pat Dunn greets Maureen Ripper.

— Victoria Ewing Ware

Holy Cross helps fight hunger KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross parishioners and Youth Group members recently came together to donate supplies to Rise Against Hunger (formerly called Stop Hunger Now), an international hunger relief non-profit organization that coordinates the packaging and distribution of food and other life-changing aid to people in developing nations. Pictured, Taylor Fernald and Robert Hernandez load the truck for Rise Against Hunger.

— John Bunyea, correspondent

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 OUR PARISHES

Confirmed in the Spirit

VICTORIA EWING WARE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

DORICE NARINS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

BREVARD — Seven young people recently received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter Jugis during Mass at Sacred Heart Church.

HAYESVILLE — Bishop Peter Jugis conferred the sacrament of confirmation on six youth at Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission in Hayesville Sept. 17. The parish celebrated with a brunch following the 9 a.m. Mass. Pictured are (front row): newly confirmed, Jose Constantino, Javier Bustamante, Omar Fonceca, Maria Guadalupe Fonseca, Seiry Mozqueda and Alejandra Desiderio; Father Alex Ayala, pastor; and Director of Youth Formation Sister Margarita Castaneda; and (second row) Bishop Jugis and sponsors Miguel Constantino, Jose N. Constantino, Jose Mozqueda, Maria Leskanic, Mary Saena and JoAnn Weber.

PATRICK HESSION | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SPARTA — Six young people from St. Frances of Rome Mission in Sparta joined five young people from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson in receiving the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter Jugis during an exuberant Hispanic Mass Sept. 25. Jaime Lopez-Hernandez, Deisy Manriquez Olvera, Jennifer Yvette Mendez, Eylem Reyes, Anthony San German Garcia, Ana Liliana Valdemar Semones, Brenda Liz Angel Lopez, Yair Corona Salazar, Ana Katheryn Duran, Alexis Luna and Cecilia Oviedo Barcenas are pictured with Bishop Jugis and Father James Stuhrenberg, pastor, and Father Jose Camilo Cardenas-Bonilla.

PAUL VINCENT PHOTOGRAPHY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HENDERSONVILLE — Pictured is the 2017 class of parishioners who recently received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter Jugis during Mass at Immaculate Conception Church.

AMBER MELLON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

BOONE — Thirteen young people received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter Jugis at St. Elizabeth Church Sept. 20.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FATHER FRANK SEABO

REIDSVILLE — Twenty-five young members of Holy Infant Church recently received the sacrament of confirmation during Mass celebrated by Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, and Father Frank Seabo, pastor.

Our schools

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Bishop McGuinness High School recognized for excellence in promoting global justice KIMBERLY KNOX SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

KERNERSVILLE — ­Bishop McGuinness High School has been selected to be a Platinum Level School in the Catholic Relief Services Global High School program. This elite status reflects the school’s exemplary service and commitment to raising awareness of international justice issues and serving our brothers and sisters overseas.

To reach the Platinum level, Bishop McGuinness showed outstanding participation as a Gold Level Global High School for at least one year by participating in the CRS Lenten program CRS Rice Bowl as well as at least three other events involving raising global awareness and encouraging service in the whole student body. Bishop McGuinness was then selected by CRS International Headquarters to become a Platinum Level Global High School as a celebration of its dedication to forming servant leaders, missionary disciples and 21st century global citizens.

“Platinum Level Schools have demonstrated the dedication of the students and faculty for living in service to our brothers and sisters around the world. They are role models for Catholic schools across the United States on how to live out our shared faith and values,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president of U.S. Operations for CRS. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S. Each CRS Global High School integrates activities and programs into their school year that focus on serving the poor and vulnerable overseas.

Through prayer, learning, and action students begin to understand how the pillars of Catholic social teaching provide essential guide posts to the mission of ending poverty and how CRS applies these guides to its humanitarian work in more than 100 countries around the world.

“Congratulations to the students, faculty and staff at Bishop McGuinness,” said Joseph Purello, director of Social Concerns and Advocacy for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, and the CRS diocesan director. “Designation as a Platinum Level School in the CRS Global High School Program recognizes a tremendous amount of time and effort has already been given to promote global solidarity, and witnesses to a strong commitment to deepen engagement with Catholic Social Teaching through learning, giving, action and prayer.”

The program, begun in 2014, now includes more than 140 Catholic high schools across the U.S. and provides a variety of programs and tools to promote just relationships between people, institutions and social systems and to help students learn about the world through the lens of the principles of Catholic social teaching.

Principal Tracy Shaw added, “Becoming a Platinum Level School with CRS is such an honor for us. We pride ourselves in the amount of service our students do and we strive to make sure they are aware of the needs of the world, not just themselves.

Each day I remind them before dismissing them to ‘go out and serve the world which is need of peace, love and justice’ This is part of our mission and it also is what CRS is striving for as well. We look forward to many years of partnering with them and little by little making the world a better place.”

KIMBERLY KNOX is director of admissions for Bishop McGuinness High School.

Holy Trinity Middle School students gathered for Mass and crowned a statue of Mary during the school’s consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Oct. 13, during the Marian year that the school community is celebrating. Pictured are Father Joseph Matlak, chaplain; Kevin Parks, principal; teacher Yvonne Adamou and students.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DARBY MCCLATCHY

Holy Trinity Middle School consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary DARBY MCCLATCHY SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — For Holy Trinity Middle School, this is a special year of drawing closer to Our Blessed Mother.

School chaplain Father Joseph Matlak sees middle school as an especially valuable time for students and their families to seek the protection, blessing and example of Our Lady.

Special liturgies, events and programs have been planned, including the celebration of Marian feasts throughout the year, a different family praying the rosary each day for the school, retreats for students focused on Our Lady, and the “Queen of Heaven” Bible Study for parents.

To mark the year, a beautiful new statue of Our Lady of Fatima was commissioned for the school. This gift from a group of parents was hand-carved and painted in Fatima, Portugal. The statue was blessed after a rosary for parents, and crowned at Mass on Oct. 13, the centennial of the “miracle of the sun.”

After Mass, Father Matlak consecrated the school to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He called on the students to give “God their hearts … and be genuine” in their prayer and sacrifices. Retelling the story of the miracle at Fatima, he encouraged the students to learn four lessons from it: “Make the best Holy Communion you can. Pray the rosary every day. Offer little sacrifices for the conversion of others. Consecrate yourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” He concluded by noting, “(What you do for God) doesn’t have to be huge. It has to be real. Then you will learn to experience God’s peace. And if each one of you experiences God’s peace, the whole world will be changed – one middle school student at a time.”

Parent Catherine Farley expressed a sentiment shared by many about this year of focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary: “As our children begin to soar more and more on their own, I feel a comfort in knowing that first and foremost, God is present in their lives, but that they also have a spiritual mother to guide them.”

DARBY MCCLATCHY is the communications coordinator for St. Gabriel Church.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

COUGAR RELIEF: HURRICANE HARVEY

Charlotte Catholic students rally MACS community to aid Catholic schools in Texas CAROLYN KRAMER TILLMAN SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Many relief efforts are underway to assist the people in Texas with recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. As the damage left by the storm became apparent to the students at Charlotte Catholic High School, they began asking what they could do to make a significant difference in the lives of those who need help after the hurricane.

Campus Ministry staff members made numerous telephone calls in early September, and learned that while many organizations were assisting people in Houston, smaller towns and cities in Texas still were struggling. A call was placed to the Diocese of Beaumont, and the idea was born to help the families of Beaumont’s Catholic schools.

Financial assistance was the first part of the high school’s relief efforts. For 10 days in mid-September, Charlotte Catholic students collected donations from friends and family, and gave themselves, as well.

A total of $4,000 was sent to the Diocese of Beaumont, and another $1,000 to the Diocese of Victoria.

‘It’s a wonderful thing to be able to help your neighbors in need.’

Randy Belk

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CAROLYN KRAMER TILLMAN

Assistant Principal, Charlotte Catholic High School “Thank you hardly seems enough,” wrote Marcia Stevens, superintendent of the Catholic schools in Beaumont. “We deeply appreciate all Charlotte Catholic is doing to support and help us recover from Harvey.

You give us encouragement and strength.”

Students began the second phase of their relief efforts in late September. They compiled a comprehensive list of items needed by the Beaumont schools and their families. For the schools, students collected rugs for the school floors, school uniforms, books for the school libraries, paper and school supplies, and plastic tubs for storage. Cleaning products, bleach, mold- and mildew-blocking products, paper plates, plastic utensils, paper towels, and hand sanitizers were collected for families. For the rebuilding stage, Charlotte Catholic families sent in furniture, lamps, bedding, towels, dishes, silverware, cookware and small appliances.

Other schools in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system were contacted to see if they would like to help.

“In particular, I’d like to recognize the faculty, students and families of St. Gabriel, St. Matthew, St. Patrick and Our Lady of the Assumption schools,” said M.J. Dawson, Charlotte Catholic’s campus minister. “We are so grateful to them for partnering with us in this outreach project.

The kids at St. Matthew also wrote letters of encouragement to the students in Beaumont, which was a very special thing for us to include in the delivery.”

Charlotte Catholic students organized and packed the donations into labeled

Charlotte Catholic High School students load a 26-foot truck with items they collected from the CCHS community as well as other Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools families, to help Catholic school families in Beaumont, Texas, who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. (Below) Monsignor Kelly High School students unload the truck in Beaumont.

boxes and plastic tubs, and on Oct. 3, they loaded a 26-foot rental truck with the organized items. Early on Oct. 4, Assistant Principal Randy Belk and retired football coach Jim Oddo set out on the long drive to Beaumont in the rented truck.

“This is something I really enjoy doing,” Belk said. “This is my seventh trip of this kind, and I’m always glad I did it. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to help your neighbors in need.”

“As we got closer to Beaumont, the damage from the storm was obvious,” he continued. “We came in on Interstate 10, and every house along the way had its entire contents piled along the road. Ten miles out, we passed a huge field where dump trucks were unloading people’s furniture and belongings to get them off the roads. The campgrounds we passed

were crowded with people in campers and tents who had to leave their homes.”

Their rental truck was unloaded at Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School in Beaumont on Oct. 5.

Belk and Oddo said they were amazed at the spirit and resilience of those they met.

“Everyone at the high school was so pleasant and glad to see us,” Belk said.

“Marcia Stevens, the superintendent, met us there, and 30 to 40 kids got the truck unloaded in about an hour. They were excited to see how much we brought, and told us their stories. One young man went to bed on the night of the storm, and woke to find water everywhere in the house. His family got out safely, but they had nine feet of water in their home, so every day after school, he goes home and helps rip out the damage, down to the studs. They lost everything.”

The third phase of the project, prayer for those in Beaumont and all those affected by Hurricane Harvey, continues at Charlotte Catholic.

“It is efforts and projects like this one that make me so proud to be a part of the Charlotte Catholic community,” said Principal Kurt Telford. “The students really drove this outreach project, collecting money and supplies, and our Campus Ministry department united other MACS schools into a community effort that truly will make a difference to the families of the Beaumont Catholic schools. It is amazing how much good we can do when our community pulls together. This is our faith in action.”

CAROLYN KRAMER TILLMAN is assistant director, Advancement and Communications, for Charlotte Catholic High School.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Holocaust survivor speaks at Our Lady of Grace School ANNIE FERGUSON CORRESPONDENT

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MELISSA KINSLEY

Good aim!

WINSTON-SALEM — St. Leo School’s student council sponsored a “Pie Toss” at the Annual Fall Festival that raised $482 for St. Laurence, a Catholic school in Houston, Texas, which has families impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Students paid $1 for a chance to toss a pie at teachers or members of the student council including President Jack Semke. These are just two recent examples of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, as each class has its own project planned.

GREENSBORO — With rapt attention, Our Lady of Grace students listened to the story of Stefanie Seltzer, a Jewish child survivor of the Holocaust. The grandmother of OLG fourth-grader Aviva LeWinter, Seltzer spoke to the students on Sept. 26 and 27.

In her talk, Seltzer told students of the extreme hardships and heartbreaks she endured as well as the atrocities she witnessed. Seltzer was just 1 in 1939 when Poland was invaded, and she and her extended family were forced into a ghetto.

When Seltzer was 3, her mother arranged for her to go into hiding. She lived in seven different hiding places – often taking on a false identity. By the time they were liberated, only her mother and two other family members from the ghetto had not been murdered. Seltzer lived in a displaced persons camp and then in Vienna, Austria, after the war, before coming to the United States in 1952.

In 1988, Seltzer founded the World Federation for Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Descendants to help individuals and their families cope with the horrific events in their pasts. Seltzer noted that children experienced the Holocaust in a different way than adults and that finding other child survivors helps validate memories — something they couldn’t find in the groups that were geared toward older survivors.

At the end of her talk with the middle

ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Holocaust survivor Stefanie Seltzer recently visited Our Lady of Grace School, where her granddaughter Aviva LeWinter is a student. Seltzer spoke to students about her experiences as a child during World War II and her work in founding the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. school students, Seltzer enumerated the kind acts she experienced during the dark times, such as a woman who shared her ration card and a German man who protected her. She praised the Our Lady of Grace students for their thoughtful questions and left a message of hope with the group: “Even when humanity is at its worst, there is always light to be found.”

Celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi WINSTON-SALEM — On Oct. 4, Our Lady of Mercy students celebrated the feast of St. Francis with the Secular Franciscan Order, the Fraternity of St. Clare.

Members of the third-grade class served as lectors during the Oct. 4 Mass. The school and community were privileged to be witnesses as the Secular Franciscan Order, along with Franciscan Sister Kathy Ganiel and Franciscan Father Calixto Salvatierra Moreno, renewed their religious vows.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KATRINA CAPISTRANO AND FATHER CARL ZDANCEWICZ

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

On TV n Friday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Syria’s Christian Exodus.” Filmmaker Elisabetta Valgiusti presents the stories of Syrian Christians who have been forced to flee to neighboring countries due to extreme threats from radical Islamic groups.

Cardinals, patriarchs and bishops give their own insights on the situation.

In theaters

n Saturday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “The Mystery of John Paul II.” A documentary on the spiritual lives of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and St. John Paul II, and how their efforts inspired the Polish people and contributed to the fall of Communism. n Saturday, Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Karol: A Man Who Became Pope.” Follow the young future pope’s life journey as we see him transition from a worker, poet and teacher and to his true calling: the priesthood of Christ.

‘The Snowman’ Director Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s best-selling crime novel occasionally dabbles in penny-dreadful sensationalism, then returns to plodding wearily across the frozen landscape of its unconvincing mystery story. Set primarily in Oslo, Norway, the film tracks the efforts of a gifted but alcoholism-plagued police detective (Michael Fassbender) to catch a serial killer who builds a snowman at each murder site. The officer’s search is complicated by the fact that his new partner (Rebecca Ferguson) seems to have a hidden agenda of her own and by his tangled relationships with his ex-girlfriend, her son and her new live-in love interest. Needlessly shocking visuals punctuate the stilted proceedings while the killer’s motivation springs from the sordid personal lives of his victims as well as his traumatic childhood.

Excessive gory violence and gruesome images, a few uses of profanity and rough language, several crude terms.

CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

‘Only the Brave’ Heartbreaking true story of the “Granite Mountain Hotshots,” the elite Arizona firefighting team which raced into a raging inferno in 2013 to save a neighboring town from destruction. Their leader (Josh Brolin) has honed his 20-member crew into a welloiled machine with the assistance of his right-hand man (James Badge Dale). During a recruitment drive, an unlikely candidate (Miles Teller) appears, intent on turning away from a dissolute life to join the group. In adapting a magazine article by Sean Flynn, director Joseph Kosinski deftly juggles the intimate stories of the men’s personal lives (Jennifer Connelly plays Brolin’s wife) with grand set pieces which evoke the sheer terror and destructive force of the flames they battle. Although the ending is well known, the impact is no less profound on screen, and the striking real-life examples of heroism, brotherhood and self-sacrifice are both timely and inspiring. Scenes of extreme peril, mature themes, drug use, brief rear male nudity, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, several uses of profanity, pervasive crude language, some sexual banter, obscene gestures.

CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13

Other Movies ‘Professor Marston and the Wonder Women’: CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

CNS | DEAF APOSTOLATE OF ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

This is a publicity image for the “Religious Signs for Families” app to help deaf children and their family members learn prayers in American Sign Language. The app is an initiative of the Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It will be available in early November in Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Signs of the Spirit App teaches blessings, how to pray in ASL CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — When Sister Kathleen Schipani found out she was usually the very first person to teach deaf children to pray, she decided there had to be an app to fix that.

Learning to pray usually happens in the family, when a parent or relative recites the words for grace before meals, asks for blessings or requests guidance or protection, the Sister of the Immaculate Schipani Heart of Mary told Catholic News Service in Rome.

But when a child is born deaf into a hearing family, those kids shouldn’t have to miss out on learning Catholic prayers or religious terms as they learn American Sign Language, she said Oct. 20.

Sister Schipani, who is director of the office for persons with disabilities and the deaf apostolate at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was in Rome as part of a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

The gathering Oct. 20-22 was dedicated to sharing best practices in engaging and catechizing persons living with disabilities.

Lots of apps exist for learning ASL, she said, but there is nothing dedicated to religious terms, daily devotions or prayers of blessing, love, thanks and praise. The app meant to fill that gap is called, “Religious Signs for Families,” and was to be available from the iTunes App Store and Google Play

in early November.

“The locus of learning your faith starts in the family, so this app is really to provide families with the ability” to foster prayer in the home and bond with each other and with God as they pray in ASL, she said. It also will help teachers who want to teach elementary school students how to pray using sign language.

“Deaf people have deep experiences of prayer,” she said, particularly because it involves praying with “their whole body” with signing and visualization.

“Deaf people have never heard the language that we speak so they are not hearing the little voice in their head like we are,” she said. Instead some people say they pray visually with beautiful imagery or with seeing hands signing in their head.

While sacred music does not have the same ability to draw deaf individuals to prayer, sacred or beautiful art does, she said.

“A lot of deaf people have not been catechized because there was no one to sign to them, and that really is what the sad thing is – when there is no opportunity for deaf people to know religious language and have an experience of someone teaching them,” she said.

Sister Schipani said the beautiful thing about sign language is the signs are often “iconic,” reflecting what the thing is and, therefore, they can convey the theology behind the concept.

For example, she said, the sign for “heaven” in the Jewish faith is moving both hands in a way that suggests a semi-circular dome – the heavens – overhead.

In the Christian faith, she said, the sign conveys the canopy of heaven, but with the other hand going through and up, “because we believe that Jesus, our savior, has come and we’re saved so we can have the possibility of entering heaven.”

The app has captions and voiceover in English and Spanish. More information can be found at www.deafcatholicphilly.org/ religious-sign-app.

n Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Karol: The Pope.” A feature film on the life of St. John Paul II from the time he was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978, until his death on April 2, 2005. An incredibly human portrait of an extraordinary man, this is a story of leadership, love, commitment and courage. n Sunday, Oct. 29, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “Margaret Sinclair: The Untold Story.”

The untold story of Venerable Margaret Sinclair, an Exern Sister of the Poor Clares who devoted her young life to prayer and promoting love for the Eucharist. n Wednesday, Nov. 1, 9:15 a.m. (EWTN) “Saint Henry de Osso.” The life of St. Henry De Osso through pictures, music and narration, encouraging little ones to follow his example by living and loving as Jesus did. n Wednesday, Nov. 1, 9:30 a.m. (EWTN) “St. Kateri Tekakwitha: A Pilgrimage Into Her Heart.” Stories of St. Kateri, a miraculous healing and her 2012 canonization, with members of every Indian nation present, are intertwined portraying her as a model of the New Evangelization and a call for all people to treat God’s creation responsibly. n Wednesday, Nov. 1, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “St. 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, Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “From the Visible to the Invisible: The Liturgy” The hidden and visible aspects of the liturgy. This special is a response to the great liturgical renewal, increasing awareness of its greatness and splendor. n Friday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Pakistan’s Christians.” This program focuses on the Catholic Church in Pakistan, covering recent issues in that country, such as progressive Islamization and the persecution and killing of Catholic Christians falsely accused of religious blasphemy. n Saturday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m. (EWTN) “The Message of Fatima” A docu-drama series on the prophecies, messages and warnings given to the three shepherd children by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.

Episode Eight.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

COLLEGE SEMINARY

VOCATION

ANNIVERSARY

FROM PAGE 3

FROM PAGE 7

FROM PAGE 7

rosary and sanctify the land that is here.

We’re going to make our own pathways and things.”

The diocese closed on the $1.4 million purchase of the 86-acre site, located approximately two miles from Belmont Abbey College, on Sept. 11.

Funds used to purchase the land came from donations earmarked for a permanent home for the college seminary.

St. Joseph College Seminary was founded in 2016 for undergraduate men discerning a possible religious vocation, before considering the step of enrolling in a major seminary for specific formation to the priesthood. Students work toward a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Belmont Abbey College while experiencing a Benedictine-style communal life on their path of discernment.

Only in its second year, the college seminary’s enrollment is 16 men. Students are being temporarily housed in two separate residences adjacent to the campus of St. Ann Church in Charlotte – the former Poor Clares convent behind St. Ann School and a house on Hillside Avenue.

Neither building has room for more students.

Construction plans call for the college seminary to be developed in two phases, but even those plans are being modified as diocesan officials strive to accommodate the unexpectedly high enrollment.

Originally, the plan was to house up to 20 students in a 17,000-square-foot building, and future expansion planned to double that to 40 students.

Because enrollment is already at 16 men, diocesan planners have accelerated those plans, now moving forward with a 27,000-square-foot building that can house up to 40 men at the start.

Besides 40 dormitory-style rooms, the main building will include academic spaces, administrative offices, four faculty offices, a guest suite, a gathering space and refectory, chapel and study space.

The projected cost to complete the first phase is approximately $15 million, higher than the original project estimate of $7.5 million because the plans were enlarged to accommodate twice as many men, the original plans did not anticipate the need to buy land, and because of price increases in the construction market.

Fundraising for the college seminary totals $4.5 million so far.

Fundraising will continue outside the diocese this year, with fundraising work in the diocese expected to begin in the fall of 2018.

to me and said, ‘You look like you’ll be a good priest.’ I was shocked because he had given voice to that silent and enduring desire to follow God’s call.”

He says he is also thankful that Father Truong has been instrumental in making him feel at home whenever he comes back to Charlotte.

“Every time I come back from a vacation or from mission, he welcomes me with heartfelt hospitality, and that allows me to feel at home in the parish,” he says. “Having a sense of belonging is essential for an itinerant missionary.”

Brother Truong says he could never have imagined himself standing in front of people and preaching. “I was like Moses, finding every reason not to respond to God’s invitation,” he explains.

“However, through the years of formation, God continues to mold me in every way. And I realize, looking back, it is God who first invited me to go on this adventure. It wasn’t so much because of my merits, successes, talents or skills that God calls me.

“But it is precisely in my times of failures and brokenness that I see the power of God’s presence and love – God’s continual ‘yes’ to me, affirming my goodness and forgiving my sins – I dare to continue to respond in my life by letting go and giving more of myself in service of others,” he says.

Brother Truong is currently finishing up his final year of theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and he hopes to be ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 2018, at Techny Towers’ Holy Spirit Chapel in Northbrook, Ill. His first assignment will begin next September in the Australian province of his order – possibly in Thailand or its new mission in Myanmar.

from 8 to 19. The family are members of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, where Amanda serves as the music teacher for the preschool program.

“I think a good sense of humor goes a long way,” Kevin McGoff said. “I think the bishop nailed it when he talked about faith being the foundation. I went through RCIA before our marriage. Just starting off our marriage that way has really given our marriage that foundation.”

Amanda McGoff said she came to the realization through her years of study in the women’s group (Women of Joy Bible study at St. Mark Church) that she loves God more. “But that doesn’t take anything away from my husband. When I realize and accept and appreciate that I love God more, it makes it easier to love my husband and to be the wife that he needs me to be. It’s all about the unit and the grace we get from the covenant.”

In his homily, Bishop Jugis spoke of the covenant of marriage, a visible sign of the inexhaustible love of God. “Love is faithful. Love is truth. Love is holiness, because it is living the very relationship with God – who is love,” he said.

True love is not self-seeking, he continued, but sacrificial in nature.

“That is the love that through the sacrament of holy matrimony He has planted right in the midst of your

THOMASBORO FROM PAGE 14

“Then we just started adding on for each holiday. For Thanksgiving we started making sure needy families had a turkey.

During Christmas, we bought every single child attending Thomasboro a gift.

“We started small, but currently, the Knights of Columbus does the food for Christmas, the youth group does the Halloween treats, Faith Formation collects hats and gloves. ‘Young at Heart’ helps with something every month, and the Hispanic community helps with our ‘We Care’ budget.

relationship, in the midst of your covenant with each other. By God’s gracious goodness, planted right in the middle of your family.”

Bishop Jugis shared the axiom: You are willing to give in proportion as you love.

“I am sure you have discovered that over the 25, 50, 60 or more years you have been living together,” he told the couples.

“How is it possible to arrive at such a milestone? Isn’t it because you have decided to place the Lord first in your life, first in your marriage? That you have decided to place His love and His grace as the foundation for your marriage?

“And as a wise steward of God’s grace and God’s love, you knew where your success would be found: in the Lord, upon the strong foundation of His grace, of His love, of His holiness in your marriage.

“It is a sacrament that you are living.

That sacramental grace – that grace of Jesus – is always there, available for you at any moment (so that) you can activate it and call it up for whatever need is in your common life of marriage,” he said.

Dr. Gerald Carter, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, explained the diocese’s commitment to sponsoring this annual Mass.

“Celebrating the graces and blessings of marriage is a central component of family life in the Church. With all of the diversions that exist in the world, it is inspiring to see so many couples living out their marital promises. It is a genuine honor for Catholic Charities, through our family life ministries, to be part of this celebration of marriage.”

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‘I realize, looking back, it is God who first invited me to go on this adventure.’

Brother Truong Le

“Every ministry at St. Luke has found a way to come through for these kids,” Capps says.

“This is an amazing story, I never saw coming and it would not have happened if it was not for the help of St. Luke,” she adds.

“This whole experience has been lifechanging. I am still in contact with the very first girl I sat down with for lunch, as well as other students from that class who have gone to college or are working. It is unusual for a partnership to last this long.

“It started out as volunteering and now we are family, year ’round.”

Says one teacher as he grabs a slice of pumpkin swirl cake from the wagon being pushed by “The Angels,” “They are just the lift we need around here.”

25

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Our nation 26

catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

USCCB publishes official English-language translation of exorcism rite DENNIS SADOWSKI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The first official English-language translation of the ritual book “Exorcisms and Related Supplications” is available from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Distribution of “Exorcisms and Related Supplications” is limited to bishops, though exorcists, other clergy, scholars and seminary professors also can obtain a copy with the permission of a bishop.

Having it available now in English “should make it easier for a bishop to find a priest who can help him with this ministry,” said Father Andrew Menke, executive director of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Divine Worship.

“Given that there’s less facility in Latin than there used to be, even among priests, it opens the door to more priests to do this. Until now, not only did the priest have to be wise and holy, but he also had to have strong facility in Latin,” Father Menke said.

“It makes it easier for a priest who might otherwise be a good exorcist but who would be intimidated by a requirement to use a Latin text.

Having it available in the vernacular means he can concentrate on prayer and on the ritual, without needing to worry about working in another language,” he explained.

The translation is from the rite that was revised following the Second Vatican Council. It was promulgated in Latin in 1999 and then slightly amended in 2004. The revised text draws from rituals used by the Church for centuries.

The USCCB approved the English translation at its 2014 fall general assembly. The Vatican gave its “recognitio,” or approval, of the translation earlier this year.

Hearing prayers offered in English also can benefit the person seeking an exorcism, said Father Menke, who noted he is not an exorcist.

“The first and foremost reason for an exorcism is to rid the person of the demon. And whether the person understands what’s being said or not is irrelevant on one level. They just want to be free of this oppression,” he said.

“But at the same time, exorcists have told me that for some people it can be a big help to hear words that they understand, words that are consoling, words that remind them of the power of Christ over the demons. There’s a certain confidence that comes from hearing these words,” he said.

For others, hearing the exorcism rite carried out in Latin can be consoling in its own way, Father Menke added, because the person “knows this is the prayer of the Church.”

Ultimately, it is the exorcist who chooses which language to use during the rite.

The main part of the book is the rite of major exorcism, and it also includes an introduction outlining criteria for its use. The text affirms the reality of evil in the world and more so affirms the sovereignty of Jesus to overcome any and all evil.

Under canon law – Canon 1172 specifically – only those priests who receive permission from their bishops can perform an exorcism after proper training. Bishops automatically have the right to perform an exorcism and can share that authority with other priests.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read answers to frequently asked questions about exorcisms

A volunteer hands food to a victim of Hurricane Maria Oct. 21 in Utuato, Puerto Rico. The town has been without power or water for more than a month after the hurricane devastated the island.

CNS | BOB ROLLER

Catholic organizations, groups actively working on Puerto Rico’s recovery WALLICE J. DE LA VEGA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

QUEBRADILLAS, Puerto Rico — A month after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Catholic organizations, groups and individuals were still among the most prominent responders to the needs of a suffering people.

Despite early logistical obstacles, as of Oct. 20, the local Caritas chapter had disbursed over $1.1 million in aid to an estimated 50,000 people – including food, clothing, first aid supplies, potable water and sundries. At its San Juan office, hot lunches also were being distributed daily to members of the community.

“We had to blindly design a response plan,” Father Enrique “Kike” Camacho, executive director of Caritas Puerto Rico, said Oct. 19. “But after communications opened somewhat, we began improving the plan based on diocesan reports.

Today, we have a well-coordinated relief system at Puerto Rico’s 500 parishes in all six dioceses.”

Caritas has been closely working with Catholic Charities USA on Puerto Rico’s recovery since Hurricane Irma brushed the island’s northern coast two weeks before Maria followed Sept. 20.

Kim Burgo, senior director of disaster operations for Catholic Charities, said: “One of our biggest challenges is money because there were two other hurricanes before ... but then Maria comes along, which in many ways was worse than Harvey and Irma, and people have donor fatigue and it is very difficult to get donations for Puerto Rico. The need here is so much greater, yet the financial resources are so much less.”

Puerto Rico’s post-hurricane recovery efforts have been largely a grass-roots impulse, mainly spearheaded by newly formed young adult movements and religious groups that have become an alternative to slow, complex and bureaucratic government procedures. Most of these groups, local and coming from the U.S., include Catholics.

Katherine Riolo, a Catholic volunteer with the Canadian relief foundation Impact Nations, came to Quebradillas, a town of 25,000 residents in northwest Puerto Rico, with a team of four to help distribute 300 portable water filters around isolated homes deep in the mountains. Riolo is a retired schoolteacher and a 30-year missionary veteran who is a member of the Sangre de Cristo Parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was her first disaster-related mission.

“All the devastation ... when you see this, no electricity, families living with no water to bathe in, it’s hard and they

are traumatized,” Riolo told CNS while distributing the water filters around Quebradilla’s Guajataca sector Oct. 21.

“When you come into someone’s house, they don’t forget that, and when you tell them, ‘God thinks about you so much that he sent us ... and there’s a whole lot of people in my town thinking about you,’ they don’t forget that..”

Asked about what drives her to do missionary work, Riolo simply answered: “We are the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Bishop Daniel Fernandez of Arecibo touched on that exact sentiment from Riolo at a Mass at St. Raphael the Archangel Church in Quebradillas Oct. 22, World Mission Sunday.

“The Father sent his son into the world – mission means to send,” said Bishop Fernandez during his homily. “If sending means mission or mission means send, then Jesus was the first missionary.”

Just as the Church cannot avoid being missionary, the bishop said, neither can Catholics avoid it. Therefore, he said, offering witness of our faith has to be practiced with good deeds “in times of hurricanes like this one.”

Parishes in the inner mountain regions of Puerto Rico have fared the worst after Hurricane Maria. Not only have their congregations’ financial support diminished due to massive unemployment, but also federal and local government support is not being received in their towns.

Many parishes, like St. Raphael the Archangel, are holding ongoing relief collections for them.

Before Mass, Bishop Fernandez said the Diocese of Arecibo is distributing all aid coming from Caritas directly to its 59 parishes. His diocese and the Diocese of Mayaguez are the most damaged of the dioceses. The island has one archdiocese, San Juan, and five dioceses.

“I’m perceiving much unity and even calm within the faithful,” said Bishop Fernandez. “However, (the priests and I) are attentive because we know that as time passes and, if the situation doesn’t improve at an adequate pace, tolerance levels might diminish as the physical exhaustion rises.”

Recovery after Hurricane Maria, one of the most destructive in Puerto Rico’s history, has been slow. Official reliable statistics about hurricane damage, including an accurate death toll, have been scarce and widely debated by experts.

The latest government timetable for recovery announced Oct. 19 says 90 percent of the island will have its electric power normalized by Dec. 15. That recovery plan is said to yield a totally new and diversified power grid that would bring back hydroelectric systems and add solar power components.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief

of Migration and Refugee Services titled “Temporary Protected Status: A Vital Piece of the Central American Protection and Prosperity Puzzle.”

The report recommends that the U.S. government extend TPS for some 257,000 people from El Salvador and Honduras in the U.S., who currently have a work permit and reprieve from deportation.

High court: Ruling upheld against Groups settle in lawsuit against Ten Commandments display HHS contraceptive mandate WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal about an order to remove a Ten Commandments display outside City Hall in Bloomfield, New Mexico. The refusal to hear the case, announced Oct. 16, lets the lower court ruling stand. In 2014, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Bloomfield City Hall must remove the outdoor display because it violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, representing the city of Bloomfield, said the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case gives “anti-religion advocates a license to challenge any monument that they see and offends them. Just because we disagree with what something says, does not mean we can ban it from the public square,” the group said in an Oct. 16 statement.

Priest among six arrested at Pennsylvania pipeline construction site WASHINGTON, D.C. — A priest arrested for protesting a natural gas pipeline being built through land owned by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Pennsylvania said he acted because he agreed with the sisters that the project is desecrating the earth.

“We just want to support them and symbolically stop the pipeline and put our lives on the side of justice,” Father Bill Pickard, 70, a retired priest of the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., said Oct. 23, two days after the protest.

Father Pickard was one of six people arrested and charged with defiant trespass during the second nonviolent protest in a week at the sisters’ property in Columbia, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. They were arrested after stretching a quilt across the entrance of the construction site.

Planned by the grass-roots group Lancaster Against Pipelines, the protests were designed to slow if not stop construction on a leg of the 183-mile Atlantic Sunrise pipeline being built

by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Partners to carry gas from the Marcellus Shale in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Bishops’ migration chairman asks for extension of immigration status WASHINGTON, D.C. — The head of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration said some migrants from Honduras and El Salvador cannot safely return to their home countries in the near future and should have a special immigration permit extended. The U.S. government will consider in early November whether to extend, for some migrants hailing from the two countries, what’s known as Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. The designation is for those who come to the U.S. from certain countries because of a natural disaster, continuing armed conflict or other extraordinary conditions. The status for Honduras and El Salvador is set to expire in early 2018.

“There is ample evidence to suggest that current TPS recipients from Honduras and El Salvador cannot return safely to their home country at this time,” said Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration.

He cited a report issued by bishops’ Office

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dozens of Catholic groups that challenged the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act have reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, they announced late Oct. 16.

The groups, including the Archdiocese of Washington and the Pennsylvania dioceses of Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Erie, were represented by the Cleveland-based law firm Jones Day. Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl wrote an Oct. 16 letter to archdiocesan priests saying the “binding agreement” ends the litigation challenging the Health and Human Services’ mandate and provides a “level of assurance as we move into the future.”

The Washington Archdiocese was one of dozens of groups challenging the mandate, which went to the Supreme Court last year in the consolidated case of Zubik v. Burwell.

Anxiety / Depression Acid Reflux / Sleep Hormones / Fatigue Cholesterol / Acne

Senate confirms Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to Holy See WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate confirmed Callista Gingrich as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Voting late Oct. 16, senators approved her nomination 70-23. More than 20 Democrats joined Republicans in supporting Gingrich, the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a vocal ally of President Donald Trump.

Gingrich, 51, a lifelong Catholic and a former congressional aide, has been president of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production and consulting company in Arlington, Va., since 2007.

She was expected to present her credentials at the Vatican in the coming weeks.

Catholic group will accept Scouts’ decision to allow girls IRVING, Texas — The leaders of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which has its headquarters in the Dallas suburb of Irving, said they “accept and work with the new membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America” to admit girls.

“We were informed this morning” of the policy change, said an Oct. 11 statement by George Sparks, the national chairman of the group, and the committee’s national chaplain, Father Kevin Smith, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. “Once we have had more time to review the policy and a chance to consult our national membership, we will be able to comment further about how this new policy will reflect changes in the makeup of Catholic-chartered units,” they said.

Sparks said in an Oct. 13 telephone interview that a member of the Scouts’ executive board came to the Catholic Committee’s meeting shortly after the board vote “and brought us up to speed on it.” Afterward, “we took an informal straw poll, and everybody at our meeting – there were about 18 people at our meeting – thought this was the right thing to do.”

— Catholic News Service

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27

Our world 28

catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

A young Rohingya refugee carries a child Oct. 10 while walking in a camp near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Pope Francis, who will visit Bangladesh Nov. 30-Dec. 2, has appealed for their protection of the Rohingya on several occasions, calling them “our brothers and sisters.”

CNS | DAMIR SAGOLJ, REUTERS

In Myanmar, Pope Francis’ words will be monitored closely PAUL JEFFREY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

YANGON, Myanmar — When Pope Francis visits Myanmar in late November, church leaders will be listening nervously to his every word, specifically hoping they don’t hear the R-word. Any mention by name of the Rohingya, a Muslim group widely hated in this predominantly Buddhist country, will have widespread implications here.

“The pope’s visit is keeping us very anxious, as many things can go wrong. A wrong word from the Holy Father can plunge the country into chaos,” said Father Mariano Soe Naing, communications director for Myanmar’s bishops.

“If the Holy Father in his speech evens mentions the Rohingya, the nationalist groups will respond. This is a historic problem, and we need a lot of time to solve this problem. We cannot just say this or that. That is the reason why Aung San Suu Kyi cannot say anything,” he said, referring to the de facto leader of Myanmar’s civilian government, who has been criticized internationally for failing to speak out against the military’s actions against Rohingya in northern Rakhine state.

Father Soe Naing told Catholic News Service that while the bishops support democracy and back Aung San Suu Kyi, they understand her silence on the Rohingya.

“Aung San Suu Kyi has no right to comment on anything. The military has the authority to decide everything,” he said. “The whole world wants to criticize her, wants her to fight against the military in favor of full democracy. But that’s a fight she cannot win. She might have the force of the people behind her, but the bloodshed would be terrible. The blood would flow like rivers in this country. The military is not ready to give up easily. She knows that well.”

The Asian church news agency ucanews.com reported the country’s Catholic bishops told the papal nuncio in June that they would prefer Pope Francis avoid mentioning the Rohingya by name.

More than a million Rohingya live in Myanmar, but they are widely seen by the government and the majority Buddhist population as foreigners, and they are frequently referred to as “Bengalis.”

On Aug. 25, Muslim separatists launched a series of attacks on government security forces in Rakhine. The Myanmar military launched a fierce counterattack.

On Oct. 18, Amnesty International issued a report blaming Myanmar’s military for a “targeted campaign of widespread and systematic murder, rape and burning” in Rohingya communities in the region.

More than half a million Rohingya refugees have fled across the border into neighboring Bangladesh, where UNICEF, in an Oct. 20 report, said conditions resemble “hell on earth,” particularly for refugee children.

On Oct. 24, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement setting up a framework for the return of the Rohingya. Aid workers on the ground doubt it will make much immediate difference in the flow of Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh.

Despite the caution urged by bishops here, Pope Francis has mentioned the Rohingya by name.

“I would like to express all of my closeness to them,” he said Aug. 27, asking pilgrims at the Vatican to pray for “the Lord to save them, to raise up men and women of goodwill to help them, that they may be given full rights.”

Father Soe Naing said the pope’s comments, just two days after the separatist attacks, created discontent in Myanmar.

“When the Holy Father said that we should pray for the Rohingya, people were really angry, because it was Burmese police posts that were attacked, and people died.

The pope didn’t mention the terrorist attacks when he asked people to pray for the Rohingya. Why did he leave out the rest of the people who suffered in this country?”

Father Soe Naing said.

“Our people do not want to hear the word ‘Rohingya.’

We are not allowed to use it in our country. If the Holy Father comes and begins to speak about this conflict, then the nationalists may rise up against him. That is our fear.

But we believe that the Holy Father knows what to say and what not to set say. We trust in his wisdom,” the priest said.

Win Tun Kyi, director of Karuna Mission Social Solidarity, the aid and development agency of the Myanmar Catholic Church, downplayed the negative repercussions of Pope Francis’ venture into Myanmar’s internal strife.

“When the pope said something about the Rohingya, some of the Buddhist nationalists got very angry. But people tend to forget after two or three weeks. There are new things to get excited about on Facebook and in the media,” he said.

Words have tremendous power in a county where people still argue whether they should call themselves Burma, a name dating to British colonial rule, or Myanmar, which was adapted by the country’s military in 1989 in response to pro-democracy demonstrations.

Win Tun Kyi suggests Pope Francis follow the lead of former U.S. President Barack Obama who, during a visit in 2012, avoided taking sides by almost always using the phase “this country.”

“Politicians are good at these things, and I hope that our pope will be sensitive in his public statements,” he said.

A Protestant leader said the pope’s visit would affect more than just Catholics.

“In general, people don’t know the difference between Catholics and Protestants, so when the pope comes it will not just benefit the Catholics, but the whole Christian community. And if something goes wrong, it is not only the Catholics who will suffer,” said Patrick Loo Tone, president of the Myanmar Council of Churches.

“Most Buddhists don’t trust the Muslims, and the Muslims don’t trust the Buddhists. For the time being, though, both parties trust us Christians to a certain extent.

But if we do or say something that appears to favor the Muslims, then the Buddhists will become more suspicious and uneasy about us. We have to be very careful about what we say, or we Christians could be the next target.”

Despite the political traps that await Pope Francis in this country, Loo Tone says non-Catholics are enthusiastically playing a supportive role in welcoming the pontiff.

“There are tens of thousands of Catholics who want to come see and hear the pope, because it’s the first time that the pope has come here. They have asked us to help, and we’re opening our churches and other buildings to offer hospitality. And many Buddhists, including some of the big monasteries, are also offering their spaces. Some might see the pope’s visit as possibly negative, but I believe God will make it a positive experience for everyone.”

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief ‘Civilize the market’ for common good, care of creation, pope says VATICAN CITY — Economic development and growth have never automatically meant a greater gap between the rich and poor, so there is no reason today for people to throw up their hands and simply accept increasing inequality, Pope Francis said. Greater inequality and a more rapid destruction of the environment “are not destiny nor even a historic constancy,” the pope told members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

“There have been periods in which, in some countries, inequalities diminished and the environment was better protected.” Pope Francis addressed academy members Oct. 20 during a three-day meeting devoted to the study of “changing relations among market, state and civil society.”

The meeting topic was inspired particularly by retired Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 encyclical letter, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), which upheld the right and obligation of governments and groups to intervene with policies to ensure the market economy leads not only to the creation of goods and services, but that it benefits all members of society.

The discussion was particularly timely, Pope Francis said, given “the widespread and systemic increase of inequality and of exploitation of the planet, which is greater than the increase in income and wealth.”

Pope: Church can’t be blind, deaf to people with special needs VATICAN CITY — The Church must be welcoming and creative in finding ways to not let people’s physical, psychological or intellectual limitations keep them from encountering God, Pope Francis said. “The Church cannot be ‘mute’ or ‘tone deaf’ when it comes to the defense and promotion of people with disabilities,” he told differently abled individuals, their families and pastoral workers and professionals who work with them. Words and gestures of outreach and welcoming must never be missing from any church community, so that everyone, particularly those whose journey in life is not easy, can encounter the risen Lord and find in that community “a source of hope and courage,” he said Oct. 21.

The pope spoke during an audience with 450 people taking part in a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New

Evangelization.

The gathering Oct. 20-22 was dedicated to sharing best practices in engaging and catechizing persons living with disabilities – a topic Pope Francis had specifically asked the council to look into, conference organizers said.

Holy Land Christians must work together, pope tells patriarch VATICAN CITY — As minorities living in a troubled land, Christians in the Holy Land must forgive each other for past mistakes and work together for the future of their communities, Pope Francis told the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem.

Patriarch Theophilos III made an official visit to the Vatican in late October, meeting Pope Francis Oct. 23 and praying with him for peace.

“How good it would be to say of Catholics and Orthodox living in Jerusalem what the Evangelist Luke said of the first Christian community: ‘All who believed were together ... one heart and soul,’” the pope told the patriarch.

Better cooperation is especially needed “in supporting Christian families and young people, so that they will not be forced to leave their land,” the pope said.

Have courage, pray fervently, pope tells churches facing persecution VATICAN CITY — No matter how much suffering Christians face in the world, God never forgets those who trust in and serve him, Pope Francis told leaders of Eastern Catholic churches. The courage to “knock at the door” of God’s heart and “the courage of faith (are) needed when you pray – to have faith that the Lord is listening,” the pope told patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops, priests and lay members of the Eastern churches during his homily in Rome’s St. Mary Major.

The special Mass of thanksgiving Oct. 12 marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, an office that supports the Eastern Catholic churches, and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, which offers advanced degrees in Eastern Christian liturgy. During the morning Mass, the Sistine Chapel choir sang with a choir of Eastern seminarians studying in Rome, and an Eastern priest chanted the day’s Gospel reading in Arabic.

In his homily, the pope recalled the congregation was founded during the tumultuous time of World War I and that, today, another kind of world war continued to rage with “so many of our Christian brothers and sisters of the Eastern churches experiencing tragic persecutions and an ever-more disturbing diaspora.”

In letter to Cardinal Sarah, pope clarifies new translation norms VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is not to “impose” a specific liturgical translation on bishops’ conferences, but rather is called to recognize the bishops’ authority and expertise in determining the best way to faithfully translate Latin texts into their local languages, Pope Francis said in a letter to Cardinal Robert Sarah. In the letter, released by the Vatican Oct. 22, Pope Francis said he wanted to correct several points made in a “commentary,” which Cardinal Sarah sent him and which was published on several websites in a variety of languages. Cardinal Sarah is prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

The pope’s letter noted that most of the websites “erroneously” cited Cardinal Sarah as the author of the commentary. The commentary looked at changes Pope Francis made to the Code of Canon Law in the process for approving liturgical translations. The changes were ordered in the pope’s document, “Magnum Principium” (“The Great Principle”), which was published Sept. 9 and went into effect Oct. 1.

Pope Francis, saying he wanted to “avoid any misunderstanding,” insisted the commentary could give an erroneous impression that the level of involvement of the congregation remained unchanged.

Pope: Common witness of faith can strengthen Catholics, Methodists VATICAN CITY — Catholics and Methodists can strengthen each other through a shared witness of faith, especially through acts of love toward the poor and the marginalized, Pope Francis said. The mutual call to holiness shared by both communities “is necessarily a call to communion with others, too,” the pope said Oct. 19. “When, as Catholics and Methodists, we join in assisting and comforting the weak and the marginalized – those who in the midst of our societies feel distant, foreign and alienated – we are responding to the Lord’s summons,” he said.

The pope met at the Vatican with members of the World Methodist Council who were in Rome to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Joint International MethodistCatholic Dialogue Commission.

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faith and environmental concern, Pope Francis announced a special gathering of the Synod of Bishops to focus on the Amazon region. “ Accepting the wish of several episcopal conferences of Latin America as well as the voice of pastors and faithful from other parts of the world, I have decided to convene a special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian region, which will take place in Rome in October 2019,” Pope Francis announced Oct. 15.

Speaking at the end of a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the pope said the synod would seek to identify new paths of evangelization, especially for indigenous people who are “often forgotten and left without the prospect of a peaceful future, including because of the crisis of the Amazon forest,” which plays a vital role in the environmental health of the entire planet.

The Amazon rainforest includes territory belonging to nine countries in South America and has experienced significant deforestation.

Ex-head of Vatican hospital found guilty of abuse of office VATICAN CITY — A Vatican court found the former president of the Vatican-owned pediatric hospital guilty of abuse of office for using donations belonging to the hospital’s foundation to refurbish a Vatican-owned apartment used

by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, former Vatican secretary of state. Originally charged with embezzlement, Giuseppe Profiti was sentenced to one year in jail and fined 5,000 ($5,900) euros on the reduced charge, but the sentence was suspended. The three-judge tribunal dismissed charges against Massimo Spina, the hospital’s former treasurer. The judgments were handed down Oct. 14.

— Catholic News Service

Pope announces Synod of Bishops dedicated to people in the Amazon region VATICAN CITY — Addressing the challenges of evangelization in one of the world’s most remote areas and the connection between

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Spotlight on refugees

Advocates find there’s little to like in White House immigration plan DENNIS SADOWSKI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — There’s little, if anything, that immigrant advocates like in the Trump administration’s latest immigration plan.

The 70-point Immigration Principles and Policies was sent to Congress Oct. 8. The wide-ranging document calls for a major tightening of immigration laws; raising the standard of proof for asylum seekers; and limiting family members of current immigrants who can enter the country.

Other provisions include constructing a wall on the southern border; a crackdown on the entry of young Central Americans; criminalizing the overstay of a visa as a misdemeanor; and restricting federal grants to so-called sanctuary cities.

To top it off, White House aides told reporters that they expect Congress to include the entire plan in any immigration-related legislation being considered. If that’s the case, it endangers a deal Trump made with Democratic congressional leaders to allow an estimated 800,000 younger immigrants known as “Dreamers” to remain in the country legally.

Democrats said they cannot support the plan as submitted if it is tied to the legal status of the “Dreamers,” the beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Immigrant advocates aren’t accepting it either.

Several described the principles as “immoral” and said they disrespect basic human dignity.

“It’s basically a nativist immigration agenda. It’s everything but the kitchen sink that they want in this administration,” said Kevin Appleby, director of international migration policy at the Center for Migration Studies.

“This plan is all about cracking down on immigration and how immigrants are keeping America from becoming what it could be. Cracking down on immigrants is not the direction we want to go in,” said William Canny, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The whole thing is to just basically say there’s white America and we’re losing our identity and we have to keep people out. That’s certainly not America. That’s certainly not Catholic,” said Mark Ensalaco, director of research at the University of Dayton’s Human Rights Center.

Using those covered by DACA as a bargaining chip to gain backing for strict immigration policies raises moral questions for the advocates, among them the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, known as CLINIC, and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration.

Bishop Vasquez said in an Oct. 10 statement that comprehensive immigration reform, including protecting the rights of Dreamers, is “rooted in respect for human life and dignity and for the security of our citizens.”

More broadly, said Jeanne Atkinson, CLINIC’s executive director, the administration’s policies “threaten legitimate asylum seekers and place no value on families.”

“These proposals underscore how the administration has been systematically failing to follow U.S. and international law on basic principles such as our requirement to protect people fleeing persecution,” Atkinson said in an Oct. 10 statement. “Congress

should not fall for the kind of hateful rhetoric that the administration and a handful of vocal anti-immigrant antagonists echo to bolster their objectives.”

While congressional Democrats dismissed the White House principles outright, Republican leaders have largely remained silent, with some saying only that

they would study the plan as part of their efforts to review immigration law. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that not a single member of Congress who represents districts on the southwest border said they supported funding to begin wall construction.

It’s the Dreamers who remain the primary concern of the advocates, and putting them “front and center in the negotiations ... is not something we support,” Canny said.

The Trump administration announced Sept. 5 it was ending DACA. The Obama-era DACA program allowed young people brought to the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and get a work permit.

In a separate announcement earlier, Trump set the number of refugees the country would accept during fiscal year 2018 at 45,000. It would be the lowest level for persons fleeing persecution being accepted since the Refugee Act that allowed the executive branch to set the caps became law in 1980.

Appleby acknowledged that enforcement of immigration law “is part of the solution, no doubt,” but that the new principles represent a harsh stance unseen for years.

Only through bipartisanship will a human solution be reached, Canny said.

The advocates planned to mobilize parishioners to tell Congress that the White House principles fail to respect human dignity.

Lucas Swanepoel, senior director of government affairs at Catholic Charities USA, said a long-term strategy is needed to emphasize the negative effects of strict immigration policies on the lives of families if the country is ever going to resolve the issue.

“We have to be telling the stories of the people impacted at the local, getting parishes engaged, local agencies engaged,” he told Catholic News Service.

The worldwide Share the Journey campaign can help, he and others said.

The Share the Journey campaign is a two-year initiative of Caritas Internationalis, the global network of Catholic charitable agencies. Backed by Pope Francis, it is meant to urge Catholics to understand and get to know refugees and migrants and become their advocates.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

The case for a fair U.S. immigration policy O

ne of the most vivid memories of my childhood was the arrival of four religious sisters from Ireland who were coming to my hometown of Ballwin, Mo., to begin teaching in the brand new grammar school of Holy Infant Parish.

I was only 7 years old, but I will never forget the extraordinary lengths our entire community went to in order to make these newcomers, these strangers, these immigrants, feel welcome and at home.

That imperative to welcome the stranger, and to treat them with respect, is fundamental to the ideals upon which our country was founded.

The Statue of Liberty is more than a tourist attraction. It is an affirmation of who we are as a nation, a solemn reminder of what has always made our country great: the willingness to open our nation’s doors to those seeking a better life, a chance to participate in the American Dream.

Welcoming the stranger is also an intrinsic part of who we are as people of faith. It’s right there in the Bible. In Leviticus, for instance, Moses told the people of Israel, and us, their spiritual descendants, that “You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you.”

And in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us very bluntly that we will be judged on how well we feed the hungry, clothe the naked and welcome the stranger, because “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for Me.” When we stand before Him at judgment, He told us He would ask us, “When I was a stranger, (i.e., an immigrant) did you welcome Me?” That is the only motive we pastors have in our advocacy for the immigrant. To suggest that we are doing it to increase our numbers or revenue is both preposterous and rude.

It’s personal for us, too, isn’t it?

We Catholics – and Jews, Muslims, and other Christians, and, for that matter, all citizens except Native-Americans – have deep in our memories our parents and grandparents who came here as immigrants.

Every Sunday, Mass is celebrated in the Archdiocese of New York in 32 different languages, as we continue to welcome immigrants from all over the world. We see parades on Fifth Avenue celebrating Italians, Hispanics and Poles, in addition to parades in honor of Irish, Germans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and many others.

Yes, countries have both a right and a duty to see to it that there are secure borders and a sensible immigration policy.

Reasonable people can have an honest debate about the best way to accomplish this. With DACA, however, we’re dealing with people who arrived here as children and are now our neighbors, co-workers, fellow parishioners and friends. This is their home.

They salute our flag and love our country.

Congress must now act to make certain that the “Dreamers” have that same opportunity to demonstrate that they too want and deserve the chance to become the full citizens in the land that they love.

This is why I will continue to stand up for the “Dreamers” and advocate for a fair, measured, American immigration policy. My only motive in this is that I believe in the Bible and in America.

CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN leads the Archdiocese of New York and is past president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

October 27, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Fred Gallagher

Special children and another October Life Chain

O

ne of the great honors of my life was when I was asked at the meager age of 12 to be the godfather to an older cousin’s child. As a matter of fact, I was already a godfather and proud of it. But this was a little different.

My cousin came to me and explained that his child was a most special child and he wanted a special person as her godfather.

I was certainly flattered, but even more so when I learned why she was so special.

Michelle, the baby, was a child with Down Syndrome. Now, in our extended family, Michelle got about as much loving attention as a child could stand. But no one then could ever have guessed that in today’s more “progressive” society, we would be able to test before a child is born to find out if he or she has Down Syndrome. And, as it has come to pass, if the mother has tested positive, about eight in 10 of them choose to abort the baby.

That’s right, the medical establishment will graciously dismember the child limb by limb for the asking. If you are a baby boomer, think back and see if you remember Down Syndrome kids in your neighborhood, church or school. It was not uncommon to encounter Down Syndrome children when I was growing up. And though every person is different, the Down Syndrome children I have known have been, according to their parents, a special blessing to their families. Many of the parents have spoken of the delight their children have brought, along with a keener awareness of God’s vital pulse beating joyously in a very special way in every human creature.

If you are a youngster now, you will see very few of these children in your lifetime.

Why? Because now we kill them. And we kill them legally, brutally and with the approbation of our courts and our culture.

Recently I stood once again by a thoroughfare holding a sign affirming a commitment to the protection of the unborn. The peaceful witness of the Life Chain stretched along a sidewalk in front of a Catholic church, and the same scene was enacted by thousands all over the country. This year it took about a minute after my arrival before a young woman in a nice car rode by with her middle finger up in the air, content to make her “moving” statement. It happened two other times, too, both times young women in nice cars with those fingers purposefully thrust up

in defense of the “right” to kill babies in their mother’s wombs.

Of course, that day there were many more signs of approval: car horns sounding and thumbs up and fists pumping.

Not so in years past. Once, many years ago, I stood in the rain at a Life Chain and one car actually swerved to go through a puddle in front of me. Whoever it was must have had a good laugh because they got me, all right. A strange mindset, that.

I also stood this time remembering years gone by when my wife and I had our children with us, strollers and all.

And later, the kids themselves held those signs admirably, even when the signs were bigger than they were. How many years will we hold these signs?

Even though statistics show the rate of abortions is declining, abortions are going up for reasons of selection, which, by the way, hearkens back to the philosophy of the eugenicist founder of Planned Parenthood,

Most-read stories on the web

‘The Church cannot be “mute” or “tone deaf” when it comes to the defense and promotion of people with disabilities.’

Pope Francis

From online story: “Church can’t be blind, deaf to people with special needs, pope says” Through press time on Oct. 25, 9,660 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 17,597 pages. The top 10 headlines in October so far have been: n Deacon James H. Toner: Why we should not attend the traditional Latin Mass.................1,094 n Chaplet of Adoration and Reparation................................................................................................ 984 n Parishioners restore Greensboro’s oldest Catholic church to its original splendor..............857 n Diocese commemorates Fatima centennial..................................................................................... 686 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald.........................................................357 n Priest assignments for 2017..................................................................................................................320 n Charlotte Catholic announces President’s Volunteer Service Award winners........................289 n Bishop Jugis blesses land purchased for college seminary......................................................... 276 n Huntersville youth promote a ‘civilization of love’..........................................................................349 n Latin Mass commentary prompts reactions..................................................................................... 180

Join the conversation online Margaret Sanger. Yes, the selection process started full force in this country with Mrs. Sanger, who didn’t particularly want more black children being born into American society or sick children, or children whose parents were poor, or children challenged in any way.

At some point, every year on a Sunday in October (Respect Life Month and, of course, one of Mary’s months) when I stand silently for an hour in a Life Chain, I think of Down Syndrome children, of my goddaughter riding her horse, of the lovely young fellow in the pew at church with his mother who follows the Mass and waves to Father during the Sign of Peace. I think of all those beautiful children who will not be born, who will die horribly in utero, slain by a society who no longer values their lives. And, as a young woman in her nice car goes by with her middle finger in the air…I pray.

FRED GALLAGHER is an author and editor-in-chief with Gastonia-based Good Will Publishers Inc.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 27, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

An evening with

Alan Ames Spend a grace-filled evening hearing a story of conversion and healing you will not want to miss. Alan Ames’ life was changed from one of violence and alcoholism as a motorcycle gang member, to one of complete devotion to God. Ames is an internationally known evangelist who has been graced with the gift of healing. In the past 20 years, he has traveled to 50 countries on six continents, and attributes thousands of documented healings to the grace of God.

Be inspired by Ames’ Saul to Paul story and his testimony of God’s merciful love!

Monday, November 6th - 7:00 p.m.

Mass – Talk – Healing St. Matthew’s Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pky Charlotte, NC 28277

Tuesday, November 7th - 6.30 p.m.

Mass – Talk – Healing St. John Neumann Catholic Church 451 Idlewild Rd., Charlotte, NC 28227

Wednesday, November 8th - 6.30 p.m.

Mass – Talk – Healing St. Mark’s Catholic Church 14740 Stumptown rd., Huntersville, NC 28078

For more information on Alan Ames please visit: www.alanames.org

My Soul Proclaims

The Greatness Of The Lord – Luke 1:46 2016-2017

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Annual Report

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Cristo,

The theme of this year’s annual report, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” is fitting for the Diocese of Charlotte. In making the proclamation the Blessed Mother is acknowledging the gift she is receiving from God: the unborn savior, Jesus.

El tema del Reporte Anual de este año, “Mi alma proclama la grandeza del Señor”, es apropiado para la Diócesis de Charlotte. Al hacer la proclamación, la Santísima Madre reconoce el don que recibe de Dios: Jesús, el salvador no nacido.

This annual report presents information about the finances of the diocese and, through text and photos, it describes the gifts both given and received from July 1, 2016, through June of this year. I am pleased to report the overall good financial health of the diocese and I thank you for the continued support of your prayers, service and financial contributions.

Este Reporte Anual presenta información sobre las finanzas de la diócesis y, a través de palabras y fotos, describe los regalos tanto entregados como recibidos desde el 1 de julio de 2016 hasta junio de este año. Me complace informar de la salud financiera general de la diócesis y les agradezco el apoyo continuo con sus oraciones, servicios y contribuciones financieras.

Our diocese with its parishes, schools and social service ministries is the recipient of many gifts from our Lord. This includes the gift of the people we serve, be they old or young, rich or poor, faithful or fallen-away.

Nuestra diócesis con sus parroquias, escuelas y ministerios de servicio social son los recipientes de muchos regalos de nuestro Señor. Esto incluye el don de las personas a las que servimos, ya sean ancianos o jóvenes, ricos o pobres, fieles o caídos.

The Diocese of Charlotte is a grateful recipient of the holy efforts of our priests, deacons and religious. This year I had the privilege of ordaining five men to priestly ministry.

Fathers Peter Ascik, Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and Christian Cook received the sacrament of holy orders in June and joined their brother priests in service to more than 400,000 Catholics in the western half of North Carolina.

La Diócesis de Charlotte es un agradecido receptor de los santos esfuerzos de nuestros sacerdotes, diáconos y religiosos. Este año tuve el privilegio de ordenar a cinco hombres para el ministerio sacerdotal. Los Padres Peter Ascik, Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond y Christian Cook recibieron el sacramento de las órdenes sagradas en junio y se unieron a sus hermanos sacerdotes en servicio a más de 400,000 católicos en la parte occidental de Carolina del Norte.

Our vocation efforts have also been blessed with the successful completion of the first year of St. Joseph College Seminary. The seminarians attend classes at Belmont Abbey College and are living in two residences near St. Ann Church in Charlotte. Plans for a permanent seminary are underway. In addition to St. Joseph College Seminary, we also have seminarians studying at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio and the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Our Catholic schools continue to fulfill their mission of providing a faith-based, Catholic education to students from prekindergarten through the 12th grade. First and foremost, our schools are places where our young people grow in their personal faith in God and put this faith into action through a myriad of service projects. As a result of their Catholic education, the 476 graduates from our three high schools – Bishop McGuinness, Charlotte Catholic and Christ the King – are ready to meet with success in the next phase of their lives.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte proclaims the greatness of the Lord through assistance to people in need, regardless of their faith. Last year our food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, marriage preparation, respect life, natural family planning and elder assistance ministries brought hope and support to more than 19,000 people. A core of more than 360 volunteers assists with much of the work of Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities also improved its ability for charitable outreach in the Winston-Salem area with the opening of a 10,000-square-foot facility.

In 2013 and 2014 the parishes of the diocese engaged in the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign. The campaign was undertaken to provide financial resources to advance our parishes and diocesan ministries through both capital funds and endowments, to strengthen our local Church for the work of the New Evangelization. That effort resulted in pledges of more than $69 million. Through June 2017, we have received payments of more than $40 million. The payment period goes through June 2019. We are indeed grateful for the commitment made by over 15,000 households to this life-changing endeavor.

In closing, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of the faithful who have supported the efforts of the diocese during the past year. Your prayers, efforts and generous gifts help sustain and grow our diocese and make western North Carolina a place of proclamation of the greatness of God.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Bishop of Charlotte

Nuestros esfuerzos vocacionales también han sido bendecidos con la exitosa finalización del primer año del Colegio Seminarista St. Joseph. Los seminaristas asisten a clases en el Colegio Belmont Abbey y viven en dos residencias cerca de la iglesia St. Ann en Charlotte.

Están en marcha planes para un seminario permanente. En adición al Colegio Seminarista St. Joseph, también tenemos seminaristas estudiando en el Colegio Pontifical Josephinum en Columbus, Ohio y en Colegio Pontifical North América en Roma. Nuestras escuelas católicas continúan cumpliendo su misión de proveer una educación católica basada en la fe a estudiantes desde pre-kínder hasta el 12 grado.

Primero y ante todo, nuestras escuelas son lugares donde nuestros jóvenes crecen en su fe en Dios y ponen esta fe en acción a través de una miríada de proyectos de servicio. Como resultado de su educación católica, los 476 graduados de nuestras tres escuelas secundarias Obispo McGuinness, Charlotte Catholic y el Cristo Rey - están listos para alcanzar el éxito en la siguiente fase de sus vidas.

Caridades Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte proclama la grandeza del Señor a través de la asistencia a las personas necesitadas, independientemente de su fe. El año pasado, nuestras despensas, el apoyo al embarazo, el reasentamiento de los refugiados, la preparación para el matrimonio, la planificación natural familiar, respecto a la vida y los ministerios de asistencia a los ancianos, trajeron esperanza y apoyo a más de 19,000 personas. Más de 360 voluntarios ​​ ayudan con gran parte del trabajo de Caridades. Las Caridades Católicas también mejoraron su capacidad para el alcance caritativo en el área de Winston-Salem con la apertura de una instalación de 10,000 pies cuadrados.

En 2013 y 2014 las parroquias de la diócesis participaron en la campaña Adelante en Fe, Esperanza y Amor. La campaña fue emprendida para proveer recursos financieros, para promover nuestras parroquias y ministerios diocesanos a través de fondos de capital y dotaciones, para fortalecer a nuestra iglesia local para el trabajo de la Nueva Evangelización. Ese esfuerzo resultó en promesas de más de $ 67 millones. Hasta junio de 2017, hemos recibido pagos de más de $ 40 millones. El período de pago sigue hasta junio de 2019. Estamos realmente agradecidos por el compromiso de más de 15,000 hogares a este esfuerzo que cambia la vida.

Para finalizar, quisiera expresar mi profunda gratitud a todos los fieles que han apoyado los esfuerzos de la diócesis durante el año pasado. Sus oraciones, esfuerzos y regalos generosos ayudan a sostener y hacer crecer nuestra diócesis, y hacer que la parte occidental de Carolina del Norte sea un lugar de proclamación a la grandeza de Dios.

Suyo en Cristo Jesús,

El Reverendo Peter J. Jugis Obispo de Charlotte

We proclaim the greatness of theLord

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

4

Vocations Women Religious, Seminarian Formation, Clergy Continuing Care, Permanent Diaconate The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed with dedicated, holy men and women whose vocation of service and ministry to others proclaim the greatness of the Lord. And this year, the diocese received a special blessing: a record number of men were ordained to the holy priesthood.

On June 17, 2017, Bishop Jugis conferred the sacrament of holy orders on five men – Fathers Peter Ascik, Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and Christian Cook – in the presence of hundreds of family and friends. They join 87 active diocesan priests and 44 religious order priests also celebrating the sacraments and serving the faithful. Among these dedicated servants of the Lord, 22 retired VOCATIONS, CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS LIFE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

2017 REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT Contributions Priests’ retirement collection $ 1,130,727 FFHL Contributions 973,171 Priests’ Continuing Education & Seminarian collection 258,722 Friends of Seminarian program 400,268 St. Joseph Seminary building project 565,514 Other 96,876 Parish assessments 648,920 Grants & Endowment Distributions 50,000 Prior year surplus funds 55,879 DSA funding 557,489 Supplemental DSA funding 66,000 Other income 50,129 Administration funding 957,598 TOTAL REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT $5,811,293

2016 $ 1,083,480 1,224,358 263,893 483,315 2,434,188 32,585 639,023 50,000 833,804 317,299 20,309 706,467 $8,088,721

EXPENSES Seminarian formation Duc in Altum Quo Vadis Diaconate formation Care for priests not in ministry St. Joseph Seminary administration Priests’ retirement benefits Other

$ 1,011,215 22,544 32,888 33,643 704,461 158,902 2,866,329 399,076

$

TOTAL EXPENSES

$5,229,058

$6,060,495

St Joseph Seminary Surplusearmarked for building project

$ 582,235

$1,972,347

Operating surplus – carried forward to 2017

$

740,481 16,713 31,438 35,071 665,339 461,841 3,691,929 417,683

55,879

priests continue to proclaim the greatness of the Lord by visiting the sick and the imprisoned, and they also assist at parishes by celebrating Mass as needed.

Their prayers magnify the greatness of the Lord throughout the diocese and our broader community.

The diocese is also blessed with 121 permanent deacons who serve in parishes and also minister in diocesan offices and schools, agencies, hospitals, prisons and at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

There are currently 128 active women religious, representing 23 different religious communities, who proclaim God’s greatness through their work of prayer and service in the diocese.

Religious vocations are also growing exponentially, Deo gratias! The diocese currently has 28 seminarians in various stages of study leading to ordination.

To encourage consideration of religious vocations among youth, the diocese again hosted retreats for young men and women. Quo Vadis Days 2017 brought more than 100 young men to Belmont Abbey College in June for a time of prayer and reflection on the direction God may be calling them. The secondannual Duc in Altum discernment retreat for young women, also held in June, drew more than 80 young women to Belmont Abbey College for a similar week of prayer and reflection.

St. Joseph College Seminary St. Joseph College Seminary is a house of formation whose primary mission

is to form undergraduate men for the Catholic priesthood, while attending Belmont Abbey College. The seminary began operations in August 2016, and now has 16 college seminarians in attendance. The seminary is temporarily located by the campus of St. Ann Church in Charlotte while funds are raised to build a new structure. As of June 30, 2017, the seminary received contributions totaling $4,235,165 earmarked for a permanent home for the seminary.

And we give thanks

87 44 22 28

active diocesan priests,

religious order priests, and retired priests

seminarians in various stages of

study leading to ordination

128 23 121

active women religious representing different religious communities permanent deacons who serve in

parishes, diocesan offices, schools, agencies, hospitals, prisons and airports

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

6

Education Vicariate Office of the Vicar, Adult Education / Evangelization, Campus / Young Adult Ministry, Catholic Schools Office: preK-12, Faith Formation: preK-12, Youth Ministry, RCIA (Becoming Catholic), and Diocesan and Regional Schools “To fulfill the mandate she has received from her divine founder of proclaiming the mystery of salvation to all men and of restoring all things in Christ, Holy Mother the Church must be concerned with the whole of man’s life, even the secular part of it insofar as it EDUCATION FORMATION OFFICES OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

2017 REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT $ 1,845,534 (includes DSA funding of $1,479,952 in 2017 and $1,455,306 in 2016)

2016 $ 1,787,134

EXPENSES

$1,787,134

$ 1,845,534

EXPENSES Instructional personnel Other instructional costs Facilities Administrative personnel Supplementary programs and activities Other TOTAL EXPENSES

and development of education. “ (Declaration on Christian Education, Second Vatican Council, Oct. 28, 1965) The heart of the mission of the Church is to evangelize by proclaiming

DIOCESAN AND REGIONAL SCHOOLS FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

2017 REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT Tuition and fees $ 44,184,545 Parish support 3,803,287 Contributions and gifts 4,368,731 School activity revenue 1,135,238 Income from rental property 646,182 Other 826,856 TOTAL REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT $ 54,964,839

has a bearing on his heavenly calling…Therefore she has a role in the progress

2016 $ 42,543,695 3,619,500 2,505,474 1,200,277 646,182 349,089 $ 50,864,217

$ 25,211,034 2,838,573 8,106,005 3,370,937

$ 24,398,688 2,468,409 7,909,372 3,235,922

4,665,217 4,039,147 $ 48,230,913

4,593,750 3,898,825 $ 46,504,966

the Gospel of Jesus Christ entrusted to the Church. In that mission, the goal is, of course, is to transmit God’s Word to invite people to personal faith.

The Blessed Mother gave her ascent to the Incarnation with personal faith, accepting the Word of God. As an evangelizer, she then hastens to share the Good News with Elizabeth. There the Mother of the Lord gives evidence of her teaching mission. In the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55) Mary shows herself as a mother and teacher to the entire Church. Reflecting on her role in the mystery of salvation, she leads us to understand that our souls, with hers, proclaim the greatness of the Lord as we too accept the Word and assent with personal faith.

The offices and programs of the Education Vicariate assist in the transmission of God’s Word, calling all people to personal faith in the heart of the Church. The Diocesan Youth Ministry Conference and retreats, the

Diocesan and Regional Schools Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Charlotte Catholic High School, Christ the King Catholic High School Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School St. Ann Catholic School St. Gabriel Catholic School St. Mark Catholic School St. Matthew Catholic School St. Patrick Catholic School (parish schools not included here)

College Campus and Young Adult retreats and service projects, the Lay Ministry Formation and Evangelization programs, the Catholic Schools activities, the Education Vicariate In-Service Programs, the Faith Formation Office’s Catechist certification programs along with direct service to parish Directors of Religious Education through the Regional Coordinators – all these help us to learn to let our souls proclaim the greatness of the Lord.

Of particular note this year, the Education Vicariate has added an annual Diocesan Catechetical Conference; Christ the King Catholic High School is building additional classrooms and facilities to address the growth of the school; and the Totus Tuus Summer Formation week for Grades 1–12 has served 21 parishes along with many other activities and services.

Through our prayers

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

8

Catholic Charities Diocese Of Charlotte Strengthening Families, Building Communities and Reducing Poverty Administrative Office, Charlotte Regional Office, Piedmont Triad Regional Office, Western Regional Office, Refugee Resettlement Office, Social Concerns and Advocacy Office, Family Life Office The greatness of the Lord is proclaimed through the efforts of thousands of donors, volunteers and staff who work together under the umbrella of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte to carry out the critical life -supporting work of service to our neighbors in need. Through the combined efforts of so many, as a faith community we share the mercy of God with the less fortunate. In the Diocese of Charlotte, CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

2017 2016 REVENUE & OTHER SUPPORT Federal and state agency awards $ 2,533,918 $ 2,236,812 Other grants, contracts & awards 647,667 526,619 Contributions - Diocese of Charlotte: DSA funding 1,858,505 1,809,185 Other support 16,000 16,500 Contributions - Other 1,542,199 1,413,708 Fees 440,649 443,709 Other 306,911 (32,813) TOTAL REVENUE $ 7,345,849 $ 6,413,720 EXPENSES Counseling program $ 422,073 Direct Assistance 1,367,598 Family Life program 194,262 Natural Family Planning 90,029 Office of Economic Opportunity 99,234 Pregnancy Support & Adoption 91,119 Refugee & Immigration Services 2,322,879 Social Concerns & Advocacy 193,873 Stay the Course/Teen Parenting Program 248,927 Translation & Interpretation 412,238 Youth Counseling program 240,895 Other programs 108,927 Administrative expenses 830,564 Fundraising expenses and direct

benefits to donors 304,518 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 6,927,136

Catholic Charities contributed to the organized work of charity through a variety of ministries, programs and services that strengthened families, built communities and reduced poverty.

Strengthening Families: Catholic Charities provided services to develop healthy children, families and seniors. Pregnancy support, adoption and post-adoption services were provided to 59 families and individuals. The teen parenting program provided an array of services to help 44 birth mothers and 2 teen fathers learn to better parent their babies and helped them achieve greater educational and job goals. The outreach to youth in crisis helped 40 at risk youth deal with personal and family crises

$

404,788 1,085,310 192,235 87,804 146,076 149,941 2,087,785 173,405 247,650 277,220 289,634 110,420 772,641

326,466 $ 6,351,375

through counseling sessions and guidance. Counseling services were also provided to 334 individuals for a total of 2,470 sessions. Programs that promoted healthy marriages served 392 couples through marriage preparation classes. All couples completing a marriage preparation class also received instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP).

An additional 298 individuals attended a NFP course or training. Across the diocese, 1,068 seniors participated in Spring Flings and/or days of prayer and renewal.

Building Communities: Services to build up the larger community were provided by Catholic Charities through the resettlement of 343 refugees and asylees. Parish and community support provided the setup of 54 fully furnished apartments for recently arrived refugees. An additional 466 refugees were provided with employment, case

management, transportation, and/or afterschool mentoring. Legal immigration services were provided to 379 individuals. The Social Concerns and Advocacy Office and the Respect Life program, in coordination with parishes and missions, promoted the intrinsic value of all human life through 49 educational workshops and informational efforts attended by 2,071 people.

Reducing Poverty: Catholic Charities continued to respond to a large increase in requests for food, financial help, and burial assistance.

Regional pantries in Asheville, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem provided 523,385 pounds of much needed food and 12,702 pounds of supplies to 13,067 people. Regional offices in Asheville and Winston-Salem distributed 1,880 bags of clothing. Thanks to help from parishes and other community groups, 501 families received food and other assistance for the holidays. The agency also helped 102 families with direct financial assistance. The Burial Assistance program provided 94 dignified burials, including 27 children, for the especially destitute.

Making this possible were more than 60 full- and part-time employees, 360 volunteers who contributed 26,317 hours of service, over 2,000 donors who gave directly to Catholic Charities, and financial support received through the annual Diocesan Support Appeal.

Through our service 64 360 26,317 2,333

full- and part-time employees, volunteers who contributed hours of service,

more than

donors,

in addition to financial support received through the Diocesan Support Appeal.

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

10

Multicultural Ministries

Pope Francis urges us: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting Him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.’”(Evangelii Gaudium, 3) Inspired by his words, Catholics from the Diocese of Charlotte joined others from across the United States in Orlando, Fla., for the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in July 2017. This gathering enabled the faithful to celebrate the unity of the Church in the midst of its diversity, and to recommit themselves to God’s call to renewal, healing and salvation – reaching across barriers of language, culture and ethnicity in the community of faith.

With greater awareness of the strengths and needs of our diverse population, the Church in western North Carolina reaches out to all of God’s people, inviting them to discover or deepen their relationship in Christ through liturgical celebrations, cultural events, formation programs, discussions and symposiums – enabling people to participate more fully and serve better in their local parishes.

Enabling these personal encounters with the Lord provides strength and commitment necessary to put the Good News into faithful, faith-filled action.

Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp.

The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. has been dedicated to developing affordable housing for senior and special needs citizens since it was first established in 2001. During the past fiscal year, three facilities continued operations. Curlin Commons Senior Apartments in Mooresville started operation in 2010. Good Shepherd Gardens Senior Apartments came into service in 2013 in Salisbury. Mother Teresa Villa Apartments, for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities who can live semi-independently, opened in 2015.

THE COST OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR ALL DIOCESAN ENTITIES FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

Long Term Disability Health and Life Insurance Lay Pension Plan 403(b) Plan Contributions FSA Administration Fees

2017 2016 $ 168,983 $ 162,891 9,066,189 8,119,892 7,362,131 5,916,169 721,173 734,290 7,047 7,065

TOTAL

$17,325,523

1072 1499

more than

$14,940,307

Human Capital

Throughout the diocese, employees and volunteers go about the work of the Church in western North Carolina, spreading the Gospel message in service to others. Often their work is unheralded, but it is vital to accomplishing that goal.

The diocese has established policies and procedures that ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Various programs are provided

full-time lay employees, part-time employees and

13,500

to assist and protect employees and volunteers and those they serve.

Benefits programs are provided for employees to assist them in caring for themselves and their families. Core benefits for employees include health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance; and a 403(b) retirement savings plan. This year the diocese expanded health insurance

volunteers as

of June 30, 2017

plan offerings for employees to give them more coverage choices. Employees may also choose from voluntary benefits such as critical illness and accident coverage that can be customized to meet their family’s needs. Wellness programs for employees encourage healthy lifestyles.

Through our charity

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

12

The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte The words “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” certainly describe

the generosity of people throughout the diocese who continue to support the Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Twelve new endowments were added to the foundation this fiscal year, an increase of 33 percent over the nine new endowments established in fiscal year 2015-2016.

Donors provided a wide range of gifts this year. For example, St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte received a $250,000 gift to establish an endowment to address hunger in our community and beyond, while a $48,000

THE FOUNDATION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

2017 ASSETS Cash $ 651,598 Due from Advancement Corp. and other receivables 437,171 Investments 45,721,305 Beneficial Interest in Advancement Corp. 3,414,590 Assets held in trust 39,203 TOTAL ASSETS $50,263,867

2016 $ 1,013,956 792,099 36,521,860 5,685,569 36,341 $44,049,825

LIABILITIES Payables & unearned income $ 103,524 Custodial & annuity obligations 13,712,902 TOTAL LIABILITIES $13,816,426

25,043 12,233,381 $12,258,424

NET ASSETS Net assets without donor restrictions $ 3,326,412 Net assets with donor restrictions 33,121,029 TOTAL NET ASSETS $36,447,441

$ 3,049,751 28,741,650 $31,791,401

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

$44,049,825

$50,263,867

$

bequest to St. Peter Church in Charlotte established an endowment to help provide a strong financial future for this parish.

The foundation’s total number of endowments grew from 238 at June 30, 2016, to 250 as of June 30, 2017. The new endowments will provide additional financial support for parishes, schools, Catholic Charities, priests’ retirement, seminarian education and outreach programs.

Principal additions to new and existing endowments for the year totaled $5,146,928, of which $2,530,244 represents distributions from the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love campaign. Total endowment distributions from all funds for the year were $860,251.

During this past fiscal year, the Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte awarded $73,211 in grants. These awards directly benefited 10 parishes and missions, six diocesan outreach ministries and six food pantries.

MA CS Education Foundation

The Board of the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation voted to dissolve the Foundation as of June 30, 2017, and distribute the assets, liabilities and net assets to Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS). Future fundraising will be conducted by MACS through the MACS Education Annual Fund for the purpose of enhancing educational opportunities for MACS students and educators so they can proclaim the greatness of the Lord. During its final year (2016-2017) the MACS Education Foundation received contributions totaling $364,770 from 572 donors. Forty-four grants totaling $270,894 were awarded to the nine Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, and administrative and fundraising expenses totaled $169,005 during fiscal 2017.

Triad Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation

The Triad Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation was established to conduct and administer funds for the benefit of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School and the five parish-based Catholic elementary schools in the Triad region so that educators can effectively proclaim the greatness of the Lord to our children . During the past year, the Triad Catholic Schools Education Foundation received contributions totaling $291,848 from 635 donors. The Foundation awarded grants totaling $263,043 to the six Triad Catholic Schools, and incurred administrative and fundraising expenses of $51,083 during fiscal 2017.

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

14

Diocesan Support Appeal

The annual Diocesan Support Appeal enables thousands of faithful to give thanks for the greatness of the Lord through financial support of a wide variety of needs throughout western North Carolina. The 2016 annual appeal funded more than 50 ministries and programs in the diocese. Thirty-four percent of those funds were distributed to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, 29 percent were given to educational ministries and programs, 15 percent to multicultural ministry programming,

The annual Diocesan Support Appeal

50

funds more than ministries and

programs in the

Diocese of Charlotte – all of which express God’s mercy in many

and 10 percent to vocations support. Another 7 percent was shared with the Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. and the annual Eucharistic Congress. Five percent covered campaign costs.

The 2016 DSA raised more than $5,750,000 through contributions from 17,386 donors. Of the amount collected, $587,085 was distributed to 53 parishes, representing funds collected that exceeded parish goals.

Thirty-five parishes fell short of their goal and contributed a total of $133,691 to the appeal from parish funds.

DSA MINISTRY FUNDING FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

GRANTS TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES

2017 2016 $1,858,505 $1,809,185

EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES Adult Education/Evangelization $ 96,482 Campus/Young Adult Ministry 657,697 Faith Formation 388,286 Youth Ministry 122,165 Catholic Schools Office 76,179 Education Administration 139,143 Media Resources - TOTAL EDUCATIONAL MINISTRIES

$

94,188 619,875 408,271 106,982 91,989 79,482 54,519

$1,479,952 $1,455,306

different ways.

MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES

2017 2016 $ 769,075 $ 713,526

VOCATIONS Seminarian Education $ 468,914 $ 240,151 Permanent Diaconate 88,575 77,148 TOTAL VOCATIONS $ 557,489 $ 317,299

OTHER Eucharistic Congress $ 166,725 $ 209,231 Housing Ministry 182,504 158,442 Hospital Ministry - 58,358 TOTAL OTHER

$ 349,229 $ 426,031

DSA CAMPAIGN COSTS

$ 276,116 $ 259,328

TOTAL DSA FUNDING

$5,290,366 $ 4,980,675

Special Collections

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AMOUNTS COLLECTED FOR THE YEARS ENDING JUNE 30

Special Collections are a powerful way to participate in the global work of the Church. Contributions to special collections taken up throughout the year provided funds for Catholic Relief Services, Holy Land, Peter’s Pence, Catholic University of America, Catholic Communications Campaign, Church in Latin America, Church in

Central and Eastern Europe, Church in Africa, Propagation of the Faith, Catholic Home Missions, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and Retirement Fund for the Religious. These organizations were able to move forward in their missions and proclaim the greatness of the Lord to our brothers and sisters in need, in our country and all over the world. There were also four special one-time collections during fiscal 2017 for victims of two natural disasters, to support clergy in the U.S. military and for the completion of the Trinity Dome in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.

International/National Combined Collection Catholic Campaign for Human Development Religious Retirement Collection Combined Mission Collection World Mission Sunday Archdiocese for Military Services Trinity Dome Collection Hurricane Matthew Louisiana Floods TOTAL

$

2017 236,699 171,856 287,065 272,822 228,667 82,373 71,802 40,617 85,376

$1,477,277

Special Collections are a powerful way to participate in the global work of the Church.

$

2016 269,218 172,644 327,596 283,661 212,415 -

$1,265,534

Diocese Of Charlotte Annual Report 2016-2017

In the fall of 2012 the Diocese of Charlotte launched an unprecedented campaign to renew, strengthen and advance the financial resources of the 92 parishes and missions in the Diocese of Charlotte, and to solidify the financial foundation of the diocese. The “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign was conceived after organized and diligent study, and much prayer. The $65 million campaign aims to meet present needs across the diocese as well as to provide a solid financial base for the future.

The campaign’s strategic objectives are: – Strengthening parish life and ministries as the center of the Catholic community – Ensuring the vitality of Catholic education – Supporting seminarian formation and retired clergy – Expanding the outreach of social services – Guaranteeing the availability of pastoral and temporal resources The $65 million goal is allocated as follows: PARISH LIFE AND MINISTRIES $16.25 million BROADER MINISTRIES

(comprised as follows) CATHOLIC EDUCATION $12.75 million – Expand Faith Formation Endowment ($1m) – Expand Tuition Assistance Endowment ($6m) – College Campus Ministry ($1.75m) – Renovate Existing Catholic Schools ($4m) PASTORAL AND TEMPORAL RESOURCES $11.5 million – Parish and Mission Support Services Endowment ($6m) – St. Patrick Cathedral Renovations ($4m) – Retreat and Conference Center Renovations ($1.5m) CLERGY SUPPORT $13 million – Expand Priest Retirement Fund ($10m) – Expand Vocation and Seminarian Support Endowment ($3m) CATHOLIC OUTREACH $11.5 million – Expand Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte Endowment ($6m) – Expand Multicultural Ministries Endowment ($3m) – Housing Initiatives ($2.5m) In addition, campaign costs, which include educational materials, communications, accounting and fundraising staff, amount to approximately 6.5 percent of the total campaign goal, a total of $4,225,000.

CAMPAIGN RESULTS The solicitation phase of the campaign ended in 2015; as such, there were minimal gifts received during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. A loss of $970,186 was recorded this past fiscal year as a result of updating the allowance for unfulfilled pledges received in prior years. FFHL pledges from inception of the campaign through June 30, 2017 total $69,942,000, while estimated losses due to uncollectible pledges total $15,359,000 as of June 30, 2017.

All 92 parishes and missions have received distributions from campaign

15

proceeds. In addition, funds have already been used to renovate the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, make improvements to several college campus ministry centers and Living Waters Reflection Center, and build up the Priest Retirement Fund. In addition, almost $13 million has been added to the seven endowments benefiting seminarian education, faith formation, Catholic schools, college campus ministry, Catholic Charities, multicultural ministries, and parish/mission support services.

Distributions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 totaled $7,310,000, bringing inception-to-date distributions to $31,774,000, comprised of: PARISH LIFE & MINISTRIES BROADER MINISTRIES: Catholic Education Pastoral & Temporal Resources Clergy Support Catholic Outreach TOTAL DISTRIBUTED

$13,288,000

DISTRIBUTIONS PENDING for Capital Projects APPLIED TO COVER CAMPAIGN EXPENSES TOTAL PAYMENTS RECEIVED ON PLEDGES

$ 5,306,000 $ 3,279,000 $40,359,000

$ 4,282,000 $ 3,546,000 $ 6,239,000 $ 4,419,000 $31,774,000

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, campaign costs amounted to $229,000, bringing inception-to-date campaign costs to $4,532,000.

Cash payments are expected to approximate $54,583,000 upon conclusion of the redemption phase of the campaign allowing for pledges that may not be fully collected. The following table shows the allocation of total expected cash payments for (1) parish life and ministries (including parish challenge campaigns, which are additional parish initiatives conducted in conjunction with the FFHL campaign), (2) broader ministries, and (3) to cover campaign expenses.

PARISH LIFE & MINISTRIES SHARE $19,407,000 BROADER MINISTRIES SHARE $30,726,000 CAMPAIGN EXPENSE SHARE $ 4,450,000 TOTAL $54,583,000 As reflected in the preceding table, distributions directly benefiting parishes totals approximately $19 million, or 35% of total expected cash payments. The total raised for the broader ministries – indirectly benefiting parishes – amounts to approximately 63% of the $48.75 million goal for the broader ministries. The actual amounts distributed for each campaign element may vary from the amounts shown in the table above due to changes in the estimate of unfulfilled pledges.

Characterizing this year’s performance of the FFHL campaign, Bishop Jugis thanked the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte stating, “This campaign continues to transform our parishes and the broader ministries that support our parishes. Growth nurtured by the FFHL campaign is truly a blessing that addresses current needs, and secures a Catholic presence for generations to come. I am humbled and grateful for the extreme generosity of those who have fulfilled their pledges and those who are continuing to fulfill their pledges to the FFHL campaign.”

Report from Chief Financial Officer Contributing to the many successful programs and ministries of the diocese during the 2016-’17 fiscal year is a healthy financial foundation for the diocese. We are dedicating significant financial resources (donor restricted and general purpose funds) to our new seminary, St. Joseph College Seminary; to a major expansion of one of our MACS schools, Christ the King Catholic High School; to outreach to our Catholic brothers and sisters of various ethnic backgrounds through multi-cultural pastoral ministries; and to outreach to our neighbors in need through Catholic Charities’ programs. During the past fiscal year, we supported:  Our retired priests, our seminarians and other clergy by over $6 million;  Programs for our immigrant brothers and sisters by approximately $1 million;  Our neighbors in need by almost $6 million in social service programs; and  Programs to support our Catholic schools and parish Faith Formation programs by almost $2 million.

Of course, the heart of the diocese is our parishes and schools. And, while this report covers the financial activities of many diocesan ministries and entities, it does not include our parishes (and parish and interparochial schools), which report separately to their parishioners. The diocesan financial statements for the years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 are presented on the following pages for your review.

Results of operating activities for the year ended June 30, 2017 Expenses in support of our various program (ministry) services totaled just under $59 million, while all other operating expenses (excluding the Forward in Faith, Hope and Love campaign) totaled approximately $26 million, for a total of $85 million. We were blessed to receive $83 million in financial support without donor restrictions, and were able to reclassify donor restricted revenue totaling approximately $5 million to unrestricted operating revenue as a result of fulfilling donor restrictions.

The diocese recorded a net surplus from donor-restricted operating activities (excluding FFHL) of $393,535 for the year ended June 30, 2017.

This represents the increase in donor-restricted donations and grants received during the fiscal year over the amount of donor-restricted gifts whose restrictions were fulfilled during the fiscal year. Donor restricted activity for the year includes $565,514 representing contributions for the construction of a permanent home for St. Joseph College Seminary.

The FFHL campaign recorded a decrease in net assets of approximately $4 million primarily as a result of the distribution of pledge receipts during the fiscal year. Page 15 of this report provides additional information about FFHL activities.

The pie charts below depict the major sources of revenues and summarize expenditures for the 2017 fiscal year. Additional detail about revenues and a break-out of expenses by functional area are presented within the Statement of Activities on page 19.

SOURCES OF REVENUE Parish assessments and support 20%

USES OF OUR RESOURCES Fundraising 2%

Fees and rent 3%

Pastoral 9%

Schools Administration 17% Depreciation 5%

Diocesan Support Appeal 6%

School tuition and fees 46%

Other sources 2% Investment income 8%

Administrative services and support 5% FFHL Distributions and allowances 4%

Direct Education Expenses (excluding school administration) 35%

Other program expenses 4%

Donations and gifts 11% Grants, contracts and awards 4%

Results of nonoperating activities for the year ended June 30, 2017 Nonoperating activities consist primarily of the return earned on diocesan investments. After two years of investment losses, the diocese reported a gain on investments in fiscal 2017 of approximately $7 million, of which almost $4 million is subject to donor restrictions.

Net Asset Credit for the year ended June 30, 2017 The diocese recorded a $14.6 million credit to (increase in) net assets in fiscal 2017 related to our pension and post-retirement benefit plans’ most recent actuarial valuations. The primary drivers of this credit are favorable investment returns during the past fiscal year, the change in mortality improvement scale and the curtailment of the Lay Employee Pension Plan (as explained below).

The cumulative charge against net assets related to our pension and postretirement benefit plans through June 30, 2017, totals approximately $42 million, leaving a balance in net assets without donor

Benefit programs for parish employees 12%

Social services 7%

restrictions of approximately $55 million, of which approximately $36 million is designated for certain diocesan activities. Additionally, the accrued liability for the pension and post-retirement benefit plans is approximately $66 million at June 30, 2017, down approximately $10 million from June 30, 2016. Due to the significant liability and charge to net assets related to the Lay Employee Pension Plan, this plan was amended during the past fiscal year to eliminate future accruals for all participants, except for those who are at least age 62 and have at least 12 years of service as of January 1, 2018. The plan will be closed to new entrants as of January 1, 2018. Although the plan will be frozen, employees who are participants in the plan will retain benefits accumulated up to January 1, 2018, based on credited service and eligible earnings, in accordance with the terms of the plan.

Cash flows for the year ended June 30, 2017 Cash generated from operating activities totaled approximately $23 million (which includes $10 million of pledges receivable collected

and reflects $3.4 million of FFHL distributions to parishes). These funds provided resources needed for the acquisition of property and equipment totaling $8 million; for the repayment of long-term debt and capital lease obligations totaling $1.3 million; and for the investment of endowment and other funds, totaling approximately $10 million.

Financial governance and oversight The diocesan Finance Office remains committed to the highest standards of fiscal integrity and accountability. To this end, the diocese has developed guidelines for strong financial governance, which can be found on the diocesan web site. It is the responsibility of the diocesan Finance Office to ensure that accounting policies and procedures are being adhered to, and internal controls are in place and operating so as to safeguard diocesan assets and ensure that all financial activity is accounted for properly. Financial oversight is provided by routine financial audits and the diocesan Finance Council, which is directly responsible to the bishop.

Liquidity as of June 30, 2017 Although the pension and postretirement benefit liabilities have a significant impact on our unrestricted net assets, they are long-term in nature and do not affect our liquidity in the short term. As the Statement of Financial Position shows, cash and investments total $133 million at June 30, 2017, of which $44 million is invested in donor-restricted endowments, leaving a balance of $89 million. Receivables totaling $14 million are due within the coming year, resulting in liquid assets of $103 million. Of this amount, $52 million is either restricted as to use by donor stipulations or management designations or is required for FFHL and endowment distributions and grant commitments, further reducing funds available to $51 million. Of this amount, $38 million represents parish deposits held by DL Catholic, leaving a balance of $13 million for general operations, including payment of liabilities reported on the Statement of Financial Position at June 30, 2017.

The integrity of the financial statements that follow and the integrity of the underlying financial systems are the responsibility of the diocese.

The public accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche, LLP, was engaged to perform an independent audit of these financial statements. Their audit report is included in the financial report that follows.

William G. Weldon, CPA Chief Financial Officer

Diocesan Revenues excluding Schools: 2015 - 2017 18,000,000 16,000,000

Regional and Diocesan Schools’ Revenues: 2015 - 2017

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT To the Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte: We have audited the accompanying combined financial statements of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte (the “Diocese”), which comprise the combined statements of financial position as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the related combined statements of activities and cash flows for the years then ended, the combined statement of functional expenses for the year ended June 30, 2017, and the related notes to the combined financial statements. The combined financial statements include the accounts of the affiliated diocesan entities described in Note 1 to the combined financial statements, which operate under the auspices of the Diocese.

Management’s Responsibility for the Combined Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these combined financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the combined financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these combined financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the combined financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the combined financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the combined financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Diocese’s preparation and fair presentation of the combined financial statements in order to design audit

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE COMBINED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS OF JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016

procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of Diocese’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the combined financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Opinion In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the combined financial position of the Diocese as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, the combined changes in their net assets and their cash flows for the years then ended, and their combined functional expenses for the year ended June 30, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Emphasis of Matter As discussed in Note 2 to the combined financial statements, the Diocese adopted the amendments in Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016 14, Not for Profit Entities—Presentation of Financial Statements of Not for Profit Entities, as of and for the year ended June 30, 2017. The amendments have been applied on a retrospective basis with the exception of the omission of certain information as permitted by the ASU.

October 3, 2017

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016

2017 2016

2017 2016 ASSETS

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS $ 16,445,150 $ 13,065,762 Change in net assets $ 22,083,876 $(13,912,713)

Adjustments to reconcile change in net assets to net cash flows PLEDGES RECEIVABLE—Net 15,653,408 24,579,287 from operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization 4,682,656 4,278,536 OTHER ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE—Net 2,023,982 2,607,959 Investment realized and unrealized (gains) losses (4,677,261) 3,090,934

Change in fair value of interest rate swap agreements (16,419) (100,263) NOTES RECEIVABLE—Net 17,981,571 18,386,953 Loss on disposition of property 83,146 478,929

Net asset (credit) charge—Lay and Priest Retirement Plans ADVANCES TO PARISHES—Net 2,171,381 2,061,184 and Retired Clergy Health Plan (14,651,074) 13,857,039

(Decrease) increase in discounts and allowances on advances, INVESTMENTS 116,794,574 94,134,446 notes, and pledges receivable (1,396,840) 1,542,940

Changes in operating assets and liabilities: PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT—Net 74,255,749 71,795,441 Other accounts receivable 583,977 (263,452)

Deferred rent 68,315 36,942 BENEFICIAL INTERESTS IN PERPETUAL TRUSTS 4,690,544 4,581,359 Pledges receivable 10,320,953 10,914,231

Other assets (209,107) (201,886) Accounts payable and accrued expenses 346,981 1,290,272 DEFERRED RENT 1,398,475 1,466,790 Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits 76,173 86,945

Accrued pension and postretirement benefits 4,449,982 1,953,716 OTHER ASSETS 923,431 714,324 Unearned revenue 934,111 (649,499)

TOTAL $ 252,338,265 $ 233,393,505

Net cash provided by operating activities 22,679,469 22,402,671

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Purchase of property and equipment (7,919,224) (6,061,197) LIABILITIES: Proceeds from the sale of property 6,300 54,703 Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 5,037,428 $ 5,377,260 Purchase of investments (52,343,777) (47,510,943) Accrued salaries, wages, and benefits 3,515,370 3,439,197 Proceeds from maturity and sales of investments 35,744,366 41,459,260 Accrued pension and postretirement benefits 66,454,784 76,655,876 Issuance of advances and notes (2,233,963) (6,462,538) Unearned revenue 9,376,044 8,441,933 Payments received on advances and notes 2,530,914 4,574,748 Increase in custodial obligations 6,242,996 2,704,528 Bonds payable

540,000 Interest rate swap agreements

16,419

Custodial, annuity, and other obligations 50,300,365 43,352,422 Net cash used in investing activities (17,972,388) (11,241,439)

Total liabilities 134,683,991 137,823,107 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES—Repayment

of bonds and capital lease $ (1,327,694) $ (3,344,530)

CONTINGENCIES (Note 14) NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 3,379,388 7,816,702

NET ASSETS: CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: Net assets without donor restrictions: Beginning of year 13,065,762 5,249,060 Undesignated 61,469,241 55,513,453

Net asset charge—Lay and Priest Retirement Plans and End of year $ 16,445,150 $13,065,762

Retired Clergy Health Plan (42,229,018) (56,880,092) SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Interest paid $ 61,268 $ 139,964 Total undesignated net assets without donor restrictions 19,240,223 (1,366,639)

Purchases of property and equipment included in Designated 35,673,133 34,614,042 accounts payable $ 41,987 $ 728,800

Total net assets without donor restrictions 54,913,356 33,247,403 Purchases of property and equipment financed through

capital leases $

$ 2,373,572 Net assets with donor restrictions 62,740,918 62,322,995

Total net assets 117,654,274 95,570,398

TOTAL $ 252,338,265 $ 233,393,505

See notes to combined financial statements.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE COMBINED STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEARS ENDED

JUNE 30, 2017 Without Donor With Donor

Restrictions Restrictions Total

OPERATING: Revenues and other support: School tuition and fees $44,234,547 $

$ 44,234,547 Contributions—Diocesan Support Appeal (DSA) 5,670,620

5,670,620 Other support—DSA programs 408,866

408,866 Other donations and gifts 5,899,777 5,093,629 10,993,406 Parish assessments:

Employee benefit programs 8,591,806

8,591,806 Property liability insurance 1,600,367

1,600,367 Catholic News Herald 950,295

950,295 Central office 4,143,063

4,143,063 Parish support of schools 3,753,287

3,753,287 Federal and state agency awards 2,721,646

2,721,646 Other grants and awards 18,992 695,975 714,967 Fees for services rendered 1,335,599

1,335,599 Rental income 1,268,487

1,268,487 Interest income - parish loans 714,943 714,943 Other income 1,793,686 12,652 1,806,338 Net assets released from

restrictions—satisfaction of program restrictions 5,408,721 (5,408,721)

Total revenues and other support 88,514,702 393,535 88,908,237

EXPENSES: Program expenses: Pastoral:

Clergy, vocations, and support for retired priests 6,181,041

6,181,041 Multicultural ministries 999,676

999,676 Contributions, grants, and subsidies 560,483

560,483 Other 377,242

377,242 Education:

Regional and diocesan schools 29,179,236

29,179,236 Other education and faith formation 1,845,534

1,845,534 Social service programs 5,795,775

5,795,775 Benefit programs for lay parish employees 10,718,118

10,718,118 Property and liability insurance programs for parishes 837,415

837,415 Publication of Catholic News Herald 1,094,504

1,094,504 Conference/Retreat Centers 747,491

747,491 Tribunal 522,896

522,896

Total program expenses 58,859,411

58,859,411

Administrative: Central office administration 3,048,967

3,048,967 Regional and diocesan schools administration 15,087,886

15,087,886 Social services administration 785,410

785,410 Interest—parish savings and investments 280,339

280,339 Interest—long-term debt 24,186

24,186 Depreciation and amortization 4,682,656

4,682,656 Other 669,416

669,416

Total administrative expenses 24,578,860

24,578,860

Fundraising 1,170,496

1,170,496

Total expenses 84,608,767

84,608,767

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS BEFORE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AND NONOPERATING ACTIVITIES AND NET ASSET CREDIT (CHARGE) 3,905,935 393,535 4,299,470

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES: Contributions—FFHL

956,152 956,152 Losses on uncollectible contributions—FFHL

(970,186) (970,186) Net assets released from restrictions—FFHL 3,728,649 (3,728,649) Distributions to parishes—FFHL (3,728,649)

(3,728,649) Fundraising and other expenses—FFHL (228,587)

(228,587)

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 3,677,348 (3,349,148) 328,200

NONOPERATING: Net investment return 3,321,112 3,767,071 7,088,183 Change in fair value of interest rate swap agreements 16,419

16,419

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS FROM NONOPERATING ACTIVITIES 3,337,531 3,767,071 7,104,602

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS BEFORE NET ASSET CREDIT (CHARGE) 7,014,879 417,923 7,432,802

NET ASSET CREDIT (CHARGE)—Lay and Priest Retirement Plans and Retired Clergy Health Plan 14,651,074

14,651,074

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS 21,665,953 417,923 22,083,876

NET ASSETS: Beginning of year 33,247,403 62,322,995 95,570,398

End of year $54,913,356 $62,740,918 $117,654,274

See notes to combined financial statements.

JUNE 30, 2016

Without Donor Restrictions

With Donor Restrictions

$42,543,695 $ 5,304,225 410,982 4,126,648

8,059,640 1,707,108 926,970 3,960,740 3,619,500 2,412,510 7,480 1,389,548 1,256,799 614,206 2,898,426

-

Total

$42,543,695

8,061,347

660,719

(376,110)

5,814,065 (5,814,065)

85,052,542

2,531,891

5,304,225 410,982 12,187,995 8,059,640 1,707,108 926,970 3,960,740 3,619,500 2,412,510 668,199 1,389,548 1,256,799 614,206 2,522,316 87,584,433

5,498,437 906,752 938,130 450,063

28,037,429 1,787,134 5,288,008

28,037,429 1,787,134 5,288,008

9,724,694

9,724,694

5,498,437 906,752 938,130 450,063

885,567

1,114,577

741,124

527,579

55,899,494

3,100,363 14,657,563

730,511

206,972

133,427

4,278,536

1,141,663

24,249,035 1,183,459

81,331,988

885,567 1,114,577 741,124 527,579

55,899,494

3,100,363 14,657,563 730,511 206,972 133,427 4,278,536 1,141,663

24,249,035

1,183,459

3,720,554

2,531,891

43,844

2,090,603

(4,176,709) 3,608,644 (3,608,644) (3,608,644)

(222,591)

3,541,807

(360,304)

81,331,988

6,252,445 2,134,447 (4,176,709) (3,608,644) (222,591)

(3,162,859)

378,948

(174,581)

(534,885)

100,263

(260,041)

(174,581)

3,281,766 (3,337,440)

(13,857,039)

(10,575,273) (3,337,440)

43,822,676 65,660,435

$33,247,403 $62,322,995

100,263 (434,622) (55,674) (13,857,039) (13,912,713) 109,483,111 $95,570,398

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE COMBINED STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2017

Travel & Grants &

Personnel Occupancy Office/Program Professional Professional Other

Costs Costs Expenses Services Development Assistance Other Total

PROGRAMS: Pastoral: Clergy, vocations and support for retired priests $ 4,995,720 $ 379,642 $ 113,583 $ 77,907 $ 507,770 $ 31,212 $ 75,207 $ 6,181,041 Multicultural ministries 623,139 63,845 38,950 16,866 241,978 6,204 8,694 999,676 Contributions, grants and subsidies

560,483

560,483 Other 21,572 71,817 59,766 192,063 31,304

720 377,242 Education: Regional and diocesan schools 25,211,034

3,968,202

29,179,236 Other education and faith formation 1,278,019 325,106 97,367 15,193 126,527

3,322 1,845,534 Social service programs 3,399,414 541,087 192,639 45,250 149,328 1,466,516 1,541 5,795,775 Benefit program for lay parish employees 10,718,118

10,718,118 Property and liability insurance programs for parishes

689,219

9,540 138,656 837,415 Publication of Catholic News Herald 501,813 66,770 400,936 116,606 8,053

326 1,094,504 Conference/retreat centers 430,956 218,671 84,833 5,123 7,508 150 250 747,491 Tribunal 355,443 48,051 30,434 49,346 38,602 100 920 522,896

Total program expenses 47,535,228 2,404,208 4,986,710 518,354 1,111,070 2,074,205 229,636 58,859,411

ADMINISTRATIVE: Central office administration 2,276,698 34,678 314,117 123,785 197,485 79,800 22,404 3,048,967 Regional and diocesan schools administration 6,626,365 5,141,658 2,910,249 98,100 211,162

100,352 15,087,886 Social Services Administration 496,426 102,125 58,475 62,898 33,244 500 31,742 785,410 Interest—parish savings and investments

280,339 280,339 Interest—long-term debt

24,186 24,186 Depreciation and amortization

4,682,656

4,682,656 Other 307,209 9,557 73,706 185,045 37,837

56,062 669,416

Total administrative expenses 9,706,698 9,970,674 3,356,547 469,828 479,728 80,300 515,085 24,578,860

FUNDRAISING 601,739 13,844 501,320 26,092 21,123 107 6,271 1,170,496

TOTAL EXPENSES BEFORE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES IN THE STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES $57,843,665 $12,388,726 $8,844,577 $1,014,274 $1,611,921 $2,154,612 $750,992 $84,608,767

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES: Distributions to parishes—FFHL 3,728,649 3,728,649 Fundraising and other expenses—FFHL 72,707

105,576 50,304

228,587

Total capital campaign expenses 72,707

105,576 50,304

3,728,649

3,957,236

TOTAL EXPENSES PER THE STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES $57,916,372 $12,388,726 $8,950,153 $1,064,578 $1,611,921 $5,883,261 $750,992 $88,566,003 See notes to combined financial statements.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2017 AND 2016 1.

accompanying services for seniors, individuals, and families with low incomes, and other vulnerable populations.

• DL Catholic, Inc. (DL Catholic), which holds funds on deposit from the Central Administration, parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions in the Diocese. These amounts generally represent funds in excess of current operating needs that have been set aside to fund future programs and/or facility needs. Interest on deposits is paid based on rates established for the terms of the deposits selected by the depositors. DL Catholic also provides loans to the Central Administration, parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions in the Diocese, which are primarily for funding the purchase of property and acquisition or construction of facilities.

ORGANIZATION

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte (the “Diocese”) serves the Roman Catholic Church in western North Carolina. The Diocese comprises a geographic area of 20,470 square miles covering 46 counties ranging from the North Carolina piedmont region to the North Carolina mountain region. The accompanying combined financial statements do not include the assets, liabilities (including the parish notes discussed in Note 11), or activities of individual parishes and interparochial schools. These excluded activities are operating entities distinct from the offices and organizations included herein, maintain separate accounts, and carry on their own programs.

• The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Advancement Corporation (the Advancement Corporation), which conducts diocesan-wide fundraising campaigns (the Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love (FFHL) capital campaign and the annual Diocesan Support Appeal (DSA)) to support operating, capital, and endowment activities of the Central Administration and other entities of the Diocese of Charlotte.

The accompanying combined financial statements include the accounts of the following organizations, which operate under the auspices of the Diocese: • The Central Administration, which provides administrative and other services to parishes, schools, and agencies of the Diocese. Services include coordination and support of educational programs and multicultural ministries; the vocations program; continuing formation of priests and support of retired priests; employee benefit program; property/ casualty insurance program; diocesan tribunal; operation of the Catholic Conference Center, Living Waters Reflection Center, and Cathedral Publishing, Inc., the publisher of the Catholic News Herald.

• Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School (BMCHS), which provides Catholic secondary education for the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point areas.

• Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS), which operates nine schools throughout Mecklenburg County as of June 30, 2017 and 2016.

• The Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation (MACS Foundation), which conducts and administers fund-raising activities for the benefit of MACS. The board of the MACS Foundation voted on June 20, 2017 to dissolve the MACS Foundation as of June 30, 2017, and distribute the assets and liabilities to MACS. • The Triad Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation, which conducts and administers fund-raising activities for the benefit of BMCHS and the parish-based Catholic schools in the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point area.

• Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte (CCDOC), a professional human services agency that provides counseling, adoption support, pregnancy support, foster care, crisis intervention, material assistance, burial assistance, immigration services, refugee resettlement, justice and peace advocacy, and education, along with family enrichment services.

• The Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, Inc. (the Foundation), which receives, administers, and disburses funds through the creation of endowments for educational, religious, and charitable purposes for the benefit of the Diocese and its various parishes, schools, and agencies.

• The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corporation (the Housing Corporation), whose mission is to create, maintain, promote, and operate housing facilities and provide

• Saint Joseph College Seminary, which is a house of formation whose primary mission is to form undergraduate men for the Catholic priesthood, while attending Belmont Abbey College.

The activities of the above organizations have been combined by functional area in the accompanying combined statements of activities. All significant intradiocesan transactions have been eliminated in combination.

2.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation—The combined financial statements have been prepared under the accrual basis in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC), including FASB ASC 958, Not-for-Profit Entities. FASB ASC 958 requires the reporting of total assets, liabilities, and net assets in a statement of financial position; reporting the change in net assets in a statement of activities; and reporting the sources and uses of cash in a statement of cash flows.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements—The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but not limited to, valuation of pledges receivable, other accounts receivable, notes receivable, advances to parishes, valuation of beneficial interests in perpetual trusts, investments, interest rate swap instruments, accrued pension benefits, and accrued health benefits for retired priests. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Operating Activities—Transactions that are part of the ongoing major or central activities of the combined entities are reported as operating in the accompanying combined statements of activities. All other transactions are reported as non-operating.

Functional Expenses—The costs of program and supporting services activities have been summarized on a functional basis in the combined statements of activities. The combined statement of functional expenses presents the natural classification detail of expenses by function.

Certain costs are attributed to more than one program or supporting function and, therefore, require allocation among the programs and supporting services benefited. We believe our allocations are done on a reasonable and consistent basis. Occupancy costs are allocated on a square footage basis. Most personnel costs, office expenses, professional services, travel and professional development costs, and grants and other assistance are identified with a specific program or supporting function at the time they are incurred and are reported accordingly.

However, some of these expenses require allocation, which is done on the basis of estimates of time and effort.

Cash and Cash Equivalents—The Diocese considers all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. At various times throughout the year, the Diocese may maintain bank accounts in excess of the FDIC-insured limit.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts—The Diocese recognizes an allowance when information available prior to the issuance of the combined financial statements indicates that it is probable that a receivable has been impaired as of the date of the combined financial statements and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.

Beneficial Interests in Perpetual Trusts—Beneficial interests in perpetual trusts represent irrevocable interests in assets held by third parties under split-interest agreements and are measured at fair value, with the change in fair value reported within investment return (loss) in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

Investments—Investments consist primarily of marketable debt and equity securities and funds and are measured at fair value in the accompanying combined statements of financial position.

Net investment return (loss) is reported within non-operating activities in the combined statements of activities and consists of interest and dividend income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, less external and direct internal investment expenses. The Diocese utilizes financial institutions to provide custodial and recordkeeping services, in addition to investment managers with full discretionary authority, subject to the Diocese’s investment policies, to provide investment management services.

Property and Equipment—Upon acquisition, property and equipment is recorded at cost when purchased and at estimated fair value when donated. Depreciation expense is determined by using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Property and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. No impairment charges related to property and equipment were recognized during fiscal years 2017 and 2016.

The major classes of property and equipment represented as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, are as follows: Life

2017 2016 (In Years)

Land $14,833,309 $14,216,270 N/A Land improvements 16,414,468 12,059,991 5–15 Buildings

76,394,416 74,669,449 30–40 Furniture and equipment 11,248,134 11,000,014 3–10 Vehicles

2,337,316 2,221,943 5 Interest in St. Matthew Education Center 5,561,332 5,561,331 Varies Construction in progress 888,893 2,238,181 N/A Property held for sale 17,500 17,500 N/A

127,695,368 121,984,679

Less accumulated depreciation (53,439,619) (50,189,238)

Total $74,255,749 $71,795,441

Capital lease assets included in furniture and equipment and the associated accumulated depreciation totaled $2,217,428 and $1,173,758, respectively, as of June 30, 2017, and $2,217,428 and $586,879, respectively, as of June 30, 2016. The remaining capital lease obligation as of June 30, 2017 was $791,348, and is included in custodial, annuity and other obligations in the accompanying combined statement of financial position. The remaining lease payment of $795,018 in 2018 includes interest of $3,670 at 0.4%.

The construction in progress as of June 30, 2017, consists primarily of amounts expended by MACS for expansion of Christ the King Catholic High School, and amounts expended in the design phase for Saint Joseph College Seminary. The construction in progress as of June 30, 2016, consists primarily of amounts expended by the Central Administration for site improvements on a parcel of land owned by the Diocese, amounts expended by MACS for driveway and stadium improvements at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School, and amounts expended in the planning phase for Saint Joseph College Seminary.

Unexpended contractual commitments for MACS school facility improvements at June 30, 2017 was approximately $6.2 million.

The interest in St. Matthew’s Education Center shown above represents the total amount paid

by MACS for the acquisition and construction of property and equipment in accordance with a joint-usage agreement with St. Matthew Catholic Church. It is being amortized over the useful lives of the assets in which MACS has an interest. The amortization is included in accumulated depreciation.

Interest expense incurred that relates to the acquisition or construction of property and equipment is capitalized. No interest expense was capitalized in fiscal years 2017 or 2016.

Custodial Obligations—Custodial funds are managed by the Diocese, as agent, on behalf of the originating organization. These funds are not recorded as contributions or net assets of the Diocese but rather are included as assets and corresponding custodial obligations in the accompanying combined statements of financial position.

Pension and Other Retirement Benefit Plans—The Diocese accounts for its defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans by recording an asset (liability) for the excess (deficit) of plan assets over the actuarially determined projected benefit obligation, with the net periodic benefit cost allocated to program and administrative expenses based on related salaries and wages. Changes in the funded status of the plans, other than net periodic benefit costs, are reported as a net asset charge (credit) in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

The net asset credit of $(14,651,074) for the year ended June 30, 2017, is primarily attributable to favorable fund returns, the curtailment of the lay noncontributory defined benefit pension plan and the change in mortality improvement scale. The net asset charge of $13,857,039 for the year ended June 30, 2016, is primarily attributable to the decrease in the discount rate used to calculate the present value of future benefits. The Diocese’s defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans are described below: Lay Noncontributory Defined Benefit Pension Plan—The Diocese sponsors a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the “Lay Plan”) for all eligible diocesan lay employees. The Lay Plan provides for benefits based on an employee’s years of service and compensation. During fiscal years 2017 and 2016, each diocesan entity was assessed 8.4% and 8.2%, respectively, of lay employees’ salaries to fund the contribution to the Lay Plan and certain other employee benefits. In addition to contributing the actuarially recommended contribution amount to the Lay Plan for both fiscal years 2017 and 2016 of $3,562,267 and $3,312,092 respectively, the Central Administration contributed $455,886 and $329,908 in additional contributions to the Lay Plan during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.

In fiscal 2017, the Lay Plan was amended to eliminate future accruals for all participants, except for those who are at least age 62 and have at least 12 years of service as of January 1, 2018. The plan will be closed to new entrants as of January 1, 2018. Although the plan will be frozen, employees who are participants in the plan will retain benefits accumulated up to January 1, 2018, based on credited service and eligible earnings, in accordance with the terms of the plan. This change decreased the plan’s projected benefit obligation by approximately $1,548,000 and a curtailment gain of $34,204 was recorded in 2017.

Priest Retirement Plan—The Diocese sponsors the Diocese of Charlotte Priest Retirement Plan (the “Priest Plan”) to provide pension benefits for diocesan priests. The Priest Plan provides benefits for priests who are fully vested, in a uniform monthly amount that is increased annually based on the change in the Consumer Price Index. The Priest Plan received contributions directly from the Advancement Corporation of $973,171 and $1,224,358 during the years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, the Central Administration also contributed the actuarially recommended contribution amount to the Priest Plan for both fiscal years 2017 and 2016 of $1,040,200 and $1,153,619 respectively.

Retired Clergy Health Plan—In addition to providing the Priest Plan discussed above, the Diocese sponsors the Diocese of Charlotte Retired Clergy Health Plan, which provides retired diocesan priests certain health and long-term care benefits. In addition to contributing the actuarially recommended contribution amount to the Retired Clergy Health Plan for both fiscal years 2017 and 2016 of $537,829 and $445,949 respectively, the Central Administration contributed $55,879 and $833,804 in additional contributions to the Plan during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.

An annual collection is held at each parish to raise funds for the Priest Retirement Plan, the Retired Clergy Health Plan and other priest benefits. Each parish was assigned 3.5% of annual offertory as their goal for this collection for fiscal years 2017 and 2016. Any shortfall from goal in the amount collected is paid by the parish. Annual collections from the parishes for this purpose are reported as collections in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

The Diocese also sponsors a tax-deferred defined contribution plan under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) for all eligible diocesan employees. Employer-matching contributions to the plan are based on a percentage of employee contributions. Each diocesan entity is responsible for payment of the matching contribution directly to the tax-deferred defined contribution plan. Matching contributions to this plan amounted to $431,640 and $433,130 in fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are reported within expenses in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

Derivative Instruments—The Diocese may use derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to movements in interest rates. Interest rate swaps are measured at fair value in the accompanying combined statements of financial position, with the change in fair value reported within non-operating activities in the accompanying combined statements of activities. The Diocese does not enter into derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Net Assets—Net assets and revenues, expenses, gains and losses are classified based on the existence or absence of donor-imposed restrictions. Accordingly, net assets consist of the following: Without Donor Restrictions—Net assets without donor restrictions consist of all resources that have no donor-imposed restrictions. The Diocese has designated unrestricted net assets as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, as follows:

2017 2016

Future expenditures for: Triad Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation grants $ 175,449 $ 213,043 Bishop McGuinness HS programs

21,183 30,203 Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools capital projects

7,432,632 5,435,553 Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools programs

2,709,239 2,189,460 Capital Campaign and DSA fundraising and administrative costs 289,778 448,876 Diocesan Support Appeal funded programs

9,347,311 9,225,561 Self insurance (property and employee health) and lay employee pension

5,693,532 7,684,895 Facility maintenance

1,291,553 1,291,553 Elderly outreach

739,649 739,649 Other Diocesan programs

750,973 812,346 Reserve for potential investment/loan losses by DL Catholic 2,951,758 2,673,163 Management designated endowments established with the Diocesan Foundation

4,270,076 3,869,740

$35,673,133 $34,614,042

With Donor Restrictions—Net assets subject to donor-imposed restrictions stipulating how, when and/or if the net assets are available for expenditure. Some donor-imposed restrictions are perpetual in nature, whereby the donor stipulates that resources be maintained into perpetuity.

Others are temporary in nature, such as those that will be met by the passage of time or other events specified by the donor. Net assets are released from restriction and reclassified to net assets without donor restrictions when the stipulated time has elapsed, when the stipulated purpose for

which the resource was restricted has been fulfilled, or both. Gifts of long-lived assets and gifts of cash restricted for the acquisition of long-lived assets are released from restriction when the (longlived) assets are placed in service. The composition of net assets with donor restrictions as of June 30, 2017 and 2016 is presented in Note 17.

School Tuition and Fees and Parish Support—Tuition and related fees represent amounts paid by students’ families, net of applied tuition assistance, and are recognized over the school year in which earned. Parish support of schools represents contributions made by the participating parishes of the Diocese. Tuition and fees received in the current year for the following school year’s tuition are recorded as unearned revenue in the accompanying combined statements of financial position.

Contribution Revenue and Pledges Receivable—Contribution revenue is recognized upon receipt of assets (financial or nonfinancial) or an unconditional promise to give from a donor, and is measured at fair value. The classification of revenue as without donor restrictions or with donor restrictions is determined by the donor’s stipulations, or absence thereof, that limit the use of the donated assets. Fair value for unconditional promises to give is measured at net realizable value for pledges due within one year and at net present value for pledges to be collected in future years.

The discounts on those amounts are computed using risk-adjusted interest rates applicable to the periods in which the promises are received. Management evaluates the value of pledges receivable on an ongoing basis for changes in the estimated timing or amounts of cash flows. Decreases in the value of restricted pledges receivable after initial recognition are recognized as losses on uncollectible contributions. Recoveries of previously recognized decreases in value of restricted pledges receivable (up to the amount of decreases previously recognized) would be recognized as a reduction of losses on uncollectible contributions. The amortization of discounts on pledges receivable are included in contributions in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

Capital Campaign Contributions and Distributions—FFHL contributions are limited in their use to the specific purposes outlined in the fund-raising materials. As such, contributions are classified as with donor restrictions, except for contributions allocated to cover campaign costs, which are classified as without donor restrictions designated for fund-raising and administrative costs. FFHL distributions to beneficiary entities are recorded based on the capital campaign’s distribution policy, which generally provides for distribution to beneficiary entities upon receipt of cash payments by the Advancement Corporation and satisfaction of donor restrictions by the beneficiary entity. Proceeds received for construction activities are not recorded as distributions until commencement of the project. Proceeds received for the Priest Retirement Plan Trust are recorded as a reduction in accrued pension and postretirement benefits at the time of distribution to the Trust.

Income Taxes—The Diocese and the entities comprising the combined financials are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC and are generally exempt from federal and state income taxes.

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America prescribe a minimum recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements. Although these principles are primarily applicable to taxable business enterprises, an uncertain tax position may also include the characterization of income, such as a characterization of income as passive, a decision to exclude reporting taxable income in a tax return, or a decision to classify a transaction, entity, or other position in a tax return as exempt. The tax benefit from uncertain tax positions is recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits.

The Diocese and the entities comprising the combined financial statements had no unrecognized tax positions as of and during the years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. The Diocese does not expect that unrecognized tax benefits will materially increase within the next 12 months. Fiscal year 2014 and thereafter are subject to examination by the federal and state taxing authorities. There are no income tax examinations currently in process.

Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions, if any, would be recognized in the combined financial statements as income tax expense.

Risks and Uncertainties—The Diocese’s investments consist of various equity securities, fixed income securities, money market funds, and other investment securities. Investment securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, market, and credit. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities and the level of uncertainty related to changes in the value of investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in risks in the near term could materially affect the Diocese’s investment balances reported in the combined statements of financial position.

Subsequent Events—The Diocese has evaluated subsequent events from the end of the most recent fiscal year through October 3, 2017, the date the combined financial statements were available to be issued.

Accounting Standards Updates—The Diocese adopted Accounting Standard Update (ASU) No. 2016-14, Not-for-Profit Entities—Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Entities issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in August 2016, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, but early adoption is permitted. The ASU improves the net asset classification requirements and information presented about a not-for-profit’s liquidity, endowments, financial performance and expense reporting. The amendments in the ASU have been applied by the Diocese on a retrospective basis for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. However, the Diocese has elected the permitted option to omit the following information for fiscal 2016: (1) analysis of expenses by both natural classification and functional classification, and (2) disclosures about liquidity and availability of resources. As such, the financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016 have been restated to reflect the net asset classifications required by ASU 2016-14 and to provide additional information about the Foundation’s endowments and financial performance. The restatement resulted in an increase in combined net assets without donor restrictions and a decrease in combined net assets with donor restrictions of $376,463 as of June 30, 2016 resulting from the reclassification of cumulative investment losses in excess of cumulative investment gains on endowments. The restatement did not result in a change to total combined net assets or to the total change in combined net assets as of and for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016.

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes existing guidance on revenue recognition requirements in FASB ASC 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry specific guidance. The core principle of this guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The guidance is effective

for nonpublic entities with annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Management is currently evaluating the provisions of this update and their impact on the combined financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which supersedes existing guidance on accounting for leases in FASB ASC 840, Leases, and generally requires all leases to be recognized in the statement of financial position. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments and the asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as initial direct costs. The guidance is effective for nonpublic entities with annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the provisions of this update and the impact on the combined financial statements.

3.

LIQUIDITY AND AVAILABILITY

Financial assets available for general expenditure, that is, without donor or other restrictions limiting their use, within one year of the statement of financial position date (June 30, 2017), comprise the following: Cash and cash equivalents $ 16,445,150 Investments 71,073,269 Endowment investments available for general purposes and for distribution in accord with the Foundation spending rate policy

1,643,061 Total cash, cash equivalents and investments $ 89,161,480 Pledges receivable, due within one year

11,101,411 Accounts receivable, due within one year

2,023,891 Notes receivable, due within one year

636,011 Advances to parishes, due within one year

205,404

103,128,197

Less amounts unavailable for general expenditures: Required to satisfy donor restrictions

(21,489,688) Required to satisfy management designations

(28,451,299) Required for distributions, endowments, and grants

(1,821,674)

Financial assets available to meet cash needs for general expenditures within one year $ 51,365,536

Parish deposits held by DL Catholic’s savings and investment programs total approximately $38 million. Management believes that the financial assets available within one year of the statement of financial position (June 30, 2017) are sufficient to meet cash needs to fund general expenditure and withdrawal requests for funds on deposit.

The Diocese’s endowment funds consist of donor-restricted endowments and funds designated by management as endowments. Income from donor-restricted endowments is restricted for specific purposes, with the exception of amounts available for general use. Donor-restricted endowment funds are not available for general expenditures and, thus, are not included above.

All endowments are subject to an annual spending rate of 5 percent of the most recent 12-quarter market value average, as prescribed by the Foundation. Only the funds available for distribution in accordance with the Foundation spending rate policy are included above.

The Diocese manages its liquidity by developing and adopting annual operating and capital budgets that provide sufficient funds for general expenditures in meeting its liabilities and other obligations as they come due. Actual performance is reported and monitored monthly in comparison to the budgets. Adjustments are made to plan as needed to ensure adequate liquidity.

As part of our liquidity management plan, cash balances are invested in short-term investments.

4.

PLEDGES RECEIVABLE—NET

The following unconditional promises to give are included in pledges receivable in the accompanying combined statement of financial position as of June 30, 2017:

FFHL DSA Other Total

Unconditional promises at face value $24,912,321 $1,291,211 $1,311,005 $27,514,537 Less allowance for uncollectible pledges

10,911,999 192,190 11,104,189 Less unamortized discount 664,957

91,983 756,940

Net unconditional promises to give $13,335,365 $1,291,211 $1,026,832 $15,653,408

Amounts due in: Less than one year $17,202,107 $1,291,211 $335,880 $18,829,198 One to five years 7,616,317 851,050 8,467,367 More than five years 93,897 124,075 217,972

Total

$24,912,321 $1,291,211 $1,311,005 $27,514,537

The following unconditional promises to give are included in pledges receivable in the accompanying combined statement of financial position as of June 30, 2016:

FFHL DSA Other Total

Unconditional promises at face value $34,825,891 $1,250,444 $1,759,155 $37,835,490 Less allowance for uncollectible

pledges

11,432,171 260,744 11,692,915 Less unamortized discount 1,433,912 129,376 1,563,288

Net unconditional promises to give $21,959,808 $1,250,444 $1,369,035 $24,579,287

Amounts due in: Less than one year $16,174,651 $1,250,444 $580,755 $18,005,850 One to five years 18,335,926 1,015,025 19,350,951 More than five years 315,314 163,375 478,689

Total

$34,825,891 $1,250,444 $1,759,155 $37,835,490

The change in the allowance for uncollectible pledges for the year ended June 30, 2017, related to the FFHL campaign reflects additions of $12,962 related to initial measurement of unconditional promises to give received in 2017 and $970,186 related to additional allowances provided on unconditional promises to give received in previous years and outstanding at June 30, 2017,

less write-offs of $1,503,320. The change in the allowance for uncollectible pledges for the year ended June 30, 2016, related to the FFHL campaign reflects additions of $134,409 related to initial measurement of unconditional promises to give received in fiscal year 2016 and $4,176,709 related to additional allowances provided on unconditional promises to give received in previous years and outstanding at June 30, 2016, less write-offs of $1,467,643. Pledges receivable due within one year as of June 30, 2017 and June 30, 2016, related to the FFHL campaign include past due accounts totaling approximately $8,200,000 and $5,600,000, respectively. Past due accounts include the portion of pledge receivables not paid when due under the pledge agreements.

5.

NOTES RECEIVABLE—NET

Notes receivable consists primarily of term loans and lines of credit from DL Catholic to parishes and schools. Loans structured as lines of credit typically finance construction and facility improvement projects and do not have specific maturity dates, rather are converted to term loans upon completion of the related project. Term loans are typically structured to have terms up to 15 years. Line of credit loans generally bear interest at the prime rate, minus 0.5%. The interest rate for term loans is generally based on the published swap rate for the applicable term of the borrowing, plus an additional percentage, which varies depending on the term of the borrowing.

These notes bear interest at rates ranging from 2.6% to 5.61% at June 30, 2017, and 3.0% to 5.61% at June 30, 2016.

As of June 30, 2017, the future repayment requirements of the loans, assuming the loans mature over their scheduled repayment terms, are as follows: Term loans: Amounts due in: Less than one year

One to five years More than five years Less allowances

Net—term loans

Lines of credit

Notes receivable—net

6.

$1,574,537 5,959,221 7,823,425 (273,112) 15,084,071 2,897,500 $17,981,571

ADVANCES TO PARISHES

The Diocese maintains a revolving loan fund that was established primarily from resources provided by bequests stipulated for advances to small or needy parishes at no interest. Advances outstanding at June 30, 2017 and 2016, totaled $3,155,828 and $3,060,667, respectively. These advances are long-term in nature and are reflected, net of allowances, at their estimated present value of $2,171,381 and $2,061,184 in the accompanying combined statements of financial position at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

7. INVESTMENTS The cost and fair value of investments as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, are summarized below: 2017 2016

Cost

Fair Value

Cost

Fair Value

Foundation: Endowment and custodial funds: Money market funds $ 415,455 $ 415,455 $ 1,438,074 $ 1,438,074 Equity funds and securities 25,715,751 30,499,591 24,153,668 23,634,777 Fixed income mutual funds 14,586,054 14,389,560 11,263,883 11,041,571 Annuity funds: Money market funds 18,956 18,956 25,745 25,745 Equity funds and securities 216,133 230,106 222,236 226,194 Fixed income mutual funds 167,064 167,637 151,788 155,499

Total Foundation

investments 41,119,413 45,721,305 37,255,394 36,521,860

Other: Cash 1,136,419 1,136,419 249,048 249,048 Money market funds 75,385 75,385 115,966 115,966 Certificates of deposit 1,687,859 1,687,859 1,673,346 1,673,346 Variable rate demand notes 2,496,358 2,496,358 2,791,578 2,791,578 Equity funds and securities 12,277,769 14,667,990 13,220,959 12,963,172 Bonds and fixed income funds 51,931,972 51,009,258 40,420,695 39,793,857 Other investments

25,619 25,619

Total other investments 69,605,762 71,073,269 58,497,211 57,612,586

Total investments $110,725,175 $116,794,574 $95,752,605 $94,134,446

The Diocese had no unfunded commitments to purchase investments as of June 30, 2017.

8.

SAVINGS PROGRAMS

DL Catholic administers savings and investment programs for the benefit of the Central Administration, parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions in the Diocese. These amounts generally represent funds in excess of current operating needs that have been set aside to fund future programs and/or facility needs. Demand funds on deposit earned interest at the prime rate minus 3.5%, with a minimum rate of 0.5% during fiscal years 2017 and 2016. Funds on deposit with an 18-month minimum investment period earned interest at the prime rate minus 2.5%, with a minimum rate of 1.0% during fiscal years 2017 and 2016. The prime rate was 4.25% and 3.5% at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Funds on deposit from non-combined entities along with accrued interest totaled $38,182,100 and $31,682,383 at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are reflected as custodial obligations in the accompanying combined statements of financial position.

9.

PENSION AND RETIREMENT PLANS

The funded status and other information of the Lay and Priest plans as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, is set forth in the following tables ($, in thousands):

2017 2016

Lay Priest Lay Priest Funded status and amounts recognized in the combined statements of financial position: Projected benefit obligation $(89,864) $(30,841) $(90,094) $(29,633) Fair value of plan assets—end of year 46,517 12,541 39,966 9,879

Funded status $(43,347) $(18,300) $(50,128) $(19,754)

Accrued pension expense liability—end of year $(43,347) $(18,300) $(50,128) $(19,754)

Amounts recognized in net assets without donor restrictions (net asset charge) not yet recognized as net periodic benefit cost consist of the following: Unrecognized transition obligation $

$207 $

$ 276 Unrecognized prior service cost (credit)

895 (792) 1,092 Cumulative unrecognized net loss 26,762 10,442 37,678 12,136

Net asset charge—end of year $ 26,762 $11,544 $ 36,886 $ 13,504

Amounts recognized in the combined statements of activities—net periodic benefit cost $7,362 $2,521 $ 5,916 $ 2,250

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in net assets without donor restrictions:

Net (gain) loss (5,202) (1,177) 12,183 3,306 Curtailment plan benefit obligation adjustment (1,548) Adjustment of service cost for curtailment 34 Amortization of transition obligation

(69)

(69) Amortization of prior service credit (cost) 758 (197) 758 (197) Amortization of net loss (4,167) (518) (3,010) (364)

Total net asset (credit) charge (10,125) (1,961) 9,931 2,676

Total net asset (credit) charge and net periodic benefit cost recognized in net assets without donor restrictions $ (2,763) $560 $ 15,847 $ 4,926

Amounts included in net assets without donor restrictions (net asset charge) that are expected to be recognized as net periodic benefit cost during the next year are as follows:

Amortization of transition obligation $ $ 69 $

$69 Amortization of prior service cost (credit)

197 (758) 197 Amortization of unrecognized net loss 2,558 392 4,167 518

$ 2,558 $ 658 $ 3,409 $784

Other information: Actuarially recommended annual contribution $ 3,562 $ 1,040 $ 3,312 $ 1,153 Additional employer contributions 456

330 Contributions from Advancement Corporation

973

1,224 Benefits paid 3,153 782 2,687 748 Accumulated benefit obligation 89,774 25,435 88,588 24,658

Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations as of June 30: Discount rate 4.01 % 4.19 % 3.93 % 4.17 % Expected return on plan assets 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Rate of compensation increase 2.50

2.50

Assumptions used to determine net benefit cost for the years ended June 30:

Discount rate 3.93 % 4.17 % 4.66 % 4.83 % Expected return on plan assets 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Rate of compensation increase 2.50

2.50

The funded status and other information for the Retired Clergy Health Plan as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, is as follows:

2017 2016 Funded status and amounts recognized in the combined statements of financial position—projected benefit obligation $(14,285,654) $(14,802,141) Fair value of plan asset—end of year

9,478,164 8,028,018

Funded status

(4,807,490) (6,774,123)

Accrued pension expense liability—end of year $(4,807,490) $(6,774,123)

Amounts recognized in the combined statements of activities—net periodic benefit cost

$1,192,388 $1,087,574 Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in net assets without donor restrictions (net asset charge)

(2,565,313) 1,250,007

Total net asset (credit) charge and net periodic benefit cost recognized in net assets without donor restrictions $(1,372,925) $2,337,581

Amounts recognized in net assets without donor restrictions (net asset charge) not yet recognized as net periodic benefit cost $3,923,782 $6,489,095

Other information: Benefits paid

$297,187 $286,152 Actuarially recommended annual contribution

537,829 445,949 Additional employer contributions

55,879 833,804

Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations as of June 30: Discount rate

4.28 % 4.32 % Expected return on plan assets 7.00 7.00

Assumptions used to determine net benefit cost for the years ended June 30: Discount rate 4.32 % 5.00 %

The assumed health care cost trend rates used to measure the expected cost of benefits covered by the plan, the ultimate trend rate, and the fiscal year when that rate is expected to be achieved for the years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, are as follows: 2017 2016

Long-Term Long-Term Care Health Care Health

Health care cost trend rate 5 % 9 % 5 % 7% The ultimate trend rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline 5 % 5 % 5 % 5% Fiscal year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate 2026 2021

The assumed long-term rate of return for the Lay, Priest, and Retired Clergy Health plans are based on the respective target asset allocation and is determined using forward-looking assumptions in the context of historical returns for each asset class.

As of June 30, 2017 and 2016, the plan investments are maintained in trust accounts managed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (the “Trustee”). The Trustee has full discretionary authority, subject to the plans’ investment policies. The percentage of total investments by asset class for each plan as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, is as follows: 2017 2016

Retired Retired

Lay Priest Clergy Lay Priest Clergy Pension Pension Health Pension Pension Health

Domestic large cap equity securities and funds

32 %

32 %

32 %

31 %

31 %

31 %

Domestic small and mid cap 10

10

10

10

10

10

International equity funds

equity funds

25

25

25

22

22

21

Domestic fixed income

21

21

21

22

21

21

International fixed income

3

3

3

4

4

4

Domestic high yield fixed income

6

6

6

4

4

3

4

4

4

3

4

6

100 %

100 %

100 %

Alternative investments

Cash and cash equivalents

3

3

3

Total

100 %

100 %

100 %

The Lay, Priest, and Retired Clergy Health plan investment policies stipulate allowable asset classes for inclusion in the portfolio and minimum and maximum allowable ranges. The following asset classes and corresponding ranges were allowable at June 30, 2017 and 2016: 2017 2016

Retired Retired

Lay Priest Clergy Lay Priest Clergy Pension Pension Health Pension Pension Health

11.

NOTES PAYABLE

Parishes of the Diocese have certain bank notes and bonds outstanding (Parish Bank Debt).

The proceeds from the Parish Bank Debt are being used to finance various parish and school construction and capital improvement projects, as well as the purchase of equipment. Principal and interest payments on the Parish Bank Debt are currently being paid to the bank directly by the specific parishes benefiting from the use of the proceeds. As of June 30, 2017 and 2016, all principal and interest payments were current. However, if any parishes default on payments of principal and interest in the future, it is likely that the Diocese would look to the Central Administration for funding. The outstanding amount under these notes was $1,037,885 and $2,192,974 at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, the Diocese has entered into certain interest rate swap agreements related to the Parish Bank Debt with notional amounts totaling $1,037,885 and $2,192,974 as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. All of the interest rate swap agreements were in a liability position as of June 30, 2017 and 2016. The fair value of these interest rate swap agreements was $(24,873) and $(85,784) as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Diocese did not recognize any liabilities related to Parish Bank Debt or the related interest rate swaps in the accompanying combined financial statements as of June 30, 2017 and 2016.

12.

BONDS PAYABLE

Series 2000 Bonds—In June 2000, the North Carolina Educational Facilities Financial Agency issued $19,700,000 of variable rate educational facilities revenue bonds (the “Series 2000 Bonds”) with final maturity, subject to prior redemption, on June 1, 2017. The proceeds therefrom have been loaned to the Bishop of the Diocese, and are administered by the Central Administration.

Such proceeds have been used to finance the acquisition, construction, installation, and equipping of the current campus of BMCHS, and to refinance the construction and equipping of a MACS entity, as well as to pay a portion of the interest on the bonds and to pay bond issue costs. The Central Administration has allocated a pro rata portion of the Series 2000 Bonds to BMCHS and MACS. These affiliated entities have recorded their pro rata interest expense and resulting payable to the Central Administration within their respective financial statements.

Principal and interest payments on the Series 2000 Bonds are supported by an irrevocable, direct pay letter of credit by a bank. The letter of credit, which expired on June 6, 2017 (bond payoff date), supported the entire loan amount. The annual fee associated with this letter of credit was 0.32% through August 4, 2010, and 0.85% from August 5, 2010, to June 6, 2017.

The balance outstanding at June 30, 2016 was $540,000, and was paid in full during fiscal 2017.

The Series 2000 Bonds accrued interest at a variable rate of 0.78% and 0.43% at June 6, 2017 and June 30, 2016, respectively.

In June 2004, the Central Administration entered into an 11-year interest rate swap agreement for a portion of the Series 2000 Bonds, with an effective date of June 1, 2006. The agreement requires the Diocese to pay the counterparty a 4.5% fixed rate of interest on the notional amount. In return, the counterparty will pay the Diocese interest at a variable rate based on the published BMA (“Bond Market Association”) index in accordance with the swap agreement. The interest rate swap matured during fiscal 2017. The notional amount and fair value of the swap agreement as of June 30, 2016 was $405,000 and $(16,419), respectively. Changes in the fair value are reflected as the change in fair value of interest rate swap agreements in the accompanying combined statements of activities. Interest expense amounted to $22,199 and $139,865 during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Domestic large cap equity securities and funds

30%–60% 30%–60% 30%–60% 30%–60% 30%–60% 30%–60%

Domestic small and mid cap equity funds

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–30

0–30

0–30

0–30

0–30

0–30

20–60

20–60

20–60

20–60

20–60

20–60

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

International equity funds Domestic fixed income International fixed income

13.

FACILITIES USAGE AND LEASE AGREEMENTS

MACS has agreements with participating parishes for their use of various facilities with varying terms. These agreements provide for contingent rentals based on usage and may be amended or modified at any time. Expenses totaled $585,376 and $550,944 for fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively, and are reported within regional and diocesan schools administration expense in the accompanying combined statements of activities.

Domestic high yield fixed income Alternative investments

0–15 0–15 0–15 0–15 0–15 0–15

Cash and cash equivalents

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

0–20

The investment policies stipulate socially responsible investment guidelines, investment return objectives, both in the aggregate and relative to applicable investment benchmarks, minimum standards for investment holdings, and other guidelines for the investment of plan assets.

The estimated contribution to the Lay, Priest, and Retired Clergy Health plans for fiscal year 2018 is $3,572,750, $735,179, and $286,496, respectively.

Benefits expected to be paid over the next 10 fiscal years as of June 30, 2017, are as follows: Years Ending June 30

Lay Pension

Priest Pension

Retired Clergy Health

2018 $ 3,642,200 $ 863,060 $ 372,931 2019 3,884,764 952,230 404,728 2020 4,122,292 1,000,944 438,124 2021 4,353,163 1,132,866 487,253 2022 4,586,067 1,166,216 524,288 2023–2027 25,383,271 6,574,335 3,098,658

Total $45,971,757 $11,689,651 $5,325,982

10.

EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS

The Central Administration administers medical and dental insurance coverage for eligible employees of the Diocese. The Central Administration charges each organization premiums for the coverage of its employees on a monthly basis. The individual organizations have no liability for claims in excess of the premiums to be paid. The Central Administration has an arrangement with a third party to administer the medical and dental plans. During fiscal years 2017 and 2016, approximately 13.3% and 12%, respectively, of the premiums submitted by diocesan entities were paid to the third-party administrator for administrative services and the premiums for specific and aggregate stop-loss coverages in fiscal years 2017 and 2016. The remaining portion of the premiums is designated by the Central Administration to pay claims, which are processed by the third-party administrator. The Central Administration has specific stop-loss coverage at $175,000 per claimant in fiscal years 2017 and 2016, and aggregate coverage beginning at 125% of the actuarially projected total individual claims under $175,000 for fiscal years 2017 and 2016.

Total expenditures incurred for employee health benefits were approximately $12,830,000 and $12,540,000 during fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.

MACS entered into an agreement to lease the former All Saints School to a third party for a 10-year period. The lease commenced on September 1, 2011. Rental revenue is recognized on a straightline basis over the term of the lease agreement. As revenue recognized as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, exceeded rental payments received, a deferred rent asset of $726,507 and $760,250 is recorded in the statements of financial position as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The Diocese is the lessor in a ground lease agreement and the lessee in a space lease agreement with the same third party. In fiscal year 2003, the third party paid to the Diocese the net amount due for the entire terms of these lease agreements of $290,128. The Diocese is also responsible for monthly payments relating to the operating costs associated with the space lease agreement.

Prepaid rent relating to the space lease of $671,968 and $706,725 at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, is included in deferred rent in the accompanying combined statements of financial position. Unearned revenue relating to the ground lease of $784,987 and $825,589 at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, is reflected in the accompanying combined statements of financial position. The prepaid rent expense on the space lease and the unearned revenue related to the ground lease are both being amortized on a straight-line basis over the lives of the respective leases.

14. CONTINGENCIES From time to time, the Diocese is subject to various disputes and legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Management is of the opinion, based upon information presently available, that it is unlikely that any liability to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, would be material in relation to the Diocese’s combined financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

The Housing Corporation has guaranteed various contingent payment obligations of its equity method investee, Curlin Commons Housing of Mooresville, Inc. (CCHM), related to an affordable housing project located in Mooresville, North Carolina. The maximum amount of the Housing Corporation’s guarantee obligation was approximately $4,000,000 as of June 30, 2017; however, management believes the likelihood that the Housing Corporation will have to make any such payments is remote.

15.

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, certain assets and liabilities are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. For the Diocese, the assets and liabilities that are adjusted to fair value on a recurring basis are investments in debt and equity securities, investments in funds, beneficial interests in perpetual trusts, and interest rate swap agreements. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous

market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, the inputs used to measure fair value are prioritized based on a three-level hierarchy. This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows: Level 1—Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets that are available as of the measurement date Level 2—Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly Level 3—Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement The assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, based on the three levels of inputs within the fair value hierarchy, are summarized as follows:

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2017

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Investments: Money market funds $ 509,796 $

$ 509,796 $ Investments in certificates of deposit 1,687,859 1,687,859 Variable rate demand notes 2,496,358 2,496,358 Domestic large cap equity securities 6,694,596 6,694,596 Domestic large cap equity funds 14,707,224 14,707,224 Domestic bonds 24,214,263 24,214,263 International bonds 4,395,274 4,395,274 Mutual funds:

Domestic small and mid cap equities 6,750,923 6,750,923

International equities 17,208,027 17,208,027

Domestic bonds 15,021,217 15,021,217 International bonds 2,417,717 2,417,717 Domestic high yield bonds 4,145,831 4,145,831 United States treasury notes 5,082,258 5,082,258 Municipal bonds 1,836,901 1,836,901 Agency securities 5,744,271 5,744,271 Mortgage backed securities 2,708,723 2,708,723 Other funds 36,917 36,917

Total investments 115,658,155 52,275,228 63,382,927

Beneficial interest in perpetual trust 4,690,544 4,690,544

Total

$120,348,699 $52,275,228 $68,073,471 $

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2016

Total Level 1 Level 2

Investments: Money market funds $ 1,579,785 $ $ 1,579,785 Investments in certificates of deposit 1,673,346 1,673,346 Variable rate demand notes 2,791,578 2,791,578 Domestic large cap equity securities 5,084,678 5,084,678 Domestic large cap equity funds 11,848,033 11,848,033 Domestic bonds 13,473,171 13,473,171 International bonds 3,645,696 3,645,696 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 5,530,167 5,530,167 International equities 12,104,256 12,104,256 Domestic bonds 14,269,163 14,269,163 International bonds 2,146,135 2,146,135 Domestic high yield bonds 710,355 710,355 Commodities 2,257,009 2,257,009 United States treasury notes 5,078,854 5,078,854 Municipal bonds 230,501

230,501 Agency securities 7,813,615 7,813,615 Mortgage backed securities 3,623,437 3,623,437 Other investments 25,619

25,619

Total investments 93,885,398 42,101,763 51,783,635

Beneficial interest in perpetual trust 4,581,359 4,581,359 Interest rate swap agreement (16,419)

(16,419)

Total $98,450,338 $42,101,763 $56,348,575

Level 3 $

-

A summary of the levels within the fair value hierarchy used to determine the fair value of the pension and postretirement plan assets, excluding cash deposits measured at cost, as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, is summarized as follows:

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2017

f or the Lay Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 1,328,277 $ $ 1,328,277 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 4,617,683 4,617,683 Domestic large cap equity funds 10,052,258 10,052,258 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 4,571,127 4,571,127

International equities 11,721,699 11,721,699

Domestic bonds 9,787,644 9,787,644

International bonds 1,602,512 1,602,512

Domestic high yield bonds 2,833,809 2,833,809

Total $46,515,009 $ 35,134,474 $11,380,535 $

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2016 for the Lay Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 1,521,420 $

$1,521,420 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 3,562,560 3,562,560

Domestic large cap equity funds 8,665,732 8,665,732 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 4,013,618 4,013,618

International equities 8,807,214 8,807,214

Domestic bonds 8,783,974 8,783,974

International bonds 1,511,845 1,511,845

Domestic high yield bonds 1,479,407 1,479,407

Commodities 1,618,439 1,618,439

Total

-

$

-

The fair value of investments classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy are measured using standard valuation techniques, based on inputs that are observable, including the stated interest rate, maturity, and credit risk. The measurement of investments classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy are based on published net asset values determined by the fund manager and reported on a daily basis. These investments, however, are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (unlike mutual funds, which are registered). In certain instances, net asset values may require adjustments to more appropriately reflect fair value. No adjustments to net asset values were required. Proceeds from the redemption of the domestic large cap equity funds are generally available within seven (7) days after receipt of a valid redemption request.

Redemption requests for significant amounts may take longer to process.

Transfers between Levels—The availability of observable market data is monitored to assess the appropriate classification of financial instruments within the fair value hierarchy. Changes in the availability of observable market data may require the transfer of financial instruments from one fair value level to another. In such instances, transfers are reported at the end of the reporting period.

There were no transfers between levels during 2017 and 2016.

Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America also require that certain assets and liabilities be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, generally as the result of impairment charges. The Diocese had no assets or liabilities adjusted to fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of June 30, 2017 and 2016.

$ 29,777,057 $10,187,152

$

-

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2017 for the Priest Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 468,392 $ $ 468,392 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 1,199,760 1,199,760 Domestic large cap equity funds 2,707,813 2,707,813 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 1,232,560 1,232,560

International equities 3,161,528 3,161,528

Domestic bonds 2,606,046 2,606,046

International bonds 400,652 400,652

Domestic high yield bonds 763,641 763,641

Total $12,540,392 $ 9,364,187 $ 3,176,205 $

$39,964,209

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2016 for the Priest Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 455,008 $ $ 455,008 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 863,471 863,471 Domestic large cap equity funds 2,140,412 2,140,412 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 990,953 990,953

International equities 2,173,009 2,173,009

Domestic bonds 2,119,193 2,119,193

International bonds 372,523 372,523

Domestic high yield bonds 365,842 365,842

Commodities 398,861 398,861

Total

$ 9,879,272 $ 7,283,852 $ 2,595,420 $

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2017 for the Retired Clergy Health Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 359,558 $ $ 359,558 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 896,988 896,988 Domestic large cap equity funds 2,047,009 2,047,009 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 931,153 931,153

International equities 2,391,135 2,391,135

Domestic bonds 1,970,898 1,970,898

International bonds 303,647 303,647

Domestic high yield bonds 577,776 577,776

Total $ 9,478,164 $ 7,071,597 $ 2,406,567 $

Fair Value Measurement as of June 30, 2016 for the Retired Clergy Health Plan

Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Money market funds $ 552,146 $ - $ 552,146 $ Domestic large cap equity securities 685,252 685,252 Domestic large cap equity funds 1,698,246 1,698,246 Mutual funds: Domestic small and mid cap equities 784,824 784,824

International equities 1,724,484 1,724,484

Domestic bonds 1,700,302 1,700,302

International bonds 295,920 295,920

Domestic high yield bonds 270,623 270,623

Commodities 316,221 316,221

Total $ 8,028,018 $ 5,777,626 $ 2,250,392 $ -

16.

ENDOWMENT FUNDS

The Diocese’s endowment funds are managed by the Foundation and consist of donor-restricted funds and management designated funds established for the purposes as shown in Note 17, as well as custodial endowments established by organizations affiliated with the Diocese. Custodial endowments are not recorded as contributions and, therefore, are not reflected as net assets of the Foundation.

Management has interpreted the state of North Carolina’s enacted version of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) as allowing the Foundation to appropriate for expenditure or accumulate so much of an endowment fund as the Foundation determines is prudent for the uses, benefits, purposes, and duration for which the endowment fund is established, subject to the intent of the donor as expressed in the gift instrument. As a result, the Foundation classifies as net assets with donor restrictions (a) the original value of gifts donated to the permanent endowment, (b) the original value of subsequent contributions to the permanent endowment, and (c) other accumulations to the permanent endowment as required by donor gift instruments. Gains (losses) on the investments of donor-restricted endowment funds are recorded as additions to (reductions of) net assets with donor restrictions, until those amounts are appropriated for expenditure by the Foundation consistent with the donor’s wishes, at which time they are reclassified to net assets without donor restrictions.

There were 7 and 44 donor restricted endowments in which cumulative investment losses exceed cumulative investment gains (“underwater” endowments) as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The aggregate original gift amount of the “underwater” endowment funds totals $109,245 and $11,646,055 as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The aggregate fair value of the “underwater” endowment funds totals $106,097 and $11,269,592 as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, resulting in aggregate losses of “underwater” funds totaling $3,148 and $376,463 at June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Although UPMIFA allows appropriations for expenditure from “underwater” endowments in an amount determined to be prudent given the specific circumstances, the Foundation’s policy precludes spending from “underwater” endowments, unless specifically approved by the donor, the donor’s representative or the Foundation’s Board of Directors. During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, $4,242 and $0, respectively, were distributed from endowments with a fair value that was less than the cumulative original gift amount at the time of distribution.

The Foundation has developed an investment policy for all its investable assets whose general purpose is to preserve the capital and purchasing power of the endowments and to produce sufficient investment earnings for current and future spending needs. The Foundation has adopted a total return strategy whose asset allocation is designed to give balance to the overall structure of the Foundation’s investment program over a long-term period. The Foundation has adopted a spending policy that limits the amount of funds available for distribution each year to 5% of the endowment funds’ average fair value over the prior 12 quarters, determined on a quarterly basis. In establishing this policy, the Foundation considered the long-term expected return on its investments and the objective to preserve purchasing power.

The endowment net asset composition by fund type as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, is as follows:

Without Donor With Donor 2017 Restrictions Restrictions Total

Designated $4,316,205 $

$ 4,316,205 Donor restricted: Purpose restrictions

29,739,267 29,739,267 No purpose restriction— time restriction only

88,645 88,645

Total funds $4,316,205 $29,827,912 $34,144,117

Without Donor With Donor 2016 Restrictions Restrictions Total

Designated $3,869,526 $

$ 3,869,526 Donor restricted: Purpose restrictions 22,235,057 22,235,057 No purpose restriction— time restriction only

67,621 67,621

Total funds $3,869,526 $22,302,678 $26,172,204

Changes in endowment assets for the year ended June 30, 2017, consisted of the following:

Without Donor With Donor

Restrictions Restrictions Total

Endowment net assets— beginning of year $3,869,526 $22,302,678 $26,172,204 Investment income 546,484 3,448,532 3,995,016 Additions

4,773,309 4,773,309 Distributions (54,976) (412,654) (467,630) Other changes:

Grants awarded

Administrative fees (25,539) (208,848) (234,387) Management fees (19,290) (75,105) (94,395)

Endowment net assets—end of year $4,316,205 $29,827,912 $34,144,117

Changes in endowment assets for the year ended June 30, 2016, consisted of the following:

Without Donor With Donor

Restrictions Restrictions Total

Endowment net assets—beginning of year $4,147,335 $17,035,869 $21,183,204 Investment loss (137,098) (479,126) (616,224) Additions

6,221,876 6,221,876 Distributions (82,500) (170,702) (253,202) Other changes: Grants awarded

(35,000) (35,000) Administrative fees (47,310) (216,799) (264,109) Management fees (11,597) (52,744) (64,341) Other

696 (696)

Endowment net assets—end of year $3,869,526 $22,302,678 $26,172,204

17.

NET ASSETS WITH DONOR RESTRICTIONS

Net assets with donor restrictions consist of contributions received from donors whose use by the Diocese is limited by donor-imposed stipulations. The restricted amounts as of June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the corresponding purposes for which the income is expendable are as follows:

2017 2016

TRIAD Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation grants $ 50,300 $ 50,300 Bishop McGuinness High School Programs

168,273 130,264 Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Capital Projects

126,437 87,892 Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Programs

370,290 545,052 Catholic Charities’ Programs

750,797 745,885 Elderly Outreach

497,331 507,331 FFHL gifts for Parishes

5,809,673 9,411,276 FFHL gifts for Priest Retirement Plan

1,426,078 2,252,109 FFHL gifts for facility construction and improvements

6,980,266 7,427,830 St. Joseph Seminary future residence building

2,773,557 2,190,001 Other programs

260,643 163,137 Amounts in excess of endowment corpus and annuities subject to expenditure for donor specified purposes: Parishes

889,839 318,046 Education 986,021 379,875 Clergy/vocations

723,229 279,570 Outreach programs and services

972,117 60,296 Diocesan programs

440,063 330,414 Nondiocesan programs

36,379 9,871

23,261,293 24,889,149

To be held in perpetuity to generate income for donor specified purposes: Endowments (including endowment cash, pledges and other receivables for future investment): Parishes 9,447,573 7,442,404 Education 7,219,942 6,491,930 Clergy/vocations

3,013,260 2,709,724 Outreach programs and services

5,360,613 4,328,949 Other diocesan purposes

885,320 962,524 Nondiocesan

381,316 380,632

26,308,024 22,316,163

FFHL gifts restricted for endowments: Education 1,050,643 1,749,407 Clergy/vocations

393,991 656,027 Outreach programs and services

1,181,973 1,968,081 Other diocesan purposes

787,983 1,312,054

3,414,590 5,685,569

Beneficial interest in perpetual trust—parishes

4,690,544 4,581,359

Permanent loan fund—parishes

4,897,235 4,688,297

Annuity funds: Parishes 85,741 83,077 Clergy/vocations

22,144 21,520 Outreach programs

22,144 21,520

130,029 126,117

Assets held in trust

39,203 36,341

Total net assets with donor restrictions

$62,740,918 $62,322,995

******

We proclaim the greatness of the Lord And we give thanks

Through our prayers Through our service

Through our charity

Protecting God’s Children 2017 The Diocese of Charlotte continues its commitment to protect children and the vulnerable from the dangers of sexual abuse. To further that goal, all clergy, religious, lay employees and volunteers must comply with diocesan safe environment policies and procedures. The educational program “Protecting God’s Children” helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse and the many ways that sexual abuse harms victims, families, parishes and communities. During the past fiscal year, 3517 diocesan personnel attended sessions, and to date more than 48,900 adults in the diocese have been trained. In addition, criminal background checks are required for all diocesan employees and volunteers on an ongoing basis. During the past year, 4,068 criminal background checks were processed by the diocese.

In August 2017, the Diocese of Charlotte participated in an onsite compliance audit conducted by Stonebridge Business Partners, an agency contracted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to ascertain and document the progress made by dioceses in the United States in the implementation of the Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The results of these external audits are published by the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection every year. This year’s audit included the period July 2016 through June 2017. At the conclusion of the audit, the diocese was found to be in compliance with the requirements of the Charter.

The diocese also provides resources to support victims of abuse. The diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator is a professional counselor who can assist those who have been harmed by abuse. The diocesan Review Board serves as a confidential consultative body to the bishop. The board reviews cases of sexual abuse that are reported to the diocese. Information regarding the reporting of abuse is available on the diocesan website and is disseminated in the diocesan newspaper and in parish bulletins.

These activities represent a significant financial commitment on the part of the diocese. The cost of the various programs and measures outlined herein totaled $112,774 during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. The diocese also provided financial assistance to victims and their families. During the past year, $9,540 was provided for medical and counseling services. Additionally, the diocese incurred costs in connection with sexual misconduct lawsuits totaling $34,801 during fiscal 2017. As in the past, none of these funds came from the Diocesan Support Appeal or from parish savings.

In 2002 the USCCB enacted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. During the past 15 years the Church has made progress in the prevention of the sexual abuse of children, but the work is not finished. In Pope Francis’s words, “Let us find the courage needed to take all necessary measures and to protect in every way the lives of our children, so that such crimes may never be repeated. In this area, let us adhere, clearly and faithfully, to ‘zero tolerance.’”