March 16, 2018

March 16, 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

Feasibility study under way for MACS Fine Arts Center 14

Scouts gather for annual Catholic Camporee

‘This is where God is calling me’

7 INDEX

Contact us.......................... 4 Español............................ 10-11 Events calendar................. 4 Our Faith............................. 2 Our Parishes.................. 5-9 Schools......................... 14-15 Scripture readings............ 2 TV & Movies.......................17 U.S. news...................... 18-19 Viewpoints.................. 22-23 World news.................. 20-21

Subscribe today! Call:

704-370-3333

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

RCIA programs across the diocese help people enter the Church at Easter

Culinaria ecuatoriana en Viernes Santo

INSIDE Catholic end-oflife and funeral planning guide

5

Hundreds hit the lanes to help Holy Angels 9

La Fanesca, una tradición que se celebra en comunidad

10

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Cardinals of the Church Pope Francis

Forgiving others requires help from the Holy Spirit

F

orgiving those who have caused pain or offense is not easy, Pope Francis said.

“It is a grace that we have to ask for,” because the peace offered by Christ cannot take root in a heart that is incapable of living in fraternity with others and incapable of rebuilding those bonds after being wounded, the pope said at his weekly general audience at the Vatican March 14.

The pope continued his series of talks on the Mass, focusing on the Communion rite, which begins with the assembly’s recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer is not just any Christian prayer, he said, “but is the prayer of God’s children. It is the great prayer that Jesus taught us” because it was the very same prayer He used with God. “It’s so beautiful to pray like Jesus” prayed, the pope added.

Calling God “our father” like Jesus did underlines how the faithful have been reborn and “regenerated” as God’s children through baptism and the Holy Spirit, the pope said.

But, he asked, how many people go beyond a rote recitation of the prayer and truly believe and feel God is their father and the father of all of humanity when they recite the Lord’s Prayer?

“When we pray the ‘Our Father,’ we connect with the Father” through the Holy Spirit, who gives people this connection and feeling of being children of God, he said.

Praying the “Our Father” throughout the day helps people build their filial relationship with God and a sense of fraternity toward others, he said.

The prayer also opens a person’s heart to forgiving others as God has forgiven him or her, the pope said.

“Forgiving people who have offended us is not easy,” he added, so people must pray to the Lord “to teach me to forgive as You have forgiven me.” Human strength or will is not enough to be able to forgive, he said; it requires grace from the Holy Spirit.

The prayer prepares people for the rite of peace in which the celebrant prays that the peace of Christ will fill people’s hearts and, as a sign of hope, the assembly exchanges a concrete sign of peace, he said.

This expression of ecclesial communion and being reconciled in mutual, fraternal love is key before receiving the sacrament of Communion, the pope said.

“Christ’s peace cannot take root in a heart incapable of living in fraternity (with others) and of piecing it back together after it has been wounded,” he said.

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastic leader in the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals, men who are chosen by the pope, have been involved in universal Church governance since the 13th century when the pope began How the College of Cardinals looks as of March 2018 consulting them on spiritual and temporal issues. �������������������������������������������������� The term “cardinal” comes from the Latin cardinal elector �������������������������������������������������� word “cardinalis,” from the word “cardo,” �������������������������������������������������� or “hinge.” According to Church law, they �������������������������������������������������� should be “especially outstanding in doctrine, ���������������� 216 total cardinals, 117 electors morals, piety and prudence in action” (Canon 351). Interestingly, they do not have to be bishops before becoming cardinals; they just have to be ordained at least to the priesthood, Electors by region and once the pope chooses them they receive episcopal consecration. They “are obliged to EUROPE cooperate assiduously” with the pope (Canon 356). If they are not diocesan bishops, they must live in Rome.

The collection of cardinals is called the 49 College of Cardinals, and their principal ASIA 15 13 function is the election of a new pope.

The term “Prince of the Church” regarding US/CANADA 13 cardinals is a historical reference to those who held the equivalent role of a royal prince 1 and in a feudal times ruled a principality.

AFRICA While certain cardinals hold on to this concept of prince in dress and behaviors, Pope Francis has stated that his newly appointed 17 21 cardinals are not to be called “princes of the OCEANIA church,” but they are to serve the people of 4 God and tackle the sins of the world. At one LATIN AMERICA meeting Pope Francis “blasted” top cardinals for being “lustful of power, living hypocritical lives, suffering from spiritual Alzheimer’s instead of being men of God.” Pope Francis is trying to build a Church that emphasizes inclusion and mercy, focusing on serving the GRAPHIC | CNS poor and marginalized peoples.

The pope announces new cardinals in a Cardinals. Pope Francis expanded the effort to diversify the secret consistory – that is, a formal gathering of the College College to reflect the Church’s global reach. He appointed of Cardinals chaired by the pope. Ordinary consistories deal cardinals from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and from with serious or secret matters. Extraordinary consistories are countries that never had a cardinal, including Bangladesh, called when there is a special Lesotho and Malaysia. pastoral, organization or Cardinals do not always share the views of the pope who governmental need of the appointed them. Some of their personal priorities differ from Church. that of the pope, and they do not hesitate to publicly take issue Currently there are 216 with the pope. Such can be more than confusing to people. members of the College of Five years ago Pope Francis appointed nine cardinals to advise Cardinals, 117 of them under him on the reform of Church government, particularly the the age of 80 and eligible to Roman Curia. This international Council of Cardinals, often vote in a conclave to elect a referred to as the C9, met most recently with Pope Francis in late new pope.

February. They have made many recommendations, recently While the number of proposing that the Congregations be more internationally cardinals has varied over staffed by a larger number of qualified laymen, women and the centuries, the number young people and fewer priests. nearly doubled in the late CNS | PAUL HARING 20th century. Pope Francis Pope Francis embraces Cardinal Jean MERCY SISTER JEANNE-MARGARET MCNALLY is an authority on canon law and has appointed about oneZerbo of Bamako, Mali, as the pontiff frequent lecturer at universities and dioceses. A graduate of The Catholic University of third of the cardinals eligible leads a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica America with multiple degrees including a doctorate in psychology and a licentiate of to choose the next pope. at the Vatican June 28, 2017. Cardinal canon law (JCL), she is a psychologist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and a Until recently, Europeans Zerbo was one of five new cardinals the judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami. dominated the College of pope created at the service.

Counting Cardinals

�

Your daily Scripture readings MARCH 18-24

Sunday: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33; Monday (St. Joseph): 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24; Tuesday: Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42; Thursday: Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-59; Friday (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo): Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday: Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-46

MARCH 25-31

Sunday (Passion of the Lord): Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1-15:47; Monday: Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday: Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday: Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday): Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15; Friday (Good Friday): Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; Saturday (Easter Vigil): Genesis 1:1-2:2, Exodus 14:15-15:1, Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7

APRIL 1-7

Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord): Acts 10:34, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9; Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41, John 20:1118; Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday: Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday: Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday: Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

3

D

uring Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to sacrifice self-control through fasting.

Throughout Lent the Catholic News Herald is publishing – in print, online and on social media – a series of daily and weekly reflections produced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in English and Spanish, designed to help you reflect on the purposes of Lent and embrace your baptismal commitment to love and serve God.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read daily and Sunday Lenten reflections and find links to prayers, videos, lectio divina for the Sundays of Lent, and many other resources for your family’s Lenten observances On Facebook at Catholic News Herald and Catholic News Herald Español: Short daily reflections to help you pray and reflect during the Lenten season

Fifth Sunday of Lent READ Read the following Scripture two or three times: John 12:20-33 Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Pass-over Feast came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will My servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me. “I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for My sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Myself.” He said this indicating the kind of death He would die.

REFLECT

How can I show Jesus to the people I meet? How does my life proclaim what Jesus has done for me? What sinful parts of my life need to die? What steps can I take to allow God’s grace to produce fruit in me? Who is Jesus calling me to serve? How can I follow Jesus more closely?

PRAY Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you.

— Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15

“Raising of Lazarus,” one of the scenes from the “Life of Christ” by Giotto di Bondone, an interior fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (c. 1305)

Palm Sunday READ Read the following Scripture two or three times: Mark 11:1-10 When Jesus and His disciples drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should say to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ reply, ‘The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.’” So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it. So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.

Those preceding Him as well as those following kept crying out:

“Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

Hosanna in the highest!”

REFLECT

Where is Jesus sending me? How can I bring Christ to those who may disagree with me? How can I make myself more available to those in need? How can I be welcoming to those seeking Christ?

PRAY Almighty, ever-living God, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross, graciously grant that we may heed His lesson of patient suffering and so merit a share in His Resurrection.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

— Collect, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

“Entry into Jerusalem,” another of the scenes from the “Life of Christ”

by Giotto di Bondone, an interior fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (c. 1305)

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: MARCH 17 – 8 A.M. Mass for Feast of St. Patrick St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

MARCH 21 – 10:30 A.M. Mass for St. Benedict Day Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Belmont

MARCH 27 – 10 A.M. Chrism Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events March 16, 2018 Volume 27 • NUMBER 12

1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

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

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org ONLINE REPORTER: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org HISPANIC COMMUNICATIONS REPORTER: 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

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.

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

St. Thomas Aquinas Church , 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

Deacon James Witulski will be blessing Easter food. This Eastern and Central European tradition is also called “The Blessing of the Easter Baskets,” (or “Swieconka” in the Polish language) and will last about 30 minutes.

This tradition is becoming increasingly popular among all Catholics. The Blessings will be in both English and Polish. Children can bring their own baskets with their own treats, including chocolate and Easter candy. For details, contact Deacon James Witulski at 704-960-3704.

LECTURES & WORKSHOPS

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 1967-’68 CLASS REUNION: 7 p.m.-midnight March 24, Charlotte Catholic High School, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte. If you have not been contacted and desire to come, please contact Donald Cashman at 704-578-8592 or decashman@att.net.

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

Saturday, April 21, St. Aloysius Church, 921 2nd St. NE, Hickory. 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.

‘HUMAN DIGNITY AT THE END OF LIFE’ HEALTH CARE ETHICS CONFERENCE: 8:45 a.m.-6:15 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont. The St. John Paul II Foundation, in collaboration with the Diocese of Charlotte and Belmont Abbey College, presents the first Converging Roads health care ethics conference. The conference theme will focus on human dignity at the end of life, and continuing education credits for healthcare professionals will be offered. For details, go to www.convergingroads.com.

FAMILY HONOR LEADING & LOVING PROGRAM: 7-9:15 p.m. Friday, April 27, and Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 28, Our Lady of Grace Church, 2203 West Market St., Greensboro. Program intended for parents of young children, newborn through early teen. Leading & Loving will help you become more confident and competent in how to raise virtuous children and how to respond to your young child’s questions about the truth and meaning of God’s gift of sexuality. This program presents the beautiful truths of human sexuality, family life and virtue cultivation through the lens of St. John Paul the II’s Theology of the Body. Childcare will be provided on site. To register, visit www.familyhonor.org. For details, contact David Foppe at dlfoppe7@gmail.com or call 336-510-4218.

LENTEN SERVICES PARISH MISSION ‘EMBRACING GRACE – ARMS WIDE OPEN’: 7 p.m. March 18-21, Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St., Kernersville. Mission allows participants to hear the Good News and come to know God in a more deeply intimate and personal way. Fellowship and refreshments follow each liturgy. Childcare provided in the evenings. For details, contact the parish at 336-996-5109.

TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS EASTER TRIDUUM: 7 p.m.

Mass, Holy Thursday, March 29; 12 p.m. Stations of the Cross, 3 p.m. Liturgy, Good Friday, March 30; 8:30 p.m.

Easter Vigil/Mass, Holy Saturday, March 31; 12:30 p.m.

High Mass, Easter Sunday, April 1. All Triduum liturgies will be held at Charlotte Catholic High School, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte. Hosted by St. Ann. HOLY SATURDAY BLESSING OF EASTER FOOD BASKETS: Noon, Saturday, March 31, in Aquinas Hall at

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS THE FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY: 3:15 p.m.-4:15, Sunday, April 18, Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730 Link Road, Winston-Salem. All are invited to pray the Novena of Divine Mercy. For details, call the parish at 336-722-7001.

MEN’S EVENING OF REFLECTION: 6 p.m. social and 7 p.m. reflection, Saturday, March 17, in Brian Hall at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2203 West Market St., Greensboro.

Reflection on “The Role of Man in the Modern World” with guest speaker Father Daniel McCaffrey. To register, go to www.rcmenmar17@eventbrite.com or email John Endredy at jendredy@gmail.com.

EASTERN CATHOLIC BISHOP, PASTORAL VISIT TO ST. BASIL THE GREAT MISSION: 11 a.m. Sunday, March 18, in Aquinas Hall at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Pontifical Divine Liturgy (Mass) in the Byzantine Rite, celebrated by Bishop Bohdan Danylo.

Potluck lunch after Mass. For details, email Father Joseph Matlak at frjosephmatlak@gmail.com.

ST. PEREGRINE HEALING PRAYER SERVICE: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. The healing prayer service will be offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the church office at 704-543-7677.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at 901 North Main St. & Sunset Dr., High Point. Please come and help us pray for the end of abortion, and feel free to invite anyone who would be morally supportive of this very important cause. Anyone who would have difficulty standing for 15-20 minutes is welcomed to bring a folding chair. For details, contact Jim Hoyng 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman 336-848-6835.

MEN’S EVENING OF REFLECTION: 6 - 9:00 p.m. Friday, April 20, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro. Evening includes Mass, reflection by visiting Legionary of Christ priest and complimentary dinner. To register, visit www. rcmenapril20.eventbrite.com or contact John Endredy

at jendredy@gmail.com. Hosted by Triad Men’s Regnum Christi Team.

WOMEN’S MORNING OF REFLECTION: 8:30 a.m-noon p.m.

Saturday, April 21, at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro. Morning includes Mass, rosary, opportunity for confession, reflection by visiting Legionary of Christ priest, craft and complimentary breakfast. To register, visit www.rcwomenapril21.eventbrite.com or email Sue Perez at regnumchristitriad@gmail.com. Hosted by Triad Women’s Regnum Christi Team.

CCWG EVENING REFLECTION: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, Charlotte Catholic High School Chapel, 7702 PinevilleMatthews Road, Charlotte. Mass begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by reflection by our guest speaker Father Jason Barone. This event is free to all women. RSVP at www. charlottecatholicwomensgroup.org.

HEALING MASS AND ANOINTING OF THE SICK: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer Group members. For details, call the church office at 828-926-0106.

SUPPORT GROUPS & RETREATS CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Third Tuesday of each month, beginning Tuesday, March 20, at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden. To make an appointment, please call the Council on Aging of Buncombe County at 828-277-8288. Sponsored by Arthritis Services in conjunction with Catholic Charities Elder Ministry. For details, call Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220.

RACHEL’S VINEYARD RETREATS: Rachel’s Vineyard can help men and women who have experienced abortion begin their healing journey. It creates a healing environment of prayer and forgiveness. The retreat works to reconnect people to themselves, their friends and family after having an abortion. For details, email Jackie Childers at jackie.childers1@gmail.com.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office.

To register and confirm workshop times, go to www. virtus.org. Upcoming workshops are: CHARLOTTE: 6 p.m. Thursday, March 22, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road CANDLER: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, St. Joan of Arc Church, 768 Asbury Road

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.

Our parishes

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

5

People who are on a path to enter the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil March 31 were presented to Bishop Peter Jugis during three recent liturgies in Arden, Charlotte and Greensboro. At one moment during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, the “Book of the Elect” for every parish is held aloft.

PHOTOS BY GEORGIANNA PENN, JOHN COSMAS, JOHN KENNY AND PAUL WOJCIK | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘This is where God is calling me to be’ RCIA programs across the diocese help people enter the Church at Easter SUEANN HOWELL AND GEORGIANNA PENN CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

R

CIA candidates are in the home stretch of a journey that will bring them into a closer relationship with God. The journey both ends and begins on March 31 at Easter Vigil Masses throughout the Charlotte diocese, when they enter the Catholic Church.

Hundreds of people have been participating in the Diocese of Charlotte’s Rite of Christian Initiation process at their local parishes over the past year. With the help of their sponsors and their parish’s RCIA team, they have been discerning that God is calling them to receive the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation and Holy Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil.

“RCIA is a weekly graced time for parishes that have the process going on in their parish,” says Capuchin Franciscan Father Martin Schratz, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church

in Hendersonville and director of the diocese’s RCIA Commission.

“It is a time when the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of men, women and children who are looking to embrace the Catholic faith. As they journey together, it is always powerful to see the growth in the lives of these people as they develop a prayer life, involve themselves in ministry, and come to a deeper awareness of God in their life.”

Father Schratz shares that the spiritual journey of RCIA is humbling to observe, especially for him as a priest. “At the same time it becomes a blessing for the entire parish that God is alive and working through its members to bring new life to the parish,” he says.

TWO JOURNEYS

Samuel Packard is a 21-year-old college junior who is preparing to enter the Church during the Easter Vigil at St. Eugene Church in Asheville.

“My dad was born and raised Catholic and my mom went through Catholic school and later was baptized and confirmed,” Packard says. “I was raised Catholic and received my first Communion, but as I can remember, throughout my childhood our

family jumped around between different churches.

“Some Sundays we would go to a Presbyterian church, some Sundays a non-denominational church. As I entered high school, we attended church less and less, until we stopped going at all. I believe I lost my faith sometime in the middle of high school. I never had much religious education, and my grasp of God and His teachings was never very strong. In general, I had never really lived my faith.”

When he entered college, Packard’s faith was pretty much non-existent and the general atmosphere of college “didn’t do much to help bring it back into my life,” he says. “I considered the Catholic Church and Christianity to be an oppressive, outdated relic of a bygone era and that nobody needed it or its teachings in their lives anymore.

“The catalyst that brought faith back into my life started with a general feeling that something was missing. I won’t say that I wasn’t happy, but I never felt fully satisfied.

I never considered that God was the thing that was missing from my life.”

When Packard started dating a young Catholic woman in college, he started looking more closely at Catholicism – but

not favorably.

“I started becoming more and more curious about her dedication to her faith and questioning how she could ever follow such a backwards and outdated organization as the Catholic Church,” he says. “I spent a lot of time discussing various beliefs with her and also doing a lot of research trying to find confirmation of Catholicism’s wrongness. I respected my girlfriend’s faith, though I thought she was misguided.”

But curiosity turned into an “abstract desire to rediscover God,” Packard says.

He started searching for a religion that fit his lifestyle, but, he notes, “I still felt that something was missing and that I was compromising with God rather than giving myself fully to Him.” “I continued my spiritual search, trying to find answers to the most challenging of Catholic beliefs through prayer and resources such as Catholic Answers radio show. I realized that most of my beliefs about the Church and Christianity were misguided and that I misunderstood the context for many of the beliefs I found so outdated,” he says.

JOURNEY, SEE PAGE 16

6

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 OUR PARISHES

Four parishes pilot planned giving committees SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Thanks to a coordinated effort among the Diocese of Charlotte’s Development Office, pastors, parish finance councils and other leaders, four parishes have created “planned giving committees” to encourage people to remember the Church in their wills.

The four “pilot parishes,” serving as an example for other parishes across the diocese, are Christ the King Church in Kings Mountain, Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, St. Ann Church in Charlotte and St. Mary Help of Christians Church in Shelby.

Gayden Gautier, chair of the finance council at Immaculate Conception Church, organized his parish’s four-person planned giving committee. Gautier said they are seeing good results from their efforts.

“We had an estate planning workshop last May and 46 people attended,” he said.

More than 30 people at the parish are members of the Immaculate Conception Legacy Society, meaning they have indicated that they have earmarked an estate gift for the parish in their will, he said.

As a result of the committee’s outreach, Gautier said, more people have inquired about joining the parish’s Legacy Society.

“We’re trying to educate and make people more aware of ways they can support the Church and do it more effectively,” he said.

Father Michael Kottar, pastor of St. Mary Church in Shelby, said his parish’s planned giving committee is key to their long-term planning efforts. “The goal is to engage the interest of parishioners in supporting the church of tomorrow and of ensuring the existence of the church for the children and grandchildren of the parish,” he said.

St. Mary’s planned giving committee plans to mail brochures informing parish members about what planned giving entails, organize an educational workshop with the diocese’s planned giving director, Ray Correia, and brainstorm ideas for promoting planned giving with parishioners.

“The parish has successfully initiated a legacy society and an endowment fund, has had some deposits, and has had some interest shown by other parishioners,” Father Kottar said.

“We have been encouraging parishioners over the years to consider remembering the Church in their wills and in their estate plans,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “The results of the planned giving committees in these pilot parishes have been that more parishioners are remembering their parish in their estate plans.”

At these four pilot parishes, Kelley said, three people have established endowments and dozens of people have reported that they plan to make estate gifts to the Church, some $500,000 or more.

Due in part to the efforts of these four pilot parishes, Kelley said, membership has grown from 900 to over 1,100 in the Catholic Heritage Society – people in the diocese who have indicated they are remembering their local parish, diocese, schools or agencies in their wills.

For details about forming a planned giving committee, contact Ray Correia, diocesan director of planned giving, at 704370-3364 or recorreia@charlottediocese.org.

Catholic Charities’ Partners in Hope event a success ANNETTE K. TENNY CORRESPONDENT

WINSTON-SALEM — Supporters and friends of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s work in the Triad gathered for the 15th annual Partners In Hope event March 10 to celebrate the past year and encourage support to meet future needs.

The annual fundraiser offered an overview of Catholic Charities’ services and a glimpse into the lives of some of the clients who have been helped over the past year. Sponsors’ support covered the entire cost of the event, enabling Catholic Charities to raise more than $375,000 in donations that will go directly to funding the programs offered by Catholic Charities in the Triad.

Dr. Gerard A. Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, began the evening with heartfelt thanks for the attendees’ generosity, telling people that he hoped they all understood that their gifts truly mean the world to those who come to Catholic Charities seeking help.

In his keynote address Kevin Mark Kampman, retired publisher of the WinstonSalem Journal and member of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, repeated Catholic Charities’ mission statement: “We are a Christian ministry of charity, service and justice dedicated to providing help to those in need, hope to those in despair, and inspiration for others to follow.”

“It’s really hard to image another organization walking the walk of their mission statement any better than Catholic Charities,” he said.

He said he and his wife Deborah began working with Catholic Charities of Birmingham, Ala., as foster parents more than 20 years ago.

“They taught us a lot more than we ever taught them,” he said, adding that Catholic Charities became the way his family put their faith in action.

Catholic Charities’ tenets of Christ-centered service and treating people with dignity, compassion and love, he said, combined with careful stewardship of its resources, enables the agency to help anyone in need.

Catholic Charities’ Triad office – which moved last year to a new location near St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem – continues to have a powerful impact on the community, Kampman noted.

Among other measures, more than 4,000 people – half of whom were vulnerable children and the elderly – received free food and personal items last year, it was reported.

By the numbers

Nearly 1,500 people facing a crisis received direct assistance, and 377 families received baby clothing and supplies through the Wee Care Shoppe.

“And the great thing is, we’re just getting started,” Kampman said.

A community garden will be planted this spring to provide much-needed fresh produce for food bank clients, and the Triad office is in the process of developing home gardening mentoring and support as well as a blood pressure education and monitoring program for the wider community.

Also during the event, Monsignor Anthony J. Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X in Greensboro, remembered the life of the late Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin, noting his episcopal motto was “Sentire Cum Christo” (“To Think With Christ”).

If each person thought like Christ and felt with Christ, as Bishop Curlin did, this attitude would become second nature, Monsignor Marcaccio said.

“And then when that intuition is in you, it naturally spills over into action. It spills over into Catholic charity, the charity that we celebrate today,” he said.

Catholic Charities’ award named in honor of the late bishop – the Bishop William J. Curlin Partners in Hope Award – was then presented to Beth and Paul Hoeing by Father Brian J. Cook, pastor of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem.

The award is given in consideration of the work the Hoeings do for Catholic Charities but also, Father Cook said, in recognition of the charitable work they do for the entire region.

Year in and year out, he said, the Hoeings serve as the hands and feet of Christ through their work with Room at the Inn, serving breakfast to the poor, bringing the Eucharist to the sick and homebound, and more.

The Hoeings thanked God for giving them the chance to share His love with others in concrete and practical ways – “to be His instrument, His hands and His heart to others so they can be encouraged, optimistic and respected as they experience trials and hardships in their life,” said Beth Hoeing. “I have witnessed so many examples of faith, courage, perseverance and patience from the many guests who come to Catholic Charities for services.”

Paul Hoeing expressed deep affection for the late Bishop Curlin, calling him a wonderful model for showing people what a life of service should be. He also remembered one of the late bishop’s simple prayers, a prayer that he and his wife strive to live each day: “Your will, O Lord. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.”

193,278 POUNDS OF FOOD AND PERSONAL ITEMS were distributed to 4,395 people – 50% of whom were vulnerable children and the elderly 1,473 PEOPLE received direct assistance when faced with an urgent crisis due to a job loss, health issue, death or problem that threatened safety 43 FAMILIES with babies born to teen parents received support and parenting assistance. 100% of the high school seniors in the program graduated 668 DIRECT COUNSELING SERVICES helped to save marriages, strengthen families and transform lives by helping those coping with crisis, trauma and anxiety 377 HOUSEHOLDS received assistance through the Wee Care Shoppe including: children’s clothing, diapers, baby wipes, formula, books and toys 60 DIRECT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES were provided to families with teens in crisis as an effort to help them to cope and thrive 34 FORSYTH TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS received supportive services through the Stay the Course program to maintain enrollment in college.

40 PEOPLE received immigration and naturalization services 123 VOLUNTEERS provided 10,217 hours of service to the Piedmont Triad Office, which would equal the work of 5.5 full-time people 30 PEOPLE from a diversity of languages have been trained and qualified to work as professional interpreters through the Translation & Interpretation Enterprise (TIE) program

Hundreds attend Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference On Feb. 24 St. Therese Church in Mooresville hosted the eighth annual Charlotte Catholic Men’s Conference, which was attended by more than 400 men from North and South Carolina. Attendees had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of penance and listen to presentations from three nationally recognized speakers: Father Dwight Longenecker, Father Tom McCarthy and Patrick Madrid. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, abbot of Belmont Abbey, was the principal celebrant at the Mass. He is pictured here with Father Mark Lawlor, other clergy, deacons, seminarians and Knights.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LISA CASH

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief St. Aloysius member becomes Secular Franciscan

PHOTOS BY PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Scouts gather for annual Catholic Camporee MIDLAND — More than 500 young people and adults from across the Diocese of Charlotte attended the annual Catholic Camporee March 2-4 at Belk Scout Camp.

The 42nd annual camporee’s theme was “Young, Faithful and Called,” and Scouters of all ages enjoyed a weekend of fun scouting activities, food and fellowship.

The camporee culminated with Mass, offered March 4 by Father Christopher Bond, parochial vicar of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. Father Bond commended the young people for focusing on their faith as part of their Scouting activities.

After Mass, religious emblems exemplifying the Catholic ideals of Scouting were awarded.

The highest national recognition in Catholic scouting, the St. George Emblem, was bestowed on Joe Hack, of St. Mark Church’s Pack 97 and Troop 97 in Huntersville, for his outstanding and sustained contributions to the spiritual development of youth in Scouting under Catholic auspices. He was nominated for the national award by multiple Scout leaders for his Christian witness and leadership.

During more than two decades as a Scout leader, Hack has served in numerous leadership positions with the pack and the troop since he and his family moved to Huntersville and joined the parish in 1997. Notably, he helped develop the youth religious emblem program at Troop 97, which has grown to be one of the most successful in the Diocese of Charlotte, the nominating committee said.

Hack and his wife Kathy are also active in their faith, teaching Natural Family Planning classes in the diocese and serving with Cursillo and the parish’s LifeTeen program.

“But perhaps more important has been the example Joe has set, consistently demonstrating and expressing a love of God for the scouts,” the committee noted.

Six other Scout leaders were honored for their service with the Bronze Pelican emblem, the highest adult honor given locally in Catholic scouting: Richard Cashman, Troop 288, St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte; Joe and Carrie

7

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

Seven Scout leaders in the Diocese of Charlotte were honored for their leadership March 2 during the annual Catholic Camporee. The highest national recognition in Catholic scouting, the St. George Emblem, was bestowed on Joe Hack of St. Mark Church’s Pack 97 and Troop 97 in Huntersville (right and below). Six Scout leaders received the Bronze Pelican emblem, the highest adult honor given locally in Catholic scouting: Richard Cashman, Troop 288, St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte; Joe and Carrie Fernald, both of Troop 958, Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem; Bill Hobbs, Pack 8 and Troop 8, St. Matthew Church in Charlotte; and Carrie Robinson and Marilyn Wilson, both of Troop 26, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

OUR PARISHESI

“Liam” McClusky; and Pack 174: Brendan Anderson.

Parvuli Dei recipients were from Pack 31: Kaden Pohlmon; Pack 260: Conner Alexander Wilson; Pack 171: Nicholas Moore and Sean Raffan; Pack 8: Raymond Defabio, Nathan Gilbert, Andrew Hobbs, Daniel Loughran, Jason Pereira, Brady Roberts, Enzo Turner, Jared Ward, Lee Wofford, Joseph Wood, Simon Wood, Luke Wolf and Mark Zaric; Pack 164: Brady Johnson, Patrick Johnson, Ceolfrid Philomin, Brendan Roman and Jack Roman; Pack 16: Logan Koch and Ronan Crilly; Pack 97: Zebulon “Zeb” Kolb; Pack 721: Trevor Boland; and Pack 363: Aidan Bennett.

Ad Altare Dei recipients were from Troop 958: Owen Hopsgood; and Troop 8: Aidan Abbinatte, Ryan Hobbs, Will Kenedy, Alexander Knudsen, Seamus Murphy, Alex Penzold, Caden Roberts, Brian Smith and Mark Smith.

Pope Pius XII award recipients were from Troop 26: Lei Bui, PHOTO PROVIDED Matthew Garmer, Christopher St. Joseph College Seminary student Matt Harrison, who is an Wilson and Peter Wilson; Troop Eagle Scout, visited with Scouts during the Catholic Camporee.

103: Peter Sparks; Venture Crew 12: Christopher Silvestri and Nathan Silvestri.

Fernald, both of Troop 958, Our Lady of Matilda Silvestri of Venture Crew 12 Mercy Church in Winston-Salem; Bill received the Spirit Alive Award.

Hobbs, Pack 8 and Troop 8, St. Matthew Pillars of Faith awards were earned Church in Charlotte; Carrie Robinson,

by Owen Hopsgood of Troop 958; Peter Troop 26, Immaculate Heart of Mary Sparks of Troop 103; Lei Bui, Christopher Church in High Point; and Marilyn Wilson and Peter Wilson of Troop 26; and Wilson, Troop 26, Immaculate Heart of Christopher Silvestri, Matilda Silvestri Mary Church in High Point. and Nathan Silvestri of Venture Crew 12.

Scouts who earned their Catholic Matilda Silvestri was the first female religious emblems during the course of Scout in the Charlotte diocese to earn the the Scouting year were also recognized.

Pillars of Faith award, which is a special Light of Christ recipients were from recognition to those youth in Scouting Pack 260: Carson Nicholas Wilson; Pack who have earned all four of the Catholic 8: Jacob Carson, Luke Lyberg, William religious awards.

Malheiro, Ryan McNally, Ethan Pereira, Jackson Perno, William Roth, Ethan Strain, Ryan Ward, Lee Wofford and More online Jacob Wolf; Pack 16: Ronan Crilly, Miles At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Learn more Gladstone and Ryan Kalbaugh; Pack 97: about the religious awards given to Catholic Joseph “Hank” Aiello, Carter Gilbert, Scouts Tyler Gilbert, Patrick Lis and William

NEWTON — After years of study and discernment, Bernard Taft, a parishioner of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory, took the last steps of entering the Fraternity of Brother Francis, a local Secular Franciscan Order of single or married men and women devoted to faithfully living their daily lives “going from the gospel to life and life to the gospel” and following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. He professed vows during Mass Feb. 23 at St. Joseph Church in Newton, celebrated by Father James M. Collins.

He vowed, “I promise to live all my days of my life the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Secular Franciscan Order by observing its rule of life. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and holy father St. Francis, and the fraternal bonds of community always be my help, so I may reach the goal of perfect Christian love.”

After Mass Taft said, “I have waited for this day since my first Holy Communion.”

The fraternity was canonically established March 10, 1991, and is part of the Brothers and Sisters of St. Francis region that includes 33 fraternities located in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Members, who come from St. Joseph, St. Aloysius, and St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville, gather once a month for study and prayer at St. Joseph Church.

— Barbara Speers, correspondent

St. Gabriel Church marks 25 years of Perpetual Adoration CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church commemorated the 25th anniversary of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the parish with Mass celebrated March 10 by Bishop Peter Jugis.

All are invited to come anytime and spend time in the loving, merciful presence of our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at St. Gabriel’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel, located in the main church building at 3016 Providence Road in Charlotte. The chapel can be accessed through the far left-hand doors of the church courtyard. To become a regular Adorer, contact Estelle Wisneski at 704-364-9568 or wisneski62@gmail.com.

— Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor

Bishop Danylo to visit Charlotte CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Mission will welcome Bishop Bohdan Danylo on Sunday, March 18, for a pastoral visit and celebration of a Pontifical Divine Liturgy (Mass).

The liturgy will begin at 11 a.m. in Aquinas Hall, located on the campus Danylo of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. All Catholics of any tradition are welcome to attend this Eastern (Byzantine) rite liturgy, which will be celebrated in English.

After Mass there will be a potluck lunch, fellowship and the opportunity to meet Bishop Danylo.

For more information about St. Basil Mission, go online to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

8

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 OUR PARISHES

Community gardens benefit from CRS Rice Bowl Grants JOSEPH PURELLO SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Seven parishes and three Catholic non-profit ministries have received $1,000 CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grants from Catholic Charities to assist those in need. Three of those grants are helping fund community gardens at St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem, St. Eugene Church in Asheville, and Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

These grant funds come from the portion of the Lenten CRS Rice Bowl Collection that remains in the Diocese of Charlotte to address poverty and hunger alleviation projects at the local level.

“Thanks to a CRS Rice Bowl Grant, we at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church will expand our community garden by more than 50 percent,” said project coordinator Lorraine Mortis. “This expansion will provide members of our parish with even more opportunities to serve the needs of those in our immediate neighborhood, which includes the clients of the Winston-Salem Office of Catholic Charities.”

Mortis entrusts the success of the parish’s project to divine assistance, offering the following scriptural passage as inspiration for the project: “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes it grow.” (1 Cor 3:7) Sacred Heart Church is using its Rice Bowl Grant, the second for the parish, to add a Pollinator Garden adjacent to its Lord’s Bounty Community Garden.

“We are actively trying to improve the amount of our harvest that we can provide to our parish and community in need,” said Gretchen McKivergan. “The start of the pollinator garden will attract beneficial butterflies and insects that will help to pollinate the garden to improve that harvest.”

The pollinator garden will help with butterfly conservation as well as benefit different agencies in Rowan County and the parish’s own food pantry, McKivergan added.

The CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant awarded to the Friendship Garden/Jardín de la Amistad! of St. Eugene Church will provide healthy, supplemental food to those in need in the Asheville area this year.

C AT H O L I C CAMPUS MINISTRY DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CYNTHIA GIBBS

The Friendship Garden/Jardín de la Amistad! Development Team of St. Eugene Church includes (back row, from left) James Blocker, Connie Mitchell, Glenn Glass, Maddie Crow and Sam Packard; (middle row) Cynthia Gibbs, JoAnne Gance, Emmily Zavala, Mikayla Zopfi, Vicki Ransom, Andrea Genna, Veronica Allen and Bill Maloney; and (front row) Citlalli Zavala, Gerrie Zimmer and Nancy Acopine.

“The project has transformed an abandoned lot (where once the former rectory and offices existed) into a source of food for the poor of our parish and a source of beauty and pride for all St. Eugene parishioners,” said Cynthia Gibbs, project team member and co-chair. “The community garden gives St. Eugene Anglos and Hispanics the opportunity to work side by side and get to know, help and understand each other better.

“We hope that our Garden/Jardín will provide a peaceful respite for those who need it – a place to pray, meditate and reflect on God’s blessings…a place to feel valued,” Gibbs said. “We are one family and we hope this Jardín/Garden will reflect that.”

With the CRS mini-grant, funds have enabled a watering system and various materials and soil for the raised garden beds. Project tasks, which began in October with volunteer recruitment, include: clearing the land, tilling

Friendship Garden Volunteers Sam Packard, Veronica Allen and Maddie Crow fill up the raised garden beds with soil.

the soil, building raised bed boxes, transplanting plants and sowing vegetable and flower seeds, and building arbors, picnic tables and a walking path. Even those without green thumbs assist by providing snacks, creating signs and saying prayers. The parish project also includes gardeners from nearby Asheville Catholic School and UNC-Asheville’s Campus Ministry.

Soon, early spring crops will be planted. This spring, the parish’s Knights of Columbus council will build an 8-footby-12-foot garden storage unit purchased by an anonymous donor. In her email updates on the project, Gibbs noted, “I am so excited and wanted to share the good news with you all. We are so blessed.”

JOSEPH PURELLO is director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy and the diocesan director for CRS.

Do you know a Catholic college student who is studying at a college or university within the Diocese of Charlotte? Do you want to help them grow in their faith?

We invite them to join us, along with other students, for a unique and free opportunity to grow in faith and to discover God’s call in their lives at: CATHOLICS ON CALL July 24 - 28 Chicago, IL Space is Limited Students can learn more about this trip and contact us via:

www.catholiconcampus.com All expenses paid by a special grant from the Lily Foundation.

OUR PARISHES

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

9

‘I can’t imagine where I would be or how I would be as a mother if MiraVia did not exist’

MiraVia’s latest BAC graduate shares her story SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

“We eventually decided that this would be the very best option for both of us since we were still in school,” Emily says. “Anthony would still be in his apartment on campus and I would be living at MiraVia just next door. I would still be able to attend classes, go to my lacrosse practices, and see Anthony whenever I wanted without the stresses of finances.”

Emily gave birth to her son Avery in January 2016, and in December 2017 she received a bachelor’s degree in biology.

“When I think back to my past two years and watching Avery grow up in this environment, I can’t imagine where I would be or how I would be as a

BELMONT — Motherhood can be a challenging vocation – even more so when the pregnancy is unplanned and the mom-to-be is a young college student.

Enter MiraVia, a non-profit Catholic maternity home for college students who choose life for their unborn child. MiraVia, located on the Belmont Abbey College campus since 2013, gives hope to mothers of all faith backgrounds, and the help they need to achieve their academic and parenting goals. It now houses eight mothers and four children.

“MiraVia is unique in its approach to serving pregnant women who lack support,” says Debbie Capen, MiraVia’s executive director. “By eliminating many of the barriers to higher education and a better quality of life, we are empowering pregnant women to create bright, healthy futures for themselves and their children.”

MiraVia recently said goodbye to its 13th resident and fourth Belmont Abbey College graduate – Emily Smith, a student athlete who lived there for two years after giving birth to her son Avery.

Emily found MiraVia after PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEBBIE CAPEN learning she was pregnant in 2015. Belmont Abbey College graduate Emily Smith and her son Avery were residents at MiraVia for The baby’s father, also a Belmont the past two years. The 10,000-square-foot college maternity residence opened in 2012 and Abbey College student, was from has served 13 women and their children, with seven women and four children currently living San Diego at the time, and her there. For more information on MiraVia, go to www.mira-via.org. parents lived five hours away in mother if MiraVia did not exist,” she says. “Honestly, New Bern, NC. If she was going to keep the baby and I am excited for the day when I can tell Avery how he raise it herself while she kept up her college studies, spent the first two years of his life and who he spent it she needed help. with.”

“I was raised in a Catholic, pro-life family so when “There are so many things that I love about MiraVia I found out I was pregnant, the thought of having that it is so hard to narrow it down,” she says. an abortion never once occurred to me. I also knew “Right away MiraVia became my home, and growing up that I wanted to have children of my own, everyone who is a part of this program, staff and so right away I also ruled out adoption as well,” Emily residents became my family. I love that I was able to says. “When I contacted Anthony (the baby’s father) start a family in such a nurturing environment. I love he was very supportive and never pushed me towards how I can just talk to any of the staff members and doing anything that I did not want to do. Right away, volunteers like I talk to my mom or dad. One of the we both decided that we wanted this family and started things that I cherish the most is the relationships that making plans from that moment.”

I have made with the other residents and that I am able “At first I did not want to live at MiraVia because I to help them through their journey of motherhood as assumed that it was going to be completely different well.” from what I discovered it to be,” she says. “Anthony She adds, “It has also been amazing that I was able and I were planning to live together without taking to graduate on time while balancing school, sports, MiraVia into consideration.” and becoming a mother. I definitely would not have Emily’s mother Edie remembers seeing MiraVia accomplished that without MiraVia and the support from a distance when they toured the Belmont Abbey that they offer, especially when it came to child care College campus in 2013. and our basic needs.”

“I inquired about the building in the distance by the She encourages other young woman who may find cemetery,” she recalls. “The student guide mentioned that there was a home for single and unwed mothers on themselves in a similar situation to “trust in God’s plan for them and to be patient because they will get to campus. I recalled thinking to myself at that moment where they want to be in life. Two years ago I did not what a wonderful ministry that the college had.” think I would be in this situation that I am today. I have When she learned of Emily’s pregnancy, her mom a healthy child and a bachelor’s degree.” says, “We didn’t know what we were going to do. For Edie and her family have also been grateful for the my husband and me, it was a matter of would our love and support Emily received. daughter come home to have the baby and go to a “All we can say is, God is good! As parents to a local college, or postpone college indefinitely?” As resident there, we were very happy with everything they weighed whether to raise the baby themselves so that MiraVia and the staff has done for our daughter. that Emily could finish her junior and senior years at She received financial education classes and child care Belmont Abbey College, Edie remembered the campus support, which allowed her to continue her studies and maternity home. graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She also It was the answer to their prayers. received counseling and support to help her with being “We prayed a lot about our decision and asked God to a young mother and being a college student.” lead us in all of our choices,” Edie says. “We wanted to After graduating from both Belmont Abbey College be sure that there was going to be help for our daughter and MiraVia, Emily now moves on to the next phase of as a new mom and everything else that goes along with her life. She wants to pursue a master’s degree, and she having a baby. The distance was going to prohibit me and Anthony plan to marry, find a home of their own from helping her as much as I wanted to.” and, she says, “have more children!”

At her mother’s urging, Emily met with Capen, who was very supportive.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SISTER NANCY NANCE

Jodi Kines and Holy Angels resident Lorraine take to the bowling lanes as two Wonder Women.

Hundreds hit the lanes to help Holy Angels LISA GERACI CORRESPONDENT

BELMONT — George Pappas’ Liberty Lanes in Gastonia was visited by hundreds of Marvel characters and a thousand-plus supporters March 3 for the 26th Annual Angel Bowl to benefit Holy Angels. The theme was “Superheroes” and they were everywhere – even if they were not wearing a costume but just sporting the red T-shirt showing their support for Holy Angels.

From pros to bumpers, babies to adults, every team had a great time blacklight bowling in friendly competition.

Masters of ceremonies from Spectrum News, WCNC News 36 and WSOC-FM trumped up the spirits and stamina with announcements of praise and prayer throughout the day.

Volunteers sold cups, T-shirts and other memorabilia to memorialize the event.

“We have been doing this event for the past 26 years,” said Sister Nancy Nance of Holy Angels. “When we first started we had a hard time filling half of the bowling alley twice. Now we have a hard time finding room for all the teams because we now have the whole bowling alley booked, eight times, during eight different sessions, all day long from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.”

“Our goal is to raise $140,000 today,” said chief development officer Anne Bogen, noting that total attendance was estimated at about 1,300 people.

All proceeds went to benefit Holy Angels, a residential facility opened in Belmont in 1955 by the Sisters of Mercy for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions. Holy Angels has 85 residents aged 7 months to 75 years old, all of whom are loved around the clock by a staff of more than 300 plus another 100 volunteers.

Holy Angels offers a wide range of services ranging from infancy to older adults and their families, including residential living, day services, supported employment opportunities, medical services, physical therapy, special education and rehabilitation services, creative arts, recreation, spiritual opportunities and family support services. The facility is comprised of five care facilities, the main center, and four group homes serving local intellectually and developmentally disabled people.

“Here at Holy Angels, God is everywhere,” said Holy Angels’ CEO Regina Moody. “The residents give out so much joy. It is kind of like heaven on earth. If I knew what heaven was, it would kind of be like Holy Angels.”

As people from local schools, businesses, families and churches glide their bowling balls down the lane hoping for a strike, it is easy to notice how everyone has had a direct encounter with an Angel who has inspired them to take part in the bowling fundraiser. Most of the donors have known someone directly touched by Holy Angels’ residents.

Local high school “volunteen” Ally Adams describes Holy Angels this way: “Everybody you meet there is not miserable with their jobs. They have love in their hearts. The place makes my day and makes my week. The residents there are beautiful souls.

“Society is so harsh today – everybody is judging everybody – but I know the residents at Holy Angels are going to love me no matter what I wear or what I look like, and regardless if I wear make-up or not. They love their lives and they love to be alive.”

How you can help Learn more about donating to Holy Angels or helping out as a volunteer: Go online to www.holyangelsnc.org or call 704-825-4161.

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 10

Culinaria ecuatoriana en Viernes Santo Ibis Centeno

La Espiritualidad Ignaciana

L

a Oficina de Espiritualidad Ignaciana de Maryland y las Provincias del Noreste de Estados Unidos de la Compañía de Jesús cumple funciones de evangelización y formación en el territorio de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Los métodos que utilizamos ayudan a las personas a acercarse más a Dios, lograr una íntima relación con Jesús, conocerse a sí mismos para poder amar y servir para gloria de Dios y descubrir dónde nos quiere y necesita el Señor en estos momentos.

En el Ministerio Hispano de la Oficina tenemos varios programas: Día de Reflexión, Día de Oración, Escuela de Espiritualidad Ignaciana, talleres y retiros para los diferentes tiempos litúrgicos y también programas específicos, por invitación, diseñados de acuerdo a las necesidades de cada apostolado.

Luego de completar los primeros cuatro programas, ofrecemos cuatro niveles de retiros de fines de semana, en silencio, a los que también están invitadas aquellas personas que practican la Espiritualidad Ignaciana en sus vidas. Todos los programas y retiros están basados en los Ejercicios Espirituales de San Ignacio de Loyola, fundador de la Compañía de Jesús, que algunos conocen como ‘Jesuitas’ Estos programas fueron diseñados para líderes laicos que desean crecer en su camino de fe mediante un método distinto de oración, en silencio, a través de una experiencia íntima y única con el Señor.

No se trata de cambiar de espiritualidad ni de formar un movimiento, sino que, con la gracia de Dios, escuchar y sentir su voz, para de esta manera conocerlo, amarlo y seguirlo.

La Espiritualidad Ignaciana es para quienes quieran ser contemplativos en la acción, aquellos que verdaderamente desean hacer Su voluntad y continuar la labor que Jesús nos encomendó. Es para aquel que quiere encontrar a Dios en todas las cosas, en su propio ser, familia, amistades, trabajo, juego y hasta en enfermedad y tristeza. Es un discernimiento de espíritu constante para ser mejores seres humanos, alabar a Dios y realizar el propósito de nuestra existencia, el que nuestro creador tiene reservado para cada uno de nosotros.

En el Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte acabamos de comenzar un nuevo ciclo de jornadas de reflexión y oración. Los invitamos a que tengan una experiencia personal y aprendan que, en el silencio, se oye la voz del Creador, de nuestro Padre, que nos llama a estar a su lado.

IBIS CENTENO es directora regional del Ministerio Hispano Sur de la Oficina de Espiritualidad Ignaciana de Maryland y las provincias del Noreste de Estados Unidos de la Companía de Jesús.

La Fanesca, una tradición que se celebra en comunidad CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Rosita y Andrés Miño, una pareja ecuatoriana, ya se encuentra en todos los ajetreos de las compras para la preparación de un tradicional plato de su país que se sirve únicamente en Viernes Santo: la fanesca.

Del potaje se dice que, en honor a los doce apóstoles, lleva 12 ingredientes, entre los que destacan granos típicamente andinos como el choclo (maíz fresco), chochos (especie pequeña de frejol), habas, arvejas, lenteja, maní y frejoles de diverso tipo. Además se le añade bacalao, leche y verduras como col, zanahoria, cebolla, ajo y algunos gustan agregar garbanzos, sambo (calabaza pequeña) y zapallo (calabaza).

Los estudiosos afirman que el sustancioso potaje, llamado ‘Uchucuta’ en tiempos prehispánicos, se preparaba durante la fiesta del Pawkar Raymi en agradecimiento a la ‘Pachamama’, la madre tierra. Con la llegada de los españoles fue rápidamente asimilado a la nueva cultura e, incorporándosele el bacalao, fue adaptado como una comida para Semana Santa.

TRADICIÓN

Como explica Rosita, son más de 10 años, desde su llegada a Charlotte, que preparan esta consistente sopa, una receta familiar que aprendió desde niña.

Sin embargo, la elaboración de la fanesca no es un trabajo individual sino una tarea colectiva en la que intervienen al menos cinco familias.

Varias semanas antes de la Semana Santa comienzan las reuniones de coordinación y las compras para tener todo listo el Viernes Santo.

Como se dijo, la fanesca lleva bacalao, pescado noruego seco y salado de alto precio en los mercados, por lo que Rosita va haciendo las compras con anticipación para no dañar la economía del hogar. “Cuando voy al mercado y hago mis compras regulares, también compro una bolsita de bacalao y así voy juntando, poco a poco lo que necesito”, nos cuenta.

Luego, a inicios de Semana Santa, comienza el trabajo intenso. Diariamente se reúnen las familias para seleccionar los granos, cocerlos, retirarles la piel y dejarlos listos. También pelan las arjevas y pican los ingredientes.

“Todo esto lo hacemos mientras oramos y dedicamos nuestro trabajo al Señor”, asegura Rosita.

El Viernes Santo la jornada da inicio a primera hora de la mañana. “Tempranito ya se reúnen todos aquí”, añade Andrés, quien está encargado de mover permanentemente toda la cocción con una paleta especial, grande, con la que cuida todo el tiempo que los granos no se peguen al fondo.

La comida está lista alrededor de las dos de la tarde, cuando empieza el desfile de invitados y visitantes ocasionales que llegan al hogar de los Miño, inclusive hasta altas horas de la noche, tras terminar sus labores o después de visitar sus iglesias.

“Ese día, conozcamos o no a la gente que llega, todos son amigos y los tratamos como tales”, afirma Andrés. A los

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Andrés Miño muestra orgulloso la gigantesca olla de fanesca que se prepara en su hogar en Viernes Santo. comensales, que regularmente se presentan con algún postre o refresco, se les sirve gratuitamente un gran plato de fanesca acompañado de arroz blanco, huevo duro picado y decorado con perejil o CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD cilantro.

El plato de fanesca, acompañado de arroz, ensalada de “Eso si, papa y salsa de cebolla. es Semana Santa, así que no se sirve nada de licor. Solo refrescos, agua y juguitos, nada más”, apunta Rosita, quien, nos consta, ofrece comida para llevar para los miembros de la familia que por alguna razón no pueden asistir.

“Nosotros lo hacemos con todo el amor del alma, por el gusto de compartir, de tenerlos en casa. Y vamos a continuar esta tradición hasta cuando Dios nos de vida”, concluyó Andrés.

Más en línea En www.bit.ly/2FtyjgF: El Ministerio de Turismo de Ecuador publicó en Youtube una receta de fanesca que todos pueden seguir.

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

11

UNA EXPERIENCIA EVANGELIZADORA PARA TODOS

Ministerio Emaús se extiende en la Diócesis de Charlotte CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Arturo* solo quería morir. Después de décadas de abuso de alcohol, drogas, sexo y pornografía, agravado por la enfermedad de su esposa y el abandono espiritual en el que tenía a sus hijos, lo consumía el sentimiento de culpa.

A inicios del año pasado conoció a una persona que le empezó a hablar de Dios.

“Yo, la verdad, solo lo escuchaba, pero no entendía de lo que me hablaba. Nunca había conocido a Dios. No sabía rezar. En mi casa todos tomaban y me golpeaban, por eso me fui a los catorce años. Vi muchas cosas feas desde entonces. Me casé, luego vine a Estados Unidos pero fue peor”, nos dijo.

Sin esperanzas, con el único pensamiento de acabar con su existencia, una noche decidió suicidarse. “Parecía que no era yo. Solo una voz me decía que me matara.

Cuando ya estaba por hacerlo me llamó por teléfono esta persona para hablarme otra vez de Dios y para invitarme a un retiro. Yo dije, ‘ya que más’. Y, después de ir, mi vida, le puedo decir, es otra. Me casé con mi esposa, que se ha recuperado milagrosamente. Juntos asistimos a todas las charlas (de iglesia) que podemos, cuido de mis hijos y he dejado por completo las drogas, el alcohol y las mujeres”.

“Arturo es una de las muchas personas que ha cambiado su vida después de asistir a un Encuentro Emaús”, afirma Ricardo Plata, uno de los miembros más antiguos del Ministerio Emaús de la Iglesia San Gabriel, la primera en las Carolinas en realizar un Encuentro en español.

CRECIMIENTO

Domingo Roges, fundador del movimiento en las Carolinas, refiere que el primer encuentro en la zona se llevó a cabo en idioma inglés, con ayuda de hermanos de Miami, en abril de 2007 en San Philip Neri, una parroquia de Rock Hill, y que posteriormente, gracias a la aceptación del Padre Frank O’Rourke, pastor de San Gabriel, pudo establecerse en 2010 el Ministerio en esa parroquia, desde donde

se ha extendido hacia Carolina del Sur, otras iglesias de la Diócesis de Charlotte e inclusive a Mobile, Alabama.

Los Encuentros se fundaron hace ya más de 30 años en Miami y se realizan, por separado, para hombres y mujeres.

Con los años llegaron a países de Sudamérica como Perú y Argentina, donde el entonces Arzobispo de Buenos Aires, hoy Papa Francisco, los acogió con entusiasmo.

A España llegaron en 2010 y su expansión, según medios locales, está siendo muy rápida.

¿QUÉ ES EMAÚS?

Manolo Esquivel, otro de los fundadores del movimiento en San Gabriel, explica que en realidad, caminar el encuentro Emaús es una vivencia única. “Mucha gente pregunta de qué se trata y les puedo decir que es un fín de semana donde te vas a pasar tres días caminando con Jesús”.

Luego añade que “es como que vas a ver una película y, antes de ir, te cuento el final. Entonces para qué te cuento. Mejor anda a ver la película”.

Roges señaló que la única condición para participar como ‘caminante’ es ser mayor de edad y pecador. “No se excluye a nadie, sea creyente o no”.

Para Federico Pinto, actual director del ministerio en San Gabriel, “por medio del Camino de Emaús se aprende lo que es el servicio a la comunidad. Se crea conciencia sobre el hogar, el trabajo, el valor de la familia. Se aprende a ver el rostro de Cristo en nuestros hermanos necesitados”.

Pinto invitó a los interesados a participar en el próximo encuentro que se realizará del 27 al 29 de abril en el Oratorio de Rock Hill, S.C., donde regularmente realizan dos retiros anuales.

“Vengan, participen, regálense un fin de semana con Jesús. Les puedo asegurar que el domingo, último día del Encuentro, no van a quererse ir”, dijo.

Si desea mayores informes, al término de la misa dominical de 6:30 p.m. en San Gabriel se le puede asistir. * NOTA DEL EDITOR: Arturo es un nombre ficticio, utilizado para proteger la identidad del entrevistado.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Grupo de integrantes del Ministerio Emaús San Gabriel en 2012.

You are Cordially Invited to the 15th Annual

Vineyard of Hope Thursday, April 26, 2018

Crowne Plaza Charlotte 5700 Westpark Drive, Charlotte, NC, 28217 Join us for cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and blessing of the meal at 6:45 p.m.

2018 Fruit of the Vine Award Recipient Tom Hunley

Director of Faith Formation St. Aloysius Catholic Church, a large, vibrant and growing parish located in Hickory, NC is seeking candidates for the full-time position of Director of Faith Formation.

• Bachelor's Degree in a field commensurate with the position • 3 years’ experience managing a religious or education office • Experience in recruitment, training and supervision of staff & volunteers • Experience with planning programs for adults & children and evaluation of program curriculum • Bilingual ability in English and Spanish is beneficial Please submit a cover letter and resume to nlacy@staloysiushickory.org by April 1, 2018 NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

At this complimentary event, you will be invited to make a generous gift to help raise our goal of $300k to Strengthen Families, Build Communities, and Reduce Poverty in the Charlotte area.

RSVP at vineyardofhope2018@charlottediocese.org or online at ccdoc.org/vineyardofhope

12

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD LEFT SIDE PAGE PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Africa Drought and Famine — “Worst Human Disaster Since World War II” Most Americans are familiar with the terrible drought that brought tremendous suffering to the Midwest during the 1930s, turning that area into a “Dust Bowl” of misery and extreme poverty. Haunting photographs of that time show the impact of drought in shellshocked eyes, drawn faces, abandoned homesteads, starving children and desperate parents.

It was a terrible moment in history.

Today, Africa faces a similar calamity, and while the media has only begun to cover the story, world leaders are already expressing their concerns that the droughtinduced famine could soon become the worst human disaster since 1945.

“Like the Americans impacted by the drought in the 1930s, Africans in the affected areas are heavily reliant on farming and livestock to survive. Their goats and cows are dying in huge numbers and when they are gone, the people will have nothing to eat

or to sell in order to purchase food for their families. I don’t see how they will survive without our help,” said Jim Cavnar of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the Catholic missions trying to mobilize help for famineravaged families. Cavnar, who returned from Kenya in July, visited several priests seeking assistance to save families in their dioceses.

Cross Catholic Outreach stepped forward to provide an immediate supply of food staples for distribution; but it will only be able to continue the effort if it receives public support from American Catholics, according to Cavnar.

“We’ve responded to Pope Francis’ call to action on Africa and have started an outreach, but it is a program we can only sustain week to week with public support,” he said. “Right now, one of our main goals is to make the public aware of the severity of this disaster. Politics have been dominating the news, and very little

Signs of malnutrition can now be seen throughout the region, weakening both villagers and livestock. Without rain, these Kenyans depend on us for help. about the situation in Africa is reaching people in America. We want Americans to understand the impact of this drought, see the effects of the famine, and open their hearts to the cries of the poor.”

Cavnar is convinced that as more U.S. Catholics learn about the suffering in Africa, they will respond.

“World leaders believe the Africa famine has the potential to be the worst human disaster since World War II. When people

finally learn the facts and see the pictures, I’m sure their hearts will go out to the suffering,” he said. “Americans know they are incredibly blessed by God. They will want to give back in a situation like this.”

To support Cross Catholic Outreach’s efforts to help the poor worldwide, use the ministry brochure enclosed in this issue of the paper or mail your donation to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01379, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168.

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.”

S U P P L E M E N T TO T H E C AT H O L I C N E W S H E R A L D

March 16, 2018

Catholic funeral planning

A Holy Death

INSIDE: Planning a Catholic funeral, 2-3, 6-7 Cremation vs. burial? 3-4 Local Catholic cemeteries and columbaria, Why do we pray for the dead? 8 Guidance on end-of-life health care 10-11

3

2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD SPECIAL EDITION

Catholic funeral rites explained Editor’s note: St. Mark Church in Huntersville has produced this guide to funeral planning that is applicable for Catholics. While each pastor sets his own guidelines within the Church’s “Order of Christian Funerals,” we offer this guide as a reference for your family to consider and discuss:

‘At the death of a Christian, whose life of Introduction the death of a loved one, please contact faith was begun theUpon funeral home so that they may assist you in making the necessary funeral arrangements. in the waters We encourage parishioners to do pre-planning to make a difficult time easier for your family.

Funeral home services are very willing to help of baptism and you in this process.

Normally, the funeral home will contact the strengthened at parish to secure the date and time of the funeral.

At St. Mark we will do everything we can to accommodate family needs, but please know that the Eucharistic as a busy parish the church may be in use for other events during the time period first chosen.

Once the date and time have been decided, the table, the Church family will be contacted by one of the parish priests or deacons to plan the Mass of Christian intercedes burial and other funeral rites. This involves choosing readings, hymnody and discussing how family and friends might be involved in on behalf of the funeral liturgy. While there is always an element of the funeral rites that are personalized the deceased to reflect the life of the deceased, it should always be remembered that Christians celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise, and because of its thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which now been returned to God, the author of confident belief has life and the hope of the just. The Mass, the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection, is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral that death is (“Order of Christian Funerals,” no. 5).

Catholic funeral rites consist of three principal or movements: the vigil or wake, the Mass not the end, nor parts of Christian Burial, and the burial rites. Each of does it break the these is discussed briefly here: bonds forged in The Vigil for the Deceased life.’ (sometimes called the Order of Christian Funerals, no. 4 More online At www.usccb.org/ prayer-and-worship/ bereavement-andfunerals/index.cfm: Get more information on Catholic funeral guidelines, prayers, suggested readings at funeral Masses, and more

At www. catholicsensibility. wordpress.com/ funeral-rites: Read the entire Order of Christian Funerals as well as explanations of each section

Wake) The Vigil for the Deceased is the principal rite celebrated by the Christian community in the time after death and before the funeral liturgy.

“At the vigil the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christ’s presence,” “Order of Christian Funerals,” no. 56.)

The Vigil can be celebrated at the funeral home, the home of the deceased or at the parish church. During the course of the Vigil service, there will be a brief proclamation of the Word of God, intercessory prayer, and blessing. If someone in the family would like to offer a personal remembrance of the deceased (eulogy) this may be done at the conclusion of the Vigil service.

The Funeral Liturgy/ Mass of Christian Burial The funeral liturgy is the central celebration of the Christian community for the deceased. At the funeral liturgy the community gathers with the family and friends of the deceased to give praise and thanks to God for Christ’s victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God’s tender mercy and compassion, and to seek strength in the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery. Through the Holy Spirit the community is joined together in faith as one Body in Christ to reaffirm in sign and symbol, word and gesture

that each believer through baptism shares in Christ’s death and resurrection and can look for the day when all the elect will be raised up and united in the kingdom of light and peace (“Order of Christian Funerals,” no. 129).

The funeral Mass includes the reception of the body, the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and final commendation and farewell.

RECEPTION OF THE BODY

The rite of reception takes place at the beginning of the funeral liturgy or Mass.

It begins with the greeting of the family, the sprinkling of the coffin with holy water as a reminder of baptism, and the placing of the pall which symbolizes the baptismal garment. If the family so chooses, they may drape the pall over the coffin of the deceased.

The entrance procession follows with the ministers leading the coffin and family members into the church.

During the procession an entrance hymn will be sung.

The family remains standing with the remainder of the congregation in the pews until the conclusion of the opening prayer. It is our practice at St. Mark to place a crucifix and Bible on the coffin at the conclusion of the entrance procession.

These symbols of Christian life are carried in the entrance procession and can be placed on the coffin by family members of the family chooses to do so. Otherwise, they will be placed by one of the ministers.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

After the opening prayer, the Liturgy of the Word begins. The readings include an Old Testament reading (during the Easter season the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Revelation), a Responsorial Psalm (sung), a New Testament reading and a Gospel reading.

The Order of Christian Funerals provides a complete listing of the Scripture readings that can be used in the funeral rites, and the family is encouraged to assist in making the selections of readings for the funeral. In addition, members of the family or friends of the deceased are invited to assist by serving as readers. During the funeral Mass, those who read, since they are exercising a ministry of the Church, are to be practicing members of the Catholic Church.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

At the funeral Mass, the community having

been nourished by the Word of God, turns for spiritual nourishment to the Eucharistic sacrifice in which the community with the priest offers to the Father the sacrifice of the New Covenant. The Liturgy of the Eucharist takes place in the usual manner. Members of the family or friends of the deceased should bring the gifts to the altar.

FINAL COMMENDATION AND FAREWELL

The final commendation is a final farewell by the members of the community, an act of respect

This crucifix is the focus of a Catholic cemetery dedicated at St. Frances of Rome Mission in Sparta in 2016.

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

for one of their members, whom they entrust to the tender and merciful embrace of God. During the rite, the body is again sprinkled with holy water and incensed. The sprinkling is a reminder that through baptism the person was marked for eternal life and incensation signifies respect for the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

PROCESSION TO THE PLACE OF COMMITTAL

At the conclusion of the funeral liturgy, the procession is formed and the body is accompanied to the place of committal. This final procession of the funeral rite mirrors the journey of human life as a pilgrimage to God’s kingdom of peace and light, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

Rite of Committal The rite of committal, the conclusion of the funeral rites, is the final act of the community of faith in caring for the body of its deceased member. In committing the body to its resting place, the community expresses its hope that, with all who have gone before marked with the sign of faith, the deceased awaits the glory of the resurrection. It normally takes place beside the grave or mausoleum where the remains of the deceased are to be placed.

— “Funeral Planning Guide for the Mass of Christian Burial,” St. Mark Church in Huntersville

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The right to a funeral liturgy

The funeral Mass, also known as a Mass of Christian Burial, is as much about the living as the deceased. The “Order of Christian Funerals” states: “The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them God’s mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always to God in times of crisis” (no. 7). At left, Bishop Peter Jugis celebrates the funeral Mass of Monsignor Joseph Kerin, second chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, on April 22, 2014, at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Church law stipulates that funeral services are a right, not a privilege, of all members of the Church, both the faithful and the catechumens (Canons 1176; 1183, §1). The Order of Christian Funerals also provides for the celebration of funeral rites for children whose parents intended them to be baptized (Canon 1183, §2).

“Christians celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just. The Mass, the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection, is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral.” (“Order of Christian Funerals,” no.

5) “At the funeral liturgy the community gathers with the family and friends of the deceased …

– to give praise and thanks to God for Christ’s victory over sin and death, – to commend the deceased to God’s tender mercy and compassion, – and to seek strength in the proclamation of the paschal mystery.

Through the Holy Spirit the community is joined together in faith as one Body in Christ to reaffirm in sign and symbol, word and gesture that each believer through baptism shares in Christ’s death and resurrection and can look to the day when all the elect will be raised up and united in the kingdom of light and peace.” (“Order of Christian Funerals,” no. 129)

SUEANN HOWELL CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Below left, St. Matthew Church is one of 26 parishes in the diocese with a columbarium.

Other parishes have traditional cemeteries, or a combination of both options.

Non-practicing Catholics may receive Catholic funerals It is an unfortunate reality that many baptized Catholics no longer practice their faith and may consider themselves to have been away from the Church for too long to be ever welcomed again by the Church.

Such individuals or their families may feel uncomfortable in a church and ultimately decide against having a Catholic funeral.

By our baptism, however, we have been made equal in dignity before the Lord, and the Church, our Mother, bears the suffering of all those who became her sons and daughters through baptism. Thus, the Church offers funeral rites (including a funeral Mass) even for non-practicing Catholics and, under certain circumstances, for non-Catholic Christians.

Although the deceased may not have participated fully in the life of the Church on earth, the Church longs for her separated children to share in Christ’s blessings. She desires to pray for them and with their loved ones so that their sins may be forgiven and they may dwell forever in the presence of God in heaven.

— “Catholic Funeral Planning Guide,” Diocese of Portland, Maine; Canon 1183, §3

What about miscarried or stillborn babies?

Depending on the possibility of your collecting the remains, the baby should be named and buried. If you are in a hospital, the remains of the baby will be sent to the pathologist. You should request that you receive the remains. Most hospitals have little caskets which they offer you. If the baby is more developed you may need to obtain a larger casket from a funeral director. You should ask your pastor for a Mass of Christian Burial and bury the baby appropriately and in a marked grave.

— “Catholic Funeral Guide,” St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia

In general in the U.S., burial options include: in-ground burial with monument graves, flush marker graves, lawn crypts or family estate lots; above-ground burial in mausoleums; and cremation with interment in mausoleum niches, columbaria, or in-ground in cremation graves or lawn crypts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. MATTHEW CHURCH’S BEREAVEMENT GUIDE

‘The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the deceased be observed; nevertheless, the Church does not prohibit cremation unless it was chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine.’

Canon 1176, §3

Cemeteries vs. columbaria in the Diocese of Charlotte?

Church law (Canon 1240) stipulates, “Where possible, the Church is to have its own cemeteries or at least areas in civil cemeteries that are designated for the deceased members of the faithful and properly blessed.”

Because of limited space at many parishes across the diocese, a cemetery on parish grounds is not always practicable. Identifiably Catholic sections in public cemeteries have become an alternative option, as well as columbaria on parish grounds. But columbaria for cremated remains cannot be the only option provided.

Diocesan policy states: “If a parish wishes to make a columbarium available to the faithful, it will also make available at the same location as the columbarium, spaces for burial of the bodies of the deceased. The number of spaces available for placing cremated remains in a columbarium shall not be more than the number of spaces available for burial of bodies of the deceased. The expectation is that more spaces will be available for burial of the bodies of the deceased than spaces in a columbarium for the placing of cremated remains, since burial of the body is the norm of Christian burial.”

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the Diocese of Charlotte’s full policy on cemeteries and columbaria

SPECIAL EDITIONI

3

Catholic cemeteries are important in the life of the Church.

Cemeteries St. James the Greater Church, Concord St. Frances of Rome Mission, Sparta St. Helen Mission, Spencer Mountain (parishioners only) St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson (future)

Cemeteries with columbaria Immaculate Conception Mission, Canton Holy Family Church, Clemmons (parishioners only) Holy Cross Church, Kernersville Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury St. John the Evangelist Church, Waynesville

Columbaria only St. Elizabeth Church, Boone Sacred Heart Church, Brevard (full) St. Joan of Arc Church, Candler (full) St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte (full) St. Matthew Church, Charlotte St. Peter Church, Charlotte St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte (full) Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission, Hayesville St. Aloysius Church, Hickory Christ the King Church, High Point Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point (full) Our Lady of the Mountains Mission, Highlands St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro St. Pius X Church, Greensboro (full, with waiting list) St. Margaret of Scotland Church, Maggie Valley (full) St. Luke Church, Mint Hill (full) St. William Church, Murphy St. Margaret Mary Church, Swannanoa St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem (full)

Public cemeteries with Catholic sections Stanly Gardens, Albemarle Sharon Memorial Park, Charlotte Westlawn Cemetery, Clemmons Northlake Memorial Gardens, Huntersville Forest Lawn East Cemetery, Matthews

4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD SPECIAL EDITION

If cremation is desired for legitimate reasons, the Church prefers that the funeral liturgy occur before cremation. Cremated remains are always to be buried or interred.

‘Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites.

How should a Catholic plan for cremation?

First , discuss your questions with a knowledgeable pastor or parish staff person.

Second, if your decision is to be cremated, make your wishes known in your will or in documents designed to help plan your funeral and burial. Provide copies of these documents to family members, your pastor, funeral home, or Catholic cemetery.

Lastly, as you plan, keep in mind the therapeutic value to your family of celebrating the full funeral liturgy with the body present.

When should cremation take place?

The Church prefers that cremation take place after the full funeral liturgy with the body. Sometimes, however, it is not possible for the body to be present for the funeral liturgy. When extraordinary circumstances make the cremation of the body the only feasible choice, pastoral sensitivity must be exercised by all who minister to the family of the deceased.

Think of cremation of the body and committal of the remains as the conclusion of a funeral with the body.

What does a Catholic do with the cremated remains after the funeral liturgy is completed?

The Church requires that the cremated remains be either buried in the ground in a cemetery or placed in a mausoleum or columbarium, preferably in a Catholic cemetery.

The Church recommends that the place of burial or entombment be permanently memorialized with a traditional memorial stone, crypt/niche front, or bronze plaque, minimally marking the name and dates of birth and death of the deceased person.

Since the human body was the temple of the Holy Spirit during life, was fed at the Eucharistic table, and will share in the bodily resurrection, contemporary cultural practices like scattering the cremated remains over water or from the air or keeping the cremated remains at home are not considered reverent forms of disposition that the Church requires. Other practices such as commingling cremated remains or dividing up cremated remains among family members or friends are not acceptable for Catholics.

— www.catholic-cemeteries.org

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Download a general obituary form that can be used with any funeral home or a funeral pre-planning guide

CNS | GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

An urn containing cremated remains is seen in the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery mausoleum in Coram, N.Y., Nov. 2.

CREMATION: Q&A on the proper handling of ashes CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 1963, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an instruction permitting cremation as long as it was not done as a sign of denial of the basic Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead.

The permission was incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1990.

Church law, however, had not specified exactly what should be done with “cremains,” so several bishops’ conferences asked the congregation to provide guidance.

That request led to “Ad resurgendum cum Christo” (“To Rise With Christ”), an instruction “regarding the burial of the deceased and the conservation of the ashes in the case of cremation,” issued Oct. 25, 2016. The document was approved by Pope Francis after consultation with other Vatican offices and with bishops’ conferences and the Eastern Churches’ synods of bishops.

The document has prompted many Catholics to ask whether it changes any regulations about cremation.

Catholic News Service provided some of those questions to the staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship to be answered: Q: The 2016 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith spells out regulations regarding cremation. Does it change anything in how the Church in this country has regulated this issue?

A: No, the document from the CDF doesn’t change anything for us in this country. For example, we already have permission to have a funeral Mass in the presence of cremated remains. What the instruction does do, however, is reiterate the Church’s preference for the burial of the body in normal circumstances, and, when cremation is necessary, its insistence that the remains be properly interred.

Q: If the document says that traditional burial is preferred, does that mean cremation is wrong?

A: If the Church saw cremation as “wrong,” it wouldn’t permit it. Sometimes cremation can truly be necessary. However, the ancient custom and the preference of the Church is to bury the body, whenever possible.

Q: What should I do if I’ve already scattered the ashes?

A: We can’t change the past, of course, and if you truly didn’t realize at that time that it shouldn’t be done, then you shouldn’t burden yourself with guilt. Remember that what happens to a

person’s body after death has no bearing on what happens when that person’s soul meets the Lord on judgment day. However, you might wish to offer extra prayers for the person’s happy repose.

Q: If I plan to donate my body to science, after which it will be cremated, is that OK? What if the laboratory disposes of these ashes?

A: This would seem to be a valid reason for cremation. However, it would be important to make sure that arrangements are made for a funeral Mass, and that a trusted relative or friend is able to receive the remains and see to their proper burial.

Q: How do I convince my dad to let me bury my mother’s ashes, which he now has at home?

A: Only you would know the best way to approach a situation like that, and it would depend a lot on his reasons for keeping the remains and on his own personal faith. Perhaps making him aware of the Church’s preference would be enough to convince him? Or the assurance that his own earthly remains will one day be buried alongside those of his wife? Also, the Vatican’s instruction itself articulates some compelling reasons: “The reservation of the ashes of the departed in a sacred place ensures that they are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of the Christian community. It prevents the faithful departed from being forgotten, or their remains from being shown a lack of respect…” (5).

Q: Many people die and are never buried properly.

Perhaps they die at sea or in an explosion or whatever.

Why is the Vatican worried about something like this when there are so many other problems in the world?

A: This instruction isn’t concerned with those kinds of situations. Burial at sea is necessary at times, as is cremation. The main purpose for this instruction is to help foster a healthy respect for the human body, even after death, especially in light of the move in recent years away from traditional burial in favor of more expedient and economical means. Where contemporary culture today may well question what difference it makes, the Church is reminding us to recall that the human body is an integral part of the human person deserving of respect even after death. The earliest Christians buried the bodies of their dead, and this set them apart from many of their contemporaries. We bury our dead out of reverence for God our Creator, and as a sign that we look forward to the resurrection on the last day.

Order of Christian Funerals’ Appendix on Cremation, no. 413

‘The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come.

This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition.

The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains at the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.’

Order of Christian Funerals’ Appendix on Cremation, no. 417

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SPECIAL EDITIONI

where you CELEBRATE LIFE online.....

On-line Obituaries, Condolences, Tributes and IN-MEMORIAM reminders Photographs, audio files and video tributes.

PUBLISH YOUR RELATIVES & ANCESTORS FOR YEARS TO COME

Publish for FREE until March 31st, 2018.....

CALL US NOW 1 (844) PASSAWAY w w w. p a s s a w a y. o r g 300 South Pine Island Road, Suite 308, P l a n t a t i o n , F L 3 3 3 2 4

Catholic burial, funeral practices explained MONROE — Father Benjamin Roberts pauses between questions during a videotaping at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe, where he serves as pastor. Father Roberts was interviewed by the Catholic News Herald about questions Catholics often raise when planning a funeral.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

At the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch a video explanation of Catholic funeral and burial customs

Scott K. Burger, Attorney at Law www.burgerlegal.com

PO BOX 24701 WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27114

• Estate Planning • Wills

YOU’RE INVITED LUNCH & LEARN

Join Stephanie and the Robertson staff to learn about the options and benefits of Funeral Pre-Planning, followed by informal questions and answers.

Lunch & Learn seminars held monthly at:

336-705-1016 skb@burgerlegal.com

TRIO Restaurant

10709 Mc Mullen Creek Pkwy.

Charlotte, NC

Stephanie Pardee, St. Matthew Parishioner

Estate Planning Elder Law | Probate WAITING COULD DEVASTATE YOUR FAMILY St. Matthew’s Parishioner

704.843.1446 | www.ncestateplanninginfo.com

6406 Carmel Road, Suite 301 | Charlotte, North Carolina 28226

Reserve a seat and your FREE lunch at one of our upcoming seminars. Space is limited.

Call Today!

ROBERTSON

Funeral and Cremation Service

704-752-7710

All dates for upcoming Lunch and Learn seminars are available on our website. Sign up for one today!

www.throbertson.com

5

6

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

Funeral pre-planning guide

Also online At www.ncbfs.org: Learn more about preneed funeral trusts, funeral insurance, cremation vs. burial costs, and how to calculate funeral costs

Use this worksheet to plan your funeral service or as a guide to discuss your wishes with your family

What is pre-planning?

Pre-planning is making your cemetery and funeral arrangements before your death. This allows your wishes to be known, thus eliminating an incredible burden on your loved ones during the very stressful and painful hours after your death. Pre-planning is a concrete sign of your love for surviving family members.

What are the benefits of pre-planning?

CATHOLIC NEWS HERA

Preparing and planning now can assure the type of funeral service appropriate for your loved one. Often times pre-planning and even pre-funding your funeral

arrangements can not only provide peace-of-mind to you, but also to those who suffer emotionally at the time of their loss.

Full name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Social Security Number: ___________________________________ Date of birth: ________________________________________________________ Place of birth: ______________________________________________________________ Father’s name: _________________________________________________________________________ Mother’s maiden name: ____________________________________

The most obvious benefit is that you will relieve your loved ones of the burden of making your cemetery and funeral arrangements at a time of tremendous grief. Your advance planning will give your family the guidance they need to feel comfortable that they are carrying out the decisions you made.

Pre-planning may prevent disagreement among survivors at an emotionally charged time and can assure that emotional over-spending does not occur. By pre-planning and pre-funding cemetery and funeral arrangements, you might be creating exempt assets should you ever have to go on public assistance.

The costs of cemetery property have been escalating at the rate of 100 percent every 10 years. By purchasing in advance, you are locking in today’s pricing.

Education: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At what age should I consider pre-planning cemetery and funeral arrangements?

Veteran of which war? _________________________________________________

Place of Enlistment: _______________________ Date of Enlistment: __________

Service Number: _____________________ VA Claim Number: ______________

Place of Discharge: ________________________________

Branch of Service: ____________________ Rank: __________________________

Date of Discharge/Retirement: __________________________________________

Adults of any age who make their own decisions should have a plan. Like your will, it can be revised throughout your life as needs change. In general, the earlier you preplan the more options you have.

Your cemetery and funeral options will probably never cost less than they do today. Statistics show that 43 percent of all deaths are unexpected; we are not guaranteed any tomorrows.

In our culture, few families are comfortable discussing death and loss.

This is just one of those things that does not get easier as time goes by. Now is the best time for you to get your plan in order.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why should I choose to be buried in a Catholic cemetery?

First and foremost, Catholic cemeteries are a vital part of our Church’s heritage of caring for and burying the bodies of the dead in blessed ground — one of the corporal works of mercy.

— www.catholic-cemeteries.org

Can I donate my body to a university?

Yes. But you must be sure that the body will be buried properly when the experimentations are completed. In this case a Mass should be offered for the deceased.

Marital Status: ____ Married

____ Never Married

____ Widowed

Married to: ______________________________________________

____ Divorced

Date: ______________________________

Place: ______________________________________

Children: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Places lived: ___________________________________________________________

Employment: __________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Civil, fraternal and other involvement: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If a veteran, complete this information or attach copy of discharge:

County in which my discharge is on file with Clerk/Registrar of Deeds: ______ People to be notified immediately: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Obituary announcement to be sent to: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS Collect the following important papers and documents, and tell your family where they are kept: * Safe deposit box * Mortgage(s) and deeds * Military discharge * Cemetery deed * Birth certificate * Will * Living will or advance directive * Bank account information * Attorney * Durable Power of Attorney * Stocks/bonds * Insurance policies

* Health Care Power of Attorney * Computer/website passwords

FUNERAL PRE-PLANNING DETAILS I have a pre-need funeral trust established with: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ I have a funeral insurance policy with: __ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I have looked at caskets/urns/burial vaults and would prefer: ___________________________________________________ _______________________________________ I have considered a marker or monument and would prefer: ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Memorials may be made to: ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

CEMETERY INFORMATION Cemetery preferred: _________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________

Phone: __________________________________________ I ____ own ____ prefer Type of burial rights: ____ Ground burial

____ Columbarium

____ Mausoleum

____ Lawn crypt

If owned, name of burial right holder is/are: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Legal description of burial rights: ____ Lot # ____ Section ____ Row ____ Block

Grave number: _______________________________________

CREMATION I would prefer to be cremated.

____ Yes

If cremation, what type of disposition? ____ Burial

____ No ____ Niche

Cremation vault: ____ Yes

____ No

Donation of organs or body? Describe: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ALD SPECIAL EDITION

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018

Funeral rites planning form FUNERAL HOME: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________________________________

7

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Download a general obituary form that can be used with any funeral home or a funeral pre-planning guide Also at www.catholicnewsherald.com: See a list of local parishes’ funeral planning guides

PLACE OF SERVICE: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Church name) (Address)

____ Funeral Mass

Casket:

____ Open during Wake

Type of casket: ____ Wood

____ Memorial Mass

____ Cemetery/Chapel

____ Graveside

____ Closed during Wake

____ Metal

Cremation – Type of urn: ____ Wood

____ Church Service

____ Cremation coffin

____ Bronze

____ Other: _________________________

____ Marble ____ Other: _________________________

Clergy (if preferred): ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Musical selections (in keeping with the liturgy; please consult priest or music minister): _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Liturgy of the Word desired readings (please consult priest or parish office): Old Testament: ________________________________________ Responsorial Psalm: ___________________________________ New Testament: _______________________________________ Gospel: _______________________________________________ Will family place a pall on casket? ____ Yes ____ No Use incense? ____ Yes ____ No

Lector 1: _________________________________________ Lector 2: ________________________________________ Prayers of the Faithful: ____________________________ Offertory Gifts: ___________________________________

____ Cross or Bible placed on casket?

WAKE/COMMITTAL SERVICE Wake/Rosary Service: ____ Yes Viewing: ____ Public

____ No

____ Private

Location: _______________________________________ Officiant: __________________________________

____ None

Participating organizations at Wake or Committal Service (military, fraternal, lodge, etc.): _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flag (Committal Service only): ____ Draped

____ Folded

Clothing preference: ____ From current wardrobe

____ New

Presented to: _______________________________________________________________ ____ Other: _________________________

Description/color: ______________________________________________________________________________

Personal accessories:

____ Wedding band ____ Eyeglasses ____ Other

____ Stays on ____ Stays on ____ Stays on

____ or Returned to: ___________________________________________ ____ or Returned to: ___________________________________________ ____ or Returned to: ___________________________________________

Pallbearers: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name) (Relationship) (Phone #)

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS (include floral preferences, notes, awards, life achievements, pictures, obituary requests, items to be placed with the remains, etc.) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: Share a copy of this funeral Mass plan with your family, your funeral home (if you have a pre-plan), and your parish office.

‘As you consider the funeral, try to remember that planning a funeral is not a burden, but a privilege. Think of the funeral as a gift to the person who died as well as his friends and family.

It is a chance for all to think about and express the value of the life that was lived. It is also a chance to say goodbye.’ “Preparing for Funeral Liturgies,” St. Matthew Church in Charlotte

What is the ordinary manner of preparing for death and burial? n Save and/or purchase insurance to properly provide for a casket, funeral services and burial. n Remember that the Church desires the full body to be present for the Mass of Christian Burial and for the body to be buried in a cemetery. n Leave instructions that someone will call the priest when death seems close. n Ensure that someone will call the priest for the last rites (confession, anointing and Communion) before death. n Ensure that someone will call the priest when death occurs. n The Prayers for the Dead are to be prayed. (See page 8 for more info.) n The body is prepared for burial by family or the funeral directors. n Arrange for someone to meet with the funeral director to begin preparing for the funeral rites.

How should I prepare for a good death? n Live a Catholic sacramental life. n Develop a Catholic understanding of life and death. n Pray to St. Joseph, patron of a happy death. n Develop an understanding of the Catholic funeral rites. n Prepare with a good confession, the anointing of the sick, and Communion as “Viaticum.” Make sure someone calls the priest. If you are going to have surgery which requires general anesthetic, ask the priest to hear your confession and administer the sacrament of the sick before you go to the hospital. n If you are going to be in the hospital or any nursing care facility, be sure to list the parish priest, deacon and others from the parish whom you wish to visit; otherwise, they will not be able. n Make advanced plans with your parish priest for the funeral rites; read the policies of your parish for funerals. n Save for the expenses of a proper Catholic funeral; most people have insurance policies for this. n Talk with family members and your attorney. Be sure your legal documents give a Catholic understanding of caring for the sick and dying. Be sure your Will provides for food and water to be given until you cannot assimilate it as a part of ordinary care when appropriate. Appropriate ordinary means of life support should also be given where there is hope of cure. Think of appointing a Health Care Power of Attorney with your instructions to be followed. n Make provisions for your funeral in your will; remember that your requests must be in agreement with your parish priest and the Church. n Contact a funeral home to make prearrangements. n Purchase a burial site.

— “Catholic Funeral Guide,” St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia

8

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD SPECIAL EDITION

Many parishes have bereavement ministries or grief support groups.

Check your parish’s website or bulletin, or call the parish office for details.

Prayers for the dead The Mass is the highest form of prayer in the Church, and the most effective prayer that could be said on behalf of those who have gone before us. In Masses for the dead, and especially funeral Masses, “the Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ’s Pasch for the dead so that, since all the members of Christ’s Body are in communion with one another, what implores spiritual help for some, may bring comforting hope to others.” (“General Instruction of the Roman Missal,” 379)

Offering Masses for the dead The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic Sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God” (1032).

It is normal to have a Mass offered as soon as possible for the deceased. Most people leave provision for this in their wills. When possible the “month’s mind,” a Mass on the one-month anniversary and then on other anniversaries, is a good practice. If Masses are not available on those days in your parish, your parish priest may be able to send them to be offered in the missions.

Arranging a Mass for a deceased loved one is easy. Simply contact a Catholic church in the community where you would like to have the Mass celebrated, or at your own parish if you would like to attend the Mass.

A stipend of usually $5-$20 per Mass is offered for the priest who will offer the Mass. Every parish has a Mass offering book, usually kept at the parish secretary’s desk, so that when you call or stop by the parish it is easy to ask for a Mass intention.

Sometimes you may be able to pick a specific day to have the Mass celebrated in memory of the deceased, but at times you may have to accept whatever date is available.

You will receive a Mass card from the parish with the time, date and church name where the Mass will be offered.

You can give the Mass card to the family of the deceased so they know when the Mass will be offered in their loved one’s honor.

Don’t forget to mark down the details on your own calendar so that you can attend the Mass or remember to offer your prayers on that day.

Why is it important to have a grave?

Our cemeteries are places of great sign value as were the catacombs of old.

The grave and the marker are visible signs that a person did live and that it mattered that he or she lived. Years from now someone will walk by our graves and remember us and that it was important that we lived and died. Cemeteries are places of catechesis about death and they are places of prayer in the context of the communion of saints and our waiting for the final coming of the Lord.

We visit the grave often to pray for the deceased and we decorate the graves regularly, especially on Nov. 2, All Souls Day. — “Catholic Funeral Guide,” St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia

PRAYING WITH THE DYING

CNS | GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Memorial candles are seen next to a statue of St. Paul in a mausoleum alcove at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury, N.Y.

Why do we pray for the dead?

CAROL ZIMMERMANN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Praying for the dead might not make sense to nonbelievers but for Catholics it is part and parcel of the faith tradition, rooted in Old Testament readings and supported by the Catechism and the Church’s funeral liturgy.

“Our faith teaches us to pray for the dead,” said Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Ill., in a 2015 All Saints’ Day reflection, stressing that although people hope that those who die are with God and the angels and saints, it is not necessarily a guarantee.

“Scripture teaches that all of the dead shall be raised. However, only the just are destined for the kingdom of God,” the bishop wrote.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the clearest Bible reference about prayers for the dead is from the Second Book of Maccabees. When soldiers were preparing the bodies of their slain comrades for burial they discovered they were wearing amulets taken from a pagan temple which violated the law of Deuteronomy so they prayed that God would forgive the sin these men had committed.

The New Testament echoes this notion in the second letter of Timothy when Paul prays for someone who died named Onesiphorus, saying: “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also has something to say about prayers for the dead, stating: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (1030).

The Roman catacombs where early Christians were buried also were places of prayer.

Today, prayers for the dead begin at the moment of death, often when family members are gathered around the bedside of the person who has died.

Prayers for death and grieving are among the “Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers,” published in 2007 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, that includes prayers immediately after death, prayers for mourners, prayers at the graveside and a more general prayer for the dead.

Of course these prayers continue in the funeral liturgy, which is the “central liturgical celebration of the Christian community for the deceased,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ overview of Catholic funeral rites, online at www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/ bereavement-and-funerals/overview-of-catholic-

Pray regularly for the faithful departed, especially on Nov. 2 (All Souls Day). funeral-rites.cfm.

The funeral liturgy, the website points out, is “an act of worship, and not merely an expression of grief.”

It is a time when the Church gathers with the family and friends of the deceased “to give praise and thanks to God for Christ’s victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God’s tender mercy and compassion, and to seek strength in the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery,” it adds.

The prayers in the funeral liturgy express hope that God will free the person who has died from any burden of sin and prepare a place for him or her in heaven.

“The funeral rite is The acronym “RIP” or a prayer for the dead, R.I.P. is an abbreviation designated by the Church of the Latin phrase as the liturgy of Christian “requiescat in pace” burial,” wrote Bishop or the English “Rest in Braxton in his reflection. peace.”

He noted that many parishes “regularly disregard” the emphasis of this liturgy by printing funeral programs which say: “the Mass of the Resurrection: A Celebration of Life,’ even though the person has obviously not yet been raised from the dead.”

According to the Catechism, most Catholics who don’t merit hell still need purification before entering heaven and pass through a state when they die that the Church describes as purgatory.

In a question-and-answer page on www.

BustedHalo.com, a Paulist-run website, Paulist Father Joe Scott said praying for the dead has “further origins in our belief in the communion of saints.”

The priest, an associate pastor at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community in Los Angeles, added that living members of this communion can “assist each other in faith by prayers and other forms of spiritual support.”

“Christians who have died continue to be members of the communion of saints,” he wrote.

“We believe that we can assist them by our prayers, and they can assist us by theirs.”

Did you know?

As death approaches, the Church stays close to the one who is dying, to give comfort and support. The family should ask that Communion be brought to the dying (this is called “Viaticum, Latin for “food for the journey”).

Members of the local church may wish to join the family in a vigil of prayer. After the person’s death, the family is encouraged to continue praying, and to participate in the preparation of the vigil (wake) and funeral liturgies.

The following prayer may be recited with a dying person, alternating with times of silence. The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are also appropriate. The dying person may also be signed on the forehead with the cross, as was done at baptism.

Holy Mary, pray for me.

St. Joseph, pray for me.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH The following prayer may be recited immediately after death and may be repeated in the hours that follow: V. Eternal rest grant unto him (her), O Lord.

R. And let perpetual light shine upon him (her).

V. May he (she) rest in peace.

R. Amen.

V. May his (her) soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R. Amen.

AT THE GRAVESIDE O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, send your holy Angel to watch over this grave.

Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

At www.usccb.org/ prayer-and-worship/ bereavement-andfunerals/prayers-fordeath-and-dying.cfm: See more prayers and Scripture readings for the dying and for the dead At www. catholicnewsagency.com/ resources/prayers: Find more prayers, including a prayer to St. Joseph for a holy death

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SPECIAL EDITIONI

A Gift for the Ages Many consider their parish or mission family like a “loved one” to be remembered, once family has been taken care of in their will.

Please, consider remembering your parish in your will, or making a tax-deductible contribution to an endowment that already exists for your parish.

Establish a legacy that responds to the gifts God has given to you. Support the future Catholic presence of your parish in ways that provide benefits to you, and that are probably easier to accomplish than you think.

CNS | KAREN CALLAWAY, CATHOLIC NEW WORLD

A woman prays after placing flowers and statues of saints on her son’s grave at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Ill.

For information on how to leave a legacy at your parish, please contact Ray-Eric Correia, Director of Planned Giving at 704-370-3364 or recorreia@charlottediocese.org.

With death anniversaries many find comfort in rituals CAROL ZIMMERMANN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A tricky thing about grief is that it is not a one-shot deal.

Although it is often strongest when it’s first experienced, it can sneak up at any time. It especially reappears on the anniversary of the death of a loved one.

Some have labeled these days as “deathversaries” and even though they are days that can bring up painful memories, they should not be ignored nor do they need to be completely depressing.

The Internet, which is not always a place of solace, actually has plenty of advice for coping with anniversaries of a loved one’s death. Websites including www. modernloss.com or www.whatsyourgrief. com offer the following suggestions: n Take flowers to the grave site or other place where you remember your loved one. n Look at old photos and home videos or put digital photos into photo album. n Volunteer with a charity or cause your loved one liked, or make a donation to the charity in his or her name. n Host a dinner party and invite those who knew this person best and cook foods they liked or gather at the person’s favorite restaurant. n Do something your loved one would

have enjoyed. n Write about your loved one; write them a letter or plant a tree in their name. n Take the day off work. n Ask friends or family members for help.

The Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minn., notes on its website, www. mayoclinic.org, that reawakened grief can occur years after a loss, particularly when people are confronted with reminders of their loved one’s death.

The site advises people to be prepared, especially for anniversary reactions and to plan a distraction for the day or reminisce about the relationship. It reiterates some of the suggestions previously mentioned and also urges people to allow themselves to “feel a range of emotions. It’s OK to be sad and feel a sense of loss, but also allow yourself to experience joy and happiness.

As you celebrate special times, you might find yourself both laughing and crying.”

“There’s no time limit for grief, and anniversary reactions can leave you reeling. Still, the intensity of grief tends to lessen with time,” it adds.

Many cultures celebrate the death anniversary of loved ones by gathering together as families and sharing special foods.

Catholics often mark the anniversary of a loved one’s death by attending Mass or having a Mass offered for the deceased.

Three Convenient Locations Indian Trail: 704-821-2960 4431 Old Monroe Road, Indian Trail, NC 28079 Matthews / Weddington: 704-846-3771 3700 Forst Lawn Drive, Matthews, NC 28014 Ballantyne / Charlotte: 704-714-1540 166151 Lancaster Hwy., Charlotte, NC 28277 www.heritagecares.com

Forest Lawn East Cemetery – Matthews Exclusive Catholic Section

704-846-1068

Ground Burial – Mausoleum Entombments Columbarium Niches

9

10

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD SPECIAL EDITION

Life itself is always a good, and is a quality that can never be lost.

END-OF-LIFE CARE

Ordinary/ proportionate versus extraordinary/ disproportionate means of preserving life Ordinary or proportionate means are those that (in the judgment of the patient assisted by health care professionals) offer a reasonable hope of benefit and do not entail an excessive burden or impose excessive expense on the family or the community. A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary means.

Extraordinary or disproportionate means are those that (in the judgment of the patient assisted by health care professionals) do not offer a reasonable hope of benefit, do entail an excessive burden, or do impose excessive expense on the family or the community.

A person may forgo extraordinary means.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide Euthanasia is an act or omission that of itself or by intention causes death to alleviate suffering. Catholics may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way.

Dying patients who request euthanasia should receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain and other symptoms so that they can live with dignity until the time of natural death.

Nutrition and hydration In principle, there is an obligation to provide patients with food and water, including medically assisted nutrition and hydration for those who cannot take food orally.

Medically assisted nutrition and hydration become morally optional when they cannot reasonably be expected to prolong life or when they would be excessively burdensome for the patient or would cause significant physical discomfort.

— National Catholic Bioethics Center. Learn more online at www.ncbcenter.org.

What kind of legal documents or arrangements about your end-of-life medical care should you have?

An “Advance Medical Directive” and “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care” (or “Health Care Proxy”) are legal documents that take effect if the patient becomes incompetent. Even though these documents can be written without the assistance of an attorney, some states give them considerable legal weight.

An Advance Medical Directive specifies what medical procedures the patient wishes to receive or to avoid. (An Advance Medical Directive sometimes is called “A Living Will,” but because of its association with the advocacy of euthanasia, we have chosen to avoid this phrase.)

Durable Power of Attorney specifies a particular individual (variously called a “proxy,” “agent,” or “surrogate”) to make medical decisions on behalf of the patient (or the “principal”) when the patient is no longer able to do so.

When neither of these instruments is drawn up, the task of making important medical decisions usually falls to the family.

Most states have laws governing the use and implementation of the Advance Medical Directive and Durable Power of Attorney.

All hospitals and health care facilities are required by law to provide written information to the patient about the right to accept or refuse medical treatment and the right to formulate an Advance Directive and/or designate Durable Power of Attorney. The health care facility must also provide written policies stating how the patient’s Advance Directive or Durable Power of Attorney will be implemented. People should remember that they do not have to sign any Advance Directive given to them by the hospital.

WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Make certain that your Advance Directive forbids any action that the Catholic faith considers to be immoral, such as euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. (A Catholic hospital, in any case, will not follow a directive that conflicts with Church teaching.)

Once a directive is made, copies should

More online At www.ncbcenter.org: What are the Church’s teachings on end-of-life decisions and how difficult will it be to follow them? Must we endure a great deal of pain? What if I am no longer able to make medical decisions for myself? Order or download a copy of “A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions,” which describes how you might approach end-of-life decisions in light of the teachings of the Church.

be distributed to the agent and anyone else the patient deems appropriate. One should periodically review the provisions of an Advance Directive and, when there is a revision, all previous copies should be destroyed.

The usefulness of an Advance Directive, which gives specific instructions for care, is limited because of its inflexibility. If circumstances change significantly between writing the Advance Directive and its implementation, the instructions may be of little value to those acting on a patient’s behalf, or may even hinder their freedom to make good decisions. There may also be a problem of interpreting the document when it is not clearly written. An Advance Directive oftentimes does not allow for adequate informed consent because one must make a decision about a future medical condition which cannot be known in advance.

When drawing up an Advance Directive, therefore, one should focus on general goals rather than on specific medical procedures.

Assigning Durable Power of Attorney is preferable to an Advance Directive because it leaves decisions in the hands of someone whom the patient has personally chosen.

A proxy agent also can be more sensitive and responsive to the decision-making that is necessary for a given case. When assigning Durable Power of Attorney one should choose an agent of good moral character – someone who is known to be capable of making sound decisions under stressful circumstances. The agent should know the teachings of the Church and possess the practical wisdom to apply them

to changing circumstances.

An agent, of course, must also survive the patient. One may designate alternate agents in case one’s first choice, for some reason, is unable to act.

A good agent makes decisions for the patient in light of what the patient would choose if able to do so. The proxy, therefore, should be very familiar with your moral convictions and wishes. When there is an Advance Directive from you, this should be the guide. When there is not, the agent must act on the oral instruction that has been given. Sometimes, however, acting in your best interests means ignoring instructions that are obviously unwarranted or clearly immoral. No agent is bound to carry out actions that conflict with morality and the faith.

ALSO NOTE

When formulating any Advance Directive and discussing end-of-life issues, avoid using the expression “quality of life” because it is used by advocates of euthanasia to suggest that some lives are not worth living.

While illness and other circumstances can make life very difficult, they cannot diminish the inestimable worth of each human life created by God. Life itself is always a good, and is a quality that can never be lost. Still, we need not cling to this life at all costs (what’s called “therapeutic obstinacy”), since the life to which we have been called in Christ is incomparably better.

Euthanasia has been defined by St. John Paul II in “The Gospel of Life” as “an action or omission which of itself and by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering.” Supporters of euthanasia often justify it or physician-assisted suicide on the grounds that the pain of terminal illness is too great for the average person to bear.

They hold that it is more merciful to kill the suffering patient. However, the Church holds that “euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person.”

— National Catholic Bioethics Center

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

SPECIAL EDITIONI

END-OF-LIFE CARE What is the difference between foreseeing death and intending death?

The difference ultimately lies in the intentionality of the patient or health care professional. A person should never intend in any way the death of a patient or the hastening of a patient’s death. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a medical decision made during end-of-life care includes such an intention. Certain means can be used to alleviate a patient’s pain, for example, by a physician who foresees that the patient’s life may be shortened as a result (as an indirect, non-intended but tolerated effect of the therapy), but similar means could be used to intentionally shorten a patient’s life.

Are proportionate or ordinary means the same for everyone?

Basic care (such as nutrition and hydration, pain relief, antibiotic treatment, and postural change) is generally the same for all patients and should always be provided. The evaluation of proportionate or disproportionate means, however, is based on objective and subjective factors for an individual patient.

For example, total parenteral nutrition may be a proportionate means in an industrialized country but a disproportionate means in a developing country, where it is not affordable or is technically too difficult to administer.

A treatment may also be disproportionate because it is futile or because it causes complications that are too hard for the patient or the patient’s family to bear.

What ethical problems are there with advance directives?

The right of patients to self-determination can lead them to include morally illicit requests in advance directives, such as requests to have ordinary care withdrawn.

An effective therapeutic alliance between a physician, a patient and the patient’s proxy is the best way to address end-of-life issues.

Requests made by a patient in an advance directive may preclude therapeutic dialogue, preventing such an alliance.

A patient may react to an illness or a specific therapy differently than expected, or medical advances occurring after a directive was written may change the patient’s treatment options in unexpected ways. In such situations, an advance directive may prevent objective moral analysis.

Advance directives are often difficult to interpret and apply in the actual circumstances encountered by health care professionals, relatives and proxies.

Advance directives that do not differentiate between proportionate and disproportionate treatments may be promoted by pro-euthanasia associations as a first step toward acceptance of euthanasia.

What is a Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)?

A Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is a medical order specifying whether life-sustaining treatment is to be used or withheld for a specific patient in various circumstances. It carries the signatures of the health care provider and sometimes the patient.

It differs from a do-not-resuscitate order and a traditional advance directive in that it is actionable from the moment it is signed by the health care provider, even if the patient is still competent and is not terminally ill.

One reason given for use of a POLST and

similar instruments is the avoidance of futile or unwanted treatment. Even without a POLST, however, patients are never obligated to submit to health care procedures whose burdens outweigh therapeutic benefits.

Decisions about forgoing life-sustaining treatment should be made at the time and in the circumstances in which the decisions are needed (not years ahead), and they should be made by the patient or the patient’s surrogate in consultation with the patient’s attending physician, in line with the patient’s known wishes and best interest (not by health care workers who are strangers to the patient but have access to his POLST).

The details of a patient’s medical condition at a specific time need to be considered when such decisions are made, including the imminence of anticipated death, the likely risks and side effects of treatment, the suffering treatment is likely to cause, and the expense to the patient’s family and community.

An optimal advance directive is written in very general terms. Instead of specifying treatment, it designates a health care proxy or surrogate who will make decisions if the patient is incompetent, someone who knows the will of the patient and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

What is the difference between an advance directive and a POLST? An advance directive is a legal document that allows a person to identify a proxy or surrogate decision maker and express his wishes about receiving or forgoing health care, including life-sustaining treatment, in the event that he is no longer able to communicate such wishes.

An optimal advance directive is written in general terms that identify principles on which a surrogate is to base decisions, made with the assistance of a physician, in the specific health care situation encountered by the patient.

A POLST is a medical order about receiving or forgoing life-sustaining treatment that takes effect from the moment the health care provider signs it, even if the patient is competent and not terminally ill.

Why is the designation of a health care proxy or surrogate morally preferable to use of a POLST? Unless death is imminent, it is virtually impossible to compare the benefits and burdens of treatment before a patient has encountered a specific health care situation.

Thus, pre-signed checklists of treatments to be received or withheld are not helpful for making decisions based on the best interest of the patient and consistent with the patient’s wishes.

A well-informed proxy who knows the patient, understands the values held by the patient, and respects the natural moral law can provide a far better understanding of how the patient’s wishes are to be respected than can a general checklist that is not tied to any specific patient care situation.

Is there a clinical situation in which a POLST could be helpful in directing health care decisions?

When a person is terminally ill and death is anticipated from the underlying disease, and not from the withholding of life-sustaining treatment, it could be helpful to have actionable orders to prevent the initiation of futile or disproportionately burdensome treatment.

— National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Learn more online at www.ncbcenter.org.

The details of a patient’s medical condition at a specific time need to be considered.

CCDOC.ORG

Grieving Loved Ones Are Not Alone Last year, Catholic Charities provided 79 individuals with a dignified burial. Catholic Charities has the only such service in the diocese designed to help families who do not have the means to provide a compassionate and dignified burial for their loved ones. Without this service families would have no option but to leave the body of their loved ones unclaimed at the morgue.

Burial Assistance helps families who have no insurance or finances to pay the costs associated with death expenses.

If you need assistance, call the Catholic Charities office nearest to you: Charlotte – 704-370-3262, Winston-Salem – 336-727-0705, Asheville – 828-255-0146 This program relies on the generosity of individual donors and community supporters. To donate, visit the website ccdoc.org.

11

12

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD SPECIAL EDITION

Opportunities for giving Everything we have, everything we are, and everything we will become is a gift from Almighty God. As stewards of those gifts, we are called to return a portion of our time, talent and treasure in gratitude for God’s great bounty. The Diocese of Charlotte – with its parishes, offices, agencies, schools and outreach ministries – has many ways for you to give back in gratitude for what God has blessed you with:

Donate online Secure donations can be made online via credit card or direct debit at www. charlottediocese.org/donations for: Campus Ministry Diocesan Support Appeal (DSA) Eucharistic Congress Forward in Faith, Hope & Love (FFHL) MACS Education Foundation Seminarian Education Triad Area Catholic Schools Education Foundation

Donate by mail Donations in any amount may be made via mail directly to the Diocese of Charlotte, or to any of the ministries mentioned at left. Checks should be made payable to the particular program (as mentioned at left), except for Campus Ministry and Seminarian Education, both of which should be made payable to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Please designate in the memo section of your check where your gift should be directed. Please send donations to: Diocese of Charlotte Attn: Finance Office 1123 South Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203-4003

Securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds) Gifts of stock may be made via electronic transfer or by physical certificate. The

Diocese of Charlotte maintains a brokerage account with Wells Fargo Advisors for the purpose of processing electronic transfers to the diocese for the benefit of the diocese or any of its parishes, schools or agencies.

Refer to the Stock Donations section at www. charlottediocese.org/donations for detailed guidance on initiating a transfer of stock.

Planned giving and endowments Many people choose to contribute to the future of the Church in western North Carolina through planned gifts, including real estate, retirement account plans, life insurance policies, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and gifts made through a will or living trust.

The Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte aims to provide long-term financial stability for the diocese and its parishes, schools, ministries and agencies. Through endowments and other planned gifts, it provides a means to generate income to help sustain the long-term strength and viability of Catholic institutions in western North Carolina.

Making a gift in your will To leave a bequest to the Church in your will, use the following language: n For a parish, Catholic school or Catholic agency, the listing should be: “Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, or his Successors in Office for the (name and city of parish, school or agency).” n For the diocese, the listing should be: “Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, or his Successors in Office.” n For the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation, the listing should be: “Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte to be added to or establish the (name) endowment fund.”

For details about any of these planned giving opportunities, contact Ray Correia at recorreia@charlottediocese.org or 704370-3364; or Judy Smith at jmsmith@ charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3320.

Help a neighbor in need: Help Catholic Charities Make a donation today to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte that will transform lives by strengthening families, building communities, and reducing poverty in your local neighborhoods.

It’s easy to help a neighbor in need:

Donate online

Donate by mail

Vehicle donations

Food donations

Donate securely online at www.ccdoc. org/donate using a credit or debit card or EFT/ACH.

Donations may be mailed to: Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte Attn: Central Processing Office 1123 South Church St. Charlotte, NC 28203-4003

Catholic Charities also has opportunities for you to donate your car, truck, RV, boat, motorcycle or other vehicle. For details, go online to www.ccdoc.org/donate/ donate-cars-vehicles, or call (toll-free) 855-930-GIVE or 855-930-4483 to speak with Catholic Charities’ partner, Charitable Auto Resources.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s food pantries in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Asheville rely heavily on donated food and nonfood items for weekly distribution to clients.

Items regularly requested by clients are: canned fruit, juice, tea and coffee, rice, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, and tuna. Non-food items such as toiletries, diapers, laundry detergent and paper products are also needed. For food pantry locations and drop-off times, go to www. ccdoc.org/donate/donate-grocery-items.

Checks should be made payable to Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

(Please include your address, daytime phone number and parish.)

You can also donate using your Donor Advised Fund.

You can also double the impact of your donation with your employer’s matching gift and mail your matching gift form to the address above.

HUMAN DIGNITY AT THE END OF LIFE TM

A CONFERENCE THAT EQUIPS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO PRACTICE THE HIGHEST ETHICAL AND MEDICAL STANDARDS

APRIL 14, 2018 | 8:45AM – 6:15PM BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE 100 BELMONT MT HOLLY RD, BELMONT, NC

PRESENTED BY

Continuing education credits for healthcare professionals will be offered.

Converging Roads™ is an initiative of the St. John Paul II Foundation

CONVERGINGROADS.COM

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI RIGHT SIDE PAGE PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Catholic Priests Become Lifesavers; Providing Relief During African Famine Father Fabian Hevi and the priests from the Society of African Missions have served the Turkana people of Lodwar, Kenya, for many years. Father John Fortune has a long history in Africa too. His current outreaches serve the famous Maasai living in Ewuaso Kedong. While both men are no strangers to the challenges of running Catholic missions in Africa, neither has had to deal with anything like the current drought and famine ravaging their region of Africa, and they both feel overwhelmed by the deadly potential of the disaster.

The world’s news media has covered the story sparingly, but even the few facts they have shared are staggering. Approximately 20 million people have been impacted. Families are at risk of starvation. The livestock of the tribal peoples are dying in alarming numbers, and that loss will effectively destroy the livelihoods of families, leaving them at even greater risk.

president of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the leading Catholic charities supporting relief efforts in Africa. Cross Catholic Outreach had supported other outreaches by Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune, and quickly came to the priests’ aid when the famine became a concern.

“We were monitoring the drought very carefully, and Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune were too. These areas are very dependent on rainy seasons, and the two priests became very alarmed when those periods passed without rain. For example, the Lodwar area hasn’t had significant rain in nearly a year and a half! That’s disastrous.

And now, people and livestock are dying as a result,” Cavnar said.

To address the plight of the people, Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune have worked with Cross Catholic Outreach to secure and distribute food and other resources in the most drought-ravaged areas. Food outposts have been established, but the group needs

Fr. Fabian (above) and Fr. Fortune (not pictured) are supplying grains and other lifesaving commodities to poor families in hard-hit areas of Kenya.

The statistics are tragic and the media’s stark photos are compelling, but Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune have a different perspective on the problem. They are addressing the disaster at a much more personal level, dealing with the suffering families in their parishes as priests should — with understanding, compassion and a practical response that respects each individual’s dignity and value.

“These two men are modern-day heroes. The scale of the drought and famine is daunting, but that hasn’t kept them from acting on behalf of the families in their parishes, and precious lives are being saved as a result. We consider it a privilege to stand with them and to support the food and medical outreaches they are leading in their communities,” said Jim Cavnar,

financing to keep the aid flowing.

“I’m begging on behalf of the poor — asking American Catholics to help us fund the feeding programs Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune have set up,” Cavnar admitted. “We have the people and structures in place to save lives, but we’ll need donations to purchase and transport the food these starving families need. The next rainy season is still a few months away, and we’ll lose a lot of precious people if nothing is done to sustain them between now and then.”

The goal of the ministry is to provide Fr. Fabian and Fr. Fortune with large food packets containing rice, cornmeal, cooking oil and other staples capable of sustaining a large family for two weeks. These would

be distributed twice a month until the area’s life-threatening drought conditions improve.

Funding from American Catholics is needed to sponsor the food and to help with the costs of transportation within Africa.

Cavnar added that prayers are also desperately needed.

“We pray for rain — and for God to strengthen these poor people. The famine’s impact is traumatic and families are falling

into despair. As herds of goats and cows die, many men see their livelihoods vanishing before their eyes, and they are heartbroken about the impact those losses will have on their families. The priests say some of the men are even driven to consider suicide. We must pray for them and empower the area’s Catholic leaders so they can instill hope in the community and restore es o e lost souls.”

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. AC01379, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168.

If you identify a specific aid project with your gift, 100% of the proceeds will be restricted to bee 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.

13

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Capital campaign feasibility study under way for MACS Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

St. Leo students shine WINSTON-SALEM — Students representing St. Leo School earned 10th place in the recent Math Counts Regional Math Competition at Wake Forest University. The group, led

by Matthew Pinder in the countdown round, included CJ Pacholke, Katherine Craig, Sophia Espenilla-Bochert and Francesca Moya.

Espenilla-Bochert also earned honors as the winner of St. Leo School’s spelling bee. Runner-up was Grace Galyon.

In addition, Thomas Pinder recently won the school’s geography bee.

— Melissa Kinsley

CHARLOTTE — Plans for a fine arts center to serve all of the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools are being explored again, several years after leaders put a similar proposal on the back burner.

The MACS Office, the Charlotte Catholic High School Development Office and the Diocese of Charlotte Development Office are eyeing plans for a fine arts center that would be located on the campus of Charlotte Catholic High School and would serve the MACS schools and be available to the broader community.

Since Charlotte Catholic High School moved to its present location on Pineville-Matthews Road in 1995, school leaders have recognized the need for providing a dedicated fine arts facility.

Especially as the award-winning chorus, band, theater and visual arts programs at MACS schools have grown, space has become more limited.

The last time a fine arts center at

HAVE YOU ANSWERED THE CALL TO SUPPORT THE DSA? 5%

When we make our annual contribution to the Diocesan Support Appeal we join with all

7% 27% 14%

our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the diocese to do the Lord’s work – works that no one

14%

33%

individual or parish can do alone.

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

THANK YOU!

DSA gifts support the following: Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte....33% Education....27% Multicultural Ministries....14% Vocations....14% Eucharistic Congress and Housing Ministry....7% DSA Campaign Costs....5%

Charlotte Catholic was considered was in 2011, when planning was also under way for the high school’s stadium renovation and parking deck. The stadium renovation and parking deck were completed in 2015.

Now, plans for a possible fine arts center are being looked at afresh.

A Pre-Campaign Advisory Committee has been working with the schools and development offices, and the diocese has hired the Steier Group, a Catholic fund development consulting firm from Omaha, Neb., to complete a comprehensive feasibility study which will determine whether there is enough support for the project.

Principal Kurt Telford recently updated MACS parents about the proposed project and asked for their opinions through a brief survey. “This study will allow us to gather everyone’s thoughts regarding the plans for the Fine Arts Center,” Telford said. “It will also determine whether there is sufficient support to move forward with a major fundraising effort. Should we embark on a capital campaign, the planning study will help us determine a realistic fundraising goal and identify campaign leaders, potential major

donors and a campaign timeframe,” he said.

Plans call for the MACS capital fee to provide $15 million of the project’s total $23.3 million cost.

The approximately 54,000-squarefoot fine arts center would house a 650-seat auditorium and a high-quality performance and exhibit space for MACS students. It would also house two art studios and a band room, broadcast studio, ceramics studio, dance studio, dark room and digital lab, photography lab, stage and theater.

Charlotte Catholic’s visual and performing arts classes would move to the new center, freeing up space in the existing high school building for regular classrooms as well as space for a weight room, wrestling room and additional academic uses.

The fine arts center would be located on the site of a gravel parking lot, adjacent to the current gymnasium wing of the high school.

Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, noted that the schools have not conducted a major regional capital campaign since the mid-1990s, when Charlotte Catholic was relocated.

March 16, 2018 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

15

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

OLM spelling bee, geography bee winners

KELLY HENSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Angela Dierking leads a class of second-graders to fourth-graders in a lesson about basic physics using Lego manipulatives at Gifts Homeschool Co-op at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro.

Homeschool co-ops provide support for Triad homeschool families KELLY HENSON CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — Catholic families in the Triad who educate their children at home are increasingly banding together in cooperatives – small groups that provide positive social interaction for students who see the world as their classroom and their family as their teachers.

Kingdom Kids is a preschool co-op (for ages 3-5) that meets every Monday and Wednesday morning during the school year at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro. Each year, there is also an option for a Friday class for rising kindergarten students. Parents rotate teaching and assisting with lessons, field trips and service projects. This year, they have four families involved and two prospective students.

Kingdom Kids has been going strong for 17 years, thanks to the dedication of parents like Meg Foppe and Rebecca Pearson-Yates, this year’s coordinators. What attracted Foppe to Kingdom Kids was the hybrid option between traditional preschool and an involved homeschool model.

“I felt my child needed more of a structured learning environment, more than I could offer at home at the time, but didn’t think a full preschool program was the right decision either,” Foppe says. “I think Kingdom Kids presents a very unique opportunity for the child as well as the mother, a gradual stepping out of a comfort zone for the child and a community of support for the mother.”

For Foppe’s five children, Kingdom Kids has served as a launching pad for future education through Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro. But for other families, it’s the first step in a longer process of home education.

Two Catholic Triad area co-ops provide an environment for academic enrichment for years beyond preschool. Holy Family Homeschool Enrichment of the Triad meets at Holy Family Church in Clemmons, and Gifts Catholic Homeschool Co-op meets at St. Paul the Apostle Church. These co-ops see a living Catholic faith as the informing ethos and essential point of connection as they gather

diverse homeschool families.

Holy Family Co-op began about a decade ago through the dedication of two homeschool families who wanted more time together for support and enrichment. Greensboro families, like Kimberly Romie’s, drove to participate in and learn from the Clemmons co-op before branching off to form Gifts Co-op a few years later.

Both co-ops meet once a week, beginning with daily Mass at the parish and followed by two to three classes for every grade level, preK-12th grade. They also both have a nursery for babies and toddlers ready to get a little independent play away from Mom. These vibrant co-op communities rely on parents to share their talents as teachers and assistants for the classes chosen by the families each year.

Jen Waugh and her four children, aged 4-14, are members of the Holy Family Co-op, and she serves as the coordinator this year.

The relationship between the co-op and the local parish is important to their success as a community, Waugh notes.

“At a recent Mass, our pastor, Father Michael (Buttner), included all the children in his homily by speaking directly to them and then warmly thanked all our homeschooling families for participating in the Mass,” she said. “Our priests and other staff members give us the highest compliment when they proudly recommend our group to any homeschoolers they meet! For that reason, our group continues to grow. We currently have 18 families and approximately 45 students ages 4 to 17, as well as a nursery for children 3 and under.”

Waugh’s family has used the classes to enrich their core curriculum taught at home.

Holy Family Co-op offers classes divided by age group and includes offerings such as “bell choir, theology, science, logic, geography, and story and craft classes for younger students.”

Waugh enjoys teaching science. “Right now I am teaching a class on electricity to grades 4 and up. In past semesters, we have built rockets, dissected a pig and drew life-size models of the human organ systems.”

HOMESCHOOL, SEE PAGE 16

WINSTON-SALEM — In Our Lady of Mercy School’s recent spelling bee competition, the winner was sixth-grader Callum Forest, who defended his title as OLM Spelling Bee Champ for the third year in a row. He then went on to win the Forsyth County Non-Public Schools Spelling Bee Championship for the second year in a row.

Forest’s win advances him to compete in the televised 2018 Winston-Salem Journal regional competition March 18.

He is pictured with Sister Geri Rogers, principal, and Elena Pueschel.

In the school’s annual spelling bee, held Jan. 9, eighth-grader Nancy Rhodes (right) came in first and sixth-grader Amy Okonkwo (left) was the runner-up.

Other class representatives were Carson Weaver, fourth grade; Jean Claude Younan, fifth grade; and Ariana Tsehaie, seventh grade.

— Tammy Eason

Flynn wins Sacred Heart’s geography bee, advances to State Bee

In addition, winners of Our Lady of Mercy School’s recent geography bee were: first place, Khoa (Kenshi) Nguyen; second place, Miller Aho; and third place, Katherine Brown.

— Katrina Capistrano

St. Michael’s geography bee, spelling bee winners GASTONIA — Sixth-grader John Gustashaw (left) was the winner of St. Michael School’s recent National Geography Bee. Runner-up was fourthgrader Jonah Gardner (right).

Other participants included Austin Rios, Kyra Osei-Boateng, Zachary Kimmel, Allison Kimmel, Amry Rivera, Sydney Smith, Ariana Tsehaie and Carson Weaver.

SALISBURY — Sacred Heart seventhgrader A.J. Flynn recently won the school’s annual National Geographic Bee and advanced as to the next level of competition April 6 at the 2018 N.C. National Geographic State Bee. He is pictured with Principal Tyler Kulp and Father Lucas Rossi, parochial vicar.

He joins 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories invited to compete in the State Bees.

Flynn, the son of David and Rene Flynn, will compete to earn a spot at the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters May 20-23 in Washington, D.C. The first-place national champion will win a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, and an all-expense-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour II. Second- and third-place finishers will receive $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the National Geographic Bee, developed by the National Geographic Society in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the U.S. — Robin Fisher WE WELCOME your school’s news! Please email news and photos to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

16

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

JOURNEY FROM PAGE 5

“I eventually felt that the rich tradition, history and steadfastness to the truth that the Catholic Church possessed was something that I needed, and so I decided to dedicate myself fully to it,” he says. “I had been baptized and taken my first Communion, so I started taking RCIA classes to prepare myself for the sacrament of confirmation and coming into the full life of the Catholic Church.”

He emphasizes, “I wholeheartedly believe that God has led me on this path and brought many people into my life that have shown me the way to Him.” Raised a Southern Baptist, Leslie Melikian is a wife and mother who will enter the Church during the Easter Vigil also at St. Eugene Church. The 41-yearold and her husband have been married 18 years and their 14-year-old son, who was baptized as an infant, will also receive his first Holy Communion and be confirmed at the Easter Vigil.

“Though I was never baptized, my parents (who are both still Baptist) instilled in me the love of God and love for Him, especially the appreciation for His creation,” Melikian says. “I’ve never wavered in my love for God, but always felt that the relationship that I had with Him personally was enough.”

Melikian says her husband grew up Catholic and attended Catholic schools all the way through high school. “But after we met and while we have been married, he has basically only gone to church on holidays and family events. I’ve usually attended with him and have always felt very comfortable in the Catholic Church.”

“I’ve never felt any pressure from my husband or his Catholic family to convert,” she says. “There was a time years ago that I said that I would never convert, that I was perfectly comfortable with the relationship I had with God. “However, as we know, never say never.”

Last Easter her husband decided that rather than giving up something for Lent, he would start going to Mass regularly.

“So after about the first month, I started going as well,” she says.

“When everyone would get up to go to receive the Eucharist, I would use this time to pray and listen. Not prayers of what I wanted to happen, but prayers asking God for His guidance in what His will was for me to do. It was in those quiet moments that I felt such a strong pull to be a part of the Church, and things during Mass started touching me like they hadn’t before.”

When it came time for RCIA, she says, “it was no-brainer for me, and the journey has been wonderful. So many things, little things, have changed in my life since I put my trust in that this is where God is calling me to be.”

Melikian says she is attracted by the love and mercy of God expressed through the Church, as well as by the liturgy of the Mass itself.

“The structure of the Mass has also been a wonderful thing for me,” she says. “Each week I always leave feeling a little more ‘full’ and so thankful to be a part of it.”

“As I said before, I had always felt that my personal relationship with God was enough. But going to Mass on Sundays and with meeting with the RCIA group, it has without a doubt proved to me that relationship alone is not enough.”

“It is when we worship together that the presence of God is more strongly with us,” she says. “And that community brought together also helps spread the

love that was taught to us.”

RITE OF ELECTION

Before people can receive the sacraments of initiation and join the Church, they must be officially called to the sacraments by the bishop or someone designated by him, during what’s called the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion.

The Rite of Election marks the end of formal study of the teachings and practices of the Church, and the catechumens and candidates are now called “the elect.” Three Rites of Election were held during liturgies over the past few weeks around the diocese: Arden, Charlotte and Greensboro.

On Feb. 24, catechumens and candidates and their sponsors, friends, family and clergy gathered from 17 nearby parishes for the Rite of Election at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro.

“We call these 40 days of Lent that we are now in, a period of purification and enlightenment,” Bishop Peter Jugis said in his homily. “Those two words are significant in what you are undergoing.

“Purification is a time to purify your mind and hearts through prayer and repentance.” And enlightenment, he said, is when “we turn away from sin and towards something else.”

Patricio Morillo, RCIA director for over a decade at Holy Family Church in Clemmons, says, “A lot of people now realize how close we are to the day when they are going to receive the sacraments, and they are very excited. This really makes it real for them. Before it was instruction and so forth, but this is a special day where they see that they are very close and they start really looking inward.”

Holy Family Church will welcome 14 catechumens and candidates this year, he says.

“I think the variety of the people that come is always amazing, the way the Holy Spirit brings them in is always amazing, but when they get right down to it, it’s always for themselves,” says Neil Rochette, St. Pius X Church RCIA team member and sponsor. “And they have to decide that it is for themselves.”

During the Rite of Election in Greensboro on Feb. 24, families gathered in pews with loved ones, team members and sponsors. Some families had many on this journey together. Francis Rodriguez, a member of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, will be witnessing and celebrating his entire family joining the Catholic Church this Easter.

A parishioner and longtime catechist Dr. Karen Dyer, has been teaching the sacramental prep class at St. Paul the Apostle Church for almost two decades.

“This is my 18th year of teaching,” she says. “It’s very inspiring, and I learn just like they do.”

Christ the King Church in High Point not only celebrated its 75th anniversary this past year, but RCIA team members are excited to celebrate the largest group of catechumens and candidates since the parish was established in 1940.

“We had 19 all together,” says Judy Sowell, interpreter for the RCIA team, the largest group in Christ the King’s history.

When asked how this day and this journey has made her feel, Holy Cross catechumen Michelle Castillo simply answers, “I feel closer to God.” During his homily Bishop Jugis enjoined those gathered to “let God be God. We are called to a dependence upon God through His grace and His love,” he said. “We’re dependent upon Jesus for our life and our sustenance. We are dependent creatures. We need God for everything.”

HOMESCHOOL FROM PAGE 15

The Gifts Co-op is also growing. Two new families this semester brought them to a total of 25 families and 92 children.

When Kimberly Romie first began the co-op in 2012 with Carrie Richter and Susan Myrick, she explains, “(My husband) Randal and I were members at St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro. Father Mike (Nguyen) was the pastor and welcomed us with open arms.

We met weekly on Fridays in their Parish Life Center for many years. Eventually we outgrew their PLC and we approached St. Paul’s and moved to their location.”

Father Joseph Mack, pastor, and his staff have generously accommodated this growing ministry at St. Paul’s. Now, Romie’s daughter Lilliana has graduated her homeschool program and is a junior at Belmont Abby College.

“For our family, Catholic homeschooling was a true gift from God,” Romie says.

“Lilie had the benefit of true friendships with like-minded kids. It built a great foundation for her life and gave her a chance to be who God intended. Our Catholic co-op and the one in WinstonSalem gave her a core group of friends and parents that she felt and feels are a life-long support. It was life changing for our family.

As a convert to the Catholic faith and not having my family as a support, we have been blessed by so many of these amazing Catholic families. They are our family.”

Like Holy Family Co-op, Gifts Coop focuses on a changing selection of enrichment classes. This year, many grade levels are mastering the techniques and styles used by great artists and craftsmen of the past, learning basic physics through Lego construction, and acquiring skills in various sports through PE programs.

Walking through the halls of St. Paul, teens can be seen discussing Theology of the Body, toddlers jump and shake instruments in a Music & Movement class, and middle schoolers hammer nails into boards for string art plaques.

Pamela Gaylord is a veteran homeschool mom of 20 years. She has 10 children, and she has served as a coordinator for the Gifts Co-op for the past three years.

Gaylord shares some of her favorite memories of co-op projects: “In the past, the children have performed a musical, created a 3D replica of a church, and made shawls to pass out at a nursing home.” Celebrations of Catholic feast days and service opportunities also bring the families together, as they dress up for All Saints’ Day, sing to nursing home residents, compete to make ‘plarn’ for sleeping mats for the homeless, or perform in a Christmas Around the World party, she says.

For those who may have children too young for much formal schooling or who just want a social outing to break up their week, a fourth homeschool co-op meets every Wednesday at a park in Greensboro or the surrounding area. Frassati Friends was begun by Emily Ayala in 2016.

Ayala shares, “Each time we meet for short prayer, picnic lunch, playtime for the kids, and support for the moms in a relaxed environment. I think moms have enough responsibilities at home, so I’m trying to provide a place where they can ask other Catholic moms questions or share prayer requests, and the only chores are driving to the park and packing or picking up lunch.

Members sign up on the website (a Yahoo group), and from then on will receive an email once a week giving that week’s meetup location.”

Recognizing that there is a broader group than just homeschoolers who crave

Catholic friendship during the week, she adds, “We also welcome school-enrolled families when they’re on vacation and can join us, as well as Catholic mothers of preschoolers.”

Frassati Friends also continues to meet through the summer months.

While classroom experience, play and work with their peers is a bonus for homeschooled students, the communities created within these co-ops offer close friendships and irreplaceable mentorship between adults and children and between older and younger students. When fellow co-op members welcome a new baby or suffer from an illness, loss or other disaster, families are quick to jump in and assist.

To some, homeschool families look like they are accomplishing the impossible by running a household with the constant companionship of their children and leading the education of those children as well. But only a few minutes into conversation with a homeschooling mom and she will assure you with a sense of humor that while they feel a unique calling within the education of their children, they are not “bulletproof.”

Allyson Hoyng is a member of Gifts Co-op and has homeschooled her six children, one of whom is now a mother who is homeschooling her own family.

Hoyng says when her first three kids began to homeschool, a tight curriculum budget restricted them to library books and second-hand math books from retired teachers. She struggled to be confident she was educating her children in the ways they needed. However, when several family tragedies hit in a row, including the loss of their grandmother who lived with them and the death of their own father after a battle with cancer, she saw that the true fruits of homeschool go beyond spelling and arithmetic. Her family unit was strong because of the two years spent together, and despite their sufferings, her kids “blossomed.”

Each family’s homeschool journey is different. Waugh echoes many other homeschool parents: “Why do I homeschool? There are as many reasons as there are days. I love that I get to tailor my education to my children – each different child gets their different needs met. I love that in addition to the formal education my kids receive, they are immersed in family life and get the time to spend growing up with their siblings. I homeschool because I want to see my children grow up and, despite the difficulties, I just love being with my kids. I love that I get to shelter my kids for a little bit from the influences of the outside world while they are young, so they can hold on to their innocence for just a little longer. That time will be over before I know it. Time flies. They grow up too fast.

I will take all the time with them I can.”

Catholic co-ops help her to accomplish this task, she says. “The point is, raising kids today is hard and whether you school at home or send your kids to a public or private school, we are all striving to help our children into heaven. It is a tough job and we need all the help and backup we can get.”

KELLY HENSON is a correspondent for the Catholic News Herald and one of the coordinators for Gifts Catholic Homeschool Co-op.

Get connected n Kingdom Kids: Meg Foppe at mefoppe@gmail. com n Holy Family: Jennifer Waugh at waughjen@ yahoo.com n Gifts Co-op: Jen Schulteis at jenschult1@ gmail.com n Frassati Friends: Emily Ayala at ayalasgolf@ gmail.com

Mix

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

a prodigy, and to her supportive would-be boyfriend. With the women magic’s assistance, the kids set off on a cosmic quest to track pop down and bring him home. The ultimate message of Ava DuVernay’s film, that we should love ourselves even while acknowledging our faults, can be seen as promoting the Christian virtue of humility. And the youthful romance is a model of innocence and positive, if not always convincing, emotional interaction.

Occasional peril, possible momentary off-screen immodesty.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG

‘The Hurricane Heist’

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ New Age-style bromides dominate the script of this often eye-pleasing adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 novel for young adults.

Four years after the unexplained disappearance of her father (Chris Pine), a NASA scientist who, together with his physicist wife (Gugu MbathaRaw), had developed an unorthodox method of time and space travel, a middle-school student (Storm Reid) is still devastated by his absence.

She gets help in searching for Dad from an unlikely source: a trio of celestial guides (Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling) who mysteriously manifest themselves to her and her younger brother (Deric McCabe),

Serviceable mash-up of the apocalyptic weather event and crime caper genres in which two estranged brothers, one a meteorologist (Toby Kebbell), the other a mechanic (Ryan Kwanten), join forces with an ATF agent to foil the crime of the title, an inside job (led by Ralph Ineson) designed to take advantage of the compulsory evacuation of Gulfport, Alabama, to rob the local branch of the U.S. Treasury.

Though the film’s feeble attempts to establish human interest fail entirely, viewers seeking nothing more than fast-paced action will find what they’re looking for in director Rob Cohen’s busy B movie. The closest thing to any moral dimension comes through the Afghan War vet repairman’s refusal to leave a comrade behind and the federal officer’s unswerving dedication to duty. Frequent stylized violence, much crude and some crass talk.

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

On TV

‘Death Wish’ Even dressed up with some style and the presumption of wit, this remake is the same nihilistic racist vigilante fantasy that the five films in the first series were years ago. Director Eli Roth and screenwriter Joe Carnahan have set the tale of Paul Kersey, originally a New York architect played by stone-faced Charles Bronson, in Chicago, where this Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a smirking, yet highly dedicated and compassionate, emergency room surgeon.

Vigilantism theme, skewed view of law enforcement, frequent gore, pervasive gun and physical violence.

CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

‘Red Sparrow’ Gruesome violence and gratuitous sexual content ruin this otherwise engaging espionage thriller. Disabled in an onstage accident, a Russian ballet star (Jennifer Lawrence) is recruited by her uncle (Matthias Schoenaerts), a highly placed and ruthless intelligence official, to train as a seductress of foreign agents in a school perversely dedicated to the purpose.

Her eventual target is a veteran CIA operative (Joel Edgerton) who serves as the contact for an unusually valuable Kremlin mole. But her ultimate loyalty, throughout the zigzagging plot, remains intriguingly uncertain. Excessive graphic violence, including horrific torture and at least one use of profanity, numerous rough, crude and crass terms.

CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

n Saturday, March 17, 3 p.m. (EWTN) “Celebrate St. Patrick.” A musical program that combines sacred and secular Irish music in celebration of the life of St. Patrick. n Sunday, March 25, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday.” From the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. n Sunday, March 25, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Savior.”

A cinematic presentation of the life of Christ according to the Gospels. n Sunday, March 25, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday from Rome with Pope Francis.” n Tuesday, March 27, 11 p.m. (EWTN) “The Human Face of God in the Holy Veil of Manopello.” Host Paul Badde goes on-location in Italy to explore the Veil of Manoppello and its relation to other images of the Holy Face of Christ. n Wednesday, March 28, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Washing of the Feet.” Scholar Frances Hogan continues her study of the Gospel of John, focusing on the second half, known as the Book of Glory, where Our Lord prepares His disciples for spreading the Gospel. n Wednesday, March 28, 11 p.m. (EWTN) “A Scriptural Journey of the Via Dolorosa.”

Join pilgrims in walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, with meditations on the scriptures and the Passion of Christ at each of the Stations of the Cross.

THE SONG YOU KNOW. THE STORY YOU DON’T.

PaulMovie.com /PaulMovie |

IN THEATERS MARCH 16 Get Your Tickets Today! © 2018 Imagine Rights, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

17

/user/AffirmFilms

FOR SOME VIOLENT CONTENT AND DISTURBING IMAGES.

© 2018 CTMG. All Rights Reserved.

IN THEATERS MARCH 23

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Thousands attend Rev. Graham’s ‘last crusade’ under revival-style tent PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

CHARLOTTE — Under a billowing white tent and Carolina blue sky, Christian leaders and close friends said goodbye to “America’s pastor,” the Rev. Billy Graham, during a private funeral service March 2.

The 28,000-square-foot tent was reminiscent of the “canvas cathedral” in which the Southern Baptist preacher conducted his 1949 Los Angeles Crusade that propelled him onto the national stage. The tent blocked the windy weather for 2,000 invited guests who had gathered in front of the Billy Graham Library for the service.

Rev. Graham died Feb. 21 at his home in Montreat. He was 99.

At the funeral – what his family dubbed his “last crusade” – Rev. Graham was remembered as a tireless preacher of the Gospel and America’s best-known Christian evangelist. In the tradition of his revival-style crusades, speakers also used the occasion to repeat Rev. Graham’s call for people to repent and to accept Jesus Christ.

“My father’s greatest longing is granted,” said Franklin Graham, the late evangelist’s oldest son and head of the family’s worldwide ministry, the Billy Graham Evangelical Association.

He delivered his sermon from the pulpit Rev. Graham once used at his famous crusades. “Today he’s in heaven. His journey is complete.”

He continued, “If this were your funeral, would you be in heaven? Are you sure?

Jesus still calls us to follow Him today.”

“The Bible says that God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but all should come to repentance,” the younger Graham said. “This motivated my father to preach the Gospel with urgency. He wanted to warn men and women of the consequences of sin.”

He repeated the Scripture verse from John 14:6 that Rev. Graham frequently quoted in his sermons: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

“This verse was probably in every message my father preached,” he said.

Then he again called on people to repent, adding it was “no better time than right here at Billy Graham’s funeral.”

Dignitaries at the funeral included President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and first lady Karen Pence, the governors of North Carolina and Tennessee, and religious and political leaders, supporters, friends and Graham extended family members.

The service featured hymns sung or played by some of Rev. Graham’s favorite musicians, several of whom had accompanied him on his crusades.

Since his ministry began in 1947, Rev. Graham conducted more than 400 crusades on six continents and reached an estimated 215 million people. He stressed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but did not steer people

CNS | LEAH MILLIS, REUTERS

Pallbearers and family members carry the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham during his funeral service in Charlotte March 2. toward any particular church.

In a nod to Rev. Graham’s close ties to the Catholic Church, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York was there to pay his respects and remember the influence Rev. Graham had on his life and on Christianity in the United States.

“I grew up in a sound Catholic home, and yet my mom and dad and my grandparents loved listening to Billy,” Cardinal Dolan said.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Rev. Graham offered a message of hope in a world full of conflict, communist oppression and materialism, he said. “People naturally said, ‘Where do we go from here? Weapons don’t seem to be doing it, wars don’t seem to be accomplishing anything ... where do we go?’ And Billy said, “You go to the Lord.’

“So for me, to have heard a man say that, let me tell you – he had an impact on me becoming a priest, because I said I’d like to do what he does.”

At his crusades, Rev. Graham’s staff connected people to their local Catholic church, and he always made a point of reaching out to the local Catholic bishop wherever he traveled.

Rev. Graham played a “tremendous role,” Cardinal Dolan said, “in the American evangelical movement.”

“He was able to have a political impact without being partisan,” he said.

Rev. Graham counseled 13 consecutive U.S. presidents of both parties and reached millions more through radio, television, and film – helping to lead the great evangelical awakening of late 20th century America.

In a statement, Bishop Peter J. Jugis, a fellow native of Charlotte, called Rev. Graham “an inspiring example of a life lived in total dedication to Jesus Christ and His Gospel.”

Rev. Graham’s moral authority was instrumental in North Carolina’s approval of a constitutional amendment protecting marriage between one man

and one woman. In the 2012 campaign, in one of his last public acts, Rev. Graham added his voice of support for traditional marriage to that of North Carolina’s two Catholic bishops and other faith leaders.

Although North Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment, it was struck down in 2015 by a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex unions.

While his crusades took him to six continents, Rev. Graham’s love for his home in the mountains of western North Carolina remained constant.

In the week following Rev. Graham’s death, family and friends paid homage to the famous evangelist’s North Carolina roots. His body was transported by motorcade from his longtime home in Montreat, near Asheville, to Charlotte – a 130-mile route that recalled his childhood and early ministry.

Thousands of people lined the motorcade route, and thousands more paid their respects while his body lay in repose at the Billy Graham Library Feb. 26-27 and then in honor at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 28-March 1.

After the funeral, Rev. Graham’s coffin – a simple pine box crafted by prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, the nation’s largest maximum-security prison – was interred next to his wife of 63 years, Ruth Bell Graham, at the foot of a crossshaped walkway in a prayer garden next to the Billy Graham Library. Ruth Graham died in 2007.

The gravesite lies only four miles away from the site of the dairy farm where Rev. Graham grew up.

His grave marker, cut from North Carolina stone, bore a message he personally chose: “Billy Graham, November 7, 1918–February 21, 2018, Preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6.”

Graham’s ties to Catholic leaders CHARLOTTE — Rev. Billy Graham’s work with Catholic Church leaders dated back to the early days of his ministry, when television broadcasts of “Billy Graham Crusades” began airing in 1957, about the time the Emmy Award-winning show “Life is Worth Living” with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was just ending.

“It is not surprising that among his closest friends from the Catholic world was Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen,” noted Passionist Father Jerome Vereb of Pittsburgh, a longtime friend of Rev. Graham’s who worked with him as a former official of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. “As each of them engaged in evangelization from a different stream of Christianity, they shared an underlying spirituality of humility and meekness that supports the cause of Christian unity.”

“Billy Graham always treasured his many friendships with Roman Catholics,” Father Vereb wrote March 2 in the Pittsburgh Catholic. “He regarded them not just as ecumenical partners in a diplomatic sense, but as his co-laborers in the vineyard of the Lord.”

Rev. Graham also became close friends with St. John Paul II, whom he met in Rome in 1981. The pope said they were “brothers,” and it was easy to see why: Both crisscrossed the globe over the course of their decadeslong ministries, preaching the Gospel to millions but with special concern for persecuted peoples.

Like the late pope, Rev. Graham traveled extensively, preaching personally in 53 countries and broadcasting his crusades live to audiences in more than 185 countries. Massive crowds turned out at his stadium crusades – his largest single-day audience was 1.1 million people during a 1973 crusade in Seoul, South Korea.

He led about a dozen crusades in his home state, including four in his hometown of Charlotte. His last crusade in Charlotte was in 1996.

Rev. Graham reached out to include Catholics in the leadership of his crusades, and at the crusades’ “altar calls” his staff connected people identifying themselves as Catholic to their local Catholic churches.

Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, then the personal secretary for Bishop William Curlin, served on the committee for Rev. Graham’s 1996 crusade, along with Jim Kelley, diocesan development director, and Spiritan Father Ed Vilkauskas, the diocese’s evangelization director.

“The scope of the event was vast, the energy of the staff and committee members was electric and the attitude of Dr. Graham made it all so very ecumenical,” Monsignor Marcaccio recalls. “That was important. We have to recognize that not everyone who was drawn to the crusade was as appreciative of our Catholic tradition as Dr. Graham. I feel certain that some of the more fundamental denominations were skeptical of us even being there. I must say that with Dr. Graham being there it was a feeling as if in a family, when the patriarch is present and all the siblings lay aside their squabbles and get along for at least as long as Dad is in the room.”

“Our Church is blessed to have that paternal feeling of care and order and harmony in the consistent apostolic ministry of the pontiff, our pope, who is the bridge builder for the Christian churches,” he continued.

“Through my ministry on the crusade committee I witnessed Dr. Graham in the symbolic role of bridge builder for the Christian churches of the Carolinas.”

Kelley co-chaired the 1996 crusade’s Love in Action Committee with Rev. Bill Wood from First Presbyterian Church. That effort collected more than 40,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for needy children.

“At the pre-crusade dinner with Rev. Graham,” Kelley recalled, “he mentioned that I was the first Catholic ever asked to chair one of the crusade committees.

I said to him, ‘Don’t you think it is about time?’ He laughed and said yes.”

Kelley also praised Graham’s broad, ecumenical approach with his crusades. “Billy Graham reached out to Catholics at the invitation at the end of every night.

We had more than 1,000 people express interest in taking their next steps in their spiritual journey through the Catholic Church. We developed Catholic response teams who called those people, sent them letters of welcome and invited them to a gathering a month after the crusade at St. Matthew so they could continue their journey with us,” he said.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

disparaging remarks” about immigration.

In September, Trump announced his administration was ending the program, and he gave lawmakers until March 5 to find a legislative solution to protect the young adults benefiting from DACA, which was put in place in 2012 through an executive order signed by President Barack Obama.

In Brief

Bishops urge conscience protection for health care workers

Dozens of Catholics arrested as they ask Congress to help ‘Dreamers’ WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dozens of Catholics, including men and women religious, were arrested near the U.S. Capitol Feb. 27 in the rotunda of a Senate building in Washington as they called on lawmakers to help young undocumented adults brought to the U.S. as minors obtain some sort of permanent legal status. Some of them sang and prayed. Many of them said they had no option but to participate in the act of civil disobedience to speak out against the failure of Congress and the Trump administration to help the young adults.

Third federal judge rules on DACA; says Trump acted legally BALTIMORE — A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that President Donald Trump acted legally in ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying “the decision to wind down DACA in an orderly manner was rational.”

In a 30-page decision handed down late March 5, Judge Roger W. Titus ruled in the case of CASA de Maryland v. the U.S. Department of Homeland Security et. al. Titus is a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, based in Baltimore. Titus said Trump’s executive order to rescind the program “is clear as to its purpose and reasoning,” but he also acknowledged Trump’s “occasionally

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life and religious freedom committees have asked U.S. Catholics to contact members of Congress and urge them to enact the Conscience Protection Act as part of the funding bill for fiscal year 2018.

Congress faces a March 23 deadline to approve an omnibus appropriations measure that likely would fund the government through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Lawmakers will consider whether to include the Conscience Protection Act of 2017 in the bill.

“Increasing and fierce attacks on conscience rights regarding abortion cry out for an immediate remedy,” said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., chair of the Committee for Religious Liberty.

In a joint statement March 6, they urged Catholics to flood Congress with emails and calls asking for enactment of the measure and “to pray for this outcome.”

comprehensive approach to the reduction of violence in society and the protection of life.”

The bishops have advocated for such measures for decades and will continue to do so, said Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education. In the aftermath of the tragic attack Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., “this moment calls for an honest and practical dialogue around a series of concrete proposals – not partisanship and overheated rhetoric,” they said in a joint statement March 5.

dedicated the country’s newest cathedral March 3. Bishop Richard F. Stika greeted the gathering of more than 1,000 with a simple phrase after the three-year building project: “Well, we made it.” Five cardinals, 21 bishops, more than 100 priests, 58 deacons, and 39 men and women religious took part in the three-hour dedication Mass along with more than 800 East Tennessee Catholics. “Isn’t it amazing what can be done with generous offerings, some buckets of paint, slabs of marble, and months of work?” Bishop Stika asked. “But in a few moments – depending on how long I preach – this building, this house, this combination of man-made materials and nature’s creation, will be a church, a home, a cathedral. Why? Because we dedicate, we consecrate, we set apart for God this space, this sacred space, dedicated under the title the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

— Catholic News Service

Catholics celebrate nation’s newest cathedral in Knoxville KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Diocese of Knoxville

GLOBAL CATHOLIC TOURS OF VIRGINIA

2018 PILGRIMAGES

11 Days Italy September 10-21, 2018 $3,950 each 1 night Milan, 2 nights each in Florence and Assisi, 4 nights in Rome. With Fr. Dan Pisano from Wellsburg, WV 13 Days Fatima – Lourdes – France September 17-29, 2018: $4099 each 3 nights Fatima, 1 night Burgos, 2 nights Lourdes, 1 night each in Rocamadou and Nevers, 3 nights in Paris.

With Fr. Tom Mattingly from Williamsburg, VA. 11 Days Poland and Prague October 1-11, 2018: $3650 each 2 nights Warsaw, 1 night Czestrochowa, 3 nights each in Krakow and Prague. With Fr. Bjorn Lundberg from Winchester, VA.

Bishops: Address gun violence in ‘comprehensive way’ WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairmen of two U.S. bishops’ committees said it is long past time for the nation’s leaders to come up with “common-sense gun measures as part of a

19

9 Days Holy Land October 8-16, 2018: $3340 each 1 night Tel Aviv, 2 nights Galilee, 3 nights Jerusalem. With Fr. Terry Crone from Newnan, GA. For brochures or information, contact John Tagnesi PH 1-888-544-4461 or jtag1964@ verizon.net

This Lent, come join us in prayer at the

Traditional Latin Mass.

The Mass of Calvary.

The Mass of the Martyrs & the Saints.

Sundays 9:00 am Low Mass (Offered during Lent) Charlotte Catholic HS Chapel 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road Charlotte, North Carolina

The Mass of our Ancestors.

The Mass of All Ages.

Sundays 12:30 pm High Mass (Coffee & Donuts after Mass) St. Ann Catholic Church 3635 Park Road Charlotte, North Carolina

Latin-English & Latin-Spanish Mass booklets will be available as well as a pamphlet on the connections between the Traditional Latin Mass and the Passion of Christ. For more information, please contact the Charlotte Latin Mass Community at info@charlottelatinmass.org; or visit www.charlottelatinmass.org.

Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope adds feast of Mary, Mother of the Church to universal calendar CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decreed that Latin-rite Catholics around the world will mark the feast of “the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church” on the Monday after Pentecost each year.

The Gospel reading for the feast, which technically is called a “memorial,” is John 19:25-31, which recounts how from the cross Jesus entrusted Mary to His disciples as their mother and entrusted His disciples to Mary as her children.

The decree announcing the addition to the Church calendar was released March 3 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

Pope Francis approved the decree after “having attentively considered how greatly the promotion of this devotion might encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety,” the decree said.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the congregation, noted in a brief commentary

published the same day, that Blessed Paul VI in 1964 had formally bestowed the title of “mother of the Church” on Mary, but that recognition of her maternal care for the Church and for believers had already spanned centuries.

“The feeling of Christian people through two millennia of history has cultivated the filial bond which inseparably binds the disciples of Christ to His Blessed Mother in various ways,” the cardinal said.

The Church calendars of Poland, Argentina, St. Peter’s Basilica and some religious orders already set aside the Monday after Pentecost as the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

Honoring Mary as mother of the Church on the day after Pentecost also highlights for Catholics that Mary was present with the disciples on Pentecost, praying with them as the Holy Spirit descended.

Cardinal Sarah said that Mary, “from the awaiting of the Spirit at Pentecost, has never ceased to take motherly care of the pilgrim Church on earth.”

Along with the decree and his comments, Cardinal Sarah also published in Latin

Do you have a car sitting in a driveway catching leaves? Maybe it will not start or needs a major repair. Catholic Charities benefits from the donation of your vehicle. Donate your vehicle and receive a tax benefit!

Call 1-855-930-GIVE today!

CCDOC.ORG

Pope Francis venerates a Marian image outside the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome in this May 26, 2016, file photo. The pope has instituted a new Marian feast honoring Mary as mother of the church. It will be celebrated every year on the Monday after Pentecost.

CNS | PAUL HARING

the specific liturgical texts for use on the memorial at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Bishops’ conferences “will approve the

translation of the texts they need and, after receiving their confirmation, will publish them in the liturgical books for their jurisdiction,” the cardinal said.

Elite tours planned just for you …

Specializing in trips to:

the Holy Land, Italy, Lourdes, Fatima and custom tours to all of Europe.

Exclusive 5-star accommodations and services.

Maximum group size 24 people. Airfare and all-inclusive prices.

Call us for more information and brochures.

769-220-2702 or 769-233-6515 tony@procatholictours.com www.procatholictours.com Kami LeVern General Manager PO Box 626 Ridgeland, MS 39158

Donate Your Car Make your car go the extra mile.

Donate your car to Catholic Charities to help fund programs for those in need. All vehicle makes, models and years welcome.

Truck, boat, RV and motorcycle donations accepted.

855.930.GIVE (4483) www.ccdoc.org/CARS Catholic Charities relies on your direct support to help fund its various ministries.

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

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Miracles attributed to Pope Paul VI, Romero clear way for sainthood VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of Blesseds Paul VI and Oscar Romero. At a meeting March 6 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, Pope Francis signed decrees for the causes of 13 men and women – among them a pope, an archbishop, two young laywomen and a number of priests and nuns. He recognized a miracle attributed to Blessed Paul, who, according Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, will be declared a saint in late October at the end of the Synod of Bishops on youth and discernment.

Blessed Paul, born Giovanni Battista Montini, was pope from 1963 to 1978.

Pope Francis also formally signed the decree recognizing the miracle needed to advance the sainthood cause of Archbishop Romero of San Salvador, martyr.

Retired pope says criticism against Pope Francis is ‘foolish prejudice’ VATICAN CITY — On the eve of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election, retired Pope Benedict XVI defended the continuity of the Church’s teaching under his successor and dismissed those who criticize the pope’s

theological foundations. In a letter sent to Monsignor Dario Vigano, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for Communication, Pope Benedict applauded the publication of a new book series titled “The Theology of Pope Francis.”

“It contradicts the foolish prejudice of those who see Pope Francis as someone who lacks a particular theological and philosophical formation, while I would have been considered solely a theorist of theology with little understanding of the concrete lives of today’s Christian,” the retired pontiff wrote.

Vatican official urges support for Mideast Christians VATICAN CITY — Christians in the Middle East, particularly those who have been forced from their homes by violence and persecution, need the support of the Catholic Church, a Vatican official said.

“Let us show them concretely our closeness, through our constant prayer and through our monetary aid,” said Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches. Such support is especially key now that the Ninevah Plain in Iraq has been liberated from Islamic State and “most Iraqi Christians and Syrians want to return to their own land where their houses were destroyed, with schools, hospitals and churches devastated.

Let us not leave them alone,” he said in a letter sent to bishops around the world. In the letter, the cardinal urged Catholics around the world to give to the annual collection for the Holy Land on Good Friday or on the date established by their local bishops’ conference.

The collection was established in 1618 by Pope Paul V to support Eastern-rite churches in communion with Rome and maintenance of holy sites under Catholic care in the Holy Land.

He wrote that the traditional collection is a way for Catholics worldwide “to be one with our brethren in the Holy Land and the Middle East.”

Pope: Even when people reject God, His love is never lacking VATICAN CITY — God’s love is never lacking, despite people’s sins and rejection of His presence in their lives, Pope Francis said at a Lenten penance service. “Sin is the way that we distance ourselves from him. Yet that does not mean that God distances Himself from us. The state of weakness and confusion that results from sin is one more reason for God to remain close to us,” he said March 9. The penance service in St. Peter’s Basilica marked the start of the worldwide celebration of “24 Hours for the Lord,” a period when at least one church in every diocese was invited to be open all night – or at least for extended hours – for confession and Eucharistic Adoration.

21

and marginalization – all typical of a throwaway culture – toward attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world.”

— Catholic News Service

Th{l Catholie �hopJ){l AT BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE

Catholics must counteract ‘refusal to welcome’ migrants ROME — The Catholic Church and Catholic agencies that work with migrants and refugees around the world are called to educate, advocate and seek alternative host countries in the face of a growing “refusal to welcome” newcomers, as the Vatican secretary of state defined the situation. Opening the plenary assemble of the International Catholic Migration Commission March 6 in Rome, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis’ top collaborator, decried how “the most economically advanced” nations, especially those who “undeniably owe a great deal of their development to migrants,” are now trying to close their borders. At a time when migrants and refugees are fleeing increasingly “terrible experiences” and encountering violence and abuse on their journeys, Catholics feel a particular responsibility to welcome the stranger, he said. Pope Francis, he said, encourages Catholics to move away from “attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference

WE H:AVE RCl:A, FIRST COMMUNION :AND CONFIRM:ATION GIFTS

Wash Away Your Sins on Divine Mercy Sunday April 8, 2018 St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy Charlotte NC 28277

Conditions for Plenary Indulgence Attend Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday Venerate Divine Mercy Image Receive the Eucharist Go to Reconciliation (within 20 days before or after)

3 pm Hour of Great Mercy in Church

“In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of me, in virtue of My Passion” (Diary 1320) Prayers, Homily, Exposition, Singing Chaplet, Blessing with 1st Class Relic of St. Faustina Divine Mercy Cenacle Hospitality Follows in Banquet Room

EVERYTHING IS ON SALE!

Take 20% off one regular price item of your choice.

Take 10% off all additional items in your purchase.

Take advantage of hundreds of items recently marked down to 50% and 75% off.

Monday thru Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Located In St. Leo's Hall, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd., Belmont, NC 704.461.5100 CatbollcSboppe@bac.edu www.BelmontAbbeyCollege.edu

ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Deacon David King

Who is Venerable Magdalen?

Editor’s note: To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we remember one of the Diocese of Charlotte’s many Irish roots – that of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, sisters who came from Ireland and England and established Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point.

W

Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart

Did you know?

In 1947, five Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God from England and Ireland traveled to North Carolina. With little more than a dream and a whole lot of faith, they opened a 22-bed nursing home, which they called Maryfield, in the High Point convent where they stayed.

Six decades later, the expanded continuing care retirement community offers a variety of active lifestyle, assisted living and full care choices. The 71-acre campus is now called Pennybyrn, the premier provider of long-term care in the Triad.

More online At www. smgsisters.com: Learn more about the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, the cause for canonization of their foundress Venerable Magdalen, and their ministry at Pennybyrn at Maryfield

e all know God, relate to God, love God and serve God in our own unique ways.

For Frances Margaret Taylor – founder of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, and now known as Venerable Magdalen of the Sacred Heart – the call to serve God was spurred by her fascination with the mystery of the Incarnation and how it prompts us to care for one another.

Frances Taylor was an Englishwoman, born in 1832 in a prosperous village in Lincolnshire. Her father was the village’s Anglican vicar, and her mother’s family were merchants and shopkeepers in London. Frances and her three brothers and five sisters loved to play in the beautiful countryside and enjoyed the simple joys of outdoor life. Fanny, as she was known, also loved to hear and tell stories. When Frances was 10, her father died and the heartbroken family had to move out of the rectory they loved and travel to Brompton, London, under reduced circumstances.

For the 10-year-old Frances, London opened up much to see and to learn. London was beautiful, she found, but it wasn’t long before she noticed the city’s squalid underbelly. What really upset her was seeing hungry, shabbily dressed children of her age living on the streets, and in response she felt called to serve the poor and vulnerable.

She went with her sister Charlotte to the Anglican convent in Devonport in answer to her older sister Emma’s call to nurse cholera victims.

In 1852 Fanny trained as a nurse and continued her hospital work in Bristol for the next two years.

She then served as a nurse in Plymouth during the city’s cholera epidemic.

In 1854 the Crimean War broke out, and nurses and volunteers were urgently needed to tend the wounded and dying soldiers returning from the front.

She joined a second wave of women volunteers sent out to nurse at British military hospitals in Turkey. Her experiences, some horrifying, some frustrating, distressing and overwhelming, at hospitals in Scutari and Koulali, had a profound effect on her life.

She briefly worked alongside Florence Nightingale at Scutari Hospital. At the hospital in Koulali she assisted French Sisters of Charity and worked alongside the Irish Sisters of Mercy in nursing Irish soldiers.

Frances found the conditions and resources in these ramshackle battlefield hospitals shocking, but she was so impressed by the soldiers’ Catholic faith and the sisters’ dedication that she felt called to convert to Catholicism in 1855.

Frances and two other women were assigned the task of caring for 1,400 wounded and frostbitten soldiers, who had been transported to the hospitals after a harrowing voyage across the Black Sea. Even those who read the newspaper accounts could not have imagined the full horror of the war and of the improperly equipped conditions for the British Army.

Frances wrote: “As we passed the corridors, we asked ourselves if it were not a terrible dream.

When we woke in the morning, our hearts sank at the thought of the woe we must witness during the day. At night we lay down wearied beyond expression; but not so much from physical fatigue, though that was great, as from the sickness of

heart occasioned by living amidst such a mass of hopeless suffering.”

She felt the hopelessness was beyond description, yet her deep Christian faith caused her to reflect: “patience, deeply suffering ones, every drop in this most bitter cup is portioned out for you, and as you drink it, it will be treasured up in heaven. You have followed bravely an earthly captain to victory; follow now the great captain of your salvation, through the dark valley.”

Frances saw firsthand the immense comfort of the sacraments of confession, Holy Communion and extreme unction. She wrote: “Death indeed became familiar to us as the ordinary events of life and in it all, the influence of the nuns and priests on the patients was a beneficial one: those who had lived for years in sin, today, once more sought their Savior: those whose last remembrance of prayers and sacraments had been in days gone by, in the shelter of their homes, now returned to the God of their youth.”

In 1856 as the Crimean War was coming to an end, Frances returned to London to care for her ailing mother and her brother. To support her family, she turned to writing – recounting her experiences as a wartime nurse.

In 1857 she published her first book, “Eastern Hospitals and English Nurses,” an appeal for reform of the nursing system and of the way the poor were treated. It was an instant success. She launched a career as author, journalist, editor and translator of fiction and non-fiction works.

After four visits to Ireland in 1864 to 1867, Frances published “Irish Homes and Irish Hearts.”

These years in Ireland formed something of a watershed in her life – almost as if she felt she would find the answer to her quest for her calling there. She returned home confirmed in her desire to serve the poor – which meant a much different life from the respected career she had built as a writer and editor.

Nonetheless, Frances realized that God was calling her to something more than writing.

She prayed each day to God for guidance and discernment about entering religious life. In her search she traveled and experienced the lives of other sisters throughout Europe, and she struggled to learn what motivated them and gave them courage and fortitude in their service to God. She became a nun, taking the name Sister Mary Magdalen of the Sacred Heart.

It is said that she experienced extreme insomnia as a result of her traumatic experiences nursing in the Crimea.

Because of her persistent prayers and daily sufferings, the Holy Spirit led her to the realization that she was to start a congregation herself. At 37 years old, she founded the Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God in London.

Tradition tells us that Mary’s wish from childhood was to be the handmaid of the Lord, so Frances had the idea of calling her congregation the Servants of the Mother of God and of the Poor.

Some thought that was a little too long, so the altered version is what she kept: the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. Frances, or Mother Magdalen as she became known, was joined by a growing number of women who also sought to serve God by caring for the poor and the sick. The Incarnation and the Visitation were their inspiration.

“God wants to become incarnate in me.” This was the motto summarizing the founding grace of Frances Taylor. Her great attraction was to

the mystery of the Incarnation – especially when Mary said yes and the angel departed, leaving Our Lady alone, kneeling and bearing within her the Word made flesh, that moment when the “power of the Most High did overshadow her, and God was hidden within her.” Frances believed in the indwelling of God from her baptism, and her humility delighted in the gift that all that was good in her was from God’s own life within her.

The action that followed Mary’s being “overshadowed,” the Visitation, when Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, is the completion of prayer, the completion in action, the ideal for every member of the congregation. It is also the natural outcome of God’s presence received into a person’s life.

Her deep appreciation of the mystery of God living within each person is the key that unlocks the call and the founding grace of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. It gives words to the spirit of Frances Taylor, and it puts the Incarnation at the heart of the sisters’ lives and in the ways they are the presence of God in the world.

Believing this, Mother Magdalen spent her life revealing this insight through deep reverence for every single person.

By the time Mother Magdalen died on June 9, 1900, the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, based in England and Ireland, administered more than 20 convents and institutions where they focused on refugees, hostels, schools, orphanages, teaching and health care. Her death was noted widely all over Britain and abroad, even in Australia and the U.S. In the sermon preached at her funeral, Jesuit Father Francis Scoles said, “With pains and prayer she left a perfect work.”

In 2014, Pope Francis declared as Venerable Mother Magdalen and authorized the Church to search for the two healing miracles needed to proclaim her a saint.

Throughout the ages, certain individuals have been given special gifts to inspire, challenge and guide people and nations. Venerable Magdalen has left us many examples of her goodness, and we thank God for them: For her example of dedicated service to stand sure and convinced of the need to stay with what cries out to be served.

For her example of enthusiasm to begin each day with zeal and love.

For her example of generosity and gratitude in recognizing our gifts and claiming them as our own, to use and to give away.

For her example of joyfulness in celebrating even the smallest of events and achievements.

For her example of prayerfulness and her great love of the Incarnate God and His Mother Mary.

For her example of gentleness shown in her great respect for the dignity and uniqueness of each person.

For her example of encouragement in appreciating and affirming the gifts of others.

For her example of hospitality in welcoming all, especially the stranger.

Can you see any of these gifts in yourself ? Can you take any of them and make them your own?

By her life’s work, leadership and example, this is what Venerable Magdalen asks us to do in following Jesus Christ, with the Blessed Virgin Mary as our model.

DEACON DAVID KING is assigned to Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point. This commentary is adapted from a talk he recently gave there.

March 16, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

23

Letters to the editor

Violence will continue until all humankind follows Jesus’ teachings

Sister Mary Raphael

A saint to know

S

for the love of God. As a just man living with Jesus and Mary, Joseph possessed a profound understanding of prayer and the interior life.

He faithfully carried out his earthly vocation, but his mission continues. As patron of the Universal Church, said Pope Leo XIII, St. Joseph “shines among all mankind.” With Mary he protects souls and aids those in need.

He understands the trials and hardships that many families endure. He knows what it is like to seek employment, as he had to find work in Egypt to provide for his family. He knows the agony of fleeing from enemies and worrying for the family’s safety. He understands the daily burden of sweating to make a living. He is a real saint for real people.

Fathers and husbands look to him as an example, Mothers and wives pray to him for their men and boys. Single women ask him to find them good spouses. Consecrated religious seek his help in striving for fidelity to their vocations. Fatherless children find in him a father. Widows find in him strength and support.

For years I have cherished a prayer to St. Joseph that brings me great consolation and is worth sharing. I do not know who wrote it, nor where it came from, but it is a gem. Here are a few excerpts: “I consecrate myself to thee, good St. Joseph, as my spiritual father; I choose thee to rule my soul and to teach me the interior life, the life hidden away with Jesus, Mary and yourself. Above all, I want to imitate the humble silence with which you “San José y el Niño Jesús,” by Francisco de Herrera the Elder shrouded Jesus, Mary and yourself, (1648) and even your own happiness…

“I consecrate myself to thee as my intercession before God’s throne? He is St. guide and model in all my duties so that Joseph, foster father of Jesus and patron of I may learn meekness and humility: the Universal Church. with meekness toward my brethren, my With little visibility in the Gospel neighbor and all with whom I come in narratives, St. Joseph hides in the shadows contact; with humility towards myself of Scripture and seemingly plays a small and simplicity before God. I choose thee, role in salvation history. However, nothing good Saint, as my counselor, my confidant could be further from the truth. and my protector in all my difficulties and One only has to think practically to appreciate the lofty role of St. Joseph in the trials. I do not ask to be spared crosses and sufferings, but only from self-love which life of Jesus and Mary. God entrusted His might vitiate their value by making me Son and the Blessed Mother to the care of vain over them. For myself, I shall honor this just man from Nazareth. No one ever and love and serve thee with Mary, my had a greater treasure to protect. mother; never shall I separate her name Joseph faithfully took care of these from yours in my love…” treasures, both in the joyful moments as March is the month dedicated to St. well as the crushing trials. Though deeply Joseph. We have much to thank him for in peaceful and perfect in their relationships intercession for our diocese. with each other, the Holy Family did not In closing, I borrow the words of St. experience the luxury of an untroubled Teresa of Avila, “I only beg, for the love of life. After Christ’s birth, they were forced God, that anyone who does not believe me to flee into Egypt, a foreign country with will put what I say to the test, and he will a foreign religion and culture, seeking see by experience what great advantages refuge from those who wished to kill the come from his commending himself to this newborn King. When the 12-year-old Jesus stayed behind in the Temple, Joseph shared glorious patriarch and having particular devotion to him.”

Mary’s worry and searched until he found Jesus.

SISTER MARY RAPHAEL is a member of the Daughters As a carpenter, he provided for the of the Virgin Mother, a community dedicated to serving material needs of Jesus and Mary. He the spiritual and practical needs of the priesthood and of worked humbly and with dedication, seminarians in the Diocese of Charlotte. sanctifying his daily work by performing it t. Teresa of Avila once said, “I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant…I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have long experience of the great blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and who rendered him particular services who did not totally advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him.”

Who is this saint with such powerful

The March 2 letter to the editor from Kenneth Schammel, “Respect for life versus guns,” raises some interesting points. However, guns in and of themselves are not evil.

It is the illicit user of the gun that is evil. Evil has no weapon of choice. Abortionists don’t use guns. Adolf Hitler used gas chambers. Timothy McVeigh used fertilizer and a truck. The Sept. 11 terrorists didn’t use guns. The Boston Bomber didn’t use a gun.

Countless others have been murdered by beheadings, car bombs, hangings and nerve gas.

The main issue, in fact, is respect for life. The mention of God is either forbidden or detested in the public sector. Many of us who worship and honor God are ridiculed for professing our beliefs. Until all humankind acknowledges and practices the teachings of Jesus, the violence will continue.

WILLIAM J. BARKER lives in Charlotte.

Pray for Jesus to heal our nation As someone involved with Respect Life activities, I can understand Kenneth Schammel’s recent letter expressing concern about firearms and respect for human life. However, the underlying cause of mass shootings is not easy access to or the use of firearms, but the breakdown of the family, tolerance of abortion, the acceptance of pornography, and society’s abandonment of God. In short, disrespect of human life is a moral and spiritual problem, not legislative. Sadly, attacks against life will continue in a nation that permits the killing of millions of the most innocent and vulnerable.

Only in ending this primary cause of violence, and asking the Precious Blood of Jesus to wash and heal our nation, can we cure our country’s cultural disease. I invite everyone to attend the Vigil of the Two Hearts that is held each First Friday and First Saturday of the month at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte to join in prayer for the unborn and for the conversion of our country. Go to www.prolifecharlotte.org/twohearts to learn more.

TAMMY HARRIS is co-coordinator of the Catholic Pro-Life Action Network.

Most-read stories on the web

‘We have to listen, open our hearts, because it is God Himself who is speaking to us.’

Pope Francis

From online story: “Readings at Mass offer God’s ‘real-time’ help, pope says” Through press time on March 14, 5,535 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 9,528 pages. The top headlines in March so far are: n Charlotte Catholic Honors Choir performs in New York City.......................................................472 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald.........................................................397 n Special academic programs at OLG embody the universality in Catholic education...........259 n Sister Eileen McLoughlin retires after 31 years of ministry in the diocese..............................233 n Thousands gather for Billy Graham’s ‘last crusade’........................................................................155 n Exitoso Encuentro Regional en Miami................................................................................................ 144 n Holy Angels clinic dedicated to the late Bishop Curlin...................................................................140 n Carolina Catholic Chorale produces first album................................................................................132 n CCHS announces National Merit Scholarship Finalists................................................................... 99 n ‘Justice on the Tap’ focuses on Catholics and the refugee crisis..................................................98

Join the conversation online facebook.com/ catholic news HERALD

@CatholicNewsCLT

Diocese of Charlotte

Pinterest.com/ charlottecnh

Letters policy The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be written from a perspective of Christian charity.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org Mail: Letters to the Editor

Catholic News Herald

1123 S. Church St.

Charlotte, N.C. 28203

24

catholicnewsherald.com | March 16, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

AUGUST 20 - 29, 2018 Includes roundtrip airfare, 4-star accommodations, transportation, assistance of a tour manager, WMF registration & much more!

$3,995 $4,470 $2,795 Double

Triple

Ground only

Call Canterbury Pilgrimages

800.653.0017

or visit canterburypilgrimages.com/charlotte

Fr. Joshua Voitus Pilgrimage Chaplain