Nov. 22, 2019

November 22, 2019

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

Immigration reform among priorities for new USCCB president 18

Charlotte Lay Dominicans continue to flourish at 10th anniversary 5

INDEX

Contact us.....................................4 Español......................................... 8-11 Events calendar............................4 Our Faith........................................2 Our Parishes............................. 3-7 Schools........................................ 16 Scripture readings.......................2 TV & Movies................................. 17 U.S. news.................................18-19 Viewpoints.............................22-23 World news............................ 20-21

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Good stewards Solar array projects at St. Gabriel School, Diocesan Pastoral Center put ‘Laudato Si’ into action

Satisfaction in helping others St. Matthew student collects, donates thousands of items for annual food drive

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14-15 Diócesis de Charlotte recibió la Antorcha Guadalupana En su paso a Nueva York visitó ocho parroquias

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Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

St. Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions

Pope Francis

Pope denounces increasing violence against Jewish people Pope Francis warned that violence against Jewish people, which reached a state of horror during World War II, is on the rise again. During his weekly general audience Nov. 13, the pope reflected on the lives of Priscilla and Aquila, a first-century married couple who accompanied St. Paul in his ministry and were among the Jews expelled from Rome by Claudius Caesar.

Departing from his prepared remarks, the pope said that the world has “seen so many brutalities done against the Jewish people, and we were convinced that this was over.”

“But today the habit of persecuting Jews is beginning to be reborn,” he said.

“Brothers and sisters: this is neither human nor Christian; the Jews are our brothers and sisters and must not be persecuted! Understood?”

The pope’s warning came as more countries have reported an escalation in anti-Semitic violence and vandalism across Europe. In Denmark and Sweden, neo-Nazi groups coordinated acts of vandalism Nov. 10, placing yellow stars inscribed with the German word “Jude” (“Jew”) on Jewish gravestones, homes and businesses, the Times of Israel reported.

During the Holocaust, the Nazi regime forced Jewish men, women and children to wear yellow stars on their clothing.

The attacks coincided with the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), when more than 1,400 synagogues, prayer halls and thousands of Jewish shops, apartments and cemeteries were destroyed.

In his main audience talk, the pope continued his series on the Acts of the Apostles, recalling the important role played by Priscilla and Aquila in the early Church. Following their expulsion from Rome, the Jewish couple settled in Corinth where they met St. Paul and welcomed him into their home. Priscilla and Aquila also accompanied the apostle on his travels to Syria. Among all of St. Paul’s collaborators, Priscilla and Aquila “emerge as models of a married life responsibly committed to the service of the entire Christian community.” The couple, he added, serve as a reminder that “thanks to the faith and commitment to evangelization by so many laypeople like them, Christianity has come to us.”

“Let us ask the Father, who has chosen to make of this couple His ‘true, living sculpture,’ to pour out His Spirit on all Christian couples so that, following the example of Aquila and Priscilla, they may open the doors of their hearts to Christ and their brothers and sisters and transform their homes into domestic churches where they can live a life of faith, hope and charity in fellowship and worship,” he said.

Feast day: Nov. 24 On June 19, 1988, St. John Paul II canonized a group of 117 martyrs who died for the Roman Catholic faith in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862.

The Vietnamese Martyrs were made up of 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spaniards and 10 French. Eight of the group were bishops, 50 were priests and 59 were lay Catholics. Some of the priests were Dominicans, while others were diocesan priests who belonged to the Foreign Mission Society of Paris. One was a mother of six, and one was a 9-year-old child. Of the 117 martyrs, 76 were beheaded, 21 were suffocated, six were burnt alive, five were mutilated and nine died in prison as a result of torture.

St. Andrew Dung-Lac, who represents this group of heroes, was a Vietnamese diocesan priest. Born Tran An Dung in Bac-Ninh, North Vietnam, about the year 1795, he came from a poor, non-Christian family. When he was 12 the family moved to Hanoi so his parents could find work. There he met a catechist and got food and shelter from him. He also received education in the Christian faith for three years, and was baptized in Vinh-Tri. He took the name Andrew (Anrê) at his baptism.

After learning Chinese and Latin, he became a catechist, working in the missions with the priests of the Foreign Mission Society of Paris. He was chosen to study theology, and on March 15, 1823, he was ordained a priest. As parish priest in Ke-Dâm, he was tireless in his preaching. He often fasted and lived a simple and moral life, he was a good example for the people, and he baptized many people.

He was imprisoned and repeatedly tortured during the reign of Minh-Mang, emperor of Vietnam from 1820 to 1840, who was infamous for his persecutions of the Christians and often compared to Nero.

The tortures these individuals underwent are considered by the Church to be among the worst in the history of Christian martyrdom. Emperor Minh-Mang expelled all foreign missionaries and ordered Vietnamese Christians to publicly renounce their faith by trampling on a crucifix.

Christian families and entire villages suffered widespread extortion or were destroyed, and teaching Christianity was forbidden. Torturers hacked off limbs joint by joint, burned “Martyrs of Vietnam” by the Vatican, artwork used for the 1988 canonization ceremony people alive in bamboo cages, tore flesh with red hot tongs, and drugged people into recanting the faith. Christians left alive were branded on the face with the words “ta dao” (“false religion”). on May 27, 1900, by Pope Leo XIII; the second (all Dominicans) on To avoid capture by the emperor’s authorities, Andrew Dung May 20, 1906, and a third on May 2, 1909, both by St. Pius X; and the changed his surname to Lac and moved to another prefecture last (including two Spanish bishops) on April 29, 1951, by Pope Pius to continue his work. But on Nov. 10, 1839, he was arrested once XII. again, this time along with St. Peter Thi (whom he was visiting This feast day, and the witnesses of all the Vietnamese martyrs so that he might go to confession). They were freed in exchange (estimated by the Church to be between 130,000 and 300,000), give for bribe money, but soon were arrested again and taken to Hanoi testament to the sufferings inflicted on the Vietnamese Church, where they were tortured. which are among the most terrible in the long history of Christian The two priests were beheaded on Dec. 21, 1839, in Hanoi. martyrdom.

The 117 martyrs were beatified in four groups: the first of them — Sources: Catholic News Agency, www.catholicculture.org

Daily Scripture readings NOV. 24-30

Sunday (Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe): 2 Samuel 5:1-3, Colossians 1:12-20, Luke 23:35-43; Monday (St. Catherine of Alexandria): Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Luke 21:1-4; Tuesday: Daniel 2:31-45, Daniel 3:57-61, Luke 21:5-11; Wednesday: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Luke 21:12-19; Thursday (Thanksgiving Day): Daniel 6:12-28, Daniel 3:68-74, Luke 21:20-28; Friday: Daniel 7:2-14, Daniel 3:75-81, Luke 21:29-33; Saturday (St. Andrew): Romans 10:9-18, Matthew 4:18-22

DEC. 1-7

Sunday (First Sunday of Advent): Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:37-44; Monday: Isaiah 4:2-6, Matthew 8:5-11; Tuesday (St. Francis Xavier): Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 10:21-24; Wednesday (St. John Damascene): Isaiah 25:6-10, Matthew 15:2937; Thursday: Isaiah 26:1-6, Matthew 7:21, 24-27; Friday (St. Nicholas): Isaiah 29:17-24, Matthew 9:27-31; Saturday (St. Ambrose): Isaiah 30:19-21, Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5-8

DEC. 8-14

Sunday: Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-9, Matthew 3:1-12; Monday (The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Genesis 3:9-15, 20, Ephesians 1:3-6, 1112, Luke 1:26-38; Tuesday: Isaiah 40:1-11, Matthew 18:12-14; Wednesday (St. Damasus I): Isaiah 40:25-31, Matthew 11:28-30; Thursday: Zechariah 2:14-17, Judith 13:18-19, Luke 1:26-38; Friday (St. Lucy): Isaiah 48:1719, Matthew 11:16-19; Saturday (St. John of the Cross): Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11, Matthew 17:9-13

Our parishes

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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CCHD special collection taken up Nov. 23-24

Members of the Christian Responders of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte and Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte were part of a group of volunteers who attended a house blessing upon completion of a new home on Oct. 17 in Lumberton.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY LOESCH

‘A beautiful partnership’ Catholic Charities, St. Matthew Parish team up to aid Christian Responders SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of St. Matthew Church have spent the past two years volunteering with an effort to help rebuild parts of eastern North Carolina that were devastated by hurricanes in 2016 and 2017, and they have recently been joined by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte staff to help build a home in Lumberton.

The south Charlotte area church members have given their time, talent and treasure to Christian Responders, originally called “Lumberton Ministry,” created as part of the larger Family Life Ministry of St. Matthew Church to reach out to those hurt by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. They partner with the N.C. Conference of United Methodist Churches to serve people in need throughout the Lumberton area, helping disaster survivors and offering long-term disaster recovery assistance.

Parishioners volunteering with Chrstian Responders made their first trip to Lumberton in May 2017, after coordinating with NCCUMC’s local disaster response team, Jeff and Ann Wade. Volunteers traveling to the area were provided with lodging at the Chestnut Street Methodist Church and direction for each building project. Similar to Habitat For Humanity projects, volunteers of all levels have been welcome as recovery work encompasses tasks for both skilled and unskilled workers.

When Hurricane Florence struck in 2017, St. Matthew parishioners stepped up again to

help. NCCUMC requested gift cards to local fast food restaurants to provide meals for residents, many of whom had not fully recovered from Hurricane Matthew before they had to endure the effects of Hurricane Florence.

Catholic Charities got connected with Christian Responders during a visit with Father Pat Hoare, pastor of St. Matthew Church. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte began partnering with the effort – providing some of those funds to help victims of both hurricanes rebuild and get back on their feet.

In May, volunteers from St. Matthew Christian Responders and the Moravian Church committed to rebuild an entire house. The original house, devastated by the two hurricanes, was uninhabitable. When demolition began, asbestos was discovered, so the City of Lumberton also pitched in with demolition and tree removal.

Thanks to the dedication of the NCCUMC staff – and the financial support and 1,500 work hours provided by 16 volunteer teams that included St. Matthew Church, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, and Yadkin View Moravian Regional Conference of Churches – the new home is finished.

“The Christian Responders group is another example of the many ways in which the people of St. Matthew respond to those in need,” Father Hoare said. “There was a sense, after Hurricane Matthew pounded eastern North Carolina, that we need to do more than just donate funds to help.”

“The people of Lumberton are our not-sodistant neighbors,” he said. “It is important to help people who live in poverty in far-away places, but the people of Lumberton, we could help with our own hands. And it is also an opportunity for families – parents and children working and learning together what it means to be disciples of Jesus.”

Father Hoare said he was thrilled to hear that Catholic Charities wanted to help, when he discussed the Christian Responders initiative with Amy Loesch, Catholic Charities’ special projects coordinator.

“It has been a beautiful partnership between St. Matthew and the diocese that is already bearing good fruit,” he said.

Dr. Gerard Carter, Catholic Charities’ executive director, agreed.

“This opportunity presented Catholic Charities with a wonderful opportunity to work collaboratively with the St. Matthew Parish community to serve the victims of a natural disaster here in our own state,” Carter said.

Staff and volunteers recently gathered to bless the home they had built together in Lumberton. Pastor Herbert Lowery of Chestnut Street United Methodist Church led the group in prayer. Comments and words of support were offered by staff and volunteers, with a closing prayer offered by Pastor Chris Thore.

“Working side by side with the survivors, hope is restored and victims witness God’s love in action,” Loesch noted. “Not only was much been accomplished, but many new friendships have been created.”

CHARLOTTE — The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) second collection will take place in archdioceses and dioceses across the nation at Masses celebrated the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, Nov. 23-24. The funds collected target the underlying causes of poverty and related social concerns (such as housing and nutrition) in communities across the United States through the provision of grants that are awarded nationally and locally.

With financial support from 25 percent of the total funds raised in this annual collection, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte awards local grants every spring to fund projects sponsored by non-profits (including both diocesan and non-diocesan non-profit organizations) in the Diocese of Charlotte.

From the generosity of many donors across the Charlotte diocese who contributed to last year’s CCHD collection, Catholic Charities distributed 13 grants totaling $36,250 in May. Grantees came from 11 communities in the diocese: Black Mountain, Brevard, Charlotte, Forest City, Greensboro, Hendersonville, Hickory, High Point, Jefferson, Lenoir and WinstonSalem.

This coming year marks the 50th year of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ CCHD Program, founded to help break the cycle of poverty. Find out more information about the U.S. Bishops CCHD Program at www.usccb. org/cchd.

— Joseph Purello, diirector of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: NOV. 21 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte

NOV. 24 – 10:45 A.M. Pastor Installation of Father Richard Sutter St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

NOV. 26 – 2 P.M. Diocesan Building Commission Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events November 22, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

Volume 29 • NUMBER 4

ORGAN RECITAL: 7:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

Featuring Dr. Gianfranco and Mara DeLuca. The Delucas will perform works by J.S. Bach, Joseph Jongen, Nicolas De Grigny and G.F. Handel. For details, call the parish office at 704-334-2283.

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

CCHS SYMPHONIC BAND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. There will be a reception with light refreshments and music performed by the Jazz Band immediately following the concert.

ESPAÑOL

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org ONLINE REPORTER: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org HISPANIC COMMUNICATIONS REPORTER: Cesar Hurtado, 704-370-3375, rchurtado@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org

THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

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

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

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

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

VIÑEDO DE RAQUEL: ¿Es usted o un ser querido que busca la curación de los efectos de un aborto anterior?

Los retiros de fin de semana son ofrecidos por Caridades Católicas para hombres y mujeres en todas las regiones de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Para obtener información sobre los próximos retiros, incluidos retiros en las diócesis vecinas, comuníquese con Karina Hernández: 336-267-1937 o karinahernandez@live.com.

VIGILIA DE ADORACIÓN: 6 p.m. los jueves, en la Catedral San Patricio, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Nos reunimos para una Vigilia de Adoración por la Paz y la Justicia en Nicaragua, que en estos últimos meses están pasando por momentos turbulentos y ataques físicos contra la Iglesia Católica, sus templos, y sus Obispos.

Todos son bienvenidos a unirse a la Adoración, rezar el Santo Rosario, la hora santa de reparación, y terminando con la oración de exorcismo de San Miguel Arcángel.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS IGBO MASS: Noon, Sunday, Nov. 24, St. Mary’s Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. For details, call 336-707-3625.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Come and help pray for the end of abortion, and feel free to invite anyone who would be morally supportive of this very important cause. For details, email Jim Hoyng at Ajhoyng@hotmail. com or Paul Klosterman at Pauljklosterman@aol.com.

ADVENT MINI RETREAT, ‘CALLED TO BIRTH GOD IN OUR TIMES’: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

Presented by Sisters Susan Schorsten, HM and Sister Gay Rowzie, HM. Sister Schorsten has served for many years in leadership positions within her own religious congregation, with the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., and in health care ministry. Sister Gay Rowzie, HM, is an educator who has taught special education, elementary school, doctoral students and has ministered at the diocesan and parish levels, in education and health care.

Lunch and light snacks will be served. For details and to RSVP, email kelly@4sjnc.org or call 704-535-4197, ext.

232.

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

Thursday, Dec. 19, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Our solemn prayer service

includes the blessing with the St. Peregrine relic. St. Peregrine has been called the wonder worker for his intercession on behalf of those living with serious illness.

He is the patron saint of all who are afflicted by cancer, leg ailments or any life-threatening disease. He is also the patron saint of youth at risk. For details, call the parish office at 704-543-7677.

DIVINE MERCY HOLY HOUR: 7 p.m. each First Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

The Divine Mercy Holy Hours are celebrated year-round (except for Lent) and consist of Eucharistic Adoration, readings from the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, the sung chaplet of Divine Mercy and benediction. For details, call Paul Deer at 704-577-3496.

24-HOUR ADORATION: First Friday of every month at Good Shepherd Mission, 105 Good Shepherd Dr., King. For details, call the parish office at 336-983-2680.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING ‘Protecting God’s Children’ workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are: BELMONT: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St. CHARLOTTE: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

CONCORD: 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, St. James Church, 139 Manor Ave. TAYLORSVILLE: Friday, Dec. 13, Holy Trinity Church, 1039 N.C. Hwy. 90 West

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS FREE MEDICARE CHOICES MADE EASY CLASS: 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, St. Francis of Assisi Church, 328-B Woodsway Lane N.W., Lenoir. This workshop is designed to explain Medicare, when to sign up, and how to save money. This presentation will cover Medicare basics, Medicare options, Part D “Extra Help Program”, and important dates to remember.

This event is for those already on Medicare, those turning 65 and new to Medicare, for those leaving employer insurance for Medicare and for those who help Medicare beneficiaries with their insurance. To register, call Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or email sabreakfield@charlottediocese.org by Nov. 20.

‘I FIRMLY RESOLVE’ SERIES OF TALKS BY FATHER MATTHEW KAUTH: Seven-day online devotional series designed to help you get your life on the right spiritual track. Free viewing at www.catholiccompany.com/goodcatholic/about-family-resolve.tr.

SUPPORT GROUPS RACHEL’S VINEYARD: Are you or a loved one seeking healing from the effects of a past abortion? Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats are offered by Catholic Charities for men and women in the western, central and eastern regions of the Diocese of Charlotte. For details about upcoming retreats, contact Jackie Childers at 980-241-0251 or Jackie.childers1@gmail.com, or Jessica Grabowski at 910-585-2460 or jrgrabowski@ charlottediocese.org.

YOUNG ADULTS ASHEVILLE THEOLOGY ON TAP: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Asheville region. For details, check them out on Facebook, Twitter or MeetUp. St. Lawrence Basilica: www.saintlawrencebasilica.org/young-adultministry.

CHARLOTTE AREA: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/charlottecatholicyoungadultministry.

OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH: on Facebook at “Our Lady of Consolation Young Adult Ministry” ST. GABRIEL CHURCH: https://stgabrielchurch.org ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587 or visit www.4sjnc.org/faith-formation/ adult-ministry/young-adult-ministry St. Luke Church: www.stlukechurch.net/young-adult-ministry ST. MARK CHURCH: on Facebook at “The Young Adult Ministry of St. Mark” ST. MATTHEW CHURCH: on Facebook at “Young Adult Life: A St. Matthew Ministry” or visit www. stmatthewcatholic.org/youngadultministries ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL: on Facebook at “The Cathedral of St. Patrick - Young Adult Ministry” ST. PETER CHURCH: Look them up on Facebook: “St. Peter 20s and 30s Ministry” ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH: online at “Aquinas’ Finest,” www.stacharlotte.com/finest HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH IN DENVER: call Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207. St. Michael Church in Gastonia: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Gastonia area. Meets once a month. Online at www. stmichaelsgastonia.org/young-adult ST. LEO THE GREAT CHURCH IN WINSTON-SALEM: online at “Winston Salem Frassati,” www.wsfrassati. com.

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

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Charlotte Lay Dominicans continue to flourish at 10th anniversary CHARLOTTE — As the Charlotte area Chapter of Lay Dominicans marks its 10th anniversary in the Diocese of Charlotte, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapter recently welcomed five new members and celebrated the formation advancement of 15 members – ranging from inquirers, to those making their full or perpetual promises, all sharing in the charism of the Order founded in 1216 by St. Dominic.

For 800 years the Dominicans, or Order of Preachers, have been committed to the salvation of souls and have maintained loyalty to the Church. Truth is promoted through the four pillars of prayer, study, community and apostolate. There are three orders of the Dominican fraternity: first order, the Dominican friars; second order, the cloistered Dominican nuns; and third order, religious (priests and sisters) and secular (laity).

The new members and advancements were received during a Rite of Reception and Promises held at Mass Sept.

28 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. Since the chapter’s first Rite of Reception and Promises in 2010, the Rite is the highlight of the chapter’s year.

Newly admitted pictured here with the Charlotte chapter, completed the first year of formation (a 12-month inquiry requirement); Susan Evans, Suzette Mahoney, Cecelia McGloughlin, Glenn Yellico and Diona Mathews

(not pictured).

Newly advanced Dominican Laity making the Temporary Promise after completion of the second year of formation (a 12-month candidate requirement): Leia Anastacio, Scott Aumuller, Catherine Bernardo and Carol Bireley (not pictured); Renewal of Temporary Promise (after completion of the three-year temporary promise): Laura Kobet; and Full Promise (for life) after completion of the five-year (inquiry, candidate, temporary) requirement: Donna Gunter, Patricia Kent, Kati Roy (not pictured), and Regina and Robert Whaples. Also pictured with the newly advanced is Father Matthew Kauth of St. Joseph College Seminary, a life member who serves as Spiritual Assistant for the chapter; and other members Mary Snow, Megan Whiteside, Dan Lucero, Glenda Stephenson, Brenda Stephenson, Tom Mathis, Sandra Coughlin, J.R. Richardson, Mitzi Fields, Judy Shallcross, Matthew Dimock Sr. and Mark Dorsett.

The Dominican Laity adopt a spiritual life that includes daily Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, daily rosary, study, contemplation, and where available, daily Mass and monthly confession. Working all this into a lay schedule does not occur overnight – particularly for those who have families to care for, work

responsibilities, parish and civic volunteer commitments, and who also honor other devotions of the Church.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapter was formed in 2009.

Chapter members belong to 16 different parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte, and inquiries are always welcome.

There is a five-year formation process, which increases the likelihood of adjustment, transforming steadily to a routine that accommodates Dominican requirements and yet aligns personal lives, daily needs and obligations. To proceed through the formation process, a candidate must be in good standing with the Church for two years and be at least 18 years old.

The chapter, comprised of 30 members, meets monthly.

The next inquiry class will be held from 8:30 to 9:25 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s community building, located at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte.

— Sandra W. Coughlin

More online At www.charlottelaydominicans.org: Read more about the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapter of Lay Dominicans and inquire about membership

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MAGGIE VALLEY — Father Tri Troung, pastor of St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte, recently led 125 of his parishioners on a pilgrimage to western North Carolina parishes. The annual trip included a stop at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, where Father Tri shared with his parishioners the rich history of Catholicism in the area.

After their stop in Maggie Valley, the group went on to Cherokee to celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, which is a mission of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MAGGIE VALLEY — Men from around the southeast gathered for an annual men’s retreat Oct. 25-27 at the Maggie Valley Retreat Center. A core group of the men came from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte and were joined by other retreatants from parishes in neighboring states. Father Agustin Guzman, C.O., of the Oratory in Rock Hill, S.C., led the weekend retreat offering Mass, Adoration and spiritual reflections.

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 OUR PARISHES

Confirmed in the Spirit

Bishop Peter Jugis recently confirmed young people at Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews.

PHOTOS BY PHIL ROCHE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Thirteen young people from St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson and five young people from St. Frances of Rome Mission in Sparta confirmed their faith before the Church on the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels Oct. 2. Assisting Bishop Jugis at the confirmation Mass were Father James Stuhrenberg, pastor, Father Jose Robaque and Deacon Lee Levenson.

PATRICK HESSION | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter Jugis confirmed young people of St. Eugene Parish in Asheville Sept.

22.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY TRACY JEDD

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (Never known to fail)

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Contact Attorney Sabrina Winters to help navigate you through this complicated process.

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

O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request).

There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times).

Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3 times).

3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days. You must publish it, and it will be granted to you.

Thank you, K.B.

St. Jude Novena May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be

Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us, St.

M ado t forev us. for

Jude, help of the hopeless, pray for us.

Say

adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St.

Say this prayer 9 times a day. By the ninth day your prayers will be answered.

It has never been known to fail.

Publication must be promised.

answ

Pu

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

St. Benedict parishioners tackle parish projects WINSTON-SALEM — Members of St. Benedict the Moor Church, led by the parish’s building and grounds commission gathered Oct, 18 to assist the church in efforts to update school facility fixtures and bring standards to code.

Team members in conjunction with Father Henry Tutuwan, pastor, installed a trash-can in Phase 1 of plans to install a total of three outdoor trash collection bins on the church grounds. The team also installed new smoke detectors and light bulbs in the school, which also hosts catechism classes.

— Gloria Wilson

Mooresville parish to host annual Thanksgiving celebration

Statesville parishioners work to feed the poor STATESVILLE — During the weekend of Nov. 9-10, St. Philip the Apostle Church presented the Jewel Award to Jim and Mitzie Kermes and the volunteers of the parish Food Closet, which helps feed the poor of the community. Pictured from left are Father Thomas J. Kessler, pastor; Jim and Mitzie Kermes; and Parish Council President Bret Lund.

The same weekend, St. Philip the Apostle parishioners collected grocery bags of canned goods, cereals, rice and other nonperishables at each of their Masses to feed the poor in the community. Dozens of bags were delivered to Iredell Christian Ministries Nov. 11.

MOORESVILLE — The Community Thanksgiving Meal Committee invites residents of Mooresville and surrounding communities to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal hosted by St. Therese Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28. Families and individuals who may want to spend the afternoon in community and enjoy a fantastic meal are invited to join together to give thanks and feast on turkey with all the trimmings.

The traditional Thanksgiving meal will be held in the church’s Parish Life Center, located at 217 Brawley School Road. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. For questions or more information, e-mail mooresvillethanksgiving@gmail.com or go online to www.sainttherese.net/thanksgiving.

— Connie Ries

— Lisa Cash

OUR PARISHESI

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Support St. Joseph College Seminary on #iGiveCatholic #GivingTuesday 2019 CHARLOTTE — For many Catholics, it’s easy to remember the days when the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was simply considered “Advent.” After gathering around the table to give thanks for our many blessings, we began to prepare our hearts for the birth of our Savior. It was a time of expectation, preparation, and waiting. But our modern society is not good at waiting.

Today, the primary function of Thanksgiving seems to be that shotgun start to holiday shopping – the spectacle of consumption and consumer debt we call Black Friday. And, as if the excess of Black Friday weren’t enough, retailers dubbed the Monday after Thanksgiving Cyber Monday to prompt a surge of online holiday shopping.

In hopes of combating the commercialization and consumerism that has attempted to overtake the true meaning of Christmas, the United Nations Foundation designated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as “Giving Tuesday” in 2012. The foundation hoped that a National Day of Giving would encourage consumers to support their charity of choice and get as excited about charitable giving as they would about big-screen TVs at a bargain prices. Consumers donated more than $10 million on the first Giving Tuesday, and last year it raised more than $1 billion. #iGiveCatholic is a movement started in 2015 by the Archdiocese of

New Orleans to encourage supporting Catholic organizations specifically on Giving Tuesday. Last year, the campaign raised more than $5.6 million, nearly half of the $11.4 million raised on #GivingTuesday for all religion-related causes.

For the first time ever, St. Joseph College Seminary is excited to participate in #iGiveCatholic on #GivingTuesday. This year’s event takes place Dec. 3. Funds raised by the seminary on #GivingTuesday will be used to commission a statue of St. Joseph for the entrance to the college seminary. The seminary’s four classes – the Alphas, Bravos, Charlies and Deltas – have started a friendly competition to see which class can raise the most funds for the statue.

So far, the Charlie Class, the third class of seminarians at St. Joseph, has taken an early lead in the “advance giving” period that began Nov. 18.

Father Matthew Kauth, rector of St. Joseph College Seminary, thinks it’s fitting to fund this project during the Advent season. “Advent is a time of waiting,” he said. “We are all eagerly awaiting the completion of our college seminary, which is guided by the patronage of St. Joseph.”

To donate, go online to www. nationalministries.igivecatholic. org/organizations/st-joseph-collegeseminary.

— Mel Ullrich

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019

El Padre Alejandro Solalinde (derecha), acompañado por el Padre Fidel Melo, escucha las sugerencias para un mejor trato a los inmigrantes recogidas por líderes de iglesia que asistieron a una reunión con ese propósito.

Padre Fidel Melo

Adviento, Aventus Redemptoris: Venida del Redentor

E

s un tiempo especial de preparación espiritual para el nacimiento de Nuestro Divino Redentor.

Inicia el fin de semana después de la festividad de Cristo Rey del Universo, dando comienzo al nuevo año litúrgico.

El adviento tiene una doble finalidad: es un tiempo de preparación para recordar y celebrar con solemnidad el Nacimiento del Mesías o Salvador prometido, es decir, conmemorar la primera venida de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo a la humanidad; pero también es un tiempo para dejar que nuestros corazones y mentes sean guiados a la preparación para la Segunda Venida de Nuestro Señor, para estar siempre alertas y atentos al momento glorioso de su segunda venida.

Los cristianos lo consideramos como un tiempo de oración y reflexión en vigilante espera de la llegada de Cristo. Es un llamado al arrepentimiento, al perdón y a la alegría, por eso el color litúrgico para el adviento es el morado o violeta. Este color simboliza preparación espiritual y penitencia. El uso opcional del color rosa en el tercer domingo de adviento simboliza un alto al rigor penitencial y expresa alegría o gozo por la cercanía de la solemnidad de navidad.

Durante este tiempo se omite el canto del gloria los domingos en la Santa Misa, debido a que se recomienda sencillez y moderación en el uso del órgano y los demás instrumentos musicales. De este modo, al llegar la celebración de la Navidad se la puede resaltar con la música litúrgica.

De igual manera se tienen como práctica común no colocar flores o decoraciones en la iglesia, a no ser que vaya en sintonía con el sentido y carácter del adviento.

Y si se hace, debe ser con moderación.

Pero esto, que es solo la preparación externa en nuestras parroquias, es una invitación para hacer lo mismo en nuestras vidas. Es un llamado a que nos desprendamos de todo aquello que sea una atadura, distracción u obstáculo en nuestro encuentro con Jesucristo el Señor.

El adviento es nuestra preparación para celebrar la encarnación del Hijo de Dios, donde Cristo, Dios y Señor, Evangelio o Buena Nueva, se encarna para redimir al género humano. Y nosotros ahora, en respuesta agradecida a tan generoso acto salvífico, estamos llamados a preparar en nuestras personas un lugar para que nazca o renazca Jesucristo Redentor y así transmitir su presencia al mundo en el que vivimos.

Que este adviento no sea una temporada más del año en curso, sino que sea un tiempo especial de apertura de nuestros corazones y almas a la llegada de Jesucristo que quiere hospedarse en nosotros. Y que si hay que hacer algún sacrificio, o es necesario enderezar algo en nuestras vidas para preparar el corazón y el alma, no dudemos en hacerlo. Esa será la decoración más hermosa de navidad para celebrar su nacimiento.

Que la presencia de Cristo habite siempre en nosotros. Bendiciones.

EL PADRE FIDEL MELO es director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Buscando justicia para los migrantes Padre Alejandro Solalinde visitó Charlotte CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE ­— Como primer resultado del encuentro binacional de periodistas realizado en México en el que participó la sección en español del Catholic News Herald, el Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte recibió la visita de una delegación compuesta por el Padre Alejandro Solalinde de México y la Sra. Leticia Zavala, representante del Comité organizador de los trabajadores del campo (FLOC, por sus siglas en inglés).

La presencia de los visitantes estuvo patrocinada por el Instituto de Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME), un órgano ejecutivo de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México que vela por el bienestar de los mexicanos migrantes en todo el mundo.

El Padre Solalinde, un reconocido luchador por los derechos de los migrantes y la justicia social en México, así como la Sra. Zavala fueron recibidos por una comisión dirigida por el Padre Fidel Melo, director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

LUCHADOR SOCIAL

Con 74 años, el P. Solalinde es coordinador de la Pastoral de Movilidad Humana Pacífico Sur del Episcopado Mexicano. Es también director del albergue Hermanos en el Camino, que proporciona asistencia humanitaria y orientación a los migrantes de América Central y América del Sur en su paso hacia Estados Unidos.

Debido a su asistencia humanitaria, el sacerdote recibió amenazas de muerte y debió abandonar su país natal en 2012, retornando tras su exilio forzoso dos años después, instalándose en Oaxaca, desde donde arreció sus críticas contra los partidos políticos y figuras públicas corruptas.

El P. Solalinde reconoce tener una cercanía personal con el presidente actual de México, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a quien reconoce como una persona íntegra, trabajadora, sin malicia y “sin gusto por el dinero”.

IMPORTANTE VISITA

Como expresó el P. Solalinde, su visita tenía por objeto establecer contactos locales y, a la vez, conocer de cerca, sin intermediarios, la realidad y los problemas que aquejan a los ciudadanos mexicanos, “y en general a todos los migrantes”, que viven en Estados Unidos.

Declaró que venía dispuesto a escuchar a la comunidad migrante para luego informar sobre sus problemas y quejas a las instituciones de gobierno en México. “La corrupción y el abuso de autoridad se tienen que terminar, pero para ello

necesitamos de la ayuda de todos”, señaló.

También aprovechó para descartar que el presidente mexicano sea ateo y tenga una opinión favorable al aborto.

“Le achacan muchas cosas, pero hemos conversado sobre el tema y el mandatario es respetuoso de la vida en su totalidad, no solamente del momento en que se da”. Sin embargo, aclaró que, siendo un servidor público, está obligado a obedecer el mandato del pueblo y dejar a un lado su propia conciencia para respetar el sistema democrático.

Aunque la permanencia de los visitantes estuvo limitada a solo un día, cumplieron una agenda bastante apretada.

Tras su arribo, el pasado jueves 14 de noviembre por la mañana, atendieron tres entrevistas radiales en las estaciones La Raza, La Zeta y Latina, donde expusieron el motivo de su llegada y respondieron las inquietudes del público y los conductores de los programas.

Luego, concedieron una entrevista televisada a un periódico local y se reunieron con un grupo de empresarios de restaurantes.

Pasado el mediodía se encontraron con líderes de Iglesia en el Centro Pastoral diocesano, donde pudieron recoger los problemas de la comunidad católica en particular.

Al despedir a los visitantes, el Padre Melo agradeció el honor de poder recibir a la ilustre delegación, reiteró el compromiso de apoyo a futuras actividades de colaboración y aprovechó la ocasión para convocar a una reunión informativa sobre el tema con el liderazgo laico. “Ahora tenemos un nexo directo con México y debemos utilizarlo para beneficiar a nuestros hermanos migrantes”, resaltó.

La delegación concluyó su agenda asistiendo a un encuentro con trabajadores y propietarios latinos de pequeñas empresas de construcción, finalizando con una reunión nocturna con residentes de un parque de casas móviles de la zona de Huntersville.

PROGRAMA DENUNCIA PAISANO

Por su parte, el IME hizo saber que la Secretaría de la Función Pública de México, escuchando un pedido de los periodistas que acudieron convocados a México sobre el maltrato a los migrantes mexicanos que retornan a su país por las fiestas decembrinas, anunció la implementación del programa ‘Denuncia paisano’ con el lema “no más mordidas ni extorsiones”.

Para acceder al programa solo debe bajar una aplicación disponible para dispositivos Android y Apple. De esta manera se espera concluir con la corrupción de malos agentes aduaneros y policiales que lucran con la necesidad de los migrantes que regresan a sus pueblos de origen en el país azteca.

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

9

Bendecida con la llegada de la Antorcha Guadalupana por su territorio, la Diócesis de Charlotte acogió por varios días el paso de la luz que partió desde la Basílica Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Ciudad de México y espera llegar a la ciudad de Nueva York el 11 de diciembre, víspera de la fiesta Guadalupana.

FOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD, PARROQUIAS NTRA. SRA. DE GUADALUPE Y STA. TERESA

Diócesis de Charlotte recibió la Antorcha Guadalupana En su paso a Nueva York visitó ocho parroquias CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE ­— La comunidad hispana de la Diócesis de Charlotte acogió con gran fe y alegría el paso de la Antorcha Guadalupana, una luz que representa la dignidad de un pueblo dividido por la frontera, en su camino desde la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en México hasta la ciudad de Nueva York.

Una caravana proveniente de Greenville, Carolina del Sur, arribó el sábado 9 de noviembre a la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, al oeste de Charlotte, donde la esperaban los fieles para rendirle homenaje.

Pese a las bajas temperaturas, cientos de personas esperaron hasta casi la caída del sol para ver llegar a la Antorcha, que abría camino a una corta caravana de vehículos que transportaba dos grandes imágenes de la Morenita del Tepeyac y San Juan Diego.

Un bosque de banderas, alineado a ambos lados de la vía de ingreso a la parroquia, dió la bienvenida a la delegación.

Luego, las imágenes y la Antorcha recibieron el saludo de decenas de danzantes que, ataviados con trajes indígenas, ofrecieron un baile tradicional de bienvenida.

Siguiendo el ritmo de tambores y el llamado de los Teksispitsali, conchas marinas usadas como instrumentos de viento, los danzantes homenajearon a la Lupita.

Poco después, entonando cánticos y dando vivas a la Guadalupana, la multitud acompañó a los corredores y las imágenes en su recorrido procesional para ingresar a la iglesia.

Al llegar casi a las puertas del templo, el Padre Leo Tiburcio, vicario parroquial, se acercó a recibir a la comisión, dar la bienvenida y bendecir las imágenes.

Luego de ello se ofreció otra danza para posteriormente permitir el ingreso de los corredores, colocar las imágenes a un lado del altar y dar paso a la celebración de la Santa Misa.

Al inicio de la liturgia tomó la palabra una de las cuatro personas delegadas por la Asociación Tepeyac en Nueva York, entidad organizadora de la carrera de postas, que acompañan a la Antorcha en todo su recorrido.

La señora Luz, quien prefirió identificarse sólo por su nombre, dijo que durante la carrera, que inició el 1 de septiembre, la antorcha ha sido portada por miles de mexicanos y de personas de otras nacionalidades, “todas las que están representadas por esas hermosas banderas que nos dieron la bienvenida”.

Luego resaltó la importancia de la carrera que, desde sus orígenes, hizo que miles salieran a esperar el paso de la Antorcha y la Virgen de Guadalupe, “sin temor y con el riesgo de ser deportados”.

“Como ciudadanos del mundo, aparentemente sin papeles ni patria, pero con la conciencia de que para Dios

no existen fronteras ni propiedad privada que nos impida vivir en cualquier lugar del mundo en donde nosotros decidamos. Así, el considerar recibir aquí a Nuestra Madre y correr a su lado, es reconocernos dueños también de esta parte del mundo”, señaló.

“El mensaje de Nuestra Madre hoy y siempre es el amor, su visita nos recuerda que siempre está con nosotros y no estamos solos. Nos invita a vivir sin miedo”, subrayó.

Durante su homilía, el Padre Tiburcio hizo un paralelo entre la dignidad del hombre y las divisiones durante la época de la aparición mariana y la actual. “Pero en 1531 se aparece la Virgen de Guadalupe trayendo la unidad y el respeto. Trae a Jesús, un Dios que ama y que da vida”.

Tras concluir la Misa, los corredores fueron objetos de un agasajo y se realizaron otros bailables al interior del salón multiuso.

En su trayecto por el territorio de la Diócesis de Charlotte, la Antorcha visitó además las parroquias de Santiago el Mayor en Concord, Santa Teresa en Mooresville, San José en Newton, San Francisco de Asís en Mocksville, Santa María en Greensboro, Cristo Rey en High Point y Nuestra Señora de los Caminos en Thomasville.

Más online En www.facebook.com/CNHespañol: Vea un video y más fotografías sobre el paso de la Antorcha Guadalupana

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

FOTOS CORTESÍA GRUPO FRUTOS DE FE.

Jóvenes del grupo Frutos de Fe solicitan la ayuda urgente de la comunidad para continuar su tarea de atención a las personas sin techo que duermen en las calles de Charlotte. Mantas, abrigos, medias de lana, gorros y guantes se requieren para sobrellevar la temporada invernal.

Urge ayuda para desamparados CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — El grupo juvenil Fruto de Fe de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, realizó un llamado urgente a la comunidad para que colabore en su programa de asistencia a las personas sin hogar.

Así lo hizo saber Ángela Acosta, líder de la agrupación juvenil, quien planea coordinar una nueva jornada de asistencia a los desamparados de la ciudad que pasan la noche en los alrededores del Uptown de Charlotte.

Según comentó Acosta, pudieron detectar la necesidad urgente de mantas y abrigos al realizar una primera visita ofreciendo alimento y refrescos a los ‘homeless’.

“Gracias al apoyo del Padre Leo Tiburcio (vicario parroquial) pudimos concretar esta iniciativa que se había venido postergando por algún tiempo y se formó un comité

pequeño llamado Caridades Vicentinas” que es el que se encargó de coordinar la primera salida, señaló Acosta.

“Con el manto de mamita María y la sangre de Jesús salimos a las calles”, dijo Acosta, pues los jóvenes tenían un poco de temor. “Y sí, pasamos uno que otro susto pero nos quedamos con muchas ganas de volverlo a hacer y pronto”, añadió.

Las más de cien raciones que prepararon se agotaron rápidamente, pero la experiencia que se llevó el grupo fue muy valiosa. Pudieron ver de cerca la necesidad y entender que, como afirma Acosta, “en la iglesia uno escucha y se imagina la vida, pero en la calle uno la mira y la siente en el corazón”.

En el contacto con los desamparados, pudieron darse cuenta que carecían del abrigo necesario para protegerse del fuerte frío nocturno con temperaturas, en algunos casos, bajo el punto de congelación.

Algunos de ellos les solicitaron cobijas pero se vieron imposibilitados de proporcionarlas porque no habían previsto esa necesidad.

Por esta razón solicitan el apoyo de la comunidad para que colabore con la entrega de cobijas y abrigos. También son bienvenidas las donaciones de gorros de lana, guantes y medias gruesas.

Para contactarse con el grupo y entregar su donación puede hacerlo a través de la página facebook.com/ grupofrutodefe o visitar directamente la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, 6212 Tuckaseegee Rd, Charlotte, NC 28214, teléfono (704) 391-3732.

“Si son nuevos está bien, pero no importa que sean usados pero en buenas condiciones y limpios. Por favor, ayúdennos”, concluyó Acosta.

Drogas en escuelas preocupan a la comunidad CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — La presencia de drogas en las escuelas es la principal preocupación de los padres de familia de origen hispano, en lo que respecta al tema de educación, según pudo detectarse en una reunión de escucha comunitaria realizada el 13 de noviembre en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte.

Feligreses de esa iglesia, bajo la guía del Padre Hugo Medellín -vicario parroquial- y organizadores comunitarios, expresaron sus principales inquietudes en lo que respecta a temas de educación y salud en la primera sesión organizada por el recientemente formado Comité de Justicia y Dignidad Humana de la parroquia Guadalupe.

El Padre Hugo explicó que el nuevo comité, afiliado al Congreso de organizaciones latinas de Charlotte, que los asiste en la organizacion y coordinacion con otras instituciones, tiene la función de “concienciar e invitar a otros a participar en la toma de un rol activo en la comunidad”, puesto que la ‘vida normal’ en armonía con la ‘vida litúrgica’ de cada persona debe estar comprometida con la justicia social.

Moises Oviedo, organizador comunitario y feligrés de la parroquia San John Neumann, dijo que la experiencia de realizar sesiones de escucha se aplicó con gran éxito en la ciudad de Winston Salem, donde se encontraron soluciones a problemas por los que atravesaba la comunidad latina.

“Nos quejamos pero nadie nos escucha. Por eso es importante ponerlo en papel, priorizar y luego exigir una solución con las autoridades correspondientes para nuestro propio beneficio”, señaló.

Según dijo, se está planificando una reunión con el gobernador para presentarle nuestras necesidades. “Pero los necesitamos a ustedes para hacer un verdadero impacto. Tenemos que traer a otras personas, motivar a otros, hacer este mismo evento en sus casas.

Tenemos que hacer el milagro juntos, como en las bodas de Caná”, añadió.

Para los participantes, otros temas importantes en educación son la discriminación, conducta de los maestros, negligencia en el transporte y falta de maestros para niños con necesidades especiales. Respecto a la salud, el precio de las medicinas, la calidad de la atención y la barrera del idioma son puntos cruciales.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Durante la sesión de escucha se pudo detectar problemas en las áreas de salud y educación que aquejan en especial a la comunidad latina residente en Charlotte. Los organizadores informaron que preparan una reunión con el gobernador del estado para presentarle los reclamos.

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Lecturas Diarias NOV. 24-30

Domingo (Cristo Rey): 2 Samuel 5:1-3, Colosenses 1:12-20, Lucas 23:35-43; Lunes (Sta. Catalina de Alejandría): Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20, Daniel 3:52-56, Lucas 21:1-4; Martes: Daniel 2:31-45, Daniel 3:57-61, Lucas 21:5-11; Miércoles: Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28, Daniel 3:62-67, Lucas 21:12-19; Jueves (Día de Acción de Gracias): Daniel 6:12-28, Daniel 3:68-74, Lucas 21:20-28; Viernes: Daniel 7:214, Daniel 3:75-81, Lucas 21:29-33; Sábado (San Andrés): Romanos 10:9-18, Mateo 4:18-22

DIC. 1-7

Domingo (Primer domingo de Adviento): Isaías 2:1-5, Romanos 13:11-14, Mateo 24:3744; Lunes: Isaías 4:2-6, Mateo 8:5-11; Martes (San Francisco Xavier): Isaías 11:1-10, Lucas 10:21-24; Miércoles (San Juan Damasceno): Isaías 25:6-10, Mateo 15:29-37; Jueves: Isaías 26:1-6, Mateo 7:21, 24-27; Viernes (San Nicolás): Isaías 29:17-24, Mateo 9:27-31; Sábado (San Ambrosio): Isaías 30:19-21, Mateo 9:35-10:1, 5-8

DIC. 8-14

Domingo (Segundo domingo de Adviento): Isaías 11:1-10, Romanos 15:49, Mateo 3:1-12; Lunes (La Inmaculada Concepción): Génesis 3:9-15, 20, Efesios 1:36, 11-12, Lucas 1:26-38; Martes: Isaías 40:1-11, Mateo 18:12-14; Miércoles (San Damasco I): Isaías 40:25-31, Mateo 11:28-30; Jueves: Zacarías 2:14-17, Judith 13:18-19, Lucas 1:2638; Viernes (Sta. Lucía): Isaías 48:17-19, Mateo 11:16-19; Sábado (San Juan de la Cruz): Sirácides 48:1-4, 9-11, Mateo 17:9-13

Acogieron jornada de identificaciones comunitarias CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Más de doscientas personas pudieron obtener o renovar la identificación comunitaria que otorga la Coalición Latinoamericana en una exitosa jornada realizada en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe el segundo sábado del mes en curso.

Pese a estar programada de nueve a once de la mañana, la atención debió prolongarse por mayor tiempo debido a la gran asistencia.

Lorena Guerrero de Merino, coordinadora de la red de defensa familiar, ofreció charlas de orientación en las que se explicaban los alcances de la identificación comunitaria, su uso, bondades y limitaciones.

Además, dando una visión completa sobre el trabajo que realiza la Coalición Latinoamericana, se ofreció información adicional sobre los servicios de bienvenida e integración del inmigrante, defensa, vivienda, legal, desarrollo de la fuerza laboral, oferta de talleres informativos sobre ciudadanía, conocimiento de derechos, clases de inglés y muchos otros más.

Una parte importante de estos talleres es la participación de la policía local. Los oficiales de policía explican a las personas los derechos que tienen, cómo actuar, qué decir cuando llegan a tener algún contacto, ya sea al resultar víctimas de un crimen o por recibir un ticket, y les ayudan para que no tengan nervios, para que actúen de una manera que sea benéfica para la sociedad”.

DOCUMENTO VALIOSO

La identificación comunitaria es un documento importante que contiene la foto e información del solicitante. Así la persona se puede identificar cuando tenga algún tipo de contacto con la Policía del condado Mecklenburg o cuando solicite recursos en el área de Charlotte Mecklenburg.

Para registrarse, los solicitantes deben participar en los talleres informativos sobre sus derechos que se imparten el mismo día de atención. Además, es importante presentar una identificación gubernamental con foto, cualquiera sea su tipo, un comprobante que demuestre su lugar de residencia actual y llenar una planilla de datos que se le entrega.

El valor de la identificación comunitaria es de diez dólares. En caso de solicitar una membresía a la Coalición Latinoamericana, lo que implica beneficios adicionales en otros servicios que se ofrecen, el valor se incrementa a 35 dólares. Las identificaciones son entregadas por correo en una fecha posterior.

Como precisaron claramente los representantes de la institución de beneficio a los migrantes, esta

identificación no reemplaza una licencia de conducción emitida por las autoridades estatales, pero es una vía de identificación alterna conocida por la policía y otras instituciones.

El Padre Hugo Medellin, vicario parroquial, dijo que la actividad se programó en la parroquia para beneficiar a los feligreses que no cuentan con una identificación oficial y siguiendo el mensaje del Papa Francisco de ser una Iglesia “de salida”, de asistencia al pobre, al necesitado, al indefenso. “Como ven, no tiene ningún carácter político ni partidario, solo de servicio”, sentenció.

Se conoció que la parroquia Guadalupe acogerá una nueva jornada de identificaciones comunitarias antes que concluya el año.

Para mayores informes contacte directamente a la parroquia al número

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (Never known to fail) O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request).

There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times).

Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3 times).

3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days.

You must publish it, and it will be granted to you.

Thank you.

telefónico (704) 391-3732 o visite sus instalaciones en horas de oficina.

Más online En www.facebook.com/CNHespañol: Vea un video y más imágenes sobre la jornada de identificaciones comunitarias

Director of Music St. Eugene Catholic Church in Asheville, NC is searching for a part time Director of Music beginning February 1, 2020. We are a medium sized parish with a rich musical tradition in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

Duties include but not limited to: • Planning, coordinating, and executing the music ministry for all the liturgical celebrations of the parish • Three weekend Masses, Holy days, weddings and funerals, weekly choir rehearsal • Collaborating with Spanish choir and coordinating bilingual services • Scheduling and training cantors Required qualifications include: • Bachelor’s Degree in Music with or equivalent experience • Choral conducting and vocal coaching experience • Understanding of Catholic liturgy and liturgical music • Fluent keyboarding skills (organist on staff) • Good communication and teaching skills • Spiritual and personal maturity Desired but not required: • Some basic experience with Spanish language and culture • Knowledge in the use of musical instruments in a liturgical setting • Experience integrating youth groups into special celebrations This is a 25-30 hour per week position offering a competitive salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Interview and audition will be required.

Those interested should send a current resumé to: Fr Pat Cahill at father@steugene.org or call (828) 254-5193 for more information.

Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.

Luke 2:14

This Advent and Christmas set your heart and mind on the things above!

Visit The Catholic Shoppe at Belmont Abbey College.

We have everything you need for Advent and Christmas—and something for everyone on your list!

Check our website for weekly holiday sales and specials: www.BAC.edu/catholic-shop

Enjoy our extended Christmas shopping hours from

Black Friday, November 29th to

Monday, December 23rd Sat. – 10am - 4pm M-T-W-T-F - 10am-6pm Call us at 704-461-5100 for more information.

THE CATHOLIC SHOPPE At Belmont Abbey College “That in all things God be Glorified”

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iiiNovember 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com

ADVERT

Room At The Inn …Where Hope Is Born Room At The Inn is a unique, comprehensive program helping homeless, single, pregnant women from all areas of North Carolina, not only during their pregnancies but also after the birth of their babies. By providing shelter, food, clothing, case management, in-house daycare, transportation, and life skills education in a structured environment, we help these families have new lives of healthy, hope-filled selfsufficiency.

“The service that this organization provides is exceptional. It is respectful, supportive, continuous and enduring. The outcomes have been very impressive”

The Nussbaum Maternity Home

Council on Accreditation Final Accreditation Report

• • • •

11 Babies were born 100 % of babies born had APGAR scores of 8 or more 100 % of babies born had birth weights of 5.5 lbs. or greater 100 % of pre-natal appointments were kept

Pratt Proverbs 31 Formation Program: Residents in the maternity home programs are invited to participate in the Pratt Proverbs 31 Formation Program. Participants get involved in the faith community of their choice and/or suitable volunteer programs. Participants are able to grow spiritually and as responsible, caring women. Participation is completely voluntary and no client is denied other services for declining to participate in this program.

Aftercare Program: The graduates of our programs continue to be an important part of our family even after the birth of their children. Quarterly alumni meetings are conducted at the maternity home. Clients are eligible for material assistance for up to five years after the birth of their children.

College Program: Graduates of the maternity home programs who want to enter or return to college are eligible for our Supportive Community Living Services for Single Mothers Attending College. In addition to housing, we provide case management, child development services, financial/material assistance and tutoring/life skills education. Residential services are provided at the following facilities: The Amy's House is located next door to our maternity home and was named for Amy Elizabeth Disney The Back Yard Ministry is donated space from Cherry Street United Methodist Church in Kernersville, NC •

100 % of participants are making progress toward completing their degrees

The Council on Accreditation accredits human service organizations that meet the highest standards of credibility, integrity, and accountability and that implement best practices throughout their agencies. We are proud to have received this national recognition.

Transitioning from dependency and hopelessness is a difficult process for anyone, especially for someone about to become a new mother. Room At The Inn offers a variety of programs designed to help these young women develop the skills necessary to successfully meet their own goals and aspirations.

Maternity Home: Licensed by the Department of NC Health and Human Services to provide residential maternity care, the Mary C. Nussbaum Maternity Home provides shelter, food, clothing, transportation, case management, and life skills education in a structured environment. Located in Greensboro, N.C., the home provides services to homeless, pregnant North Carolina residents 18 years and older. Clients may bring other children.

• •

100 % of graduates increased their income 100 % of maternity home graduates transitioned to stable housing

Maternal and Infant Health: Access to both pre-natal and post-natal health care is essential for pregnant women. Infants and toddlers require proper check-ups and health care. A number of our clients suffer from substance abuse and/or mental health issues and need suitable treatment and counseling. Additionally, our maternity home programs provide life-skills education related to healthy living, proper nutrition for the women and children, and a safe, nurturing place to heal both the body and the soul.

One of our college moms, Savanah, with her daughter Since this time last year we’ve had 11 babies born and, after completing our program, every one of their mothers had found stable housing. While they are with us, we encourage our moms to build a better future for themselves and their children through education. This year, two mothers who graduated from our Maternity Home program are now in our college program working toward their degrees. Both of these women will be much better able to provide for their children with college educations.

On May 7 and 8, 2020, we will be holding our second annual Spring Swing to raise money for this program. This event will be a combination of our annual Amy Elizabeth Disney Memorial Golf Tournament and our annual raffle and auction.

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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TISEMENT

“Over the last 15 years Room At The Inn has provided housing, childcare, counselling, education and job training to over 400 women. Even more importantly, it has given them hope. It has shown each woman that she is not forgotten, that she is not alone, and she really now has a whole family of people who will help her succeed.”

- President Donald Trump The Rose Garden, January 19, 2018

CONTACT US: Mailing address PO Box 13936 Greensboro, NC 27415 (336) 996-3788 Phone (336) 275-9522 Fax Email: info@RoomInn.org For More Information, visit us at: RoomInn.org

Consider a planned gift and help save and change lives long after you are gone.

For more information, call or go to roominn.org/how-to-help/planned-givingleaving-a-legacy-of-life/

One of the 11 Room At The Inn babies born in 2019

Room At The Inn at the White House last year Ways YOU can help save lives and provide a future of hope: • Use the envelope in this issue of the Catholic News Herald to send a financial contribution • Give a gift in honor of someone this Christmas with our honor cards (see below) • Give in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone’s birthday or other special occasion throughout the year • Spread the word: Like us on Facebook and invite your friends, too • Leave a legacy of LIFE: Put Room At The Inn in your will • Pray …and if you live close by, you can also: • Volunteer • Participate in our fundraisers • Donate from our wish list at roominn.org/how-to-help/wishlist Have people on your Christmas list who are hard to buy for? Why not make a donation to Room At The Inn in their honor? Honor cards are now available.

Use the envelope in this issue to send us your request by December 17 to ensure processing and delivery by Christmas Eve.

On behalf of our mothers and children, we pray that you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a blessed Christmas and New Year!

Thank you for making “room at the inn”!

Room At The Inn is a pro-life ministry of the Catholic Church and is listed in the Official Catholic Directory (P. J. Kenedy and Sons) for the Diocese of Charlotte.

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 FROM THE COVER

‘Care for Our Common Home’ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis’ long-anticipated encyclical on human ecology was released June 18, 2015.

Divided into six chapters, “Laudato Si’ (“Praise Be to You”), on Care for Our Common Home,” is a rich exploration of the interconnectedness that exists among God, humanity and creation and it details all the blessings and challenges brought on by such intimate relationships. For Pope Francis, penning the encyclical was “both joyful and troubling.” It was also intensely personal, resulting in a direct plea from the Holy Father to all people for conversion of heart and for action.

“I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet,” Pope Francis writes. “We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”

As one of the seven tenets of Catholic social teaching, the importance of caring for creation is hardly groundbreaking in terms of Church doctrine. Pope Francis liberally quotes St. John XXIII, St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. He also relies on the insights of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Benedict, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross and even Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

What Pope Francis does do that is unique, however, is delve into the complexity and interconnectedness of what he calls an “integral ecology” in a way that is meant to spur the reader to thoughtful reflection and personal action. While such connections bring to mind the doctrine of the mystical body of Christ and John the Evangelist’s imagery of the “vine and the branches,” Pope Francis takes them a step further, directly linking human, economic, political, technological and spiritual activity to environmental and social responsibility.

It’s a lesson critical to all of us and to our future. As the Holy Father highlights, the great temptation of the world today is to remain isolated from one another, whether it be from the unborn child in the womb or from the suffering of third-world migrants.

In many ways, “Laudato Si’” is quintessential Pope Francis, bringing a global perspective to an issue on which many Catholics, particularly those in the West, tend to look through a more narrowed lens.

Just as the Apostle Paul challenged the early Church to travel to the corners of the world, so Pope Francis is asking us to think beyond our own immediate wants and needs, our own comforts and self-interest to the needs of others.

That’s the beauty of “Laudato Si’”: Pope Francis, in countering our self-centeredness and individualism, is calling us to a better version of ourselves – and to holiness.

PHOTOS BY SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

A Sundance Power Systems crew works to install 272 solar panels atop the Diocesan Pastoral Center on South Church Street in Charlotte Nov. 18.

Good stewards Solar array projects at St. Gabriel Parish Center, Diocesan Pastoral Center put ‘Laudato Si’ into action SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” continues to inspire parishes and schools in the Diocese of Charlotte to take action, as energy-saving solar panel arrays go up in November and December on the roofs of two of its buildings in Charlotte.

“Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” is the appeal from Pope Francis addressed to “every person living on this planet” for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our world.

The pope calls the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to embark on a new path of awareness and action.

The Diocese of Charlotte is taking the pope’s words to heart.

“In an effort to follow the lead of Pope Francis, we are seeing parishes and schools across the diocese respond to the pope’s plea to be good stewards of our planet and our resources,” says Anthony Morlando, diocesan director of properties and risk management. The latest efforts involve installing rooftop solar panel arrays to save a significant amount on energy costs.

It all started in 2015 with St. Eugene Church in Asheville. The church installed a 46-kilowatt solar panel array on the roof, aiming to cover nearly 20 percent of the church’s annual energy usage.

Inspired by St. Eugene’s effort, St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and the Diocese of Charlotte Properties Office began investigating the benefits of solar power – and they saw that the time is right to take the next step, working with Duke Energy to explore its solar rebate program for non-profits.

The N.C. Utilities Commission has mandated that Duke Energy must increase the amount of sustainably generated power within its service area, and solar rebates have made solar initiatives more affordable, putting them within reach for smaller companies and non-profit organizations.

“In an effort to lead by example, we began looking into the possibility of placing a 100-kilowatt solar array on the roof of the Diocesan Pastoral Center,” Morlando says. “Shortly after beginning our efforts, St. Gabriel Church contacted us requesting to meet to discuss their wish to install a 230-kilowatt array on the roof of St. Gabriel Parish Center/School. Working together, we sent out a request for proposals to several North Carolina-based solar installers for each project, and after a thorough vetting, selected Sundance Power Systems for the install.”

On Nov. 1, a crew from Sundance Power Systems began installing 272 solar panels on the roof of the Pastoral Center and expect to finish the work in the next two weeks. The solar panels are projected to cut the building’s energy costs by 20 percent.

The $150,000 solar panel project at the Pastoral Center was funded in part through a $75,000 Duke Energy grant, and diocesan leaders expect the panels to pay for themselves within eight years. The panels have a 25-year lifespan before they will need to be replaced.

Diocesan properties manager Randy Gettys is spearheading the project at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

“I think that alternative energy is the future, but before promoting the program further to others, we’re implementing these current projects to accurately vet the success of proposed results of energy savings,” Gettys explains.

Gettys envisions the diocese having alternative energy set-ups all

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM THE COVERI

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How a Solar Photovoltaic System Works Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels use a special material to convert the energy from the sun into electricity to power your home or business. Solar panels have no moving parts, which makes them extremely reliable. PV systems installed almost 50 years ago are still generating electricity, and improvements in technology have made solar photovoltaics more reliable than ever.

It Starts with Light Sensitive Cells PV systems use a semiconductor material (similar to that used in computer microprocessors and memory chips) that is manufactured into photovoltaic cells. Each cell is sensitive to light and produces electricity directly in its presence.

Cells Make Up Photovoltaic Solar Panels (Left) Sundance Power Systems project manager Chris McGrath and Randy Gettys, diocesan properties manager, survey the solar panel installation site on the top of the Pastoral Center Nov. 18. (Above) Solar panels are stacked along the side of the roof of the Pastoral Center, which is situated on the outskirts of uptown Charlotte.

across western North Carolina within the next decade.

Alternative energy isn’t just better environmental stewardship; it’s good stewardship in general, Morlando and others say. The savings on a parish’s or school’s energy bills is “opportunity revenue.”

“There’s plenty of opportunity revenue,” Gettys notes. “To use that opportunity revenue to feed the poor and to do the outreach that the Church is really good at – to be able to embrace modern technology to do more of what we already do – is just exciting,” he says.

After completing the installation at the Pastoral Center, Sundance Power Systems will start installing solar panels over at St. Gabriel Parish Center/School in Charlotte – with 622 solar panels going up on the roof starting Dec. 9. Weather permitting, the work should take about eight weeks.

St. Gabriel Parish leaders have been eying a solar energy set-up for about five years, says Chris Brown, a parish finance council member who is working on the project. The work has been inspired through the parish’s “Pope Francis Initiative,” begun by recently retired pastor Father Frank O’Rourke. It is the parish’s response to Laudato Si’ and Pope Francis’ appeal to assist the poor and be more mindful of using the earth’s resources. But timing and costs just weren’t working out until about two years ago, Brown says.

“First, Pope Francis made a clear call for all of us to have a renewed discussion about the impact of humanity on the environment. Second, the school roof reached the end of its useful life and solar technology has advanced. Finally, the finances make sense. We are receiving a $75,000 solar rebate from Duke Energy and we were able to partner with the diocese to negotiate lower costs,” he says.

The Charlotte parish will make a net investment of approximately $238,000 after savings and incentives, Brown says. “Going forward, we will buy significantly less power from Duke Energy while having a positive impact on the environment.”

“The payback period is less than 10 years. Over the 25-year life of the installation, we will have created significant financial savings that will allow us to devote funding to other parish priorities,” he adds.

St. Gabriel parishioner Walter Putnam, a former student at St. Gabriel School who is now the senior vice president of real estate

with Geenex Solar in Charlotte, worked closely with diocesan leaders to provide technical expertise on the solar panel projects for both the Pastoral Center and the school.

“I witnessed the 2008 stock market crash from a seat in the front row of a finance course at Appalachian State,” Putnam says. “The following semester, I changed my major to study renewable energy.

There are many problems and injustices in our world, and I decided to focus my attention on making a difference in the energy sector.”

For the past seven years, Putnam has worked with a developer that builds large solar farms along the East Coast, and says he has “always wanted to bring this reliable, cost-effective technology back home.”

“Timing lined up just right, and a small group of us dug into the details,” Putnam explains. “The deeper we dug, the stronger the financials became, and the project really gained broad-based support and momentum.”

Putnam says he really enjoyed putting his experience and passion to work on a project that will have such a beneficial impact for the local Church.

“What made the difference here is a small group of us donating our time and talent to a worthy cause that we felt strongly about.

There are opportunities every day to make the world a better place, and any one of us can do just that,” he says.

St. Gabriel Parish building committee member Tim Dixon, who serves as the parish’s project manager, says the solar panels are projected to produce approximately 345,000 kilowatt-hours per year – about 40 percent of the parish center/elementary school’s annual energy consumption. The parish anticipates saving $25,000 a year on its energy costs.

“This PFI solar project is a win-win, allowing us to care for our common home, per Laudato Si’, conserving our natural resources and saving money,” Dixon says. “We were encouraged by the St. Eugene Parish project and hope our project will encourage other parishes as well.”

Morlando concurs. “We should be proud of all the things we do every day to care for our common home, to be good stewards of our planet and our resources,” he says. “My hope is that these solar projects here at the Diocesan Pastoral Center and at St. Gabriel Parish and School will further illustrate the growing diocesan support for these types of green projects across the diocese.”

Cells are assembled into PV panels.

The type of cell used and the total number of cells per panel determine the overall panel’s rated power output. The total amount of energy used to mine, transport, process and manufacture a functional PV panel from its raw materials is recovered in the first two years of its operation, and thus solar photovoltaics are a sustainable energy technology.

Solar Panels Make Up Solar Arrays Finally, PV panels are configured into an array of one or more panels. The actual size of your array will be based on your energy needs, objectives and budget. Typical residential arrays may consist of a dozen or so panels, while commercial, industrial and utility-scale arrays may be comprised of hundreds or even thousands of panels. Arrays may be ground or roof-mounted, and are highly scalable. Additional panels and production capacity may be added at any time.

Your Solar Array is Connected to the Grid or Your Site Power from the PV array is routed to the ‘balance of system’ components that condition the electricity for connection to your utility, or for use on your site. If your system is ‘off-grid’ or ‘grid-tied with back-up,’ additional components including batteries and charge controllers will also be designed into your system.

— Sundance Power Systems

Our schools 16

catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

(Left) St. Matthew School students Bo Bateman and Brycen Scoggins drop off the school’s donations at the St. Matthew Parish Food Pantry Nov. 13. (Below) Principal Kevin O’Herron assists the students in transporting the donated food from the school to the food pantry Nov. 13.

A delicious way to learn about the rosary GREENSBORO — Kindergarteners at Our Lady of Grace School learned about the rosary in October thanks to a rosary made of cupcakes, courtesy of creative OLG parents. They also got a brief lesson about the rosary and why we as Catholics pray the rosary to ask Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection and intercession. The rosary was displayed in the cafeteria during lunch times, and each student got to enjoy a cupcake after taking part in the celebration.

— Paola Scilinguo-Mendoza

SMCS teachers win grants GASTONIA — Three St. Michael School teachers recently received grants to support instructional resources and programs in the classroom from Pisgah ARP Church.

Pictured are Virginia Baxter, STEM; Marisol Betances, second grade; and Kristen Levine, music.

— Sheila Levesque

CCHS celebrates Marian Day CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School seniors celebrated Marian Day Oct. 7, crowning a statue of Mary and praying the rosary. Father Joseph Matlak, school chaplain, presided over the service held in the high school chapel. Five seniors were selected by their classmates as Mary’s Court (pictured with Father Matlak from left): Alivia Dettinger, Anne Culicerto, Virginia Shea, Isabella Launt and Meghan Little.

— Carolyn Kramer Tillman

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Satisfaction in helping others St. Matthew School third-grader helps feed hungry SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — You’d think for a third-grader, the prospect of designing how your elementary school principal will have to shave his beard at the end of “No Shave November” would be the best motivation to collect and donate thousands of canned and non-perishable goods to a food drive.

But for Brycen Scoggins, a student at St. Matthew School, it’s his desire to help those less fortunate than himself.

For the past four years, since he was a kindergartener, Brycen has worked hard to donate thousands of cans – even asking that any monetary gifts he receives on his birthday and Christmas be used to buy food for his school’s “No Shave November” annual fall food drive.

“I decided to it would be better to help the poor instead of getting stuff for myself. To give it to people who need it more than I do,” he explained.

Every November up until Thanksgiving break, Brycen and his school community collect canned goods and other nonperishable food for the St. Matthew Parish food pantry. The school goal is 300 cans or items each day. If the school meets that daily goal during “No Shave November,” then Principal Kevin O’Herron will continue growing a beard.

Every school day during “No Shave November,” each class counts their donations and places a sheet with the stats written on it outside their door in the hallway. Members of the student council come around with carts in the afternoon to pick up the donations, then wheel them down the hill from the school to the parish’s food pantry located underneath the daily Mass chapel.

But Brycen has to have a special cart for all of his daily food donations and a separate space to store it.

“We have to store it here (in the stairwell) because it won’t fit (in the hallway outside the classroom). At the last day, I bring in like 500 cans that day,” he said, smiling.

O’Herron is proud of the example Brycen is setting for his classmates.

“Brycen must be doing something to encourage others, because three of the four third grades are up there in their daily collection

numbers in third, fourth and fifth place right now,” he said.

He is also amazed at how the local community is responding to Brycen’s efforts, sharing that when Brycen goes shopping with his mother, Shannon, other shoppers have noticed and asked what he is doing. “Because of the story he has shared with those shoppers (about the food drive), he now has met others who also buy food for him,” O’Herron explained.

“Brycen has always been one to ‘help the underdog’,” Shannon said. “If he saw someone that needed something he found a way to get it to them. No mother could be as proud of a son as I am of Brycen.

He truly amazes me every day.”

O’ Herron is thankful that there is a parish food pantry to help store everything. “What I love about it is that not only are we helping with our parish, but they are diversified and they are giving to families for Thanksgiving, they help the Missionaries of the Poor and Loaves and Fishes, too,” he added.

Many of the items the students collect during November go in the Thanksgiving baskets the parish assembles for needy families each year that are distributed at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center.

“We have been averaging about 1,000 cans a day this year,” O’Herron noted. “The last day of collecting we usually bring in 3,000. I’m sure we’ll be in the 15,000-can range when the service project is done.”

He said any money collected on the last day of the food drive go towards the school’s Christmas project.

“On the last day of our collection, we collect money for families that we adopt for Christmas. It really helps. Our third-, fourthand fifth-grade students also go shop for the families,” O’Herron explained. “It’s a credit to our families. We are building habits of giving to others. Kudos to our families.”

How does Brycen feel about doing his part?

“It makes me feel really good. It feels like satisfaction that I am helping people,” he said.

Mix

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

flawed and a moral grab bag. The heroine’s original personality is so grating that it’s difficult to take much of a shine to her, and the twist ending is a whopper only the most sentimental will swallow while positive messages about welcoming foreigners, caring for the poor and the power of love to ennoble people are offset by a frivolous attitude toward emotionless encounters and homosexual relationships. Approach with caution. About a half-dozen uses of profanity, a couple of milder oaths, occasional crude and crass language.

CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: PG-13

‘Playing With Fire’

‘Last Christmas’ Awkward and problematic blend of romantic comedy and drama tells the conversion story of a selfish, thoughtless young woman (Emilia Clarke), a childhood refugee from ex-Yugoslavia living in London, whose life is transformed after she meets and falls for a mysterious, sensitive stranger (Henry Golding). Her reform benefits the stern but good-hearted owner (Michelle Yeoh) of the yuletide merchandise store where she works, her war-scarred mother and put-upon dad as well as her successful attorney sister. The film is aesthetically

Generally harmless but painfully unfunny comedy in which the superintendent (John Cena) of a group of smokejumpers (KeeganMichael Key, John Leguizamo and Tyler Mane) gives temporary shelter at their rural headquarters to a teen girl and her two younger siblings after their family’s cabin, in which they’d been staying on their own, burns down. As he awaits pickup by their parents, applies to replace his retiring superior and pursues a halting romance with an animal expert, the kids get up to all manner of supposedly comic mischief. The banality of their antics is only exceeded by the falsehood of the emotions worked up when Dan Ewen and Matt Lieberman’s script turns serious. Considerable scatological humor.

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

Catholic Book Pick ‘Christmas Around the Fire: Stories, Essays, & Poems for the Season of Christ’s Birth,’

by Ryan N.S. Topping Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus with family and friends. Yet in our fast-paced, hyper-digitized lives, we are losing the sense of a good story, among good friends, around a good fire.

In “Christmas Around the Fire,” Ryan Topping invites us to turn off the television set, put down the device, quiet ourselves, and gather our loved ones to enjoy some of the best writing, in a variety of forms, about Christmas.

Included within are entries from legendary novelists and poets such as Leo Tolstoy, G.K. Chesterton, Charles Dickens, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and more, as well as the profound thoughts of great religious figures such as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. For those who love the true spirit of the “most wonderful time of the year,” “Christmas Around the Fire” will quickly become a family tradition. This is one of those rarest of books, one around which family memories are made.

At www.tanbooks.com: Order your copy of “Christmas Around the Fire.” Catholic News Herald readers enjoy 20 percent off their order – use the exclusive coupon code “CNH20.”

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On TV n Friday, Nov. 22, 1:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Speaking of Saints: Our Lady.” As Catholics, we believe that the Blessed Virgin is Queen of Heaven and Earth. Susan Conroy shows how many of the saints approached instead as a mother. Mary is indeed our mother, wanting all the best for us until we are brought safely home to heaven. n Saturday, Nov. 23, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor of the Poor.”

The second in a two-part series about the life of Saint Giuseppe, who dedicated himself to caring for the sick and forsaken, ultimately dedicating all of his possessions and sacrificing his very life in their service. n Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Francis: Mirror of Christ.” Of all the images people have of Saint Francis, there is none that is more popular than Saint Francis as a lover of animals. n Friday, Nov. 29, 6:30 a.m. (EWTN) “The Choices We Face: Fatima – The Drama Begins.” Ralph Martin speaks at a recent conference on the beginnings of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal.

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Other actions at U.S. bishops’ November meeting Pastoral against racism is starting conversations, healing, bishops told One year after the U.S. bishops approved their pastoral letter against racism, the document is hardly just sitting on a shelf but is the basis for listening sessions in dioceses around the country and is an educational tool for individuals, schools and parishes, the bishops were told Nov. 13. Bishop Shelton T. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, La., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, described the attention the letter is getting around the country in a presentation on the final day of the bishops’ annual fall meeting in Baltimore. He reminded the bishops that in the two years since the ad hoc committee was formed, it has been “hard at work as the Church works to acknowledge past harms and cultivate racial reconciliation.” The document, titled “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – A Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” sold out its first 2,000 copies eight months after it was printed and was recently sent out for a second printing. It is available online in English and Spanish along with study guides at www.usccb.org/racism.

Bishops hear that third-party reporting system may start in February A third-party reporting system to field sexual misconduct allegations against bishops could be in place by the end of February, an official of the USCCB told the bishops. The company awarded the contract for the system is working quickly to implement it so that it is in place well before the May 31, 2020, deadline set by Pope Francis, said Anthony Picarello, USCCB associate general secretary. The precise date a toll-free hotline will be activated and links on diocesan and eparchial websites and the USCCB website will go live is going to depend on how quickly each diocese or eparchy can implement the program, Picarello said.

Bishops hear follow-up Encuentro report The U.S. bishops, aware of the growing numbers of Catholics in the country who are of Hispanic origin, voted to write a new pastoral plan for Latino Catholics that would be produced sometime between 2021 and 2024. The bishops also heard a follow-up to the V Encuentro, or Fifth National Encuentro, held last year in Grapevine, Texas. The Encuentro is a four-year process, and 2019 is year four. Leading up to national gathering were parish, diocesan and regional encuentros. Bishops in their comments detected an urgency in responding to the pastoral needs of Hispanic Catholics, who could constitute a majority of all U.S. Catholics by midcentury.

Bishops listen to grim landscape of policy on the immigration front In a wide-ranging report on immigration Nov. 12, U.S. bishops heard a grim landscape facing MEETING, SEE PAGE 19

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, acknowledges the applause after being named the new president during the USCCB during the fall general assembly of the USCCB in Baltimore Nov. 12.

CNS | BOB ROLLER

Immigration reform among priorities for new USCCB president CHAZ MUTH CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

BALTIMORE — It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez that immigration reform is at the top of his priority list as the newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“That’s something I’ve been working on for almost 25 to 30 years,” Archbishop Gomez told Catholic News Service during the U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly Nov. 11-13 in Baltimore.

On Nov. 12, the body of bishops elected him to lead them for a three-year term, and he is the first Latino to hold the USCCB presidency. Archbishop Gomez has served as the conference’s vice president since 2016. As president, he succeeds Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston. His term begins at the end of assembly.

For the 67-year-old shepherd of the largest archdiocese in the U.S., Catholic teaching drives his advocacy for migrant rights, based on biblical principles of welcoming the stranger and upholding the dignity of immigrants and refugees as children of God. In fact, the U.S. bishops have listed immigration reform and migration rights as a top priority for many years. The bishops have sparred with the Trump administration over its policies for asylum-seekers at the border.

Pope Francis also has made migrant rights a top priority during his papacy.

This topic also is very personal for Archbishop Gomez, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and eventually migrated to the U.S., where he has served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Denver, archbishop in San Antonio and eventually archbishop in Los Angeles.

“It’s really part of my life,” he said. “I have relatives and friends ... on both sides of the border. So, I think it’s important for us to understand that we are all children of God. If we work together, we can find a solution for this reality and come up with a really clear, simple and good immigration system that can address the needs of the people on both sides.”

Violence and poverty at home have been a driving factor for Central Americans seeking refuge in the U.S., but Archbishop Gomez points out that migration is more than an American issue – it’s a global concern.

According to statistics reported by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, by the end of 2018, “70.8 million individuals have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations.”

The Bush and Obama administrations both attempted and failed to get immigration reform passed through Congress to make it easier for immigrants to legally migrate to the U.S.

The U.S. bishops were in dialogue with previous administrations to develop what they believe is a humane resolution to the immigration debate.

Archbishop Gomez said he will continue to talk with President Donald Trump, whose administration has been criticized by Catholic advocates for its policy of separating families at the border, its restrictions on immigrants seeking asylum and a proposal to further decrease the number of refugees accepted into the United States.

The Catholic Church does defend a nation’s right to secure its borders, but most of the world’s migrants are leaving their homeland to escape war, violence and extreme poverty, he said.

“There is a lot of suffering. Most of them come to our country because they want to provide for their families.”

Ahead of the Nov. 12 oral arguments on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the U.S. Supreme Court, Archbishop Gomez said there are “no doubt” constitutional and legal questions “raised by DACA and how it was enacted.”

“But we need to be clear: The fate of these young adults should never have been in the courts in the first place,” the archbishop wrote in a Nov. 6 column in the Angelus, the online news outlet of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. “And it would not be, if our leaders in Washington would simply set aside their political interests and come together to fix our nation’s broken immigration system.”

The “failures” of the nation’s leaders in Washington to make “comprehensive reforms to immigration policy “cut across party lines,” Archbishop Gomez said.

DACA was established by President Barack Obama’s 2012 executive order, and Trump ordered an end to the program in 2017. Several legal challenges to this order have resulted in a consolidation of three DACA cases now before the high court.

“Our nation made a promise to these ‘Dreamers,’” Archbishop Gomez wrote. “We have a moral obligation. It is time for the president and Congress to honor that promise and live up to this obligation.”

Though he’s passionate about immigration reform, the archbishop said he will not be a single-issue president of the USCCB. Continuing renewal and reform in the Church with regard to the clergy sexual abuse crisis will be an ongoing priority, as will combating clericalism in the church, support and promotion of marriage and the family and evangelization. And he will continue to pray for the laity to become missionary disciples.

“It has been a challenging time for the Church in these past three years,” Archbishop Gomez said, and as vice president of the USCCB, he had a leadership role in dealing with the crisis. “I hope I continue to be a source of support for my brother bishops and especially to continue this time of renewal.”

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

MEETING FROM PAGE 18

immigrants and refugees trying to find shelter in the U.S. But they also heard of the wide network of Catholic organizations trying to help, even as they, too, face challenges. Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez spoke of how the reduction in the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. had led to the closing of 18 Catholic Charities programs around the country that had been serving refugees for over 40 years.

That’s because the cap on how many refugees are allowed to enter the U.S. keeps being cut by the Trump administration. The administration approved just 18,000 refugees to be admitted for fiscal year 2020, when the average number allowed under other administrations, Republican and Democrat, was about 95,000, Archbishop Gomez said. “What is going on here is truly a great reduction in our commitment to refugees,” Archbishop Gomez said. “What is concerning is that we are cutting these numbers at a time when the need is greatest.”

Bishops urged to heed pope’s call: Listen to and accompany young people The U.S. bishops were urged to pay more attention to and support the teens and young adults among them in parishes and Church programs, using “Christus Vivit” (“Christ Lives”) – Pope Francis’ reflection on the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment – as their guide. “’Christus Vivit’ is a call to action for everyone in the life of the Church regardless of our age,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Conn., a delegate to last year’s Synod of Bishops on young people. He acknowledged that many might feel uncertain about how to respond to and help young people in the Church, but he said they can find encouragement from the pope’s message and, in particular, his sentiment that young people are the Church’s hope. He described the pope’s apostolic exhortation – both a letter to young people about their place in the Church and a plea for older members to encourage them – as a call to action and a moment of grace that “we should not and cannot allow to slip away.”

Archbishop reports on progress of document on marriage and family life A new “pastoral framework for marriage and family life” should be ready for a vote by the U.S. bishops by next November at the latest, according to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

of Philadelphia. It may even be ready for a vote when the bishops meet in June 2020, said Archbishop Chaput, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. Archbishop Chaput, speaking to the bishops Nov. 12 during their fall general meeting in Baltimore, made it clear the forthcoming document is not a “plan,” since it is intended to be applied within parishes and dioceses. “It was never meant to be a single comprehensive national plan but a resource towards the development of pastoral plans at the diocesan/eparchial levels,” he said. The framework will have four “pillars”: prayer and relationship with Jesus, formation, accompaniment and advocacy, he added. “Each pillar addresses areas or situations of need faced by couples and families today.”

Citizenship,” which was developed as a guide help Catholics form their consciences in voting and other areas of public life.

Bishops agree with call to have St. Irenaeus declared Doctor of the Church

Bishops OK new edition of Program of Priestly Formation

The U.S. bishops added their assent to a call to have St. Irenaeus declared a Doctor of the Church. “This is perhaps a way to correct an oversight of history,” said Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine. St. Irenaeus was born sometime between 120 and 130 A.D. in Smyrna in Asia Minor. He was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who was himself a disciple of St. John the Apostle.

He died around 202, and the Church also deems him to be a martyr. St. Irenaeus’ ministry took him to present-day France. There, he waged theological battle against the Gnostics, who emphasized personal spiritual knowledge over faith in orthodox teachings and in ecclesiastical authority. This is relevant, Bishop Rhoades said, because “we see a reemergence of gnostic ideas and what it means to be human.” The saint, he added, “consistently upheld the unity of God in three persons, the unity of salvation and the unity of the Church.”

Bishops approve new hymn texts for the Liturgy of the Hours The U.S. bishops voted to approve close to 300 new hymn texts for the Liturgy of the Hours. The Nov. 12 vote was 205-5 with two abstentions. The proposal needed two-thirds of the Latin-rite bishops to vote yes, or 164 votes.

They must now receive confirmation from the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. This effort is part of a “scope of work” authorized by the bishops in 2012, according to Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of Hartford, Conn.

The U.S. bishops Nov. 12 adopted the sixth edition of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation for U.S. dioceses and religious orders. The vote on the document, popularly known among the bishops as “the PPF,” was 226-4, with three abstentions. It needed two-thirds of the bishops, or 179 votes to ensure passage.

Before it can be implemented, it must first receive a “recognitio,” or approval, from the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. “It is not an entirely new document,” said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J. “It retains and builds on those aspects of PPF 5 which have proven to be the most effective.” One change is how a seminarian’s progress to ordination is

tracked. What had been a seminary college or “pre-theology” followed by graduate studies – known as the theologate – is being replaced by new terms: the “propaedeutic stage” with preparatory and introductory teaching lasting one to two years, and a “discipleship stage,” which is to last at least two years.

— Catholic News Service

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O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request).

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‘Faithful Citizenship’ materials reflect pope’s ongoing teaching Current issues of the day and references to the teachings of Pope Francis can be found throughout the materials approved by the U.S. bishops to supplement their existing document on Catholic participation in public life. The materials – an introductory letter and four videos – address concerns such as the common good, immigration, abortion, poverty, care for creation and the need for civil dialogue. The letter was approved 207-24 with five abstentions; the vote on the video scripts was 227-5 in favor with four abstentions. The materials supplement the U.S. bishops’ existing document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Catechism will be updated to include ecological sins, pope says Pope Francis called on the international community to recognize ecocide – large-scale destruction of the natural world – as a ‘fifth category of crime against peace.’

JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Following through on a proposal made at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, Pope Francis said there are plans to include a definition of ecological sins in the Church’s official teaching.

“We should be introducing – we were thinking – in the Catechism of the Catholic Church the sin against ecology, ecological sin against the common home,” he told participants at a conference on criminal justice Nov. 15.

Members of the International Association of Penal Law were in Rome Nov. 13-16 for the conference, which centered on the theme, “Criminal Justice and Corporate Business.”

Pope Francis also denounced the abuse of law and legislation to justify acts of violence and hatred.

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Today’s throwaway culture, as well as other “psycho-social phenomenon” pose threats to the common good while insidiously promoting a “culture of hate,” he said. These threats, he added, often take the form of “symbols and actions that are typical of Nazism.”

“I must confess,” the pope said, departing from his prepared remarks, “that when I hear some speeches, some person in charge of order or the government, I am reminded of Hitler’s speeches in 1934 and 1936.”

“They are actions typical of Nazism that, with its persecution of Jews, gypsies and people of homosexual orientation, represent a negative model par excellence of a throwaway culture and hate,” the pope said. “That is what happened in that time and today, these things are reappearing.”

Today’s “current of punitivism, which claims to solve social problems through the penal system,” has not worked, the pope said. Instead, an “elementary sense of justice” must be applied so that “certain conduct for which corporations are usually responsible, does not go unpunished.”

Chief among those crimes, he added, are acts that “can be considered as ‘ecocide’: the massive contamination of air, land and water resources, the large-scale destruction of flora and fauna, and any action capable of producing an ecological disaster or destroying an ecosystem.”

Pope Francis also called on the

international community to recognize ecocide as a “fifth category of crime against peace.”

According to the Rome Statute, which was adopted by the International Criminal Court in 1998, the four core international crimes currently established are: crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and crimes of aggression.

“On this occasion, and through you,” the pope told conference participants, “I would like to appeal to all the leaders and representatives in this sector to help with efforts in order to ensure the adequate legal protection of our common home.”

In the synod’s final document, bishops defined ecological sin as a sin against God and future generations that “manifests itself in acts and habits of pollution and destruction of the harmony of the environment.”

A true model of justice, the pope said, can find “its perfect incarnation in the life of Jesus” who, after being treated violently and put to death, brought “a message of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”

“These are values that are difficult to achieve but necessary for the good life of all,” the pope said. “I don’t think it’s a utopia, but it’s a big challenge. A challenge that we must all address if we are to treat the problems of our civilized coexistence in a way that is rational, peaceful and democratic.”

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In Brief Pope: More must be done to include women in Church bodies VATICAN CITY — Although people may have different ways of praying or of serving their parish or the poor, the Church needs laity, priests, religious, parishes and lay movements to collaborate in order to be truly “catholic,” Pope Francis said. More also must be done to include women in roles of advising and governance, but without reducing them to having just a “functional” role, he said, speaking Nov. 16 to members and consultants of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, which was holding its first plenary assembly since its creation in 2016.

The task of dicastery members and consultants, he said, is to see the world around them with “the heart of the Church,” that is, to go beyond one’s personal, local interests to seeing the wider, “catholic” view of the universal Church and the whole world. The Church, as a mother, wishes for “harmony among all her children and does not engage in favoritism or partiality,” he said. “Therefore, it is important also for (the dicastery) to always propose positive models of collaboration among laity, priests and consecrated men and women, among priests and faithful, among diocesan and parish organizations, and lay movements and associations, among young and old, to avoid sterile comparisons and rivalries and always to encourage fraternal collaboration with the aim

of the common good of the one family which is the Church.”

Religious fundamentalism is a ‘plague,’ pope says VATICAN CITY — Interreligious dialogue is an important way to counter fundamentalist groups as well as the unjust accusation that religions sow division, Pope Francis said.

Meeting with members of the Argentine Institute for Interreligious Dialogue Nov. 18, the pope said that in “today’s precarious world, dialogue among religions is not a weakness.

It finds its reason for being in the dialogue of God with humanity.” Recalling a scene from the 11th-century poem, “The Song of Roland,” in which Christians threatened Muslims “to choose between baptism or death,” the pope denounced the fundamentalist mentality which “we cannot accept nor understand and cannot function anymore. We must beware of fundamentalist groups; each (religion) has their own. In Argentina, there are some fundamentalist corners there,” he said.

“Fundamentalism is a plague and all religions have some fundamentalist first cousin,” he said. According to its website, the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue was founded in Buenos Aires in 2002 and was inspired by then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as a way “to promote understanding among men and women of different religious traditions in our city and the world.”

nuclear disarmament, Pope Francis said. “Using nuclear weapons is immoral,” the pope said in a video message released Nov. 18. The video was a greeting to the people of Japan in advance of the pope’s arrival there Nov. 23. “The theme chosen for my visit is ‘Protect All Life,’” the pope said in the video. The bishops of Japan chose the theme from the prayer Pope Francis wrote to conclude his encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” In the video, the pope said that the “strong instinct, which resonates in our hearts, to defend the value and dignity of every human person acquires particular importance in the face of the threats to peaceful coexistence that the world faces today, especially in armed conflicts.” Japan knows “the suffering caused by war,” he said.

“Together with you, I pray that the destructive power of nuclear weapons will never again be unleashed in human history. Using nuclear weapons is immoral.”

Australian High Court to hear arguments in Cardinal Pell’s case SYDNEY — The High Court of Australia has

decided to give Cardinal George Pell, 78, a final chance to argue against his conviction on five counts of child sexual abuse. High Court Justices Michelle Gordon and James Edelman announced Nov. 13 that they referred the cardinal’s appeal application to the full, sevenmember court. The unusual move means the full court will decide whether to hear the appeal and, if it does, will proceed to hear arguments about why the conviction should be overturned or upheld. The justices gave Cardinal Pell’s lawyers until Jan. 8 to file their arguments for the appeal and said the prosecutors must respond by February. No date for the hearing was announced, but it is unlikely to be before March. Matteo Bruni, Vatican spokesman, said that while “reiterating its trust in the Australian justice system, the Holy See acknowledges the decision of Australia’s High Court to accept Cardinal George Pell’s request of appeal, aware that the cardinal has always maintained his innocence.” “At the same time,” he said, “the Holy See reaffirms once again its closeness to those who have suffered because of sexual abuse on the part of members of the clergy.”

— Catholic News Service

Pope: Efforts to protect life include promoting disarmament VATICAN CITY — A commitment to defending and protecting human life requires a commitment to ending wars and to promoting

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Steven Richardson

Making the impossible possible I

n the 19th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus encounters a young man who professes to live out the most important commandments. This is Jesus’ first recommendation to reaching eternal life. But even after affirming that he doesn’t kill, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness, and that he honors his father and mother and loves his neighbor as himself, Jesus reveals the innermost mansions. Somehow the young man knows that he hasn’t yet done everything that he can to obtain eternal life. There is something more. Jesus at first only recounts the commandments that relate to other people, not to God. In Matthew 19:21, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” But this is a bridge too far for the rich young man, and he goes away sorrowful. With respect to men – that is, in a worldly sense – this young man can do everything prescribed of him. But what Jesus is asking requires something supernatural. Achieving eternal life is a task that we can’t accomplish on our own. And this is what Jesus tells His disciples when He turns from the departing young man.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” Jesus tells them in Matthew 19:24. Reading St. Matthew’s recounting of the scene, one can almost imagine the befuddled disciples looking at one another in amazement, perhaps throwing up their hands as if to give up. “Who then can be saved?” is their frustrated response (Matthew 19:25).

Perhaps this is the same cry that comes to our lips today.

We are built, by the same God who loves us, to strive for personal glory. We are hard-wired to search for meaning in our lives. Yes, we want to succeed in a worldly way; we want to be liked and we want to be loved. We want to be understood. But ultimately none of that fulfills us. And, given that, what is the point of it all? One hears the echoes of the book of Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3) The disciples aren’t just speaking in frustration. They truly want to know. Like the rich young man, they want to attain eternal life. But they don’t know how to do it.

And amazingly, Jesus admits to them that it is indeed impossible. He says it plainly, but He only increases their frustration by failing to explain exactly how it will become possible. “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” Jesus says in Matthew 19:26. This isn’t an explanation at all. Peter asks what they will gain, and Christ answers with a vision of the coming kingdom, and their places in it, but still the question remains unanswered – or so it seems. How will God make it possible?

The Psalmist illustrates the contradiction in this way: “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.” (Psalm 85:10-11) Eternal life was the most impossible achievement of all for those who lived before Jesus. Because of the original sin of our forefathers, the garden was closed. There was no way to re-enter that

How could God occupy the body of man, who had been stained by original sin?

garden, no way for man to stand with God, in the cool of the day. How does man re-enter the closed garden without violating it? How could the righteousness of God’s just judgment meet the peace of mercy? This is the contradiction that befuddled the disciples. And Jesus doesn’t appear to answer.

But in Luke 1, we find the answer after all. The disciples, left in confusion and wonder about how God can do the impossible, find the answer in Our Lady. As the angel Gabriel concludes his astounding message to the Blessed Virgin, he says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

(Luke 1:37) How does Mary respond to this? Not with further questions, nor with frustration or exasperation.

Instead, she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) And the disciples of Jesus, all the way down the years to us, right now, have the opportunity to say that same thing in the face of the impossible.

In Matthew 19, the disciples weren’t able to foresee Jesus’ crucifixion. Our Lord did, however, try to turn their eyes to a time that follows that future event. In Matthew 19:28, he says, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Since turning His face to Jerusalem, He had been trying to prepare them for His crucifixion and resurrection. But while they aren’t ready for that, still they hear of the glorious effect of that sorrowful mystery. He is guiding them to the moment when He expires and the curtain is torn from the Holy of Holies.

Matthew 27:51-52 describes what happened immediately after Jesus’ death: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” The exitus and reditus of man’s journey is exemplified in the fact that the curtain has been rent. At the moment that Mary consented with her words, and she conceived of the Holy Spirit, God came to live among men.

At the moment that the curtain tore and Christ descended into the dead, man came to live among God. The glorious process of being taken up had begun.

How could God occupy the body of man, who had been stained by original sin? How could man occupy the Holy of Holies, which was the realm of the invisible, almighty God? These mysteries pass each other closely as they move in opposite directions, like angels ascending and descending on the ladder of Jacob. They are related as only opposites can be. One is the exitus, God coming down to man; one is the reditus, man going up to God. They complete each other.

Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.” In the face of the impossible, the Blessed Virgin must have drawn upon these words. While she had faith that God could accomplish the impossible, she also drew upon both the authority of Scripture and her reason.

Knowing that she was a virgin and that she would remain a virgin, she didn’t rely on human wisdom when Gabriel informed her that she would bear a son. Instead, she drew upon the scriptures, just as St. Matthew did, to realize that she would be that virgin. She accepted this with humility, but with full faith in the word of God. This is why Jesus tries again and again to bring the minds and hearts of His disciples back to the prophesies.

Had they believed in the words of that same prophet, they would have understood how God would make the impossible possible. In Luke 9:22, He tells them, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the

elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” In Mark 14:21, Jesus says, succinctly, “The Son of man goes as it is written of him.”

God makes the impossible possible, but He also gives us the authority and confirmation of Holy Scripture to guide our flawed human reason. Our Lady knew this.

The Annunciation of Gabriel to Our Lady parallels the rending of the curtain. That curtain was the tangible representation of the garden door that was closed after Adam and Eve’s sin. That closed garden couldn’t be penetrated by sinful man; only someone who was preserved from sin could enter that garden, and God could only enter through that closed garden door. As the Song of Solomon relates, “A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed.” (Song 4:12) God entered into humanity through that locked garden, while man entered into divinity through the death of Jesus Christ.

The curtain is torn, allowing access.

This garden is Our Lady, the pane of glass through which the will of God shone forth in its full brightness and splendor. She loved God perfectly before she was visited

by Gabriel, and she loved Him perfectly after. This is why Gabriel addresses her – even before she consents to the conception of Christ – as “full of grace.” This is the true meaning of Matthew 12:48-50, in which Our Lady is held up as the standard of Christian discipleship, not only because she gave birth to Jesus in His humanity, but also because she continued to give birth to Him in her heart. As Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

Here are my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother.”

And, again in Luke 11:27-28: “As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” Our Lady is most blessed among women because she kept the word of God and believed it. Because she loved perfectly and kept Jesus’ commands perfectly, she is the first of those who hold Him close to their hearts each day. The impossible is accomplished through great love.

In John 14, Jesus tells us, in beautiful detail, how and why this love is the pinnacle of human existence. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever.” (John 14:15-16) Because of Mary’s love and faith, the impossible occurred at the Annunciation.

Jesus promises us that the impossible can continue to take place every time we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. It is the Beloved Disciple, who knelt with Mary at the foot of the cross, who rested his head upon Our Lord’s breast, who paints the unifying picture.

“If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). How is it possible that God could come to reside in a human being? This is truly the narrow way, the eye of the needle that doesn’t seem possible to pass through. But already the King and Creator of the world has resided inside a teenage girl. Already the impossible has occurred. And here we have the formula for how to make it happen, every single day. St. Augustine famously said, “Love, and do what you like.” This verse from the Gospel of John reveals how it is possible for that impossible proposition to work. If we love, we keep His word. If we keep His word, God will not only love us, but come to live inside us. With God all things are possible.

STEVEN RICHARDSON is a Lay Dominican and a member of St. Ann Parish in Charlotte with his wife Mary and his three children, Maria, Rita and Joseph.

November 22, 2019 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Bobby Speers

What really matters when we go to vote?

T

he U.S. bishops held their annual conference last week, and among the matters they took up, Carol Zimmerman reported for Catholic News Service, they “elected new officers and discussed challenges in the Church and the nation. They spoke of their renewed efforts to help immigrants, youth and young adults, pregnant women and the poor as well their steps to combat gun violence and racism.”

Zimmerman’s comments about the first day caught my attention: “At the start of their meeting Nov. 11, the bishops raised pressing issues that included the priesthood shortage, gun violence and the need to provide support services for pregnant women.”

And on the second and third days, “At the start of the meeting, the bishops voted overwhelmingly on a revised set of strategic priorities to take them into the next decade. The next day, they approved adding new materials to complement “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” their longstanding guide to help Catholics form their consciences in public life, including voting. The addition included the statement that called abortion the preeminent social issue of our time.”

In the reporting of issues to be discussed that had been proposed on the first day, there is no mention of abortion.

If abortion is “the preeminent social issue of our time” and considering that only a handful of countries worldwide, United States being one of them, allows late-term abortions to be performed, why don’t we see considerations or “renewed” efforts to stop abortion? States have recently passed laws allowing abortions up to birth, despite public outcry. The legal murdering machine that trumpets “choice” and “women’s reproductive rights” really only targets and victimizes the most vulnerable among us – pregnant women in need and their unborn children. Here in the Diocese of Charlotte, we see that Charlotte is the abortion capital of North Carolina, with four abortion clinics that kill more than 9,000 unborn children each year – the most of any city in the state.

Are our bishops running for political office or are they meeting to spiritually revive the Church, aiding the faithful to vote into public office those people who recognize the right to life for all human beings, from conception to natural death? Have these topics waned in the public arena? Shouldn’t abortion and its evil cousin euthanasia be on the top of the bishops’ list as prioritized in the previous “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” from 2015?

Here is the current list of priorities Catholics should consider when voting, from “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship 2015”: n The ongoing destruction of over

one million innocent human lives each year by abortion n Physician-assisted suicide n The redefinition of marriage – the vital cell of society – by the courts, political bodies, and increasingly by American culture itself n The excessive consumption of material goods and the destruction of natural resources, which harm both the environment and the poor n The deadly attacks on fellow Christians and religious minorities throughout the world n The narrowing redefinition of religious freedom, which threatens both individual conscience and the freedom of the Church to serve n Economic policies that fail to prioritize the poor, at home or abroad; n A broken immigration system and a worldwide refugee crisis n Wars, terror, and violence that threaten every aspect of human life and dignity According to reporting by Catholic News Agency, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” will undergo a “new” and updated look. From reading the talking points of the USCCB conference, I am concerned that the new “Faithful Citizenship” may not look like the list from 2015.

Abortion and physician-assisted suicide will be moved because they were not major topics of discussion during this conference, as reported by the Catholic press.

The conference focused on how to get young people involved and back in the Church. I appreciated Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron’s comments at the bishops’ conference that we must not be “dumbing down the faith,” but getting youth involved in the social justice work of the Church without first knowing their Catholic faith seemed a bit of a stretch. Perhaps our young people would be better spiritually equipped if their parents were better spiritually equipped and involved in their Church? Promoting social justice is great but unless one has a formed spiritual conscience rooted in God’s Word, how can one discern social justice?

The home is the beating heart of catechesis. Children learn by watching their parents. Fix the homes and you will fix the children.

I pray the revision of “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” list will continue to designate the dignity of life as preeminent, reminding us all that God is the creator of all human life. This should always be the first concern when Catholics go to the poll using religious discernment, not political agendas. For we must obey God, not man (Acts 5:29).

BOBBY SPEERS is an author who lives in Hickory. Her writing can be found online at www.writecatholic.com.

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catholicnewsherald.com | November 22, 2019 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ANUNCIO

La industria petrolera busca talento técnico latino para los próximos 50 años

E

l American Petroleum Institute (API) promoverá oportunidades educativas entre la comunidad latina con la iniciativa Discover Education STEM Career Coalition, un programa de cinco años que apoyará a miles de estudiantes en la comunidad latina para que lancen sus carreras técnicas, de ciencia e ingeniería y consigan integrarse en el sector del petróleo y el gas en Estados Unidos, uno de los más estables y mejor pagados del país.

Elia Quintana, directora de Stakeholder Relations del America Petroleum Institute (API), explicó durante la convención de la NAHP que es vital para las empresas del petróleo y gas tener una fuerza laboral diversa que represente la composición demográfica de Estados Unidos, por ello quieren ofrecer oportunidades educativas tanto para quienes opten por una certificación profesional (como soldadura o electricidad), como para quienes deseen realizar carreras universitarias de ingenierías o avanzar hacia puestos de liderazgo.

Diversidad como fortaleza “Un fuerza laboral diversa es fundamental para que las empresas representen la composición del país.

Debemos representar a la población a la que servimos, no solo en la industria o a nivel filantrópico, sino también en toda la cadena de suministro y en de las comunidades en las que estamos”, señaló Quintana.

En total, alrededor de 1.9 millones de puestos de trabajo estarán disponibles en el sector hasta el 2035 debido, por una parte, al crecimiento económico que el gas y petróleo está experimentando en los últimos años, y por otra, a las bajas provocadas por las jubilaciones de los actuales empleados, lo que convierte a este sector en una lugar atractivo

Interior Bruto (PIB) estadounidense. Además, los empleos que requieren capacitación en ciencias técnicas o STEM se espera que crezcan en un 9 % hasta el 2024, con lo que la formación temprana será clave para poder tener acceso a talento calificado.

para la población millennial y generaciones jóvenes.

La industria del petróleo y el gas demandará un gran número de empleos técnicos de nueva creación y para reemplazar a los puestos que se jubilan durante los próximos años y la comunidad latina, una de las minorías que más importancia da a la educación en Estados Unidos, es una de las principales que podrá beneficiarse de estas nuevas oportunidades.

En la actualidad, el sector emplea de forma directa e indirecta a más de 10 millones de personas en el país y supone un 8 % del Producto

Los trabajos mejor pagados “Queremos entrenar y atraer al talento latino con este programa”, señaló Quintana, quien recuerda que la industria cuenta con los trabajos técnico mejor pagados de todo el país, tanto a nivel de certificación, como universitario.

“Un ingeniero junior recibe unos $50,000 anuales más que otros sectores, mientras que personas con certificaciones, como en soldadura, pueden superar los $80,000 anuales”, recordó Quintana.

Según la representante de API, el sector necesita renovarse, ya que una parte importante de su fuerza laboral se jubilará y además requiere innovar y modernizarse para adaptarse a los nuevos tiempos y ser parte de la transición a un mundo más sostenible.

La iniciativa Discover Education STEM Career Coalition se presentará el próximo 8 de noviembre y podrá ser accesible en unas 5,000 escuelas de comunidades desfavorecidas, y con presencia de latinos de todo el país durante cinco años, en los que se espera poder beneficiar a unos 10,000 estudiantes.

“Este es un ejemplo de lo que las compañías pueden hacer para invertir en las comunidades locales y cómo pueden contribuir a cambiar y

mejorar la sociedad”, reflexionó Quintana.

La industria del petróleo está en pleno crecimiento debido a la mayor producción en territorio estadounidense por la adopción de nuevas técnicas extractivas, y también por el mayor consumo de energía en todo el país y en el extranjero.

Por estos motivos, las perspectivas del sector son de crecimiento a largo plazo, incluso en un escenario de transición hacia nuevas fuentes renovables, ya que, como explicó Quintana, la industria de petróleo y gas es pionera en la creación de las redes de distribución y estándares de seguridad.

“Si su hijo entra en esta industria mejorará el futuro de su familia y su comunidad. Estará entrando en una carrera profesional de largo recorrido de más de 40 años de estabilidad”, apuntó Quintana.

La industria del petróleo será clave para el desarrollo de los próximos 50 años y el principal creador de empleos bien pagados, de alta calificación y estables.

Elia Quintana también lidera el Energy Research Collaborative (ERC) de API con socios estratégicos que se enfocan en el desarrollo de fuerza laboral y relaciones con aliados no tradicionales en la industria del gas y el petróleo.

Elia Quintana