March 17, 2017

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

M arch 1 7 , 2 0 1 7

Partners in Hope raises record $315,000 for Catholic Charities 3

MACS announces teacher raises, tuition rates for 2017-’18 14 INDEX

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Annual conference encourages men to follow Jesus 3

Celebrating St. Patrick Learn more about the patron saint of Ireland

‘An incredible joy to see the Holy Spirit at work’ FOCUS missionaries part of pilot program at St. John Neumann Church 6

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Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Patrick Pope Francis

Shady business deals that threaten employment a ‘grave sin’

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mployers who make business deals that threaten people’s livelihood commit a sin that robs men, women and their families of their dignity, Pope Francis said.

“Whoever – because of economic maneuvering and business dealings that are not all clear – closes factories and businesses and takes work away from men and women commits a grave sin,” the pope said March 15 before concluding his weekly general audience.

The pope was speaking to a group of employees from Italy’s Sky television; several hundred employees risk losing their jobs after the company announced plans to move their Rome headquarters to Milan.

According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Sky Italia claimed the move was due to rising costs and an outdated digital infrastructure in Rome. Local workers’ unions have criticized the company’s decision that will force 300 workers to transfer from the capital while an estimated 200 employees will be left without a job.

In his main audience talk, part of a series on Christian hope, Pope Francis reflected on St. Paul’s call in his Letter to the Romans for Christians to be “joyful in hope” and sincere in their love.

A Christian’s “highest vocation” is the call to love and charity. However, the pope said, St. Paul also warns of “the risk that our charity can become hypocritical.”

“Hypocrisy can infiltrate anywhere, even in our way of loving,” he said, especially when acts of love or charity are done “to put ourselves on display or so that we feel fulfilled.”

Christians, he added, must ask themselves if their love is sincere and “not that of a soap opera.”

“There is a false, misleading idea behind all this: namely that if we love, it is because we are good, as if charity was a creation of man, a product of our heart,” the pope said.

Charity and love, he continued, are a grace that is meant to shine forth what “the Lord gives us and what we freely receive.”

St. Paul’s warning, the pope explained, is “not so much a reproach but rather an encouragement to revive hope in us.”

“We need the Lord to continually renew this gift in our hearts through the experience of His mercy,” Pope Francis said. “In this way, we will be able to appreciate the little, simple and ordinary things again, and we will be able to love others as God loves them.”

Lorica of Saint Patrick

Feast day: March 17 March 17 commemorates the feast of St. Patrick of Ireland, a bishop and missionary of the early Church.

Patrick (“Patricus”) was born around the year 390 in Cambria, England. Although he was the son of a deacon and grandson of a priest, he said that he “knew not the true God” in his youth.

At the age of either 14 or 16, he was captured in a pirate raid and enslaved in Ireland for six years. As a sheepherding slave in Ireland, he used his time to pray. He wrote that the “love of God and His fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith.” “I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”

After six years of enslavement, he was told in a dream that he would soon go to his own country. He either escaped or was freed, made his way to a port 200 miles away and eventually persuaded some sailors to take him with them.

Upon his return home he received training for the priesthood, including the Latin Bible, which he came to know well, but he did not receive a “higher education,” the lack of which he regretted and for which he was criticized.

Patrick was then ordained a bishop and returned to Ireland, the country where he had been enslaved. He worked principally in the north, setting up his see at Armagh. He encouraged the Irish to become monks and nuns. In an attempt to abolish paganism and idolatry, he made many missionary journeys.

He spent the rest of his life spreading the Gospel, playing a vital role in converting the country of Druids into a bastion of Christianity. Because of his stand against the Druids, he is invoked against snakes and witchcraft.

According to legend he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to pagans. The shamrock has three leaves on each stem.

Patrick explained that the Trinity is similar to the three-leaf plant: just as the shamrock has three leaves but is one plant, so the Trinity has three persons but is one God. Although he had little learning and less rhetorical training, St. Patrick had sincere simplicity and deep pastoral care. He made no distinction of classes in his preaching and was himself ready for imprisonment or death in order to follow Christ.

He is also considered a secondary patron saint of Nigeria, next to the Virgin Mary. In the early 1900s Irish missionaries spread the message of Christianity to Nigeria, and the African nation is now home to about 20 million Catholics.

Patrick died in 461. He is buried in County Down, Ireland.

— Catholic News Herald

Don’t miss this!

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See coverage of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In obedience of angels, In service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In preachings of the apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of virgins, In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock.

I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From every one who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil, Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.

— St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Your daily Scripture readings MARCH 19-25

Sunday: Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-2, 5-8, John 4:5-42; Monday (St. Joseph): 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24; Tuesday: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Matthew 18:21-35; Wednesday: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9, Matthew 5:17-19; Thursday (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo): Jeremiah 7:23-28, Luke 11:14-23; Friday: Hosea 14:2-10, Mark 12:28-34; Saturday (The Annunciation of the Lord): Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38

MARCH 26-APRIL 1

Sunday: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41; Monday: Isaiah 65:17-21, John 4:43-54; Tuesday: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-16; Wednesday: Isaiah 49:8-15, John 5:1730; Thursday: Exodus 32:7-14, John 5:31-47; Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30; Saturday: Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53

APRIL 2-8

Sunday: Ezekiel 37:12-14, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45; Monday: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 3362, John 8:1-11; Tuesday (St. Isidore): Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday (St. Vincent Ferrer): Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:5256, John 8:31-42; Thursday: Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-59; Friday (St. John Baptist de la Salle): Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday: Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-56

Our parishes

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

‘More than one person said this was the best ever from the seven years of the men’s conference.’

Conference encourages men to follow Jesus Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

HUNTERSVILLE — Close to 500 men attended the seventh annual Catholic Men’s Conference, “Men on a Mission,” at St. Mark Church March 4.

The conference was an opportunity for the men of the Diocese of Charlotte to live their Catholic faith, and lead their families and others to God by the example of their lives.

This year it featured three dynamic Catholic speakers with very different delivery styles, including former Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein. Bishop Peter J. Jugis also celebrated Mass for the men. The day-long conference also featured Adoration and Benediction, with a Lenten reflection by Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church.

Soft-spoken Catholic speaker Robert Rogers, from Mighty

Core-organizing team leader of the conference

Robert Rogers

Speaking about learning how to handle stress from his four young children

David Harold received the William G. Curlin Partners in Hope Award from Catholic Charities.

Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, was the keynote speaker.

Partners in Hope raises record $315,000 for Catholic Charities’ work in the Triad

Sergio Miranda

‘Chocolate therapy is a very happy place for me, but most of all, I stay immersed in God’s Holy Word.’

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Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

rico De Silva | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter Jugis gives Communion to one of the 500 men who attended the seventh annual Catholic Men’s Conference, “Men on a Mission,” March 4 at St. Mark Church.

in the Land Ministries, shared his testimony of how his wife Melissa and his four children were tragically killed during a flash flood in Kansas in August 2003. “The flood washed us off the freeway… I was in that flood as well. How I survived, only God knows,” Rogers recounted.

“The core of my message is to know God deeply, intimately, personally, and to live a life of no regrets,” he said.

Beuerlein followed Rogers’ poignant testimony. The former NFL quarterback told football stories about his college years as quarterback for the University of Notre Dame. Buerlein also shared with the men how central his Catholic faith has been since he was young.

“My Catholic faith is really at the core and center of who I MEN, SEE page 11

WINSTON-SALEM — More than 900 people filled Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem for the 14th annual Partners in Hope charity dinner March 9, raising a record $315,000 to benefit Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s work in the Triad.

The largest of the diocesan agency’s annual fundraisers provides significant funding for critical services to some of the most needy in the area.

Last year the Catholic Charities offices in Winston-Salem and Greensboro provided counseling services to 850 people, gave direct assistance to 712 people, and distributed more than 137,000 pounds of food to 3,232 people (nearly half of whom were vulnerable children and the elderly).

More than 300 households received baby items through the “Wee Care Shoppe,” and 47 families with babies born to teen parents received parenting assistance.

Father Brian Cook, pastor of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, noted, “How do we do this? We recognize that in some humble way we are all the face of mercy. We are the face of mercy! We are entrusted with this holy work. We are the face of mercy as we see Jesus in the poor, the vulnerable, the scared. … in the people in line at the food pantry, in the expectant mothers who wonder how they’re going to raise their kids, in the young college students at Forsyth Tech that just need a little support and encouragement so that they can both raise their young children and finish their college degree.”

Dr. Gerard Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, thanked the staff and volunteers of the Winston-Salem and Greensboro offices.

“I see the work that they do and they are simply incredible – and I don’t say that

lightly,” Carter said.

He also thanked the sponsors and supporters of the annual fundraiser, which included St. Leo the Great Church, St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, Holy Family Church in Clemmons, Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point and the Winston-Salem Cursillo Community.

“Thank you so much for partnering in hope, so that many wonderful people see that they’re not alone and abandoned in the world. That the world is still a place where there are faith-filled people who genuinely care, with a care that cuts across all of the divisions in our world,” he said.

Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA since 2015, gave the keynote address.

“I am so impressed by the work that you’re doing here in North Carolina, and especially in this area, this part of the country: food security, pregnancy support, case management, mental health intervention, education, immigration, social enterprise development,” Sister Donna said.

As the nation’s largest faith-based charitable organization, Catholic Charities serves mostly “at the emergency level,” she said, providing $4.6 billion of service annually to the poor.

“Someone comes to us who is absolutely in dire straits, and we provide emergency help, but we also do something beyond that, which is to try through our programs … to help people get on their feet – not just survive, but thrive. And to do so with dignity.”

Most recently, Catholic Charities has been working to protect local agencies’ ability to help refugees and immigrants, she said. “Right now in this country, Catholic Charities agencies are caring for over 600,000 immigrants and 45,000 CHARITIES, SEE page 11

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: March 18 – 12 p.m.

Rite of Election St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte

March 25 – 11 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Angels Church, Mt. Airy

April 1 Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage Belmont Abbey College, Belmont

March 21 – 10:30 a.m.

Mass for St. Benedict Day Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Belmont

March 27 – 10 a.m.

St. Matthew School, Charlotte

April 2 – 10 a.m.

Mass for Boy Scout Camporee Belk Scout Camp, Midland

March 23 – 7 p.m.

Legion of Mary Acies St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

March 31 – 10 a.m.

Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events March 17, 2017

LENTEN Missions & Services

Volume 26 • Number 12

Lent for Ukrainian (Byzantine Rite) Catholics: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, and continuing every Wednesday during Lent at St. Basil Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission (meets at St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s chapel, located at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte). The very ancient Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts will be celebrated. Everyone is welcome to come and experience the various ancient liturgies of the Byzantine Rite. For details, visit www.stbasil.weebly.com.

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

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

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org

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

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

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

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

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

LENTEN VESPERS: 6 p.m. Sunday, March 5, and continuing every Sunday during Lent through April 9 at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Vespers will be followed by a reflection on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. For details, go to www.stpatricks.org.

cultural foods. Children can even bring their own baskets with their own treats. For details, call Deacon James Witulski at 704-960-3704.

NATURAL Family Planning NFP Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m.

Saturday, April 8, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., 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.

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups

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: Jefferson: 10 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 326 East Main St. Salisbury: 6 p.m. Monday, March 20, at sacred Heart School, 385 Lumen Christi Lane SYLVA: 5 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at St. Mary, Mother of God Church, 22 Bartlett St. SUPPORT GROUPS

Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Lenten reflection: Saturday, March 18, at Sacred Heart Church, 375 Lumen Christi Lane, Salisbury. Come, listen and enjoy the Lenten talk by retreat director Father Lucas Rossi. Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m. followed by refreshments, announcements and the reflection at 9 a.m. To register, go to www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

Pro-Life Rosary: 11 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at 801 North Elm St. and Sunset Dr., High Point. Come and help us pray for the end of abortion, and feel free to invite anyone who would be morally supportive of this important cause. Parking is available on site in the bank parking lot. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

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

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

Lenten REtreat, ‘In the Beginning was the Word...’: 7 p.m. March 19-21, at St. Dorothy Church, 148 St. Dorothy’s Lane, Lincolnton. Everyone welcome to attend this reflection on the Prologue of the Gospel.

Guest speaker Father John Szada, chaplain of the Carmel of Jesus and Mary in Elysburg, Pa. For details, call the parish office at 704-735-5575.

St. Teresa of Calcutta Exhibit: Continues until Friday, March 17, at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road, Charlotte. This 72-panel exhibit will be set up in the cafe behind the divider. Relics will be available for veneration.

The Missionaries of Charity will provide prayer cards and blessed miraculous medals for all attendees. For details, call the parish at 704-527-8671, ext. 221.

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

Lenten Parish Mission, ‘The Desert of Lent 2017 – Not La La Land’: 6:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, March 20-22, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte. Presented by Father Kenneth P. Paul, a Franciscan priest of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and professor of education at Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y. For details, call the parish at 704-536-6520.

St. Peregrine Healing Prayer Service: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. The healing prayer service will be offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, contact the parish at 704-543-7677.

Polish Lenten retreat: 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 Thursday, April 6, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Father Andrzej Jaczewski from the Diocese of Siedlce, Poland, will conduct the retreat. In addition to the retreat, Father Jaczewski will celebrate Mass in Polish on Palm Sunday, April 9, at 3 p.m.

Confessions are available beforehand, starting at 2 p.m.

A reception follows Mass in the New Life Center Banquet Room. For details, contact Barbara Banas at 704-847-2419 or email barbmbanas@aol.

CHARLOTTE Maronite Mission: Masses are offered every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at St. Matthew Church’s Waxhaw Campus, 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road, Waxhaw. The Maronite Mission of Charlotte is an Eastern rite Catholic church in full communion with the pope.

‘Divine Mercy Novena’: Begins on Good Friday, April 14- ends on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23, at Holy Infant Church, 1042 Freeway Drive, Reidsville. For details, contact the church office at 336-342-1448.

Blessing of Easter Food Baskets: Noon Saturday, April 15, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Deacon James Witulski will bless Easter food, part of an Eastern and Central European tradition also called “The Blessing of the Easter Baskets” (“Swieconka” in Polish). The blessings will be in English and Polish. Bring your Easter foods to the church in a basket: traditional foods such as sausage, eggs, bread and butter, or use your imagination and include your own

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

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

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

Join Father Christopher Roux, rector and pastor, and other area Catholic men for Sunday Gospel meditations, the rosary and fellowship. For details, call the parish office at 704-334-2283.

YOUNG ADULTS CHARLOTTE AREA: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/charlottecatholicyoungadultministry, and at: Our Lady of Consolation Church: contact Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871 St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry” St. John Neumann Church: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587 St. Matthew Church: on Facebook at “Young Adult Life: A St. Matthew Ministry” St. Patrick Cathedral: on Facebook at “The Cathedral of St. Patrick - Young Adult Ministry” St. Peter Church: look them up on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/St-Peters-Catholic-Young-Adult-MinistryCharlotte-NC

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.

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Belmont Abbey College launches radio station Rolando Rivas Special to the Catholic News Herald

Belmont Abbey College students Alexis Perierio and Morgan Pavelock, Haitian villager Joseph, Haitian interpreter Andre, and Dr. Tara Galloway plant a tree for a family in Williamson Village in Haiti.

Photos provided

Planting the seed of love Abbey professor leads students on mission trips for Christ Emily Williams Correspondent

BELMONT — As a Benedictine monastery as well as an institution of learning, Belmont Abbey College prides itself on instilling the values of hospitality and service in its students. For those who wish to make the most of their time at the Abbey and put those particular values to good use, an education professor leads overseas mission trips every year that have proved to be successful in more ways than one.

“I feel like every faculty member within a department can contribute to our students’ overall growth,” says Dr. Tara Galloway, assistant professor of education. “This involves preparing students’ minds, bodies and spirits to pursue the good for themselves and for their communities, which is our mission at Belmont Abbey College.”

Galloway takes interested students on a mission trip to a developing country twice a year to learn about the meaning of charity and giving. In January, she took her students to Haiti, a country ravaged by poverty and natural disasters, where she believes her students find “the perfect opportunity…to change their worldview and broaden their knowledge of the world and what people are going through.”

The ultimate aim, she says, is to help students in learning to “lead lives of integrity” and become “a walking blessing” to those around them.

Working with Mission of Hope, a Christian organization which aims to help the people of Haiti through Church advancement, medical care and other resources, Galloway and her students build houses and give families needed practical items such as water filters and solar lights to improve the quality of their lives.

However, there is much more: “These things were such a blessing to the families,” she says, “but the best part was that we were able to connect with these beautiful people and share how Jesus provides the eternal light and living water for eternal life.

The trees would produce fruit for the families to eat, but we were also able to plant the seed of God’s love and grace in their lives.”

Galloway acknowledges that there is only so much the team of students can do to help the Haitian people during their trips, but they are never deterred in their work, as they know they are being guided by something stronger than themselves.

“Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with a population of 9 million and over two-thirds of the population are unemployed. The sheer vastness of need makes you question yourself and makes you feel so unqualified to be Jesus’ hands and feet, but God revealed His purpose daily and clearly guided the way for our group while we worked in Haiti. We were forced to step out of our comfort zones and let God use us in unimaginable ways to change one life at a time – including our own.”

Despite the difficulties, every student spoke of their joyful

experience during the process, without a hint of complaint or regret. In sharing some of her students’ comments about the trip, the lasting, sober impact it has impressed upon them is quite obvious.

“You never leave Haiti the same person you once were,” says Alexis Peririo. “They live in such a simple way and it really changes the way you value things.”

For student Brette Linkenhoker, the mission trip brought her “closer to God” and made her “more grateful for everything I have back home.”

For others, the power of Christ worked wonders and changed hearts. “I wasn’t even good with kids until the Haiti trip, but God helped me,” says Kayla Vitello. “I didn’t even believe in God until the trip. Life is about serving others and following in the steps of Jesus – and that was the mission in Haiti. We accomplished that mission. I felt it in my heart and it touched me forever.”

Besides the Haiti trip, Galloway emphasizes the concept of service in her courses on public education. Students accompany her to different parts of the world where they engage in some form of charity work. It’s a perk of the job that is quite successful and one that she takes quite seriously: “The first year we went to the Dominican Republic and worked with the Mariposa Foundation, serving girls and young women affected by sex trafficking. Last year, we traveled to Ireland to work on an organic farm with the Dominican Sisters in Wicklow. This year,

BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College has hit the radio waves with its own Low Power FM Catholic radio station, 101.5 WBAC-LP. Courtesy of a donor, the college has restarted its place in local radio after a more than 20-year hiatus.

The new station will initially broadcast the EWTN Radio Network intermingled with college-produced programming. As a Low Power FM channel, the new station reaches all of Belmont, Mount Holly and parts of eastern Gastonia and western Charlotte.

The 140-year-old Benedictine college had a station beginning in the early 1970s under the call letters WABY. “Bringing back the radio station to the abbey affords us so many new opportunities for our students and for the college to support the Church’s New Evangelization. We’re excited to be back on the air. And we’re excited to bring Catholic radio and great programming from EWTN to one of the fastest-growing Catholic markets in the country,” said Dr. Bill Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey Belmont Abbey College College.

The new is seeking underwriters to support its new Low station will Power FM radio station. support academic endeavors under For more information the guidance of Dr. and to contribute, email Rolando Rivas at Trey Cunningham, rolandorivas@bac.edu. who leads the college’s new Sport Broadcasting Enrichment program, by giving students real-world experience. A new student radio club and the student-run newspaper, The Crusader, will also contribute to local programming. In addition, the college plans to broadcast college athletic events, arts events and theatre.

The new station represents the first Catholic radio station in the Charlotte area.

The college will announce new programming through social media and on the college’s website, www.belmontabbeycollege.edu. The station is also broadcasting online via the college’s website.

Lend your support

Rolando Rivas is the director of marketing and communications for Belmont Abbey College and the acting station manager of 101.5 WBAC-LP.

Galloway and her students are pictured with villagers after the tree has been planted. the trip will be in Germany to work with refugees in Munich.”

Galloway’s spiritual emphasis for these trips is a testament to what the college can do for its students – more than just providing a liberal arts education.

“Mission trips have the unique ability to build community and togetherness among the students,” she says. “They find themselves fully relying on God to take in real-world living situations, and faith is forced to step in. The transformation is palatable and it is amazing to watch God propelling them forward in their walk in faith.”

Photo provided by Rolando Rivas

Belmont Abbey College junior Cory Martin is among those helping to run the college’s new Low Power FM radio station, 101.5 WBAC-LP. Martin said he is “really excited to see what opportunities the station will bring to the Abbey.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 OUR PARISHES

‘It’s an incredible joy to see the Holy Spirit at work’

FOCUS missionaries part of pilot program at SJN SueAnn Howell Senior Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Authentic friendships rooted in Jesus Christ and sharing the beauty of the Catholic faith are at the heart of the mission of the Chang family, FOCUS missionaries serving at St. John Neumann Church.

The Changs – Jimmy, Melissa and their young daughter Amaria – are a part of a pilot program for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, a lay Catholic movement with the mission to know Jesus Christ and fulfill His Great Commission, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

FOCUS missionaries are trained in Church teaching, prayer, Scripture, evangelization and discipleship. They strive to encounter people in friendship where they are, inviting them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and accompanying them as they pursue lives of virtue and excellence. Through Bible studies, outreach events and one-onone discipleship, missionaries inspire and build up people in the faith, helping them go out to spread the good news and to live out the Great Commission in their lives.

This pilot program places experienced FOCUS missionaries who are college graduates from every walk of life – fresh off campus or retired, single or married with children – into parishes in the U.S. Four parishes are in the pilot program: St. John Neumann, Christ the King Church in Tulsa, Okla.; St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, Ill.; and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Denver, Colo.

“The FOCUS Parish Outreach pilot began in order to take what FOCUS has learned from campus about evangelization and discipleship-making and apply it to the parish,” says Andrea Francois, FOCUS director of parish outreach. “Our hope is that our parish missionaries will make disciples in the parish and teach them how to share their faith through evangelization.”

Melissa first encountered FOCUS at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She had recently graduated from college and moved to Lincoln for a work opportunity. Melissa was impressed by the FOCUS missionaries’

photo provided by melissa chang

Jimmy and Melissa Chang (at left holding thier daughter Amaria) are part of a FOCUS pilot program at St. John Neumann Church. The Changs, who arrived at the Charlotte parish last August, are leading Bible studies and helping parishioners grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. zeal for the faith. She attended a FOCUS Bible study and a national conference.

“I became intrigued by the FOCUS missionaries as I grew in friendship with many of them,” she recalls. At the national conference she saw many young adults “on fire for the faith and so many of them opened my heart to the Lord’s greater call to share that with other people.”

She took a leap of faith, leaving her fulltime job of three years, and has served as a FOCUS missionary since 2009.

She and Jimmy arrived at St. John Neumann Church last August. The past seven months have been a blessing, she says.

“We are growing in authentic friendship with people here, helping them to have a deep, personal encounter with Our Lord. We’re really walking with them and equipping them to reach out to others, to share their faith in a real way,” she says.

They are now running six Bible studies at the parish, several during times when

parents drop off their children for faith formation classes, so that the parents can also grow in their faith.

“Sometimes this is the first time that people are opening God’s Word. It’s been amazing to see the Holy Spirit at work as we build friendships through living the Gospel,” she says.

Jimmy, a native of Ecuador, is bilingual, which has been very helpful to the St. John Neumann Church community. He was educated in a school run by Salesians and in high school he started working in a mission caring for poor children.

“I was involved in door-to-door evangelization in impoverished areas where we would visit and pray for the sick and the poor. Prayer groups were very familiar to me in Ecuador. I remember joining my first prayer group when I was around 12 years old,” he recalls.

He met Melissa in Miami, where he was introduced to FOCUS while they were

dating. “FOCUS’s method and model of evangelization caught my attention. I believe that this method of incarnational evangelization is what Jesus chose to reach the whole world,” he says.

He began considering serving as a missionary with FOCUS three years ago when he was speaking at a Catholic retreat in Miami. He recalls feeling that God was calling him to something more.

“It was a true moment of conversion to mission for me. As I continued to learn more about FOCUS through my wife’s involvement as a missionary, we heard about a new initiative to bring the FOCUS evangelization model to parishes. It seemed to us an answer to our prayers. We had desired to serve together as family.”

Jimmy shares that some of the things he enjoys most about serving the parish community is serving alongside his family and getting to know other families.

“So much of what we do is about diving deeper with parishioners as we build authentic friendships. It’s an incredible joy to see the Holy Spirit at work as we pray with others, as we study Scripture together, as we share life together.

“We are preparing them to head into lifelong mission by raising up servant leaders, disciples of Jesus, who will be equipped for a lifetime of reaching others and teaching them to do the same.”

He stresses the need to always be aware that it is Jesus who is making the impact. “We are just like a brother or sister who knows Christ, and are sharing with our brothers and sisters in the parish what we have experienced in and through life with Christ.

“This is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is doing the heavy lifting.”

Father Pat Hoare, pastor, is glad to have the Chang family serving the parish. He learned of the pilot program a couple of years ago.

“After a few conversations, FOCUS visited St. John Neumann Church and met with our parish council and finance council. After lots of discussion, prayer and discernment, we decided to accept FOCUS’s invitation to serve as a pilot parish,” he said. “We’re early in the process, but I see seeds being planted that I eagerly hope will begin to bear great fruit!”

CRS Rice Bowl seeks to foster solidarity, raise funds for global and local needs Joseph Purello Special to the Catholic News Herald

The 2017 Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Program began on Ash Wednesday, March 1. This year’s CRS Rice Bowl theme, “Encounter Lent,” echoes the call of Pope Francis that our faith seeks “a culture of encounter.” CRS hopes that, through participation in Rice Bowl, a spirit of global solidarity is cultivated.

One way that the CRS Rice Bowl Program assists in building global solidarity is by offering Lenten opportunities for participants to learn about a variety of countries overseas, to explore the principles of Catholic social teaching, and to enter into the practice of making sacrificial offerings to help those who face poverty, hunger and illness around the world.

“Rice Bowl gives the faithful, especially the youth in our parishes and schools, the opportunity to see our

Lenten journey as a time to walk on a global path with our brothers and sisters in need around the world,” said St. Charles Borromeo Church’s Deacon Edward Konarski, who chairs the CRS advisory committee that assists in promoting CRS Rice Bowl and Catholic Charities CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant Program.

The 2016 Lenten CRS Rice Bowl Collection involved 57 parishes and diocesan schools and raised $62,218. Twentyfive percent of Rice Bowl funds remain in the diocese to support the charitable efforts of diocesan Catholic entities through the distribution of Catholic Charities CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grants. In 2016, a total of 17 $1,000 CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grants were awarded to Catholic entities from throughout the diocese located in the following communities: Albemarle, Andrews, Arden, Asheville, Charlotte, Clemmons, Gastonia, Greensboro, Hayesville, Jefferson, Mocksville, Morganton, Murphy, Spruce Pine and Sylva. The grants, targeting local poverty and hunger

relief efforts, provided funds for charitable efforts such as: buying supplies for newborns, stocking food pantries, filling weekend backpack meals for school children, thrift store outreach and holiday meal packages.

This year’s CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant applications will be available starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, at www.ccdoc.org/ cchdcrs and will be due Monday, Oct. 16.

“These grants are a helpful support for parishes and Catholic school projects that are reaching the vulnerable in our local communities,” Deacon Konarski said. “We see that our Lenten sacrifice made through CRS Rice Bowl touches the lives of our neighbors, as well as countless others overseas whom we will likely never meet, but can encounter in our prayers and our charitable giving.”

Joseph Purello is the director of Social Concerns and Advocacy for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte and also serves as the diocesan director for Catholic Relief Services.

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

Knights, parishes support Charlotte-based ministry for parents with poor prenatal diagnosis Tracy Winsor Special to the Catholic News Herald

“Every year, we struggle to secure funding for our ministry,” shares Sandy Buck, cofounder of Be Not Afraid, “and 2016 was a particularly difficult year for us financially.”

BNA is a national Catholic ministry headquartered in Charlotte that provides support to parents carrying their unborn child to term following a prenatal diagnosis. Founded originally as a local, parish ministry of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, BNA welcomed its first baby in 2009. Since then, the ministry has grown into a private nonprofit organization that has assisted parents in 25 states and will welcome its 100th baby this spring. BNA has also helped other dioceses interested in replicating its model of care – most recently, in the Diocese of Fort WayneSouth Bend, Ind., and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas.

The ministry receives no diocesan or regular annual funding, however, and relies entirely on donations and fundraisers to assist expecting parents and help develop similar ministries

Photo provided

Baby Emmy, prenatally diagnosed with Trisomy 18, was welcomed by Be Not Afraid last year. elsewhere. Fundraisers by several Charlotte-area Knights of Columbus councils have been critical to BNA’s continued operations.

Notes Rich Adams, Past Grand Knight of North Carolina Council 7343 at St. John Neumann Church, “We are happy to support BNA. As Catholic men, the Knights of Columbus believe in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, and the work that BNA does in supporting families expecting vulnerable infants is admirable.”

The Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus has offered three significant donations over the past five years, and most recently, the Respect Life Committee at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Spartanburg, S.C., also held a successful baby bottle campaign in support of BNA. “Our committee is a small group, ranging from three to six core members,” says committee member Katherine Brown. “We have hosted baby bottle fundraisers for pregnancy resource centers in the past, but we chose BNA as our focus with this fundraiser because of the little-known

high abortion rate among mothers receiving poor prenatal diagnoses, and the impact of services like BNA in reducing that abortion rate.”

While abortion rates in general have dropped since the mid-1970s, abortions following the detection of a fetal anomaly are on the rise. A 2006 article published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons noted that 80 percent of parents told that their unborn child had a severe congenital anomaly decided to abort. More importantly, however, the same article noted that when presented with a program of comprehensive support at the time of diagnosis – like that provided by BNA – more than 80 percent of parents chose to carry their unborn children to term.

Brown knows something about the parent experience of a prenatal diagnosis, and the support BNA provides.

“During my first pregnancy, my husband and I were given a poor prenatal diagnosis at 19 weeks and offered the option to abort our daughter,” she recalls. “We chose to carry her for as long as God allowed…and after our loss, I knew (I) wanted to be part of something that helped those who were walking that same uncertain path. I attended a BNA conference in Charlotte in 2011, and knew I wanted to be involved.”

Brown is the BNA Prayer Sponsor Coordinator assigning and updating prayer sponsors who pray for parents carrying to term daily.

Special efforts were taken to educate St. Paul parishioners about the needs of parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis in advance of the fundraiser.

BNA offered an evening presentation the week before the kickoff, and mothers who experienced a prenatal diagnosis and carried to term were allowed to speak at each Mass the weekend that the bottles were distributed.

“After Mass, several parishioners shared stories they had heard of parents struggling against pressures from medical professionals to abort after a prenatal diagnosis,” explains Heather Hayes, chairperson of the parish’s Respect Life Committee. “Most commented that not enough young parents know about their options when faced with an unexpected diagnosis. The lack of awareness of the option of carrying to term is the biggest challenge.”

When the bottles were collected and the money inside counted, the efforts of this small group of dedicated pro-life volunteers resulted in the collection of over $2,600 to support BNA. Hayes reports that the BNA baby bottle campaign was the parish’s most successful Respect Life fundraiser to-date.

“We were amazed and frankly humbled by the generosity of the St. Paul parish community,” Buck says.

“This is the largest single donation we have received from any parish,” Townsend adds. “And we would love to see one or two of our local Charlotte parishes support BNA with baby bottle fund raisers this year.”

BNA has received requests for support from parents in California, Texas, Michigan and Florida in just the first week of 2017, besides continuing to provide the only comprehensive service of support for Charlotte-area parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis.

For more information about BNA, go to www.benotafraid.net. Find them on Facebook at “Benotafraid.net.”

OUR PARISHESI

7

Students change their hearts by reaching out to others Ann Kilkelly Special to the Catholic News Herald

HICKORY — College students from 14 campuses across western North Carolina took part in a special St. Valentine’s Day service weekend Feb. 10-12.

The Diocese of Charlotte’s annual “Give Your Heart Away” (GYHA) weekend is a special opportunity for Catholic Campus Ministry students to see their place in the family of God – experiencing compassion for others in need, shedding preconceived notions and judgments, realizing they are making a difference even by just a few hours of service, and following Jesus’ command to love one another.

This year’s weekend at the Catholic Conference Center, with volunteer opportunities at non-profits in Hickory, began with a room full of strangers and acquaintances. It ended with a deep sense of community and a realization of the importance of helping others. Personal moments with God, laughter and sharing hearts in service to others filled the weekend.

“I think there is something special about spending Valentine’s Day weekend showing your love to the community. In society we tend to focus on just one special person,” said Andrea Genna, who attends UNCAsheville.

“GYHA was a great opportunity for me to participate in a service experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone. Very rewarding! ” said Monica Prudencio of Davidson College.

Chelsea Drumgoole, a student at N.C. A&T State University, said she had previously done service hours required by school or a class. “I had never thought of incorporating faith with service before. The GYHA experience helped me realize that God wants us to be there for other people. Now I see service as an opportunity to act out my faith,” she said.

Several students shared ways their hearts had been stretched and their faith deepened because of the GYHA weekend: “I became aware that I can worry less about my future, because God has a plan for me and is always preparing me for it,” said a student from UNC-Asheville.

A student from High Point University noted that she became aware of how privileged she is, “but also how much I can do to help.”

“We need to stand together and help our neighbor,” added a student from UNCCharlotte.

The power of a simple act of kindness struck another student from Johnson & Wales University: It “can equally spread the love of God. Even if we do not see the fruit of our acts, we need to think beyond the present and (realize) the numerous amounts of people we could be affecting.”

Katlyn Staub of Appalachian State University returned home a changed person.

A self-avowed shy person, she was hungry for God and friendship and found both during the GYHA weekend.

“When we came back to our room that Friday evening, my roommate asked me if I was happy with where my faith was and I said no. There’s so much I don’t know yet or forgot about, and I want to grow so much closer to God,” she said.

Her roommate challenged her to commit to learning more and growing closer to God, and they and another retreat participant talked late into the night. They became fast friends, rooted in God’s love and the faith.

Her weekend was full of service to people

Photos provided by Ann Kilkelly

Participants from college campuses across the Diocese of Charlotte took part in last month’s Catholic Campus Ministry “Give Your Heart Away” retreat.

in need and being among people who care.

The sharing sessions made her more aware of how God was working in her life, and she caught the fire of enthusiasm of those around her.

“I am now outgoing at Catholic Campus Ministry because of GYHA, and I love every part of it. I am so in love with being Catholic and a part of CCM! I want everyone to experience this. I want them to feel included and safe, to come and be themselves and worship with us,” she said.

Consider donating Through prayer and financial support, you can pass on your faith and hope to college students in western North Carolina. Your financial gift will help Catholic Campus Ministry continue to provide a vital Catholic presence and support for students. Go online to www.catholiconcampus. com/support or mail a check payable to “Catholic Campus Ministry” to: Catholic Campus Ministry, c/o Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003. (If you wish to direct your tax-deductible gift to a specific campus, write the name of the campus in the memo section of your check.)

Give Your Heart Away is a program of Catholic Campus Ministry, which is funded in part by contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and donate online at www. charlottediocese.org/dsa.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 OUR PARISHES

‘SmallGroups’ make for big connections at St. Mark Parish Diana Patulak Ross Correspondent

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church now has more than 5,500 registered families, making it the second-largest parish in the Diocese of Charlotte after St. Matthew. Father John T. Putnam, pastor of the Huntersville parish, knew that many parishioners could feel overwhelmed by so many people. So he asked the parish’s stewardship committee to look for a program designed to make them feel more a part of the parish family. The result was “SmallGroups.”

“The mission of SmallGroups is to connect people and create friendships within our large church while growing in faith together,” said Beth Zuhosky, the parish’s stewardship director. “It is for every member of our church and community to grow in an intimate relationship with God through prayer, hospitality, formation and service.”

Similar to the “Why Catholic” program held at the church 10 years ago, SmallGroups seeks to help parishioners connect with others and grow closer to God. It includes various groups so members can feel a common bond with other members of their individual group along with sharing the Catholic faith.

For instance, there are groups for empty nesters, couples, singles, singles with children, first-time parents, interfaith marriages, all men, all women. Or people can choose a co-ed group of various ages or a specific age group. There is even a group for high schoolers.

Laura Hogan is chairwoman and one of the leaders of the steering committee for the program. “I was the chair of the Adult Education Commission at St. Mark when the pastor asked me to implement the ‘Why Catholic’ program,” she said. “I love helping people go deeper into their Catholic faith! Fast forward 10 years and I was the chair of the Education Commission again and heard that our Stewardship Commission was looking to start SmallGroups at our parish. I immediately felt drawn to it again. I prayed about it for a little while and then I asked our director of stewardship if I could step down from the Education Commission and instead lead the SmallGroups movement. Now it is eight months later, and registration for our first study just closed with more than 560 in 53 small groups.”

“It’s a huge movement,” Hogan said.

“Many parishes have small groups but call it different things and run them completely different. Ours is unique to us.”

While the format for each group can be tailored, typically a group of up to 12 people gather in a parishioner’s home.

They meet for eight weeks, usually in the spring and again in the fall, to do engaging studies together. St. Mark’s first session focuses on prayer using a program called “Oremus, a Catholic Prayer Study.”

Members watch a video and then discuss questions.

Between studies they gather once each month to perform service together, socialize or participate in events going on at St. Mark or at other local parishes such as lectures, religious movies and prayer services.

The current program began the week of Feb. 26.

photo provided by jim alvarez

CHARLOTTE — Ryan Kilmartin (center), longtime parishioner of St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte, serves as the parish athletic director. This spring he will coach three of the parish’s 17 AAU basketball teams.

A positive influence St. Matthew parishioner, Charlotte Catholic grad mentors youth as parish’s new AD Sueann Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Ryan Kilmartin grew up at St. Matthew Church, receiving his sacraments there, attending Mecklenburg Area Catholic schools and graduating from Charlotte Catholic High School in 2009. He always loved basketball and played for Charlotte Catholic in high school. His passion for the sport took him to play first at Appalachian State University and then for Coach Cuonzo Martin at the University of Tennessee.

Throughout his youth, Kilmartin had many coaches who influenced him, mentored him and helped him achieve his goals.

After college, Kilmartin came home to Charlotte and decided it was time to give back to the parish community that had helped raise him. The 26-year-old is now volunteering as the parish’s athletic director of his home parish, overseeing its Interfaith Basketball Program, which this fall sponsored 48 teams.

This spring St. Matthew Church will field 17-20 AAU teams, the most of all diocese members, and Kilmartin is coaching three of those teams himself. He says he wants to make a positive impact on young people – following the example of all the mentors he had in his youth.

“Monsignor (John McSweeney, St. Matthew Church’s pastor) tells our coaches that they will have an impact on these athletes, positive or negative, but they will have one,” Kilmartin says.

“To me, the title ‘coach’ is the same as mentor, role model and in some cases, it could be father figure.

“Our coaches have the moral responsibility to be that figure of their life. So that is our hope, to be that positive extension for their individual and personal development.”

Recently Kilmartin saw a statement by Pope Francis that he

says really struck home with him. The Holy Father spoke of great sporting events and how they create a culture of encounter, helping participants to go beyond their own self-interest.

“I agree wholeheartedly,” he says. “Sports help us go beyond self. In coaching, I try to be influential. I try to help players understand that during a basketball game they can make unselfish decisions.”

He believes that the ability to pray before games when it is appropriate and players shaking hands at the end of the game are signs of faith and sportsmanship that are important to youth sports at St. Matthew Church.

Kilmartin says he is proud of what he and the staff and volunteers at the parish have been able to do with youth sports.

“It’s truly a team effort,” he explains. “We’re trying to start more things at the parish like a running club, a dodgeball league for people aged 16-plus, and a volleyball league as well. We have a lot of ideas.

“We even have some great summer camps coming up!

Basketball camp where CCHS basketball players will be able to help coach the athletes, and a Summer Fun camp where we will play a lot of sports, games, watch awesome movies and have a lot of fun!”

Kilmartin enjoys being part of one of the largest Catholic churches in the U.S. and the largest contributor of teams to the basketball leagues in Charlotte.

“It’s worth it,” Kilmartin says. “I get to hopefully positively influence 500 kids a year. I want to help instill work ethic, character and determination for these athletes – to help them develop with their faith, life and then athletics.

“Hopefully, they will use the life lessons taught in our programs to help not just their lives but other lives as they get older and start making their impact on the next generation.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Check out a MaTTtv episode about Ryan Kilmartin

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

black-catholic-congress.

For more about the National Black Catholic Congress, go to www.nbccongress.org.

— Catholic News Herald

In Brief

Experience Lent from a different perspective

Thinking of attending the National Black Catholic Congress?

CHARLOTTE — Everyone is invited to participate in several ancient liturgies during this Lenten season at St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Mission.

Lent for Ukrainian (Byzantine Rite) Catholics, called “Great Lent,” includes several liturgies designed to help the faithful enter into this holy season of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Every Wednesday during Lent, the very ancient Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts will be celebrated at St. Basil Mission at 6:30 p.m.

During this unique liturgy, Vespers is sung and Holy Communion consecrated on the previous Sunday is distributed to the faithful.

On the Sundays of Great Lent, the Divine Liturgy (Mass) of St. Basil the Great will be celebrated starting at 11 a.m.

St. Basil Mission is an Eastern rite Catholic Church in full communion with the pope. All liturgies are celebrated in English in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s African American Affairs Ministry is organizing transportation to the National Black Catholic Congress XII, coming up July 6-9 in Orlando, Fla. Departures are being planned from St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro, St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem, Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, and Eastridge Mall in Gastonia.

All are welcome to attend the National Black Catholic Congress, which this year will feature a keynote address and Mass with Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Reservations must be made and deposits received before Friday, April 7. For details, go to www.ourladyofconsolation.org/news/national-

1400 Suther Road in Charlotte. Everyone is welcome to come and experience the various ancient liturgies of the Byzantine Rite. For more information, go to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI

Close to 150 faithful attended the Extraordinary Form Mass, which was offered by Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar. It was his first public Latin Mass at the parish. The Huntersville parish will continue to offer a Latin Mass each Friday during Lent at 12:30 p.m., preceded by Stations of the Cross at 12:10 p.m.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent; photo provided by Amy Burger

Polish Lenten retreat, Palm Sunday Mass planned

Latin Masses being held this Lent in Huntersville HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church offered its first Lenten Friday Latin Mass March 3.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church will host a Polish Lenten retreat on Tuesday, April 4, through Thursday, April 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Daily Mass Chapel. Father Andrzej Jaczewski from the Diocese of Siedlce, Poland, will conduct the retreat. In addition to the retreat, Father Jaczewski will celebrate Mass in Polish on Palm Sunday, April 9, at 3 p.m.

Confessions will be heard beforehand, starting at 2 p.m. A reception will follow the Mass in the New Life Center Banquet Room. For more information, contact Barbara Banas at 704-8472419 or barbmbanas@aol.com.

IN BRIEF, SEE page 10

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April 8th — St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class RICO DE SILVA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Basil Mission celebrates special liturgy on Ash Wednesday On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel, check out a new video highlighting St. Basil the Great Catholic Mission Parish in Charlotte. The video was shot during the Ash Wednesday Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts the evening of March 1 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, where the mission is based and gathers for its liturgical celebrations. Father Joseph Matlak, pastor, is a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest Eastern rite Church in union with Rome. Father Matlak celebrated the first Presanctified Gifts Byzantine liturgy since the mission was established 10 years ago. “The service is in essence vespers, or evening prayer, with Holy Communion,” Father Matlak explained. St. Basil Mission will celebrate the ancient liturgy every Wednesday evening during Lent at St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s daily chapel. All area Catholics are invited to attend.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

9

April 22nd — St. Joseph Catholic Church, Newton, One Day Class May 20th — St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte, One Day Class Online and Spanish classes are scheduled as needed For more information visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704.370.3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 OUR PARISHES

IN BRIEF

that story with anyone who wants to hear what’s happening to our family and how they’re being loved and cared for in this tumultuous time.”

— Giuliana Polinari Riley, correspondent

FROM PAGE 9

Money donated to House of Mercy for tub CNEWA advocate speaks about plight of Middle East Christians

Albemarle Knights aid local kids ALBEMARLE — Knights of Columbus Rev. J.A. Cowan Council 10495, associated with Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle, recently donated $700 to the Exceptional Children’s Program at Badin Elementary School, as part of its ongoing funding of the L.A.M.B. Foundation of North Carolina, which supports agencies in Stanly County that serve citizens who are intellectually challenged. Pictured accepting the donation from Knight Don Barker is Badin Elementary School teacher Megan Caulder.

Barker said the Badin Elementary School program has received thousands of dollars over the years from the L.A.M.B. Foundation, and its teachers pitch in to raise money for the cause, selling Belk Charity Sale tickets twice a year alongside the Knights. “This partnership has enabled the program to purchase many teaching tools that otherwise they would not have,” he said.

— Jo Grey, The Stanly News & Press

SHELBY — Philip W. Eubanks, development associate with Catholic Near East Welfare Association, recently gave a presentation about the organization at a breakfast hosted by Chrys Rivière-Blalock, a parishioner of St. Mary Help of Christians, in Shelby.

Said Eubanks, “For nine decades, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association has answered the call of the Holy Father with the specific mandate to work for, through and with the Eastern Catholic Churches – many of which grew from the first roots of Christianity. Our work is really a vision of one God, one world, one human family and one Church. It’s a response to Pope Francis’ promise that we will not forget our brothers and sisters – from the Horn of Africa to Eastern Europe to the Middle East and India. When a child in Iraq finds healing from a chronic illness, or a mother in Jordan sees her children’s eyes filled with hope for the first time in months, or when an orphaned girl in Lebanon discovers new family in a teacher and in students in a classroom we support, that’s really about connecting our family here with our family there as we ‘build up the Church, affirm human dignity, alleviate poverty, encourage dialogue – and inspire hope.’

“I was excited to share this story in a gathering in Shelby, and I am excited to share

BELMONT — The Community Foundation of Gaston County recently presented a donation of $10,000 to House of Mercy to provide a new therapeutic wheelchair-accessible tub for its residents. In addition to the new tub, the project required plumbing, electrical work and tile. House of Mercy is a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy providing a home and compassionate nursing care for low-income persons living with AIDS. — Marjorie Storch

others.

The evening program featured the Salisbury Swing Band, which played music for all ages, a delicious chicken parmigiana dinner and complimentary wine. Funds were raised from the ticket sales as well as a 50/50 raffle. Youth of the parish donated their time serving food and cleaning up.

— Doreen Sugierski, correspondent

Parish honors retiring secretary GREENSBORO — Clergy and parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro recently honored Maria Aronhime upon her retirement as parish secretary after 16 years of service.

Aronhime is pictured with Father Charles P. Strollo, Father Peter Hung Le, Father Michael Manh Nguyen, Father John P. Timlin, Father Abel Osorio, Father John Baptiste, Deacon Enedino Aquino and Deacon Emmanuel O. Ukattah Sr. — Mercy Kakhu

Movie shown to inspire pro-life efforts Denver Knights raise money for charity DENVER — Knights of Columbus Council 10389, associated with Holy Spirit Church in Denver, recently hosted a St. Valentine’s dance to raise money for local community organizations and charities. The fundraiser netted $4,900 to support the L.A.M.B. Foundation of North Carolina, Mira Via, Special Olympics, East Lincoln Christian Ministries and East Lincoln Pregnancy Care Center, as well as

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church’s Respect Life Ministry hosted a showing of the pro-life movie “Voiceless” Feb. 19 with more than 50 parishioners in attendance. “Voiceless,” the story of an evangelical minister who rallies his church into opposing an abortion facility across the street, is designed to encourage churches to become active in praying in front of abortion facilities. The parish’s Respect Life Ministry hosted the event to encourage participation in the 40 Days for Life spring campaign, which runs until April 9.

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

(803) 327-2097

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

Center for Spirituality rockhilloratory.org

oratorycenter@gmail.com

Key Practices for a 21st Century Spirituality Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 9:30am – 4:00pm Sr. Donna Lareau, OLM Using Teilhard de Chardin and others as our guides, we will look at ways of developing a spirituality for the times we live in.

The day includes prayer, noon Eucharist and lunch.

Sr. Donna Lareau ministers in adult faith formation in the Charleston area.

Cost: $40 (includes lunch)

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com

CHARITIES

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refugees.”

More than 100 years after its founding, the national mission of Catholic Charities remains grounded in the parable of the Good Samaritan, Sister Donna said.

“Thank you, all of you, each one of you, for being the Good Samaritans, the good innkeepers, the people who saw the victim lying by the side of the road and did not cross the street, but chose to extend yourself in compassion and mercy to that suffering human being,” she said.

The recipient of this year’s Bishop William G. Curlin Partners in Hope Award was David Harold and his late wife Madeline, who passed away last March.

Harold “has been at the forefront both in advocacy and action for the poor and the vulnerable his entire adult life,” Father Cook said.

Harold served 13 years as director of the Catholic Charities office in the Triad, expanding its existing services and creating additional services. After retiring in 2006, he continued serving as victim assistance coordinator for the diocese. He also works with a local homeless aid agency and helps to build interfaith partnerships and services for the mentally ill and the homeless.

In receiving the award, Harold credited his late wife’s Catholic faith and devotion to serving the most vulnerable, especially immigrants, refugees, people with HIV/AIDS, and the poor.

“I was the trained therapist, but she was the one people wanted to tell their story to,” he said with a wry grin.

Harold encouraged people to be “ambassadors of healing and love for our Church,” in what Pope Francis has called the Church’s mission to be a “field hospital for the wounded.”

“It is our prayer that God’s grace flows to us but also through us, that kindness comes to us and flows out of us to those most in need. We bless each other in this work and we are thankful for each other. And we ask that our whole Church become more and more a place of healing,” he prayed.

am,” Beuerlein said. “It’s always been that way. I was born into an incredibly strong Catholic family… The example they set for us at a very young age is kind of the example I strive to live by myself now.”

Preaching on the Gospel of Luke 5:27-32, the calling of Levi, the tax collector, Bishop Jugis encouraged the men gathered to follow Christ.

“It’s an invitation that’s made, not just to Levi, but to each one of us here this morning, who has heard those words from Jesus, spoken to each one of us: ‘Follow me.’ Follow Him. Get up right away and start on the journey,” Bishop Jugis encouraged the men.

Father Bill Casey, superior general of the Fathers of Mercy, was the final speaker of the day. A former U.S. Army officer, Father Casey used a fiery tone to encourage the men to think about the things of above.

Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas, the priest described heaven this way: “Heaven is the place where every good thing you have ever known or needed, and did not have; searched for, and could not find;…and everything that has eluded you, will be yours.”

Joe Warwick, a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Charlotte who has attended all seven men’s conferences, said he was thankful to have been at this year’s event, as he was deeply touched by Rogers’ testimony.

“I saw one of the greatest, if not the greatest, personal testimony of one man’s faith I’ve seen or heard today at the

‘It played a big role in my development as a person, but also as a football player.’

Steve Beuerlein Speaking about the role of his Catholic faith in his life

HAVE YOU SHARED YOUR GIFT WITH THE DSA YET? 15%

When we make our annual contribution to the Diocesan Support Appeal we join with all our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the diocese to do the Lord’s work – works that no one individual or parish can do alone.

Three easy ways to donate to the Diocesan Support Appeal • Use the pledge card you received in the mail • Fill out a DSA envelope available at your parish office • Donate online at: www.charlottediocese.org/DSA

THANK YOU!

10%

29%

7% 5%

34%

2017 DSA GOAL: $5,670,000

DSA gifts support the following: Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte....34% Education....29% Multicultural Ministries....15% Vocations....10% Eucharistic Congress and Housing Ministry....7% DSA Campaign Costs....5%

OUR PARISHESI

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Rico De Silva | Catholic News Herald

“We were electrified and recharged with an energy that can only be experienced from men gathering, sharing and praying together,” conference coreorganizing team leader Sergio Miranda said about this year’s event. seventh annual Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference. His faith is intact, but his soul continues to cry out,” Warwick said, “Robert Rogers has raised the bar higher than any lay person I’ve seen regarding being a husband and father through his witness as head of the domestic church.”

Sergio Miranda, core-organizing team leader, said he received great feedback from the participants, “I personally believe the Holy Spirit was with us that day. We were electrified and recharged with an energy that can only be experienced from men gathering, sharing and praying together.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See video highlights as well as Bishop Jugis’ complete homily from the Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference.

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‘Our Lady has come’ Pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima visits the diocese

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Patricia L. Guilfoyle, SueAnn Howell and Annette Tenny Catholic News Herald

soft dusting of snow and Marian blue skies announced the arrival of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima to Waynesville on Sunday, the first of three stops in the Diocese of Charlotte as part of the statue’s U.S. Tour for Peace. The national tour commemorates the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to three shepherd children in Portugal.

Three parishes – St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville, St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte and Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem – hosted the pilgrim statue during its tour March 12-14 through western North Carolina.

A PRAYER FOR UNITY St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville was the first of three parishes that welcomed the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima to the Diocese of Charlotte.

Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bringing the world-famous pilgrim statue to St. John the Evangelist Church was the answer to more than a year of prayer by many parishioners, even though they “didn’t think it was a possibility” it would come “to little old Waynesville,” said Father Christopher Riehl, administrator.

A couple hundred people were on hand Sunday for Mass, rosaries recited in English and Spanish, and a procession around the Waynesville church grounds.

“It’s an honor – more than I expected,” said Fred Waring, who helped carry the statue in the procession.

For St. Joseph Sister Mary Ruth Masters, who runs the private day school St. Joseph Academy in Maggie Valley, the pilgrim statue’s visit to her parish was the answer to her

prayers and the prayers of a lot of other people.

St. John’s, a small mountain parish community of about 300 registered families, has been rocked by division since a group of parishioners left in protest about a year and a half ago.

“There’s been a lot going on in this parish that needs to be remedied,” Sister Mary Ruth said.

About the same time as the divisiveness was erupting at St. John’s, she read about the pilgrim statue’s U.S. tour and thought, “Why not here?” She enlisted the help of fellow parishioners and Father Riehl, and soon many others joined in the prayer effort.

“I really would like to see unity in this parish and support for Father, and to overcome any difficulties people have,” Sister Mary Ruth said. “Our Lady is the one who’s going to lead us into heaven.”

HE COVER

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The message of Our Lady of Fatima is just as relevant today as it was in 1917, Father Riehl noted. He hoped the pilgrim statue’s presence would “start a spark,” motivating people to come back together as well as encouraging everyone to deepen their prayer life.

The tangible presence of Our Lady’s pilgrim statue this week, he said, was a reminder that the Waynesville parish is part of the Church worldwide – just like seeing the pope in person brings a greater understanding than just seeing a photo of him.

“You start to forget the things that divide us and start to think about the things that connect us. These moments help remind people of that,” he said.

Devotion to Mary is also a “Catholic hallmark” that bridges cultures, languages and races, he noted. “She becomes a source of unity across the entire Church.”

Through the presence of the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima, he hopes people will learn more about Fatima, grow closer to Jesus through His mother Mary, and seek the sacraments more frequently – particularly the Eucharist and reconciliation.

“We’ve been growing in devotion,” Father Riehl said, especially with Mass attendance, confessions and catechetical programs, “but I want to keep that going – especially among the youth.”

‘OUR LADY HAS COME’

From Waynesville the statue traveled Sunday evening to Charlotte, and approximately 300 faithful from across the Queen City filled St. Patrick Cathedral to take part in a candlelight procession and prayer service, followed by overnight veneration that continued through Monday.

“Our Lady has come, and she is here with us,” Bishop Peter J. Jugis said. “It is a privilege for us to spend time with her during these days, these hours, and bring to her our special petitions.”

Bishop Jugis prayed that through Mary’s intercession, people’s hearts may be purified and made pleasing to God – especially during this year which the diocese is devoting to her Immaculate Heart.

“What a beautiful sign of God’s providence that she should be coming here, during this year celebrating the Year of the Immaculate Heart,” he said.

Among the hundreds of people in attendance at the procession and prayer service was St. Matthew parishioner Cristy Calicdan. “I was just in Fatima last month on a pilgrimage. I have a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. We brought our petitions to Fatima and our friends’ petitions.”

Ana Jones, a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral, has a special connection to Our Lady of Fatima. She was at the procession with her family. “We grew up in Portugal, so this is very special. Last time I was in Fatima was 2006. She has interceded many times for our family.”

Father Patrick Winslow, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, gave the homily during the vespers service before the procession, urging people to take to heart Our Lady of Fatima’s message of conversion, penance and prayer.

“The Virgin Mother, who became our mother from the cross, is speaking to a whole generation, to each of us,” Father Winslow said.

“She’s giving us not high and lofty thoughts,” he said, but practical advice: “Pray, fast, do penance, and above all, pray the rosary.”

(Above) Bishop Peter Jugis crowns the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima March 12 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

(At left and below) Faithful participated in processions with the pilgrim statue during its visit to St. Patrick Cathedral and Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem. sueann howell and Annette Tenny | catholic news herald

Encountering Our Lady

The statue also went to Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem for veneration March 14. The parish has a small chapel downtown dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, but because of limited access there, the statue was enthroned at the main church.

Parishioners and students from Our Lady of Mercy School took part in venerating the statue, praying the rosary, singing Marian hymns, and processing with the statue from the church along Link Road to the school soccer field and back.

“I’m hoping that having Our Lady of Fatima here will encourage more of our parishioners to learn about Fatima and perhaps develop a devotion to her,” said Conventual Franciscan Father Carl Zdancewicz, pastor. “We have a very diverse population at Mercy – Hispanic, Vietnamese and a group of families from the Burmese mountains. For some of them, this will be their first encounter with Our Lady of Fatima.”

The statue’s visit concluded with a bilingual service of hymns, a homily by Conventual Franciscan Father Joseph Angelini, parochial vicar, and vespers.

Larry Maginot, one of the custodians of the Fatima pilgrim statue who has spent the past three years bringing the Fatima message to parishes, said that before coming to the Charlotte diocese, they visited parishes in Georgia, South Carolina and in the Diocese of Raleigh.

“It’s wonderful,” Maginot said. “The Church is alive. There is a lot of hope. I think this year, being the anniversary of Our Lady’s centenary, it is going to draw a lot of attention.

There is something about Fatima – people return to the foundation of the faith.”

About the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima

Fatima chaplet ‘designed by heaven’

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima was sculpted in 1947 by renowned sculptor José Thedim. The image reflects the precise instructions of Sister Lúcia dos Santos, the longestsurviving seer at Fatima whose cause for canonization is underway in the Church. Her desire was that the pilgrim image represent Our Lady’s countenance when revealed as the Immaculate Heart to her and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, in 1917.

The statue was blessed by the bishop of Fatima on Oct. 13, 1947, in the presence of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at Fatima. It was the second “twin” statue commissioned as the Pilgrim Virgin that would carry the blessings of Fatima to the West, including the Americas, while the first statue, commissioned on May 13, 1947, would travel to the East.

The Pilgrim Virgin Statue tours aim to bring the graces of Fatima and Our Lady’s message of hope, peace and salvation to the millions of people who may never have an opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Fatima itself.

The custody and mission of the statue is under the auspice of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA – Our Lady’s Blue Army – which continues her journeys throughout the world. The statue has visited more than 100 countries, bringing “the peace plan from heaven” to countless millions of people.

CHARLOTTE — During the prayer vigil March 12 at St. Patrick Cathedral, Father Christopher Roux, rector and pastor, led the faithful in praying the Chaplet of Adoration and Reparation, which was inspired by the apparitions of Fatima.

The prayers that comprise the chaplet were given to the three children of Fatima (Francisco and Jacinta Marto and Lúcia dos Santos) by the angel who appeared to them in 1916. As knowledge of Fatima spread, people began to say those prayers using a rosary. To encourage Eucharistic Adoration, Bishop Peter J. Jugis gave the chaplet his imprimatur in 2004.

“This chaplet was designed by heaven in a very beautiful way,” Father Roux noted. “The prayers are the prayers given to the children by the angel to begin to make some reparation for sins committed against Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart and against the Eucharist.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Find the text for the Chaplet of Adoration and Reparation to recite especially during this centennial anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima At www.tedeumfoundation.org: Order prayer cards featuring the chaplet in English or eight other languages At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Also see more photos and video highlights from the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima’s tour through the Diocese of Charlotte

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MACS announces teacher raises, tuition rates for 2017-’18 SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Salaries for teachers in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system will go up next year, superintendent Dr. Janice Ritter recently announced.

Each level of the compensation scale for teachers, which is based on their years of experience as well as whether they have bachelor’s or master’s degrees, will increase by at least $1,500 starting with the 2017-’18 school year. Salaries for MACS teacher assistants have also been increased.

This move, Ritter told MACS families in a Feb. 22 letter, was carefully evaluated by the MACS school board, business office and school leadership since January 2016, when the board set the goal of increasing teacher pay.

“At the September 2016 MACS Board meeting, we were pleasantly reassured to know that many parents also desired and supported this goal,” Ritter said.

“Over the course of many months, the Finance Committee of the Board, the MACS Business Manager, and school

administrators worked diligently to bring this goal to fruition.”

To accommodate this pay increase for teachers and teacher assistants, 2017-’18 tuition rates will go up 5.75 percent. The typical tuition increase is 3.5-4 percent annually.

Ritter acknowledged that adding any expense to the MACS budget requires striking a balance among establishing a reasonable tuition rate, managing expenses and making wise decisions.

“Just as your household expenses increase annually, our school expenses do as well,” she noted in her letter. “Typically, we try to meet these rising costs with a modest tuition increase of 3.5% to 4%. This year, in order to meet our increased expenses, and incorporate the cost of additional teacher compensation, it was necessary to build the budget on a slightly higher than normal tuition increase of 5.75 percent.”

The tuition increase will also provide money for a new MACS school bus that will be used for daily transportation, field trips and extracurricular activities.

MACS tuition rates for the 2017-’18 year for non-participating Catholics and

non-Catholics are: $3,875 for half-day pre-kindergarten or $6,020 for full-day pre-kindergarten; $10,620 for elementary school (transitional kindergarten through fifth grade); $11,362 for middle school, and $15,205 for high school.

Tuition discounts are provided to participating Catholic parishioners.

Tuition rates for participating Catholic families are: $3,875 for half-day prekindergarten or $6,020 for full-day prekindergarten; $6,569 for elementary school (transitional kindergarten through fifth grade); $7,279 for middle school, and $10,645 for high school.

Tuition for the MAP, PACE and Matthew Morgan programs is different from what is listed above.

Discounts for families with two or more students, including for special needs programs, are available.

The nine MACS schools are: St. Ann School (PK, TK-5), St. Gabriel School (K5), St. Matthew School (TK-5), St. Patrick School (K-5), Our Lady of the Assumption School (PK-8), St. Mark School (K-8), Holy Trinity Middle School (6-8), Charlotte Catholic High School and Christ the King

High School.

Ritter expressed gratitude for the Mecklenburg area parishes that provide substantial funds for tuition assistance support for families with documented financial need.

“As we make the assistance awards for the 2017-2018 year, please be assured that the slightly higher tuition increase will be incorporated into the formula for awarding assistance and, with the support of pastors, the level of funding to qualifying families will increase,” she stressed.

“It is our goal that those families who might find the tuition increase difficult to manage will not be negatively impacted.

Those families who have a demonstrated financial need will have that need measured against the higher tuition increase.”

Ritter encouraged families who have not applied for tuition assistance in the past, and think there is a financial need in the 2017-2018 school year, to apply for this assistance.

Enrollment for the 2017-’18 school year is now open. For details, go to www. discovermacs.org.

AP Biology students study genetics of taste at Clemson Carolyn Kramer Tillman Special to the Catholic News Herald

Photos provided

Charlotte Catholic High School AP Biology students Abby Brosnan and Chloe Harty receive instruction from Margaret Meier of Clemson University’s DNA & Traits Lab.

CHARLOTTE — Twelve students in Charlotte Catholic High School’s Advanced Placement Biology class recently spent a day at Clemson University to study the genetics of bitter taste. The students and their teacher, Gwenn Freeman, were quite excited to conduct an experiment of this magnitude, using laboratory equipment not available to most high school students.

The students were asked to study the PTC gene, an inherited trait which determines whether people taste phenylthiocarbamide, or PTC, as extremely bitter, slightly bitter or not bitter at all. During the 1930s, geneticists determined that there is an inherited component that influences how a person tastes PTC. In 2003 geneticists discovered that the ability to taste PTC is conveyed by a single gene that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue.

PTC is not found in nature, but the ability to taste it is strongly related to the ability to taste other bitter substances in nature – many of which are poisonous.

The ability to taste bitter substances evolved as a way to prevent early humans from eating toxic plants.

Students began their study with a simple test in which they tasted paper containing PTC. Most of the students tasted the PTC as slightly bitter, while a few did not taste it at all, and one tasted it as extremely bitter.

Next, the students took samples of their own DNA, amplified a small segment of each sample approximately 500 billion times using a Polymerase Chain Reaction, and prepared it with the addition of primers and a hot/cold protocol. Last, students used DNA gel electrophoresis to see whether they inherited a dominant gene, a recessive gene or a combination of the two genes from their parents.

“It was a terrific learning experience,” Freeman said.

“We enjoyed fantastic instruction from the lab instructor at Clemson, and even had time to enjoy lunch at a new cafeteria and take a brief stroll across campus.”

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief

others and their entries were displayed at school.

(Pictured) The Beta Club also recently organized a clothing drive, collecting clothes, shoes and other items to assist local families in need.

CCDOC.ORG

— Tammy Eason

Rugby team donates mattresses, raises money CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Catholic High School rugby team organized a mattress sale Feb. 28 to support the team’s activities as well as three local Catholic charities. The team was able to donate 43 mattresses to needy families and raised $16,100 to finance its travel this year.

— Catholic News Herald

Forgiveness and Healing Following Abortion

CCHS choral students participate in Mars Hill University Choral Festival CHARLOTTE — Four Charlotte Catholic High School choral students were selected to participate in the 69th annual Mars Hill University Choral Festival Feb. 3-4.

Jonathan Huth, Chelsea Smith, Emma Story and Maura Streppa were selected through auditions held last October. More than 800 students across the state auditioned, and from those auditions, 280 were chosen for the festival choir. Dr. Craig Jessop, the former conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, served as the guest conductor and clinician for the two-day festival, which culminated in a concert held Feb. 4.

The Mars Hill University Choral Festival was established in 1949 as an effort to improve choral music in the high schools of western North Carolina. In its early years, the festival was comprised of about 15 schools in the area surrounding Mars Hill University. It has grown to become one of the premiere choral festivals in North Carolina, and is thought to be the longest continuously-running festival of its type in the southeast.

Dottie Tippett, choral director and fine arts chair at the high school, noted that Jessop commented at a choral directors’ luncheon that he doesn’t know of another state that offers such a prestigious festival for high school students. “It’s such an honor for Jonathan, Chelsea, Emma and Maura to be selected,” she said. “We are all very proud of them.”

— Carolyn Kramer Tillman

Third-grader wins essay contest GASTONIA — St. Michael School third-grader Connie Okonkwo recently won “The Proudest Kid in Gaston County” third-grade essay writing contest, Runners-up were Annalise Bragg and Ariene Catindig. Pictured are (from left) Annalise Bragg, Connie Okonkwo and Ariene Catindig.

— Tammy Eason

Catholic Charities can help men and women who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey. Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat creates a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. The retreat works to reconnect individuals to themselves, their friends, and family and to realize God’s ever present love.

Diocese of Charlotte Asheville Area May 5-7, 2017

For more information please contact either: Jackie Childers: 980-241-0251 / Jackie.childers1@gmail.com Jennifer Ganser: 336-209-2161 / jmganser@charlottediocese.org

Greensboro Area

October 20-22, 2017 For more information please contact either: Jackie Childers: 980-241-0251 / Jackie.childers1@gmail.com Jennifer Ganser: 336-209-2161 / jmganser@charlottediocese.org

Celebrating Mardi Gras CHARLOTTE — First-grade students at St. Ann School celebrated Mardi Gras by making shoe box floats and parading around the school. A reading contest was conducted and the winners were crowned king and queen of Mardi Gras.

Lyla Hoover, Mardi Gras queen, and Sebastian Ortiz, Mardi Gras king, stood on a float and led the parade through the halls of the school.

— Kathy McKinney

Other 2017 Retreats in Surrounding Dioceses Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA

June 2-4, 2017 and Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2017 Contact: 404-717-5557 / pathjody@gmail.com

Diocese of Charleston, SC

March 17-19, 2017 and July 7-9, 2017 Contact: 803-546-6010 / kcs6010@gmail.com

Diocese of Knoxville, TN June 16-18, 2017

Contact: 901-463-3595 / rvmphs@gmail.com

Diocese of Raleigh, NC April 28-30, 2017

Contact: 919-852-1021 / projectrachel@nc.rr.com

Students attend Beta Club convention, organize clothing drive GASTONIA — St. Michael School’s Beta Club attended the National Jr. Beta Club convention in Greensboro Feb. 6-7. More than 5,000 students from across North Carolina participated in the event. Upon returning to school, students shared the experience with

Diocese of Richmond, VA

March 24-26, 2017 and October 13-15, 2017 Contact: 804-432-2589 / rv4hope@gmail.com

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Histórica estatua peregrina de la Virgen de Fátima visita la Diócesis de Charlotte CHARLOTTE — La Estatua Peregrina Internacional de la Virgen de Fátima visitó la Diócesis de Charlotte el pasado sábado, 11 de Marzo y permaneció en la diócesis hasta el martes, 14 de Marzo. La visita es parte de la “U.S. Tour for Peace” (Gira por la Paz por los Estados Unidos) que se está celebrando este año para conmemorar el 100 aniversario de las apariciones de la Virgen de Fátima a los tres niños pastores en Portugal.

La Iglesia de San Juan Evangelista, en Waynesville, le dio la bienvenida a la Estatua Peregrina Internacional de la Virgen de Fátima el 11 de Marzo. La estatua después visitó la Catedral de St. Patrick en Charlotte la noche del 12, y permaneció hasta las 8 pm del lunes 13, y terminó su gira en el oeste de Carolina del Norte en la Iglesia de Nuestra Sra. de la Merced en Winston-Salem el martes 14.

En la Iglesia de San Juan Evangelista en Waynesville, después de que la Estatua llegó la noche del 11 de Marzo, unas 200 personas asistieron a la Misa Dominical, y también se rezó el Santo Rosario en inglés y en español, y después se hizo una procesión con la Estatua Peregrina alrededor de la iglesia.

La estatua después fue transportada a Charlotte, en donde más 300 personas le dieron la bienvenida afuera de la residencia del Obispo de Charlotte, el Reverendísimo Peter J. Jugis. De ahí, los fieles participaron en una procesión hasta la Catedral de St. Patrick, en donde se rezaron las Vísperas y los fieles tuvieron la oportunidad de venerar la estatua por el resto de la noche, y hasta el día siguiente.

El Obispo Jugis ha dedicado este año a la devoción del Inmaculado Corazón de Maria, “Que bello signo de la Providencia de Dios, que ella nos visite aquí, durante este año que estamos celebrando en la diócesis a la devoción de su Inmaculado Corazón,” dijo el Obispo Jugis en la Catedral de St. Patrick.

El martes 14, la estatua viajo a Nuestra Sra. de la Merced en Winston-Salem.

En la Iglesia la estatua de la Virgen fue coronada, y los fieles tuvieron la

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PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fieles Hispanos de la Iglesia de San Juan en Waynesville veneran la Estatua Peregrina de Fatima. oportunidad de venerar la estatua entonces. En la noche, la parroquia hizo una procesión y se rezó el Santo Rosario también. Después, se hizo una presentación de las apariciones de Fátima en la iglesia.

La Estatua Peregrina Internacional de la Virgen de Fátima fue hecha en 1947 por el famoso escultor José Thedim.

La estatua refleja las instrucciones específicas de la Hermana Lucia dos Santos, la única sobreviviente en ese tiempo de los tres niños pastores de Fátima. La Hermana Lucia reveló que era el deseo de la Virgen de Fátima de mostrar el rostro de la Virgen Maria cuando se reveló como el Inmaculado Corazón a ella y a sus primos, Francisco y Jacinta Marto en 1917.

La estatua fue bendecida por el Obispo de Fátima el 13 de Octubre, de 1947, frente a cientos de miles fieles peregrinos a Fátima. Es la segunda estatua “gemela” y comisionada como la Virgen Peregrina que llevaría las bendiciones de Fátima al Occidente, incluyendo al Continente Americano.

El 24 de Octubre, de 1952, el Papa Pio XII bendijo la estatua e impartió una bendición especial a la obra de la Gira Peregrina de Fátima.

--- Catholic News Herald, traducido al español por Rico De Silva, Hispanic Communications Reporter

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Cuaresma: Tiempo de preparación para la Pascua de Resurrección

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a hemos iniciado el santo tiempo de la Cuaresma, cuarenta días que culminan en la gran fiesta de la Resurrección de Cristo. A estas alturas, deberíamos de estar ya muy preparados espiritualmente para la gran celebración de la Pascua. Podríamos decir que no hay Cuaresma sin Pascua, ni Pascua sin Cuaresma.

Este es siempre el itinerario central del calendario cristiano: la Cuaresma, la Semana Santa y la Pascua de Resurrección.

Este año el tiempo de Cuaresma comenzó el 1ro. de Marzo con el Miércoles de Ceniza, un día en que el mensaje del texto evangélico se refiere a la limosna, al ayuno y la plegaria que son, por otra parte, los tres pilares de estos cuarenta días. Pero el llamamiento a los cristianos es, sobre todo, no hacer las cosas para que nos vean, sino obrar con discreción, vida interior e intimidad. El primer día del tiempo cuaresmal, al final de las celebraciones eucarísticas, el sacerdote impone a cada persona un poco de ceniza haciendo la señal de la cruz sobre la frente, y recuerda normalmente esta frase: “¡Conviértete y cree en el Evangelio!” Ó “Acuérdate que eres polvo y al polvo volverás”.

Y es que la Cuaresma es el tiempo en que la Iglesia de Jesucristo intensifica su llamamiento a la conversión personal de todos los creyentes. Recuerda los cuarenta días que Jesús, antes de sufrir la crucifixión, pasó ayunando en el desierto superando tentaciones y llenándose con mucha vida interior y reflexión.

Actualmente, existe un precepto de ayuno, con una única comida fuerte y sin comida entre horas, para el miércoles de ceniza y también el viernes Santo. Por otra parte, se establece una abstinencia de carne el mismo miércoles de ceniza y todos los viernes hasta el viernes Santo.

Estos gestos, sin embargo, no se piden para que los cristianos los sigan como una obligación, sino como un signo de comunión y de unión con la persona de Jesús. Más allá de eso, la Iglesia no quiere tampoco que nos quedemos con estas formas de vivir la Cuaresma. Quiere que vayamos más allá, con propósitos de rogar más y hacer mejores obras. Por ejemplo, sustituir la abstinencia de carne por una buena mariscada, como se hace en muchos hogares, no es vivir cristianamente

El Padre Julio Domínguez este tiempo. La Cuaresma nos invita a olvidarnos un poco de las cosas materiales para sentir necesidad de las espirituales, nos invita a hacer sentir hambre al cuerpo para que recordemos que nuestra alma está muy hambrienta de Dios.

La Cuaresma, que se acaba el Domingo de Ramos, es también preparación para el gozo de la Pascua. Por lo tanto, no es un tiempo de tristeza, sino de contemplación.

Una buena opción para vivir estos días es participar regularmente en plegarias comunitarias y atender también la individual, así como leer textos bíblicos y especialmente el Evangelio. Ciertamente, es una lástima de que, en nuestro país, quieran olvidarse la Cuaresma mientras se presentan muchas otras distracciones; nosotros los católicos cristianos debemos estar alertas al tiempo de preparación espiritual y tratar de vivirla intensamente ayudando a nuestros hijos a vivirla con mucho amor.

La penitencia es la otra gran palabra que suena durante la Cuaresma. Es simplemente el llamamiento que todos los creyentes recibimos de reencontrarnos con Dios, mediante el sacramento de la reconciliación, la celebración comunitaria de la penitencia y también gestos de hermandad con los demás, entre ellos también la petición de perdón y la purificación de la memoria que tantas veces ha pedido el Papa Juan Pablo II. Todo da paso a la Semana Santa, que empieza el domingo de Ramos, con el recuerdo y la vivencia de la entrada triunfante de Jesús en Jerusalén antes de la pasión, y se acaba el domingo de Pascua, la fiesta más importante para los cristianos. Es tan importante que no se celebra sólo un día, sino cincuenta. Durante la Semana Santa, también celebramos la institución de la Eucaristía y el amor fraterno, el jueves Santo, y la pasión y muerte de Jesús en la cruz con una intensa plegaria universal, en este caso el viernes Santo. En definitiva, nos encontramos un año más ante la mejor oportunidad de conocer las raíces y el sentido de nuestra fe. Vivamos la Cuaresma con intensidad y gozo y saquemos el fruto que nuestro Señor quiere concedernos.

El Padre Julio Domínguez es el Coordinador del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Smoky Mountain.

Mix

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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On TV

In theaters

Alex Tan (center, with gloved hand on his left shoulder) is prayed over by the Holy Trinity Middle School football team and coaches during the time of his illness. photo provided by jim alvarez

‘The Shack’ After his young daughter (Amelie Eve) is abducted and murdered, a previously devout man (Sam Worthington) has a crisis of faith until a supernatural encounter with the Trinity (Octavia Spencer, Avraham Aviv Alush and Sumire) alters his perspective. Beautiful settings and a sense of humor help to keep director Stuart Hazeldine’s screen version of William Paul Young’s best-selling novel from bogging down in sentimentality.

Patches of dialogue discounting the value of religion; however, here implicitly set in opposition to faith broadly speaking and hinting that God is indifferent to how we worship Him mean that impressionable viewers should keep their distance.

So, too, does the morally problematic treatment of a dark and long-kept secret. Overall, though, this is a serious effort to tackle the problem of evil from a Christian perspective that grown viewers of faith can, with a few reservations, welcome. Scenes of domestic violence, mature themes requiring careful discernment.

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

‘Kong: Skull Island’ Impressive monster movie, set in 1973, in which an ensemble of scientists and soldiers. The civilians led by a fringe researcher (John Goodman), the troops by a hard-bitten colonel (Samuel L. Jackson), travel to a previously uncharted island where they encounter an updated version of King Kong. As a World War II-era Air Force officer (John C. Reilly) who bailed out over the isle and has been stranded there ever since eventually explains to them, however, while the outsized ape may be the monarch of this hidden realm, he is far from the most lethal threat its new visitors will have to face there. Stylized but grim combat and other violence with little gore, a few gruesome images, occasional crude and crass language.

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

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‘The Doctor is in’ DVD series features healing of St. Peter Church parishioner SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — In what has become an annual Lenten Friends faith sharing series, St. Matthew Church has produced another DVD series featuring local parishes and faith stories to bring Catholics together over the course of 40 days to grow in their faith.

Six Charlotte area parishes are participating this year: St. Matthew, St. Gabriel, St. John Neumann and St. Peter churches in Charlotte and Holy Spirit Church in Denver.

The 2017 Lenten series, entitled “The Doctor Is In…Pathways to a Healthy Mind, Body and Spirit” includes a DVD and a participant book to serve as guides. Each week, small groups reflect on and discuss select topics related to healing.

The fourth lesson in the 2017 series features Jesuit Father Jim Shea, pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte and his parishioners, the Tan family. The title of the lesson is “Healing through Medicine and the Sacrament of the Sick,” where Father Shea shares that illness and suffering have always been a great and troubling mystery for all people, even Christians.

“Yet our faith in Christ brings us meaning, hope and courage in the face of illness,” Father Shea explains. “Jesus heals those wounded in body, soul and spirit. This saving power of the whole person is the core of His ministry. Today the Church continues that healing ministry, and we are a people called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to heal.”

He notes that Pope Francis imagines the Church as a field hospital, healing those wounded in the battle.

St. Peter Church parishioners, the Tan family, share about the battle they faced during their teenage son Alex’s health crisis and how their faith, family, church and school communities helped them through a very trying and uncertain time.

When Alex was 14, he had a terrible headache

and things quickly got worse as a mysterious illness began to affect his eye. His parents Eric and Pam recall how his left eye became completely closed, and they took Alex to doctor after doctor as his condition steadily worsened.

The pain became so great, Alex could not eat or go to school and prescribed steroids caused him to gain 40 pounds.

“I was up all night praying any prayer I could think of,” Pam says. “Just to heal my son and to give me some answers.”

The local community came together and prayed for answers to the medical mystery. Finally, a diagnosis of orbital pseudotumor was made but Alex did not respond to treatment, so he underwent brain surgery to obtain tissue for testing.

The Tan family prayed for the doctors, and weeks of testing on the tissue confirmed the original diagnosis. Alex began a regimen of stronger steroids and his family and prayer warriors began a nine-day novena for his healing.

His school, Holy Trinity Middle, prayed the prayer aloud with the morning announcements every school day during the novena.

“They all put their hands on me and (were) praying, which was pretty cool,” Alex says, recalling how the football team and other students came together to pray over him during that time.

In a private setting at St. Peter Church, Father Shea gave Alex the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

Now Alex is healed of his illness and is in high school.

“I’m more grateful for every single day, because when you wake up you really don’t know what the next day brings,” he says.

Pam says she now has a much stronger relationship with God than she ever did before.

Her son’s illness drew them all closer to God. “It’s a test of faith,” Eric shares. “I think you’ve got to believe that there is a reason for everything that happens. We’re just going to follow the path and do everything we can and lean into God. That’s the time you really lean into Him.” For more information about the Lenten Friends DVD series, go to www.lentenfriends.org.

— Lentenfriends.org contributed to this article.

Watch the video

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: View the episode of “The Doctor Is In” featuring the Tan family’s story

n Friday, March 17, 4 p.m.

(EWTN) “Discovering Patrick: St. of Ireland.” Father Nathan Cromly, CSJ, and a group of Catholic pilgrims travel to Ireland to walk in the footsteps of St. Patrick, while learning about his life, missionary zeal, and legacy that continues to inspire people to this day. n Saturday, March 18, 5 p.m.

(EWTN) “The Spanish Inquisition.”

A detailed look at the history of The Spanish Inquisition, and how European powers propagated it as the “Black Legend” for social and political gain. Part 2 of 4. n Saturday, March 18, 7 p.m.

(EWTN) “St. Peter.” The story of the life of St. Peter, the man chosen by Jesus Christ to lead His Church as the first pope.

Featuring acclaimed actor Omar Sharif. Part 1. n Monday, March 20, 2:20 p.m.

(EWTN) “A Lenten Pilgrimage: St. Mark.” Explore the church of Saint Mark with Dr. Timothy O’Donnell which according to tradition, St. Mark’s request to the early Roman Christians composed his Gospel upon St. Peter’s preaching. n Wednesday, March 22, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Armenia: A Faith to Move Mountains.” Learn about the realities and the challenges faced by the Catholic Church in Armenia as it rebuilds the faith and society there from the devastation caused by the Communist regime. n Wednesday, March 22, 2:20 p.m. (EWTN) A Lenten Pilgrimage: Sts. Martin and Sylvester.” Come explore the great stational churches of Rome on a Lenten pilgrimage with Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. Today he explores the church of St. Martin and St. Sylvester on the Mountain. n Friday, March 24, 5:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Meet the Legion.”

The history and mission of the Legion of Mary, one of the largest worldwide lay Catholic organizations, currently found in more than 171 countries. n Saturday, March 25, 7 p.m.

(EWTN) “St. Peter.” The story of the life of St. Peter, the man chosen by Jesus Christ to lead His Church as the first pope.

Featuring acclaimed actor Omar Sharif. Part 2. n Sunday, March 26, 5 p.m.

(EWTN) “Holy Hour on the One-Year Anniversary of Mother Angelica’s Passing.” Memorial Holy Hour for the anniversary of Mother Angelica’s death, with the nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery and the EWTN Men’s Schola. Live from Hanceville, Ala. n Sunday, March 26, 9 p.m.

(EWTN) “St. Mariana of Jesus.”

Priests and religious offer their insights on the life St. Mariana of Jesus, an Ecuadorian mystic who was blessed with many spiritual gifts and graces.

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishops say U.S. must address needs of immigrants, show compassion Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While one Catholic archbishop was urging a fix to the country’s immigration laws before a Catholic crowd, another was pleading with the government not to separate mothers from their children while in immigration detention, and yet another, a cardinal, was accompanying a grandfather to an appointment that could have resulted in his deportation.

Church leaders in the U.S. spent the week of March 6-10 trying to allay fears and urging compassion.

“In the Church, we say, ‘¡Somos familia!’ Immigrants are our family.

We say, ‘En las buenas y en las malas.’

In the good times and in the bad. We always stay together,” said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, in a March 8 address to those who attended the Napa Institute’s Washington conference. “That is why the Church has always been at the center of our debates about immigration. And we always will be. We cannot leave our family alone, without a voice.”

Archbishop Gomez, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said immigration is the “human rights test of our time” and said that having a policy that solely focuses on deportations without addressing reform of the immigration system risks causing “a human rights nightmare.”

He said it’s not morally acceptable to say: “It’s their own fault,” or “This is what they get for breaking our laws.”

“They are still people, children of God, no matter what they did wrong,” he said.

In Texas, Archbishop Gustavo GarciaSiller of San Antonio was pleading with the government to stop plans that would separate children from mothers in immigration detention centers, a proposal confirmed by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly March 6.

Calling it an “unjust and inhumane method of border enforcement,” Archbishop Garcia-Siller said the

proposal had been put out into the public sphere with the suggestion “that once this is known, it will serve an example to discourage future such attempts at entering our country illegally.”

“With my brother bishops and millions of people of goodwill, I must say that the willful separation of families is a terrible injustice on its face!” he said in a March 8 statement, adding it is “an assault on the human dignity we proclaim and uphold.”

Archbishop Gomez in his address said politics today are more divided “than I can ever remember” and “by our inaction and indifference we have created a quiet human rights tragedy that is playing out in communities all across this great country.”

While all can agree that a person who commits a violent crime and is not authorized to be in the country should be deported, “what is the public policy purpose that is served by taking away some little girl’s dad or some little boy’s mom?” Archbishop Gomez asked.

While saying that the deportation situation is not new and that President Barack Obama had deported more people than any other president, “the sad truth is that the vast majority of those we are deporting are not violent criminals,” he said.

The week ended with Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., accompanying a 59-year-old grandfather in New Jersey, Catalino Guerrero, who was facing deportation after living in the U.S. for 25 years.

Cardinal Tobin prayed with Guerrero, who was subsequently granted a shortterm stay but needs to see immigration officials again in May and still faces deportation.

According to a report by NJ Advance Media, Cardinal Tobin later said: “I can’t accompany the 11 million undocumented people in this country, what I hope to do is say, look: they’ve got faces, they’ve got histories and there’s a lot of advantage to leaving them alone.”

Catholic leaders react to House bill to repeal, replace health care law Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calling health care “a vital concern for nearly every person in the country,” the U.S. Catholic bishops said March 8 they will be reviewing closely a measure introduced in the House March 6 to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. “Discussions on health care reform have reached a level of intensity which is making open and fruitful dialogue difficult, even while most people recognize that improvements to the health care system are needed to ensure a life-giving and sustainable model for both the present and future,” said a letter to House members signed by the chairmen of four U.S. bishops’ committees.

“Given the magnitude and importance of the task before us, we call for a new spirit of cooperation for the sake of the common good,” they wrote.

The letter was signed by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman, Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty; Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla., chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman, Committee on Migration.

Main provisions of the new House bill include: eliminating the mandate that most individuals have health insurance and putting in its place a new system of tax credits; expanding Health Savings Accounts; repealing Medicaid expansion and transitioning to a “per capita allotment”; and prohibiting health insurers from denying coverage or charging more money to patients based on pre-existing conditions.

It also eliminates any government subsidies, such as tax credits, for health plans that cover abortion (except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother); and blocking about $500 million in federal funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest single abortion provider.

The Catholic Health Association in a March 7 statement said it “strongly opposed” the House repeal and replace measure, saying it “asks the low-income and most vulnerable in our country to bear the brunt

of the cuts to our health system.”

It pointed to the proposal to cap federal financing of Medicaid, which is a state-federal program; to eliminate cost-sharing subsidies for low-income people and create “barriers to initial and continuing Medicaid enrollment.”

CHA said the provision on pre-existing conditions would come with a 30 percent monthly premium surcharge for a year “should they have a lapse in coverage.” Its vision for health care in the U.S. “calls for health care to be available and accessible to everyone, paying special attention to poor and vulnerable individuals,” the CHA statement said.

In their letter, the Catholic bishops called on lawmakers to consider moral criteria as they debate the measure, including: respect for life and dignity; honoring conscience rights; access for all; a plan that is “truly affordable ... comprehensive and high quality.”

The U.S. bishops “continue to reject the inclusion of abortion as part of a national health care benefit,” they said. “No health care reform plan should compel us or others to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory coverage of abortion.”

Hyde Amendment protections, they said, “must extend to any relevant health care plan in order to prevent federal funding of abortion, and federal resources – including tax credits – must not be used to assist consumers in the purchase of health care plans that cover abortion.” Such protections should not be “a temporary fix or future promise,” they said.

The 41-year-old Hyde Amendment prohibits tax dollars from paying for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or threat to the woman’s life.

The House Jan. 24 passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act to make the amendment permanent. The Senate has not yet acted on the measure.

The U.S. bishops have advocated for universal and affordable health care for decades and they supported the general goal of the Affordable Care Act, which was passed in 2010, but the bishops ultimately opposed the law because it expanded the federal role in abortion and failed to expand health care protections to immigrants.

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In Brief Archdiocese announces beatification date for Okla. priest WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City announced that Father Stanley Rother, a North American priest who worked in Guatemala and was brutally murdered there in 1981, will be beatified Sept. 23 in Oklahoma. “It’s official!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Archbishop Coakley received official word this morning from Rome that Servant of God Father Stanley Rother will be beatified in Oklahoma Rother City in September!” the archdiocese announced March 13 on its website. Pope Francis recognized Father Rother’s martyrdom last December, making him the first martyr born in the U.S.

Aquinas College will now offer only education degrees NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Aquinas College in

Nashville announced March 10 it will reconfigure its degree programs to focus solely on preparing teachers for Catholic schools and will close its degree programs in the arts and sciences, business and nursing. The school will no longer offer residential services or student life programming. The changes, which will take effect this fall, will mean about 60 faculty and staff will lose their jobs and about 140 students will have to complete their degrees elsewhere.

Aquinas is owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville.

Dolan op-ed urges passage of nationwide school choice bill

column cited the benefits of one such program, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, for 300 students who attend St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, Fla., which Trump visited March 3 to announce his support for school choice. Statewide, nearly 98,000 children from low-income families attend parochial or private schools under the program.

In Arkansas, 8 executions set for April; bill filed to end practice LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas, which has not executed anyone in more than 12 years, plans to execute eight death-row inmates in a period of 10 days this April before one of the state’s lethal

NEW YORK — Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York urged President Donald Trump to follow through on a recent call for legislation that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth nationwide. Writing in a column for The Wall Street Journal March 9, Cardinal Dolan said he hoped that the president would “push Congress to make scholarship tax credits available to working-class families.” The cardinal called for rapid action in Congress so that families can benefit as soon as possible from having a choice on where to send their children to school.

Seventeen states already have scholarship tax credit programs and Cardinal Dolan said children in the remaining states “deserve the same opportunities.” Under a nationwide tax credit program parents can opt to send their children to private schools, the cardinal wrote, noting that 97 percent of Catholic high school students in the Archdiocese of New York graduate in four years and 95 percent attend college. The

injection drugs expires. Proclamations signed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in late February set the four execution dates for the eight men between April 17-27. The Death Penalty Information Center, a group that opposes capital punishment, said if this happens as planned, the state will execute inmates at a rate that hasn’t happened in any state since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The governor’s decision was announced days after the state’s attorney general said the inmates had exhausted all their appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court Feb. 21 rejected the inmates’ request to review a state court ruling upholding Arkansas’ lethal injection law and three days later the state Supreme Court lifted the stay on its ruling.

— Catholic News Service

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An exhibit featuring relics and artifacts from the Stonyhurst College Collections

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

Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Pope to visit Colombia as it emerges from war VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will be visiting Colombia in mid-September as the Latin American nation works to implement a new peace deal and rebuild after 52 years of war.

The Vatican announced March 10 that the pope had accepted the invitation of President Juan Manuel Santos and the Colombian bishops. The trip, Sept. 6-11, will include visits to the cities of Bogota, Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.

Pope Francis will be the third pope to visit the nation after Blessed Paul VI and St. John Paul II.

Indian Catholics pray for release of Salesian kidnapped in Yemen COCHIN, India — A year after an Indian priest was abducted by suspected Islamic militants in Yemen, Catholics in his home state of Kerala are still praying for his release, reported ucanews. com. Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil was taken by a group of armed men who stormed a home for the elderly run by Missionaries of Charity nuns in Aden, March 4, 2016. During the incident the gunmen murdered 16 people, including four nuns. Even after one year, “We don’t know who kidnapped the priest and where they have taken him. The government of India and the Vatican have been trying their best to secure his release. Sadly, these efforts have failed to produce any results so far,” said Cardinal Baselios Thottunkal of Trivandrum, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Ucanews.com reported on the cardinal’s remarks at a public meeting and prayer program at Ernakulam town hall March 4. The service was organized by the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and the local province of the Salesians of Don Bosco; several such programs were organized across the state.

IN BRIEF, SEE page 21

Don’t close doors to refugees, Church leaders say after Mideast trip Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Given the ongoing crises in the Middle East, North American, European and other Western nations will need to be more generous in coming to the aid of refugees and displaced peoples, said two prominent Church leaders.

The answer is continued assistance, “not to close the gates of the countries where people are knocking for survival,” said Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, former Vatican representative to U.N. agencies in Geneva.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles, told journalists that nations like Lebanon and Jordan have been “very heroic” in accommodating large numbers of refugees, “as compared to many other countries, especially the United States, which I think is gravely at fault here.”

The archbishop and cardinal spoke about a 10-day visit to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Greece to visit refugees and Church-based organizations offering aid and assistance. The March 9 media event was hosted by the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

“We saw humanity at its worst and humanity at its best on this journey,” Cardinal Mahony said. The worst was seeing situations “where men could so mistreat and maltreat other men, women and children.”

“On the other side, in the midst of all this suffering and pain, we found the best in the people,” who were involved in caring and bringing relief and aid to others, such as members of Catholic charities, international volunteers and nongovernmental organizations. “It was very inspiring.”

Both Archbishop Tomasi and Cardinal Mahony noted how the current populist sentiments in parts of Europe and the United States were negatively affecting the health, lives and dignity of millions of people needing accommodation and assistance.

“I can understand that with the political development of populist movements and xenophobic groups that politicians are concerned about limiting the massive arrival of people in the (European) Union,” Archbishop Tomasi said. However, he added, the consequence is people are trapped where they are, “they cannot go back and they cannot go forward,” and families often are broken up because they find themselves stuck in different countries.

A country’s right to regulate how many people come to them for resettlement needs to be respected, he said, but human rights and legal commitments to international conventions must also be respected, he said.

Making the problem worse, Cardinal Mahony said, was an

St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina is a vibrant, growing parish of 2400 families. We are a Catholic Community united to form a church family dedicated to continuing the ministry of Christ.

We have the following Employment Opportunities available Parish Bookkeeper Youth Minister Director of Child Development Center

For complete job descriptions go to our parish website www.saintphilipneri.org and look for Employment Opportunities.

Send all resumes before April 1, 2017, references and inquiries to: businessmanager@saintphilipneri.org

CNS | Daniel Etter, CRS

A displaced Iraqi woman prays the rosary in 2014 inside St. Joseph Church in Irbil, Iraq. The church gives refuge to thousands of people who were displaced by the so-called Islamic State. approach taken during President Donald Trump’s election campaign, which “posed people who are different from you, (as) a threat to you, a threat to your jobs” and “they’re going to harm you.”

“This generalization of people who are different as a threat just compounds the issue and the problem,” he said.

The best way to handle resettlement, he added, is for the incoming family to have local families and communities, like a parish, reach out and help integrate them into the local culture.

While the world struggles to find a solution to the refugee crisis, “we need to support the programs that are making their lives less miserable,” such as those run by Catholic Relief Services and Jesuit Refugee Service, Archbishop Tomasi said.

“Compassion fatigue should have no room at this moment,” as millions of people are still in need, he said.

Catholic Maternity Home Seeks Program Manager MiraVia is a Catholic, pro-life agency that has served the greater Charlotte area and beyond for more than 20 years. We are seeking a Program Manager for our college-based maternity residence located at Belmont Abbey. This key position is available immediately and manages all aspects of the residential program from client services to daily facility operations. A minimum of a Bachelor Degree in Social Work or relevant field and five years' experience in a Human Services position is required.

The ideal candidate has excellent organizational and management skills along with the ability to mentor clients in regard to pregnancy and child development.

To request the full job description and/or submit your resume go to: www.mira-via.org/who-we-are-2/job-openings/ or contact Debbie Capen at debbiecapen@mira-via.org

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE X

Irish commission finds human remains at former Church-run home DUBLIN — The commission set up to investigate the treatment of unmarried mothers and their babies in Irish care homes during the 20th century says it has found “significant” human remains at the site of a former home in western Ireland. A spokesman for the commission said March 3 that the body was shocked by the discovery made in Tuam, County Galway, at the site formerly managed by the Bon Secours religious order. The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation is currently probing how unmarried mothers and their babies were treated between 1922 and 1998 at 18 state-regulated institutions, many of them run by religious orders. The commission reported the “remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 fetal weeks to 2-3 years.”

Pope: Conversion doesn’t happen through magic, but action VATICAN CITY — Conversion doesn’t come from the wave of a magic wand, but from learning to do good through concrete actions every day, Pope Francis said. While even “the saintliest person sins seven times a day,” conversion happens through humility and trying to become “better than the day before,” the pope said March 14 during the Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. “Converting doesn’t mean going to a fairy with a magic wand,” he said. “No, it is a path, a path of turning away (from evil) and of learning.” Reflecting on the day’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah (1:10, 16-20), the pope said, “You learn to do good through concrete things. Not with words, but with actions.” The reading from Isaiah gives three examples: “Help the oppressed, hear the orphan’s plea and defend the widow.”

Sin is scary, but God is always ready to forgive, pope says ROME — Witches don’t really exist, so they can do no harm, Pope Francis told a young girl, but gossip, sin and evil exist and they hurt people every day. “What frightens me?” the pope asked, repeating the question posed by Sara, one of the children at the Rome parish of St. Magdalene of

Canossa. “I’m frightened when a person is bad; the wickedness of people” is scary. Pope Francis spent close to four hours visiting the parish March 12. Before celebrating an evening Mass, the pope also heard confessions. He told the children that the “seeds of wickedness” lie within each human being, but God is always willing to forgive those who are sincerely sorry for their sins.

God’s voice is heard through humility, Franciscan preaches VATICAN CITY — Humility is needed in order to recognize the voice of God in others, especially those who are perceived to be weak or subject to prejudice, a Franciscan friar told Pope Francis and members of the Roman Curia during their Lenten retreat. God not only speaks through Jesus, but also speaks to Him through Peter, who recognizes Christ as the Messiah “by revelation,” Franciscan Father Giulio Michelini said March 6, according to Vatican Radio. “Do I have the humility to listen to Peter? Do we have the humility to listen to one another, paying attention to prejudices that we certainly have, but attentive to receive that which God wants to say despite – perhaps – my closures? Do I listen to the voice of others, perhaps weak, or do I only listen to my voice?” he asked.

The pope and top members of the Roman Curia attended their annual Lenten retreat March 5-10. Father Michelini was chosen by the pope to lead meditations on the Gospel of Matthew’s description of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Vatican: Despite 2015 deficit, progress made towards reforms VATICAN CITY — Although the Holy See reported a deficit of 12.4 million euros ($13.1 million) in 2015, significant progress has been made in the budgeting process and carrying out economic reform, the Vatican said. Vatican City State, on the other hand, which has a separate budget, reported a surplus of 59.9 million euros ($63.4 million) “largely due to continued revenue from cultural activities, especially those linked to the museums,” a statement from the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy said March 4.

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 17, 2017 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fatima: The first apparition T

he constellation of events, noted in the previous commentary “The past prepares the future,” demonstrated that the Heavenly Father prepared a place called Fatima for His plan for peace to be revealed nearly 11 centuries later. In 1916, at the apex of the Great War, He sent an angel there to three shepherd children. The last article accompanied the children during their progressive preparation of three lessons taught to them by the angel. These prepared their hearts and souls for future visits from Mary, the Blessed Virgin. Their first visit from “the Lady” came on May 13, 1917.

Many commentaries have been written about this and the apparitions that followed.

Some have written about the implications of the messages for the world. Biographers have recounted these events from the viewpoints of each of the children. As this series now turns to the visitations from Our Lady to the children, it will examine how each visitation prepared the children, the Church and the world for God’s plan for peace.

To do so means to listen intently to the words of Our Lady and the children’s responses. It means asking: To whom are the messages intended? Is she speaking to one child directly, to all of them collectively, or, through them, to the community, the Church and the world?

Finally, how does each visit prepare for the next?

THE FIRST APPARITION

On the morning of May 13, 1917, brother and sister, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and their cousin, Lúcia dos Santos, were leading their flock from the grazing fields of Aljustrel to the gentle slopes of the hillside called the Cova. They stopped along the outskirts of Fatima, midway on their journey to pray the rosary and eat their modest lunch. Suddenly, there was a bolt of lightning. The sky was free of clouds. Naturally they presumed a storm was approaching. Instead of going on to the Cova, they decided to go back to their homes. No sooner had they gathered the sheep when a second flash of lightning startled them. To their amazement, above a small holm oak tree, near the endpoint of the flash of light, was a figure dressed in white, illuminated by rays brighter than those of the sun, clothed in clear, glistening light.

This was not the angel as before. This was the figure of a beautiful lady.

The Lady spoke directly to Lúcia. Jacinta saw the Lady encircled in light, but did not hear her words. Francisco saw the light, but he neither saw nor heard the Lady speak. To Lúcia, she said, “Fear not! I will not harm you.” “Where are you from?” Lúcia boldly asked. “I am from heaven,” the beautiful Lady replied, gently raising her hand towards the distant horizon. “What do you want of me?” Lúcia humbly asked. “I come to ask you to come here for six consecutive months, on the 13th day, at this same hour. I will tell you later who I am and what I want. And I shall return here again a seventh time.”

The Lady’s message, so far, is intended for Lúcia alone. She is asking for, not demanding, Lúcia to come back over the next six months. Lúcia does not decline the Lady’s request. Her acceptance prepares for future visitations.

“And I, am I too going to go to heaven?” Lúcia continues. “Yes, you shall,” the Lady assured her. “And Jacinta?” “Yes.” “And Francisco?” “He too shall go, but he must say many rosaries,” the Lady responded. Lúcia asked some more questions of the Lady.

Two girls who used to come to her house to learn sewing from her sisters had recently died. Lúcia wanted to find out about them, too. “And Maria do Rosario, daughter of José das Neves, is she in heaven?” “Yes,” the Lady replied. “And Amelia?” “She is still in

purgatory.” Lúcia’s eyes filled with tears. How sad that her friend Amelia was suffering in the fires of purgatory.

Lúcia’s response was not what one might expect of a 10-yearold child. She immediately, almost instinctively, asked about not merely her own salvation, but that of her friends as well. This speaks to Lúcia’s disposition. Her instruction in the faith had been simple. Her understanding of spiritual realities, however, was profound and pure. She did not debate the existence of heaven and purgatory. She did not question why Francisco needed to say many rosaries. She did not ask why Amelia had to suffer. Instead, her tender heart melted upon hearing of Amelia’s suffering. Lúcia’s mind and heart were not concerned with earthly matters, unlike her two friends.

Francisco, unable to see or hear the Lady, said, “I don’t see anything, Lúcia! Throw a stone at it to see if it is real!” Ignoring her friend’s less-than-effective manner of discernment, Lúcia inquired of the Lady, “So you are Our Lady and Francisco can’t see you?” This is the first time Lúcia thought that “the” Lady might be “Our” Lady. The Lady did not answer her question. She had already told Lúcia that she would reveal her name and what she wanted later. Instead, regarding Francisco, she told Lúcia, “Let him say the rosary and in that way he too will see me.” Francisco immediately took out his rosary, began to pray, and before the end of the first decade the Lady became visible to him “with almost blinding splendor.”

Jacinta, too, was concerned with a more worldly, albeit kind and hospitable, request. She said, “Lúcia! Ask the Lady if she is hungry. We still have some bread and cheese.” Francisco interrupted. He became concerned about their sheep. They were close to a neighbor’s farm. The boy was worried that they might eat the vegetables and destroy the garden. “Lúcia,” he cried out, “I am going over there to chase the sheep.” Lúcia put an end to her friend’s worries. She told them that everything would be okay. She explained they needed to be attentive to the Lady. To comfort them Lúcia said, “The Lady knows.”

Francisco and Jacinta quickly relaxed and elevated their hearts and minds to the apparition before them. Then, for the first time, the Lady addressed all three children, not just Lúcia. “Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may choose to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners?”

The angel had taught them how to offer themselves and their sufferings for this very purpose. Having already embraced this in their hearts many months earlier, Lúcia responded for all three, “Yes, we want to.” “Then you are going to suffer a great deal,” the Lady promised, “but the grace of God will be your comfort.”

The Lady opened her hands and from them a “highly intense light” penetrated the hearts of the children. They fell on their knees, saying, “O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee; my God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.” The Lady departed after telling the children, “Say the rosary every day to bring peace to the world and the end of the war.”

The Lady had now spoken to all the children together, not Lúcia alone. She asked Lúcia to come back each month, but she asked all of them if they would suffer. The Angel of Portugal prepared the children for this very moment. He had taught them the prayers they would say, how to offer their sufferings to comfort God, and stirred within them a love for the Blessed Sacrament. The Angel of Portugal prepared them for this first visit from the Lady. The Lady, upon leaving, had now prepared all three children for her next visit. The revelation of God’s plan for peace had begun.

During this centennial anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal, the Catholic News Herald is publishing a series of commentaries examining each of her six visits to the children, the messages given to them and how Fatima’s past prepared the future to receive God’s divine plan for peace. Father James Ebright, priest in residence at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia, is among those writing this series on behalf of the Te Deum Foundation, online at www.tedeumfoundation. org.

Barbara Case Speers

Plan B

J

ust recently I was reading Luke 5:17-20: “One day, while Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting nearby (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with Him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed.

They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’”

I have read this passage a zillion times but this reading was different.

I noticed more of the details to the account. First of all, there were some men who were carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. The scriptures didn’t reference that these men were family, simply “some men.”

Jesus was healing, drawing a huge crowd. These men must have heard how Jesus healed, so they wanted their friend to be made whole. They carry him to where Jesus was, the place was packed and they couldn’t get near the door to get in. How discouraged they must have felt. Imagine how disheartened the paralyzed man must have been.

At this point, most people would have given up. How easy it would have been for these men to say to the paralyzed man, “Well, the place is packed, we can’t get you in. Maybe next time.” Instead of dodging the problem, packing up and going home, they moved on to Plan B. With unity of spirit, they lifted their burden to the top of the roof, cut a hole, and then dropped the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. This was a group effort! Think about the physical strength required of these men and the tremendous faith they had in Jesus to heal their friend. This was a mammoth undertaking, and these men willing gave sacrificial love to their neighbor.

When was the last time we gave sacrificial love to our neighbor? When was the last time we gave sacrificial love to the Lord? Do we dodge the spiritual issues and failures in our lives or do we move on to Plan B, living our faith?

Barbara Case Speers is a writer who lives in Hickory.

March 17, 2017 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Parish spotlight

Sister Mary Raphael

Catapulted into Lent I

t is time. The ashes have come out, parish missions have begun. It is time for the “glory of these 40 days” and “hearts renewed by living faith.” It is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Are we ready to give Our Lord what He is asking from us and to receive what He wants to show us?

Perhaps it is not so uncommon to face Lent with a cringe or a deep breath of uncertainty. Who wants to be reminded of one’s sins, to give up an attachment, to embrace a tighter discipline of prayer that calls one out of a comfortable bed earlier in the morning? Who eagerly runs to the dryness and barrenness of the desert? And if in brutal honesty we answer these questions in the negative, what will change our minds so that we will bow our heads and humble our hearts under this penitential season?

Sometimes Our Lord is incredibly merciful in that He puts us in a place or situation before we have time to “give Him permission” or catch our breath, or understand how we arrived there. This month I found myself in such a position. A few weeks ago my family experienced trauma when my sister escaped from an abduction and began a long road to healing. A few days later another sister was in a car accident, and shortly thereafter, I found myself in a stressful situation that left me wondering how best to practically provide for my religious community. In the midst of all of this, I was on pilgrimage to Fatima, a holy site where the message calls for prayer and penance. A week before Ash Wednesday, I felt that my Lent had already begun.

If Lent means more prayer – I never prayed so hard in my life. If Lent means almsgiving, there were ample opportunities to reach out to those in need – either materially, spiritually or emotionally. If Lent means fasting and penance, I was revisiting the paths of three little shepherd seers who so generously embraced a life of sacrifice for the conversion of poor sinners. My Lent had begun, but it began with a question: “Why?” I wondered why such evil is permitted that victims live through nightmares. Why do we face so much uncertainty; and when stability in our lives flounders, why do we find ourselves drowning in a sense of helplessness? Why is it that suffering is necessary to work out our salvation and to soften our hearts towards the working of grace?

My last night in Fatima, a stranger approached me and asked, “Sister, we were told as children and adolescents that our God is a God of love. Why do we have punishment and have to do penance?”

She was genuine in her questions and her “why” joined my own litany. It was not a flailing or doubting, but rather the raw realization that we live in a vale of tears and we have to do something about that – namely, prayer and penance.

While my stranger friend did not understand the fullness of our God of love, she brought up a foundational point. Yes, God loves us. He is Love and out of love created the world and sustains it in being. Yet, through original sin, Adam and Eve severed that relationship of love with their Creator, handed on a sinful inheritance to us, and now we continue to wound that relationship through our own sins. What is the remedy?

The first part of Lent we hone in on the reality of this severed relationship – that we have sinned, that we desperately yearn for the love and security we have lost, and that we need a Savior. The last couple weeks of Lent the Scripture readings turn toward the answer that our God of Love did in fact love us so much as to give us the remedy: His own Son’s sacrifice on the cross.

We are loved, loved even to the point of a flesh-and-blood sacrifice. When darkness enters into our lives and the effects of sin pierce our hearts, our good God is reminding us that we still live in the vale of tears, but that He has stooped down to save us. Through our suffering, prayer and penance, He allows us to participate in healing the relationship between God and man, so that one day we will enter into eternal life and joy with Him. St. Gregory the Great wrote, “For though outwardly these scourges create the darkness of anguish, inwardly knowledge enkindles the light in the mind…Peace with God is restored to us when those things which were rightly created for us, but are not ordinarily desired, are turned into scourges and become evil for us. It is through sin that we become opposed to God; therefore, it is fitting that we should return to His peace by way of scourges. In this manner, when everything created for good is turned into a source of pain for us, the mind of the chastened man may be humbly renewed and restored to peace with his Creator.”

Lent is a beautiful opportunity to generously respond to Him, to love in return the God who loves us to the point of death and resurrection.

Sister Mary Raphael is a member of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother, a community dedicated to serving the spiritual and practical needs of the sacred priesthood and of seminarians in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Photo provided by Father Richard Sutter

Young adults discuss awareness of the Real Presence CHARLOTTE — Dr. Bill Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, spoke at a recent “Theology on Tap” event organized for young adults who attend St. Patrick Cathedral. The event held at Tyber Creek Pub in Charlotte attracted well over 50 young adults, who heard Thierfelder speak on the importance of “awareness” – an awareness of the reality of the Real Presence of Jesus in our lives and our universal call to love as God’s road map to our happiness in this life and the next. “We are called to know, love and serve God in this life so as to be happy with Him forever in the next life.”

Thierfelder compared the Real Presence (Jesus in the Eucharist) in our lives and our need and desire to live in the present moment, to be truly present to those around us, versus the virtual world our technology-obsessed culture promotes.

It was yet another great Catholic Young Adult gathering thanks to the leadership of the Theology on Tap chair, Joe Westerhaus, and the co-leaders of the cathedral’s young adult ministry, Margaret Dechant and Stu Vaughn, along with Ashleigh Lawrence spearheading communication and social networking.

Learn more about the young adult ministry on Facebook at “The Cathedral of St. Patrick - Young Adult Ministry,” or go to www.stpatricks. org. (For a list of young adult ministries in the Diocese of Charlotte, check out the Diocesan Calendar of Events on page 4.)

Most-read stories on the web

‘People need to listen more if they want there to be peace in the world.’

Pope Francis

From online story: “Mouth shut, ears open can make the world a better place, pope says” Through press time on March 15, 4,376 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 8,676 pages. The top six headlines in March so far have been: n Historic Fatima pilgrim statue comes to diocese............................................................................ 469 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald........................................................ 344 n St. Pius X Church celebrates opening of parish hall.......................................................................226 n Scenes from Ash Wednesday................................................................................................................222 n Father Michael Gaitley, Father Chris Alar to appear together......................................................143 n St. Matthew youth travel to Haiti on mission.....................................................................................128.

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