Oct. 12, 2018

October 12, 2018

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

Atlanta adopts Charlotte’s Tribunal Advocacy Program 3

Immaculate Conception bell tower gets repairs 5 INDEX

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‘Caring for Charlotte’

St. Gabriel parishioners go to the margins to help neighbors in need 3

‘My pain was gone’ Wheelchairbound Megan Bean feels immediate healing after immersion in waters at Lourdes shrine

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De los corridos pesados al rosario El poder de María cambió la vida de un DJ

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Charlotte celebra el mes morado, mes del Señor de los Milagros 13

Our faith

catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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World Mission Sunday collection set for Oct. 20-21 Pope Francis

Contempt for life is the source of all evil

P

rocuring an abortion is wrong, inhumane and like hiring a hit man “to fix a problem,” Pope Francis said.

It is a contradiction to allow for killing a human life in a mother’s womb “in the name of protecting other rights,” he said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 10.

“How can an act that suppresses the innocent and defenseless budding life be therapeutic, civilized or simply humane?” he asked the more than 26,000 people present.

“Is it right to snuff out a human life to solve a problem?” he asked, until the crowd shouted loudly, “No.” “Is it right to hire a hit man to solve a problem? No, you can’t. It’s not right to take out a human being, a small one, too, in order to fix a problem. It is like hiring a professional killer,” he said.

The pope took a brief break from the Oct. 3-28 Synod of Bishops on young people to attend the morning general audience and continue his series of talks on the Ten Commandments.

He reflected on the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill,” as being like a wall of defense, protecting the most fundamental value in human relationships – the value of life.

“One can say that all the evil done in the world can be boiled down to this: contempt for life,” the pope said.

“Life is attacked by wars, by organizations that exploit people” and creation, by “the throwaway culture,” by systems that subjugate human lives to the calculated advantage of others, all while a “scandalous” number of people live in disgraceful conditions.

Violence and refusing life are rooted in fear, he said.

The idols of the world that lead people to refuse life are power, success and money, such as when decisions to end someone’s life are based on the costs involved if that life were to continue.

“The only authentic measure of life” is love, he said; God loves every single human life.

“In every sick child, in every weak elderly person, in every desperate migrant, in every fragile and threatened life, Christ is looking for us, He is seeking our heart in order to open it up to the joy of love.”

“It is worth welcoming every life because every person is worth the blood of Christ Himself. You cannot scorn what God has loved so much,” he said.

“Do not scorn life,” not the lives of others or one’s own, he said, particularly with addictions that ruin lives and can lead to death.

So many young people, the pope said, need to hear the call to not devalue or refuse their lives, which are “a work of God, you are a work of God!”

CNS | JACLYN LIPPELMANN, CATHOLIC STANDARD

Young people carry the official World Youth Day Cross in a procession across the National Mall in Washington Aug. 25. The cross and a Marian icon toured the U.S. Aug. 19-27.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

Pope: Church must go where people are indifferent, hostile to the faith CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The most desolate places in the world in need of Christ are where people are indifferent, even hostile to God and His love, Pope Francis said.

The Church’s mission is to bring the faith to the ends of the earth, he said, especially to these “extreme peripheries,” and to use the many means possible, including social networks, he said.

The pope’s remarks came in his message for World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated Oct. 21. This year’s message, titled “Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all,” was dedicated to young people.

In the message, Pope Francis said the upcoming Synod of Bishops in Rome in October, the month of the missions, will be devoted to young people, offering “an opportunity to understand more fully, in the light of faith, what the Lord Jesus wants to say to you young people, and, through you, to all Christian

communities.”

Having the synod and month of missions coincide “will prove to be one more occasion to help us become missionary disciples, ever more passionately devoted to Jesus and His mission, to the ends of the earth,” he said.

“Every man and woman is a mission,” he said; it is the reason for why one is alive on this earth.

“To be attracted and to be sent are two movements that our hearts, especially when we are young, feel as interior forces of love; they hold out promise for our future, and they give direction to our lives,” Pope Francis said.

But it is still a great challenge to live out this responsibility for the world with joy, he added.

However, he urged young people, “do not be afraid of Christ and His Church!

For there we find the treasure that fills life with joy.”

CHARLOTTE — Parishes throughout the diocese will participate in World Mission Sunday the weekend of Oct. 20-21. The theme for World Mission Sunday 2018 is “Through Youth To The World: Voices for Mission.”

Pope Francis addressed his message for this year’s celebration to young people, saying, “In speaking to you, I also address all Christians who live out in the Church the adventure of their life as children of God. “What leads me to speak to everyone through this conversation with you is the certainty that the Christian faith remains ever young when it is open to the mission that Christ entrusts to us,” he explained.

Promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies, World Mission Sunday is the annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions and missionaries of the world. The special second collection taken up during Masses Oct. 20-21 is a global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of more than 1,000 local churches in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe.

Through the work of these churches and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, His hope and peace.

“The Pontifical Mission Societies were born of young hearts as a means of supporting the preaching of the Gospel to every nation and thus contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth,” Pope Francis said.

He also stated that the prayers and the material aid generously given and distributed through the Pontifical Mission Societies enable the Holy See to ensure that those who are helped in their personal needs can in turn bear witness to the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives.

“No one is so poor as to be unable to give what they have, but first and foremost what they are,” he continued.

Pope Francis repeated the words of encouragement he spoke to the young people of Chile, reminding everyone to “never think that you have nothing to offer, or that nobody needs you. Many people need you. Think about it! Each of you, think in your heart: many people need me.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Learn more At www.propfaith.net/onefamilyinmission/ default.aspx: Get more information about the Pontifical Mission Societies

MISSION, SEE PAGE 28

Your daily Scripture readings OCT. 14-20

Sunday: Wisdom 7:7-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Mark 10:17-30; Monday (St. Teresa of Jesus): Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 34-5:1, Luke 11:2932; Tuesday (St. Hedwig, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque): Galatians 5:1-6, Luke 11:3741; Wednesday (St. Ignatius of Antioch): Galatians 5:18-25, Luke 11:42-46; Thursday (St. Luke): 2 Timothy 4:10-17, Luke 10:1-9; Friday (Sts. John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and Companions): Ephesians 1:11-14, Luke 12:1-7; Saturday (St. Paul of the Cross): Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 12:8-12

OCT. 21-27

Sunday: Isaiah 53:10-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, Mark 10:35-45; Monday (St. John Paul II): Ephesians 2:1-10, Luke 12:13-21; Tuesday (St. John of Capistrano): Ephesians 2:12-22, Luke 12:35-38; Wednesday (St. Anthony Mary Claret): Ephesians 3:2-12, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 12:39-48; Thursday: Ephesians 3:14-21, Luke 12:49-53; Friday: Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 12:5459; Saturday: Ephesians 4:7-16, Luke 13:1-9

OCT. 28-NOV. 3

Sunday: Jeremiah 31:7-9, Hebrews 5:1-6, Mark 10:46-52; Monday: Ephesians 4:32-5:8, Luke 13:10-17; Tuesday: Ephesians 5:21-33, Luke 13:18-21; Wednesday: Ephesians 6:1-9, Luke 13:22-30; Thursday (All saints): Revelation 7:24, 9-14, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12; Friday (All Souls’ Day): Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 5:5-11, John 6:37-40; Saturday (St. Martin de Porres): Philippians 1:18-26, Luke 14:1, 7-11

Our parishes

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Atlanta archdiocese adopts Charlotte’s Tribunal Advocacy Program SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — A training program developed by the Diocese of Charlotte Tribunal has been adopted by its counterpart in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The diocese’s program, created in 2005, trains people to become advocates, official Tribunal representatives who help gather and review information from Catholics who are seeking an annulment of their marriage.

Training usually takes six to nine months, and is done via emailed lessons. Training covers Church teaching on marriage as well as the particulars of advocacy on behalf of clients and the Tribunal process itself, said Joy Barnes, the Tribunal’s lead advocate, who spearheads the training effort.

The training program has been critical to the Tribunal’s effort to streamline the annulment process and minister more effectively to Catholics in need, goals set by Judicial Vicar Father John Putnam. The diocese has 63 volunteer advocates spread out over all 92 parishes and missions – situated conveniently so that they can meet with people in their own parishes.

The Tribunal’s case load is between 350 and 400 cases each year. Case times have dropped from nine months to seven months since 2015 for about half of the cases that the Tribunal handles.

The Atlanta archdiocese, which encompasses 103 parishes, began using the program Sept. 22. Its tribunal processes approximately 650 annulment cases per year, and leaders there were seeking more and better trained advocates to handle what is a demanding and high-volume case load.

Charlotte’s training program “impressed us since its inception,” said Joe Tovar, the archdiocese’s chief advocate.

“We like the fact that it provides the Tribunal a large number of well-trained volunteers who can assist those seeking an annulment not only in a pastoral role but in a canonical role as well,” added Father Daniel Ketter, Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal in the archdiocese.

Having more advocates means not only more effective ministry to the people seeking annulments, Father Ketter said, but also a more manageable case load for each advocate.

“We would hope that the increased number of advocates would provide constant contact and assurance in each case, thus reacting, promoting and guiding the case with more attention to detail throughout the process,” he said. He added, “By reducing the number of cases currently managed among two full-time and three part-time advocates, the case load can now be distributed among 50 or 60 advocates which would provide better service and representation to the parties, resulting in higher quality cases with favorable outcomes.”

Atlanta Tribunal leaders expect to modify the training program for its particular needs, and they hope eventually to add optional webinars and online videos.

They plan to kick off training in January, and they hope to begin their new Advocacy Program with approximately 60 or more trained advocates, Tovar said.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. GABRIEL CHURCH

(Above) St. Gabriel Church volunteers participate in a recent Habitat for Humanity home build. The parish has donated $75,000 to Habitat for Humanity to fund construction of a Habitat home this fall. (Below) Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel, attended a “Caring for Charlotte” event at the parish Oct. 2.

‘Caring for Charlotte’ St. Gabriel parishioners go to the margins to help neighbors in need

profit organization to sponsor four families.

Charlotte Family Housing is a shelter-to-housing program for homeless families that empowers them to achieve long-term self-sufficiency through shelter, housing, supportive services and advocacy.

Homeless client families receive temporary shelter but also a connection to permanent housing, along with two years of

SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Instruments of peace. That is what Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel Church, says his parishioners are striving to be by creating the “Caring for Charlotte” community initiative.

The parish-wide effort – inspired by Pope Francis’s call for the Church to “go to the margins” – aims to help people escape the cycle of poverty by focusing on affordable housing, early literacy and education, and social capital initiatives. Members of the fourthlargest parish in the Diocese of Charlotte are involved in eight outreach efforts to tackle these three critical needs in Charlotte.

“We have come this far by faith,” Father O’Rourke said. “We are striving to be ‘instruments of peace’ within our community through our Caring for Charlotte initiative that addresses our neighbors in need.”

“Caring for Charlotte” is a way the parish can deepen its decadeslong commitment to serving the marginalized, noted Karen Brown, parish ministry leadership and volunteer coordinator.

“We have many parishioners who have been involved in our outreach to the poor, hungry and homeless for decades,” Brown said, but this new systematic effort builds on partnerships that align with recommendations by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Opportunity Taskforce to improve economic mobility and opportunity for Charlotte’s poor.

“These recommendations follow more than a year of our Pope Francis Initiative Ministry, exploring opportunities, meeting with local experts (20 spoke to us on affordable housing), and forming new partnerships and outreach ministries,” she said.

CHARLOTTE FAMILY HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

Among the new initiatives is a partnership with Charlotte Family Housing. The parish has donated $175,000 to the non-

partnering with a social worker to address barriers they may have to achieving stable housing.

“St. Gabriel will also recruit four HOPE teams of volunteers to mentor these families,” said Ana Lothspeich, St. Gabriel’s pastoral care director. The teams, each consisting of three to six people, will get training from CFH partnership and then provide encouragement, mentoring, friendship and support to a particular family for two years.

Lothspeich noted that the donation will also pay the salary of an added social worker to serve CFH families for two years.

“St. Gabriel is excited to provide CFH funding to pay for a social worker and to assist four additional families – families that CFH otherwise would not be able to assist,” said parish volunteer Paul Baulmann.

CARING, SEE PAGE 28

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: OCT. 7-12 Annual Priests’ Retreat OCT. 14 – 12:30 P.M. Holy Mass with the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

OCT. 15- 10 A.M. Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center

OCT. 17 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Joan of Arc Church, Candler

OCT. 21 – 2:30 P.M. Holy Mass for Catholic Heritage Society St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

OCT. 15 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Barnabas Church, Arden

OCT. 19 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mocksville

OCT. 23 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Monroe

Diocesan calendar of events October 12, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

Volume 28 • NUMBER 1

‘RHAPSODY ON THEMES FROM WESTSIDE STORY’ BY AMERICAN PIANIST THOMAS PANDOLFI: 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont. Thomas Pandolfi is an exciting virtuoso who is becoming more and more sought after by audiences worldwide, and showered with superlatives by critics for his passionate artistry and amazing technique.

He make a return visit to the Abbey with music by Chopin, Debussy, Liszt and Gershwin. Admission is free.

Donations will be gladly accepted. For details, visit www. bac.edu or call 704-461-6012.

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

NEW CENTURY SAXOPHONE QUARTET RETURNS TO THE ABBEY: 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont. Founded in WinstonSalem, this world-famous ensemble will present a diverse program of music from Bach to contemporary composers.

Admission is free. Donations will be gladly accepted. For details, visit www.bac.edu or call 704-461-6012.

SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

ONLINE REPORTER: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

NFP INTRODUCTION AND FULL COURSE: 1:30-5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, 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.

HISPANIC COMMUNICATIONS REPORTER: Cesar Hurtado, 704-370-3375, rchurtado@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS 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.

DIVINE MERCY PARISH MISSION: Sunday, Oct. 14-Tuesday, Oct. 16, St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. Mission topics include: The Message and Devotion of Divine Mercy; The Importance of Marian Consecration; The Meaning of the Mass (plus things you never knew!); Why We Need the Sacraments; Answers to Common Questions About the Catholic Faith; Why Would a Loving God Allow Such Suffering?; What Do We Need to Do to Get to Heaven? Receive a Blessing with the Relic of St. Faustina. Presented by Father Chris Alar, a priest with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Divine Mercy materials will be available. For details, visit www.thedivinemercy.org/events or contact Soul Companions Christian Life Community member Peggy at 704-738-3547.

HELPERS OF GOD’S PRECIOUS INFANTS PROCESSION FOR LIFE: Saturday, Oct. 20, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. 10 a.m. Mass with Father Matthew Bean followed by 11 a.m. Procession for Life and prayer at A Preferred Women’s Health abortion facility, 3220 Latrobe Dr., Charlotte. Mass followed by one decade of the rosary as participants process by car to the abortion mill. For details, visit www.charlottehelpers.com.

WOMEN’S MORNING OF REFLECTION, ‘TROUBLED HEARTS’: 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, Our Lady of Grace School Library, 201 South Chapman St., Greensboro. Reflection will include time for refreshments and discussion. All women are invited. Must register in

advance at rcwomenoct20.eventbrite.com. For details, contact Kate Boschini at regnumchristitriad@gmail.com or 336-430-8856.

MEN’S EVENING OF REFLECTION, ‘THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN MAN IN THE MODERN WORLD’: 6-9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, in the Parish Life Center-Bryan Hall at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2203 West Market St., Greensboro. All men are invited to take time out for reflection with a complimentary dinner followed by a talk given by Deacon Jack Yarbrough. Registration required at www.rcmenoct20.eventbrite.com. For details, contact John Endredy at 336-202-9635 or jendredy@gmail.com.

FORTY HOURS DEVOTION, ‘GOD, THE FATHER OF MERCIES’: 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, through 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte, Guest homilist, Father Jewel Aytona, CPM. Reception following closing in the Parish Hall. For details, call the parish office at 704-536-6520.

JESUIT FRIENDS AND ALUMNI MASS: 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, St. Peter Church, 507 South Tryon St., Charlotte.

Jesuit Father James Shea, Jesuit Father John Michalowski and Jesuit Father Jim Bowler invite all Jesuit alumni and friends in the Charlotte area to attend Mass.

St. Peter is glad to provide the opportunity for alumni and friends of Jesuit schools to celebrate their common bond through the celebration of liturgy, for continuing spiritual growth and service to the local and global community. RSVP at https://sjnen.org/jesuit-alumni-andfriends-2018. For details, visit www.stpetercatholic.org or call Joan Guthrie at 704-332-2901, ext. 218.

CCWG FALL REFLECTION & LUNCHEON: 9 a.m.

Monday, Oct. 22, St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Mass will be celebrated by Father Christopher Roux, rector. Coffee and reflection by Father Peter Ascik at 10:30 a.m., in the Family Life Center with the lunch to follow. To RSVP, visit www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

ANNUAL ST. THOMAS MORE SOCIETY RED MASS: 12:10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., Charlotte. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari will be the main celebrant. The Red Mass is celebrated annually in many large cities throughout the country, typically in conjunction with the opening of the new session of the U.S. Supreme Court.

ST. PEREGRINE HEALING PRAYER SERVICE: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. 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, call the parish office at 704543-7677.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Come and help pray for the end of abortion. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

ANNUAL DIOCESAN 25TH AND 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

For details and registration, email Sherill Beason at sabeason@charlottediocese.org.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING ‘Protecting God’s Children’ workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are: ASHEVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. MOORESVILLE: 6:30 P.M. Thursday, Oct. 18, St. Thérèse Church, 217 Brawley School Road SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS ‘DAVE RAMSEY’S FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY’: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nine-week program starting on Sundays, Sept. 16-Nov. 11, in the Parish Activity Center at St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave., Winston-Salem.

‘Financial Peace University’ will help you take control of your money, plan for your future and transform your life.

Dan and Pam McVicker, parishioners at St. Leo’s, along with other previous FPU graduates, will be facilitating the program. For details and registration, go to www.fpu. com/1069692 or contact Pam directly at 724-344-3431 or pammcvicker@gmail.com.

PROGRAM FOR CAREGIVERS: 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in the Fellowship Hall, St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Caregivers are invited to a special program on dealing with the stresses that are a natural part of facing a loved one’s illness and that come from being in the caregiving role. Program hosted by Hospice and Palliative Care. Registration not required.

For details, call the parish office at 704-364-5431.

RESPECT LIFE PRESENTATION, ‘THE UNINTENDED MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SIDE EFFECTS OF CONTRACEPTION’: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Kerin Family Center Hall, at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Presented by Dr. Michael Parker, former president of Northeast OB/GYN Inc. in Gahanna, Ohio, and now an OB Laborist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Her will speak about the benefits of fertility awareness methods and the unintended consequences of contraception. For details, email Mike FitzGerald at RSVPevents@stmarknc.org.

SUPPORT GROUPS SEASONS OF HOPE GRIEF MINISTRY: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St., Greensboro.

Everyone who has suffered a loss is welcome to attend.

To register, call the parish office at 336-272-4681.

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

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Salisbury parish ‘Leaving an Inheritance’

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Sacred Heart Church launches $2.5M capital campaign SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

Benedictine sister receives habit RUTHERFORDTON — The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Peace held the clothing ceremony for their postulant, Jennifer Walker, Sept. 29. She received the habit of the community and a new name: Sister M. Regina.

She is pictured (center) with Sister Gertrude Gillette (right) and Sister Scholastica Auguste (left). The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Peace, based in Rutherfordton, strive to live a communal life guided by the Rule of St. Benedict with an apostolic outreach.

— Giuliana Polinari Riley, correspondent The Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office began to assess water damage to Immaculate Conception Church’s 65-foot bell tower this summer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE PROPERTIES OFFICE

Indian archbishop visits Mooresville MOORESVILLE — Archbishop George Antonysamy of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, India, visited St. Therese Church in Mooresville Sept. 29-30 for a mission appeal.

Archbishop Antonysamy, a Doctor of Canon Law, served for many years in the Diplomatic Services of the Holy See. He was appointed as the chargé d’affaires of the Vatican embassy in Jordan by Pope John Paul II in 2002. He also served as the apostolic nuncio to Gambia, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. He is pictured with Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, and Deacon Joe Santen.

Jesuit alumni, friends invited to Oct. 21 celebration in Charlotte CHARLOTTE — The Jesuit priests of St. Peter Church – Father James Shea, pastor; Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar; and Father Jim Bowler, pastoral minister – invite all Jesuit schools alumni and friends in the Charlotte area to an upcoming gathering on Sunday, Oct. 21. Mass will be offered at 5 p.m., and a light reception in Biss Hall will follow at 6 p.m.

The gathering is an opportunity for alumni and friends of Jesuit schools to celebrate their common bond through the celebration of liturgy, for continuing spiritual growth and service to the local and global community. RSVP to sjnen.org/jesuit-alumni-and-friends-2018. For details, go to www.stpetercatholic.org or call Joan Guthrie at 704-332-2901, ext. 218.

IN BRIEF, SEE PAGE 18

‘People miss the bells’ Immaculate Conception bell tower gets repairs SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

FOREST CITY — Jesus is wearing a hard hat these days out in front of Immaculate Conception Church. Father Herbert Burke, pastor, wanted to protect the statue of Jesus from potential harm during work now under way to repair the 65-foot bell tower adjacent to the church.

The bell tower, constructed in 2010 along with the 11,120-square-foot Gothicstyle stone church, unfortunately needs extensive repairs due to water damage.

All of the stone must be removed from the tower’s façade to replace the rotten wood sheathing behind it.

The Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office is assisting the parish in assessing the damage and has enlisted general contractor Edifice Inc. – not the original building contractor – to do the repairs.

“The damage is far worse than we thought,” said Anthony Morlando, diocesan properties director.

The repairs will be paid in part with money from the building contractor’s insurance company, but the parish must come up with the rest of the money.

“We are going to have to borrow an additional $100,000,” Father Burke said.

That’s on top of the remaining $48,000 balance on the original loan taken out to build the church.

Once the extent of the repairs are determined, Edifice Inc. will work to replace the sheathing in all affected areas of the bell tower and possibly some areas of the church’s exterior. The exterior stone, mined locally from Table Rock Quarries in Marion, will then be replaced.

For some weeks now, the three bronze bells in the bell tower have been wrapped up to protect them from being damaged during the repair process.

“People miss the bells,” Father Burke said. “The bell tower is the most beautiful aspect of the exterior of the church.”

When in use, the bells chime out each hour, quarter hour and half hour. They also play the Angelus at noon and can also be programmed to play hymns –heard for miles from the church’s prominent location in Forest City.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed, so a completion date for the repair work is in flux.

“We had originally hoped the project would be completed by Christmas,” said Emmett Sapp, diocesan properties construction manager. “Right now we don’t think that this is going to happen.”

With the winter season approaching, conditions for replacing the stone are not ideal, Sapp explained.

“This is Father Burke’s dream church.

The parish has put a lot of time and money into it. We’re hoping to get it restored as quickly as we can,” he said.

SALISBURY — Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church are pulling together to eliminate parish debt by participating in the “Leaving an Inheritance” capital campaign.

The three-year debt reduction campaign goal, which launched Sept.

1, totals $2.5 million. All funds received will go towards the parish’s debt balance of $3.5 million.

Sacred Heart Parish has experienced great growth over the past 180 years, when a handful of Catholics came to Salisbury in the 1830s. In 2009, the parish relocated from downtown Salisbury to a new 14,500-square-foot church located off Jake Alexander Boulevard northwest of downtown. A school and a Catholic cemetery are also located at the 40-acre campus on Lumen Christi Lane. The parish has grown to 1,200 registered families, approximately half of whom are Hispanic.

“It’s beautiful that the parish is growing and that we had to move in the first place (in 2009),” said Father John Eckert, pastor. “We’re blessed to have what we do have. We want to build up our parish to leave an inheritance of faith.”

The parish already has campaign pledges from 30 percent of the families.

“The debt reduction campaign was no surprise to most parishioners, as they were aware from the beginning of this process that several debt reduction campaigns were going to be required,” said Tom Weber, campaign co-chairman.

The cost of the entire campus development was $9.8 million, and parishioners have already paid off twothirds of that in previous campaigns.

To date, Weber said, the parish has almost $1.5 million in pledges toward the $2.5 million goal.

Ray Paradowski, co-chairman, is grateful for the efforts of Hispanic parishioners to help eliminate the parish debt. “They organized an International Food Festival recently, turning over $9,500 directly to the campaign,” he said.

“Also, they are conducting a second collection at each Mass.”

Father Eckert noted that parishioners are seeing the fruits of their prayers and efforts to leave an inheritance to future generations in an increase in vocations from the parish.

The “Leaving an Inheritance” capital campaign will run through August 2021.

Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception in Hendersonville are the two parish capital campaigns being launched as parishes are completing the “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign.

According to Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, parishes are planning for capital campaigns in 2019 and 2020. He and Anthony Morlando, diocesan director of properties and risk management, have already met with leaders at 15 parishes to start the planning process. Parishes that want to begin similar discussions should contact Kelley at 704-370-3301 or jkkelley@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 OUR PARISHES

PHOTOS BY JOHN COSMAS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

New pastor at St. Lawrence Basilica ASHEVILLE — Father Roger K. Arnsparger was officially installed as pastor of St. Lawrence Basilica Oct. 6 during Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter J. Jugis. During the installation rite at the beginning of Mass, the pastor’s letter of appointment was read aloud, describing in detail his responsibility to teach, sanctify and govern the parish.

Bishop Jugis and the congregation witnessed Father Arnsparger make his profession of faith, renew his oath of fidelity to the Church, and sign the official Church documents of his new office.

TRAVIS BURTON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pastor installed CHARLOTTE — Father Basile Sede was officially installed as pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Parish by Bishop Peter J. Jugis Sept. 22.

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Deacon Carlson ordained in Rome SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

ROME — Diocese of Charlotte seminarian Michael Carlson was ordained to the transitional diaconate Sept. 27 by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in St. Peter’s Basilica. A parishioner of St. Ann Church in Charlotte, Deacon Carlson is in seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Deacon Carlson is the son of Rock and Julianne Carlson. Born Nov. 21, 1988, in Merced, Ca., he is one of seven children.

As a seminarian, Deacon Carlson has served summer assignments at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe; St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte; and St. Therese Church in Mooresville.

In his free time, Deacon Carlson enjoys playing the violin, jogging, hiking, fishing, reading theology, philosophy, and classical literature, studying languages and cooking.

“I had an initial interest in the priesthood when I was 9 years old and would serve Mass at my hometown parish of St. Joseph’s. However, I did not seriously consider a vocation to the priesthood until after college,” Deacon Carlson says.

He is thankful for the many people who have made his seminary study possible through their prayers, sacrifices and financial support.

“This time of formation has been a gift that has brought me closer to the Lord, and will help me more effectively serve our diocese,” he explains. “In all of my summer assignments, I have been amazed and humbled by the goodness of the people of God. “It gives me great joy that I will soon be able to serve all of you as a deacon!” he says.

Deacon Carlson assisted at his first Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Sept. 28. Father Timothy Reid, his pastor at St. Ann Church, was the main celebrant.

Father Christopher Gober, diocesan director of

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FATHER TIMOTHY REID

Newly ordained Deacon Michael Carlson (center), studying for the priesthoood at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, is pictured with priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Charlotte after assisting at his first Mass Sept. 28 in Rome. vocations, and Father Matthew Kauth, rector of St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte, concelebrated.

Fellow seminarian Jacob Mlakar of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte served at Mass, and fellow seminarian J. Miguel Sanchez of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir was also present.

Deacon Carlson is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood alongside Deacon Alfonso Gamez and Deacon Britt Taylor in June 2019 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

OUR PARISHESI

‘Adopt-a-Seminarian’ program open to all CHARLOTTE — An effort to promote priestly vocations that grew at St. Michael Church in Gastonia is expanding to welcome participation from anyone in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“Pray4Priests” began as an individual lay apostolate in 2007 to pray for and support priests. It eventually formed two programs to encourage others to participate in the effort: P4P Prayer Groups and an Adopt-a-Seminarian program.

The P4P prayer groups give busy laypeople a chance to participate in small group prayer for priests, usually before or after Mass for a few minutes once a week. While the prayers can be prayed for any priest, they have a particular focus on supporting the local pastor.

The “Adopt-a-Seminarian” program was launched to provide prayer support and encouragement to all seminarians studying in the Charlotte diocese. Through this free program, people can prayerfully support and be matched up with a seminarian for the length of the school year, which this year runs from mid-October to May 2.

Lonikay Templeton, one of the organizers and also the mother of a Charlotte diocese seminarian, noted that as the number of seminarians continues to rise, there is a need for more people to get involved in this prayer effort.

Once people sign up to adopt a seminarian, they receive an “adoption kit” that includes the name, photo and information related to their adopted seminarian. Then throughout the school year, they pray for that seminarian and send him a note or card of encouragement. Any additional support is optional, and the apostolate provides resources and ideas if people would like to do more.

The program is meant to benefit and sanctify both the seminarian and the people who adopt them, said another organizer, Valerie Morgan. It introduces the men who may be future priests to prayerful laity in the diocese where they will one day serve as pastors. Seminarians are able to experience the love of laity who are striving for holiness. In turn the program gives the laity a personal connection with a man who is also striving to follow Jesus, who will pray for them, and who may one day be their pastor.

For details and sign-up information, go online to www. pray4priests.com and click on the “Adopt-a-Seminarian” tab.

Sign up by Oct. 22.

— Catholic News Herald

Catholic Charities is proud to work with our parishes, schools, and community partners to support disaster recovery efforts in the Dioceses of Raleigh, NC and Charleston, SC.

CCDOC.ORG

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 OUR PARISHES

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY PETER SCUDNER

(Right) Megan Bean with her care team immediately after she was physically healed while in the baths in Lourdes, France, on May 3, 2013.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY MEGAN BEAN

(Below) Megan Bean stands alongside her husband Pat as they participate in the pilgrimage activities following her healing.

Healed in Lourdes ‘My pain was gone,’ wheelchair-bound woman says after immersion in waters at Marian shrine DINA DEFABO WILSON CORRESPONDENT

CHARLOTTE — After suffering with chronic pain and debilitating numbness in her legs for five years, Megan Bean emerged from the baths in Lourdes, France, May 3, 2013, painfree and able to walk. She received what she calls an “instantaneous physical healing” and thanked God. However, her joy was tempered with concern for the other sick pilgrims and their families.

“You see so much suffering in Lourdes, and it is very, very difficult, especially seeing the children,” Bean said. “I was struggling with the question: Do I put my wheelchair and cane away here in Lourdes, or do I wait until I get back home?”

“It was a struggle for me because, as you walk through the hotel and (word of her healing) is getting around, people are looking your way,” she said. “At least that is how I felt; what do I do?”

Bean said it was the parents of the sick children on pilgrimage with her who encouraged her not to hide her healing.

“These parents asked me to tell them what had been the matter with me and to what degree,” Bean said. “When I started to cry, they said, ‘You can’t just go home and hide in your house because, if we were wavering at all in our faith, we’re not anymore. We saw you

being carried off of a plane and then we saw you get out of your cart and walk. Even if we didn’t believe in anything, we know that.’”

“Whenever I’m asked to speak, I think of the children and those parents,” Bean said.

Bean shared her remarkable story, “Journey from Suffering to Miraculous Healing in Lourdes, France,” Sept. 22 with parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, where her son, Father Matthew Bean, serves as parochial vicar.

Father Bean introduced his mother and offered prayers to open and close the presentation, which included a photo slideshow of Bean’s trip, questions and answers, and distribution of holy water from Lourdes.

Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

Thousands of physical and spiritual healings have been attributed to the water that springs forth at the site. The Church recognizes 70 of those healings as miracles.

In 2013, Bean was one of 300 Malades (“sick person” in French) who traveled from the eastern United States to Lourdes with the Order of Malta, an international lay religious order dedicated to protecting the Catholic faith and serving the poor and sick. They joined thousands of Malades and volunteers from around the world for a week of prayer and reflection, which included visits to the baths, candlelit processions, recitation of the rosary in many languages, Mass and Stations of the Cross.

Bean said the experience profoundly changed her spiritually, as well as physically.

“I’m not the same person who went to Lourdes, and I’m not talking physically,” she said. “There’s something about Lourdes that changes you.”

“When you are in Lourdes, you can truly feel the presence of the Blessed Mother – she’s there with you,” Bean said.

A MISDIAGNOSIS

Bean’s physical problems began on a Monday in March of 2008, when she felt severe pain in her left leg, she said. Her regular physician was not available but referred her to a colleague who examined her and said her symptoms “were in my head,” Bean said.

By Thursday of that week, however, Bean developed chest pain and shortness of breath.

She returned to that same doctor who again told her he found nothing wrong.

Bean said she knew differently and drove herself to the hospital emergency room where she was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in the bend of her left leg and multiple, lifethreatening clots in her lungs. She was placed on blood-thinning medication and admitted to the hospital.

Bean spent more than six weeks in the hospital – including two weeks in neurological intensive care – as effects and complications from her treatment led to new, serious health problems, she said.

“I was misdiagnosed, and my case was not handled properly,” Bean said.

She suffered a bleed into her hip flexor, a spinal cord compression, and a head injury from a fall, she said. Severe nerve damage left her in chronic pain and with numbness in her legs, particularly her left leg, and her feet. She had damage to an artery in her heart and lung issues. Her doctors prescribed 13 different medications and intensive physical therapy.

Bean returned home to face a life very different from what she had known.

“I went from being very active to being HEALING, SEE PAGE 28

‘I felt such a warmth through my body, like I was being held.

And I regained full function right there in the baths!’

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

9

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KARA GRIFFIN PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER

Praying for the dignity of all life HUNTERSVILLE — Parishioners at St. Mark Church were among hundreds of faithful who formed “Life Chains” on public streets Oct. 7, Respect Life Sunday, to pray the rosary and witness to the sanctity of all human life. Organized by the parish’s Respect Life Ministry, the event drew more than 100 people.

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from Life Chains held across the Diocese of Charlotte

Order of Malta members from Washington D.C. tour Greensboro’s Room At The Inn

JESSICA R. GRABOWSKI SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The D.C. visitors and members of the Order of Malta Central North Carolina Region served lunch to current and former clients of Room At The Inn and their children at St. Pius X Church’s Simmons Parish Center. The afternoon included food from GIA Restaurant, pumpkin painting, balloon animals and more.

“I had the chance to meet some of the clients later in the day, as well as their children. Considering what some of the families have had to overcome, I was truly inspired by where they are now going,” said Deacon Stankewicz.

Melady added, “It’s a wonderful program and definitely something we want to support. We are obviously very prolife, and that’s a practical way that we should be involved – to really help those who need it at that time.”

Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church, is a member of the Order of Malta Central North Carolina Region, leading its formation in 2009 and serving as its magisterial chaplain. Before giving the blessing, Monsignor Marcaccio shared his thoughts on the bravery of the mothers present at the luncheon.

“We thank God for the gift of life. We thank you for what you did to protect that life. We want you to know we’re here to support you in your decision,” he said.

KERNERSVILLE — Approximately 60 people attended Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Respect Life Conference for pro-life parish leaders and advocates Sept. 29 at Bishop McGuinness High School – looking for information and support to arm themselves in continuing the fight against the culture of death.

They heard from keynote speaker Teresa Collett, J.D., a professor of law and pro-life lawyer from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, who opened the conference with a presentation on “The False Promises of Abortion.” The conference also included a presentation

by Bethany Mistretta with Side Walk Advocates for Life, and expert panel discussions on the history of contraception and the impacts of human trafficking.

In her talk, Collett pointed out that all the promises abortion and contraception were intended to offer women when they became legal were, in fact, lies.

Instead of women being liberated and made equal to men by abortion and the pill as promised, women have become devalued in modern culture.

Mistretta, national programs manager for Sidewalk Advocates for Life, encouraged the faithful prayer warriors on the sidewalk to continue their ministries and standardize their tactics across the diocese.

The connection between contraception and abortion from medical, judicial, pastoral and practical angles was explored in a panel discussion by OB/GYN Dr. Lewis Lipscomb, Father John Eckert of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, Natural Family Planning teachers Holland and Jennifer Patton, and Collett. The discussion was moderated by Batrice Adcock, Catholic Charities’ NFP program director.

The human trafficking panel discussion, which included Dianne Kemppainen-Ziacsik, RuthAnn Kirby and Special Agent Tim Stone, brought up key identifiers of trafficking occurring here in our local communities, schools and sporting events, as well as the risks to children on social media. The panel was moderated by Tammy Harris, co-founder of the Ursus Institute.

Participants gathered for Mass at the conclusion of the conference, offered by Bishop Peter Jugis.

In his homily, Bishop Jugis encouraged the pro-life leaders, reflecting on the Mass readings of the day and professing that they too were called to be prophets – God’s prophets of the unborn. He emphasized that Catholics are called to share the truth of life and to protect all God’s little children – especially those in the womb, by influencing our culture to again value life at every stage. Through these efforts, he noted, we can bring the world and culture back to God.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Annie Ferguson also serves as the organizational development specialist for Room At The Inn.

JESSICA R. GRABOWSKI is the Respect Life program director for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

ANNIE FERGUSON CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — Leaders from the Washington, D.C.based Order of Malta Federal Association visited Room At The Inn in Greensboro Sept. 29. The order’s President Margaret Melady, Ph.D, and Executive Director Deacon Michael Stankewicz, along with Bob Scheppegrell of the Order of Malta Central North Carolina Region, toured the licensed maternity home and met its board of trustees.

A member agency of Catholic Charities USA and accredited by the Council on Accreditation, Room At The Inn houses homeless, single, pregnant women from across North Carolina and offers services and programs that support mothers and their children who strive to live lives of hope-filled independence.

“Women who come to you (Room At The Inn) at that stage of their lives really need help. That’s the Order of Malta’s point of view. We’re ready to help those women in need and support their wonderful lives and the lives of their babies,” Melady said.

“When you think of Catholic institutions throughout the ages who have made the mercy of Jesus real to those most vulnerable, the first name that comes to mind is the Order of Malta. Although we are located in an area with a small Catholic community, their local chapter has been very active in working with our mothers and children,” said Albert Hodges, president and CEO of Room At The Inn. “How blessed and honored we were to have Dr. Melady and Deacon Michael from the order’s Federal Association in D.C. join our local efforts.”

Room At The Inn is one of eight licensed maternity homes in the state and the only one that also houses clients’ older children. The life-skills classes, case management, one-onone parenting classes, college program, and voluntary Pratt Proverbs 31 Spiritual Formation Program are just a few of the ways mothers can take steps toward finding their own home and being able to care for their children.

“I was first impressed so very much with the facilities.

Everything for expecting moms was present, and while the house accommodates several moms at the same time, there was truly an atmosphere of being at home, not an institution.

This feeling must no doubt help these women,” said Deacon Stankewicz. “The support provided by Room At The Inn, from shelter to caring for a mom’s other older children, can give these families a foundation from which to continue to improve their lives, in a better and more secure way. This helps not only these vulnerable families, but all of us and society.”

Respect Life Conference brings together pro-life advocates

ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Order of Malta members Deacon Michael Stankewicz, Dr. Margaret Melady, Bob Scheppegrell and RATI’s Marianne Donadio (front row) with Room At The Inn’s board of trustees and President/CEO Albert Hodges.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 OUR PARISHES

Sealed with the Holy Spirit

JOHN COSMAS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ASHEVILLE — Thirty-five people at St. Lawrence Basilica received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter J. Jugis during Mass Oct. 6.

TRAVIS BURTON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — (From left) John Young, Olivia Mukoko, Varleine Coq and Havilyn Smith of Our Lady of Consolation Parish received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Peter J. Jugis during Mass Sept. 22.

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JEFFERSON — Eight young people from St. Francis of Assisi Parish received the sacrament of confirmation Sept. 1 from Bishop Peter J. Jugis: Britny Alin Contador Mejía, Edgar Antonio Jiménez Reséndi, Isabella Lea Medrano, Daisy Jennifer Melo Ruiz, Felina Bo Patrick, Alejandro Ramírez Jr., Esmeralda Solís Cruz and Prudencio Trinidad Santes.

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OUR PARISHESI

11

Blessing of the Animals

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CARRIE VEST

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Church’s Deacon Wally Haarsgaard presided over a prayer service and traditional blessing of the animals in honor of the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi. Children brought animals on leashes and in cages to be blessed, while others brought their favorite stuffed animals.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

HUNTERSVILLE — Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar at St. Mark Parish, blessed St. Mark School pre-schoolers’ “animals” last week in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

LINCOLNTON — In honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Father David Miller, pastor, blessed many of the pets of St. Dorothy parishioners.

JOHN BUNYEA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

KERNERSVILLE — On Oct. 6 Father Paul DeChant, pastor of Holy Cross Church, blessed animals at the parish, including Nina, pictured with its owner Katie Smith.

Looking on are Mowgli with its owner Cindy Smith. The event in the church’s parking lot was presented by the parish’s evangelization committee, in partnership with Humane Solution Rabies Clinic.

PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK

WINSTON-SALEM — Father Carl Zdancewicz and Father Joseph Angelini, Conventual Franciscans who minister at Our Lady of Mercy Church, celebrated the annual blessing of animals, with more than 150 people attending the Oct. 3 event. The same day, the parish’s Secular Franciscan Community of St. Clare of Assisi also celebrated the “Transitus” of St. Francis of Assisi into eternal life.

Secular Franciscans are the third Order of St. Francis and vow to live simple, prayerful and charitable lives.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FATHER CARL ZDANCEWICZ, OFM CONV.

LISA GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MINT HILL — Father Paul Gary blessed pets outside St. Luke Church in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Gary, who grew up with dogs, has a Boston Terrier named Lucita de Dios. “I cannot imagine life without a dog,” he says.

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 12

‘Dios me dió una nueva oportunidad para que me enamore de las cosas de Dios.

Yo sentí que no podía vivir sin esto’.

FOTO CORTESÍA DE RAFAEL CRUZ

(Arriba) Rafael Cruz, en sus épocas de locutor en una radio hispana local, cuando disfrutaba de presentar música que promovía una cultura de muerte, actividad que le dió fama, dinero y reconocimiento.

(Izquierda) Hoy, después de haber dejado la locución comercial, pone su voz a disposición de grabaciones católicas y goza de la paz que le proporciona el rezo del rosario, el visitar diariamente al Santísimo, trabajar y vivir una vida de valores cristianos con su esposa e hijas.

Rafael Cruz

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

De los corridos pesados al rosario El poder de María cambió la vida de un DJ CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE ­— “Vestidos de negro, encapuchados, muy bien entrenados, pues fueron soldados, la mafia les paga, y ellos disparan, no pueden fallar”. Como ‘500 balazos’, el tema de la agrupación Calibre 50, eran las letras que cantaban los temas musicales “bien perrones” que Rafael Cruz, ‘el Punch de la Sierra’, gozaba presentando desde 2005 en las estaciones radiales de Charlotte en las que trabajó.

El corrido pesado es un género musical que alienta la bebida, el consumo y tráfico de drogas, la infidelidad, el asesinato, la violencia y el sexo desenfrenado. Conocidos como ‘narcocorridos’ y ‘corridos alterados’, estos temas se hicieron populares entre la juventud mexicana e inmigrante en los Estados Unidos, que creyó ver en los personajes de estas historias a sus héroes, hombres y mujeres dignos de imitar.

Para Cruz, natural de Veracruz, México, que había comenzado a los catorce años la carrera de locutor en su ciudad natal y trabajado en varias estaciones populares de la República Mexicana, la tarea de popularizarlos resultaba grata y divertida.

“Yo trabajaba en la radio los siete días de la semana”, asegura Cruz. “El show que animaba los sábados llegó a tener mucha pegada y la gente me saludaba en la calle, me quería. Me pedían animar a la gente en las discotecas para que bebiera, para que concursara bailando o a las muchachas a mojarse las camisetas y mostrar sus cuerpos.

Hacía la producción de comerciales de todo tipo, hasta para brujos y espiritistas con los que conversaba por teléfono”, y el DJ sintió que el éxito tocaba a su puerta.

INFANCIA CATÓLICA

Rafael, un niño travieso e inquieto, creció en un hogar

católico. Su abuela materna, Julia, lo llevaba junto con todos sus primos y hermanos, un grupo de más de 15 niños, a veces dos veces por semana a rezar el Rosario y les contaba historias de santos.

“Yo era como hiperactivo, jugando a la pelota a veces rompía sin querer las macetas de la casa y molestaba mucho a mis padres. ¡Rafael, Dios te haga un santo, ya no te soporto! me decía mi abuela constantemente.”

A los catorce años ingresó a trabajar como locutor a Radio Variedades, luego pasó a Radio La Invasora de Córdoba. “Ya me había alejado de la iglesia y, a los 19 años, me dediqué a tomar alcohol casi diariamente, salir con amigos y amigas a discotecas y comencé a soñar con lograr la fama y reconocimiento que deseaba”.

“Quería tenerlo todo: fama, dinero”, cuenta, por lo que decidió, a los 23 años, probar suerte en los Estados Unidos, “con el deseo de algun día tener mi propia estación de radio y mucho, mucho dinero y fama”.

Llegado a Estados Unidos, como muchos inmigrantes, comenzó a trabajar en construcción y, con lo fuerte del trabajo, sintió la falta de Dios y se acercó a Él. Buscó una iglesia católica y llegó hasta la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe donde conoció al Padre Vicente Finnerty, quien le dió trabajo para colaborar en Radio Tepeyac, una estación a la que la desaparecida Radio Líder de Charlotte le concedía un espacio matutino en su programación.

En 2004 un amigo contratista lo llevó a Radio Líder donde retomó su trabajo de locutor comercial y se olvidó de todo, dejó la iglesia y volvió a las andadas de la calle. “Otra vez me volví a salir de las manos de Dios”, nos confesó.

UN VASO NUEVO

Su éxito en la profesión llegaba al mismo tiempo que su propio cuestionamiento por su conducta. “Era mi trabajo, hacia las cosas pero siempre mi corazón me decía que algo no estaba correcto”, subrayó.

Hasta que en 2009 llegó el día en que se enfermó, “y cada vez que hacía algo que sentía que era indebido me enfermaba, me dolía la cabeza, me ardían los oídos y sentía náuseas”. Empezó a tratar de orar, de acercarse nuevamente con sus propios medios a Dios y “paso a paso, a ver más a Dios”.

Una mañana, al término de la promoción de un grupo

de corridos pesados que llegaba a un baile local, criticó al aire a la agrupación, a sus seguidores, al contenido de su música. Minutos después recibió la llamada del jefe de la estación que lo amonestó severamente pero no lo despidió.

A los pocos días – sin tener otra opción laboral – decidió dejar el trabajo. “Renuncio, ya no cuentes conmigo, ya no quiero saber nada. No voy a volver. Ya no puedo más”, le dijo a su jefe.

Un amigo de la misma estación había sido invitado a participar en un encuentro Emaús. “Él no podía ir y me entregó la hoja de inscripción. Llamé, me inscribí y así llegué nuevamente a la Iglesia”, relata.

“Los tres días del encuentro no paré de llorar. Fue algo tan grande que desde allí Dios me dió una nueva oportunidad para que me enamore de las cosas de Dios. Yo sentí que no podía vivir sin esto”.

DURO RETORNO

Pero el camino de retorno no iba a ser de rosas. Rafael cayó en una depresión en la que sentía que no quería vivir. “Yo creo que Dios me estaba pasando por el crisol, que era una etapa de prueba de mi fe. Y creo que era para limpiarme de todo lo vivido y de todo lo que lo había ofendido”, sintió Cruz.

“Mi esposa estaba desesperada y una tarde me trajo un Rosario. Como pude volví a aprender el Rosario, empecé a rezarlo y eso me daba paz. Por eso que lo volvía y volvía a rezar. Así me sané. Escuchaba la misa todos los días y empecé a visitar el Santísimo, lo que hago hasta hoy diariamente”.

Fue un largo año en el que Cruz dejó las pastillas contra la depresión que sentía no le hacían nada. Solo rezar el Rosario le daba paz y tranquilidad.

Hoy no hay más corridos perrones ni alterados.

Hoy es la voz de las Novenas, de las reflexiones, de las consagraciones, de oraciones que comparte por internet y las redes sociales, colaborando con muchos grupos y ministerios hispanos de varias iglesias.

“Soy muy feliz, Dios me ayudó a través de María Santísima”, nos dice y recomienda aplicar su receta de vida: “poner primer a Dios, antes que tu trabajo, antes que todo. Lo demás vendrá por añadidura”, sentenció.

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

13

Charlotte celebra el mes morado, mes del Señor de los Milagros CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Las escuelas católicas diocesanas brindaron información en español a la comunidad hispana que asistió a diversos festivales durante el verano e inicio de otoño. El liderazgo de la Diócesis busca incrementar la diversidad en las escuelas difundiendo sus ventajas y la ayuda financiera disponible.

Escuelas Católicas siguen campaña de reclutamiento de minorías CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Este sábado 13 de octubre, con la presencia en el festival Taste of Latin America de la parroquia San Gabriel, las escuelas católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte cierran su campaña anual – de exposición informativa a la comunidad hispana sobre inscripciones y asistencia financiera – en los festivales de la región, pero continuarán difundiendo este mensaje a través de charlas en parroquias, centros educativos, organizaciones sociales y sin fines de lucro, con la finalidad de incrementar la participación de minorías y la diversidad cultural en esos centros educativos. Así lo informó Angélica Hurtado, coordinadora de reclutamiento de las Escuelas Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Desde julio del presente año, se han realizado tres sesiones informativas en las parroquias Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y San Gabriel, presentaciones en Misas de las parroquias Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San John Neumann, San Lucas y San Gabriel. Además, han tenido presencia en el Congreso Eucarístico, el Festival Fiesta que organiza la Liga Hispana en Winston Salem, Latin American Festival de Charlotte de La Coalición Latinoamericana, la gran Kermés de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y el Festival HOLA Charlotte, realizado en el Uptown de la Ciudad Reina el pasado 6 de septiembre.

“Incrementar la diversidad de los estudiantes en nuestras 19 escuelas católicas es muy importante para nuestro liderazgo escolar y diocesano”, dijo la Dra. Janice Ritter, superintendente de las Escuelas Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte, quien en mayo de este año dio la bienvenida a Hurtado a la recién creada posición para Reclutamiento y Retención de Estudiantes.

Aumentar el acceso a las minorías implica mucho acercamiento a las comunidades para informar a las familias que tienen interés en brindar una educación católica a sus hijos, sobre el proceso y las ayudas para que puedan concretar su deseo.

Hurtado señaló que dos sesiones más se han programado para el mes en curso. El 12 de octubre a las seis de la tarde en el Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, 1123 S. Church Street en Charlotte; y el 24 de octubre a la misma hora en la escuela Sagrado Corazón, 385 Lumen Christi Lane, en Salisbury.

“Es importante conocer que en las solicitudes y procesos no se piden números de seguro social”, dijo Hurtado, precisando que – en caso de solicitar ayuda financiera – es necesario presentar declaraciones de impuestos “o taxes como les llamamos comúnmente y que se pueden realizar con ITIN o W-7”.

Para mayores informes comuníquese con Angelica Hurtado al teléfono 704-370-3221 o por correo electrónico a aahurtado@charlottediocese.org.

Próximas sesiones informativas n 12 de octubre, 6 p.m.: Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte. n 24 de octubre, 6 p.m.: Escuela Sagrado Corazón, 385 Lumen Christi Lane, Salisbury.

CHARLOTTE — La comunidad católica de origen peruano se apresta a celebrar, como cada mes de octubre, la fiesta del Señor de los Milagros, una de las más multitudinarias expresiones de fe popular que tiene su origen en la ciudad de Lima, capital de Perú.

El 13 de noviembre de 1655 un terrible terremoto estremeció Lima, dejando miles de víctimas mortales y damnificados. En Pachacamilla, un barrio de esclavos angoleños, se había pintado la imagen de un Cristo moreno. Ahí se produjo el primer milagro: el muro con la pintura quedó intacto, sin ningún tipo de resquebrajamiento.

La fiesta religiosa tuvo su inicio en 1687 cuando, en una procesión de rogativas, el mayordomo de la capilla del Santo Cristo, Don Sebastián de Antuñano, sacó una copia en óleo de la pintura original del Cristo por las calles de la ciudad de Lima, semidestruida por un terremoto de quince minutos de duración, pidiendo el cese del cataclismo.

En 1746, Lima padeció el terremoto más destructor de su historia y, según se refiere, una réplica de la imagen salió en procesión y la tierra dejó de temblar, lo que acrecentó la devoción del pueblo. Posteriormente se construyó la Iglesia de las Nazarenas, que hoy es el santuario donde se le rinde culto.

Nombrado en 1715 ‘Patrón Jurado de la Ciudad de Lima’ y desde 2005 designado por la Santa Sede como ‘Patrón de los Peruanos Residentes e Inmigrantes’, el Señor de los Milagros es también ‘Patrón del Perú’ desde 2010.

Este año la primera procesión se realizó en Lima el 6 de octubre. Volverá a recorrer las calles el 18, para recibir el homenaje de las autoridades políticas, el Congreso de la República y la Alcaldía de Lima.

PREPARACIÓN ESPIRITUAL

El pasado sábado 29 de septiembre, la parroquia San Marcos, en Huntersville, llevó a cabo un retiro informativo y de preparación para esta importante celebración.

Mariella Buscaglia, organizadora y promotora de esta advocación, comentó que buscaron la asistencia del Padre Marcos León, de nacionalidad peruana y que sirve en la Diócesis de Raleigh, para invitar a los miembros de las hermandades locales y personas interesadas en conocer la devoción y promover su crecimiento en la diócesis.

El Padre León dijo que para nosotros (los peruanos), la Fiesta del Señor de los Milagros “es encontrarnos con nosotros mismos, con la presencia del Señor, a través de las sahumadoras, de los cargadores. Por ello es importante reflexionar sobre la importancia que tiene nuestro servicio, no solo para cargar al Señor o participar de la Eucaristía pero en nuestra vida diaria”.

Después de explicar el origen y crecimiento de la devoción por el Cristo Moreno, señaló que es un “tema serio” el comprometerse como devoto del Señor de los Milagros, así como portar su hábito y emblemas.

“Esto no es cuestión de un día”, señaló, y explicó que llevar el hábito es una expresión de penitencia y promesa al Señor que “no puede ponerse y quitarse a la voluntad del penitente durante todo el mes de octubre”.

Desde que se ordenó como sacerdote en 2003, el Padre León dio inicio a la celebración del Señor de los Milagros en la Diócesis de Raleigh y, como peruano, expresó, se siente comprometido en rendir culto al Señor en forma especial, “pero no solo en una devoción privada sino en comunidad con las personas que podemos invitar”.

PIDE TRES GRACIAS

El Padre León dijo que este año le pide al Señor de los Milagros tres gracias. “La primera por la Iglesia, para que a pesar de los pecados y las dificultades seamos

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Padre Marcos León de nacionalidad peruana visitó la parroquia San Marcos en Huntersville para conducir un retiro de preparación dirigido a los devotos del Señor de los Milagros. El P. León explicó el origen, espiritualidad y compromiso necesario de quienes se entregan a esta devoción. fuertes y recordemos que el sacrificio de Jesucristo en la cruz es más fuerte que cualquier cosa que nos pueda alejar de él”. Luego, en lo que respecta a su país de origen pidió unidad y, finalmente, de modo general, “que nos ayude a cumplir nuestras promesas bautismales, ser auténticos cristianos, personas que están queriendo dedicarse al servicio de Dios, no con vanidad ni con soberbia ni para presumir, sino con sencillez y humildad, dando un testimonio de vida”.

PROCESIONES LOCALES

Jorge Luis Caldas, capataz de la Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros South Charlotte, informó que realizarán una Misa y recorrido procesional el sábado 13 de octubre, a las 5:30 de la tarde, en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte.

Según dijo, “como todos los años, en la cafetería de la iglesia se va a vender comida peruana” y luego invitó a participar en la Misa y procesión y “acompañar al Señor de los Milagros y demostrar la fe y devoción que tenemos hacia él”.

Por su parte, la parroquia San Marcos anunció la realización de una novena al Señor de los Milagros del 19 al 27 de octubre. El sábado 27, fecha de cierre, celebrarán Misa y realizarán un recorrido procesional que concluirá con un compartir. Para la celebración de la Misa y encabezar el recorrido procesional han invitado nuevamente al Padre Marcos León.

Más en línea En la página www.facebook.com/CNHespanol: Vea un video sobre el retiro de preparación espiritual

Procesiones locales n Sábado 13 de octubre, 5:30 p.m.: Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, 6212 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte

n Sábado 27 de octubre, 7 p.m.: Parroquia San Marcos, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La Misa de 61 aniversario fue celebrada por el párroco, Padre Frank O’Rourke, y contó con la asistencia del vicario parroquial, Padre Gabriel Carvajal. La música estuvo a cargo de un coro bilingüe.

“Es nuestra fiesta patronal que integra a todas las culturas de nuestra comunidad”, dijo Ana Lothspeich, directora de cuidado pastoral.

FOTOS CORTESÍA PARROQUIA SAN GABRIEL

‘El baile de los viejitos’, una danza tradicional mexicana, fue interpretada por el grupo folklórico Cielito Lindo. El elenco de Monroe, que fue invitado a la celebración, se ‘robó’ la atención de la fiesta y debió repetir el número a pedido del público presente.

Fiesta Patronal unió a la comunidad CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — La parroquia San Gabriel cumplió 61 años de fundada y lo celebró en grande el pasado sábado 29 de septiembre con una Misa y festival que reunió a sus feligreses en los terrenos parroquiales.

Tras celebrar en 2017 su 60 aniversario, los líderes de la parroquia creyeron conveniente repetir la experiencia y establecer la fecha. “Con el establecimiento de nuestra fiesta patronal, la parroquia San Gabriel tiene el propósito de celebrar todas las culturas que son parte de nuestra comunidad”, dijo Ana Lothspeich, directora de cuidado pastoral de esa parroquia, precisando que existe el compromiso del pastor, Padre Frank O’Rourke, de año a año hacer crecer cada vez más la festividad.

La celebración inició con una Misa a las 5 de la tarde, la que alegró un coro bilingüe con integrantes de habla hispana y anglosajona.

Luego se dió paso a un compartir en los exteriores, el que contó música, danzas y la presencia de loncheras que ofrecían diversos tipos de comida. Los refrescos y los helados corrieron a cuenta de la parroquia.

La estrella de la fecha fue un voluntario

disfrazado del Arcángel San Gabriel, con quien los asistentes hicieron fila para tomarse fotografías y ‘selfies’.

Sin embargo, el show se lo ‘robó’ la agrupación de danza folclórica ‘Cielito Lindo’, que presentó el ‘baile de los viejitos’, una danza tradicional de Michoacán, México. Los integrantes debieron repetir la danza a pedido del público presente.

Para el Padre Gabriel Carvajal, quien acompañó al párroco Padre O’Rourke, la fiesta ha mejorado y necesita “de la participación de todas las fuerzas vivas de la parroquia” para que se haga evidente la verdadera convivencia que disfrutamos en San Gabriel”.

El Padre Carvajal agregó que espera que, a medida que crece el festival, se convierta en modelo de integración donde todos los ministerios, “los de Emaús, los del coro, los lectores, del Rosario, anglos, hispanos, afroamericanos, africanos”, sigan poniendo sus talentos al servicio de Dios y presenten más danzas, números musicales y representaciones. “La fiesta patronal es la verdadera representación de la comunidad”, señaló.

Más en línea En www.facebook.com/CNHespanol: Vea más fotografías y un video del ‘baile de los viejitos’

Apóstoles de la Palabra celebraron mes de la Biblia CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

FOTOS POR CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Miembros del grupo misionero Apóstoles de la Palabra cargaron el anda que contenía una hermosa Biblia, mientras que un coro con guitarras y numerosos asistentes acompañaron la procesión cantando y dando vivas a La Palabra de Dios.

Durante la Misa se representó el sacrificio de Isaac por parte de su padre Abraham. El celebrante, P. Gabriel Carvajal se refirió en su homilía al llamado de sacrificio que nos hace el Señor. “Si una amistad te lleva al pecado, entonces córtala”, dijo.

CHARLOTTE ­— Los Apóstoles de la palabra cerraron con broche de oro la celebración del mes de la Biblia el pasado domingo 30 de septiembre, fecha en la que se recuerda a San Jerónimo, quien tradujo la Biblia de las lenguas originales al latín, como recordó la hermana Eri Rodríguez, responsable de la misión Apóstoles de la Palabra en las Carolinas.

“Desde donde nos encontremos”, afirma Rodríguez, “celebramos esta fiesta” y por ejemplo, “en California, Atlanta, Nueva York este fin de semana hemos tenido celebraciones y no se está haciendo de manera tan grande como en México, donde se tiene acostumbrado presentar carros alegóricos, representaciones callejeras y demás”, pero “algo estamos haciendo para dar a conocer la palabra de Dios”, apuntó.

La fiesta dio inicio poco antes de las 6:30 de la noche con una procesión encabezada por el Padre Gabriel Carvajal, en la que más de un centenar de personas acompañó con cánticos un anda, portada por cuatro hermanos, quienes llevaban en sus hombros un altar donde se colocó una hermosa Biblia abierta.

La procesión ingresó al interior de la Iglesia San Gabriel, donde el Padre Carvajal celebró una misa dedicada a la especial ocasión.

Antes de la homilía, un grupo de hermanos de la organización misionera realizó una representación del sacrificio del patriarca Abraham.

Al respecto, durante su homilía, el

Padre Gabriel se refirió al sacrificio.

“No de sus hijos”, dijo, ni tampoco de los miembros de su cuerpo, pero sí si de amistades. “Si tienes un amigo o amiga que quieres mucho pero te está llevando al pecado, entonces ¡corta esa amistad! Si usted está cayendo en pecado por esa amistad, hoy el Señor le dice que la tiene que cortar”.

Aplicando la enseñanza a parejas de convivientes que aún no se han casado, el Padre Carvajal fue estricto al afirmar que necesitan llevar una vida sacramental saludable. Por lo que “si usted está viviendo con una mujer o un hombre, y tienen una vida de pareja de diez, quince años y no se han casado por la Iglesia, ¿qué tiene que hacer?, ¿así va a morir?, ¿qué les tengo que decir?, esa relación debe cortarse o cásense por la Iglesia”, sentenció.

Al término de la misa la hermana Erie Rodríguez adelantó que preparan la celebración del ‘Día de todos los Santos’ el 27 de octubre. “Queremos motivar a la comunidad a que conozca esta celebración” dijo Rodríguez, por lo que han preparado una kermés en su sede de Mount Holly y donde, entre otros atractivos, se representarán a santos que contarán brevemente sobre su vida y milagros.

Para mayores informes puede llamar a los teléfonos 209-626-0542 y 704-601-5637. “Los esperamos a todos”, invitó la hermana Rodríguez.

Más en línea En la página de Facebook de Catholic News Herald-Español: Vea un video sobre esta actividad

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

15

Alistan Encuentro Juvenil de la Renovación Carismática CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — El próximo 20 de octubre, desde las ocho de la mañana hasta las cinco de la tarde, se realizará el segundo encuentro juvenil de la Renovación Católica de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Organizado por el ministerio Instrumentos del Señor, se llevará a cabo en el auditorio de la escuela secundaria AL Brown, en Kannapolis, y contará con la presencia del orador Sergio Indalecio, la música de Ministerio Abdiel, Darwin Lechler e Iván Molina y su banda Abba Padre.

Miguel Vázquez, organizador y fundador del ministerio Instrumentos del Señor, dijo que aunque esta es una invitación especial para que se acerquen los jóvenes, han decidido dejar una puerta abierta a los padres de familia para que “lleguen,

escuchen y se enteren de los problemas que pueden estar viviendo sus hijos”.

“En esta sociedad en que vivimos, los padres andamos ocupados en trabajar y trabajar para darle lo mejor a nuestros hijos. Sin embargo, sin querer, les descuidamos, no tenemos tiempo para escucharlos y les dejamos solos. A veces los padres pensamos que todo va bien pero no nos damos cuenta de la realidad que ellos, nuestros jóvenes, están viviendo.

Una realidad muy diferente a la nuestra”, apuntó Vázquez, por lo que en esta ocasión han considerado invitar a toda la familia, “para que juntos sepan que Jesús quiere sanarles”, aludiendo al tema central del encuentro: “Jesús quiere sanarte”.

Luego aclaró que las conferencias para los jóvenes y para los padres serán por separado, en razón a que cada grupo habla un ‘idioma’ diferente. “A los jóvenes llegamos con actividades muy

entretenidas”, anticipó, pero sin dejar de lado la reflexión y espiritualidad.

Respecto a la participación de los invitados, Vázquez dijo que Sergio Indalecio es un joven adulto con gran facilidad de comunicación con la gente joven y adolescentes, “y con un gran testimonio de vida y transformación” que lo llevó a abandonar el consumo de alcohol y drogas.

Pasado el mediodía y culminada la sección de charlas, se dará paso a un concierto de adoración con música apropiada para jóvenes.

En el concierto subirán a la tarima Ministerio Abdiel, una agrupación que nació en Lenoir, Carolina del Norte, y que se ha presentado en numerosos escenarios, incluyendo el Congreso Eucarístico de la Diócesis de Charlotte en 2013. Además se presentará Darwin Lechler, cantante católico mexicano residente en Estados

Unidos, evangelizador a través de la música y la oración, e Iván Molina & Abba Padre Band, una agrupación nacida en Long Island, Nueva York, hoy asentada en nuestra región de Charlotte.

Instrumentos del Señor es un ministerio de la Renovación Carismática de la Diócesis de Charlotte que trabaja con jóvenes desde hace ocho años. El primer encuentro juvenil de la renovación católica diocesana se llevó a cabo en septiembre de 2017.

‘Jesús quiere sanarte’ Segundo Encuentro Juvenil de la Renovación Católica de la Diócesis de Charlotte 20 de octubre, 8 a.m. a 5 p.m.

A.L. Brown High School, 415 E. First St., Kannapolis, NC 28083 Informes: 704-791-6930

Prices starting at $2,499 ~ with Airfare Included in this price from anywhere in the USA

GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

We offer several other trips to different destinations: the Holy Land; Italy; France, Portugal, & Spain; Poland; Lourdes, & Fatima; Ireland & Scotland; England; Austria, Germany, & Switzerland; Greece & Turkey; Budapest; Prague; Our Lady of Guadalupe; Colombia; Brazil; Argentina; Domestic Destinations; etc…

We also specialize in custom trips for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

Festival anual hispano FOREST CITY — El sábado 22 de agosto la Iglesia Inmaculada Concepción celebró su festival anual hispano con música, juegos, comidas tradicionales y bailes de Colombia, Costa Rica, República Dominicana, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México y Venezuela. Se recaudaron cerca de $10,000 que se destinarán a reducir la deuda del edificio de la iglesia.

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Call Jenninfer: 612-730-2890 Jennifer@procatholictours.com FOTO CORTESÍA DEL PADRE CARL ZDANCEWICZ

FiestaVal WINSTON-SALEM — El Padre Carl Zdancewicz, de la parroquia Our Lady of Mercy, nos envía esta fotografía del grupo de danza hispano que participó el 30 de septiembre en su FiestaVal picnic. Cientos disfrutaron de buena música, comida, danzas, juegos y entretenimiento para toda la familia.

www.procatholictours.com

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It was the result of malnutrition, and her mother became desperate about the situation. She could see the fragile girl was growing weaker by the day, and she feared tiny Clara might soon slip away.

Situations like that are tragically common in remote, rural Guatemala, where nearly half of the babies born each year suffer from chronic hunger — and many of those eventually fall prey to severe malnutrition.

Fortunately, the faithful Capuchin Sisters at St. Joseph Nutrition Center learned about the situation and moved quickly to help.

Thanks to their care, Clara was brought back from the brink.

Today, with financial help from Cross Catholic Outreach, Sister Gloria and her team continue this life-sustaining mission. Support from American Catholics is enabling them to serve the neediest families in the area, feeding malnourished children until their health is restored, and then monitoring those little ones to ensure they continue to thrive at home.

“The struggles of infants and toddlers in developing countries is heartbreaking — but their fate can be changed. These Catholic sisters have proven that, and we’re proud to have empowered their mission by supplying food and medical items for their use,” said James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “Many of the infants

and toddlers they help enter the Center at death’s door, but the heroic sisters rescue them and restore them to health. It’s a miraculous thing to see.”

It was the success of the St. Joseph Nutrition Center that led Cross Catholic Outreach to launch a national campaign in Catholic newspapers to bring awareness to the issue of infant mortality and the value of Catholic missions serving vulnerable children (see story on opposite page).

“Many American Catholics want to reach out to these suffering infants, but they didn’t know how,” Cavnar explained. “Our goal is to link these generous people with Catholic missions in need of funding and resources.

There are many priests, nuns and Catholic lay leaders serving overseas who want to be a part of the solution, but they need regular supplies of food and medicines to sustain their outreaches. American Catholics can join Cross Catholic Outreach and supply that aid.”

Among the Catholic missions Cross hopes to fund in 2018 is a program established to provide 24-hour care to at-risk babies in Ecuador. The program, run by nuns and volunteers, has requested food and medicines, and if American Catholics respond to Cross Catholic Outreach’s appeal on their behalf, the charity can supply both.

“With just a little help, overseas missions serving infants and toddlers can achieve great things,” Cavnar said. “We

The impact relief efforts have on babies and toddlers is nothing short of miraculous.

Infants rescued from remote villages enter the mission weak and emaciated, but nutritious food and loving care restores their health and transforms their lives. just need to supply the food and other resources they need to succeed. Surely, we can work together to support them and bless these precious babies.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach can use the brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic

Outreach, Dept. AC01404, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write Monthly Mission Partner on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Cross Catholic Outreach Endorsed by More Than 100 Bishops, Archbishops Cross Catholic Outreach’s range of relief work to help the poor overseas continues to be recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.

“We’ve received more than 100 endorsements from bishops and archbishops,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO). “They’re moved by the fact that we’ve launched outreaches in almost 40 countries and have undertaken a variety of projects — everything from feeding the hungry and housing the homeless to supplying safe water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor. The bishops have also been impressed by Cross Catholic Outreach’s direct and meaningful response to emergency situations, most recently by providing food, medicines and other resources to partners in Haiti, El Salvador and areas of Belize impacted by natural disasters.”

Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, Alabama, supported this mission in a recent endorsement, writing: “It is a privilege for me to support Cross Catholic Outreach.

This organization funds ministries to our

neighbors in need in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the Pacific. Through the generosity of so many, the love of God is made visible to many who are coping with the most difficult of daily living conditions.”

In addition to praising CCO’s accomplishments, many of the bishops and archbishops are encouraged that Pontifical canonical status was conferred on the charity in September 2015, granting it approval as an official Catholic organization. This allows CCO to participate in the mission of the Church and to give a concrete witness to Gospel Charity, in collaboration with the Holy Father.

“Your work with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is a strong endorsement of your partnership with the work of the Universal Church,” Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco said. “By providing hope to the faithful overseas by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, delivering medical relief to the sick, shelter to the homeless, and through self-help projects, you are embodying the Papal Encyclical Deus Caritas Est.”

CCO’s Outreach Priests visit U.S. parishes to share what the ministry is accomplishing.

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI RIGHT PAGE

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Cross Catholic Outreach Launches National Campaign to Rescue Infants in Dire Need The fate of infants in the developing countries of the world touches everyone’s heart. Babies are fragile and innocent.

Their needs are great and their reliance on others is high. When we learn about serious poverty devastating a community or hear about a hurricane or other natural disaster, our first thoughts fly to the needs of infants and of the heartbroken parents struggling to care for them.

Catholic leaders serving in places like Haiti, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, Ethiopia and Kenya have the same reaction. Catholic doctors working there do too. Both are eager to address the terrible suffering they encounter in the communities around them, but without financial help from American Catholics, their tireless efforts can only take them so far.

By asking for our help, these priests, nuns and medical professionals are hoping and praying a collaborative intervention can be arranged that will save lives and restore the joys of childhood to those in desperate need.

“In Christ’s name and for His glory, we all want to see the at-risk infants rescued and restored. We want their faces chubby with baby fat; we want their eyes to sparkle with curiosity; we want to see them chortle and giggle. In short, we want them and their parents to experience the same happiness and healthiness our own families enjoy,” explained James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a U.S.-based charity established to empower Catholic missions overseas. For more than 17 years, Cross Catholic Outreach has worked to supply the material aid missionaries need to operate their outreaches among the poor.

This spring, Cross Catholic Outreach has turned its attention to a special need — impoverished infants — and the charity is seeking public support for four Catholic programs serving the poor in Latin America and Africa. According to Cavnar, this special effort could be characterized as a life-or-death rescue plan.

“The fact that I call our objective a rescue plan may seem like an overstatement, but frankly, it only begins to express the urgency of this need. Many American Catholics have never seen the terrible conditions the poor face in these developing countries, but I can assure you — the situation is extreme and lives are at stake. Without the help of Catholic missions and without the intervention of doctors who serve in these impoverished areas, children and parents will suffer.”

The outreaches Cavnar and Cross Catholic Outreach are highlighting serve infants in three key ways. They supply food to stave off malnutrition, address serious medical needs, and ensure infants

The St. Raphael Dispensary (above) serves impoverished families in the Diocese of Kitale, Kenya. With help from Cross Catholic Outreach, its facilities and staff can have an even greater impact in the community, ensuring at-risk infants and toddlers get proper nutrition and care. receive compassionate daily care.

If the charity gets support from Catholic donors in America, they hope to meet the needs of hundreds of infants and toddlers being cared for by Catholic dioceses, Catholic laywomen, the Daughters of Charity and the Brothers of Good Works.

The Daughters of Charity’s efforts include an outreach in Ecuador that provides a safe haven to infants who have been abandoned or abused.

In Bolivia, another Catholic mission takes on an even more challenging task.

It provides loving care to babies who are linked to rape or incest, and thereby ostracized by most.

St. Gabriel Catholic Health Center in Ethiopia serves yet another vulnerable group — at-risk pregnant woman and for infants in their vulnerable first months.

The Brothers of Good Works established the center to reduce the number of maternal and infant deaths in Ethiopia’s capital city and to provide living examples of the Catholic faith. They have requested help to fund medical supplies and medicine to ensure women and infants in desperate need can be treated at no charge, and

Cross Catholic will use donations to provide for that specific need, protecting the vulnerable and restoring hope.

“Missions like these manifest a core Catholic value — that life is sacred; that every person is worthy of dignity,” explained Cavnar. “To have an even greater impact, we encourage people to become Mission Partners and contribute a set amount monthly. Those gifts are particularly helpful to our Catholic partners overseas.”

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01404, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause.

If you identify a specific aid project with your gift, 100% of the proceeds will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 OUR PARISHES

IN BRIEF

House of Mercy earns four-star rating

FROM PAGE 5

Parish aids local students STATESVILLE — Michael and Melissa Neader, volunteers at Cloverleaf Elementary School, and Andrew Mehall, the principal of Cloverleaf, received a $2,500 donation Sept. 29 from St. Philip the Apostle Church to provide food assistance for students. Pictured are altar servers Cory Haneline and Beni Juarez and Father Thomas J. Kessler, pastor.

— Connie Ries

BELMONT — House of Mercy has again received a four-star rating from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services – the highest rating possible from the state.

House of Mercy has earned this rating every year since 2009 when the program was established.

A Ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, House of Mercy has been serving low-income persons living with AIDS since 1991.

The Star Rating program is designed to be used as a tool to assist consumers in making informed decisions regarding care options for themselves or a loved one. The Star Rating program provides consumers with information based on facility inspections by state health officials.

In other news at House of Mercy, the ministry recently received a $3,000 donation from The Tradesmen. They also received community support including delicious meals and pantry items provided by Rockwell A.M.E. Zion Church, Elizabeth Velez, Keith and Tobey Lowe, Mama’s Family – Wayne Simpson, Queen of the Apostles Parish in Belmont, Erick Boyd, Connie Hastings, Papa John’s Pizza of Belmont, and First Presbyterian Church of Belmont. Billie Hutchison donated a Netflix movie subscription, Las Amigas of Gastonia and Order of the Eastern Star Adah Chapter 7 donated games and craft supplies, Shannon Smith donated good bags and Christine Wallace donated haircuts. In-kind donations amount to $15,000 worth of food and supplies needed by House of Mercy this past year.

— Krystyna Sarrazin

Donation drive to benefit needy HENDERSONVILLE — Parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church donated three van loads of items, including gently-used winter coats, blankets and towels during the parish’s fall donation drive at Masses Sept. 29-30.

The donations will benefit clients of Interfaith Assistance Ministry.

“An annual event for some 20 years, the drive has been consistently and generously supported,” noted Immaculate Conception’s pastor, Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz. The donation drive is coordinated by parishioner Jo-Ann Kelly. “I am always amazed and gratified at the tremendous response,” Kelly said, “and interfaith Ministry is always so grateful that we are doing this.”

Troop honored WINSTON-SALEM — Boy Scout Troop 958 of St. Leo the Great Parish was recently awarded the Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Begley Award from the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Dan Callaghan, past president of the Sons of Erin Ancient Order of Hibernians, presented the award. The scoutmaster is Joe Fernald.

— John Bunyea, correspondent

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Parish fair held Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Elder Ministry, the USCIS, Catholic Charities’ Translation and Interpretation Enterprise, Better Business Bureau-Latin American Consumer Fraud Awareness Program, Catholic Charities’ Immigration and Citizen Services and the Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools Office participated in a parish fair at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Sept. 30, coordinated

by Sandra Breakfield, Elder Ministry program director.

throughout their lives. After Mass, a reception was held and religious awards were presented.

Catholic religious awards developed by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry in Washington, D.C., were earned by the following Girl Scout Troops: four members of Daisy Troop 453 earned the God Is Love award; six members of Brownie Troop 2265 earned the Family of God award; and Ariana Burke and Ava Knudsen, members of Cadette Troop 2697, earned the Marian Medal. The Marian Medal, developed in 1957, was the first religious recognition program developed for Girl Scouts of any denomination for the purpose of helping young people become better members of their Catholic faith. Members of Daisy Troop 453, Junior Troop 73 and Cadette Troop 2697 earned the My Promise, My Faith Award developed by the Girl Scouts of America.

Peyton Johnson of Troop 1057 was recognized at the reception as the most recent Gold Award recipient, Girl Scouting’s highest achievement!

The Girl Scout Ministry at St. Matthew Church is led by Nancy Bush and Darla Ladd. Religious Award Coordinator is Nannette Gorman.

— Nannette Gorman and Tom Gorman

— Sidney Baker

Jefferson Knight honored JEFFERSON — Pictured with Grand Knight Bob Breton of St. Francis Council 16839, Paul Baschom was recently awarded a certificate and honorary life membership card for 21 years of continuous service with the Knights of Columbus. Paul became a Knight in 1947 in a class with about a dozen Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C. — Patrick Hession, correspondent

All invited to upcoming Red Mass

Girl Scouts honored at St. Matthew Church CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church recently offered a Mass for all Girl Scout troops sponsored by the church and any other Girl Scouts who are members of the parish. The annual Mass was celebrated by Father Patrick Hoare, pastor. He and Sister Agnes Cousins blessed the Girl Scouts at the end of the Mass and prayed for them and their vocations

CHARLOTTE – The annual St. Thomas More Society Red Mass will be celebrated at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at St. Peter Church.

Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey will be the main celebrant.

The Red Mass is celebrated annually in many large cities throughout the country, typically in conjunction with the opening of the new session of the U.S. Supreme Court.

St. Peter Church is located at 507 S. Tryon St. in Charlotte.

There will be a lunch and CLE immediately following the Mass at Parker Poe (401 S. Tryon St., Suite 3000, beside St. Peter) with the Honorable Robert J. Conrad Jr. giving a talk entitled “Speaking Truth to Power: Lessons for Lawyers from the lives of Thomas More and John Fisher.”

All are welcome to attend the Mass, but RSVPs are required to the lunch and CLE.

For details and to RSVP, contact Michael Hoefling at mhoefling@jahlaw.com or his assistant, Sandy Sowder, at ssowder@jahlaw.com.

— Will Esser

High-flying preservation experts to scan St. Lawrence Basilica ASHEVILLE — Starting this week, St. Lawrence Basilica will undertake the first phase of a preservation project when crews will rappel down the bell towers and exterior walls of the building to document its condition.

The historic basilica in downtown Asheville was completed in 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The effort is being overseen by The Basilica Preservation Fund Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt organization (online at www.savethebasilica.org) dedicated to protecting and raising awareness about the historic structure.

Joseph Opperman Architect of WinstonSalem, a preservation expert known in the Asheville area for his work at the Biltmore Estate and the Thomas Wolfe House, will lead the overall project to determine the basilica’s preservation needs.

Vertical Access, based in Ithaca, N.Y., will assess the building’s condition.

A number of rope access technicians will use laser technology to look for leaks and other structural issues over the entire facility. They will make multiple “inspection drops” down the basilica’s bell towers and other exterior walls, using tablet computers and cameras to document their observations. An analysis of the interior walls and ceiling will be performed by drones equipped in the same manner.

After a thorough analysis of the exterior, including the copper-clad dome and the interior, the company will report its findings and preservation recommendations.

Experts will also be studying other aspects of the interior, mechanical and acoustic areas of the basilica.

This work will be the basis by which solutions can be designed and, most importantly, this magnificent historic building can be preserved and maintained for future generations.

— Jim Crumlish

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

19

Moments of Grace Momentos de gracia

Wake Forest alum weds in WFU’s Davis Chapel

50th anniversary

WINSTON-SALEM — Donna Gwyn Testa (Psychology ’03) and Todd Charles Krupa celebrated the sacrament of holy matrimony on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Winston-Salem. The nuptial Mass was celebrated by Father Marcel Amadi in Davis Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University, the first Catholic wedding to be celebrated in the chapel since Father Amadi became the campus minister at WFU. The couple made their vows in front of friends and family, including Tim Linder, best man from St. Louis, Mo., and Tracy Biehl, maid of honor from Nanticoke, Pa. Among the honored guests were Wake Forest alumni Josh Inman (MBA ’11) and Lizzie Waid (Economics/German 2019), pictured.

Mass was concelebrated by Father Willy Kingsley of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

— Lizzie Waid

JEFFERSON — Butch and Mary Rodgers recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary during Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

Moments of Grace Momentos de gracia

That special day. We want to remember it forever, and share the happy news with our family and friends.

Now, share the joy with your fellow Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte, too!

The Catholic News Herald is launching a special section of the print edition that we’re calling “Moments of Grace.”

Announce your child’s baptism, first Holy Communion or confirmation, or share the news of your wedding or wedding anniversary. Pricing starts at just $25.

Go to www.catholicnewsherald.com or call Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 for details.

No dejes que el tiempo borre tus recuerdos.

Comparte tus momentos más felices con familiares, amigos y queridos feligreses de la Diócesis de Charlotte. En la nueva sección ‘Moments of Grace’

de tu periódico Catholic News Herald. Desde $25 podrás anunciar el bautismo de tus hijos, su primera Comunión, confirmación, también tu matrimonio o aniversario. ¿Más detalles? Visita www. catholicnewsherald. com o llama a Erika Robinson al (704) 370-3333.

Hablamos español.

Our schools 20

catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Playground, Immaculata Catholic School, 711 Buncombe St., Hendersonville, NC 28791 or online at www.gofundme.com/malachi039splayground.

— Julie Wojcik

Calling all St. Leo alumni WINSTON-SALEM — All St. Leo School alumni, current faculty and former faculty members are invited to the second annual Alumni Homecoming on Wednesday, Nov. 21. The free event, which will include dinner, will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the school gym. Email slshomecoming@gmail.com and provide your name, graduation year and contact information, so organizers can send you updates on the event.

Immaculata receives donation for ‘Malachi’s Playground’ HENDERSONVILLE — Immaculata School recently accepted a $5,240 donation from Shuler Funeral Home to go towards the purchase and installation of new playground equipment. Shuler Funeral Home was instrumental in helping the school raise these funds through their crowd-funding site, Treasured Memories. Immaculata has raised over 50 percent of its goal to purchase the playground that will be named in memory of former student Malachi Siltzer, a 2016 victim of cancer. Contributions can be mailed to Malachi’s

Celebrating Johnny Appleseed SALISBURY — “Oh the Lord’s been good to me!” Sacred Heart School’s lower elementary students celebrated Johnny Appleseed’s

birthday Sept. 26 with homemade applesauce, math and measuring facts, art projects, songs, and a visit from Johnny Appleseed. Eighthgrader Drew Hansen represented Johnny Appleseed – reading students a story about his life and answering questions from students.

Teachers helped students appreciate American history and discover the man who made apple (and pear) trees grow heavy with the bounty of their fruit across most of this country.

— Robin Fisher

CCHS recognizes 2018 Sister Paulette Williams Award winners CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School recently recognized the 2018 winners of the Sister Paulette Williams Awards for Outstanding Service. The awards were presented at the Commencement Exercises May 31 at Bojangles’ Coliseum, and the winners were honored in front of the home crowd at the annual Cook Cup rivalry game against Charlotte Country Day School Aug. 31.

The 2018 winners are Dee Bier (mathematics), Carmen Garmilla (world languages), Margaret Kennedy (theology), Jean Pendleton (social studies), and Marcus Riter (theatre). Each winner was presented with a check for $5,000 from the foundation.

In 2016, the Charlotte Catholic High School Foundation established the Sister Paulette Williams Awards to recognize members of the Charlotte Catholic faculty whose exceptional dedication, knowledge and commitment inspires students to learn. These are teachers who consider the whole student, and encourage

them to be their best in all aspects of their lives. They exhibit the best qualities of faith and mercy in their interaction with students as well as with colleagues. They consistently go above and beyond, making a difference in the lives of students and the school community.

The foundation chose to name the awards in honor of Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who played a key role in establishing the basis for Catholic education in Charlotte. She was a teacher at Charlotte Catholic for five years, assistant principal for two years, and principal for 20 years.

“Her leadership, dedication, guidance, and vision built our school into what you recognize today – a community leader in academics, arts, and athletics,” said current Principal Kurt Telford.

Any current member of the CCHS community – teachers, staff, parent and students – may nominate a faculty member for the Sister Paulette Awards. All are encouraged to participate, and each year more than 50 nominations are received. A five-person committee, consisting of two CCHS Foundation board members, two past Sister Paulette Award winners, and one administrator, review the nominations and recommend the award winners to the CCHS Foundation Board for confirmation.

“We congratulate these dedicated teachers,” Telford said. “These awards validate, honor, and encourage these educators. They are an expression of thanks for all these teachers do every day, above and beyond what is expected, to make a difference in the lives of our young people and our school community.”

— Carolyn Tillman and Margaret Kennedy

discovermacs.org

See Yourself Here

Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Charlotte Catholic | Christ the King | Holy Trinity | St. Mark | St. Ann Our Lady of Assumption | St. Gabriel | St. Matthew | St. Patrick

OPEN HOUSE Reimagined tours, fine arts, speakers & more

October 30: Programs begin at 9am and 11:30am

Mix

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

bond with his strong-willed wife, Janet (Claire Foy), with a look back at the sometimes tragic, ultimately triumphant race to reach the lunar surface. Despite the universally known outcome of the story, Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer successfully infuse their account with suspense by reminding viewers of the radical problems NASA had to overcome and the dangers Armstrong and his colleagues constantly had to face. Possibly acceptable for mature teens. Brief scatological material, a few profanities and milder oaths.

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

‘Venom’ While investigating an evil billionaire (Riz Ahmed) who has been secretly experimenting with fusing human beings and aliens into a composite life form, a reporter (Tom Hardy) accidentally undergoes the transformation, which endows him with superpowers but also leaves him unable, at times, to control his own actions. He gets help from his sympathetic ex-live-ingirlfriend (Michelle Williams) and her new beau, a physician. But the extraterrestrial of the title has a battle to fight with others of his kind here on Earth so expelling him from the journalist’s body proves challenging. This Marvel Comics-based bit of nonsense has some amusing dialogue between Hardy’s character and the fearsome occupant of his body, and the mayhem the creatures wreak, though sometimes described in gruesome ways, is virtually bloodless. Forgettable fare for the undemanding and, perhaps, Marvel movie completists. Much stylized violence with minimal gore.

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

‘First Man’ Splendid multi-dimensional profile of astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) charting the events that led to his becoming the commander of the 1969 Apollo 11 space mission and the first human being to walk on the Moon. In adapting James R. Hansen’s 2005 official biography, director Damien Chazelle melds an intimate portrait of the emotionally buttonedup ex-naval aviator and engineer’s inner life, including his deep

Other movies: n ‘A Star Is Born’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R n ‘Life Itself’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: R n ‘Smallfoot’: CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG n ‘Night School’: CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: PG-13

On TV n Friday, Oct. 12, 3:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Fatima with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word.” Father Joseph and Father Patrick take you to the different locations throughout Fatima where the various apparitions of the Angel of Fatima and Our Lady took place, giving you an inside look at what these messages mean today. n Saturday, Oct. 13, 9:30 a.m. (EWTN) “The Message of Fatima: Miracle of the Sun.” A docudrama series on the prophecies, messages and warnings given to the three shepherd children by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. n Saturday, Oct. 13, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “Romero.” The true story of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s transformation from an apolitical, complacent priest to a committed leader of the Salvadoran people. n Saturday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Paul” The first of a two-part movie about Paul VI, widely considered one of the most important popes of the modern period, highlighting his priesthood, his time as a university professor and his apostolic activity. Part 1. n Sunday, Oct. 14, 9:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Paul.” Paul VI’s election as Supreme Pontiff, his leadership of the Second Vatican Council, his defense of human life in his encyclical, and his pastoral efforts to further interreligious dialogue and world peace. Part 2. n Thursday, Oct. 18, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Message of Fatima: The Angel of Peace.” A docudrama series on the prophecies, messages and warnings given to the three shepherd children by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. n Friday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Fatima: An Experience of Faith.” Revisit the town of Fatima and the houses of the three young visionaries following the incredible events that occurred in 1917. n Saturday, Oct. 20, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Paul of the Cross.” An original docudrama on the life, ministry and writings of St. Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionists.

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21

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Amid shouts of protesters in gallery, Senate votes to confirm Kavanaugh WASHINGTON, D.C. — Late Oct. 6, despite the interruptions of screaming protesters who had to be escorted from the gallery that oversees the Senate chamber, U.S. senators voted 50-48 to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the newest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was then officially sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, with a ceremonial swearing-in by President Donald Trump taking place late Oct. 8 in the East Room at the White House.

Bishop prays for refugees ‘left in harm’s way’ with cap on admissions WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration’s cap of 30,000 refugees to be admitted to the U.S. for fiscal year 2019 will leave thousands more “in harm’s way,” said Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Migration. He said the bishops were saddened by the low number but pledged to work with the administration to reach that goal while they continue to call for a higher number of refugees to be admitted during the next fiscal year. A “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions” was issued Oct. 4 as a memorandum to the U.S. State Department confirming the number of 30,000 – one-third less than last year’s 45,000, which had been the lowest number on record.

“As Christians, we believe it is our duty to welcome and help those who are persecuted, including the vulnerable such as children and religious minorities,” Bishop Vasquez said in an Oct. 6 statement.

“Resettlement in our country is a way through which we live out our Gospel call to welcome the persecuted into our communities -- individuals and families with no viable options to stay where they are or return home.”

Mercy sisters decry report of immigrant children moved to tent city in Texas WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas said they are “outraged and appalled” by a recent report of migrant children being moved to a tent city in Texas, adding that what is happening now “pales in comparison to the trauma and uncertainty these young girls and boys and their families will experience for years to come.” “The photos and reports of these detention centers for children are the most recent example of how the Trump administration has continued to ratchet up its aggressive approach to tearing immigrant families apart while offering no remedy to decades of failed U.S. foreign policy that has produced the conditions from which people are fleeing for their lives,” said an Oct. 3 statement by the BRIEFS, SEE PAGE 23

Restoration workers are seen Sept. 28 in Wilmington, inside St. Mary School, which sustained significant damage from Hurricane Florence.

It is the first Catholic school in North Carolina.

CNS | BOB ROLLER

N.C. parishes still coping with Florence waters CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

RALEIGH, N.C. — In the days and weeks since Hurricane Florence made landfall in mid-September, North Carolina residents are still coping with the massive amounts of water from the storm and the subsequent flooding of the state’s rivers.

Families have been displaced by these rising waters and 27 churches or parish facilities in the Raleigh Diocese have been damaged.

An update on the recovery on the diocesan website of Raleigh notes: “Hurricane Florence devastated our community, but together as a community we are recovering! Catholic Charities has been leading the recovery effort. They began providing assistance before the rain even stopped in Wilmington.”

Daniel Altenau, director of communications and disaster services for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, said that days after the storm, local Catholic Charities volunteers loaded up

a truck with diapers and supplies and began distributing items to families in need.

Catholic Charities also has held more than 30 events for unloading, sorting and distributing supplies such as food and water, cleaning supplies and hygiene kits for families in the Cape Fear area.

A statement from Raleigh Bishop Luis R. Zarama posted on the diocesan website days after the storm said: “We have seen the heartbreaking photographs and video reports of those who have been impacted so severely by the wind, rain and flooding caused

by Hurricane Florence.”

He also asked for prayers for “those who have lost their lives, those who have been injured, and for those who have lost homes and possessions. I also ask for prayers for the brave first responders who have been so helpful in the rescue and relief.”

“This is a time for our Catholic community to come together and to assist our neighbors in North Carolina who are in most need,” he added.

Church leaders must face truth of abuse, Cardinal DiNardo says CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

ROME — The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference welcomed Pope Francis’ pledge to fight attempts to cover up cases of sexual abuse and to stop offering special treatment to bishops who have committed or covered up abuse.

“On behalf of my brother bishops in the United States, I welcome the statement of Oct. 6 from the Holy See which outlines additional steps Pope Francis is taking to ensure the faithful are protected from the evil of sexual assault,” Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo said in a statement released Oct. 7 in Rome.

The cardinal, president of the USCCB, was in Rome for the Synod of Bishops.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, conference vice president, also was in Rome for the synod, and the two U.S. leaders met privately with Pope Francis Oct. 8 as questions continue over the handling of years of allegations of sexual misconduct by former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington.

In a statement Oct. 6, the Vatican said Pope Francis had ordered a thorough review of the archives of Vatican offices to study how the allegations were handled.

“The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: ‘We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,’” the Vatican statement said.

Renewing its commitment to uncovering the truth, the Vatican also said that information gathered from its investigation as well as “a further thorough study” of its archives regarding the former cardinal will be released “in due course.”

Cardinal DiNardo, who earlier had requested a full investigation, said, “The truth will ensure the terrible sins of the past are not repeated. The courage of abuse survivors who first brought the horrific truth of sexual abuse to light must continue to be matched by our courage as pastors to respond in justice.”

The U.S. cardinal’s statement was

published the same day Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, responded to allegations

by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former nuncio to the United States, that Pope Francis knew about and ignored the allegations against then-Cardinal McCarrick.

Cardinal Ouellet called Archbishop Vigano’s accusations a “political” ploy that had wounded the unity of the Church.

“Out of respect for the victims and given the need for justice, the inquiry currently underway in the United States and in the Roman Curia should provide a comprehensive and critical study of the procedures and the circumstances of this painful case in order to prevent something like it from ever happening in the future,” Cardinal Ouellet said.

Cardinal DiNardo said he and all the U.S. bishops “offer our prayers and solidarity for the Holy Father. We urge all in the Church, particularly the bishops, to reaffirm our communion with Pope Francis who is the visible guarantor of the communion of the Catholic Church.”

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

BRIEFS FROM PAGE 22

Mercy sisters, based in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland.

A New York Times article Sept. 30 said migrant children in shelters across the country were being transported in the night in recent weeks to a tent city on desert property in Tornillo, Texas, outside of El Paso. At the time 1,600 children were at the site with more expected since it was expanded to house 3,800 and to remain open until at least the end of the year.

Evelyn Stauffer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement to The New York Times that “it is common to use influx shelters as done on military bases in the past, and the intent is to use these temporary facilities only as long as needed.”

Judge blocks TPS cancellation, says ending program unconstitutional SILVER SPRING, Md. — A federal judge’s Oct. 3 preliminary injunction blocking cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for people from four countries living in the United States is a welcome step, said the executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. The ruling

by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen of the Northern District of California will protect, for now, about 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan currently covered by the program who would be deported if it ends.

“The court rightly pointed to problems with the administration’s decision-making process in terminating TPS, including possible constitutional violations,” Jeanne Atkinson, CLINIC’s executive

director, said in an Oct. 4 statement.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security, which administers the program, announced it was ending TPS status for recipients from the four countries in late 2018 and throughout 2019, saying conditions in those countries had improved and the migrants could safely return, even as the U.S. Department of State warned against travel to those nations.

Based in San Francisco, Chen ruled in the case Ramos v. Nielsen, filed by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and other groups on behalf of nine people with TPS status and five U.S. citizen children of TPS holders against the Department of Homeland Security, headed by Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen.

Lay-led investigation begins into claims bishop sexually harassed adults WHEELING, W.Va. — The investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of adults by Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, former bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, is being led by a five-member team of laity. The team is comprised of three men and two women, including one non-Catholic, empaneled by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who is apostolic administrator of the diocese. In a letter to clergy of Wheeling-Charleston, the archbishop said the team members “bring a breadth of investigative expertise and experience to their work. My charge to the investigative team is simple: follow the truth wherever it leads.”

The investigation of the allegations has begun and includes a review of more than three dozen calls made to the hotline, which was established by the archbishop for those wishing to share any information related to the investigation.

The hotline was made available on the day of the archbishop’s appointment as apostolic

administrator of the diocese.

Bryan Minor, who was recently appointed by Archbishop Lori as delegate for administrative affairs for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, said that the five-member investigative team will remain anonymous, and emphasized the significance of the investigation being conducted by the laity.

U.S. urged to end funding of research using tissue from aborted babies WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities praised a decision by the U.S. secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to end a Food and Drug Administration contract with a company “whose business is to procure

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aborted baby parts for research.” After this important “first step,” it “remains incumbent” on the Trump administration “to act quickly to cease all funding for research involving body parts from aborted babies,” New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said in a Sept. 27 statement.

The cardinal was referring to the Sept. 24 announcement by HHS Secretary Alex Azar that his agency was terminating an FDA contract with Advanced Bioscience Resources in California to provide human fetal tissue to develop testing protocols. HHS also said it will do an audit of “all acquisitions involving human fetal tissue” and “all research involving fetal tissue” to make sure the statutes and regulations governing such research are being followed. Such oversight, it said, also is necessary “in light of the serious regulatory, moral and ethical considerations involved.”

— Catholic News Service

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of October: Rev. Msgr. William Wellein 1997 Reverend Aloysius D’Silva 2005 Reverend Raymond B. Hourihan 2016

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SYNOD OF BISHOPS ON YOUNG PEOPLE

Christians must live the beatitudes, not just preach them, pope says

Synod: Let young people describe their reality, walk with them to God CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church’s youngest cardinal, 51-year-old Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, said the key question before the Synod of Bishops is: “What is God trying to tell us through young people?”

Finding better ways to pass the faith on to younger generations is one part of the task, the cardinal told reporters Oct. 6.

The other part is to encourage them and support them in sharing the faith with others.

Participants in the synod of bishops – the 267 voting bishops, priests and religious brothers, as well as the 72 experts and observers – spent the evening of Oct. 5 and the morning of Oct. 6 getting to know each other in their small groups, which are divided by language. The groups, taking what they hear in the synod’s general assembly sessions, are to make suggestions for a final synod document.

The Vatican does not publish the texts of speeches given in the sessions but allows the bishops to do so.

Auxiliary Bishop Mark Edwards of Melbourne, addressing the synod during the morning session Oct. 5, suggested taking St. John Vianney and his experience in Ars, France, as a model.

Moving to Ars, the bishop said, St. John Vianney did not know exactly where the town was, so he convinced a shepherd to take him, promising, “If you show me the way to Ars, I will show you the way to heaven.”

And once the priest arrived in the town, he said, he got to know it and its people, not treating it “as a version of the previous parish where he had worked.”

“We stand at the edge of a new era,” Bishop Edwards told the synod. “We knew how to be church in the past, how to pass on the faith and how to be effective missionaries,” but “at least some of what we did isn’t effective anymore.”

Young people, though, “more instinctively grasp the lay of this land with its values of equality, inclusion, respect, authenticity and the integration of multiple aspects of life such as body and soul.”

Bishop Edwards did not suggest that older church members just give up, but said an “intergenerational encounter” is necessary. Church leaders and ministers must say to young people, “You show us the lay of this land, the way to the place where you dwell, and we will show you the way to God.” Walking with young people, elders in the faith can help them encounter Christ, the bishop said. “When they meet Jesus, He will change their hearts. And this will enable them to discover appropriate ways to live fruitfully and really humanly and as effective church in the tensions of this new age.”

CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Francis greets a youth delegate before a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 4.

At synod, young people call for more involvement, representation JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Young people from around the world told Pope Francis and members of the Synod of Bishops that they no longer want to remain on the sidelines but want to take an active role in the Church.

Young men and women from Chile, Argentina, Australia and Panama were among the delegates who addressed the synod in its opening days and spoke candidly about their hopes for the Catholic Church to address the challenges they face in the modern world.

“Young people don’t just want to be treated as such,” said Silvia Retamales, a member of the Chilean bishops’ youth office. “We need a different and open church that doesn’t close the doors on social, sexual and ethnic minorities.”

As the Church in Chile continues to face a growing crisis regarding sexual abuse and cover-up by members of the clergy, Retamales told the synod members that young Catholics in the country are “crying out for a structure that totally avoids any disposition that encourages, allows or covers up any form of abuse.”

The role of women in the Church, she added, must also be strengthened in areas “of real decision-making and participation in our communities.”

“I would like to be part of church in which everyone has a place and in which the voice of each member is considered without ‘demanding’ a certain prototype of faithful, in a profound encounter with the diversity in which Christ manifests Himself,” Retamales said.

Mariano Garcia, national coordinator of youth ministry in Argentina, said the Church needs to take greater care of young

people, especially the poorest.

Many young men and women, he said, “live under the scourge of poverty – young people with their social, economic and cultural rights violated, wounded by the exclusive systems we are immersed in and that do not favor equality, equity and justice for true human development.”

Garcia said the Church needs to help young people considered “the ‘nobodies’ of the society in which we live, young people who are cast aside, the ones who nobody cares about.”

For Yithzak Gonzalez, a youth minister and executive secretary of the youth office of the Panamanian bishops’ conference, the Church should reconsider “the methods that are used to achieve a coherent and responsible discernment that doesn’t turn us into a statistic: unemployed youths, delinquent youths, youths who neither study or work, youths with alcohol and drug problems, etc.

“We want to be part of the solution to conflicts. We believe that young people must be the first authors and promoters of their personal fulfillment,” Gonzalez said.

Sebastian Duhao, a member of the youth council in the Diocese of Paramatta, Australia, recalled his experience playing saxophone in a youth choir, where he quickly learned that if he “wanted to be able to play alongside the youth choir, I would have to learn to play by listening.”

“The Church needs to create similar spaces, where young people can voice their opinions, their hopes, their needs and their struggles, without being judged,” Duhao said. “The Church, like I had to, must learn to use its ears, to listen to the world around it, to listen to what is required of it and, most importantly, to listen to the voices of young people because we have something to offer.”

VATICAN CITY — With songs, poetry and dance -- including hip-hop -- young people shared with Pope Francis and members of the Synod of Bishops some of their life stories, hopes, dreams and, especially, questions.

The late-afternoon gathering Oct. 6 brought more than 5,000 young people, mostly Italian high school and university students, to the Vatican audience hall.

Young adults from several countries told their personal stories of finding faith; one young man recounted his teen years of crime, detention and finally jail; another spoke of his recovery from addiction; a young Italian woman spoke of volunteer work, living and working in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon; and another young woman talked about her current discernment as a novice in a religious order.

Then the questions came: What can we do to prevent teen suicide? How do we find meaning in life? How can we fight discrimination and inequality?

How can we counter fear of foreigners?

What can the church do to help young Christians in countries where they are a minority? How are young people supposed to respond to their peers who ask about the sex abuse scandal and are convinced the church is “a lair of people more interested in money and power than good?”

When it was his turn to speak more than 90 minutes into the evening’s program, Pope Francis said he could not short-circuit the synod by responding.

But he said the young people’s use of the word “consistency” or “coherence” was striking.

“It’s a strong word: consistency. The consistency of life,” he said. “When you see an inconsistent church, a church that reads the beatitudes to you, but then falls into the most princely and scandalous forms of clericalism – I understand you. I understand.”

A Christian, he said, must put into practice the beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12 by being poor in spirit, pure of heart, meek and merciful, working for justice and peace.

And, especially if one is a priest or religious, he said, “follow the path of the beatitudes, not the path of worldliness, the path of clericalism, which is one of the ugliest perversions in the Church.”

Young people, too, he said, “must be consistent in your journey and ask yourselves: ‘Am I consistent in my life?’”

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Martyred archbishop lived Gospel, sought God’s will, says Mercy sister WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the world Synod of Bishops unfolds at the Vatican, thousands of faithful pilgrims get ready to witness the Oct. 14 canonization of Blessed Oscar Romero, along with Blessed Paul VI and five other new saints.

Among those preparing for the pilgrimage to Rome is Mercy Sister Ana Maria Pineda, a theologian, professor and author who has researched and studied the life and legacy of Blessed Romero, an archbishop and martyr who spoke up on behalf of the poor and vulnerable during El Salvador’s civil war. “He was one of the most conscious followers of Jesus, he knew what that meant, and he knew what he was called to do,� Sister Pineda said.

Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero was fatally shot while celebrating Mass at a chapel in a hospital March 24, 1980. Three years earlier, in 1977, Blessed Paul named him the archbishop of San Salvador, which provided him a national platform to speak out in defense of the poor and against the violence and oppression attributed to the government at the time. He was beatified

by Pope Francis in 2015. He is considered an iconic figure and his legacy advocating for human rights is admired around the world.

Aid groups, bishop sound alarm over humanitarian crisis in Yemen AMMAN, Jordan — Aid agencies and Catholic officials are sounding the alarm on Yemen’s spiraling humanitarian crisis, calling on the combatants to end the war and make badly needed assistance available. Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis of this time, according to the United Nations. The impoverished nation at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula is now the most food-insecure population in the world due to the four-year-old conflict. “A war is ongoing in Yemen, but the big world does not seem to be very interested,� said Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, which includes Yemen.

Time to heal, restore unity, evangelize, pope tells Catholics in China VATICAN CITY — The recent Vatican-China agreement on the nomination of bishops seeks the true good of the Church, the promotion of preaching the Gospel in China and the re-establishment of the Church’s full and visible unity, Pope Francis said in a message to Catholics in China and worldwide. With the help and prayers of all Catholics, the pope said he hopes the provisional agreement announced Sept. 22 will begin an “unprecedented process that we hope will help to heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics, and lead to a phase of greater fraternal cooperation in order to renew our commitment to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel.� “The Church exists for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus Christ and to the forgiving and saving love of the Father,� not for political or personal aims, he wrote. The pope’s comments came in a special papal message addressed “to the Catholics of China and to the universal Church,� released by the Vatican Sept. 26. Acknowledging the “conflicting

reports� circulating about the future of Catholic communities in China as well as the wide variety of reactions, such as “confusion,� doubt or hope, the pope used the message to assure the faithful in China of his daily prayers and sincere admiration “for the gift of your fidelity, your constancy amid trials and your firm trust in God’s providence, even when certain situations proved particularly adverse and difficult.� He asked people to look “to the example of all those faithful laity and pastors who readily offered their ‘good witness’ to the Gospel, even to the sacrifice of their own lives. They showed themselves true friends of God!�

Vatican investigates former Chilean archbishop VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is investigating an accusation of abuse against a controversial Chilean archbishop, the Schonstatt Fathers confirmed. In a statement released Oct. 6, Schonstatt Father Fernando Baeza, the order’s provincial superior in Santiago, Chile, said an accusation of abuse that occurred in Germany in 2004 against retired Archbishop Francisco Jose Cox was reported in 2017. “Once the complaint was received, a canonical trial was opened in Germany and was sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the congregation that is responsible for receiving and resolving complaints made against clergy and who should resolve the canonical consequences of this complaint,� Father Baeza said. He also confirmed that the retired archbishop currently resides at the Schonstatt Fathers’ general house in Vallendar, Germany.

Father Baeza said the Schonstatt Fathers were committed to “establishing new criteria of discernment in the face of this painful reality and to never abandon victims.�

Pope expels notorious Chilean abuser from priesthood VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis expelled from the priesthood a Chilean who gained notoriety for sexually abusing young men in his parish. In a statement released Sept. 28, the Vatican said that Fernando Karadima was dismissed from the clerical state by the pope, who “made this exceptional decision in conscience and for the good of the Church.�

Citing Church law, the Vatican said the pope “exercised his ‘supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church’ aware of his service to the people of God as successor of St. Peter.� Pope Francis signed the decree Sept.

27 and Karadima was informed of the decision the next day, the statement said.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said it is a sign of the pope’s “hard line against abuses.

We were in front of a very serious case of rot that needed to be yanked by its root,� Burke said. “This is an exceptional measure, without a doubt, but the serious crimes of Karadima have done exceptional damage in Chile.�

Catholic aid agencies respond after quake, tsunami in Indonesia JAKARTA, Indonesia — Catholic aid agencies were among those working to assess the needs and get relief to the island of Sulawesi after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on Sept. 28 left thousands dead, missing or injured. Among those killed were 34 Christian students trapped while attending a Bible class. Aulia Arriani, an Indonesian Red Cross official, said the Red Cross volunteer team was having difficulty reaching the location as roads were damaged and terrain had turned to mud. “The area is still isolated,� she said. “The land is covered with mud, and volunteers must walk nearly one and a half hours to carry the corpses to ambulances.� The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Oct. 3 the earthquake and tsunami had killed more than 2,000 people and displaced 70,000 others. Thousands of rescue workers were searching for the missing.

German bishops apologize formally, release sex abuse data FULDA, Germany — The head of the German bishops conference formally apologized for sexual abuse in the Church, saying it “has been denied, turned away from and covered up for far too long.� “Sexual abuse is a crime,� Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising told a news conference Sept. 25 in Fulda, Germany. “And whoever is guilty of it must be punished by law.� The bishops met in a plenary session in Fulda and released a study, conducted on behalf of the bishops’ conference from 2010 to 2014, on abuse. The study, leaked earlier in September, researched an estimated 3,700 sex abuse cases in the German church.

Cardinal Marx said that, although prevention measures had been put in place by the bishops’ conference, it was not enough. “I feel shame for looking away from many who did not want to believe what happened and who did not provide care for the victims. That also applies to me,� the cardinal said. “We did not listen to the victims.� “As a Church, we want to build up new trust. I know that many people do not believe us anymore. And I understand that,� he said. “But I hope very much that we can earn trust again.�

Pope names members for Vatican office for laity, family, life VATICAN CITY — Less than five months after updating the statutes of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, Pope Francis named a new

K OF C HOLY SPIRIT COUNCIL # 10389

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slate of members of the Vatican office, including U.S. law professor Helen Alvare, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec. The Vatican announced the new members and a large group of consultants Oct. 6. Among the new dicastery members are three married couples; they come from Poland, Singapore and Germany. The new consultants to the office include: U.S. Father Robert W. Oliver, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; and Dr. Thomas W. Hilgers, founder and director of the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in Omaha, Neb.

Love can make darkness of euthanasia disappear, pope says VATICAN CITY — Caring for the sick, especially those near death, cannot be reduced simply to giving them medicine, but must include providing healing and comfort that gives their lives value and meaning, Pope Francis said. “Serene and participatory human accompaniment� of terminally ill patients is crucial at a time when there is a “nearly universal� push for legalizing euthanasia, the pope said Oct. 1. “Especially in those difficult circumstances, if the person feels loved, respected and accepted, the negative shadow of euthanasia disappears or is made almost nonexistent because the value of his or her being is measured by the ability of giving and receiving love and not by his or her productivity,� he told participants in a five-day conference on ethical health care at the Vatican.

The Oct. 1-5 conference was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life and led by Auxiliary Bishop Alberto Bochatey of La Plata, Argentina, and the Health Consensus Foundation, an Argentina-based organization comprised of local and international health care providers. — Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fred Gallagher

Bishop Robert Barron

E

Love is both tolerant and intolerant

very community, inevitably, has a value or set of values that it considers fundamental, some basic good which positions every other claim to goodness. For most of the modern liberal democracies, for example, freedom and equality play this determining role in the moral discourse. In Communist societies, economic justice, construed as the elimination of the class structure, would provide such a foundation. In the context of German National Socialism, the defense of the Fatherland and the will of the Führer anchored the moral system, however corrupt.

There is a rather simple means of identifying this ultimate value: in regard to any particular moral or political act, keep asking the question, “Why is this being done?” until you come to the point where you find yourself saying, “Well, because that’s just a good thing.” The “just a good thing” is the value that your society or culture considers non-negotiable and which in turn determines all subordinate values.

As a liberal society, ours has been, as I stated above, largely shaped by the values of liberty and equality, but in recent years, the ground has shifted a bit. Even a casual survey of the contemporary cultural scene reveals that the non-negotiables, the values undetermined and all-determining, seem to be inclusivity, tolerance and diversity. If you asked most people today, especially the young, why should you be inclusive, tolerant and accepting of diversity, the answer, I imagine, would be a puzzled, “Well, those are just good things to be.”

And here I would like to draw a contrast with the community of the Church. Within a properly Christian context, the ultimate value, which positions and determines any other value is neither tolerance, nor diversity, nor inclusivity, but love. I’ll admit that things can get confusing at this point, for the fundamental goods of the secular society today do have much in common with love, which is indeed often inclusive, tolerant and encouraging of diversity.

But not always – and thereupon hangs a tale.

To love is to will the good of the other as other.

It is to break out of the black hole of one’s own self-regard and truly desire what is best for another. Therefore, to be sure, love is inclusive in the measure that it recognizes the essential dignity of each individual; love is tolerant, inasmuch as it respects the goodness of even those who hold errant points of view; and love encourages diversity, to the degree that it eschews the imperialistic imposition of one’s own ego upon another.

However, sometimes love is exclusive, intolerant and unaccepting of diversity – precisely because it wills the good of the other.

To illustrate this counter-intuitive proposition, let me begin with a rather ordinary example.

Suppose you are the coach of a college baseball team, and you are presiding over tryouts. You survey a number of players of varying skill levels, and you are compelled to make your selection of, say, 20 players out of 100 candidates. Your choices will exclude far more than they include;

they will sow unhappiness more abundantly than joy. But if you are a good man, they will be done out of love. You will be willing the good of those advanced players who can and should practice their skills through heightened competition and who will delight the fans who will attend their games; and you will be willing the good of those less advanced players who should not be permitted to compromise the integrity of the team and who should probably enter into some other arena of endeavor. In a word, both inclusion and exclusion will be acts of love, which proves that love is a more fundamental and positioning value.

Now a somewhat more elevated example. The Church is radically inclusive, for its ultimate purpose is to draw all people to the Lord. The Bernini Colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, reaching out like arms to embrace the massive crowds, is evocative of this aspiration. Jesus said, “Go and teach all nations” and “declare the Gospel to the

‘Sometimes love is exclusive, intolerant and unaccepting of diversity – precisely because it wills the good of the other.’ ends of the earth.” Thus, inclusivity is without doubt one of the dimensions of the Church’s love. However, the Church is also exclusive and intolerant, for it discerns that certain forms of behavior are repugnant to its own integrity.

Thus, for a variety of reasons, it excludes some people from receiving Holy Communion, and in extreme cases, it formally excommunicates others.

It solemnly declares that those who are in the state of mortal sin are not worthy to approach the Eucharistic table unless they first receive sacramental absolution. And it unapologetically asserts that the Christian life has a formal structure, which by its very nature excludes certain styles of life that are incompatible with it.

These discriminations, judgments and exclusions are, if I might put it this way, modes of “tough love.” Though they seem harsh, they are ways of willing the good of the other.

A song that has been widely played in Catholic circles these past 20 years or so includes the line, “All are welcome in this place.” Cardinal Francis George once archly remarked, “Yes, all are welcome in the Church, but on Christ’s terms, not their own.”

Real love both includes and excludes; real love is both tolerant and intolerant.

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

He is also the host of “Catholicism,” an award-winning documentary about the Catholic faith.

What do we do with all this ugliness?

A

co-worker left me a message the other day. He was disturbed and disheartened by the lack of moral rectitude that underlies the polarization defining us as a country these days and thoroughly disgusted with the slimy folk many of our lawmakers have become. To respond I was forced to try and sort it all out and, I must admit, I have been unable to do so completely.

On the one hand, we live in a country suffering under the generational weight of mindsets that devalue the intrinsic dignity not only of womanhood and manhood, but of humanity itself. We are the inhabitants of a secular, sexually saturated culture where physical attraction lives most broadly in commercial enticements and casual “fun” and no longer has anything to do with the sacred eventuality of family life and everything to do with the unabated seeking of pleasure with no strings. Of course, “Humanae Vitae” told us this is where we would be. When we’ve chosen to eliminate boundaries of behavior in our foolish and short-sighted libertarianism, things like sexual assault on the one side and the psychology of victimization on the other are an expected outcome.

On the other hand, if corrective measures are not themselves grounded in respect for the traditional family, they will morph into a cultural hostility for one gender or the other. Lives and reputations can be sullied and even destroyed by accusation alone, while genuine harassment and abuse go unreported. Our politicians go on with their various agendas – caring not a whit for the souls of those being destroyed, either by abuse or by character assassination – probably because in their hearts they don’t honestly believe in the existence of the human soul.

It is a terribly confusing time. I am so glad my children are now out of college. I have come to understand that universities can be havens for sexual predation and that the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome is alive and well on college campuses. Our daughters need to know this and they need to be aware that a culture fueled by the aforementioned libertarianism, topped with massive doses of alcohol and other drugs, surrounds them so they must take the utmost care to avoid the predators in this environment.

Where are the fathers telling sons to behave as gentlemen or they will be knocked down a few notches until they do? Where are the fathers, period? And in today’s climate, the good guys, the ones who have actually listened to their fathers, are in peril as well. A young man needs to realize that even harmless horseplay or humorous gestures can be taken the wrong way and his life can be forever altered by something most would see as innocent or, worse, by scurrilous innuendo or outright falsehood.

Ultimately, what do we do with all this ugliness? With the moral decline in behavior, fairness and decency?

As ever, in the face of moral dilemma, we do what is in front of us to do.

We do our jobs in a morally forthright manner. We treat our families and our friends with human dignity. We live by the rule of law and the presumption of innocence; we stand for life; we listen to those who have been hurt and we pray for them. Sometimes all we have to go by is what is in front of us, so we honestly and carefully analyze what we know. Then we pray some more, and some more after that. Then we go about our business, the business of living in such a way as to respect human dignity, even in a world that deems that respect necessary only when it fits in with one’s partisan political fervor. And we strive for a return to the predominance of values emanating from family life versus academia, from the home versus the street, from chastity and chivalry and kindness versus hedonism and victimization and godlessness.

Let us wake up each day knowing that absolute truth exists, not my truth or your truth, but the Truth. Let us walk through our days looking for the good we can do, making our world livable and lovable by our actions. Let us disseminate all the goodwill we can and, regardless of what the talking heads are saying, let us hold our heads up, love our children, help our neighbors and try our best – despite these confounding times – to do God’s will in this life with which He has graced us.

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

October 12, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Letter to the editor

Having respect for life means, above all, working to end abortion Over the years faithful Catholics, especially those involved in pro-life work, have heard priests and laity discuss a “seamless garment” or “consistent life ethic” approach to upholding the dignity of human life. The term was made popular by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago in the early 1980s.

The seamless garment approach attempted to elevate non-priority social issues (poverty, discrimination, immigration, etc.) to the same level as direct attacks on innocent human life (abortion, contraception and euthanasia).

This approach, however, blurs the lines between the moral teachings that Catholics must believe and proclaim, and certain prudential or political issues for which Catholics can hold differing opinions based on the Church’s social teachings.

The Church’s authentic and expressed teaching gives priority to defending innocent human life over all of the other so-called “life issues.” St. John Paul II taught this in his apostolic exhortation “Christifideles Laici” (1988) and his encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (1995).

“The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, fínds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights – for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture – is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination…,” he wrote in “Christifideles Laici.”

And he wrote in “Evangelium Vitae”: “It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. A society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace,

but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential goods of society, such as democracy and peace.”

Turning a blind eye to the priority of protecting innocent human life can harm not only the body, but also the souls of many. As St. Teresa of Calcutta noted in her Feb. 3, 1994, speech to the National Prayer Breakfast, “abortion, which often follows from contraception, brings a people to be spiritually poor, and that is the worst poverty and the most difficult to overcome.”

Catholics can and should be wary of the “seamless garment” interpretation – equating the moral value of all social issues on the same level as defending innocent human life – because it takes the focus off moral matters essential to the salvation of souls and human dignity.

If Christians truly love their neighbor and desire to help alleviate their neighbor’s sufferings (material or spiritual), the greatest thing one can do next to prayer is work to end abortion and contraception – the root of today’s human sufferings.

As we mark Respect Life Month in October, C-PLAN encourages all Catholics to advocate the truth and priority of the Church’s beautiful, unchanging moral teachings on the sanctity of human life.

Doing so will help protect families, restore moral order and build a just society.

To learn more about the Church’s approach to the dignity of human life, go online to www.prolifecharlotte.org/ seamless-garment.

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catholicnewsherald.com | October 12, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CARING FROM PAGE 3

He reiterated that St. Gabriel’s partnership with CFH will provide additional working poor homeless families the housing stability and opportunities necessary to break the cycle of poverty.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Over the past 30 years, St. Gabriel Church has funded the building of three Habitat for Humanity homes and helped with building more than 100 other Habitat homes. Now, the parish is taking things a step further.

This fall, the parish has committed to a “Master Builder Partnership” – donating $75,000 to Habitat for Humanity to build a fourth home for a qualified family. The build is set to take place this fall over the course of 13 weeks.

“For the construction of the St. Gabriel Habitat Home, we anticipate engaging approximately 200 volunteers (15-25 per work day) for both construction and other volunteer opportunities, such as serving snacks, lunch, and mentoring the partner family,” Lothspeich said.

Parishioner Danny Kelly, co-owner of Kelly McArdle Construction, lends his expertise on the building projects.

“I enjoy everything about building houses and am lucky that I can blend my hobby, career and philanthropy all into a single activity that I am passionate about: neighbors helping neighbors and building communities,” Kelly said. “I like helping people that help themselves and take the Habitat motto to heart: ‘A hand up, not a hand out.’”

COCHRANE ACADEMY OUTREACH

St. Gabriel volunteers will be working through Communities in Schools to be part of their efforts at the school.

Volunteer Barbara Carroll noted that their focus on students is four-fold. “One, just to be there helping hopefully lets them know they aren’t forgotten. Secondly, we have had about a dozen parishioners take Success Coach training with CIS and are prepared to mentor a middle schooler.

We are offering support and leadership to school clubs, especially the art and garden clubs. Finally, we are working with CIS and high school students to develop a social capital program that the students believe will help them.”

CARING FOR CHARLOTTE

On Oct. 2 speakers from the “Caring for Charlotte” partner agencies – Habitat for Humanity, Charlotte Family Housing, Communities in Schools and Cochrane Academy – spoke at a special event at St. Gabriel Church. More than 70 people attended the event.

“It was a very successful evening with insightful and compelling information,” Lothspeich said. “St. Gabriel’s approach to responding to this crisis was applauded by all these organizations who expressed their admiration for the comprehensive and thoughtful process taken to create

HEALING FROM PAGE 8

wheelchair, walker and scooter-bound,” she said.

Because she could not take blood thinners and was at risk for clots, her doctors forbade her to take long car or plane rides. Confined to living on the first floor of her house, she relied on her family to care for her.

Despite her trials, Bean tried to make the best of her situation. “I had a cane for every holiday and season,” she joked.

She remained strong in her Catholic faith and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She attended Mass and a prayer group at her church. A lift installed in her van enabled Bean to drive short distances on occasion.

Over time, Bean’s health worsened.

Because of her immobility, her leg muscles atrophied and she gained more than 60 pounds. At one point she needed a machine to help her breathe, and she developed bladder control issues.

“I remember a point in my five-year illness when my neurologist said, ‘Well, you are done with physical therapy.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean? I’m not walking yet,’” Bean described. “He said, ‘We’ve rehabbed you as much as we can, and this is what you’re left with.’”

HOPE FOR HEALING

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. GABRIEL CHURCH

St. Gabriel Parish has also St. Gabriel Church volunteers brightened Valentine’s Day for the begun a new partnership Cochrane Academy staff with surprise goodie bags. with Cochrane Collegiate Academy, a Title I school a response that addresses all aspects serving many low-income families with (education, housing, mentoring, family students in grades 6-12. The multifaceted support, literacy, etc.) needed to provide partnership aims to strengthen the sustainable help to our community.” “social capital” – a network of valuable “We are excited with the energy and relationships and mentors – for lowpositive feedback from our St. Gabriel income students. community for ‘Caring for Charlotte’,” Parish volunteers will provide said Brown, who is leading the new support for teachers and staff through parish initiative. appreciation events, serve as career day Brown emphasized that the initiatives speakers, collect classroom supplies and which make up “Caring for Charlotte” are mentor individual students. not new to St. Gabriel Parish. Existing “We are so happy to be involved with outreach ministries like Room In the Inn, Cochrane Academy,” said volunteer Judy Homemakers of Mercy, Share Sunday and Fahl. “We chose them because they had Men’s Homeless Shelter also help care for literally no volunteer partnerships for their neighbors in crisis. the school and their needs were great. We “However, ‘Caring for Charlotte’ have just begun the partnership and are goes beyond our existing ministries to building it as we learn about their needs intentionally and deliberately address the and our ability to support the school.” needs identified” in the city’s task force They’ve already been busy, providing a report, Brown explained. luncheon for the school’s 80 teachers and Lothspeich added, “By using an staff, goodie bags for Valentine’s Day, and ‘opportunity lens,’ as recommended school supplies for students returning to by the task force report for houses of school this fall. faith, our parish set out to develop a Principal Rachel Goldberg noted that response that would reflect our previous for years he has been waiting for the commitment to serving the needs of our right “partnership fit” to come along for community and expand our scope.”

Cochrane. “A fit that is not just about giving us money or volunteers but is about a commitment to one another.

From the moment the members of St. Details about the “Caring for Charlotte” Gabriel’s walked in, we knew working initiative are on the St. Gabriel Parish’s together was meant to be,” she said. website at www.stgabrielchurch.org/caring.

Twenty-four people have signed up For volunteer opportunities, contact Karen to volunteer in the various programs Brown at 704-362-5047, ext. 214, or kbrown@ with Cochrane Academy. The number stgabrielchurch.org. of students to be mentored will vary, as

Get more information

A friend from Bean’s home parish of St. Joseph Church in Richmond, Va., first told Bean about the Order of Malta pilgrimage in 2011 and encouraged her to apply. Bean quickly dismissed the idea, believing she would not be accepted because of the health risks associated with the eight-hour flight.

When the friend mentioned the pilgrimage to Bean again the next year, she applied and was accepted. Although most of her doctors did not approve of Bean traveling, she was determined to go to Lourdes, she said.

“When the doctors with the Order of Malta interviewed me, they asked me if I would be disappointed if I went and was not healed,” Bean said. “For me, just to go to Lourdes and be where the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette and to be able to pray for peace in my heart for how I was left physically, that would be my miracle.”

WARMTH AND LIGHT

On May 3, 2013, the first day of the

MISSION FROM PAGE 2

Recalling his own experience, the pope said it was thanks to his faith that “I found the sure foundation of my dreams and the strength to realize them.”

Even though he has seen so much suffering and poverty, “for those who stand

by Jesus, evil is an incentive to ever greater love,” the pope said.

He asked young people to “be set afire by the love of Christ” so they are “consumed by that fire” and grow in understanding by its light and warmed by its love. Never stop wondering, he said, “What would Christ do if he were in my place?”

When it comes to bringing the Gospel to the “ends of the earth,” today’s extreme peripheries are not just places that have never heard of Jesus and experienced the sacramental presence of the Church.

“The most desolate periphery of all

pilgrimage, Bean’s care team transported her by cart to the baths at the shrine. Bean said her team was concerned that the 48-degree water temperature might send her nerves into shock, and they offered her the option of having the water simply dribbled on her. Bean insisted that she wanted to be immersed.

Bean prayed and kissed the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the entrance to the baths, just before the volunteers led her into the frigid water up to her neck.

“Immediately there was a great brightness, and I couldn’t see the statue right in front of me that I had just kissed,” Bean recalled. “I felt such a warmth through my body, like I was being held.

And I regained full function right there in the baths!”

“My foot felt funny and I didn’t realize that was the way it was supposed to feel,” she said. “I hadn’t felt it in so long. And my pain was gone.”

Bean said she knew she was healed and wanted to walk immediately, but her care team insisted she remain in her wheelchair. Her husband Pat also initially feared for her safety.

But healing was visibly apparent. She regained strength in her legs. The atrophy corrected, and the swelling dissipated. She eventually stopped all of her medications.

Bean entered the baths twice more during the pilgrimage – the third time to thank God for her healing – and she experienced the same warmth and brightness each time, she said.

Before Bean left Lourdes, officials filed paperwork to begin the investigation into her healing to determine if it will be considered a miracle by the Church. The process could take up to 15 or 20 years, Bean said.

Since her healing in 2013, Bean has returned to Lourdes three times to care for the sick with the Order of Malta and is now a member of the order. She finds it difficult to leave what has become for her a very special place, she said.

“People ask me, ‘Are there miracles on every trip?’ and I tell them I don’t know,” Bean said. “But I encourage everyone to go.

Everyone is touched in some way.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Watch a video of a presentation that Megan Bean gave in 2016 for the Order of Malta At www.lourdes-france.org: Learn more about the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes At www.orderofmaltafederal.org: Read more about the Order of Malta Federal Association

is where mankind, in need of Christ, remains indifferent to the faith or shows hatred for the fullness of life in God. All material and spiritual poverty, every form of discrimination against our brothers and sisters, is always a consequence of the rejection of God and His love,” he said.

Many of these places are “easily navigable” today, he said. The digital world, with its social networks, “dissolves borders, eliminates distances and reduces differences.”

But even though everything appears within reach and immediate online, if it lacks “the sincere gift of our lives, we could well have countless contacts but never share in a true communion of life,” the pope said.

“To share in the mission to the ends of the earth demands the gift of oneself in the vocation that God, who has placed us on this earth, chooses to give us,” he said, which is why it is so important young people seek, discover and persevere in his or her vocation.