July 20, 2018

July 20, 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

Eucharistic Congress adds track for special needs children, adults

Humanae50 years Vitae later

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School building projects under way this summer 3

INDEX

Contact us..................................... 4 Español........................................18-21 Events calendar............................ 4 Our Faith........................................ 2 Our Parishes............................ 3-12 Scripture readings....................... 2 TV & Movies..................................13 U.S. news................................ 22-23 Viewpoints............................. 26-27 World news............................ 24-25

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INSIDE

SPECIAL COVERAGE, 14-17 Escuelas Católicas ofrecen ayuda económica Becas y asistencia financiera están disponibles para Latinos y otras minorías

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CRS Rice Bowl assists globally and locally $60K collected during most recent Lenten campaign 5

Haven on earth Benedictine Brother James Raber makes solemn profession of vows

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Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Ignatius of Loyola: Founder of the Jesuits Feast day: July 31 On July 31, the Universal Church marks the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Spanish saint is known for founding the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, as well as for creating the “Spiritual Exercises” often used today for retreats and individual discernment.

St. Ignatius was born Oct. 23, 1491, into a noble family in Guipuzcoa, Spain. He served as a page in the Spanish court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

He then became a soldier in the Spanish army and wounded his leg during the siege of Pamplona in 1521.

During his recuperation, he read “Lives of the Saints.” The experience led him to undergo a profound conversion, and he dedicated himself to the Catholic faith.

After making a general confession in a monastery in Montserrat, St. Ignatius proceeded to spend almost a year in solitude. He wrote his famous “Spiritual Exercises” and then made a pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land, where he worked to convert Muslims.

St. Ignatius returned to complete his studies in Spain and then France, where he received his theology degree.

While many held him in contempt because of his holy lifestyle, his wisdom and virtue attracted some followers, and the Society of Jesus was born.

The Society was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540, and it grew rapidly. St. Ignatius remained in Rome, where he governed the Society and became friends with St. Philip Neri.

St. Ignatius died peacefully on July 31, 1556. He was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622.

The Jesuits remain numerous today, particularly in several hundred universities and colleges worldwide, and Pope Francis himself is a Jesuit.

On April 22, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI presided over a Eucharistic concelebration for the Society of Jesus. He addressed the fathers and brothers of the Society present at the Vatican Basilica, calling to mind the dedication and fidelity of their founder.

“St. Ignatius of Loyola was first and foremost a man of God who in his life put God, his greatest glory and his greatest service, first,” the Pope said. “He was a profoundly prayerful man for whom the daily celebration of the Eucharist was the heart and crowning point of his day.”

“Precisely because he was a man of God, St Ignatius was a faithful servant of the Church,” Benedict continued, recalling the saint’s “special vow of obedience to the pope, which he himself describes as ‘our first and principal foundation.’”

Highlighting the need for “an intense spiritual and cultural training,” Pope Benedict called upon the Society of Jesus to follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius and continue his work of service to the Church and obedience to the pope, so that its members “may faithfully meet the urgent needs of the Church today.”

— Catholic News Agency

More online At www.stpeterscatholic. org: Learn more about St. Peter Church in Charlotte, staffed by the Jesuits.

The parish regularly offers resources about the “Spiritual Exercises” of the Jesuits’ founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and Ignatian spirituality in general, including group and individual prayer and retreat experiences.

At www. catholicnewsherald. com: Read more about St. Ignatius of Loyola’s radical conversion and his intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in “St. Ignatius of Loyola: Madman or Militant Monk?”

St. Ignatius of Loyola, depicted in armor with a Christogram on his breastplate, a 16th century painting by an anonymous artist of the French School

Your daily Scripture readings JULY 22-28

Sunday: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Ephesians 2:13-18, Mark 6:30-34; Monday (St. Bridget): Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, Matthew 12:38-42; Tuesday (St. Sharbel Makhluf): Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Matthew 12:46-50; Wednesday (St. James): 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Matthew 20:20-28; Thursday (Sts. Joachim and Anne): Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13, Matthew 13:10-17; Friday: Jeremiah 3:14-17, Jeremiah 31:10-13, Matthew 13:18-23; Saturday: Jeremiah 7:1-11, Matthew 13:24-30

JULY 29-AUG. 4

Sunday: 2 Kings 4:42-44, Ephesians 4:1-6, John 6:1-15; Monday (St. Peter Chrysologus): Jeremiah 13:1-11, Deuteronomy 32:18-21, Matthew 13:31-35; Tuesday (St. Ignatius of Loyola): Jeremiah 14:17-22, Matthew 13:36-43; Wednesday (St. Alphonsus Liguori): Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21, Matthew 13:44-46; Thursday (St. Eusebius of Vercelli, St. Peter Julian Eymard): Jeremiah 18:1-6, Matthew 13:47-53; Friday: Jeremiah 26:1-9, Matthew 13:54-58; Saturday (St. John Vianney): Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24, Matthew 14:1-12

AUG. 5-11

Sunday: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15, Ephesians 4:17, 20-24, John 6:24-35; Monday (The Transfiguration of the Lord): Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Mark 9:2-10; Tuesday (St. Sixtus II and Companions, St. Cajetan): Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22, Matthew 14:22-36, 10-14; Wednesday (St. Dominic): Jeremiah 31:1-7, Jeremiah 31:10-13, Matthew 15:21-28; Thursday (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross): Jeremiah 31:31-34, Matthew 16:13-23; Friday (St. Lawrence): 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, John 12:24-26; Saturday (St. Clare): Habakkuk 1:12-2:4, Matthew 17:14-20

Our parishes

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Eucharistic Congress adds Special Needs Track

Construction on a 27,000-square-foot addition to Christ the King High School in Huntersville is expected to be completed not long after the new school year begins Aug 22.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY EMMETT SAPP

Summer building projects under way SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Summer is a busy time for the Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office.

Working in conjunction with parishes and Catholic schools around western North Carolina on building projects and needed improvements, the Properties staff manages an extensive to-do list of maintenance projects for the Catholic schools, parishes and others.

This summer there dozens of school maintenance projects, ranging from carpet and tile replacement, to painting and ordering replacement classroom furniture and equipment for the coming school year.

Two of the major projects under way are: n At Christ the King High School in Huntersville, a two-story classroom expansion project is nearing completion, with approximately 27,000 square feet of new construction – more than doubling the school’s total square footage.

The new two-story building includes a cafeteria, large multipurpose room for drama and band, a fabrication shop, three science classrooms and eight general purpose classrooms to accommodate Christ the King High School’s growing student population.

Among other things, the additional classroom space will be used for art, industrial design, theater, music, guitar, chemistry, biology, earth science, environmental science, information technology, cyber communications and the traditional liberal arts subjects. The building will also have multiple common areas for students to work collaboratively.

“This summer is a very exciting time at Christ the King Catholic High School,” said Dr. Carl Semmler, principal.

Two classrooms in the existing building are also being repurposed for use as an administration office, as previously the school did not have designated administrative offices.

That space will include a new vestibule, main office, administrative offices, guidance offices and a conference room.

A new 12-inch water main has also been installed to improve water pressure to the school.

The school is also being updated with additional safety features, including door lock card readers, a double locked vestibule, security cameras and direct communication to first responders.

“We have also received funds from our Silver and Blue Fund and an anonymous donor which will enable us to install two new scoreboards, update our field goals, top dress our athletic fields, create additional parking and equip a current classroom with the infrastructure to become a fitness center this October,” Semmler said.

“The construction on the extension is expected to be completed by Labor Day weekend,” Semmler said. That won’t be before school starts on Aug. 22, but school and diocesan leaders are putting in place plans to temporarily locate students as needed in the existing building until the new building is finished.

The estimated $11 million project is being funded through the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools capital fee. n At Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte, a new 2,400-square-foot “cafetorium” space is nearly complete and is expected to be finished before the beginning of classes next month. A $450,000 grant from a private donor is funding the project, as well as the conversion of the school’s existing library into a STEM lab that includes audiovisual room updates and a new “maker space” at the school that will provide students a creative space to learn through making.

Other projects are also under way, including: n St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte, going into its third year of operation, is expanding into another space adjacent to the

St. Ann Church campus. Eight more men are entering the college seminary program this fall – bringing the total enrollment to 22 – so a home previously occupied by the Sisters of St. Joseph on Willow Oak Road is being converted into additional living space for them. The college seminary also houses men in two other houses adjacent to the church property.

Diocesan officials closed last September on a 50-acre site in Mount Holly for the college seminary’s permanent location. Diocesan leaders have selected Edifice Inc. of Charlotte as the general contractor for the $20 million project, which is being split up into several phases of development. The first phase will begin this fall, with general grading and clearing, erosion control and site preparation for a building pad. Final permitting is still wrapping up, and after that a groundbreaking will hopefully be scheduled for sometime this fall, diocesan leaders said.

Fundraising efforts to construct the seminary building will continue outside the diocese and within the diocese later this year and next year. n Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly is also in the midst of a restoration. The 175-yearold church has seen repairs made to the roof, floors and other corrections to architectural weaknesses in the historic structure. This project was expected to cost $100,000 to address the most critical issues. Additional funds will be needed to finish the restoration.

Fundraising efforts in the community will take place later in 2018 to raise these additional funds.

Old St. Joseph Church was built in 1843 for and by Irish immigrants, who had come to mine for gold along the Catawba River. It is the oldest Catholic church still standing in the state and is an official state and U.S. historical site. Today it is used only for special occasions, such as the feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph in March.

CHARLOTTE — For the first time in its 14year history, the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress will feature programming specifically designed for children and adults with special needs.

The 2018 Eucharistic Congress will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7-8, at the Charlotte Convention Center.

It will feature Catholic speakers, music, vendors, a Eucharistic Procession through the streets of uptown Charlotte, Eucharistic Adoration and Mass with Bishop Peter Jugis.

The new Special Needs track will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, for people aged 5 to adulthood.

The congress also features English and Spanish tracks, as well as tracks for children, middle school and high school youth.

The 2018 theme, “I am the living bread,” comes from the Gospel book of John (6:51) and is a part of the discourse on the bread of life in which Christ repeatedly explains to His followers that they must eat His Body and drink His Blood to attain eternal life.

The Special Needs Track can accommodate up to 30 participants. A parent or chaperone must remain with each participant during the track, which will be held in a room on the upper level of the Charlotte Convention Center.

A highlight of the Special Needs Track will be a brief period of guided Eucharistic Adoration.

Registration is required.

To register, go to the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress website, www. goeucharist.com, and click on “Special Needs Track.”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: JULY 7 – 4 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. John Baptiste de la Salle Church North Wilkesboro JULY 9 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Aloysius Church, Hickory

JULY 11 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation Christ the King Church, High Point JULY 15 – 12 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Infant Church, Reidsville

JULY 17 – 4:30 P.M. Catholic Charities Board of Directors Meeting Holy Mass, Pastoral Center

JULY 23 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Benedict the Moor Church, WinstonSalem

JULY 20 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of the Americas Catholic Church, Biscoe

JULY 25 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation Good Shepherd Church, King

Diocesan calendar of events July 20, 2018

CONFERENCES

Volume 27 • NUMBER 21

RESPECT LIFE CONFERENCE: 9-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

29, at Bishop McGuinness High School, 1725 NC-66, Kernersville. Keynote speaker is Teresa Stanton Collett, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law where she serves as director of the school’s pro-life center. An advocate for the protection of human life and family, Collett specializes in the subjects of marriage, religion and bioethics in her research. Bishop Peter J. Jugis will celebrate the closing Mass at 4 p.m. at Bishop McGuinness High School Chapel. For details and to register, go to www.ccdoc.org/respectlife or contact Jessica Grabowski at jrgrabowski@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3229.

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.

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ENTERTAINMENT SUMMER RECITAL SERIES WITH MARA AND GIANFRANCO DELUCA: 7-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

Part of this year’s Summer Recital Series featuring 13 recital opportunities throughout Charlotte, with programming including an exciting variety of organ, and some choral and instrumental, music. A freewill offering will be collected to support the Stigall Scholarship Fund, which encourages organ study of students in grades 6-12. For details, visit the American Guild of Organists Charlotte Chapter on Facebook.

ESPAÑOL TALLERES DE ‘EDUCACIÓN PARA TODOS’: 6 p.m.

Viernes, 27 de julio y 10 de agosto, en la Iglesia San Gabriel, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Talleres para padres que están considerando una escuela en el sistema MACS. Los talleres guiarán a los padres con la solicitud y el proceso de asistencia financiera. Para más detalles, comuníquese con Angélica Hurtado al 704-3703221 o aahurtado@charlottediocese.org.

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

Saturday, July 21, St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Topics include: effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting.

Sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte.

RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS WNC RESPECT LIFE MONTHLY PRAYER GATHERING: 12:10 p.m. Mass, first Friday of each month at St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St., Asheville, then drive to Planned Parenthood, 68 McDowell St., Asheville. All are welcome to witness for the sanctity of human life by praying the rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and silent prayer at this peaceful gathering. For details, call Don DeLauter at 828-980-8033 or email ddelauter1@yahoo. com.

TALK, VESPERS AND TYPICA WITH HOLY COMMUNION: Starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Ukrainian Catholic Mission of Canton, located at Immaculate Conception Mission, 42 Newfound St., Canton. This is the second talk on St. John Chrysostom’s commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. For details, go to www. ukrainiancatholicmissionofcantonnc.weebly.com.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Come and help pray for the end of abortion. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-848-6835.

org. Upcoming workshops are: ARDEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, July 28, St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr. ASHEVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, St. Lawrence Basilica, 97 Haywood St. BELMONT: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, Queen of the Apostles Church (MAK Family Life Center), 503 N. Main St. CANDLER: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28, St. Joan of Arc Church, 768 Asbury Road

‘HUMANAE VITAE’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY MASS: 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 25, St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Celebrant will be Father Joshua Voitus, pastor. Ice cream reception afterwards.

CHARLOTTE: 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, St. Gabriel Church (Ministry Center Room D), 3016 Providence Road

ST. PEREGRINE HEALING PRAYER SERVICE: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 26, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. The healing prayer service is offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases.

For details, call the parish office at 704-543-7677.

MAGGIE VALLEY: 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr. Note: Deadline to register is Wednesday, Aug. 22.

HELPERS OF GOD’S PRECIOUS INFANTS PROCESSION FOR LIFE: 9 a.m. Mass, followed by 10 a.m. procession, Saturday, July 28, at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Procession for Life and prayer outside A Preferred Women’s Health abortion facility, 3220 Latrobe Dr., Charlotte, with Father Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar. Begin with Mass, followed by recitation of one decade of the rosary. Then proceed by car to the abortion facility, continuing the rosary on the way. There will be perpetual Eucharistic Adoration happening in the chapel while others are at the abortion mill, for those who would like to spiritually unite with those standing as a public witness for the sanctity of human life. For details, go to www.charlottehelpers.com.

POLISH MASS IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA, ST. JOHN PAUL II, ST. MARIA FAUSTINA KOWALSKA AND BLESSED FATHER SOPOCKO: 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Polish Father Matt Nycz will be celebrant and Deacon James Witulski will assist. The seventh-annual Mass will be in Polish with the homily given in both English and Polish. This Mass will fulfill your Sunday obligation. Confessions in Polish and English will be heard beginning at 1 p.m. After Mass, the faithful will have the opportunity to venerate the first-class relics of the three apostles of Divine Mercy: St. John Paul II, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska and her spiritual director, Blessed Father Sopocko. This is the first time that Blessed Father Sopocko’s relic will be present for this Mass. Light refreshments after Mass. Your donation of these refreshments is appreciated and can be dropped off before Mass at Aquinas Hall. Everyone is invited. For details, call Mary at 704-290-6012.

GREENSBORO: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, St. Paul the Apostle Church (library), 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS INFO SESSIONS ON ‘JUSTFAITH’ SMALL GROUPS: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, or 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte in the New Life Center Room 203. ‘JustFaith’ invites participants to encounter Jesus, especially in the lives of people who are poor and vulnerable. Have you heard Pope Francis say he wants a poor Church for the poor? He also says that true power is found in service, especially to the poor, the weak and the vulnerable. Open to all Charlotte area parishioners. For details, contact Bruce Mlakar at brucemlakar@gmail.com or Adult Faith Formation Director Michael Burck at 704-543-7677, ext.

1020, or mburck@stmatthewcatholic.org.

‘EDUCATION FOR ALL’ WORKSHOPS: 6 p.m. Fridays, July 27 and Aug. 10, at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Workshops for parents who are considering a school in the MACS system. The workshops will guide parents through the application and financial assistance process. For details, contact Angelica Hurtado at 704-370-3221 or aahurtado@charlottediocese.org.

YOUNG ADULTS ‘TAPROOM TALKS’ WITH ST. MATTHEW CHURCH YOUNG ADULT LIFE: 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, Taproom & Wine Bar, 213 N. Trade St., Matthews.

The events are free and open to all. For details, visit www.stmatthewcatholic.org/taproom-talks or contact St. Matthew Young Adult Ministry Coordinator Francis Ahn at 704-543-7677, ext. 1193, or fahn@stmatthewcatholic.org.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING ‘Protecting God’s Children’ workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus.

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.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

CRS celebrates 75 years of helping the world’s most vulnerable people This year Catholic Relief Services celebrates its 75th anniversary.

Founded in 1943 to assist the war-torn and refugee populations of Europe, CRS has expanded its operations and now works in 110 countries, on five continents, reaching more than 130 million people with its programs led by more than 7,000 employees.

CRS is the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a member of Caritas Internationalis.

CRS carries out the commitment of the bishops of the United States to assist those who are poor and

vulnerable overseas. As part of the universal mission of the Catholic Church, CRS works with local, national and international Catholic institutions and structures, as well as other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race or nationality.

This life-affirming work is carefully reviewed by a board of directors chaired by a Catholic bishop and whose 25 members consist of a majority of 13 bishops in addition to 12 lay and clerical members.

The mission of CRS is to promote human development by assisting those who are vulnerable by fighting disease and poverty, nurturing peaceful and just societies, and responding to major emergencies and natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods. Both immediate life-saving

measures and long-term recovery assistance are provided. In addition to its overseas work, CRS assists Catholics in the United States to live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world. In this 75th year of operations, CRS wants to share its profound gratitude to its diocesan, parish and educational partners, and to the many, many donors and volunteers who enable CRS to serve vulnerable people around the world thanks to their generosity.

Want to learn more about the 75th anniversary of CRS? At https://75.crs.org: Read more about CRS and its 75 years of global engagement

CRS Rice Bowl assists globally and locally Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl is a nationally promoted Lenten program of “prayer, fasting, learning and giving” endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the Diocese of Charlotte, coordination of the CRS Rice Bowl Program and its associated local Mini-Grant Program is done through Catholic Charities’ Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy.

Rice Bowl offers participants educational and prayer resources to deepen their commitment to global solidarity, in addition to providing needed funds for global and local hunger and poverty alleviation projects.

This past Lent, thanks to the CRS Rice Bowl promotional efforts of many parish and school staff and volunteers, and to the generous donations made by thousands of children and adults, a combined 54 diocesan parishes and schools sent in a total of $60,353.25 to the diocesan Finance Office.

The CRS Rice Bowl theme of encountering our neighbor applies to the CRS-related good works that are done in the Charlotte diocese as well in CRS projects overseas.

For every $3 of CRS Rice Bowl funds that go for the work of CRS overseas, $1 remains in the United States for addressing poverty and hunger in archdioceses and dioceses across the nation.

This past fall, seven parishes and three Catholic non-profits each received a $1,000 CRS Rice Bowl Mini-Grant from Catholic Charities, funded from the portion of the Rice Bowl collection retained for local use.

The 2017 CRS Rice Bowl MiniGrant recipients are from Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Jefferson, Linville, Salisbury, Sapphire and Winston-Salem.

Three Rice Bowl grants helped to

fund community garden projects at St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem, St. Eugene Church in Asheville, and Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

Rice Bowl grant funded projects also included two nutritional programs for pregnant women, material assistance funding for lowincome individuals and families, meals for those who are homeless, two food pantries, and a children’s backpack nutritional outreach program.

The next round of the CRS Rice Bowl Grant Program opens Aug. 1, with applications due by the postmark deadline of Monday, Oct. 15. The grant application and guidelines will be available on the website of Catholic Charities on Aug. 1, at www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs.

Projects that are new to Rice Bowl funding or have not received funding in recent years are especially encouraged to apply.

Grant applications are reviewed and signed by the pastor of the parish, principal of the school, or director of the Catholic entity applying for the grant.

Join with CRS and the U.S. bishops in advocacy Almost 800 million people globally live on less than $1.90 per day (according to the World Bank Group, 2016). Speaking out on their behalf is part of our call as Christians.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty is an initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services.

If you feel called to advocacy to

defend lives and human dignity across the globe by helping to influence U.S. policy and foreign aid decisions that affect our neighbors living afar, consider joining CCGP. By signing up to receive CCGP email alerts, Catholics throughout the nation can help vulnerable people around the world living in poverty, facing hunger and threatened by terrible violence.

One’s voice is added to tens of thousands of others to assist refugees, fight human trafficking, resolve conflicts and end debilitating diseases.

Get involved At www.confrontglobalpoverty. org: Learn more and sign up for email alerts and join the advocacy effort for human life and dignity across the globe

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

OUR PARISHESI

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Catholic schools put fresh focus on recruiting minority students CÉSAR HURTADO HISPANIC REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Maria Constante was desperate. Her son’s attendance at St. Gabriel School could suddenly come to an end after three years. A single mother on a limited income who also cares for a special needs daughter, Constante struggled to afford the school’s reduced tuition.

Constante did not know what to do. Her son was devastated when she told him he probably could not continue going to Catholic school. “He started crying. I felt guilty for not having the money,” she recalls.

However, this mother did not lose faith. She contacted the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools office CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD and explained Jennifer Harris, marketing director for Mecklenburg her situation, Area Catholic Schools, hands out information to and last week prospective families during a recent outreach session she received for Hispanic families at St. Gabriel Church. some good news: her application for tuition assistance was approved and her son’s tuition amount for the coming school year was lowered based on her income.

“This is part of the silent work that our administrators perform daily to facilitate the entry of minorities or less favored students in our schools,” notes Angelica Hurtado, the new coordinator of student recruitment and retention for the Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools.

This position in the diocesan schools office is new – and it’s intentional, notes Dr. Janice Ritter, diocesan superintendent of schools.

The percentage of non-white student enrollment, including Hispanics and African Americans, across the diocese’s 19 schools is in the single digits, although Hispanic representation is on the rise.

“Increasing student diversity in our 19 Catholic schools is very important to school and diocesan leadership,” Ritter emphasizes. “We are most pleased to welcome Angelica Hurtado to this position. Her main task is to attract and enroll students who reflect the diversity of the Catholic population in the Diocese of Charlotte.”

The diocese’s renewed focus on increasing racial and ethnic diversity in its schools comes in the wake of Pope Francis’ recent calls to stop “elitizing education” and excluding the poor from the education that they have a right to receive.

Education that is open only to some people may result in selfishness, the pope noted, “and then the hands are closing more and more, the heart is closing more and more, and the mind closes us more and more. Then, we are unable to think, feel or work with the other.”

“Boys and girls who have no education are left out,” he added. “Educating is not knowing things but being able to use the three languages: the one with the heart, the hands and the head. To educate is to include.”

Increasing minority enrollment entails lots of community outreach, to inform families who are interested in providing a Catholic education to their children about the process and then help them to apply. Hurtado has already begun such outreach efforts in the Charlotte area with the nine MACS schools, and she will expand her work to assist the diocese’s 10 parish-based schools as well.

“The information sessions campaign has three purposes,” Hurtado says. First is to “provide the necessary information SCHOLARSHIPS, SEE PAGE 11

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 OUR PARISHES

(Left) Brother James Raber commits his life to serving as a Benedictine monk at Belmont Abbey during his solemn profession July 11 at Mary Help of Christians Basilica. (Above) Abbot Placid Solari receives Brother James’ solemn profession during Mass. (Below) After the profession rite, Brother James prayerfully awaits the greetings of his fellow monks who each approached him to give him a fraternal hug of congratulations. Pictured behind him are Benedictine Father David Kessinger and Father Frank O’Rourke, pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, who were among the priests who concelebrated the Mass at the abbey basilica.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Haven on earth Benedictine Brother James Raber makes solemn profession of vows SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

BELMONT — Former Merchant Marine Robert Raber is trading time on the seas for a life of exploring the wonders of God in a deep life of prayer. The 34-year-old Raber made his solemn profession July 11 at Mary Help of Christians Basilica, taking the name Brother James and vowing to spend the rest of his life as a Benedictine monk at Belmont Abbey.

Brother James grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and Orlando, Fla. He attended Maine Maritime Academy, then moved to Charleston, S.C., where he worked as a ship’s navigator.

“After a bit of soul searching, I got involved in a young Catholic group and they set me straight,” Brother James jokes. “I learned the great joy of other people who love God.” Brother James hiked the “Camino de Santiago,” the famous pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. The experience helped him discern his entrance into religious life.

“That is why I have the name James,” he explains.

“From there I heard the answer (from the Lord) to come follow Him. I had no idea what that looked like. I knew I didn’t know my faith well. I looked for a Catholic college, and Belmont Abbey College is the closest Catholic college to Charleston.”

Brother James thought Belmont Abbey College could help him learn more about his Catholic faith. As he browsed through the college’s website for information, he noticed that there was a Benedictine monastery attached to the college.

“I ended up calling the abbot instead of the admissions counselor,” he says. “I talked to Abbot Placid (Solari) for over an hour on the phone. I had learned a little about St. Benedict and the Rule before calling, and one of the things that really struck me was hospitality.”

Brother James remembers ending that phone call telling Abbot Placid, “I have read elsewhere that each person is to

be treated as the person of Christ who presents Himself as the guest. I have never had anyone do that for me, and you have managed to do that, even over the phone. And if your monks are anything like you, I would like to discern with you.”

However, at that time he was in Los Angeles, getting ready to set sail on the Pacific Ocean as part of his service with the U.S. Merchant Marine. After he returned from his assignment, he made his first visit to Belmont Abbey, spending two weeks there.

That initial phone call and his first visit were the seeds that have grown into a desire to serve God by living a life of prayer at Belmont Abbey – brought to fruition as he made his solemn monastic profession on July 11, the feast of St. Benedict.

In the rite of profession during the standing-room-only Mass at Mary Help of Christians Basilica, Brother James was called to come before Abbot Placid, the monks of Belmont Abbey and the clergy, religious and laity. After indicating his desire to live in the monastic community, Brother James was accepted by his brother monks.

Afterwards, Abbot Placid delivered his homily, speaking

directly to Brother James, his spiritual son.

Abbot Placid quoted part of Psalm 107:23-31, read in the liturgy at Mass, remarking upon how it aptly described Brother James’ life as a Merchant Marine and his call to religious life.

“You did find here the haven you desired,” Abbot Placid told him. “We, your brothers, in our office of discernment have recognized in you what we judged to be an authentic action of the Holy Spirit and have brought you to this day. May it then be your love for Jesus which will allow Him to fulfill in you that which He Himself has commanded.

“So, Brother James, you have indeed found the haven that you desired. It is time to make it your firm and lasting anchorage. I invite you to come, obedient to the Lord’s invitation, and profess the vow solemnly binding your commitment to monastic life in our community so that you may continue until death in your pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling in Christ Jesus.”

Brother James then prostrated himself on the stone floor of the basilica as everyone else knelt and chanted the Litany of the Saints.

When he arose, he pledged his obedience to the Benedictine order and to his abbot, promising to live his life faithful to the Rule of St. Benedict and the teachings of the Church.

After Mass, Brother James greeted guests in front of the abbey basilica, receiving hugs and congratulations from those who had gathered to witness his solemn profession.

“I knew, with the name of the abbey being Mary Help of Christians, that is what helped set my heart here in North Carolina, because of my strong love and devotion for Mary, especially through the rosary,” he says.

“I know the help she has given me,” he adds, “so I think that the best way I can honor her was to discern life at a monastery dedicated to her helping us.”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from Benedictine Brother James Raber’s solemn profession of vows

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

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St. Mark parishioners Patrick Camatcho and his mother Annmarie recently returned from a mission trip to Haiti, where they served with the missionaries of the Poor.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANNMARIE CAMATCHO

‘Each of us can make a difference in the lives of others, so go out and do it!’

Lessons learned from a mission trip to Haiti ANNMARIE CAMATCHO SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HUNTERSVILLE — For the past two summers, my son Patrick and I have volunteered for a mission trip in CapHaïtien, Haiti, to work alongside the Missionaries of the Poor.

At this town in the northern part of Haiti, the MOP brothers care for more than 50 children and 80 adults and elderly who are mentally or physically challenged as well as those with HIV and many who have been orphaned or abandoned.

The Missionaries of the Poor in Haiti and all over the world – in Jamaica, the Philippines, Africa, and even here in the Diocese of Charlotte in Monroe – serve the poorest of the poor, people who have been cast off from society.

The brothers are incredible men, who while becoming men of faith, fulfill the mission of priest, mother, father, doctor, pharmacist and catechist to all those who live at their mission. The chance to work with them was an enormous physical challenge but it was also a spiritual retreat for us volunteers.

The poverty in Haiti is overwhelming. The streets are filled with trash, most people live without running water or regular electricity, and children run around without shoes.

But the dignity of each person at the MOP mission is raised as they are fed, bathed and prayed with and for, daily. There is no cost to anyone who lives at these missions and the Lord provides volunteers and His Providence for the food, supplies and other needs of the residents and the brothers. The missions also “employ” workers of their communities, and that helps people living outside the missions as well. These workers are then paid in food, rice and beans.

Each day began at 5:45 a.m. with Mass and Eucharistic Adoration and ended with night prayers at 8:45 p.m.

Between that time was midday prayer, the rosary and evening prayers.

Our group of 10 put on a Vacation Bible School each afternoon in the outdoor classroom. The children go to school during the year, but while we were there they were

out for summer break.

The children were wide eyed, playful and enjoyed simple pleasures we brought along such as bubbles and beads.

As they speak French-Creole and not English, we mostly communicated with the children and elderly with hand gestures, smiles and hugs.

The lessons I learned in Haiti from the brothers and residents are lifelong, and I will take them home with me: n Keep the Sabbath holy: The MOP priests and brothers work so hard and yet on Sundays they rest, as the Bible instructs. We spent the morning in Mass with the townspeople who came to Mass at the MOP mission. Then it was lunchtime followed by rest. All of the men, women and children there knew the day of rest was Sunday. The children played, the older people read and talked. If the ever-busy brothers can put aside work on Sundays, surely we can, too! n Priorities, priorities: The top priority of the MOP is to treat all the people there with dignity and give them the essentials in life. We in America are so caught up with many “busy” activities. What are we really busy doing?

Is it God’s will and work? The acts of caring for the poor, living the Gospel and teaching them about God – that is what’s necessary. n Live the Beatitudes: Treat the sick, heal the wounded, feed the hungry, clothe the naked: that is the life of the brothers in Haiti. Is there more that Jesus calls us to do? n God is in this moment: The people of Haiti live in today. The children do not know what they will wear tomorrow, what might be for dinner tonight, what will be taught at school. They live now, this moment. They do not look to the future. They know that God is here, right now, in the people who take care of them all day, everyday. The closer we live to God, the more we can live in the present moment. n Work with the saints: Surely the brothers, who have devoted their entire lives to following Jesus and going where they are needed, can be called saints on earth. To work alongside them for a week each summer has been an amazing opportunity to help others and to be Christ for them. The brothers are so committed to their work that they only return home to their own families every 10 years.

Christ says He has only our hands and feet to serve. The example the brothers give brings us all closer to God. n God will provide: The brothers at the MOP missions have confidence that God will provide for all their needs in terms of volunteers, food, medicine and people to assist them. Each visit we have seen this firsthand, where the right people, services and tools were given just at the time

they were needed. God’s people will be taken care of, just as Jesus says. There is no need to worry. n Blessings abound: The smiles of the children as well as the joy of the brothers really conveyed the message that we are always surrounded by the blessings of God. We have so much materially in the United States, but spiritually so many Americans are poor. The Haitian people have so little materially, but have great faith and are eager to hear about God and serve each other as a family at the MOP missions. Despite their physical sufferings, they were always grateful to see the brothers and volunteers.

We were greeted each morning with giant smiles and hugs from all of the children. n Take a leap of faith: Going to Haiti was completely out of my comfort zone, but I had always wanted to go on a mission trip to serve the poor. What could be better than serving alongside your fellow parishioners from St. Mark Church? I knew that God would put together a perfect group to go to Haiti each time. Our groups have been lively and fun – several teachers, physical therapists, students, nurses, a pilot and others. We can all bring and use our gifts for the greater good! n Have an attitude of mercy and compassion: Sometimes we need to get off the beaten path and see that while we may struggle, we must put aside ourselves to serve others. We must walk a mile in others’ shoes and try to see life through their eyes. All people deserve mercy and compassion. Jesus gives that to us; we must try our hardest to pass that onto others, so they can see Him, too! n Sacrifice brings joy: While going to Haiti was a sacrifice of our time, money and physical energy – we all received so much more than we gave. The sacrifice of those weeks will live with us forever as we learned that we are all God’s people, and we all must pray for and serve one another. We must see people as Christ sees them, as sons or daughters of God. The joy we experienced in Haiti will live with us forever and extend well beyond any circumstances we ever encounter. Our joy will always be in the Lord!

Each of us can make a difference in the lives of others, so go out and do it!

For more information about the Missionaries of the Poor, read the book written by MOP’s founder, Father Richard Ho Lung, entitled “Candles in the Dark.”

Even if you can’t go on a mission trip to Haiti like we did, you can help support the work of the Missionaries of the Poor. Donations can be mailed to: Missionaries of the Poor, P.O. Box 29893, Atlanta, GA 30359.

ANNMARIE CAMATCHO is a parishioner of St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 OUR PARISHES

St. Luke parishioners share their faith stories during ‘evenings of reflection’ LISA GERACI CORRESPONDENT

reflections since they started in the spring of 2017, as well as an Advent retreat last year.

“St. Luke has over 2,000 adult parishioners, all with their own unique story to tell,” Strauss said. “We have only begun to tap into this resource.”

During the same evening reflection where Strauss spoke, fellow parishioner Ellen Smith also spoke of her “Hunger for a Relationship with God.” “I am a two-time breast cancer survivor,” Smith declared to everyone

MINT HILL — It’s difficult not to take notice of Jim Strauss at St. Luke Church. He is at almost every Mass, just outside the wooden doors, sporting a huge smile and a radiant spirit.

Standing next to a folding table, Strauss greets parishioners, sells biscuits for mission trips, collects supplies for Thomasboro Academy, or sells golf tickets for the Knights of Columbus fundraisers. He has his hand in about every ministry at the Mint Hill parish and shows no signs of stopping, committed to doing “anything he can to help a friend.” And who is that friend? It’s Jesus Christ.

He wasn’t always this active in his faith and relationship with Jesus, though.

During a recent “evening of reflection,” an event which St. Luke Church hosts once a quarter, Strauss explained the impetus behind his work.

He had been going to Mass for decades and had a successful sales career, but one day at the age of 55 he began to reflect.

“I began to think what it means to be Catholic,” he recounted. “For me, I was Catholic with a capital C. But I started to take a look and ask, why? I had all the LISA GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD things I need. I’ve got all the Parishioners Jim Strauss and Ellen Smith gave talks during St. check boxes marked, but I was Luke Church’s most recent “evening of reflection.” missing something.”

He met with long-time parishioner Steve Daly, who encouraged gathered in the room. “Nobody wants to hear the news they have cancer. But him to “go do something.” That in 2008 I was diagnosed with breast “something” was the prison ministry cancer. During that time, during prayer called Kairos. and meditation, a scripture verse kept “I did, and that has changed coming to me, from Luke: ‘She came out everything, because all the stuff I behind Him and touched the fringe of had been working for, through my life His clothes and immediately her hurt experiences, helped me work for God,” stopped.’” he said. “I love working for God! All I “This became my scripture,” she said. had to do was say yes.”

“That scripture helped me to know all I “I just call His name and He says, had to do was touch, in faith, the fringe ‘Jim, do it,’” he said. “I’d do anything of Jesus’ garment. I didn’t have to not for a friend.” be afraid. I didn’t have to have it all During his talk, whose theme was figured out. I just had to have enough ‘Hunger for a Relationship with God,” faith to be able to touch the fringe of Strauss encouraged others to befriend Jesus’ garment.”

Jesus and follow Him. Smith described receiving the “If you look back and see everything sacrament of anointing of the sick on that God has ever done for you, it all has the feast of the Assumption. One of the been a blessing and so beautiful,” he hymns sung during Mass that day was said. “All you have to do is say ‘yes.’

“How Can I keep from Singing,” she The event where Strauss spoke grew out of an idea the parish had over a year recalled. “This became my fight song.”

Smith offered the crowd some advice ago to establish a spirituality ministry about getting through tough times: “To aimed at encouraging stewardship and get through life’s innermost struggles, it spiritual growth among parishioners. is helpful to have a scripture, a symbol, The evening reflections are among a song.” the group’s activities designed to be Parishioner Teresa Scott said she “a fun, family and faith event would enjoys the evening reflections. “The provide the best format to spread the parishioners’ stories are always, good works being done at St. Luke while uplifting and inspiring. They help us encouraging parishioners to find a path get to know our congregation better, to God,” Strauss explained. while making it easier to establish Each evening reflection features relationships with people.” two lay people who give presentations.

St. Luke Parish’s next evening Dinner and child care are included reflection is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. so that the events are accessible to Friday, Oct. 26, in the church. All are everyone. welcome to attend.

The parish has hosted five evening

Albemarle parishioners join hands to build prayer garden LISA GERACI CORRESPONDENT

ALBEMARLE — After a recent morning Mass, the Family Life Center of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church was abuzz with excitement over a new prayer garden being built just outside the parish office.

The garden, being built in stages by parishioners, will include a picnic shelter, large fountain and two observation decks. But the main feature of the space is a new statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The entire project is being spearheaded by a cadre of parish volunteers known as “The Misfits,” men and women who use their building and design skills to repair, renovate and beautify the Albemarle church property at little to no cost to the parish. Over the past decade, the Misfits have remodeled, redesigned and reinvented the entire parish rectory, dining hall, offices and chapel. They have worked tirelessly on everything from small projects, like repairing a leaking toilet, to huge undertakings such as remodeling the entire dining hall.

Their latest effort is this prayer garden, and they’re tackling it with enthusiasm.

The space will be used mainly for prayer but it will also host luncheons, picnics, RCIA classes, yard sales and other parish functions.

Over the usual coffee and donuts after Mass, parishioners looked over the plans for the garden.

“The garden was an idea of one of our parishioners,” noted Father Peter Fitzgibbons, pastor. “The Sacred Heart, the fountain of divine love, the font of mercy for all of us by the cross – who can say more?”

“St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (instructed us to) have a devotion to the Sacred Heart as a source of love and might for our salvation,” he said. The prayer garden will be a beautiful and quiet place for people to meditate on Jesus’ love for them, he said.

In between sips of coffee, parishioners greeted Father Fitzgibbons and Lori Storms,

parish chief of staff, with updates on the project. A parishioner who is also a welder showed her plan for an iron grate that will eventually hang behind the Sacred Heart statue. While everyone marveled over the delicate design of the metalwork, Storms’ husband Adam described how the group will handle electrical issues on the project.

The group’s volunteer spirit is a source of strength and positivity for the parish community of around 150 families.

Whatever it takes, they agree that everyone comes together to get the job done – whether it be through physical labor, craftsmanship, artistic ability or through donating money.

“If we have an issue in the parish, there is a parishioner that can solve it for us,” Storms said.

The Misfits found the Sacred Heart statue in the Tonini Church Supply Co. catalog. They chose the unpainted version of the sculpture, to match a statue of Mary that the parish already had, but the Misfits knew they could go one better.

Father Fitzgibbons pointed across the room at “head Misfit” Bob Miles.

“He painted the Sacred Heart, just the heart, and clear-coated the rest of Him.” He added proudly, “It is going to last forever.”

The group also found the fountain online, “a great deal – one of those ‘godfather offers,’” Storms said. “We were going to go smaller, but that one was just the one.”

They hauled the thousand-pound fountain to its spot in the garden, lowering it carefully into position using ropes.

They also dug two-foot trenches through rock-hard Carolina clay in the summer heat to provide for the electrical wiring.

This active participation by his parishioners is a sign of their love for God, Father Fitzgibbons noted, stretching his arms wide as if to embrace his entire parish family.

“You know how much I asked for in the budget for building expenses? Zero. I didn’t ask for a penny,” he said. “We told them what we were going to do and the parishioners bought and did everything, because they want to beautify the house of God. People just came up and said, ‘Here.’”

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

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Celebrating the sacraments TRYON — Six young people were confirmed June 30 by Bishop Peter Jugis at St. John the Baptist Church.

Pictured are Daisy Alviar, confirmed as Teresa, Rosalinda Cortez confirmed as Teresa, Alexis Garcia confirmed as John, Medalin Hernandez confirmed as Mary, Maribel Mandujano confirmed as Mary, and Anthony Vegas confirmed as Gabriel.

GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

DELLA SUE BRYSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

WAYNESVILLE — Bishop Peter Jugis recently conferred the sacrament of confirmation on young people during Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church.

CCDOC.ORG PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

GASTONIA — Bishop Peter Jugis recently administered the sacrament of confirmation on young parishioners of St. Michael Church. Also pictured are Father Matthew Buettner, former pastor, and Father Jason Christian, former parochial vicar.

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, October 11 Room At The Inn th ~ 19 Annual Benefit Banquet~ Our speaker for the banquet this year is Jason Jones. He is a film producer, author, activist, and human rights worker. Each of our table hosts will receive a copy of one of Jason's popular pro-life films, "Bella" as a thank you for helping.

If you would like to sponsor the event or host a table, please contact Marianne at 336.391.6299 or by email mdonadio@roominn.org For more info about our speaker or our programs, please visit www.roominn.org

National NFP Awareness Week July 22 – July 28, 2018

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) provides a practical and empowering alternative used to achieve or avoid pregnancy. It upholds the dignity of the person within the context of marriage and family and promotes openness to life by respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage.

What will you learn?

Effectiveness of modern NFP methods Health, relational and spiritual benefits Health risks of popular contraceptives Church teachings on responsible parenting How to use Natural Family Planning August 18th - St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Hickory One Day Class, 1:30 pm September 15th - North Charlotte, Three Class Series, 9 am September 15th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte One Day Class, 1:30 pm October 20th - St. Matthew Catholic Church, Charlotte One Day Class, 1:30 pm For more information please visit our website or contact Batrice Adcock, MSN at 704-370-3230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 OUR PARISHES

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.

Couples for Christ holds national youth conference in Charlotte SUSAN PALMES-DENNIS SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — About 1,000 youth and parent delegates from all over the United States, including 100 delegates from North Carolina and 45 from Charlotte, attended the 24th Couples for Christ Youth Conference June 30 to July 2 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

CFC Youth is the youth ministry arm of Couples for Christ, a global Catholic/Christian organization of men and women aimed at the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. It began in the Philippines in 1993 and was brought to the U.S. a year later. Youth ministry members of Couples for Christ range from 12 to 20 years old.

The conference theme for this year was “Rekindle the Gift: Fulfill Your Ministry, 2nd Timothy.” The conference’s opening Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. In addition to daily Mass, the three-

day conference also featured Eucharistic Adoration and hourly intercessory prayers.

It also included activities such as volleyball and basketball contests; song, dance and slam poetry; as well as photography, video and banner contests.

There were also workshops, teaching of songs, praise and worship.

“A major conference is a powerful expression of the mission of the community, and in the area the conference is being hosted,” said Lorena Ostrea, who with her husband John are CFC Couple Coordinators for CFC-Youth in Charlotte.

The event was a collaboration of service teams and volunteers from the Couples for Christ, CFC Youth and Singles for Christ ministries. CFC organizing committee heads in Charlotte and North Carolina included Jake and Marie Miranda, Joy and Manny Arrojado, Richard and Nenette Costes, Art Aquino, Oscar and Rina Goco, and Lindo and Betty Javelona.

For information on how to leave a legacy at your parish, please contact Judy Smith, Director of Planned Giving at 704-370-3320 or jmsmith@charlottediocese.org.

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!

Rev. Bertrand Pattison - 1992 Rev. Conrad Kimbrough - 2011

CCDOC.ORG

St. James the Greater – Concord, NC Job Opening Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator St. James the Greater in Concord, a 2,600+ household parish, is looking for a full-time Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator (PK-5th grade).

This dynamic individual will help manage children’s faith formation, SPRED (Special Needs Religious Education), non-traditional

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student faith formation and sacramental preparation, homeschooling faith formation, parent education and First Communion preparation. As part of a team, this individual will work

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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.

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with other work religious education staff under the direction of the Pastoral Associate for Religious Education to deliver a comprehensive religious education program.

This position does require some evening and weekend hours along with office hours.

Organization, planning and communication skills are a definite requirement and expected. We prefer individual to have a BA degree in Religious Education or Theology or related field with at least 2 years experience.

For job description please contact Dan Ward at 704-720-0600 x27 or danw@saintjamescatholic.org.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Sister of Providence celebrates jubilee SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Sister Regis McNulty, a Sister of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., with ties to the Diocese of Charlotte, is celebrating her 70th jubilee this year.

The native of Chelsea, Mass., entered the congregation on Feb. 11, 1948, from St. Rose, Chelsea. She professed final vows on Aug. 15, 1955.

Sister Regis graduated McNulty from Saint Mary-of-theWoods College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She also earned a master’s degree in educational psychology from Boston University and another master’s degree in counseling psychology from Antioch University.

In the Charlotte diocese, she served as a teacher from 1972 to 1973 at Charlotte Catholic High School and as principal from 1973 to 1974 at St. Joan of Arc School.

Sister Regis has also ministered in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Currently, she ministers in prayer at Saint Maryof-the-Woods.

The Sisters of Providence, a congregation of nearly 300 women religious, with more than 200 Providence Associates, collaborate with others to create a more just and hope-filled world through prayer, education, service and advocacy.

St. Mother Theodore Guerin founded the Sisters of Providence at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840. Today, Sisters of Providence minister in 17 states, the District of Columbia and Asia, through works of love, mercy and justice.

— Jason Moon

SCHOLARSHIPS FROM PAGE 5

among the less represented communities in the schools of the Diocese of Charlotte. We want people to be informed about how the system works so they can make their request, and also to know that there is financial help to low-income families, so their children can have an open door to the Catholic schools.”

The second goal is to push up minority enrollment at all of the 19 schools, and that will achieve the campaign’s third goal, which is to diversify the schools and “make them more multicultural.”

The first session, held July 15 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte, attracted more than 40 people. They received information in Spanish from Hurtado, and from Jennifer Harris, MACS marketing director.

“We are happy because people showed great interest in enrolling their children in our schools,” Hurtado says. “The parents received applications for various schools and grade levels to which their children will attend, and parents asked questions regarding their concerns about the process.”

Particularly emphasized at the session were the diocesan schools’ rigorous academic standards, focus on imparting the Catholic faith, and goal of developing well-rounded students.

The mission of the diocesan Catholic

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Carolina Catholic Family Day coming up at Carowinds Join other Catholic families for Mass, an allyou can-eat meal and fun at Carowinds all day Sunday, July 29. This event helps to raise funds for St. Joseph College Seminary and Diocese of Charlotte Youth Ministry event scholarships.

For tickets, go to www.charlottediocese.org/ev/ youth/events or search online for “Charlotte Diocese Carolina Catholic Family Day.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NJ CLAUSEN AND JOHN BUNYEA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Holy Cross Parish reaps bountiful blessings with food drive

Hayesville choir performs at Carnegie Hall HAYESVILLE — “What an honor to join our voices with these other talented choirs and a professional orchestra in celebration of Our Father,” said a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission’s choir after their recent performance at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.

“What a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”

Ten members of the community choir of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission performed “Our Father: A Journey through the Lord’s Prayer” June 17. They were among 225 members of the Distinguished Concerts International New York ensemble, which sang with a 50-member Distinguished Concerts Orchestra.

“Our Father,” which has nine pieces, was

school system “is to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and to provide a religious and academic program that allows each student to develop spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically and socially, so that each is prepared to live and serve in a changing society as a self-respecting citizen.”

The diocese’s three high schools enjoy a 100 percent graduation rate, and nine out of 10 graduates continue their studies at universities, colleges or community colleges.

There was also general information presented about each of the nine schools which comprise MACS, as well as an explanation of how to apply and the importance of families registering at the parish where they attend Mass regularly.

“Everyone can study in our schools, everyone can take advantage of its benefits, whether they are Catholic or not,” presenters said, “but being a registered parishioner who receives donation envelopes and regularly attends Mass gives them an immediate benefit,” since the applicant family is given a voucher that must be signed by their parish priest and, without further processing, gives them a significant discount on tuition.

“This discount does not invalidate the possibility of obtaining additional financial assistance in case of need,” Hurtado points out.

More information sessions are planned in the coming weeks, including two at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. Those two sessions will be held at 6 p.m. Friday,

KERNERSVILLE — On July 11, Holy Cross Church proved that given the opportunity, hearts open and generosity pours out.

For the fifth year, the parish’s evangelization committee organized a food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. The food drive at the church ran from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with volunteers arriving on site as early as 4 a.m. to help direct traffic for supporters and donors as they arrived. More than 70 volunteers of all ages took part in the effort, helping to unload vehicles or holding signs along the sidewalk to welcome passersby. Pitching in were Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Father Paul Dechant, pastor, as well as personalities from WXII Channel 12 who broadcast live from the scene throughout the day.

Even the Town of Kernersville and the N.C. Department of Transportation helped out: the town donated orange cones to help direct traffic, and construction work in front of the church was halted for the day. Temperatures topping 90 degrees did not discourage people from coming out to support the food drive, and in the end the parish’s effort brought in 4,938 pounds of food donations and more than $4,200 in cash donations. All who were part of this historic event felt the blessings upon them, and despite the hot weather, spirits were lifted with the joy of giving and helping others.

the first half of the June 17 concert. The composition was written by choral musician Pepper Choplin, a full-time composer, conductor and humorist from Greensboro, who led two four-hour rehearsals in the two days before the performance. Choplin seamlessly united the voices from choirs from as far away as Washington state and Brazil.

So how is it that the small choir from IHM in tiny Hayesville got to perform in New York City? Through the power of social media!

In the spring of 2017, Cody C. Killian, parish

music director, led the choir in another of Choplin’s compositions, a Lenten Cantata titled “Touch the Robe.” A Facebook posting of that performance made its way to Maestro Choplin and DCINY, who reached out to Killian via email.

At first, the choir members thought it was an email scam. But after a little research, they realized this unique opportunity was real. After planning for more than a year and months of practice, two sopranos, four altos, two tenors

July 27, and 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, in the parish’s Administrative Building, located at 3016 Providence Road.

Ritter encourages everyone to attend. “I invite all families interested in our schools to attend one of these workshops and learn how to provide a Catholic education to your child.”

Details about enrollment, tuition assistance and much more information can

also be found online at www.discovermacs. org (for the MACS schools) and at www. charlottediocese.org/schools-office (for all diocesan schools).

IN BRIEF, SEE PAGE 12

Editor’s note: Hispanic reporter César Hurtado is married to Angelica Hurtado, the new diocesan schools recruitment and retention coordinator.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 OUR PARISHES

CCDOC.ORG

PHOTOS BY PAUL DOIZÉ | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Flag retirement ceremony held

Upcoming Days of Reflection Join Catholic Charities for an opportunity to gather with other seniors from around the diocese to deepen and share one’s faith. Days of Reflection provide the chance to experience the inspiring power of God’s love and be nourished by His word as one continues a life-long journey of faith.

• Date: Thursday, August 9th Location: Immaculate Heart Mary Catholic Church 4145 Johnson Street, High Point, NC 27265 Presenter: Sr. Mary Hugh Mauldin, RSM, MA Topic: “The Beatitudes and Living the Christian Life” Check-In: 9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

Program: 10:20 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Cost: $12 per person includes light morning refreshment & lunch – Make checks payable to Immaculate Heart of Mary Deadline for Registration: Thursday, August 2nd • Date: Tuesday, August 21st Location: St. Mark Catholic Church 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville, NC 28078 Presenter: Sr. Mary Hugh Mauldin, RSM, MA Topic: “The Beatitudes and Living the Christian Life” Check-In: 9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

Program: 10:20 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Cost: $12 per person includes light morning refreshment & lunch – Make checks payable to Catholic Charities Deadline for Registration: Monday, August 13th To Register: Contact Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or email sabreakfield@charlottediocese.org

KERNERSVILLE — The Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville, in partnership with the local Boy Scout troop and local law enforcement, held a flag retirement ceremony June 16. During a flag retirement ceremony, old, worn, faded or damaged American flags are methodically cut into smaller pieces and respectfully incinerated.

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE 11

and two bases from IHM’s choir headed out for the Big Apple.

There for five days, choir members visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial, attended Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, took in a few Broadway plays and enjoyed the international cuisine available in Manhattan.

But several choir members said their fondest memory was the concert. If singing in iconic Carnegie Hall with its incredible acoustics weren’t enough, gaining greater insight to the Lord’s Prayer through Choplin’s words and music ensures they will never recite the prayer the same way again.

Pictured in front of the iconic Carnegie Hall before their June 17 performance are (from left) Victoria Ewing Ware, Cameron LeJeune, Dolores Libby, Carli Kidd LeJeune, Cody Killian, Gail Dufresne, Jackie Wilson, Joseph Dufresne, Rebecca Robinson and Mark March — Victoria Ewing Ware, correspondent

Ostrander earns military academy appointment ALBEMARLE — Benjamin Ostrander, a member of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 2022.

Ostrander graduated June 8 from Gray Stone Day School in Meisenheiner, where he was a member of the National Honor Society.

He has been an altar server at his parish for nearly 10 years, and he has been swimming with the local Ostrander YMCA’s club team for nine years.

He looks forward to following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps in serving his country.

He received the congressional nomination from Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina’s 8th congressional district.

St. Mark Hispanic community focuses on pro-life awareness HUNTERSVILLE — Despite Father’s Day celebrations and the World Cup matches, more than 70 people from St. Mark Parish’s Hispanic community attended a special prolife presentation June 17 to learn about the problem of abortion in Charlotte. The event was organized by the parish’s Hispanic and Respect Life ministries to inform the Hispanic community of the abortion crisis in Charlotte and to invite their participation in building a culture of life. The event also reflects a broader initiative by C-PLAN, Charlotte’s Catholic prolife coalition, to encourage Hispanics across the diocese to join in the pro-life cause.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

Knights council officers installed JEFFERSON — Installation of officers for St. Francis of Assisi Parish’s Knights of Columbus Council 16839 was held July 11. Because of a short first year, all officers from the previous year were reelected. There are now 32 members in the council.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

Mix

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

Johnson engages during this easily forgotten action picture are not especially bloody, they are brutal. Much harsh violence with some gore, a couple of gruesome images, at least one use of profanity and a milder oath, a single rough and about a half-dozen crude terms.

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

‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’

‘Skyscraper’ An American security expert (Dwayne Johnson) gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to review the safeguards at the world’s tallest building in Hong Kong whose owner (Chin Han) puts him and his family up there during their visit. A plot to destroy the structure leaves his wife (Neve Campbell) and kids (McKenna Roberts and Noah Cottrell) trapped by a raging multi-floor fire, with no one likely to be able to save them except Dad. Anyone with a fear of heights will cringe as writerdirector Rawson Marshall Thurber puts Johnson through his hair-raising paces hundreds of stories above terra firma. Others will note that, although the battles in which

Breezy second sequel to the 2012 original finds Dracula’s daughter (voice of Selena Gomez) arranging for her overworked father (voice of Adam Sandler) and the other friendly monsters who staff the hostelry of the title (the most prominent voiced by Kevin James, David Spade and Steve Buscemi) to take a cruise. But when widowed Dad falls for the ship’s captain (voice of Kathryn Hahn), he feels torn between romance and family responsibilities. He also fails to realize that the skipper has a secret conflict of her own based on the legacy of her vampire-hunting ancestors, embodied by her artificially preserved great grandfather. Like the excursion around which it’s built, director and cowriter Genndy Tartakovsky’s kids’ comedy makes for a pleasant diversion, though one more likely to satisfy youngsters than accompanying grown-ups. Parents may also consider the momentary use of digestive sound effects a minor nuisance and should be warned that the danger in which sympathetic characters are placed may be too much for timid tots. Much stylized destruction, considerable peril, fleeting scatological humor.

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

Other movies: n "The Equalizer 2": CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: R

On TV n Friday, July 20, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “I Shall Serve you: The Life of St. Camillus of Lellis.” From 16th century mercenary soldier, gambler and beggar, St. Camillus of Lellis eventually became a priest and founded the Camillians, an order dedicated to caring for the sick. To this day, their nursing practices are still used. n Saturday, July 21, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “A Story that is Not Finished Yet.” Learn about the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a major milestone in Mexico’s Catholic history after the time of the Spanish Conquest. n Sunday, July 22, 2:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Light that Never Ends.”

A documentary that explores the Byzantine rite and worship in Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome. n Monday, July 23, 5:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Pallottines In Africa: The Life of a Priest.” The missionary work of the Irish Pallottine Order in East Africa, and the profiles of their extraordinary members and volunteers. n Wednesday, July 25, 4:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “El Camino: The Way of Saint James.” Young American men between the ages of 17-22 make a pilgrimage on the historic route in Spain known as the Way of St. James.

The men explain their decision in

taking part and the crosses they bear along the way. n Thursday, July 26, 5:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Mozambique: Cipriano.”

The story behind Cipriano Parite, a father of seven and a lay catechist who sacrificed his life to protect his fellow villagers from guerrilla fighters and whose beatification is being considered by the Church. n Friday, July 27, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Bridge of Sweden: The Early Years.” A two-part EWTN original docu-drama about the life and works of St. Bridget of Sweden. Part 1. n Friday, July 27, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “The Temple of the Stars.” The history behind the construction of the cathedral that enshrines the remains of St. James the Greater, and the popular pilgrimage route that stretches over 450 miles to it. n Sunday, July 29, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Bridget of Sweden. Towards Rome.” A two-part EWTN original docu-drama on the life and works of St. Bridget of Sweden. Part 2. n Friday, Aug. 3, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint John Vianney: Heart of the Priesthood.” Bishop Mark Davies of the Diocese of Shrewsbury, England, reflects on the life of St. John Vianney, the “Curé of Ars” – patron saint for priests, parishes and for the New Evangelization.

Moments of Grace

That special day.

We want to remember it forever, and share the happy news with our family and friends. Now, share the joy with your fellow Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte, too!

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Momentos de gracia

The Catholic News Herald is launching a special section of the print edition that we’re calling “Moments of Grace.” Announce your child’s baptism, first Holy Communion or confirmation, or share the news of your wedding or wedding anniversary. Pricing starts at just $25.

No dejes que el tiempo borre tus recuerdos.

Go to www.catholicnewsherald.com or call Kevin Eagan at 704370-3332 for details.

¿Quieres más detalles? Visita www.catholicnewsherald.com o llama a Kevin Eagan al (704) 370-3333.

Hablamos español.

Comparte tus momentos más felices con familiares, amigos y tus queridos feligreses de la Diócesis de Charlotte. En la nueva sección ‘Moments of Grace’ de tu periódico Catholic News Herald. Desde $25 podrás anunciar el bautismo de tus hijos, su primera Comunión o confirmación, así como también tu matrimonio o aniversario. Gracias a nuestra edición online tus parientes en el extranjero podrán estar más cerca de los hermosos momentos que vives con tu familia.

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iiiJuly 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

Humanae50 years Vitae later

FROM TH

HE COVER

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

1968 encyclical rooted in respect Church has for human dignity eventually removed from his position at Catholic University.

Father Curran, currently the Elizabeth Scurlock university professor of human values at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that while “Humanae Vitae” upholds traditional Church teaching, for decades the use ifty years ago, an encyclical was released of artificial contraception among Catholic couples has been similar to that of affirming a long-held teaching of the Catholic non-Catholic couples without Church consequences.

Church, yet it became one of the most “From my prejudiced perspective, the present situation proves that the Catholic Church accepts dissent,” Father Curran said recently. “It’s not controversial encyclicals in recent history. infallible teaching,” he said of “Humanae Vitae.” “Everybody knows that Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”), subtitled contraception (practice) is about the same for Catholics and non-Catholics.”

Despite the outcome, Father Curran said the existing “gap between “On the Regulation of Birth,” reaffirmed the Church’s moral teaching on the the teaching of the Church and the practice of the faithful” is not a good sanctity of life, married love, the procreative and unitive nature of conjugal relations, responsible parenthood and its rejection of artificial contraception. situation because it has led to widespread loss of credibility for Church teaching.

Blessed Paul in “Humanae Vitae” said that the only licit means of “In a sense it (the encyclical) is even more important regulating birth is natural family planning. In the today especially because if the Catholic Church cannot document, he asked scientists to improve natural family engage on contraception it is never going to engage in planning methods “providing a sufficiently secure basis any other sexual issue or any other issue, such as the role for a regulation of birth founded on the observance of of women in the Church,” Father Curran said. natural rhythms.”

For defenders of “Humanae Vitae,” however, the At the time of its release, it was greeted with protests enduring relevance of the encyclical is a testament to the and petitions. But the 50th anniversary has been marked truth of its message. While it is not infallible teaching, by conferences, lectures and academic discussions as it is still the official doctrine of the Church, requiring theologians, clergy, family life ministers and university assent by all Catholics unless it is modified. professors have explored what its teachings mean for the “Perhaps the most surprising thing about the 21st-century Church. encyclical ... is how reports of its imminent death were Blessed Paul issued “Humanae Vitae” as artificial continually exaggerated,” recently wrote Helen Alvaré. contraception, particularly the birth control pill, began The law professor at George Mason University and to become commonplace. In the United States, the Food pro-life advocate, who among other things serves as a and Drug Administration approved the use of Enovid – consultor for the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the “the Pill” – in May 1960 after tests on nearly 900 women Laity, attributes this to the flaws of the birth control through more than 10,000 fertility cycles showed no revolution and to a deeper appreciation of the “Humanae significant side effects.

Vitae” message.

Initially, many thought the pope might support the use “Over time, as the sexual revolution played out and of artificial contraception, especially after a majority contraception failed to live up to its billing, fair observers of members on a papal commission studying the issue began to note a positive or prophetic thing or two about approved a draft document in 1966 endorsing the principle ‘Humanae Vitae,’ along with its surprisingly accurate of freedom for Catholic couples to decide for themselves read of human nature,” she wrote. about the means of regulating births.

Janet Smith, who holds the Father Michael J. The document proposed that artificial birth control McGivney chair of life ethics at Sacred Heart Major was not intrinsically evil and said under specific Seminary in Detroit, said the encyclical’s opening line circumstances, Catholic couples could use contraceptives – stating that “the most serious duty of transmitting in good conscience. It was supported by 64 of the 69 human life” stems from the call of marriage – is the basis commission members who voted on it, including nine of its for Church teaching on the family.

16 episcopal members.

The difficulty facing the Church is that young people The document was intended for the pope only, but it was generally view sex as a pleasurable experience shared leaked to the press, which heightened expectations of a among consenting partners, she said. However, in talks major change in Church teaching. around the country Smith has encountered young people Blessed Paul rejected the majority’s recommendations who “see the meaninglessness of casual sex,” creating an and, instead, decided to uphold traditional Church opening to explore the message of “Humanae Vitae.” teaching on artificial contraception. The text of the “It’s a growing movement of young people who are document thanked the commission experts but added that interested in being 100 percent Catholic,” she said. the pope thought its proposed solutions “departed from Alvare echoes this assessment: “‘Humanae Vitae’ took the moral teaching on marriage proposed with constant sex seriously, far more seriously than the contemporary firmness by the teaching authority of the Church.” world, for all of its talk about sex.”

Opposition to the encyclical erupted throughout the Helen Alvaré In April, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput Church after the document’s release. Some clergy in George Mason University law professor and told a Catholic University of America symposium the U.S. and Europe openly voiced disagreement and consultor to the Vatican’s Pontifical Council commemorating the encyclical’s anniversary that it is thousands of lifelong Catholics left the Church. for the Laity time for the Church’s teaching on marriage, abortion, Among the most prominent opponents were 87 teaching human sexuality and artificial contraception to be theologians from American seminaries and Catholic embraced as God’s will for the faithful. universities. They responded with their own statement, arguing that because He explained that the teaching is rooted in the same respect for human the encyclical was not an infallible teaching, married couples in good dignity that guides its work for social justice and care for poor people. conscience could use artificial contraception and remain faithful Catholics. “‘Humanae Vitae’ revealed deep wounds in the Church about our Father Charles E. Curran, then an associate professor of theology at The understanding of the human person, the nature of sexuality and marriage Catholic University of America, was one of the most visible U.S. leaders of as God created it. We still seek the cure for those wounds. But thanks to the the group who opposed the teaching. witness of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis and many other An attempt by Catholic University officials in spring 1967 to dismiss faithful shepherds, the Church has continued to preach the truth of Jesus Father Curran for his stance that Catholics could dissent from the Church’s Christ about who we are and what God desires for us,” the archbishop said. teaching that contraception was morally wrong resulted in a student strike.

He added, “People willing to open their eyes and their hearts to the truth The priest was reinstated quickly, ending the strike. will see the hope that Catholic teaching represents and the power that comes In 1986, the Vatican declared Father Curran unfit to teach Catholic when that truth makes us free.” theology because of his dissent from certain Church teachings and he was

F

DENNIS SADOWSKI CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

‘“Humanae Vitae” took sex seriously, far more seriously than the contemporary world, for all of its talk about sex.’

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 FROM THE COVER

‘And We are convinced that this truly great work will bring blessings both on the world and on the Church. For man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature.

These laws must be wisely and lovingly observed.’

Blessed Paul VI

Conclusion to “Humanae Vitae”

50th anniversary Mass All are welcome to attend a Mass commemorating the 50th anniversary of “Humanae Vitae” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, located at 6828 Old Reid Road in Charlotte. A light reception will be held after the Mass.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald. com: Read the full text of “Humanae Vitae” for yourself Also at www. catholicnewsherald.com: Read a five-part series on love and life, in English and in Spanish, written

by Father Santiago Mariani, parochial vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte At www.usccb.org: Find prayer resources, explanations of Church teaching on marriage and sexuality, and more information about natural family planning (NFP) methods At www.ccdoc.org/naturalfamily-planning: Learn more about natural family planning classes being held across the diocese, and find helpful guides on NFP apps, NFP-supportive doctors and much more At www.foryourmarriage.org: A helpful website for couples at all stages of life to understand and live God’s plan for happy, holy marriages by providing educational and spiritual resources on everything from dating advice to parenting tips

Batrice Adcock, MSN, diocesan Natural Family Planning director, addresses couples preparing for the sacrament of holy matrimony during a presentation about natural family planning June 23 at St. Matthew Church.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘God wants so much more for us’ Local Catholics reflect on ‘Humanae Vitae’ CHARLOTTE — Three Diocese of Charlotte leaders who help teach local Catholics about “Humanae Vitae” reflect on the 50th anniversary of the encyclical and share their perspectives on putting its teachings into practice in their own lives: Jessica Grabowski is a married mother of three and the diocese’s Respect Life program director.

“Humanae Vitae” is a profound document which foretold many intricacies of the future of the family – which is the culture as we see it today – in a truly prophetic way. I Grabowski had the privilege to study this and other papal documents in moral theology classes at The Catholic University of America (my alma mater).

In one particular class, Christian Marriage and Family Life, which I unknowingly took with my future spouse (and taught by my future father-in-law), I had the opportunity to study “Humanae Vitae” and the detrimental impacts birth control has had on families and marriages throughout the last five decades.

Despite the warning signs provided in this document, I realized how far the good of the family had fallen because of the Pill. By focusing on the beauty of what marriage and family ought to be when husband and wife fully give themselves to God, one another and their families, we as a family try to emulate all that marriage and family should be according to His divine will. We truly believe that leading through example and prayer in our family life is the most powerful way to help bring the sanctity of marriage and family back into our culture.

Families and marriages need support and enrichment to stay strong, especially with the state of our current society. So we look to the example of other strong marriages and families and try to provide that same example by prayerfully following God’s will in our family.

Adcock

Batrice Adcock, MSN, is a married mother of three and the diocese’s Natural Family Planning director.

When I think about my own experience with Natural Family Planning, by God’s grace my husband and I were introduced to a priest right here from our own diocese when we were discerning

marriage. He really explained to us the beauty of the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality and family planning, so that when we got married we were able to embrace Natural Family Planning.

It has been very helpful for us throughout our almost 15 years of marriage, for avoiding pregnancy when we needed to, for achieving pregnancy quickly when we tried and for helping me overcome problems with my health that were causing miscarriage.

So we are really thankful for what Natural Family Planning has provided for us.

It totally changed my career path. Pope Paul VI even mentioned this in “Humanae Vitae,” saying that often couples, through their own experience, would be inspired to share this with others.

Ultimately, that is what has happened with me.

I am very thankful to be in the position that I can share this with others in our diocese.

Elizabeth Harris is a nurse and Natural Family Planning instructor.

Catholic health care workers are called to courageously uphold the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of human life by being informed on the harmful effects of contraception, sterilization, Harris artificial fertility treatments and abortion, and by boldly sharing this knowledge with patients and colleagues – even if it means risking their job and their worldly sense of security. At the end of our lives, all that will matter is what we have done for God. I would like to see a world where women who are lost in the current culture of the women’s movement find authentic freedom in living a life of purity and chastity because that is where our dignity and empowerment truly are. This virtue allows our God-given beauty to shine radiantly, from the inside, and for our total gift of self to be given in the act of the marital embrace the way that God intended.

In the first sentence of “Humanae Vitae,” Pope Paul VI states, “The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator.” This act is sacred and holy, and it is not intended to be used outside of a covenantal marriage. It is also not meant to be distorted and made into something that is self-serving, such as pornography, which harms God’s beautiful design for love, sexuality and marriage.

How can we seek to uphold one another as God’s creation in our relationships and see each other as His masterpieces, instead of like objects to be used like a commodity? That is degrading of one’s dignity and is a cheap imitation of sexuality and love.

God wants so much more for us.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Catholic Charities launches education program for teen girls A free program for teenage girls and their parents, focused on menstrual cycle education, will be launched at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte on Oct. 13.

Entitled “teenFEMM” (short for “Fertility Education and Medical Management”), the program was developed by the World Youth Alliance, which advocates for pro-life and pro-family policy at the United Nations.

Rather than wait to first introduce couples to the information as part of marriage preparation, Batrice Adcock, director of the Natural Family Planning Program of Catholic Charities, wants to educate young women and their parents in this knowledgebased health program that teaches them to understand and monitor hormonal and other indicators of their health.

“Teens will come to understand how their bodies work,” Adcock notes. “They will see how daily choices about food, sleep and exercise effect their menstrual cycles and overall health. The teens will be empowered to take charge of their health.

“We will teach teens to recognize normal and abnormal patterns in their menstrual cycles. In the case of an abnormality, specially trained medical professionals can provide more accurate testing, diagnosis and treatment by working with biological indicators provided by the teen’s own observations.

“Often, the first sign of an underlying health problem is an irregularity in the menstrual cycle, most easily identified and treated during the teen years,” Adcock adds.

Monitoring her cycle, the teen has access to a monthly report card reflecting her health, equivalent to another vital sign, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“We want to give teens and their parents access to a diagnostic tool and medical management for menstrual problems that far exceeds what is available to them in the band-aid approach of the pill. The pill does not treat the underlying cause of their problems, but puts them at risk for depression, breast cancer and blood clots, to name a few,” Adcock says.

Such programs have also been shown to delay the onset of sexual activity, decrease sexual activity in sexually-active youth and improve attitudes towards abstinence.

The program at St. Vincent de Paul Church will begin with Mass and will be followed with a talk on the dignity women have being made female in God’s image.

Adcock will then present to parents first, then their daughters, information about the menstrual cycle. A similar program is being piloted for young men and will be launched in the diocese when it is available.

“We want to help teens to become vibrant and healthy and to come to a deep appreciation of their gender,” Adcock says.

“I often meet young women in the context of marriage preparation who would have liked to learn about their menstrual cycles as teens or even earlier, with the onset of puberty.”

For details about teenFEMM and to attend the free program, contact Adcock at 704-3703230 or bnadcock@charlottediocese.org.

— Catholic News Herald

Did you know?

Natural Family Planning and other lifechanging programs at Catholic Charities are funded in part through the generous support of many people and organizations in our community. Learn more about Catholic Charities and donate online at www.ccdoc.org.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM THE COVERI

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M

en and women considering marriage yearn for certain things.

They want to be accepted unconditionally by each other. They want their marriage to be filled with love and happiness. They want a family. In short, they want their marriage to be a source of joy and fulfillment their whole life long. God’s plan for marriage, from the time He first created human beings as male and female, has always included all this and more.

Dr. Charlie Camosy

What does the Church teach about married love?

Marriage is more than a civil contract; it is a lifelong covenant of love between a man and a woman. It is an intimate partnership in which husbands and wives learn to give and receive love unselfishly, and then teach their children to do so as well. Christian marriage in particular is a “great mystery,” a sign of the love between Christ and His Church (Eph 5:32). Married love is powerfully embodied in the spouses’ sexual relationship, when they most fully express what it means to become “one body” (Gn 2:24) or “one flesh” (Mk 10:8, Mt 19:6). The Church teaches that the sexual union of husband and wife is meant to express the full meaning of love, its power to bind a couple together and its openness to new life.

What does this have to do with contraception?

A husband and wife express their committed love not only with words, but with the language of their bodies. Married love differs from any other love in the world. By its nature, the love of husband and wife is so complete, so ordered to a lifetime of communion with God and each other, that it is open to creating a new human being they will love and care for together. Part of God’s gift to husband and wife is this ability in and through their love to cooperate with God’s creative power. Therefore, the mutual gift of fertility is an integral part of the bonding power of marital intercourse. That power to create a new life with God is at the heart of what spouses share with each other.

Suppressing fertility by using contraception or sterilization denies part of the inherent meaning of married sexuality and does harm to the couple’s unity. The total giving of oneself, body and soul, to one’s beloved is no time to say: “I give you everything I am – except ...” The Church’s teaching is not only about observing a rule, but about preserving that total, mutual gift of two persons in its integrity.

Are couples expected to leave family size to chance?

Certainly not. The Church teaches that a couple may generously decide to have a large family, or may for serious reasons choose not to have more children for the time being or even for an indefinite period (“Humanae Vitae,” 10).

What should a couple do if they have a good reason to avoid having a child?

A married couple can engage in marital intimacy during the naturally infertile times in a woman’s cycle, or after child-bearing years, without violating the meaning of marital intercourse in any way. This is the principle behind natural family planning.

What is natural family planning?

Natural family planning is a general name for the methods of family planning that are based on a woman’s menstrual cycle. A man is fertile throughout his life, while a woman is fertile for only a few days each cycle during the child-bearing years. Some believe that NFP involves using a calendar to predict the fertile time. That is not what NFP is today. A woman experiences clear, observable signs indicating when she is fertile and when she is infertile. Learning to observe and understand these signs is at the heart of education in natural family planning. When a couple decides to postpone pregnancy, NFP can be very effective. NFP can also be very helpful for couples who desire to have a child because it identifies the time of ovulation. It is used by many fertility specialists for this purpose.

Is there really a difference between using contraception and practicing natural family planning?

On the surface, there may seem to be little difference. But the end result is not the only thing that matters, and the way we get to that result may make an enormous moral difference. Some ways respect God’s gifts to us while others do not. When couples use contraception, either physical or chemical, they suppress their fertility, asserting that they alone have ultimate control over this power to create a new human life. With NFP, spouses respect God’s design for life and love. They may choose to refrain from sexual union during the woman’s fertile time, doing nothing to destroy the love-giving or life-giving meaning that is present. This is the difference between choosing to falsify the full marital language of the body and choosing at certain times not to speak that language.

Conclusion By using contraception, couples may think that they are avoiding problems or easing tensions, that they are exerting control over their lives. But the gift of being able to help create another person, a new human being with his or her own life, involves profound relationships. It affects our relationship with God, who created us complete with this powerful gift. It involves whether spouses will truly love and accept each other as they are, including their gift of fertility. Finally, it involves the way spouses will spontaneously accept their child as a gift from God and the fruit of their mutual love. Like all important relationships with other persons, it is not subject solely to our individual control. In the end, this gift is far richer and more rewarding than that.

— Excerpted from the U.S. bishops’ 2006 statement “Married Love and the Gift of Life”

A conversation about ‘Humanae Vitae’ may finally be possible

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an one imagine a more difficult year for “Humanae Vitae” (“Of Human Life”) to be heard than 1968?

Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical came out just as the sexual revolution was picking up steam, well on its way to becoming a dominant force in Western culture.

Contraception was part of a basic right to privacy and on a path from normalization to celebration.

Playboy and other pornographic magazines and films were on the ascendant. Casual sexual encounters, along with no fault divorce, were becoming much more prevalent. Sex manuals and erotic novels were on the living room bookshelves of respectable people. Movies and music pushed the revolution at every turn.

This revolution, it should be said, made a lot of people quite a lot of money. But it was portrayed in cultural circles of power (media, academia, government, etc.), not as the latest iteration of consumer culture, but as part of a broader social justice movement. A movement which pushed back against the outdated and oppressive views of the past.

The replacement culture was liberating.

The natural direction of social progress. Only backward-thinking, religious dogmatists rejected it.

Smart and open-minded people embraced it.

Swimming against this powerful cultural tide, in the short run at least, “Humanae Vitae” never had a chance. Few of its critics actually read the text, and even fewer could allow themselves to be genuinely challenged by its arguments. It fit neatly in the revolution’s cultural narrative: an out-oftouch celibate hierarchy using power to enforce a superstitious and harmful view of sex onto people who, given their better education and actual experience, simply knew better.

In recent decades the consensus against “Human Vitae” has been so strong that theologians and even priests feel quite safe in their dissent. The occasional finger-wagging or bad book review from the institutional Church serves to do little beyond increasing the prominence of the thinker and increasing their book sales.

But those who’ve been sympathetic to the document have, for their most part, been forced to keep their mouths shut and their pens dry – at least if they want to remain respectable in cultural circles of power. The narrative that only backwardthinking dogmatists could take it seriously became the received wisdom.

But now, on the verge of the document’s 50th anniversary, a new cultural moment has arrived.

Blessed Paul warned that the separation of sex from procreation and committed relationships would have disastrous effects, and there is now strong evidence to show that he predicted better than he knew.

Consider these cultural trends: n The #MeToo movement has demonstrated that our sexual culture is fundamentally broken and often violent. Far from liberating, “hookup culture” is a particular instance of what Pope Francis calls the “use and throwaway” culture. People are dehumanized and mutually used as mere objects of desire in a sexual marketplace – a marketplace now widely expanded and facilitated by smartphone applications. n Pornography dominates the internet and the script for Western sexual encounters. But it has done so in ways which normalize hookups, violence against women, and even sex between family members. As a result, even liberal countries like

the United Kingdom and Iceland have recently tried to ban porn. Lurking right behind porn in separating sex from genuine relationships are sex robots. Many are already worried that, given current assumptions and practices, there will be little to stop them from radically disconnecting sex from unification with another person. n Hookup culture is impossible to imagine without widespread access to contraception as an enabling technology. And the riskier sex created by this culture, perhaps counterintuitively for some, has actually led to more sexually-transmitted infections, not fewer. For evidence-based approaches, contraception no longer appears to be the solution to our epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases. n More and more progressive and even secular women are starting to react negatively to the health problems created by the large doses of hormones in the birth control pill and long-acting contraception.

Dubbed by some the “Pro-Kale, Anti-Hormone” movement, many women with the means to do so are avoiding the pill’s substantial side effects by using versions of natural family planning.

In a related story, some secular social justice advocates are challenging the growing movement (pushed in part by pharma companies who stand to profit) to put poor people of color on long-acting contraception with high levels of hormones. n Most countries who had a sexual revolution now have a fertility crisis. A culture needs to have 2.1 children per woman to replace its population, but every European country is well below this threshold: Germany is 1.47; Great Britain, 1.8; Italy, 1.37; Poland, 1.32; and so on. Tax incentives to have more children aren’t working. The problem was so bad in Russia the government came up with a “Day of Conception” in which everyone is given the afternoon off from work to go home and have sex. Japan’s fertility crisis has resulted in trillions in lost GDP and a population decline of 1 million people, all within just the past five years. This is happening in the United States as well. In 2008 and 2009, the U.S. had replacement-rate fertility, but since then, we’ve fallen to about 0.3 kids below replacement level. n The move from procreation to reproduction has accepted the logic of consumer culture. Given the perceived need for a culturally determined income and lifestyle, the market decides if and when one should have a child. Child-bearing is therefore often delayed until it is much more dangerous for both mother and child. In vitro fertilization, at least as practiced by the uber-profitable fertility industry in the United States, is another example of the use and throwaway culture – with thousands of embryos discarded as trash. This practice also has created a situation in which women are used for their eggs and uteruses – a marketplace which abuses poor women such that countries as India have banned commercial surrogacy.

These cultural trends are so different from where they were 50 years ago that “Humanae Vitae” may finally get a genuine hearing. The obvious surrender of our sexual culture to consumerist market forces, particularly after #MeToo, has led many different kinds of people to look for alternatives.

If 1968 was one of the worst years possible for “Humanae Vitae” to be heard, then 2018 may be one of the best. Let the conversation begin.

DR. CHARLIE CAMOSY is an associate professor in the theology department at Jesuit-run Fordham University.

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 18

Juan José García

El compromiso laico

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oy más que nunca nuestra iglesia necesita de laicos comprometidos que den su tiempo, talento y tesoro a la tarea de evangelizar a la comunidad hispana de nuestra diócesis. ¿Te has dado cuenta del impresionante crecimiento de nuestra comunidad en los últimos años? La cantidad de personas que se acercan a nuestras parroquias en cada una de las esquinas de la diócesis para solicitar un sacramento, participar de la liturgia dominical, de un movimiento apostólico, solicitar dirección espiritual o cualquier otro tipo de asistencia, nos dice claramente que hay muchos rostros en la casa de Dios en Estados Unidos y que la iglesia local en nuestra diócesis es bendecida grandemente con nuestra presencia.

Esto nos debe dar mucha alegría y esperanza. Como pueblo hispano somos una comunidad de fe y devoción que con nuestro aporte está enriqueciendo grandemente la Iglesia en este país.

Sin embargo, a pesar que estamos creciendo de manera rápida, también nos damos cuenta que hay muchas áreas donde, por falta de ministros laicos formados y comprometidos, los servicios son un tanto limitados. ¿Te has puesto a pensar por qué será que en tu comunidad hay tantos niños en el programa de la catequesis y pocos catequistas? Es de notar que el compromiso y la formación de nosotros como laicos es una gran pieza del motor que mueve la Iglesia. Mientras más personas con una sólida formación eclesial estén presentes en los programas catequéticos nos daremos cuenta que esos mismos programas serán una experiencia de transformación cristiana para quienes pasen por ellos. Por el contrario, si no hay laicos comprometidos y dispuestos a tener una formación sólida y adulta, no podremos avanzar plenamente en los procesos de evangelización de nuestra comunidad. ¿Alguna vez has identificado la necesidad de participar en un taller formativo sobre cualquier tema eclesial o humano, pero te frustras al darte cuenta que las opciones de que alguien ofrezca este taller formativo en tu grupo, ministerio o comunidad son muy pocas? Lamentablemente esto pasa muy a menudo. Como laicos, muchas veces somos un tanto conformistas. No buscamos la manera de formarnos y educarnos un poco más y esperamos que sean los otros quienes se nutran de los misterios de la fe para poder enseñarlos.

Que grandioso sería si una mayor cantidad de hermanos y hermanas se comprometieran en una formación integral en las áreas eclesial, humana, social e incluso académica. De esta manera

podríamos ver el gigante dormido que está en nuestra comunidad.

Hace un par de semanas culminó el Curso del Ministerio Laico que fue desarrollado en nuestra diócesis hace algunos años.

Este programa ha sido una bendición para quienes logran pasar por él. Los cursos buscan despertar la curiosidad sobre los misterios de nuestra fe al presentarlos de una manera sencilla pero profunda.

Cada uno de los temas es fascinante y está lleno de una tremenda riqueza que, con la ayuda del Espíritu Santo, se transforma en conocimiento para entender mejor el por qué de nuestra fe Católica. ¿Alguna vez has conocido a alguien en tu comunidad con muy buenas características para formar y educar a otros en la fe? Estoy seguro que sí. Estas personas carismáticas, aptas, dinámicas y ágiles para formar a otros están en la mayoría de nuestras parroquias, pero lamentablemente son muy pocas.

Hoy la invitación es para que tú te atrevas a ser agente multiplicador. Tú puedes ser una de esas personas. Alguien con facilidad de palabra para formar y enseñar, pero primero tienes que dar el paso para formarte.

Los hispanos somos una comunidad con niños y adolescentes que hacen de nuestra iglesia una iglesia joven. Es así como la Pastoral Juvenil Hispana es un sector que promete un gran futuro para nuestra diócesis. Poco a poco estamos siendo testigos de una promoción vocacional sacerdotal y religiosa que incluye a más y más jóvenes hispanos.

Tenemos la esperanza de ver matrimonios jóvenes viviendo a una vida sacramental plena. Sin embargo, debemos ser conscientes que para que nuestros jóvenes se sientan acompañados a descubrir su propia vocación, necesitamos urgentemente laicos formados y con el deseo profundo de caminar y guiar a la juventud.

Tengo ya 14 años de trabajar como coordinador de la Vicaría de Asheville.

Ciertamente, mi formación eclesial y humana comenzó en el seno de un hogar cristiano y ha sido un proceso largo en el que he tenido que estar dispuesto a hacer sacrificios, emplear tiempo y recursos para formarme.

Puedo decirte que todos esos sacrificios han valido la pena. Con la formación que he recibido a través de programas de formación laical puedo decir que también he recibido la herramienta que necesito para continuar en la vocación que hasta hoy el Señor me ha llamado a responder como esposo, padre y ministro laico comprometido.

JUAN JOSÉ GARCÍA es coordinador del Ministerio Hispano de la Vicaría de Asheville.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Con el objetivo de incrementar la participación de minorías y la diversidad cultural en las escuelas católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte, el sistema educativo católico ha iniciado una campaña de información sobre los beneficios de estudiar en una escuela católica, así como la asistencia financiera disponible que hará posible la matrícula para todos.

Escuelas Católicas ofrecen ayuda económica Becas y asistencia financiera están disponibles para Latinos y otras minorías CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — María Constante estaba desesperada. Los tres años que su hijo había estudiado en la Escuela Católica San Gabriel podrían irse al agua.

Madre soltera con limitados ingresos, que también debe cuidar de una hija con necesidades especiales, María se había visto en apuros para pagar la matrícula de su hijo, pese a la importante deducción que ya recibía.

María no sabía qué hacer. Su hijo estaba devastado. “Ya le había dicho que era muy seguro que no podría regresar a su escuela y él se había puesto a llorar.

Yo me sentía culpable por no tener el dinero”, comentó.

Sin perder la fe, contactó a los representantes de las Escuelas Católicas del Área de Mecklenburg (MACS, por sus siglas en inglés) y hace pocos días recibió una buena noticia: su solicitud de ayuda financiera había sido aprobada y la matrícula de su hijo reajustada según sus ingresos.

“Este es parte del trabajo silencioso que realizan diariamente nuestros administradores para facilitar el ingreso de estudiantes minoritarios o menos favorecidos a nuestras escuelas”, dijo Angélica Hurtado, coordinadora de reclutamiento de las Escuelas Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El cambio viene con el reciente llamado del Papa Francisco para detener “la elitización de la educación” y la exclusión

del pobre de la educación que tiene derecho a recibir. La educación que está abierta solo para algunos resulta en egoísmo, dijo el Papa, “y entonces la mano se nos va cerrando cada vez más, el corazón se nos va cerrando cada vez más, y la mente se nos cierra cada vez más.

Entonces, somos incapaces de pensar, sentir o trabajar con el prójimo”.

“Quedan afuera chicos y chicas que no tienen educación. Educar no es saber cosas sino ser capaz de usar los tres lenguajes. El del corazón, de las manos y de la cabeza. Educar es incluir”.

“Incrementar la diversidad de los estudiantes en nuestras 19 escuelas católicas es muy importante para nuestro liderazgo escolar y diocesano”, dijo la Dra. Janice Ritter, superintendente de las Escuelas Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte. “A este punto, hemos creado una nueva posición, la de Coordinador de Reclutamiento y Retención de Estudiantes. Estamos encantados de dar la bienvenida a Angélica Hurtado a esta posición. Su tarea principal es la de atraer y enrolar estudiantes que reflejen la diversidad de la población católica en la Diócesis de Charlotte”.

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

ECONÓMICA, PASA A LA PÁGINA 20

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Biblioteca de Charlotte ofrece premios y regalos a lectores CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Pese a que el verano comenzó y las clases escolares concluyeron hace más de un mes, cualquier momento es bueno para que los niños y adolescentes en casa mantengan o incrementen sus habilidades de lectura durante las vacaciones de verano.

Según el Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos, el verano es un período muy importante para que los estudiantes mantengan y mejoren sus habilidades de lectura.

Si su hijo no lee regularmente en este verano podría estar en peligro de sufrir lo que los expertos llaman ‘la bajada de verano’, un declive en su capacidad de leer y entender textos.

Numerosos estudios citados por el Departamento de Educación muestran que a los estudiantes que no se capacitan en lectura se les hace más difícil avanzar a través del sistema escolar. El tema se hace aún más complicado para los estudiantes con desventajas económicas pues, de no mejorar su lectura, tienen más posibilidades de quedarse detrás de sus compañeros privilegiados.

“Es como si tocas un instrumento musical y lo dejas por tres meses”, afirma Laurie Calvert, una maestra que trabaja como directora del programa de extensión para maestros del Departamento de Educación. La profesora escribió su tesis universitaria sobre el mejoramiento de los programas de lectura en una escuela secundaria de Carolina del Norte. “Tú no vas a tocar tan bien el instrumento como otra persona que siguió practicando por esos tres meses”, aseguró.

Para evitar esa pérdida de capacidad en la lectura, la Biblioteca de Charlotte ha lanzado un programa llamado ‘Summer Break’ al que invitan a participar a toda la familia, recompensándolos con diferentes premios al completar un número de horas de lectura y actividades.

Beatriz Guevara, manager de la Biblioteca Scaleybark, explicó que este año existe un incentivo adicional pues todos los participantes inscritos en Summer Break serán elegibles para recibir un boleto del parque temático Carowinds por completar el programa. Estas entradas serán válidas en Carowinds hasta el final de la temporada 2018, y estarán disponibles hasta agotar existencias. “Pero lo más importante que ganarás al participar en el programa de lectura de verano es tiempo con tu familia y una educación que te abrirá nuevas puertas”, señaló Guevara.

El programa de vacaciones de verano de este año inició el 1 de junio y estará vigente hasta el 12 de agosto. No hay límites de edad y todos pueden registrarse en summerbreak.cmlibrary.org o acercándose a cualquier biblioteca del sistema donde pueden ayudarlo.

¿CÓMO FUNCIONA?

El programa Summer Break alienta a los participantes a leer 20 minutos por día y participar en actividades de aprendizaje adicionales en las categorías de escritura, creación, juego, exploración y donación.

Después de inscribirse, los participantes realizan un seguimiento de sus actividades en línea, recopilan insignias y son elegibles para sorteos al azar de premios semanales. Completan el programa quienes leen y registran al menos 20 horas de lectura, o leen durante al menos 10 horas y completan 10 horas de actividades sugeridas. Si por alguna razón el participante acumula, digamos, 9 horas de lectura y 11 de actividades, no completará el programa. Pero si lee

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Vacaciones, tiempo preciso para acercarse a sus hijos

11 horas y realiza 9 de actividades estará cumpliendo con los términos del programa.

Para registrarse debe ingresar al website de Summer Break, donde anotará su información básica y una dirección electrónica. Si no cuenta con un correo electrónico y no sabe cómo obtenerlo una persona en la biblioteca podrá ayudarlo. Contar con un email es importante ya que así podrá recibir recordatorios y notificaciones en caso de ganar alguno de los premios que se sortean semanalmente.

Si desea participar de los sorteos gratuitos y recibir

En el programa de lectura de verano, niños, jóvenes y adultos son incentivados a leer 20 minutos por día y participar en actividades de aprendizaje que les otorgan premios y regalos.

FOTOS CORTESÍA BIBLIOTECA MECKLENBURG

los incentivos es necesario contar con una tarjeta de lector o número OneAccess, un número con el que cuentan todos los estudiantes del sistema escolar público de Charlotte Mecklenburg.

Una vez inscrito podrá iniciar sus horas de lectura de libros, revistas, periódicos, websites, correos electrónicos, comics o de escucha de audiolibros. Los participantes pueden leer tan rápido o lento como deseen y, al menos, 20 minutos diarios.

Guevara no está de acuerdo con algunas personas que opinan que la lectura es una actividad cansada y aburrida. “La lectura no solo es una experiencia didáctica. También puede ser divertida, especialmente cuando se hace en familia. La Biblioteca está aquí para servirles y ayudar a los niños, tanto como a los adultos, a ser lectores de por vida”, aseveró.

La Biblioteca de Charlotte Mecklenburg presta servicios a una comunidad de más de un millón de ciudadanos en el condado Mecklenburg. La Biblioteca brinda servicios y programas excepcionales a través de 20 localidades, con la misión de mejorar vidas y construir una comunidad más fuerte.

En 2017, más de 32,000 participantes de Summer Break registraron 21.9 millones de minutos de lectura con cerca de 117,000 actividades completadas.

Más en línea En www.summerbreak.cmlibrary.org y en www.cmlibrary. org: Obtenga más información acerca de este programa

CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Estamos en plenas vacaciones, una temporada en la que los chicos pasan mucho tiempo en casa y que los padres deben aprovechar acercándose a sus hijos, niños y adolescentes, para conocerse más y disfrutar de tiempo de calidad entre ellos.

Jenny Cox, consejera y terapista de familia y parejas, afirma que para todos los padres es a veces un poco difícil conciliar los lados ‘personal’ y de ‘negocios’ “en lo que respecta ser padres”.

Según explica, el lado de ‘negocios’ “incluye una estructura, la disciplina, el trabajo de escuela, todo aquello que tenemos que tomar en cuenta para el desarrollo para una vida productiva y saludable de nuestros hijos”. Pero también existe el lado ‘personal’, en el que a veces no ponemos mucha atención, porque “estamos trabajando, estamos ocupados en las actividades de los chicos y hay muchas cosas pasando a la misma vez”, originando que padres e hijos puedan estar juntos mucho tiempo pero, “lamentablemente sin estar conectados”.

Siempre, explica la especialista, existe la posibilidad de poder compartir un tiempo juntos”, ya sea por la tarde, por la noche, o cuando el trabajo de los padres lo permita. Lo que no hay que dejar de lado, de ninguna manera, es ese lado ‘personal’, que resulta siendo tan importante como el lado de ‘negocios’, subraya Cox, ya que varios estudios demuestran que la relación que establecen los padres con sus hijos determina la forma en que éstos últimos desarrollarán sus relaciones en sus vidas adultas.

“Si los hijos tienen una relación ‘segura’ con sus padres, si tienen una relación de pertenencia familiar, si se sienten a salvo con ellos, si tienen autoestima, ellos desarrollarán mejores relaciones en sus vidas, con sus amigos, con sus parejas, en sus matrimonios”, añade la terapista.

No atender el lado ‘personal’, advierte, puede originar conflictos de estabilidad en el niño/joven que podrían manifestarse de inmediato o posteriormente.

“Si no está en contacto con su hijo, de haber un problema, su hijo probablemente no se sentirá en confianza para contárselo”, asegura Cox. Los hijos, según afirma, sienten si sus padres “les guardan las espaldas”, los apoyan y, si es así, las posibilidades de que compartan sus problemas cuando se presente un conflicto serán mayores”.

Al sentirse confiados y apoyados por sus padres los hijos pueden desarrollar su curiosidad por el mundo, pueden manifestarse, salir, confrontar opiniones y tener un balance saludable de cercanía e independencia. Caso contrario, se sienten inseguros y muchas veces ansiosos al enfrentar situaciones, considera la especialista.

“No tenemos que pasar todo el tiempo con nuestros hijos, lo entendemos. La vida es muy ocupada. Pero quizás en verano, puede ser un buen momento para incidir en esa conexión personal, para evaluarla, para efectuar correcciones”.

Para Cox, la conexión siempre se puede encontrar inclusive en pequeñas actividades, como ver una película o un show de televisión juntos, al ir a la iglesia en domingo, al orar en familia o hacer servicio comunitario. Lo importante es mostrar la intencionalidad de pasar un momento de calidad juntos.

La especialista advierte que, en los casos en los que no se ha tenido contacto con el niño o joven por un buen tiempo, el intento de iniciar una relación estrecha podría ser ocasión de rechazo.

“Una buena forma de iniciar el contacto podría ser una disculpa sincera”, sugiere Cox. “Quizás el explicar al hijo que el padre ha tomado conciencia de haber descuidado el contacto y su intención por restablecerlo compartiendo tiempo juntos sea una buena idea”.

Como recomendación adicional, resalta la importancia de los padres de mantenerse en calma, sin gritar a los niños, de avanzar en la relación paso a paso, demostrando intencionalidad de acercamiento y sin tomar las respuestas de manera personal.

La clave es establecer prioridades en sus vidas, enfocarse en establecer un equilibrio ‘personal’ y de ‘negocios’ en su relación con sus hijos, demostrar la intención de contacto con ellos y elegir actividades que sean atractivas para sus niños.

“Tenemos un deber con ellos”, puntualizó.

Jenny Cox está licenciada en Terapia de Familia y Matrimonio. Dicta seminarios en varias instituciones, entre ellas la Iglesia San Mateo de Charlotte. Si desea contactarla puede llamar al teléfono 980-999-0468 o escribirle a Jenny@ compassionatelife.net.

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ECONÓMICA

Oración y acción por Venezuela

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 18

Hurtado ha iniciado esos esfuerzos en el área de Charlotte con las nueve escuelas de MACS, y luego el alcance llegará a incluir a las otras diez escuelas diocesanas parroquiales.

“La campaña de sesiones informativas tiene tres propósitos”, señala Hurtado. “Primero, proporcionar la información necesaria entre las comunidades menos representadas en las escuelas de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Deseamos que las personas se informen sobre cómo funciona el sistema para que así puedan efectuar su solicitud, y además que se enteren que existe la ayuda financiera para familias de bajos ingresos y así sus niños puedan tener una puerta abierta a las escuelas católicas”.

La segunda meta es impulsar el ingreso de minorías en las 19 escuelas y eso lograría que alcancemos el tercer propósito, que es el de diversificar las escuelas para “hacerlas más multiculturales”.

La primera sesión, realizada el 15 de julio en la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, atrajo más de 40 personas. Ellas recibieron información en español e inglés por Hurtado y Jennifer Harris, directora de marketing de MACS. “Estamos contentas porque las personas mostraron mucho interés en matricular a sus hijos en nuestras escuelas. Los padres de familia recibieron solicitudes de registro para las diferentes escuelas y grados a los que irán sus niños y efectuaron preguntas con sus inquietudes sobre el proceso”, dijo Hurtado.

Durante la sesión se enfatizaron la calidad académica de las escuelas diocesanas, la fe católica y su enfoque en la formación integral de los alumnos.

La misión del sistema educativo de las escuelas diocesanas es “proclamar la Buena Nueva del Evangelio y proveer un programa académico y religioso que permita a cada estudiante su desarrollo espiritual, intelectual, emocional, físico y social, para que de esta manera se encuentre preparado para vivir y servir en una sociedad cambiante como un ciudadano respetable”.

Las tres escuelas secundarias de la diócesis han alcanzado un índice de graduación del cien por ciento y nueve de cada diez graduados continúan sus estudios en universidades y otros centros de estudios superiores.

También se presentó información general sobre cada una de las nueve escuelas que conforman MACS, así como una explicación de cómo aplicar y la importancia que las familias se registren en las parroquias donde atienden Misa regularmente.

“Todos pueden estudiar en nuestras escuelas, todos pueden beneficiarse de sus ventajas, sean católicos o no”, dijeron las presentadoras, “pero el ser un feligrés registrado que recibe los sobres de donativos y asiste regularmente a Misa le da un beneficio inmediato”, ya que a la familia solicitante se le entrega un ‘voucher’ que debe ser firmado por su párroco y, sin mayor trámite, le otorga un importante descuento en el valor de la matrícula.

Próximas sesiones informativas Viernes 27 de julio, 6 p.m., y viernes 10 de agosto, 6 p.m.

Iglesia San Gabriel, Edificio Administrativo 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28211 Mayores detalles sobre inscripciones, asistencia financiera y otros temas pueden encontrarse en las páginas de internet www.discovermacs.org (para las escuelas MACS) y en www. charlottediocese.org/schools-office (para todas las escuelas diocesanas).

“Este descuento no invalida la posibilidad de obtener más ayuda financiera en caso de necesitarla”, afirmó Hurtado.

Un detalle importante para las familias que desean matricular a sus hijos en las escuelas católicas es que “en las solicitudes y procesos no se piden números de seguro social”, dijo Hurtado, precisando que -en caso de solicitar ayuda financiera- es necesario presentar declaraciones de impuestos “o taxes como les llamamos comúnmente y que se pueden realizar con ITIN o W-7”.

Más sesiones informativas se han programado para las semanas próximas, incluyendo dos en la Iglesia San Gabriel en Charlotte. Ellas se realizarán a las seis de la tarde, del viernes 27 de julio y el viernes 10 de agosto, en el edificio administrativo localizado en 3016 Providence Road.

“Invito a todas las familias interesadas en nuestras escuelas a que atiendan una de estas sesiones informativas y aprendan cómo proveer una educación católica a sus niños”, dijo la Dra. Ritter.

Nota de la editora: El reportero César Hurtado está casado con Angélica Hurtado, la nueva coordinadora de reclutamiento y retención de las escuelas diocesanas.

CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

como cristianos confiamos en el Señor. Sabemos que no nos abandona y que tiene grandes cosas para Venezuela”.

Comparando a los venezolanos en el exilio, aplicando el Evangelio (Mc 6, 1-6), en el que Jesús afirma que nadie es profeta en su tierra, sugirió que en este caso “tal vez el Señor nos necesita fuera de nuestro país para poder ser profetas y de esa manera poder ayudar a aliviar un poco la necesidad que vive nuestro país”.

Lo importante, añadió, “es recordar que después de la cruz viene la resurrección. Y así vendrán días de gloria, de paz, de reconciliación que es lo que deseamos para Venezuela”, por lo que en medio de este dolor “no podemos sentir más que misericordia, más que perdón. ¿Perdonar a quienes? A todos aquellos que de una manera u otra han dañado al país”.

CHARLOTTE — Una jornada con dolor y lágrimas, pero más que nada con esperanza, se vivió en la noche de oración y acción por Venezuela realizada en la Iglesia San Gabriel el pasado sabado 7 de julio.

Un nutrido grupo de venezolanos y nacionales de otros países se presentaron con donaciones que entregaron antes de la celebración de la Santa Misa, programada para las siete de la noche.

Voluntarios, la mayoría de ellos identificados con camisetas blancas, se encargaron de recolectar los alimentos y medicinas destinados para el alivio del sufrimiento que vive el pueblo venezolano ante la escasez y, en el peor de los casos, inexistencia de artículos de primera necesidad.

Elvia Gordils, presidenta y fundadora de Venezolanos en Las Carolinas, afirmó que la situación que vive el pueblo venezolano “es tremenda”.

“Están sin alimentos, medicinas. Lo que consiguen es sumamente costoso”, dijo, poniendo como ejemplo que el sueldo mínimo es de tres millones de bolívares “y un cartón de huevos (30 unidades) ya está por los cuatro millones”, sin poder fijar un precio exacto ya que la inflación anual superó la escalofriante cifra de 2.600 por ciento en 2017, según un comunicado de la Asamblea Nacional de ese país.

‘Venezolanos en Las Carolinas’, un grupo organizado en 2001, lleva varios años denunciando los gobiernos dictatoriales del fallecido expresidente Hugo Chávez y el actual gobernante, Nicolás Maduro, que han llevado a Venezuela a una crisis económica, social y política nunca antes vista. En CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD la mayoría de sus recientes actividades Voluntarios de ‘Venezolanos en las Carolinas’ poco antes de iniciar la Misa Oración han solicitado la renuncia del presidente y Acción por ese país sudamericano. En la jornada se recolectaron medicinas Maduro a través de cartas enviadas a la y alimentos de primera necesidad para aliviar la desesperada situación social y Organización de Estados Americanos, económica que afecta a los venezolanos.

Naciones Unidas y varios presidentes de países hermanos.

Sin embargo, en la Misa, las consignas políticas MÁS DONACIONES quedaron atrás y se oró y actuó por un alivio para los Gordils informó que la comunidad católica hermanos venezolanos. venezolana se reúne en la Iglesia San Gabriel desde El oficiante, padre Fidel Melo, director del Ministerio febrero pasado, gracias a la apertura que han Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, dijo en su homilía encontrado por parte de su pastor, P. Frank O’Rourke, que “sin ser de derecha, de centro o de izquierda, y el P. Fidel Melo, quien actualmente reside en las estamos aquí para ofrecer ayuda espiritual y material a facilidades de esa parroquia. los hermanos que sufren en Venezuela”.

Contra todo pronóstico, y pese a la advertencia de Más adelante señaló que en muchas ocasiones se Gordils de que “hoy veríamos algo muy pequeño”, la vive una historia común en los pueblos pues ante la recolección superó las expectativas y se requirió el injusticia se generan movimientos de protesta, “pero apoyo de más vehículos para trasladas las donaciones. cuando éstos llegan al poder repiten los mismos Adicionalmente a la entrega de medicinas y errores”. Ello, señaló, como consecuencia de la alimentos, el dinero recaudado en la colecta regular ambición desenfrenada sin coherencia ni respeto. de la Misa, por indicación expresa del P. O’Rourke, fue “En toda solución es importante que todas las destinado al mismo propósito. partes salgamos beneficiadas. El gran problema de la La presidenta de ‘Venezolanos en Las Carolinas’ humanidad es que la ambición domina al individuo o comentó que, para evitar la requisa de las donaciones a lo grupos y entonces hay opresión ante la injusticia por parte del gobierno, éstas son enviadas a una y las necesidades de los demás. Y la indiferencia ante red de personas confiables que luego las entregan a una situación de ese tipo nos hace cómplices de la Caritas de Venezuela. “Porque si lo enviamos a Caritas injusticia”, apuntó. directamente, ya tenemos la experiencia, el gobierno se “Por eso nos hemos congregado hoy para orar y para lo quita”, explicó. actuar. No solamente en la oración, sino en la acción La colecta realizada en la Iglesia San Gabriel es parte misma de donar algo”. Luego precisó que tenemos que de una campaña mundial que la comunidad venezolana orar “para que venga una situación más benevolente residente en el exterior realiza para colaborar con el para la nación de Venezuela. Para que reine la paz, alivio de la falta de alimentos y medicamentos. “Allá la concordia, que haya justicia, para que exista una hace falta algodón, alcohol, todo, todo lo que usted esperanza, para que un grupo no esté oprimiendo al menos imagina. Es un dolor tan grande que uno no otro”. halla como expresarlo. Saber de tanta gente y amigos El P. Melo fue acompañado en el servicio por el que lo llaman a uno. Mira, me falta esta medicina, Diácono Alexander Vincent, quien asiste en la Iglesia tengo cáncer. Y uno se siente impotente porque no Sta. Maria, en Laurinburg, territorio de la Diócesis de puede ayudar con medicinas prescritas”, dijo entre Raleigh. lágrimas Gordils.

El Diácono Vincent señaló que, a la par que en Si desea colaborar a aliviar el sufrimiento del pueblo la lectura de San Pablo de ese día (1 Cor 12, 7b-10), venezolano puede llamar por informes a Elvia Gordils que relataba sentir una espina en el corazón, “los al teléfono 704-451-5939. venezolanos nos sentimos igual que él, con una espina en el corazón al mirar como nuestro pueblo sufre, las Más en línea injusticias, los niños que mueren, la gente pasando En www.catholicnewsherald.com: vea un video con la misa y hambre, al mirar a nuestro país en una situación en la ayuda que se está llevando a la gente de Venezuela la que nunca la habíamos mirado antes. Pero nosotros

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Cristo Squad TV: compartiendo la alegría del evangelio CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

BOONVILLE — Cada miércoles por la noche, a través de una página de Facebook, se transmite ‘en vivo’ un programa de evangelización destinado, como dice uno de sus fundadores, “a todo aquel que está buscando algo diferente”.

Cristo Squad TV es esa página que, creada por Sergio López y Santiago Aguilera, apareció el 16 de julio de 2017, transmitiendo directamente desde la parroquia Divino Redentor en Boonville.

El proyecto, soñado por estos feligreses de origen mexicano, se hizo realidad después de una larga etapa de planificación en la que se analizaron diversas propuestas para llegar finalmente a una idea que combinara los mejores aportes.

Para López, natural de San Luis Postosí, con 36 años de edad, involucrado en el trabajo parroquial con los jóvenes desde 2001 y responsable de la representación anual de la pastorela, la tarea de evangelización utilizando medios masivos le era muy atractiva. “Yo tenía la idea bajo otro nombre y mi intención era llevar adelante un proyecto de producción de videos y material de apoyo para las parroquias”, dijo.

Aguilera, nacido en Guerrero, con 28 años, llegó a los Estados Unidos en 2007. “En 2011 viví un retiro, me integré a la parroquia e inicié mi formación con ellos”, relata.

Después de haber sido coordinador en 2014, con el encargo de mantenerse en el puesto hasta 2016, tuvo la inquietud de “hacer algo más”.

“Yo sentía que no quería quedarme solo como uno más que atiende a la Misa”, nos comentó. Entonces le vino

la idea de crear un canal tipo YouTube católico y, sin experiencia, comenzó a investigar más y más sobre las posibilidades que el medio le podía ofrecer.

Los intereses se juntaron y la oportunidad propicia llegó.

“Fuimos a un evento en Atlanta y decidimos cubrirlo”, afirma López, a quien le gustó la posibilidad de realizar reportajes.

Así fue que viajaron a cubrir un encuentro de los Apóstoles de la Palabra. Con López a cargo de la cámara y Aguilera de las entrevistas produjeron su primer video de 28 minutos de duración que lanzaron en la entonces recién creada página Cristo Squad TV.

EN MARCHA

Pero llevar adelante el proyecto exigía, como es usual, una financiación. La parroquia los apoyó aportando una computadora, la conexión a internet y una sede desde donde emiten su programación. Ellos pusieron de su parte, compraron una cámara, utilizaron sus Ipads y pusieron su talento para el manejo de la página y la conducción del programa.

Ahora vendría la parte más difícil del proyecto: el compromiso de dar continuidad a la página y seguir produciendo material, inclusive a veces sin obtener la respuesta deseada de la audiencia.

Pero nada los detendría, al contrario, el proyecto crecería y poco a poco iría incluyendo nuevos segmentos, como sketchs cómicos, otras entrevistas y especiales.

Todo el esfuerzo de los creadores de Cristo Squad TV se está viendo recompensado. La intención de compartir la alegría del evangelio al parecer está atrayendo jóvenes de todas las edades a la página.

“Particularmente creo que a veces los jóvenes se alejan del mensaje de la iglesia porque no ven a un Jesús ‘cool’ como lo vemos nosotros. Estamos trabajando para que, en un futuro, podamos incorporar a los jóvenes al proyecto y dejar que ellos nos ayuden con esta tarea de evangelización y puedan producir sus segmentos para el canal y la parroquia”, aseguró López.

CCDOC.ORG Semana nacional de concientización sobre Planificación Natural de la Familia 22 -28 de julio de 2018 Conmemorando el 50° Aniversario de Humanae Vitae

FOTO CORTESÍA CRISTO SQUAD TV

Santiago Aguilera (izquierda) y Sergio López (derecha), creadores de Cristo Squad TV, con pocos recursos y mucha determinación, llevan la imágen de un Cristo ‘cool’ a su audiencia.

SOÑANDO EN GRANDE

Motivado por “el dar, aunque algunos de nuestros propios hermanos católicos no quieran ayudar”, López sueña en grande y espera, en un futuro, “seguir el ejemplo marcado por EWTN y Maríavisión”, aunque además desea “descubrir talentos, permitir que ellos trabajen junto a nosotros” y quizás, más adelante, producir programas para estas grandes cadenas.

Aguilera, el rostro de Cristo Squad, afirma sentirse motivado por el servicio. “Cuando uno se involucra en estas tareas pasa, sin proponérselo, a ser un motivador, por lo que me siento bien cuando Dios usa mi persona para llevar su mensaje”.

Más en línea En facebook.com/CristoSquadtv: Sigue a Cristo Squad TV en Facebook

Peregrinación a

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Noviembre 8-17, 2018 Vengan con nosotros para aprender: Los beneficios para su salud ,relación y su espiritualidad La efectividad de los métodos modernos de PNF La popularidad sobre los contraceptivos (y los riesgos de estos) Las enseñanzas de la Iglesia sobre la sexualidad matrimonial Cómo usar la Planificación Natural de la Familia Instructores Ricardo y Reyna Acosta, Greensboro, (336) 298-4387 Linda Gonzalez, Charlotte, (704) 606-6292, lindagonzal@yahoo.com Karina Hernandez, Biscoe, (336) 267-1937, karinahernandez@live.com Maria Robles, Hickory, (828) 962-7428 Maureen Borgonovo, Charlotte, (980) 422-2040, mominborgonovo@gmail.com Maria Yolanda Delgado, Newton, (828) 612-2028, yolam68@hotmail.com Lionel Villaroel y Virginia Venegas, Waynesville, (828) 550-2226 vvenegas74@yahoo.com

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Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

If confirmed, Kavanaugh will keep Catholic majority in Supreme Court CAROL ZIMMERMANN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Brett Kavanaugh took to the podium July 9 at the White House after being introduced as President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, he revealed, among other things, that his Catholic faith is a big part of his life.

He spoke about coaching his daughter’s CYO basketball team, serving the homeless with a priest in the audience who used to be his pastor, following the motto of his Jesuit high school to be “a man for others” and being “part of the vibrant Catholic community in the D.C. area.”

The frank discussion of his Catholicism probably wasn’t shocking for many courtwatchers who may already have known that three of the four candidates who were on Trump’s top list of potential nominees -- Kavanaugh and Judges Amy Coney Barrett and Thomas Hardiman -- are Catholic.

Kavanaugh And if Kavanaugh is confirmed by the Senate, he will not only replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is Catholic, but he also will join four other Catholic justices already on the bench -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor.

Judge Neil Gorsuch, who was raised Catholic but now attends an Episcopal church with his family, attended the same Catholic high school as Kavanaugh -- Georgetown Prep in Maryland. He filled the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who was Catholic.

The other justices on the court: Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer are Jewish.

Francis Beckwith, a professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, thinks this current mix of religious traditions in the court could have something to do with the emphasis on law in both faiths: canon law in the Catholic Church and the Talmudic law in the Jewish tradition.

But he also said the study of law and medicine was something the second generation of Catholic and Jewish immigrants sought as professions.

Richard Garnett, professor and associate dean at Notre Dame Law School, has periodically written about or been interviewed on the topic of Catholics in the nation’s high court for the past decade. He thinks the current influx of Catholics simply reflects that they were suitable candidates for Republican presidents because of the Catholic antiabortion stance.

Sotomayor, was the exception, appointed by President Barack Obama. In a 2013 interview with The New York Times, she described herself as a “very spiritual person” although she added: “maybe not traditionally religious in terms of Sunday Mass every week, that sort of thing.”

For most of the court’s history, its justices were primarily Protestant, with only a smattering of Catholics.

Garnett outlined the history of Catholics in the court in a 2006 article for Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

According to his research, 12 Catholic justices have served on the Supreme Court and one more, Justice Sherman Minton, became Catholic after he left this post. The first Catholic named to the court was Chief Justice Roger Taney, appointed by President Andrew Jackson in 1836. He is principally remembered for writing the Dred Scott decision upholding slavery.

After Taney left the court, another Catholic, Chief Justice Edward White, was not named to the bench for another 30 years. In the early 1900s, White and Justice Joseph McKenna were on the court at the same time. They were followed by Justice Pierce Butler, appointed in 1923, and Justice Frank Murphy, appointed in 1940. The “Catholic seat” then sat empty for seven years until 1956 when Justice William Brennan joined the court.

Scalia overlapped with Brennan for four years and then came the current Catholic justices. Clarence Thomas was raised Catholic and went to Catholic college and the seminary, but at the time of his appointment in 1991, he was not a practicing Catholic. He came back to the Church a few years later.

These nominees faced scrutiny for their Catholic faith. President Franklin Roosevelt promised that Murphy would “not let religion stand in his way” which Murphy reiterated in senate hearings saying his faith and vocation were kept “in air-tight compartments.”

In Thomas’ hearings, even though he was attending services at an Episcopal church at the time, he was questioned if he would be independent from the pope, since he had attended Catholic schools.

Roberts and Alito also were questioned about their Catholic faith but not extensively grilled on it, which some saw as a victory over anti-Catholicism that had been part of America’s history.

“Catholics bring to the court a greater sensitivity and understanding of the human condition,” said Joshua Sandman, professor of political science at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. He said over the years Catholic judges have not been “chosen specifically for the Supreme Court because they were Catholic. They were chosen because of their capability and ideological preference of the president who selected them. They happened to be Catholic.”

Catholic Voice NC says Roe should not be litmus test for Supreme Court nominees CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis sent out an alert through Catholic Voice North Carolina urging North Carolina’s two senators not to support using the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion as a litmus test for confirming judicial nominees.

The U.S. Senate will soon begin deliberations on President Donald Trump’s nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, to fill the vacancy being left on the Supreme Court by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The alert expresses grave concerns about the confirmation process being grossly distorted by efforts to subject judicial nominees to a litmus test in support of Roe. It also strongly disputes the notion, being put forth by some commentators, that Roe is “settled law.”

It was sent this week to nearly 2,000 participants in Catholic Voice NC. To read the bishop’s alert and take action, go to www.catholicvoicenc.com.

CNS | LOREN ELLIOTT, REUTERS

Immigrant children react as they are released from detention at a bus depot June 22 in McAllen, Texas. The U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services and Catholic Charities USA issued a statement July 12 saying their are lending their support to ongoing efforts to reunite immigrant families.

Catholic organizations playing role in reunification of children RHINA GUIDOS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some of migrant children under age 5 separated from their families by the government were reunited with loved ones July 9 with help from Catholic organizations.

About two dozen families in all were brought back together on that date with help from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities USA and a network of other agencies from around the country.

In all, the Catholic agencies will help reunite 55 families by mid-July and provide short-term care, such as food and shelter, said Bill Canny, executive director of MRS. “What we’re trying to do is give people who have had a dose of bad, we’re trying to give them a dose of good,” said Canny in a July 12 interview with Catholic News Service.

“Protection of families is a foundational element of Catholic social teaching and this moment calls on all people of goodwill to lend a hand to reunite these children with their parents,” said a joint statement issued the same day by MRS and Catholic Charities USA. The children and families were earlier separated by a policy implemented by the Trump administration at the U.S.-Mexico border, seeking to deter illegal border crossings. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in May that people risking improper entry would be subject to having their children taken away, if caught.

The Catholic Church, along with much of the country, condemned the policy and has been advocating for the families’ reunification. After much public outcry and widespread condemnation of the family separation policy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order June 20 saying families would no longer be separated

but may be detained together during the process of prosecution and deportation at the border.

The U.S. bishops have expressed concerns with that possibility, asking for alternatives to detention but seemed intent on lessening the damage already done.

Trump administration officials said that 2,342 children had been separated from 2,206 parents at the U.S.-Mexico border between May 5 and June 9 as part of the previous policy.

The administration was given until July 10 to reunite children under 5 with their families, but administration officials had said July 9 that they would not be able to meet that deadline. The administration has until July 26 to reunite all of the more than 2,000 children who have been separated from parents.

Canny said the organizations are trying to raise funds for the effort and anyone wanting to help can donate to Catholic Charities USA, www. catholiccharitiesusa.org.

The families of children under 5 that the Catholic organizations helped were reunited at government facilities and then transferred into the care of Catholic Charities organizations around the country, as well as the Annunciation House in the El Paso, Texas/Juarez, Mexico, border region.

They will be assisted with followup care for two months as many will leave the facilities and head toward a destination with family or a sponsor somewhere in the U.S. Canny said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Office of Refugee Resettlement reached out to the Catholic organizations, as well as the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service in early July to help with the reunifications.

“They know we are able to tap into a vast Catholic network across the country, which proves valuable for humanitarian and disaster response,” he said.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief S.C. church of ‘history and beauty’ becomes minor basilica COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new era and a distinguished new title has come to St. Peter Church in downtown Columbia. It was announced June 24 that the historic house of worship will now be known as the Basilica of St. Peter. It is the first minor basilica in South Carolina and the 85th in the United States. The announcement came before packed pews at the 11 a.m. Mass, celebrated by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of Charleston. The news had added significance because it was the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of the statewide diocese.

There are only four major basilicas, all in Rome – St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major. Minor basilicas are located both in Rome and around the world, including two in the Diocese of Charlotte: Mary Help of Christians Basilica in Belmont and St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville.

Churches given that title must be of historical, artistic and architectural importance, and have significance as a center of worship.

Tenn.’s Catholic bishops urge governor to halt executions NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bishops J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Richard F. Stika of Knoxville and Martin D. Holley of Memphis have written to Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to “use your authority

as governor to put an end to the fast-track executions planned” in the state of Tennessee in the upcoming months. “It is within your power to establish your legacy as a governor of Tennessee who did not preside over an execution on your watch,” the state’s three Catholic bishops wrote.

The last person to be put to death by lethal injection in Tennessee was Cecil Johnson in 2009, when Phil Bredesen was governor. The state has carried out a total of six executions since 1976, five of those during Bredesen’s tenure. In Tennessee, the governor has sole authority to grant clemency to death-row inmates.

There are currently 62 men and one woman on Tennessee’s death row. The next man scheduled to be executed is Billy Ray Irick Aug. 9.

Planned Nevada execution halted after use of lethal drug disputed LAS VEGAS — After a pharmaceutical company objected to the state of Nevada using one of its drugs to carry out the death penalty, a judge temporarily halted the execution of convicted murderer Scott Dozier planned for July 11 in the state prison in Ely. Dozier was given the death penalty in 2007 after being convicted in the 2002 murder of Jeremiah Miller, 22, one of Dozier’s drug associates. On Halloween 2016, Dozier wrote to the judge overseeing the case and asked her to hasten his execution.

In Las Vegas, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez of the Clark County District Court ruled early July 10 the execution must be delayed after New Jerseybased drug maker Alvogen challenged the state using its product midazolam, a sedative that was used in several botched executions earlier this decade. It is one substance in a three-part combination the state planned to use. The other two drugs are cisatracurium, a paralytic drug, and fentanyl, a drug tied to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. Dozier’s execution was stayed once before when a Nevada court wanted to more closely scrutinize the drug cocktail

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Nevada was planning to use on him.

Judge: Catholic agency must consider same-sex couples for foster placement PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge has swept away claims of religious discrimination by plaintiffs including Catholic Social Services of the Philadelphia Archdiocese and ruled the church agency must provide home assessments for same-sex couples wishing to provide foster

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care for at-risk children in Philadelphia. CSS leadership testified in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia that doing so would amount to Church approval of LGBT relationships.

In a July 13 ruling, Judge Petrese B. Tucker denied a temporary restraining order that CSS had sought to resume referrals of foster children from the city’s Department of Human Services. DHS had frozen new foster cases with CSS in May, no longer referring some of the 6,000 city children in need of care to CSSaffiliated foster parents.

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Nicaraguan bishops to pray for exorcism as violence continues CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Police and paramilitaries in Nicaragua have attacked another parish in an indigenous community as churches and clergy come under attack for trying to protect populations protesting authoritarian rule.

Gunfire and was directed at Mary Magdalene Parish in Monimbo, “where the priest is seeking shelter,” tweeted Managua Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Jose Baez July 17.

Father Augusto Gutierrez, pastor at Mary Magdalene Parish, told Spanish radio: “It’s been four hours of attack with heavy military weapons, destroying churches.”

Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua, said in an message July 17: “Violence cannot solve the political crisis and guarantee future peace in Nicaragua. Crying for the dead and praying for their families, I call the consciences of everyone to truce and a return to the national dialogue.”

As attacks on Catholic clergy continued and anti-government protesters were besieged by Nicaraguan police and paramilitaries, the country’s bishops said they would pray an exorcism prayer.

The bishops said July 20 would be a day of prayer and fasting “as an act of atonement for the profanation carried out in recent months against God.” On that day, “We will pray the prayer of exorcism to St. Michael Archangel.”

On July 15, the vehicle of Bishop Juan Mata Guevara of Esteli was shot as he traveled to the city of Nindiri, where he had hoped to stop an attack by police and paramilitaries. The bishop escaped unharmed, but the vehicle’s tires were shot out and windows broken, said Father Victor Rivas, executive secretary of the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference.

An attack July 14 at the nearby National Autonomous University of Nicaragua

campus in Managua left two students dead and injured 15 more. Some of the fleeing protesters sought shelter in Divine Mercy Church, where the injured were being treated, but armed assailants stopped ambulances from reaching the church.

A Washington Post reporter was among those trapped in the parish, which churchmen said had been “profaned,” and pictures posted to social media showed the church had been pockmarked by bullets.

On July 9, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano of Managua, Bishop Baez and Archbishop Sommertag were among clergy from Managua pummeled as they attempted to protect St. Sebastian Basilica in the city of Diriamba from an incursion by a pro-government mob. Bishop Baez and at least one other priest were injured.

Journalists also were attacked and had cameras and other equipment stolen.

A July 14 statement from the bishops said: “In recent days, the repression and violence carried out by the pro-government paramilitaries against the people who protest civically has gotten worse. ... Today, like never before, human rights are being violated in Nicaragua. ... Members of the national dialogue” -- convened by the bishops’ conference -- “defenders of human rights and independent media have been the objects of campaigns of defamation by the government.”

In their statement, the bishops said brokering a deal through dialogue has proved difficult.

“We have been witnesses to a lack of political will of the government to dialogue in a sincere way and look for real processes that will lead us to a true democracy” and not carrying out “the urgent dismantling of the armed pro-government forces,” the bishops’ statement said. “Government representatives have twisted the principal objective for which the national dialogue was established.”

Human rights groups put the death toll

CNS | OSWALDO RIVAS, REUTERS

Students from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua shout slogans during their arrival July 14 at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Managua. More than 200 students sought refuge in Divine Mercy Catholic Church after police forced them out of the university, which had been occupied during two months of protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega. in Nicaragua at more than 350 since April 18, when protests erupted over reforms to the Central American country’s social security system. Protests later demanded the ouster of President Daniel Ortega, who has dismissed proposals for early elections and repressed protests with violence.

Churches in Nicaragua have served as centers for treating the wounded and allowing the work of human rights groups. Priests toll church bells to warn local populations of the police and paramilitaries arriving.

A Catholic analyst in Nicaragua, who preferred not to be named for security

reasons, said the dialogue has been interpreted as an attempt by Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, to buy time. The bishops also run the risk of being blamed for the collapse of the talks if they withdraw as mediators, the analyst said. “(The government) and vice president have been appropriating religious language for some time and now are saying the government is doing God’s work,” the analyst told CNS. The bishops said they would continue working as mediators, but their role goes beyond sitting at the negotiating table.

Learn from the past to bring peaceful future to Middle East, pope says JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — As war continues to threaten the land of Jesus’ birth and to undermine the existence of Christian communities there, the international community must learn from the errors of the past and do more to bring lasting peace to the Middle East, Pope Francis said.

“Do not forget the previous century; do not forget the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; do not let the land of the East, where the Word of peace arose, be transformed into a dark expanse of silence,” the pope said after a private meeting with the heads of Christian churches and communities in the Middle East.

Pope Francis traveled July 7 to the southern Italian Adriatic port city of Bari to host a day of reflection and ecumenical prayer for peace in the Middle East.

Arriving by helicopter in the early morning, the pope stood in front of the Basilica of St. Nicholas and greeted the patriarchs and other representatives of Christian churches.

Among them was Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria

and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and all Africa.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church, represented Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Flanked by the church leaders, the pope entered the basilica and walked down to the crypt, where he bowed deeply before the relics of St. Nicholas, who is venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox.

After remaining several minutes in prayer and lighting a candle on the altar, the pope and church leaders boarded a bus that took them to the seaside site of the ecumenical prayer service.

Thousands of men, women and children cheered and waved as the group made its way to the stage overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Behind the pope’s chair was a large statue of Christ crucified with the words “May peace be upon you” etched above it.

The pope began the service by welcoming the patriarchs and Christian leaders and thanking them for joining him in prayer for the Middle East, which he described as a source of “ever fresh streams of spirituality and monasticism.”

However, he added, the light of the region has been dimmed by the “dark clouds of war, violence and destruction,” which

threaten to cast out Christians “amid the complicit silence of many.”

“There is also the danger that the presence of our brothers and sisters in the faith will disappear, disfiguring the very face of the region. For a Middle East without Christians would not be the Middle East,” the pope said.

While asking “the Lord of heaven for that peace which the powerful of our world have not yet been able to find,” the pope also prayed for peace in Jerusalem, “the holy city beloved of God and wounded by men for which the Lord continues to weep.”

After the prayer service, the pope and the Christian leaders returned to the basilica for a private meeting that lasted over two hours.

In a speech delivered to the faithful outside the basilica, the pope said members of the group were encouraged by their dialogue, which “was a sign that encounter and unity are always found without fear of differences.”

Peace, he said, can only be cultivated and nurtured through listening and engaging in dialogue and not by “truces guaranteed by walls and tests of strength.”

Pope Francis denounced arms dealers who have taken advantage of the conflicts by selling weaponry and called for an end

to the “personal profit of a few on the skin of many.”

“Enough with the occupation of lands that tear people apart. Enough with the prevalence of half-truths over people’s hopes. Enough with using the Middle East for profits that are foreign to the Middle East,” he said.

Before ending the meeting with the release of two white doves, Pope Francis once again called for peace in Jerusalem whose “status quo demands to be respected.”

The Vatican supports a “two-state solution” for the Holy Land with independence, recognition and secure borders for both Israel and Palestine.

Despite warnings from Middle Eastern and European leaders, President Donald Trump went ahead with his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, overturning the United States’ longstanding policy and further complicating peace negotiations.

“Only a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians, firmly wanted and desired by the community of nations, can bring a stable and lasting peace and guarantee the co-existence of two states for two peoples,” Pope Francis said.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Protecting family unity, family life key to migration compact, says nuncio UNITED NATIONS — The Vatican’s nuncio to the United nations welcomed the “inclusion and added emphasis on the right to family unity and to family life” in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, spoke at the opening of the final round of negotiations on the compact July 9. The document is a negotiated agreement, designed with the assistance of the United Nations, of the nation states that aims to cover all aspects of migration. The archbishop commented on the most recent draft, saying that his delegation approved of some of the changes but thought that more issues needed to be addressed. “My delegation welcomes the concrete measures included to address slow and sudden-onset disasters,” he said, as well as the wording about protecting “the right to family unity and to family life. The family is the fundamental unit of society. It is at the heart of human development and social stability,” he said. “For this reason, actions must be taken to promote and ensure the integrity of the family.

Family separation is never in the best interest of the state nor of the child.”

Ethiopian cardinal praises his nation’s peace deal with Eritrea NAIROBI, Kenya — Ethiopia’s Catholic Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel commended the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments for signing a peace accord. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed the peace pact in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, July 9. Cardinal Souraphiel said July 10: “This is a historic step taken by the prime minister of Ethiopia within the first 100 days since he took office. The joyous reception of Eritreans to the Ethiopian prime minister and his delegation shows that this has been the prayers of the people. It is very pleasing to the Catholic Church that the prayers of the people of both countries have been answered.”

For decades, the two countries have been at loggerheads on issues that include the border.

An estimated 80,000 people are believed to have been killed between 1998-2000 over a fierce border conflict. However, after the two countries signed a U.N.-brokered border agreement in 2000, they failed to implement it.

Cardinal Souraphiel said the “steps taken so far by both governments prove that Africans

have the wisdom to solve their problems themselves. The Catholic Church will continue to pray both for Ethiopia and Eritrea.”

Vatican issues new document on vocation of consecrated virgins VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has released a document that establishes norms and principles for women who dedicate their lives as consecrated virgins and their place in the life of the Church. Presenting the new document at the Vatican press office July 4, Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said it is the “first document of the Holy See that delves into the character and discipline of this way of life. The instruction on the ‘Ordo virginum’ (‘Order of Virgins’) intends to respond to the requests that numerous bishops and consecrated virgins in these years have presented to the congregation for consecrated life regarding the vocation and witness of the order of virgins, its presence in the universal Church and, particularly, its formation and vocational discernment,” Cardinal Braz de Aviz said. Consecrated by her local bishop, a member of the order of virgins makes a promise of perpetual virginity, prayer and service to the Church while living independently in society. The publishing of the document, “Ecclesiae Sponsae Imago” (“The Image of the Church as Bride”) comes two years ahead of the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of the renewed “Ritual for the Consecration of Virgins,’’ an ancient rite in the Church that fell into disuse in the years before the Second Vatican Council.

patients at the hospital. The bishop warned the faithful that gravely ill patients continued to face threats within Britain’s National Health Service.

Australian archbishop sentenced to a year of house arrest in abuse case ADELAIDE, Australia — Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide was sentenced to 12 months of house arrest following his conviction for failing to inform police about child sexual abuse allegations. Magistrate Robert Stone announced the sentence in Newcastle Lower Court July 3

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and ordered an assessment of the 67-year-old archbishop to determine his suitability to serve the sentence at a family member’s home in New South Wales. Another hearing was set for Aug. 14. Archbishop Wilson showed no emotion as Stone issued the sentence. Stone told the court that the sentence was appropriate given that the archbishop’s mental and physical conditions precluded a strict prison term. Archbishop Wilson’s defense attorney argued that his client would likely face physical abuse in prison. The archbishop faced up to two years in prison following his May conviction. He stepped aside from his duties in the Adelaide Archdiocese May 25, but maintained his title as archbishop.

— Catholic News Service

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English bishop cautions Catholics on care in statefunded hospitals MANCHESTER, England — An English bishop warned Catholics to be alert to the possible deliberate killings of seriously ill patients in state-funded hospitals. Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth issued a “pastoral message” to clergy and laity after the publication of a report, which concluded that 650 people died in a hospital within his diocese after they were given large doses of painkillers without medical justification. Bishop Egan said he was “shocked and saddened” by the report, published in late June by the Gosport Independent Panel, and he described the deaths at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital from 1989 to 2000 as “a terrible tragedy.” The panel began in 1998 to investigate the medical care and deaths of

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Robert Barron

T

Father Deacon Kevin Bezner

Paul VI, prophet

his month we mark the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s deeply controversial encyclical letter “Humanae Vitae.” I won’t bore you with the details of the innumerable battles, disagreements, and ecclesial crises that followed upon this text. Suffice it to say that this short, pithily argued letter became a watershed in the post-conciliar Catholic Church and one of the most significant points of contention between liberals and conservatives. Its fundamental contention is that the moral integrity of the sexual act is a function of the coming together of its “procreative and unitive” dimensions. That is to say, sexual intercourse is ethically upright only in the measure that it is expressive of love between married partners and remains open to the conception of a child. When, through a conscious choice, the partners introduce an artificial block to procreation – when, in a word, they separate the unitive and procreative finalities of the sexual act – they do something which is contrary to God’s will.

Again, within the context of this brief article I won’t detail the arguments for and against this position. But I would like to draw particular attention to a remarkable passage in “Humanae Vitae,” namely section 17, in which Paul VI plays the prophet and lays out, clearly and succinctly, what he foresees as consequences of turning away from the Church’s classic teaching on sex. Though he is convinced that artificial contraception is morally bad in itself, he’s also persuaded that it would, in the long run, adversely affect general societal attitudes regarding sex. Here is a first observation: “Let them consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings – and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation – need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law.”

Does anyone doubt that, in the last 50 years, we have seen a profound attenuation of marital fidelity? Could anyone possibly contest that the last half century has witnessed a significant breakdown of the institution of marriage? Is anyone so blind as not to see that during the last five decades “a lowering of moral standards” has taken place? To be sure, there are multiple causes of these declines, and certainly not all the blame can be ascribed to artificial contraception. However, Paul VI was intuiting something of great moment, namely, that once we commenced to redefine the nature of the sexual act, we placed ourselves on a very steep and slippery slope toward a complete voluntarism, whereby we utterly determine the meaning of sexuality, of marriage, and even of gender. And the rapid rise in pornography use, the sexual exploitation of children, and human trafficking are functions of this same arbitrariness. What was only vaguely

envisioned and feared 50 years ago is now accepted more or less as a matter of course.

In that same section, Paul VI continues to prophesy: “Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.” In the post-Weinstein era, we hear practically every day of another celebrity who has treated women with disrespect, turning them indeed into objects for his own use and manipulation. The entire society is rightly outraged at this behavior, but precious few cultural commentators have noted the link between this kind of objectification and the conscious disassociation of the twin ends of the sexual act.

When we are permitted casually to separate love from procreation – or as one analyst had it, to sever the link between sex and diapers – we place ourselves on a short road to reducing sexual intercourse to a form of self-indulgent recreation.

Section 17 of “Humanae Vitae” concludes with a startling act of prescience regarding the political implications of countenancing artificial contraception: “Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law.

Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone.” What might have seemed exaggerated, perhaps even slightly paranoid, in 1968 is now a commonplace. The HHS contraception mandate, which would require even Catholic institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraception and abortifacients, has been so aggressively pursued that even the Little Sisters of the Poor found themselves battling for their rights in court. Pope Francis, an ardent admirer of Paul VI, has picked up on this theme, bemoaning the “ideological colonization” that takes place when the Western powers attempt, through threat of economic sanctions, to impose their sexual program on the underdeveloped world.

This coming 50th anniversary would be a good time to take another look at “Humanae Vitae.” I might suggest we commence with section 17.

‘Does anyone doubt that, in the last 50 years, we have seen a profound attenuation of marital fidelity?

Is anyone so blind as not to see that during the last five decades “a lowering of moral standards” has taken place?’

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is also the host of “Catholicism,” an award-winning documentary about the Catholic faith.

The near occasion of sin which is driving

I

t’s understandable that so many complain about drivers these days. With each passing year, driving the highways and streets of our cities has become more hazardous. It takes a lot of patience and prayer just to drive to the grocery store if you are someone who obeys traffic laws.

For decades now advertisements, movies and video games have pushed the power and speed of the automobile, and the “power” that comes with getting to the front of the pack in your powerful machine and outrunning and outgunning everyone else.

You can see the persuasiveness of these ads, movies and games on any highway or city street, even as car companies, advertisers, Hollywood directors and celebrities, and video game creators and developers deny their influence.

For many drivers, the legal speed limit is only a suggestion.

For many, a yellow light means speed up and a red light means stop only if necessary. Many either ignore stop signs or roll through them all together.

Some speed through turns and cut corners, crossing into the other driver’s lane. If you get in their way, you will get at least an angry look or perhaps a rude gesture. Many have no idea that there is a correct and legal side of the street on which to park in neighborhoods or, even more fundamentally, that sidewalks are for pedestrians and not for parking a car.

Tucked away in the comfortable womb of their cars as they drive to the beat of their music, drivers feel invincible. They are kings and queens of their mobile fiefdoms. And you, the other driver, are little more than a serf to be pushed out of the way.

Consider it a sign of the times. Consider it a consequence of a culture of narcissism. Whatever you call it, the behavior of many drivers today goes beyond a failure to follow basic laws and proper etiquette.

I would call it a sign of widespread lack of morals, or a basic concern for others. It’s a consequence of the refusal to live by the commandments and the Beatitudes, a refusal of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

No driver is perfect. As in life, all drivers are sinners.

Even those who seek to follow the law can lapse through inattentiveness or selfishness. Complaining about other drivers can be a log in our own eyes. It also can lead to the sin of anger.

Driving today almost invariably is a near occasion for sin.

The anger you witness on our streets is often the result of some selfish driver who is annoyed that you got in his way. There are times, though, when the calm of good drivers is shattered by bad behavior and they belch out an angry word, blare their horns or loudly remind others of the law.

Often, the best approach to driving is to find the least traveled road (which is more and more difficult these days), and as you drive to play classical music or chanting monks and to pray short, powerful prayers, such as “Lord, have mercy,” “God protect us and have mercy on us,” or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Praying the Our Father and the Hail Mary as you drive, again and again, also can change your outlook and prevent you from losing – or help you regain – your interior peace.

While chaos rages all around you as you drive, obey the traffic laws, drive defensively and forget about complaining about other drivers. Keep the peace of the Lord in your heart and turn to the Lord for protection. And make sure you forgive and pray for those other drivers when you notice their failings.

And when you fail to be as good a driver as you expect others to be, as you will, recognize your own sin and confess it.

FATHER DEACON KEVIN BEZNER serves at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Mission in Raleigh. This was originally published in The Christian Review, where Deacon Bezner is a contributing editor.

July 20, 2018 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

27

Parish spotlight

Bobby Speers

Glimpses of heaven

A

fter studying Father Michael Gaitley’s book “33 Days to Morning Glory,” consecrating one’s life to the Savior’s mother, I’ve desired to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Queen of Heaven. I’ve also included early sacred art recently in my spiritual reflections. Why early sacred art? There is astute spiritual significance and correlation to these handson creations.

Probably one of the oldest pieces of Marian sacred art giving queenship to Mary is the “Coronation of the Virgin” by Pietro Cavallini, found in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome. This apse mosaic depicts Our Lady adorned with a golden crown, seated at the right hand of her Son. The mosaic dates from around 1130-1143 A.D. For centuries after Christ, artisans had profound imaginations and perceptions to create sacred art. In order to draw, paint, sculpt and design mosaic illustrations, something had to inspire these skilled artists to create glimpses of heaven.

Unfortunately, many non-Catholics do not understand, acknowledge or accept the Assumption and Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Protestant brothers and sisters would like us to believe that Mary is not the Queen of Heaven, but just a good woman.

So why do Catholics appreciate and create sacred art which depicts Mary in heaven, sitting at the right hand of Jesus, being crowned by Our Savior in the presence of Almighty God and the Holy Spirit? Obviously, the artists were inspired by something, but on what do they base their interpretations of Mary’s Assumption and Coronation?

Using today’s standards, kings and queens are married couples but during biblical times, this was not the case.

Jeremiah 13:18 states: “Say to the king and to the queen mother: come down from your throne; from your heads your splendid crowns will fall.” Jeremiah’s prophecy became reality in 2 Kings 24:8-12.

“Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father had done. At that time officers of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his officers were besieging it.

Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.”

Another well-known mother and son, king and queen, is found in 1 Kings 2:19-20.

Bathsheba, the mother of King Solomon, went to visit her son. “Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right. She said, ‘There is one small favor I would ask of you.

Do not refuse me.’ The king said to her, ‘Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.’”

In John 18:37, Jesus’ kingship is pointed

out: “So Pilate said to him, ‘Then you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’” If Jesus is king – and Christians universally acknowledge His Kingship – then according to the Jewish tradition found in the Old Testament, wouldn’t His mother be the queen?

Artists have also used the vision described in Revelation 12:1-5 to illustrate sacred Marian art: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and His throne.”

Some will debate that this scripture only represents the Church. However, Revelation is replete with multifaceted symbolism, especially this passage. The text also describes Israel from the Old Testament: the 12 stars symbolize the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Satan is the dragon ready to devour the Church. Who was with child? Mary. To whom did she give birth? Jesus.

Naysayers will argue that no mortal has ever been “assumed” into heaven. Actually, Mary was not even the first to be “assumed” into heaven. Enoch was, noted in Genesis 5:24: “Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him.” And Elijah, described in 2 Kings 2:9-12: “When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Request whatever I might do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha answered, ‘May I receive a double portion of your spirit.’ He replied, ‘You have asked something that is not easy. Still, if you see me taken up from you, your wish will be granted; otherwise not.’ As they walked on still conversing, a fiery chariot and fiery horses came between the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind, and Elisha saw it happen. He cried out, ‘My father! My father!

Israel’s chariot and steeds!’ Then he saw him no longer.”

If Enoch and Elijah were escorted into heaven, is it inconceivable that the mother of Jesus was lifted up by angels and welcomed into heaven by her Son? This little essay is not a study on scriptures, but rather what motivated artists to paint, draw, create mosaics, or sculpt early religious works of art. Evidently, they read their Bibles. That is why Mary’s Assumption and Coronation are depicted in early sacred art. Jesus gave His mother a crown of glory, the Holy Spirit was the inspiration behind the artist’s work, and God was the mastermind behind man’s salvation. Sacred art thus gives us a glimpse of heaven.

BOBBY SPEERS is a member of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DEACON MARK NASH

Back to summer food drive ASHEVILLE — Members of the Knights of Columbus Council 11911 from St. Eugene Parish recently helped to deliver 2,757 pounds of food collected at the parish for Catholic Charities’ Western Regional Office. The food will be distributed to families with school-aged children.

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From online story: “Learn from the past before looking to future, pope tells young people” Through press time on July 18, 7,047 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 14,029 pages. The top 10 headlines in July so far have been: n Priest assignments for 2018............................................................................................................... 2,124 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald..........................................................461 n Catholic funeral guide..............................................................................................................................252 n Brother James Raber makes solemn profession.............................................................................224 n Lay Ministry graduates respond to the Lord’s call...........................................................................216 n Eucharistic Congress of the Diocese of Charlotte.............................................................................191 n ‘Phishing’ scam targets Charlotte-area pastors, parishioners.....................................................190 n Young women share faith journey on Duc In Altum retreat.......................................................... 176 n Deacon Hamrlik has served growing St. Matthew Parish from the start...................................141 n ‘Faithful Servant lights a fire in your heart’........................................................................................132

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catholicnewsherald.com | July 20, 2018 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

“I Am The Living Bread”

John 6:51

14th Eucharistic Congress

September 7 & 8, 2018 Charlotte Convention Center Bishop Peter Jugis - Celebrant and Homilist - Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Trent Horn - The Beginner’s Guide to Defending the Faith Fr. Cassian Folsom - Transformed: Patristic Teaching On The Effects Of The Eucharist Sr. Johanna Paruch - The Catechism: A Gift to Prayer and Catholic Life Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers - Truth, Freedom, and the Human Person: Understanding Our Life in Christ FRIDAY EVENING: Byzantine : Vespers • Trent Horn - The Beginner’s Guide to Defending the Faith • College nighT • EUCHARISTIC ADORATION • Eucharistic Procession SATURDAY: Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Charlotte • Holy Hour • Confession • English and Spanish Tracks for Adults • K-12 Education Tracks for Students - Register online • Sacred Music Concerts • Religious displays • Vendors of Sacred Art • Vocation and Education info • Holy Mass – Concelebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis and the priests of the Diocese of Charlotte

www.GoEucharist.com