Jan. 3, 2020

January 3, 2020

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

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

January 3, 2020 charlottediocese.org

Accountability.

A Letter to the People of God of Western North Carolina

Dear Friends in Christ, With great sorrow yet abiding hope, the Diocese of Charlotte publishes this list of 14 clergy who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse within the diocese since it was established in 1972.

It is painful to even try to comprehend such gravely immoral behavior, particularly for those who have carried the burden of sexual abuse by clergy. However, in speaking with survivors and hearing their stories, it is clear to me that making known the names of their abusers can promote healing for them and their families. I pray this step achieves that goal.

This list is the result of a comprehensive review of the diocese’s personnel files and other historical records by independent investigators.

It is the culmination of a process begun more than a year ago in our belief that an accounting of credible abuse allegations documented in files dating back 50 years would provide validation for victims and demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability.

To all who have been victimized by Catholic clergy, I apologize on behalf of the diocese and express to you personally my heartfelt sorrow for the physical, emotional and spiritual pain you have suffered. You deserved a priest in whom you could place your trust, a model of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Regrettably, it is clear in our history that the Catholic Church – including this diocese – did not fully understand the pathology of child sexual abuse or respond to allegations as aggressively as it could have, as we do today.

While nothing can change the past, in our sorrow we also find hope.

The information we have gleaned from our files reflects a clear shift in the way the Church – and this diocese – has addressed the problem of child sexual abuse since 2002, when the U.S. Catholic Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Charter mandates zero tolerance, strict accountability standards, and protocols for reporting allegations and preventing abuse in all of our parishes, schools and ministries. Since I became bishop in 2003, I have been fortunate to have the Charter as our guide on this issue.

Please be assured, our file review confirmed that no clergy member serving in our diocese today has a credible allegation of child sexual abuse against him. These men deserve our prayers and our support, for they have endured the long shadow cast by the immoral acts of a few in the past.

Also be assured that all of the accused clergy named on this list have long since been removed from ministry – and most are now deceased.

Under the Charter, anyone credibly accused must be removed from ministry until a determination of guilt or innocence is made through government or Church proceedings.

It is also our practice to report all allegations of child sexual abuse to civil authorities for action, independent of our Church adjudication process. We continue to urge people to contact law enforcement directly if they have been victimized. And we are launching an independent hotline to make it easier for people to report suspected cases of sexual abuse or misconduct to us for investigation and Church disciplinary purposes.

I am grateful for the courage and strength of abuse survivors who have shared their most private pain so those responsible could be held accountable and children today can be protected from harm. I pray the information we are sharing will provide some measure of healing and restoration of trust – for victims and for our many brothers and sisters in Christ whose confidence in the Church hierarchy has been shaken and who have felt betrayed by the way some Church leaders handled abuse allegations in the past.

Unfortunately, no list of this nature can be considered a final accounting. It is a document to which new names might be added. This list reflects credible allegations we have documented now, and it will be updated as new information emerges – and as additional survivors, perhaps prompted by this list, come forward.

I invite you to read more inside about the information being released. Please pray with me that this information achieves the goal of bringing healing to victims. I also ask that you please pray for the Church, and for the Lord to call good and holy priests to serve the People of God in our growing diocese. With the Lord’s help, we can continue fostering a safe and supportive environment in our parishes, schools and ministries so that the Church in western North Carolina can help lead future generations to Him. Yours in Christ Jesus,

Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, J.C.D. Bishop of Charlotte

INSIDE

Diocese releases results of historical review of credibly accused clergy

Christmas says, ‘You are loved’

INDEX

Contact us.....................................4 Español.........................................8-10 Events calendar............................4 Our Faith........................................2 Our Parishes.................. 3-7, 11, 20 Scripture readings.......................2 TV & Movies................................. 12 U.S. news.................................14-15 Viewpoints..............................18-19 World news............................. 16-17

Subscribe today! Call:

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Pope Francis: ‘He loves you plain and simple’ 18 Bishop Jugis: God ‘delights in showing you His love’ 3

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

MARCHING FOR

LIFE 14th annual March for Life set for Jan. 10 in Charlotte Charlotte marchará por la Vida

5, 8

‘Year of St. Joseph’ proclaimed for 2020 in Charlotte diocese 3 La Rosca de Reyes Tradición que llega hasta nuestros días

10

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Pope, at Angelus, prays for Philippine victims of typhoon Reciting the Angelus with thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square the day after Christmas, Pope Francis asked them to join him in reciting the “Hail Mary” for the victims of Typhoon Phanfone in the Philippines.

The pope told the crowd that he shared the suffering of the Filipino people, “whom I love very much.”

“I pray for the numerous victims, for the injured and for their families,” he said.

The Associated Press said the typhoon, which made landfall Dec. 24, caused at least 20 deaths. Many people were still missing by Dec. 26 and tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes.

From St. Stephen ‘we learn that the glory of heaven ... is ... love and self-giving.’

Marking the feast of St. Stephen, a Vatican and Italian holiday, Pope Francis acknowledged that it may seem strange for the Church to mark the feast of the first martyr just one day after celebrating the birth of Jesus.

But, the pope said, the account of St. Stephen’s death in the Acts of the Apostles shows his complete faith that in Jesus “violence is defeated by love, death by life.”

From St. Stephen, he said, “we learn that the glory of heaven, that which lasts for eternal life, is not riches or power, but love and self-giving.”

Pope Francis also noted that the Bible describes St. Stephen as one of the first seven deacons, which “teaches us to proclaim Christ through gestures of fraternity and evangelical charity.”

St. Stephen’s witness, “which culminated in martyrdom, is a source of inspiration for the renewal of our Christian communities,” he said.

“They are called to become ever more missionary, focused on evangelization, determined to reach men and women on the existential and geographical peripheries, where there is greater thirst for hope and salvation.”

“The feast of this first martyr, Stephen, calls us to remember all the martyrs of yesterday and today – and today there are many– be in communion with them and ask them for the grace to live and die with the name of Jesus on our lips,” the pope said.

St. Anthony of Egypt remembered for his radical monastic legacy Feast day: Jan. 17 On his Jan. 17 feast day, both Eastern and Western Catholics will celebrate the life and legacy of St. Anthony of Egypt, the founder of Christian monasticism whose radical approach to discipleship permanently impacted the Church.

In Egypt’s Coptic Catholic and Orthodox Churches, which have a special devotion to the native saint, his feast day is celebrated on Jan. 30.

Anthony was born around 251 to wealthy parents who owned land in the present-day Faiyum region near Cairo. During this time, the Catholic Church was rapidly spreading its influence throughout the vast expanses of the Roman empire, while the empire remained officially pagan and did not legally recognize the new religion.

In the course of his remarkable and extraordinarily long life, Anthony would live to see the Emperor Constantine’s establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire. Anthony himself, however, would establish something more lasting – by becoming the spiritual father of the monastic communities that have existed throughout the subsequent history of the Church.

Around the year 270, two great burdens came upon Anthony simultaneously: the deaths of both his parents, and his inheritance of their possessions and property. These simultaneous occurrences prompted Anthony to reevaluate his entire life in light of the principles of the Gospel – which proposed both the redemptive possibilities of his personal loss, and the spiritual danger of his financial gains.

Attending church one day, he heard – as if for the first time – Jesus’ exhortation to another rich young man in the Biblical narrative: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow Me.” Anthony told his disciples in later years that it was as though Christ had spoken those words directly to him.

He sold everything he owned and donated the proceeds, setting aside a portion to provide for his sister. Although organized monasticism did not yet exist, it was not unknown for Christians to abstain from marriage, divest themselves of possessions to some extent, and focus their lives on prayer and fasting. Anthony’s sister would eventually join a group of consecrated virgins.

Anthony himself, however, sought a more comprehensive vision of Christian asceticism. He found it among the hermits of the Egyptian desert, individuals who chose to withdraw physically and culturally from the surrounding society to devote themselves more fully to God. But these individuals’ radical way of life had not yet become an organized movement.

After studying with one of these hermits, Anthony made his own sustained attempt to live alone in a secluded desert location, depending on the charity of a few patrons who provided him with enough food to survive. This first period as a hermit lasted between 13 and 15 years.

Like many saints both before and after him, Anthony became engaged in a type of spiritual combat against unseen forces seeking to remove him from the way of perfection he had chosen.

These conflicts took their toll on Anthony. When he was around 33 years old, a group of his patrons found him seriously ill and took

This Coptic Christian monastery, founded by disciples of St. Anthony, is located near the mountain cave where the saint retreated from the world to pray and on the site where he is said to have been buried.

Monks and pilgrims still make the journey to his cave every day to pray – 2,000 feet up the mountain, connected to the monastery by a steep, mile-long staircase.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.GARDENVISIT.COM

him back to a local church to recover.

This setback did not dissuade Anthony from his goal of seeking God intensely, and he soon redoubled his efforts by moving to a mountain on the east bank of the Nile River. There he lived in an abandoned fort, once again subsisting on the charity of those who implored his prayers on their behalf. He attracted not only these benefactors, but a group of inquirers seeking to follow his example.

In the first years of the fourth century, when he was about 54, Anthony emerged from his solitude to provide guidance to the growing community of hermits that had become established in his vicinity. Although Anthony had not sought to form such a community, his decision to become its spiritual father – or “abbot” – marked the beginning of monasticism as it is known today.

Anthony himself would live out this monastic calling for another four decades, providing spiritual and practical advice to disciples who would ensure the movement’s continued existence.

According to Anthony’s biographer, St. Athanasius, the Emperor Constantine himself eventually wrote to the abbot, seeking advice on the administration of an empire that was now officially Christian.

“Do not be astonished if an emperor writes to us, for he is a man,” Anthony told the other monks. “But rather: wonder that God wrote the Law for men, and has spoken to us through His own Son.” Anthony wrote back to Constantine, advising him “not to think much of the present, but rather to remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone is the true and Eternal King.”

St. Anthony may have been up to 105 years old when he died, sometime between 350 and 356. Following his instructions, two of his disciples buried his body secretly in an unmarked grave.

— Catholic News Agency

Daily Scripture readings JAN. 5-11

Sunday (The Epiphany of the Lord): Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12; Monday (St. André Bessette): 1 John 3:22-4:6, Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25; Tuesday (St. Raymond of Penyafort): 1 John 4:7-10, Mark 6:34-44; Wednesday: 1 John 4:11-18, Mark 6:45-52; Thursday: 1 John 4:19-5:4, Luke 4:14-22; Friday: 1 John 5:5-13, Luke 5:1216; Saturday: 1 John 5:14-21, John 3:22-30

JAN. 12-18

Sunday (The Baptism of the Lord): Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Acts 10:34-38, Matthew 3:13-17; Monday (St. Hilary): 1 Samuel 1:1-8, Mark 1:1420; Tuesday: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Mark 1:21-28; Wednesday: 1 Samuel 3:110, 19-20, Mark 1:29-39; Thursday: 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Mark 1:40-45; Friday (St. Anthony): 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22, Mark 2:1-12; Saturday: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1, Mark 2:13-17

JAN. 19-25

Sunday: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, John 1:29-34; Monday (St. Fabian, St. Sebastian): 1 Samuel 15:16-23, Mark 2:18-22; Tuesday (St. Agnes): 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Mark 2:23-28; Wednesday (Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children): 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, Mark 3:1-6; Thursday (St. Vincent, St. Marianne Cope): 1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7, Mark 3:7-12; Friday (St. Francis de Sales): 1 Samuel 24:3-21, Mark 3:13-19; Saturday (The Conversion of St. Paul): Acts 22:3-16, Mark 16:15-18

Our parishes

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JAMES SARKIS

(Above) Bishop Peter Jugis (at left) kneels to venerate the Infant Jesus in the creche during Midnight Mass Dec. 25 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. (Below) Bishop Jugis imparts the Christmas blessing on all those who attended the Midnight Mass.

‘A Savior is born for you’ Bishop Jugis speaks of God’s love at Midnight Mass Dec. 25 SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Christmas is the feast of God’s love, Bishop Peter Jugis preached at Midnight Mass in the early hours of Dec. 25 at St. Patrick Cathedral.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis emphasized the depth of God’s love for humanity in that He sent His only begotten Son into the world to be our Savior.

“All during Jesus’ public life, we see that self-giving love manifested, demonstrated over and over again in every word that He speaks, every one of His teachings, every miracle that He works – even to the point of His suffering, crucifixion and death – all of this is done because of His love for us,” Bishop Jugis explained.

He pointed out that in the Gospel reading from Luke 1:1-14, the angel announces that a Savior has been born for us.

“The angel says a Savior has been born for your sake, for you,” Bishop Jugis said. “And God does delight in doing this for you. He delights in showing you His love, manifested in His only begotten Son, Jesus.”

Christmas is the feast of God’s love for us, he continued.

“This love demands a response. Christmas calls us to respond in love, to God’s great love that He is showering upon us. That is the grace of Christmas, to move our hearts to greater love for God and for others. It does work,” Bishop Jugis asserted.

“This grace of Christmas we see evident all around us happening at Christmas time – how we seem to be even more loving, more kind, more generous in our service and giving of ourselves to others. It is a sign that the Holy Spirit is active.

“We call it the virtue of charity, one of the fruits of the Spirit.

Charity, to love God above all things for His own sake, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, for the love of God. That is the love that God has placed into our hearts and that we are called to demonstrate and to return to Him, and also to our brothers and sisters,” Bishop Jugis said.

“We all know that really is the path to happiness. Love God. This is what Jesus teaches us over and over again. Love God who has loved

you so much,” he enjoined those present.

“It really is the path to happiness to give of ourselves in service and love to others. This is the response that Christmas asks of each one of us. After all, we were made to love God and it is natural that we should find happiness and find fulfillment the more that we do love Him and put that foundation of love of God in our heart into service for others,” he said.

Bishop Jugis noted that our love of neighbor is a beautiful expression of the love of God that we have in our hearts.

He encouraged the faithful to ask Our Lord this Christmas to stretch us to give more of ourselves in love to Him and to demonstrate our love for God in practical ways and, in addition, to demonstrate that love to others. Also ask Our Lord to stretch us to greater charity towards others, he encouraged.

“Yes, it is the feast of God’s love for us and the Child in the manger is the convincing sign of how much He is willing to do for us and how much He delights in loving us and giving us His all,” he said.

For more information At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos and a video of Bishop Jugis’ complete homily from Midnight Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte For more photos from around the Diocese of Charlotte, see page 6.

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‘Year of St. Joseph’ proclaimed for 2020 in Charlotte diocese CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis announced a diocesan “Year of St. Joseph” at Mass offered on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1, 2020, at St. Patrick Cathedral.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX proclaiming St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, as the patron of the Universal Church.

“Quemadmodum Deus” was promulgated in 1870.

The diocese has launched a website devoted to the “Year of St. Joseph” complete with educational resources, prayers and devotions, and “Year of St. Joseph” event details from across the diocese, as dates for special events are finalized.

One of the first events to kick off the special year will be a sacred art light show that will be projected onto the exterior of the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center, located at 1123 South Church St. in uptown Charlotte.

During the Epiphany octave – from Sunday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 12 – images of St. Joseph and the Holy Family will illuminate the three-story building from dusk until about 10:30 p.m. All are welcome to stop by and enjoy the laser show projection, which is being conducted by Highland Mediaworks, a local Catholic-owned business that can be found online at www. highlandmediaworks.com.

To learn more about how you can get involved as the “Year of St. Joseph” gets under way, visit the special event website at www.yearofstjoseph.org.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: JAN. 6-10 Bishops’ Spiritual Retreat

JAN. 17 Charlotte March for Life

JAN. 14 – 11 A.M. Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

JAN. 23-25 National March for Life Washington, D.C.

JAN. 24 – 11:30 A.M. North Carolina Mass for Life Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.

FEB. 1 – 11 A.M. Mass for World Day of Consecrated Life St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events January 3, 2020

ESPAÑOL

Volume 29 • NUMBER 7

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.

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

704-370-3333

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org

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.

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS

PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

STAFF

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.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 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.

14TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE: 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Mass for the unborn at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte. Gathering at 11 a.m. in the parking lot across the street from the Charlotte Diocese, 1123 South Church St. March will begin at noon to Trade and Tryon St., where Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church, will preach. March will follow to the federal courthouse at 401 W. Trade St., to pray a rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. For details, visit www.marchforlifecharlotte.org.

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

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.

register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are:

meetup.com/charlottecatholicyoungadultministry.

CHARLOTTE: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, and 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, March 3, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH: on Facebook at “Our Lady of Consolation Young Adult Ministry” ST. GABRIEL CHURCH: https://stgabrielchurch.org

GREENSBORO: 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, and 9 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22, St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road

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

SUPPORT GROUPS

ST. MARK CHURCH: on Facebook at “The Young Adult Ministry of St. Mark”

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 910585-2460 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-adult-ministry.

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

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

Spend time with Our Lord The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed to have Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offered in five locations. All of the faithful, of any age, are invited to participate!

Stop by anytime or sign up for a regular Holy Hour: BELMONT

Belmont Abbey College’s St. Joseph Perpetual Adoration Chapel 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road Margaret Fox (704) 648-8947 www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/about/ community

CHARLOTTE

HIGH POINT

Pennybyrn at Maryfield Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel 1315 Greensboro Road Edna Corrigan (336) 324-4366 www.maryfieldeucharistic.org

HUNTERSVILLE

St. Mark Church’s Monsignor Bellow Perpetual Adoration Chapel (located in the Monsignor Joseph A. Kerin Family Center) 14740 Stumptown Road HICKORY St. Aloysius Church’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Sink (704) 892-5107 or email eucharistic.adoration@stmarknc.org Mary Perpetual Adoration Chapel www.stmarknc.org/adoration 921 Second Street N.E. Melanie & Dave King (828) 638-0462 www.staloysiushickory.org/perpetualadoration St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road Estelle Wisneski (704) 364-9568

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

MARCHING FOR

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At the corners of Trade and Tryon streets, presentations and testimonies will be given, including preaching by Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

A time of quiet prayer will conclude the presentations.

March organizers caution everyone to be mindful of the busy uptown traffic and obey all laws for pedestrians.

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Marchers will then turn left at the intersection of South Tryon Street and West Carson Boulevard, towards uptown Charlotte, and will continue past St. Peter Church to the corner of Trade and Tryon streets.

LYNX STATION CARSON BLVD.

START HERE The 14th annual March for Life Charlotte will start at noon Friday, Jan. 10. Line up beginning at 11 a.m. outside the diocesan Pastoral Center parking lot at the corner of West Palmer and South Church streets. Free parking will be in the overflow lot accessible from West Palmer Street, across from the Pastoral Center. Non-MACS buses cannot park in the overflow lot – instead, buses should park where available along the sides of West Palmer Street or elsewhere nearby. The LYNX rail stop at Carson Boulevard is also one block away.

PHOTOS BY SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD GRAPHIC BY TIM P. FARAGHER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Restrooms are available on the first floor of the Pastoral Center.

The crucifix will lead the march with participating priests and deacons, followed by the Divine Mercy image carried by the Missionaries of the Poor, the Blessed Mother statue carried with the Knights of Columbus, followed by all other religious and lay people.

Marchers will proceed up South Church Street, turning right onto West Carson Boulevard.

Pray for an end to abortion March for Life in Charlotte Jan. 10 CHARLOTTE — Parishioners of all ages in the Diocese of Charlotte are encouraged to attend the 14th annual March for Life Charlotte events that will be held Friday, Jan. 10, to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

The events are meant to be a time of prayer to call attention to the more than 60 million lives lost to abortion since 1973, and the need to end the tragedy of abortion.

The day’s events will begin with a 9 a.m.

Mass for the Unborn offered at St. Vincent de Paul Church, located at 6828 Old Reid Road in Charlotte.

The 14th annual March for Life Charlotte will begin soon after the conclusion of Mass.

Marchers will gather starting at 11 a.m. outside the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center, located at 1123 S. Church St. in uptown Charlotte. At noon the march will kick off from the Pastoral Center towards Independence Square at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets.

Father Cory Catron, parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, will deliver the keynote address.

After the address and testimonies by local representatives from the national Silent No More Campaign, the march will proceed to

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‘Life Empowers: ProLife is Pro-Woman’ March for Life in D.C.

Marchers will then proceed down West Trade Street toward the federal courthouse. After the recitation of the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the march will conclude.

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the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building and Courthouse on West Trade Street, where the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed.

March for Life Charlotte billboards will again be placed around the Charlotte area to create awareness about the 14th annual March for Life.

See all scheduled details at www. marchforlifecharlotte.org.

For inquiries, contact Tina Witt with March for Life Charlotte at marchforlifecharlotte@ windstream.net or at 704-301-2531.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The March for Life Education and Defense Fund has announced the details for the 2020 March for Life to be held on Friday, Jan. 24. “Life Empowers: ProLife is Pro-Woman” will be the theme of the annual march, which seeks to draw attention to the value of every life and the power of every American’s voice in speaking out for the unborn.

A Mass for pro-life advocates from North Carolina will be celebrated at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of The Catholic University of America at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Raleigh Bishop Luis R. Zarama will serve as principal celebrant and Charlotte Bishop Peter J. Jugis will serve as the homilist.

The “Life Empowers: ProLife is Pro-Woman” March for Life events will begin with a rally at noon on the National Mall, which will be followed at 1 p.m. by a march to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear testimony from women who regret their abortion.

Other D.C. March for Life events n A Youth Rally and Mass for Life hosted by the Archdiocese of Washington will take place on Jan. 24.

The ticketed event will be held at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Doors open at 6:15 a.m. For more information about the event, visit youthrallyandmassforlife. org. n The Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy, Washington, D.C., will hold the Seventh Annual Nellie Gray Mass Jan. 24, immediately after the March for Life, at 4 p.m. The Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (traditional Latin Mass) will be offered at St. Mary Mother of God Church at 5th and H Sts. N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C.

Diocese of Raleigh events The Diocese of Raleigh will host N.C. March for Life events on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh. Events begin with a diocesan Mass for Life celebrated at the cathedral at 11 a.m.

The N.C. Rally for Life will begin at 1 p.m. at the Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh, followed by the N.C. March for Life at 2 p.m.

For details, go to www. dioceseofraleigh.org.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 OUR PARISHES

Scenes of youthful Christmas spirit

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONNIE RIES

STATESVILLE — St. Philip the Apostle Church’s annual Christmas Pageant was held Dec. 15.

GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

FOREST CITY — Children of the Hispanic community at Immaculate Conception Church performed the traditional play Pastorela Dec. 21. The presentation was followed by a program of Christmas songs and carols.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONNIE RIES

STATESVILLE — During Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Philip the Apostle Church, Father Thomas Kessler, pastor, read the Christmas story to the children in attendance.

PHIL ROCHE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HAYESVILLE — A young member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission places the baby Jesus in the Nativity display near the altar during the vigil Mass for Christmas.

GIULIANA POLINARI RILEY | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

MARION — After the Christmas vigil Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of the Angels Mission Dec. 24, members of the parish’s Hispanic community presented a Live Nativity performance in front of the church.

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

CHARLOTTE — Members of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte donated more than 2,000 gifts for the parish’s annual Giving Tree.

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

CHARLOTTE — A merry night of singing by St. Patrick School’s third- through fifth-grade classes meant everyone was filled with the spirit for “Santa’s Rockin’ Christmas Eve!”

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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Ukrainian Catholics meet in Charlotte to discuss growth, challenges CHARLOTTE — St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma held its third regional convention on the theme of “Immigration, Migration, Settlement and Unity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church” Dec. 14 at St. Basil the Great Parish.

A total of 36 members of the clergy and laity from the Mid-Atlantic Deanery attended the convention in advance of the 2020 Patriarchal Sobor in Lviv, Ukraine, to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities facing the 10 parishes and missions in a region of the United States that includes three of the top 10 states in numeric growth according to the U.S. Census.

The Mid-Atlantic Deanery has parishes and missions in major cities of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

To open the convention, Bishop Bohdan J. Danylo, head of the St. Josaphat Eparchy, asked clergy and laity to meditate on a personal examination of conscience and an examination for a parish community concerning how each person strives to promote a spirit of unity, peace and harmony at the parish level and the type of atmosphere and community found in their parish or mission.

Bishop Bohdan then asked participants to discuss three sets of questions concerning topics such as migration, strengths and weaknesses, and outreach and to offer proposals that he can take with him to Lviv.

“We heard a lot of good proposals and ideas that we can use,” he said.

In discussing the questions, participants noted that strengths include the Divine Liturgy and Eucharist, their location in growing areas, and their having a good number of large families with young children. Weaknesses, on the other hand, include a lack of knowledge about the uniqueness of the Ukrainian Catholic liturgical tradition, history and spirituality, and knowledge about how to find and reach Ukrainians newly arrived to the United States and those already living here.

In discussing migration of Ukrainians to the region, participants noted that the Mid-Atlantic Deanery is seeing migration of Ukrainians not just from Ukraine but from other parts of the United States. In addition, the region also is seeing migration from other Byzantine churches and is attracting new members from the Roman Catholic Church as well as Protestant ecclesial communities.

One of the unique challenges and opportunities the deanery is facing is how to reach out and gather newlyarrived Ukrainians from Ukraine and Ukrainians emigrating from other regions who have been in the United States for some years. At the same time, some parishes and missions are confronted with reaching out to those who know little about the Ukrainian Catholic Church or Ukraine but are attracted to the Byzantine Rite.

St. John the Baptist Mission in PinevilleMatthews, near south Charlotte, is one of the newer missions in the deanery with a large number of firstgeneration Ukrainians.

One of their primary aims, members said, is to ensure that their children retain the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian traditions.

They also seek to be welcoming to others.

On the other hand, St. Basil the Great Parish in north Charlotte consists mostly of former Roman Catholics and Protestants, with only a few members who are Ukrainian in background. Some members think of themselves as Eastern Catholic but not necessarily Ukrainian Catholic.

As a growing parish that currently meets in a Roman Catholic chapel, which they have outgrown, their primary challenge, according to members, is now finding the means to build their own church.

St. Nicholas Mission in Cary is a mission that offers Divine Liturgy in English. The mission grew out of Sts. Volodymr and Olha Parish in Raleigh, which offers Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian. The two are now re-joining forces to create one parish, St. Sophia, and are in the process of building the first Ukrainian Catholic church in North Carolina. In addition to building a church, their unique challenge is bringing together two different communities, one of English speakers and one of Ukrainian speakers.

Members of the two communities are aware of the unique opportunity they have to unify their two groups and to work together as one.

Members of St. John the Theologian Mission in Augusta, Ga., spoke about how they seek to locate Ukrainians and others by reaching out to local colleges, hospitals, nursing homes and military bases. They also are in the unique position of possibly attracting a monastery to the area and are now in the process of working to purchase property.

Some mission members noted how fellowship meals helps to create unity at the parish level and how catechesis about the Divine Liturgy and using the Christ Our Pascha

catechism helps to create unity with the Church.

Other points discussed at the convention included having more conventions like this one at both the eparchial and regional levels; the need for more clergy, both English speaking and Ukrainian speaking; the need to be more closely connected to the deanery, the eparchy in Parma, and the Church in Ukraine; the need for catechesis; and the need for more uniformity of parish and mission websites and to use them to tell the story of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

At the conclusion of the convention, Bishop Bohdan encouraged clergy and laity to take the examination and the questions back to their parishes and missions and to discuss them with others. He also encouraged clergy and laity to send any information they gather to him so that he can take it to the Patriarchal Sobor.

Following the convention, Bishop Bohdan prayed Great Vespers with the faithful and on the following morning celebrated Divine Liturgy. In remarks following the liturgy, Bishop Bohdan suggested that the faithful reach out to others during the Christmas season so that they might experience the beauty of our liturgy and tradition.

Prior to Charlotte, the eparchy held conventions in Parma, Ohio, and Ambridge, Pa. The eparchy’s final convention in preparation for the 2020 Patriarchal Sobor will be held Feb. 8 in North Port, Fla. — Father Kevin Bezner

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AL TINSON AND MARTY SCHNEIDER

Parishioners give out bikes for Christmas MIKE FITZGERALD | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Lending a helping hand HUNTERSVILLE — The Monsignor Joseph Kerin Knights of Columbus Council distributed Christmas trees to St. Mark parishioners in Huntersville Dec. 7. The annual event is held each first Saturday in December, and parishioners can order freshly-cut Christmas trees and wreaths. The event was preceded Friday evening with a blessing of the trees offered

by St. Mark’s pastor, Father John Putnam. The proceeds from the tree sales go towards the Knights council and their charitable efforts.

CHARLOTTE — For the fifth consecutive year, thanks to the generosity of volunteers and parishioners from St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, including members of their Knights of Columbus Council, many children in the community received new bikes this Christmas. Operation Bikes is part of Operation Santa’s Helpers, which was begun 30 years ago by long time Special Olympics volunteer “Santa” Bob Bowler as a Christmas special needs program. A committee headed by longtime St. John Neumann members John CasaSanta and Mike Horeth received donations to purchase 163 bikes from the Wal-Mart at the Galleria on North Sardis Road during the store’s Black Friday special.

They were distributed to children from Our Lady of Consolation and Our Lady of Guadalupe parishes as well as several local schools by “Santa’s Helpers” Brian and Matt Allio, Bill Edelen, Cindy Satink, John Streitman, Don Zaron, Dave Adams, Mike Munao and Robert Gregory.

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020

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

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Inicio de un Año Nuevo menudo muchos sólo se preparan para iniciar el año nuevo con algún tipo de celebración externa y se gastan muchas energías en esta celebración, dejando de lado la preparación interna.

Sin embargo, es sumamente importante que recibamos el Año Nuevo con una preparación más profunda que aterrice en metas especificas por las que se ha de transitar a través de este año venidero.

El Papa Francisco nos aconseja que, inspirados en un nuevo inicio, no dejemos de soñar. Es decir, no dejarnos robar la esperanza de lo que anhelamos alcanzar en el nuevo ciclo.

También nos invita a no solo concentrarnos en alcanzar metas en lo referente a las riquezas materiales, ya que se corre el riesgo de llegar a un apego desordenado a los bienes materiales que pueden conducir a la corrupción del corazón, la mente y la empresa.

El Papa hace hincapié en que hay que iniciar el año con el propósito de la oración, ya que es necesario comenzar el nuevo ciclo con un espíritu renovado que se conecta con Dios, que nos nutra y mueva desde el interior y nos impulse a seguir a través de cada momento, en los eventos felices y gratos, y en los momentos de reto y dolor, con una fe capaz de no dejarnos sucumbir en el derrotismo y el pesimismo que coarta los sueños y la esperanza.

También es necesario arrancar el año con un firme propósito de trabajo, lo cual dignifica la vida humana.

Desde luego, siempre confiando en Dios, ya que Dios nunca abandona al que confía en Él.

El inicio del nuevo año nos brinda la posibilidad de ser mejores, de superarnos a nosotros mismos y de seguir adelante.

Así que si el pasado año no fue lo que esperabas, no pierdas la esperanza en que este nuevo año será un súper año.

Solo me resta desearles que la paz, la sabiduría y la armonía que vienen de Dios estén con ustedes en todo momento, y que la etapa que estamos iniciando sea de suma gracia y bendición para todos. ¡Feliz año 2020!

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TRY ON

Padre Fidel Melo

Luego, los manifestantes se dirigirán por West Trade Street hacia el Palacio de Justicia federal. La marcha concluirá después de rezar el Rosario y la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia.

LYNX STATION CARSON BLVD.

Empieza aquí La Décimocuarta marcha anual por la Vida en Charlotte comenzará al mediodía del viernes 10 de enero. La preconcentración será a las 11 a.m. en el estacionamiento del Centro Pastoral ubicado en la esquina de West Palmer y South Church. Habrá estacionamiento gratuito accesible desde West Palmer, frente al Centro Pastoral. La parada del tren ligero de Carson Boulevard está sólo a una cuada

La marcha irá por South Church Street, girando a la derecha en West Carson Boulevard y luego a la izquierda en South Tryon Street, dirigiéndose hacia el uptown de Charlotte, pasando por la Iglesia San Pedro hasta llegar a la esquina de las calles Trade y Tryon.

Ahí tomarán la palabra oradores y se ofrecerán testimonios, incluyendo una prédica del Padre Cory Catron, vicario parroquial de la Iglesia San Vincente de Paul en Charlotte. Un momento de oración concluirá el programa. Los organizadores recomiendan ser cuidadosos con el tráfico vehicular del uptown y obedecer todas las leyes para Los peatones.

de distancia. Hay baños disponibles en el primer piso del Centro Pastoral. Un crucifijo abrirá la marcha con los sacerdotes y diáconos participantes, seguidos por la imagen de la Divina Misericordia llevada por Los Misioneros de los Pobres y Los Caballeros de Colón. Luego se formarán otros religiosos y laicos.

Charlotte marchará por la Vida CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — Con el objetivo de despertar conciencias y hacer un llamado al respeto por la vida, la organización March for Life Charlotte realizará una caminata por las calles del centro de la ciudad el próximo viernes 10 de enero a partir del mediodía.

La jornada de oración y protesta pacífica iniciará a las nueve de la mañana del mismo día con una Misa por los no nacidos en la Iglesia San Vicente de Paúl, al sur de Charlotte, seguida de una recepción pre-marcha ofrecida por el Ministerio de Respeto a la Vida de San Vicente de Paúl en el Centro de Familia de esa parroquia. Ahí se ofrecerá alimentos y bebidas a los participantes.

A las 11 de la mañana se tiene previsto comenzar la concentración de participantes en el espacio de estacionamiento adicional del Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, localizado en la esquina de las calles West Palmer y South Church.

Los organizadores advierten que, si bien habrá algunos espacios de estacionamiento disponibles, los asistentes deben estar preparados para estacionar en algún otro estacionamiento de pago disponible en los alrededores.

La marcha, que debe principiar a las doce del mediodía, se dirigirá por la calle Tryon hasta alcanzar Independence Square, la esquina de las calles Tryon y Trade, donde el Padre Cory Catron, vicario parroquial de la Iglesia San Vicente de Paúl y oradores e invitados del movimiento ProVida se dirigirán a la concurrencia.

Posteriormente, la marcha tomará la calle West Trade hasta alcanzar el Palacio de Justicia Federal Charles R. Jonas, 401 W. Trade St., donde se rezará cinco misterios del Santo Rosario y la

Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia.

Si usted no está familiarizado con el rezo de estas oraciones, igualmente se mantiene la invitación para que permanezca en el lugar, ore y sea testigo de la santificación de la vida humana.

De igual manera, si físicamente le es imposible participar en el recorrido de la marcha, se le sugiere pueda unirse a ella en los exteriores del Palacio de Justicia, a donde se arribará aproximadamente a la 1:15 de la tarde.

REGULACIONES

Los organizadores informaron que habrá letreros tipo poster con leyendas ProVida disponibles en el punto de concentración.

Si desea elaborar alguno por su propia cuenta, considere cumplir las disposiciones de la ciudad. En relación al tamaño, debe ser tal que pueda portarse en las aceras sin obstruir el paso de peatones y tráfico vehicular. Las astas de banderolas deben ser de material corrugado, plástico o madera que no exceda las 40 pulgadas de longitud y nunca de metal. Si se trata de madera, las puntas deben ser romas y de no más de ¾ de pulgada de diámetro.

La marcha, se advierte, se conducirá por las aceras y no se tiene previsto cortar el tráfico vehicular de ninguna vía del centro de Charlotte.

Efectivos del departamento de Policía de Charlotte-Mecklenburg patrullarán en bicicletas para asistir con el orden de la marcha.

Si tiene alguna pregunta, envíela al correo marchforlifecharlotte@windstream.net — Basado en información publicada por la organización Charlotte March of Life

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Sigue campaña de sesiones informativas para las escuelas católicas Inscripciones iniciaron el 16 de diciembre CÉSAR HURTADO PERIODISTA

CHARLOTTE — La campaña de sesiones informativas sobre la apertura de inscripciones del año 2020-2021 para las escuelas católicas del área de Charlotte continuará hasta el mes de febrero del próximo año, dijo la coordinadora de reclutamiento de estudiantes, Angélica Hurtado.

Las sesiones comenzaron en octubre pasado y se extenderán hasta el próximo año. Las inscripciones dieron inicio el 16 de diciembre. “Todo el proceso se realiza online y solo en casos especiales requieren una visita a las oficinas localizadas en el Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, 1123 South Church Street, en Charlotte”, dijo Hurtado, precisando que durante las sesiones se brinda información sobre el proceso de matrícula y ayuda financiera para los padres interesados.

SI SE PUEDE

La educación que ofrecen las Escuelas Católicas es privada y tiene un costo. Sin embargo muchas familias latinas ya se han integrado al sistema y sus hijos se benefician de las ventajas comparativas frente a la educación pública. “El cien por ciento de los estudiantes de las escuelas secundarias católicas se gradúan y tienen muchas más posibilidades de continuar estudios superiores, incluso obteniendo becas por su alto rendimiento académico”, dijo Hurtado.

A pesar del costo, los padres de familia se sorprenden al informarse sobre las ayudas financieras disponibles.

A este respecto, la coordinadora señaló que la primera ayuda que se puede obtener es siendo miembro activo de una parroquia. “Ser miembro activo significa que debe estar registrado y asistir a las misas dominicales. No es nada especial, sino algo que como católicos hacemos regularmente”.

Además de ello, los padres pueden acceder a otras ayudas complementarias que son explicadas a detalle en estas sesiones.

FELIZ

La Sra. Ana Hernández, madre de María Sánchez, estudiante de la escuela secundaria ‘Christ the King’, dijo que su niña está feliz de estudiar en una escuela católica. “Ella ingresó hace cinco años a Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Ahora ya está en el High School y puedo ver una gran diferencia con las estudiantes de otras escuelas. La formación es muy especial y los maestros nos dan toda la confianza para abrirnos con ellos”.

“El ingreso de mi hija a las escuelas católicas significó un cambio total, no solo en la vida de los ella como estudiante, sino en toda la familia”, añadió.

Hernández resaltó la tranquilidad que le proporciona el enviar a su hija a una escuela católica. “Nadie va a entrar disparando por allí, no hay drogas, no hay bullying”, dijo.

Respecto al esfuerzo que implica matricular a los niños en una escuela católica, Hernández recordó que creyó que no iba a poder acceder económicamente y tuvo miedo.

“Cuando vi los costos me dije ‘jamás voy a poder’. Pero, desde que apliqué, yo le digo a todos los padres sí es posible y que el esfuerzo que se tenga que hacer vale la pena”.

“El que mi hija estudie en una escuela católica es un sueño hecho realidad para ella, para mí y para toda la familia”.

PUERTAS ABIERTAS

Para ingresar a una escuela católica no es requisito indispensable ser católico.

“Las escuelas católicas no discriminan por raza, religión o etnicidad”, precisó Hurtado, quien añadió que la misión es otorgar un programa religioso y académico que permita al estudiante desarrollar

FOTO CORTESÍA ESPERANZA HERNÁNDEZ

Las sesiones informativas sobre el proceso de ingreso a las escuelas católicas diocesanas comenzaron en octubre pasado y se extenderán hasta el próximo año. El proceso se realiza íntegramente online y solo en casos especiales se requiere visitar las oficinas localizadas en el Centro Pastoral,1123 South Church Street, en Charlotte.

espiritual, intelectual, emocional, física y socialmente.

“Desarrollamos teatro musical, banda, coro, fotografía, robótica, pintura, el programa STEAM (Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería, Arte y Matemáticas), además de los principales deportes y muchas otras áreas de desarrollo personal”.

“Nuestro lema, creado por Mrs. Debbie Mixer, superintendente interina de las escuelas católicas, es ‘Ser como Jesús para todos’, lo que habla de nuestra apertura, amor y dedicación por nuestros estudiantes, maestros y trabajadores”, puntualizó Hurtado.

Para mayores informes visite www. discovermacs.org, escriba a aahurtado@ charlottediocese.org o llame al (704)370-3221 de lunes a viernes en horas de oficina.

Próximas sesiones informativas 12 de enero- Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, 4207 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte. Después de la Misa de las tres de la tarde.

19 de enero- Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

6212 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte. Después de la Misa de las 10 de la mañana y 12 del mediodía.

Sí a los buenos propósitos y no a los adivinos Deseos de mejora personal no van de la mano con consultas a videntes Es una costumbre muy extendida que a principios de año las personas establezcan propósitos para realizarlos durante los próximos doce meses.

Rebajar de peso, hacer más ejercicio, dejar de fumar, aprender otro idioma o a ejecutar un instrumento musical son los más comunes.

Pero también hay aquellos que, resaltando su vida interior, determinan propósitos de carácter espiritual.

El P. José Luis González Santoscoy, sacerdote de la Arquidiócesis mexicana de Guadalajara que también dirige un apostolado en redes sociales, propone cuatro consejos para que los propósitos del Año Nuevo no se queden solo en buenos deseos.

• Menos es más “No trates de abarcar mucho porque abandonarás todo.

Es importante que te plantees un objetivo que te atraiga y sea posible de realizar, ya que en ocasiones nos ponemos una lista interminable de cosas por cambiar, porque queremos ser perfectos de la noche a la mañana y esto termina siendo una carga pesada que nos mata en lugar de motivarnos”, asegura el sacerdote.

• Pon un objetivo concreto “Sé específico en lo que quieres para que logres obtener resultados”, sugiere el presbítero.

“Por ejemplo, a veces decimos, seré el mejor papá. Eso

no ayuda, más bien ¿qué me llevará a ser mejor papá? Por ejemplo, pasaré más tiempo con mi esposa y mis hijos. Sé específico y busca propósitos concretos”.

•Un día a la vez “Si piensas que tu objetivo lo vas a trabajar los 365 días del año, en automático pensamos que es muchísimo, por ello hay que vivir un día a la vez”.

“No excedas tus propias limitaciones. Esto te ayuda a ir obteniendo resultados visibles y reales, lo cual te motivará bastante porque irás aumentando en confianza al ver resultados”, exhorta el sacerdote.

• Busca apoyo El P. González anima a conversar con la familia y los amigos sobre estos propósitos para que ellos también te ayuden y te motiven. “En ocasiones podemos flaquear y necesitamos de alguien que nos ayude a retomar el camino”.

“Recuerda que en la medida en que estemos cerca del Señor, Él nos ayudará a perseverar. Nunca te des por vencido”, concluye.

MAGOS Y PREDICCIONES

En los días previos a la celebración del Año Nuevo proliferaron los pronósticos y adivinaciones sobre lo que sucederá en 2020.

Algo que muy pocos toman en cuenta al recurrir a estos supuestos adivinos, es que ni siquiera los demonios pueden ver el futuro, tal como lo explica el sacerdote José Antonio Fortea, especialista en el tema y exorcismo.

En su libro Summa Daemoniaca, el P. Fortea advierte: “No hace falta decir que si el futuro no es posible conocerlo ni invocando a los demonios, mucho menos con esas prácticas de astrología, cartomancia, etcétera”.

“Los demonios no lo saben todo, solo lo que pueden deducir, pero ellos no ven el futuro”, señala.

El sacerdote español escribe además que “los mismos que practican esas supercherías son la prueba viviente de que por ese medio no se puede obtener ningún beneficio”.

“Los únicos que sí que suelen obtener algún beneficio de tales adivinaciones, son los embaucadores profesionales que son los primeros en no creer en ellas y que saben dosificar sus predicciones para no pillarse los dedos”, señala.

El P. Fortea es enfático en que “nunca ningún cristiano bajo ningún concepto debe consultar a este tipo de personas”, pues “la consulta a un mago, vidente o santón constituye siempre un pecado grave”.

— Condensado de ACIPRENSA

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La Rosca de Reyes Tradición que llega hasta nuestros días CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO HISPANO

CHARLOTTE — La globalización, el fenómeno alimentado por los medios masivos de comunicación, el acceso a internet y la facilidad con la que nos transportamos alrededor del mundo en estos días, ha hecho que muchas de nuestras costumbres latinas se diluyan en atractivas historias, colores y sabores de tierras extrañas.

Reemplazamos la atención que le dábamos al nacimiento que montábamos en casa, incluyendo cueva, pastores, animalitos y la ciudad que se veía a lo lejos, por un hermoso arbolito de navidad al que adornamos bellamente con esferas de colores, titilantes luces y la infaltable estrella en lo alto.

Quien entrega los regalos es Papá Noel, también conocido como Santa Claus. Los Reyes Magos, originales adoradores del Niño Jesús con oro, incienso y mirra, han sido desplazados de su rol.

Ya no se pregunta más ‘¿qué te trajeron los reyes?’ sino ‘¿qué te trajo Santa?’.

La tradición marcaba que a la medianoche del 24 de diciembre se colocara el niño en el pesebre, mientras la familia lo recibía cantando villancicos.

La Nochebuena estaba consagrada a recibir al Niño Jesús. En muchos países latinoamericanos se dejaba la entrega de regalos para después, hasta ‘Los Reyes’.

Los Reyes Magos, que venían de Oriente con presentes para el Salvador recién nacido, no llegaban a Belén sino hasta el 6 de enero, fecha en que nuestras abuelas solían celebrar ‘La Bajada de Reyes’ con la entrega de regalos, bebiendo chocolate o atole caliente y saboreando la riquísima ‘Rosca de Reyes’.

Gracias a la influencia de la comunidad mexicana en Estados Unidos, esta importante tradición de celebrar con Rosca de Reyes la llegada de los Reyes Magos a adorar al Niño Jesús tiene amplio arraigo en todo el país.

Esta riquísima pieza de pan dulce, de forma semejante a una corona real, está adornada con frutos secos que asemejan joyas y muchas veces contienen miel e higos en su exterior.

Dependiendo del tamaño de la rosca, el interior esconde una o varias pequeñas figurillas de un niño, en ocasiones de un recién nacido.

Los niños escondidos representan a Jesucristo, simbolizando que el niño tuvo que ser ocultado y protegido en Egipto para escapar de la matanza que organizó el rey Herodes, cuando desesperado por la llegada del Mesías ordenó matar a todos los niños menores de dos años que había en Belén y sus alrededores (Mt 2:16).

Aquellos que encuentren al niño en el pan dulce deben

La tradición dicta que las personas que encuentren la figura de un niño dentro de la Rosca de Reyes deberán ofrecer tamales en la fiesta de la Candelaria, el día dos de febrero, cuando se festeje la fiesta de la presentación del Niño Jesús.

FOTO ARCHIVO CNH

ofrecer tamales durante la Fiesta de la Candelaria, el dos de febrero, cuando se recuerda la Presentación de Jesús en el Templo y la Purificación de la Virgen después del parto.

Este 6 de enero, día de Reyes, encuentre una buena oportunidad para reunirse una vez más en el calor del hogar, disfrutando en familia alrededor de una deliciosa Rosca de Reyes.

Si tiene la oportunidad, invite a alguno de sus amigos americanos. Ellos estarán encantados de conocer sobre la riqueza de nuestra fe y cultura.

¿Existieron los Reyes Magos?

En la Solemnidad de la Epifanía del Señor se recuerda la adoración de los Reyes Magos al Niño Jesús en Belén. Sin embargo, ¿fueron reyes, magos y en verdad se llamaban Melchor, Gaspar y Baltasar?

El sacerdote y teólogo Miguel Fuentes, del Instituto del Verbo Encarnado, explica en el sitio web “El Teólogo Responde” que “el término ‘magos’ (magoi) que aparece en Mt 2,1 se refiere a lo que en la antigüedad se denominaba ‘sabios’, es decir, personas que poseen conocimientos amplios y profundos adquiridos mediante el estudio.

HOMBRES SABIOS

“En este caso fueron hombres sabios que vinieron ‘del Este’ (Mt 2,1), lo cual puede ser una referencia a Arabia, Mesopotamia o algún lugar más al este de Palestina”.

El P. Fuentes precisa que “el hecho de que fueran guiados por una estrella (Mt 2,2) sugiere que fueron instruidos en astrología o en la ciencia de la navegación y en el cálculo del tiempo por medio de las configuraciones estelares”.

“Aparte de una tribu de Media llamada así, los magos aparecen, en su primera época, como una casta sacerdotal de Media y Persia. Además se dedicaban al estudio de la sabiduría. Estrabón, geógrafo e historiador griego nacido en el año 63 A.C., dice que ellos eran ‘celosos observadores de la justicia y de la virtud’. Y Cicerón, filósofo y jurista romano, dice que son ‘la clase de sabios y doctores en Persia’”.

Fue el escritor y teólogo del siglo III, Orígenes, señala el P. Fuentes, “quien por ver primera propuso que fueran tres magos en razón de los tres dones ofrecidos al niño”.

El P. Fuentes precisa además que “antes del siglo VI ningún autor afirma expresamente que fueran reyes, salvo, quizá Tertuliano, padre de la Iglesia en el siglo II, que sugirió que se trataba de ‘casi reyes’”.

“Esto se hizo popular por interpretar así la referencia al Salmo 72,10 (los reyes de la tierra se postrarán y le ofrecerán sus dones) que parece estar implícita en el relato de San Mateo”.

“El arte los presenta como reyes ya desde el

siglo VIII, mientras que en las pinturas de las catacumbas de Santa Priscila, en Roma, los representa solo como nobles persas”, señala.

Sin embargo, añade, “el Nuevo Testamento calla sobre el número y su pretendida realeza”.

A partir del siglo VIII, continúa el P. Fuentes, los Reyes Magos “recibirán nombres, con algunas variaciones (los primeros fueron Bithisarea, Melchior y Gathaspa)”.

“Los hoy corrientes Gaspar, Melchor y Baltasar, se los da, en el siglo IX, el historiador Agnello, en su obra ‘Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis’”.

OBISPOS ORDENADOS

Una antigua tradición asegura que, tras la muerte de Cristo, Santo Tomás viajó al oriente, encontró a los Magos, los bautizó y ordenó obispos. Los “La Adoración de los Reyes Magos,” Diego Velázquez tres eventualmente morirían martirizados.

En 1161, el emperador Federico I de Santa Helena, madre del emperador Hohenstaufen, conocido como Barbarroja, Constantino, a inicios del siglo IV encontró asedió Milán y había amenazado de muerte a las reliquias de los Reyes Magos, y las llevó a su alcalde. El Arzobispo de Colonia y canciller Constantinopla, actual Estambul. del emperador, Rainald von Dassel, negoció Tres siglos más tarde, San Eustorgio, Obispo las reliquias, custodiadas en un convento, por de Milán, Italia, viajó a Constantinopla a que la vida del gobernante local. el emperador aceptara su nombramiento Así fue como las reliquias fueron llevadas a episcopal y recibió como regalo las reliquias Colonia, donde se encuentran hasta hoy. de los Reyes Magos.

— Condensado de ACIPRENSA

Lecturas Diarias ENERO 5-11

Domingo (La Epifanía del Señor): Isaías 60:1-6, Efesios 3:2-3, 5-6, Mateo 2:1-12; Lunes (San Andrés Bessette): 1 Juan 3:224:6, Mateo 4:12-17, 23-25; Martes (San Raimundo de Penyafort): 1 Juan 4:7-10, Marcos 6:34-44; Wednesday: 1 Juan 4:11-18, Marcos 6:4552; Jueves: 1 Juan 4:19-5:4, Lucas 4:14-22; Viernes: 1 Juan 5:5-13, Lucas 5:12-16; Sábado: 1 Juan 5:14-21, Juan 3:22-30

ENERO 12-18

Domingo (El bautismo del Señor): Isaías 42:1-4, 6-7, Hechos 10:34-38, Mateo 3:13-17; Lunes (San Hilario de Poitiers): 1 Samuel 1:1-8, Marcos 1:14-20; Martes: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8, Marcos 1:21-28; Miércoles: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 1920, Marcos 1:29-39; Jueves: 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Marcos 1:4045; Viernes (San Antonio): 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22, Marcos 2:1-12; Sábado: 1 Samuel 9:14, 17-19, 10:1, Marcos 2:13-17

ENERO 19-25

Domingo: Isaías 49:3, 5-6, 1 Corintios 1:1-3, Juan 1:29-34; Lunes (San Fabián, San Sebastián): 1 Samuel 15:1623, Marcos 2:18-22; Martes (Sta. Agnes): 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Marcos 2:23-28; Miércoles (Día de oración para la protección legal de los niños no nacidos): 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, Marcos 3:1-6; Jueves (San Vincente, Sta. Marianne Cope): 1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19:1-7, Marcos 3:7-12; Viernes (San Francisco de Sales): 1 Samuel 24:3-21, Marcos 3:1319; Sábado (La conversión de San Pablo): Hechos 22:316, Marcos 16:15-18

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

January 3, 2020 charlottediocese.org

Accountability.

A Letter to the People of God of Western North Carolina

Dear Friends in Christ, With great sorrow yet abiding hope, the Diocese of Charlotte publishes this list of 14 clergy who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse within the diocese since it was established in 1972.

It is painful to even try to comprehend such gravely immoral behavior, particularly for those who have carried the burden of sexual abuse by clergy. However, in speaking with survivors and hearing their stories, it is clear to me that making known the names of their abusers can promote healing for them and their families. I pray this step achieves that goal.

This list is the culmination of a process begun more than a year ago in our belief that a full accounting of credibly accused clergy would provide validation for victims and demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability. While most of the names on the list were made known years ago by the diocese and others, to ensure this accounting was comprehensive, the diocese engaged independent investigators to review some 1,600 personnel and other historical records dating back almost 50 years.

To all who have been victimized by Catholic clergy, I apologize on behalf of the diocese and express to you personally my heartfelt sorrow for the physical, emotional and spiritual pain you have suffered. You deserved a priest in whom you could place your trust, a model of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Regrettably, it is clear in our history that the Catholic Church – including this diocese – did not fully understan­­d the pathology of child sexual abuse or respond to allegations as aggressively as it could have, as we do today.

While nothing can change the past, in our sorrow we also find hope.

The information we present here reflects a clear shift in the way the Church – and this diocese – has addressed the problem of child sexual abuse since 2002, when the U.S. Catholic Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Charter mandates zero tolerance, strict accountability standards, and protocols for reporting allegations and preventing abuse in all of our parishes, schools and ministries. Since I became bishop in 2003, I have been fortunate to have the Charter as our guide on this issue.

Please be assured, our file review confirmed that no clergy member serving in our diocese today has a credible allegation of child sexual abuse against him. These men deserve our prayers and our support, for they have endured the long shadow cast by the immoral acts of a few in the past.

Also be assured that all of the accused clergy named on this list have

long since been removed from ministry – and most are now deceased.

Under the Charter, anyone credibly accused must be removed from ministry until a determination of guilt or innocence is made through government or Church proceedings.

It is also our practice to report all allegations of child sexual abuse to civil authorities for action, independent of our Church adjudication process. We continue to urge people to contact law enforcement directly if they have been victimized. And we are launching an independent hotline to make it easier for people to report suspected cases of sexual abuse or misconduct to us for investigation and Church disciplinary purposes.

I am grateful for the courage and strength of abuse survivors who have shared their most private pain so those responsible could be held accountable and children today can be protected from harm. I pray the information we are sharing will provide some measure of healing and restoration of trust – for victims and for our many brothers and sisters in Christ whose confidence in the Church hierarchy has been shaken and who have felt betrayed by the way some Church leaders handled abuse allegations in the past.

Unfortunately, no list of this nature can be considered a final accounting. It is a document to which new names might be added. This list reflects credible allegations we have documented now, and it will be updated as new information emerges – and as additional survivors, perhaps prompted by this list, come forward.

I invite you to read more inside about the information being released.

Please pray with me that this information achieves the goal of bringing healing to victims. I also ask that you please pray for the Church, and for the Lord to call good and holy priests to serve the People of God in our growing diocese. With the Lord’s help, we can continue fostering a safe and supportive environment in our parishes, schools and ministries so that the Church in western North Carolina can help lead future generations to Him. Yours in Christ Jesus,

Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, J.C.D. Bishop of Charlotte

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January 3, 2020 | charlottediocese.org

Charlotte diocese publishes list of 14 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte published a list Dec. 30 of 14 clergy who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse within the diocese since it was established in 1972.

The list is the result of a year-long process that included a comprehensive, independent review of more than 1,600 files dating back almost 50 years to ensure a full accounting of credibly accused clergy in the diocese’s history.

The file review confirmed that no clergy member serving in the Charlotte diocese today has a credible allegation of sexual abuse against him. Records also show that all clergy named on the list were long ago removed from ministry or deceased – and that most names were made known years ago by the diocese and others.

Reflecting national trends, records show instances of abuse alleged in the Charlotte diocese peaked in the 1970s and dropped sharply after 2002 when new protections were put in place by the U.S. Catholic Church.

“It is painful to even try to comprehend such gravely immoral behavior,” Bishop Peter J. Jugis wrote in a letter published Monday along with the list and other abuse information. “However, in speaking with survivors and hearing their stories, it is clear to me that making known the names of their abusers can promote healing for them and their families.”

“This list is the culmination of a process begun more than a year ago in our belief that a full accounting of credibly accused clergy would provide validation for victims and demonstrate our commitment to

transparency and accountability,” wrote Catholic churches, facilities and programs.

Bishop Jugis. He announced the conclusion Since 2002, one credible case of abuse of the file review and prayed for sexual abuse is alleged to have occurred within the survivors during his homily at Mass Dec. 29 Charlotte diocese. While civil authorities at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. chose not to prosecute in that case, the In addition to its own list, the Charlotte diocese removed the priest from ministry. diocese published information about accused Four other cases of alleged abuse handled clergy who served in western North Carolina before the Charter took effect in 2002 were before the Charlotte diocese was established surfaced from the file review. in 1972, when the Diocese of Raleigh oversaw In the fall of 2018, the diocese set in motion a the Catholic Church across the state. Also multi-layered process to publish the names of identified were clergy who served without clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. documented The diocese incident automatically More information online in the placed on Charlotte its list clergy Read more about the Diocese of Charlotte’s report diocese who had online at www.accountability.charlottediocese.org. but were admitted to accused allegations or elsewhere on lists published by other were charged by law enforcement with offenses dioceses and religious orders. related to child sexual abuse. In addition, the The information was presented on the diocese placed on the list all clergy who were diocese’s new webpage, accountability. determined by its Lay Review Board to have charlottediocese.org, which also features been credibly accused. resources including a new hotline To ensure historical allegations were for reporting sexual abuse operated identified in the diocese’s files, the independently by Red Flag Reporting. independent investigators reviewed 1,600 The hotline allows people to speak up, personnel files of priests, deacons and anonymously or not, when suspected sexual religious brothers, as well as other archives, abuse or other misconduct is noted. for any indication of allegations of sexual The accountability webpage is the latest abuse of a minor. in a series of steps the diocese has taken to Their review took more than 1,000 prevent child sexual abuse since 2002, when hours and encompassed 150,000 pages of the U.S. bishops adopted the Charter for the documents.

Protection of Children and Young People.

“As with most organizations, very little The Charter mandates a zero-tolerance attention had been paid to our personnel policy, strict screening and training standards, files going back almost 50 years, but we knew and protocols for preventing abuse in all U.S. it was important to explore their contents

and make relevant information known,” said Father Patrick J. Winslow, the diocese’s former promoter of justice who oversaw the file review as the diocese’s newly appointed vicar general and chancellor. “Today, we sincerely hope our efforts will provide some validation for abuse survivors and promote a culture that allows people who may be suffering in silence to come forward and seek help.”

The Charlotte diocese has embraced – and built upon – the Charter protocols.

Protections include: n Immediate required reporting of all abuse allegations to civil authorities. n Required background checks and Safe Environment training for all personnel and volunteers. n An independent Lay Review Board to investigate and determine credibility of abuse allegations. n A rigorous code of conduct that prohibits Church personnel and volunteers from being alone with children, except in rare circumstances that involve parental oversight. n A local college seminary, founded in 2016, to promote local vocations, reduce reliance on outside clergy and more closely guide the formation of its future priests.

“Please pray with me that this information achieves the goal of bringing justice and healing to victims,” Bishop Jugis said in his letter. “With the Lord’s help, we can continue fostering a safe and supportive environment in our parishes, schools and ministries so that the Church in western North Carolina can help lead future generations to Him.”

Credibly Accused Clergy There have been 14 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor in the Diocese of Charlotte since it was established in 1972: NAME

STATUS

ORDAINED AFFILIATION

* LOCATION(S) OF ALLEGED ABUSE

Donald Philip Baker

Left ministry

1980

Diocese of Charlotte

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Lenoir, N.C.

Charles Jeffries “Jeff” Burton

Removed, Deceased

1967

Society of Jesus

Youth Ministry Center, Flat Rock, N.C.

Eugene D. Corbesero

Dismissed, Deceased

1962

Consolata Society for Foreign Missions

Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte, N.C.; New Jersey

Aloysius Joseph D’Silva

Deceased

1961

Diocese of Charlotte

St. Bernadette Mission, Linville, N.C.

Richard B. Farwell

Removed, Convicted

1981

Diocese of Charlotte

Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury, N.C.; St. Ann Church, Charlotte, N.C.

P. Patrick Gavigan

Deceased

1953

Diocese of Charlotte

Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro, N.C.

Adelbert “Del” Holmes

Deceased

1963

Glenmary Home Mission Society

St. William Church, Murphy, N.C.; Franklin, Ky.; Diocese of Richmond, Va.

Donald J. Joyce

Removed, Deceased

1958

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Sacred Heart Mission, Wadesboro, N.C.; Lowell, Mass.

Michael Joseph Kelleher

Retired, Removed, Deceased

1953

Diocese of Raleigh; Diocese of Charlotte

Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Albemarle, N.C.; Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte, N.C.; Immaculate Conception Church, Hendersonville, N.C.; Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte, N.C.

Peter Tan Van Le

Retired, Removed

1973

Diocese of Vinh Long, Vietnam

St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, Charlotte, N.C.

Damion Jacques Lynch

Removed, Dismissed

1991

Diocese of Charlotte

St. Elizabeth Church, Boone, N.C.

Justin Paul Pechulis

Deceased

1958

Diocese of Raleigh; Diocese of Charlotte

St. Lawrence Church (now Basilica), Asheville, N.C.

Donald Francis Scales

Removed, Deceased

1955

Order of St. Benedict

St. Michael Church, Gastonia, N.C.

Robert Yurgel

Convicted, Dismissed

1996

Capuchin Franciscan Friars

St. Matthew Church, Charlotte, N.C.; Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte, N.C.; St. Michael Church, Gastonia, N.C.

* “Location(s) of Alleged Abuse” generally refers to where the alleged abuse took place or the parish where the accused cleric was assigned or serving at the time.

Abuse Data Over Time The data below offer additional context for the Diocese of Charlotte’s list of credibly accused clergy, tracking incidents and reporting of abuse over time. The diocese’s 2019 independent file review confirmed that no clergy member serving in the diocese today has a credible allegation of sexual abuse against him. Alleged abuse in the diocese primarily occurred in the 1970s and steadily declined before dropping off in the 2000s, after the abuse crisis was exposed nationally and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was adopted – affirming that its strict prevention and reporting protocols are working.

Abuse by Decade

Incidents of alleged child sexual abuse in western North Carolina increased through the 1960s and peaked in the 1970s – reflecting national trends. Abuse rates dramatically fell off in the 2000s after the U.S. bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which put in place rigorous protections and reporting measures.

Occurrence vs. Reporting

Alleged incidents of abuse in the Diocese of Charlotte peaked in the 1970s but were not reported until much later, after the abuse crisis was exposed nationally and the Church put in place strict procedures with the 2002 Charter. It requires the Church to report every allegation of abuse to civil authorities for investigation – no matter when the abuse occurred.

Results of Improved Screening Most of the clergy credibly accused of abuse in western North Carolina were ordained prior to the 1970s, before priestly formation and screening practices in U.S. seminaries and religious orders began to be improved. Now, candidates for the priesthood must undergo thorough screening, training and evaluation as part of their human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. In 2016, the Diocese of Charlotte started its own college seminary to guide formation of clergy who serve locally.

Credibly Accused Clergy Since 1972

In the Diocese of Charlotte, 14 clergy have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Half were clergy assigned here by religious orders or another diocese.

Everyone named on the list above was removed long ago from ministry, and 9 are now deceased. No clergy serving in the diocese today has a credible allegation of sexual abuse against him.

January 3, 2020 | charlottediocese.org

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Questions & Answers What’s included on the Charlotte diocese’s list of credibly accused clergy?

The list at left contains the names of 14 clergy who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor in the Diocese of Charlotte since it was established in 1972, and their current status. Online is more information, including summaries of the allegations considered credible as a result of action by civil authorities, findings by the diocese’s Lay Review Board, or as the result of an independent comprehensive review of the diocese’s personnel and other files in 2019.

Also online separately is information about credibly accused clergy who served in western North Carolina before the Diocese of Charlotte was established, when the Diocese of Raleigh oversaw the Catholic Church across the state. Also online is information about clergy who served in western North Carolina without allegations documented in our files but who were publicly named by other dioceses and religious orders as credibly accused of sexual abuse or misconduct elsewhere.

Why is the diocese publishing this information?

We know from hearing the stories of sexual abuse victims that making the names of abusers known provides validation and can promote healing – and a culture that allows victims to come forward.

Are there priests currently serving in the diocese who have credible abuse allegations against them?

No. Since 2002, when the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was adopted, the diocese has had a zero-tolerance policy: No clergy may serve in ministry who are known to have a credible allegation of child sexual abuse against them. The diocese’s 2019 file review confirmed that no clergy in ministry here have a credible abuse allegation against them.

If I received a sacrament from a priest on the accused clergy list, is the sacrament still valid?

Yes. Sacraments administered by an ordained priest are valid no matter whether he is later removed from ministry or stops functioning as a priest. The validity of the sacrament depends upon the saving action of Christ, not on the personal holiness of the priest conferring it. The only requirements for a priest to administer a sacrament are that he be validly ordained and given authority by the Church to do so.

What is a credible allegation of sexual abuse?

A credible allegation is one that has the semblance of truth; one supported by information worthy of belief. It is not a finding of guilt. In cases involving alleged sexual abuse of a minor, it is a determination that requires the immediate removal of a cleric from ministry and any other assigned duties unless and until it is determined the allegation is not credible through civil or ecclesiastical adjudication. Factors that may help determine credibility include whether: n the accused cleric has admitted the abuse n an allegation is corroborated by external information n there are allegations from more than one identifiable person n the accused has been publicized or named on a list of credibly accused clergy by other dioceses or religious orders n there is information obtained through criminal, civil or ecclesiastical proceedings Can a priest who sexually abused a minor return to ministry?

No. The diocese has a zero-tolerance policy. No clergy member with a credible allegation of sexual abuse against him may serve in ministry – no matter when or where the alleged abuse occurred.

Why were some priests accused of sexual abuse in the past allowed to return to ministry?

Before the Charter was adopted in 2002, allegations were handled based on evolving clinical, psychological and societal standards at the time. The Church, like most institutions, did not fully understand the pathology of abusers and worked with the psychiatric community in attempts to treat the illness. Priests were occasionally sent for treatment and counseling, then returned with a psychiatric endorsement declaring them fit for ministry.

Today, under the Charter, no clergy member or Church worker credibly accused of sexual abuse can return to ministry – and all allegations are reported to civil authorities.

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charlottediocese.org | January 3, 2020

New hotline launched

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has launched a new independent hotline for the reporting of sexual abuse and misconduct.

The diocese has contracted with Red Flag Reporting, an industry-leading ethics reporting provider based in Akron, Ohio, to enable people to speak up, anonymously or not, when unethical activity is noted.

Key features of the independent and secure hotline include: n A toll-free phone number with live operators 24/7/365 who have the ability to field calls in more than 200 languages n An easy-to-use web reporting portal in more than 50 languages n Direct but anonymous communications between people reporting abuse and investigators n An ongoing ability for investigators to share documents and track multiple issues within one report

n An auditable trail of information and trending data that enables Church leaders to verify compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People n For the person reporting abuse, automatic identification of who the report will be routed to The diocese continues to encourage anyone who suspects abuse or misconduct to contact local law enforcement first.

The diocese also notifies civil authorities immediately upon receiving any allegations of sexual abuse – past or present.

This independent, secure and confidential hotline adds another level of protection and public assurance to the robust child protection measures the diocese has already had in place for decades, so that the Church in western North Carolina is a safe and sacred environment for all of God’s children.

Every U.S. Catholic diocese is required…

Since 2002, the Catholic Church in the United States has followed a set of rules initiated by the bishops of the country and approved by the Vatican for dealing with sexual abuse of minors by priests or deacons: The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and its accompanying Essential Norms for Diocesan/ Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons.

These norms include: n To have a written policy for dealing with sexual abuse of minors by priests, deacons and other Church personnel n To appoint a victim assistance coordinator, who is available for the immediate pastoral care of persons who report having been sexually abused as a minor by a priest or deacon n To report allegations concerning child sexual abuse to civil authorities and to cooperate with civil investigations n To establish a review board of at least five persons, mostly members of the laity, who counsel the bishop on allegations and review local policies dealing with sexual abuse of minors n To investigate promptly and objectively any allegation of sexual abuse of minors by a priest or deacon n To remove offending priests or deacons permanently from Church ministry n To prohibit the transfer of offending priests or deacons for ministerial assignment in another diocese n To receive necessary background information before permitting a priest or deacon to exercise ministry in a diocese n To protect the rights of accusers and of the accused — U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

More online

How to report an allegation of abuse

If you have information about possible sexual abuse or misconduct by any clergy, employee or volunteer of the Diocese of Charlotte, report concerns safely, securely and anonymously 24/7 over the phone or online:

At www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/ child-and-youth-protection/charter.cfm: Get more information and read the full text of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its accompanying Essential Norms

Since 2002 in the Diocese of Charlotte...

ONLINE: www.RedFlagReporting.com/RCDOC

PHONE: 1-888-630-5929 (toll-free)

You may also use the following (be sure to be detail oriented, specify this is regarding the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, and indicate if you wish to remain anonymous or not): FAX: 1-330-572-8146 EMAIL: redflag@redflagreporting.com MAIL: RFR, P.O. Box 4230, Akron, Ohio 44321 PLEASE NOTE: The Diocese of Charlotte reports all allegations of sexual abuse of a minor to law enforcement. The diocese also notifies its Victim Assistance Coordinator, a licensed counselor who offers assistance to the reporting individual, as well as its Lay Review Board, an independent advisory group that investigates allegations of abuse for Church disciplinary purposes.

If you know or suspect that a minor (person under 18) is or has been abused, please contact 9-1-1 if it is an emergency, or your local law enforcement or Department of Social Services if it is a nonemergency.

10 tips for protecting children and offering outreach to victims/survivors

1 Sexual abuse is about the victim.

taken seriously, and a victim/survivor’s suffering, pain and anger are acknowledged.

2 The residual effects of having been abused

abuser.

Experience shows that most abuse is committed by someone who has gained the trust of a victim/ survivor and his/her family.

Many people are affected by abuse but the individual most impacted is the victim who has suffered a violation of trust that can affect his or her entire life. can last a lifetime.

The sense of violation goes deep into a person’s psyche and feelings of anger, shame, hurt and betrayal can build long after the abuse has taken place. Those who have been abused can heal, but it often takes time, therapy and the support of loved ones.

3 No one has the right to have access to children.

No one, no matter who they are, has an automatic right to be around children or young people who are in the care of the Church without proper screening and without following the rules.

4

Common sense is not all that common.

Dioceses, schools, parishes and especially families must educate themselves and others on how to protect children.

5 Child sexual abuse can be prevented.

It is critical to build safety barriers around children and young people to keep them from harm – such as protective guardians, codes of conduct, background evaluations, policies and procedures, and safety training programs.

6 Feeling heard leads toward healing.

Relief from hurt and anger often comes when one feels heard, when one’s pain and concerns are

7 You cannot always predict who will be an

8 There are behavioral warning signs of child

abusers.

Some abusers isolate a potential victim by giving him or her undue attention or lavish gifts. Others allow young people to participate in activities which their parents or guardians would not approve, such as watching pornography, drinking alcohol, using drugs and excessive touching, such as wrestling and tickling.

9 People can be taught to identify grooming

behavior.

Grooming behaviors are the actions which abusers take to project the image that they are kind, generous, caring people, while their intent is to lure a minor into an inappropriate relationship.

Offenders can be patient and may groom their victim, his or her family, or community for years.

10 Background checks are important.

Background checks in churches, schools and other organizations keep predators away from children both because they scare off some predators and because they uncover past actions that should ban an adult from working or volunteering with children.

— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Warning signs of abuse in minors

Warning signs of perpetrators

n No longer wants to see a particular person they had

n Tries to get minors alone n Commits physical and emotional boundary violations n Keeps secrets with minors n Gives lavish gifts to minors n Allows or encourages minors to break laws or rules n Is overly interested in spending time with minors n Has inappropriate conversations with minors n Does not believe the rules apply to them

been close to n Has declining academic performance n Tries to hide use of technology n Is no longer interested in activities they used to enjoy n Shows changes in personality n Demonstrates aggressive behavior or is constantly angry n Withdraws from family or friends

— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

11

Cathedral hosts fundraiser for critical pro-life ministry Be Not Afraid

MIKE FITZGERALD | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Praying for an end to abortion HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Parish in Huntersville organized its biannual St. Mark Pro-Life Day Oct. 26 with multiple spiritual events focused on ending abortion. The day began with a special 7 a.m. Mass offered by St. Mark’s pastor, Father John Putnam, for the end of abortion. After Mass, parishioners were invited to pray for one hour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the new Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Charlotte, which recently began performing abortions. Before departing, attendees were also anointed by Father Putnam for spiritual protection while out on the sidewalk. St. Mark parishioners who were unable to travel to Charlotte also participated by adopting one hour in the parish’s Adoration Chapel during the day to pray for an end to abortion. St. Mark Pro-Life Day is organized during the Fourth Saturday in March and October as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign. St. Mark parishioners were also joined in prayer by St. Ann parishioners, led by St. Ann’s pastor, Father Timothy Reid, as well as several seminarians from St. Joseph College Seminary, who were participating in their Fourth Saturday Respect Life vigil that same morning at Planned Parenthood.

CHARLOTTE — More than 120 supporters packed St. Patrick Cathedral’s Family Life Center Dec. 5 to attend a special fundraiser for Be Not Afraid ministry.

The special wine tasting and raffle event was organized to help support the growth of Be Not Afraid, a nationwide pro-life ministry that supports parents carrying to term following a poor prenatal diagnosis.

When an unborn baby is diagnosed with a life-limiting condition (such as Trisomy 13 or 18), doctors encourage parents to end the pregnancy, often expressing concerns about the level of disability the baby will have and their poor quality of life. Oftentimes, parents are not offered information regarding the alternative option: carrying the baby to term. Medical research indicates that carrying to term offers emotional and physical benefits to parents, but parents who do not abort are often left with few alternatives or avenues of support. For babies delivered with life-limiting diagnoses, the hospital may not even provide basic care because the baby’s disability is inaccurately presented as being lethal, and parents are urged to limit their medical care.

Be Not Afraid staff and peers assist parents in these situations and serve as advocates for the parents and their babies – providing both emotional and material support during and after the pregnancy.

It also provides bereavement support for parents, as well as referrals so parents can obtain the best care for their child.

The ministry, founded in Charlotte by two Catholic mothers, is now a nationwide non-

profit ministry that has seen significant growth in clients due to the growing needs of parents who are receiving poor prenatal diagnoses. Be Not Afraid works with parents of any religious background, and the increase in cases has also increased the need for additional funding.

The event was organized by the cathedral’s Respect Life ministry, and featured a keynote talk by Dr. Martin McCaffrey, professor of pediatrics at UNC-Chapel Hill and a board-certified neonatologist who serves on the BNA Medical Advisory Board. In a moving presentation, McCaffrey, a Catholic, shared his experiences in supporting parents experiencing a poor prenatal diagnosis and then his caring for newborns whose parents had been encouraged to abort and then threatened with denial of medical care if they carried their baby to term. If treated like other babies, some of these babies live for years as a blessing to their families, while some live for months or even just days, he said. McCaffrey closed his remarks by noting that even those babies who may only live briefly are sent here for one reason: “to teach us how to love.”

At the conclusion of the event, one of the BNA parents Dr. McCaffrey supported presented him with a gift, thanking him for his care for her late son.

To learn more about Be Not Afraid, go online to www.benotafraid.net or email Tracy Winsor at tracy.winsor@benotafraid. net.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

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The Superintendent reports to the Vicar for Education and leads the Catholic Schools Office. The position also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the regional school system comprised of the nine schools in the greater Charlotte area.

The Catholic Schools Office serves, supports, and challenges the Catholic community in the Diocese toward continual and planned growth in Catholic identity, academic excellence, community support and service, and financial viability.

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Mix 12

catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

Local author pens book on identifying demons and combating spiritual warfare SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

‘Little Women’ Elegant, vibrantly emotional adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel from writer-director Greta Gerwig. The familiar March sisters, Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), are presented in the format of a non-linear memory play, with Jo, first shown as an adult writer, recalling the episodes that formed their characters and shaped their life decisions. The main storyline finds feckless Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) longing to marry Jo but ending up with Amy. Moviegoers who already loves these characters will get the lush presentation they hope to see. And Gerwig’s occasional alterations prove she’s equally adept at accurate history and subtle moral messaging. Mature themes, including death.

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

‘Just Mercy’ A Harvard educated lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) strives, with the help of a local activist (Brie Larson), to save the life of an Alabama death-row prisoner (Jamie Foxx) convicted on feeble evidence of the murder of an 18-year-old white woman. As the attorney tries to convince the key witness in the case (Tim Blake Nelson) to admit he perjured himself, the prosecutor (Rafe Spall) stands by the original verdict and the community backlash turns ugly. Director and co-writer Destin Daniel Cretton’s adaptation of a 2014 memoir by Bryan Stevenson reaches back to events in the 1980s but also vividly demonstrates the on-going dangers posed by the application of capital punishment in a society still burdened by widespread racism.

Yet this is much more than a message movie since Cretton and his script collaborator Andrew Lanham avoid caricature, showing that even some of their most misguided characters are capable of conversion. As a humane and winning study of a subject with immense realworld significance, it’s possibly acceptable for older adolescents. Mature themes, a disturbing scene of execution, offscreen nudity in a strip search, a couple of mild oaths, a few crude and crass terms.

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

Other movies: n ‘Cats’: CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG n ‘The Irishman’ (Netflix): CNS: L (limited adult audience); MPAA: R

MOUNT HOLLY — Local author Charles Fraune has written a book he never expected to write. It’s entitled “Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists See & What We Should Know.”

The book by Fraune, who teaches theology at Christ the King High School in Huntersville, is now in its second edition.

Fraune says that in the process of teaching theology to the juniors and seniors at the high school, “Divine Providence directed me toward a documentary on the true story behind the movie ‘The Exorcist.’ This was the beginning of my journey toward writing ‘Slaying Dragons’.”

After watching the documentary, a priest told him about the book “The Demon of Brownsville Road,” which he quickly read.

“These two detailed, real-life accounts of what demons are capable of doing were given to me at a time when I was eager to obtain clarity about spiritual baggage that I had carried with me since my childhood, from before my conversion at the age of 20,” Fraune explains.

“I was not a devout child or teenager, but I was spiritually curious – a curiosity of the sort that led me in the wrong direction.

Having never settled in the practice of the faith in my youth, I did not have the proper spiritual understanding, nor prayer life, to navigate the rough waters of a secular and occult-inclined culture,” he admits.

“Even after my conversion, when Our Lord performed truly miraculous surgery on my soul, I knew that I carried with me particular, yet mysterious, wounds. Still, almost 20 years later, those wounds were a burden and a hindrance to my spiritual growth,” Fraune says.

Fraune recalls that around the same time that he read the book mentioned above, he embarked on a spiritual purification under the guidance of a priest friend.

“This helped me re-focus my life of prayer and meditation and also trained me

in certain techniques of spiritual warfare like renunciations and the use of the ‘binding prayer’,” he notes.

It was at that point that someone introduced him to the teachings of Father Chad Ripperger, F.S.S.P., a renowned exorcist in the United States who has countless conferences available online to watch and listen to, Fraune adds.

“The teachings of this exorcist, detailed and fascinating, were also intensely practical,” Fraune says. “I continuously remarked to myself, as I watched the videos, how I had never heard half of this information, even with a masters in theology and having spent significant time in seminary.”

The more he immersed himself in these teachings, the more Fraune felt compelled to share them with others. “Eventually, being a lifelong writer, the idea emerged of writing a book. In the end, I collected the teachings, from books and lectures and articles, of about 12 exorcists and 20 saints and Doctors of the Church, and arranged them into a systematic presentation of the most crucial and helpful teachings with regard to the actions and methods of the diabolical,” he explains.

Order a copy At www.amazon.com: “Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists See & What We Should Know” is available in paperback and eBook online

Catholic Book Pick ‘Improving Your Body Image through Catholic Teaching,’ by John Acquaviva, PhD Cloaked in promises of freedom and empowerment, a war has threatened the lives of millions of people of all ages, but especially the young. This is the body image war. From Photoshop to misleading advertising to the use of paid celebrities, society constantly feeds us a cocktail of lies about how we are supposed to look and feel about ourselves.

And so many have bought in, leading to catastrophic results: eating disorders, body obsession, plastic surgery, steroids, peer pressure and depression. How do we combat this onslaught?

The answer is to turn to God and the teachings of His Church. In “Improving Your Body Image through Catholic Teaching,” Dr. John Acquaviva relies on such works as Theology of the Body, Holy Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and on his own history as a college professor of exercise science to explore the troublesome world of body image in the 21st century and what we can do to fight it.

At www.tanbooks.com: Order your copy of “Improving Your Body Image through Catholic Teaching.”

Catholic News Herald readers enjoy 20 percent off their order – use the exclusive coupon code “CNH20.”

On TV n Saturday, Jan. 4, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Maria Goretti.” Saint Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints in the history of the Church, gave up her life to protect her purity. A remarkable film, explore her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions. n Sunday, Jan. 5, 6 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint John Neumann.” An EWTN original docu-drama focusing on the life and ministry of St. John Neumann, a bishop, a zealous missionary and the founder of the United States’ Catholic education system. n Monday, Jan. 6, 11 a.m. (EWTN) “Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.” Mass of the Epiphany with Pope Francis from St. Peter’s Basilica. n Wednesday, Jan. 8, 5:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Egypt: Kidnapped Brides.”

Tragedy continues to plague the Coptic communities in Egypt, as Christian girls as young as 13 are taken from their homes, coerced into converting to Islam and forced to marry their kidnappers. n Thursday, Jan. 9, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Joseph of Cupertino.” In Italy, Bob and Penny Lord examine the life of St. Joseph of Cupertino and how this unlikely priest became a great saint. n Friday, Jan. 10, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love.” St. Gianna Molla was a physician, wife and mother who refused an abortion, despite knowing that the pregnancy could result in her death. n Saturday, Jan. 11, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Joan of Arc.” A film about St. Joan of Arc, a simple peasant girl whose divine calling to save France allowed her to gain the trust of Charles VII and lead French armies to victory against the English. n Sunday, Jan. 12, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.” Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass with the sacrament of baptism, live from the Sistine Chapel. n Monday, Jan. 13, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Unplanned: The 40 Days for Life Story.” A documentary on the real-life pivotal figures depicted in the film “Unplanned,” who played a key role in the conversion of former Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnston. n Tuesday, Jan. 14, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Saint Francis: Mirror of Christ.” Father Apostoli looks at St. Francis as the little poor man. It was a name given to him by a group because of his poverty.

St. Francis wanted to imitate Christ so he became poor just like Christ was poor.

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Father Jeremy Secrist of St. Peter Church in Jefferson City, Mo., poses for a photo next to the organ console in the choir Oct. 20, 2019. Also pictured are visiting organist Horst Buchholz, visiting vocal soloist MeeAe Cecilia Nam and members of the local American Guild of Organists chapter.

Missouri priest finds beauty in the ‘king of instruments’ JAY NIES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Mozart proclaims the organ to be the “king of instruments,” but it actually works more like a parliament.

It reigns when its panoply of voices speaks in harmony and balance, with whispers and crescendos drawing upon the full spectrum of sound and human emotion.

“There’s the capacity to surround and fill the space with a volume and complexity of tone that no other instrument can match,” said Father Jeremy Secrist, pastor of St. Peter Parish in Jefferson City.

This year, Jefferson City Bishop W. Shawn McKnight appointed Father Secrist to serve as the bishop’s delegate for care and promotion of pipe organs.

The new role includes taking an inventory of existing pipe organs in parishes, advocating for their preservation, restoration and maintenance, and cultivating an appreciation for the contribution they can make to Catholic liturgies.

“What makes them particularly well matched to congregational singing is that, like members of a choir, each of the windblown pipes produces an individually generated sound,” Father Secrist told The Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

He called the pipe organ “the oldest stereo instrument – one that is able to fill a space, that is able to support the voices of men, women and children.”

A single properly engineered set of tuned pipes, built with skill and technology acquired over 1,500 years of organbuilding, “can support and encourage singing in a way that other instruments simply cannot,” Father Secrist said.

Organs with three, five, 10, 20, 30 or even 50 sets of pipes offer arrays of variety and volume. Pipes can be made of wood or metal and range in length from a few inches to 8, 16 or even 32 feet.

“It’s not just multiplication of voices or volume, but of color,” he said.

Notes can be held. Harmonies can be accentuated. Voices of varying pitches, timbres and volumes can be mixed, depending on the occasion, the type of music and the people who are singing with it.

“I would liken a pipe organ to the Psalms,” Father Secrist said. “When you go through all 150 of them – as King David sings and prays and repents and even curses – we find representation of all human emotions. And in all of those, God is able to work.”

The pipe organ is “able to plug into, to enter into the soul, the heart of who we are,” Father Secrist added.

Organ pipes are arranged into “ranks,” each containing approximately 61 notes of the same voice and placed atop wooden wind chests filled with pressurized air.

When the stop knob that controls one of the ranks is activated, the pressing of a key or pedal allows the pressurized air to enter the pipe of the corresponding note.

The column of air vibrates inside the pipe, creating a pitch that mixes and harmonizes with the vibrations from neighboring pipes as they are activated.

“The longer the pipe, the lower the pitch,” Father Secrist explained.

Pipes of different sizes, shapes, materials and wind pressures produce a colorful palate of sounds that can be adjusted by blending the various stops.

Organs started out simple in ancient times and became more complex over the centuries as organ builders discovered innovative ways to construct the pipes and the intricate mechanisms that force air through them.

Mathematicians calculated the effect of thickness, radius, height and degree of tapering on the sound of each pipe.

In doing so, they found new expressions of God’s beauty and wisdom reflected in creation and the laws that govern it.

ORGAN, SEE PAGE 20

January Respect Life Events Charlotte Mass for the Unborn Friday, January 10, 2020 9 A.M. – St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 6828 Old Reid Road, Charlotte, NC March for Life Charlotte Friday, January 10, 2020 11 A.M. – Assemble at Pastoral Center 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 12 P.M. – March marchforlifecharlotte.org Mass, Rally and March for Life Raleigh Saturday, January 18, 2020 11 A.M. Mass – Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral 715 Nazareth St . Raleigh, NC 27606 1 PM – Rally & March Bicentennial Plaza http://ncrtl.org/rally-and-march-for-life/

North Carolina Mass for Life Washington, D.C. Friday, January 24, 2020 Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 400 Michigan Ave. NE Washington, D.C. 11:30 A.M. - Mass with Bishops Peter J. Jugis & Luis R. Zarama

For more info: ccdoc.org/respectlife

ccdoc.org

March for Life 2020 Washington, D.C. Friday, January 24, 2020 12th St. and National Mall 12 P.M.- Rally 1 P.M.- March for Life www.marchforlife.org

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Our nation 14

catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Report says McCarrick fund gave more than $600,000 to clerics, two popes RHINA GUIDOS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two popes and multiple priests, cardinals and archbishops received part of $600,000 in financial gifts from former Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who controlled a discretionary fund, according to a report published Dec. 27 by The Washington Post.

The newspaper said that, through interviews and access to financial records, it determined that over a period of two decades, McCarrick drew on the “Archbishop’s Special Fund” account set up at the Archdiocese of Washington, where he was the archbishop from 2001 until 2006. Though the majority of the $6 million the fund raised in almost two decades went to charities, many priests and more than 60 cardinals and archbishops benefited from it, the newspaper reported.

“Several of the more than 100 recipients were directly involved in assessing misconduct claims against McCarrick, documents and interviews show,” the Post story said.

During that time, McCarrick sent $90,000 to Pope John Paul II and $291,000 to Pope Benedict XVI from the account, which the newspaper describes as having little oversight and having amassed donations from influential donors, including President Donald Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry; novelist Mary Higgins Clark; John B. Hess, chief

executive the Hess Corp. oil company; and a foundation run by Francis Rooney, politician and former U.S. Ambassador to Vatican.

In a statement, the archdiocese responded to the Post by saying that “the funds in the account came from donations sent personally to Mr. McCarrick to direct in his sole discretion. During his tenure in Washington, Mr. McCarrick made contributions to many charitable and religious McCarrick organizations and members of leadership in the Church.”

The disclosure of the finances comes at a time when the Vatican is supposed to be releasing a report about the ascent to power of the former U.S. cardinal, now 89 and living in a Franciscan friary in rural Kansas.

In a brief presentation Nov. 11 during the annual fall gathering of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley told the bishops gathered in Baltimore that the Vatican would soon let the public in on what it knows about how the former prelate rose up the Church ranks even as many were aware of his alleged abuses.

McCarrick was dismissed by the Vatican from the clerical state in February

following an investigation of accusations that he had abused children early in his career of more than 60 years as a cleric, and that he also had abused seminarians as a bishop. He previously had been one of the most visible and esteemed members of the USCCB, globetrotting even into his 80s on behalf of Church matters.

Cardinal O’Malley told the bishops that officials at the Vatican have assembled a “hefty document” on McCarrick, and it is being translated into Italian and will be presented to Pope Francis.

On Twitter, the disclosure of the financial gifts by McCarrick led to outcry and condemnation.

“Why are bishops giving cash gifts to each other?” tweeted Patricia McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University, shortly after the newspaper story was published. “The scandal that won’t end ... just appalling.”

She objected to comments attributed to a spokesman for Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, that such financial gifts are “common” and that “to send and receive such gifts is customary during the Christmas season, including between bishops, as a sign of appreciation for work carried out in the service of the universal Church and for the Holy Father.”

Cardinal Parolin is said to have received $1,000 from McCarrick.

The revelations also came days after the newspaper published a redacted report detailing what witnesses say transpired

during the tenure of the retired Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, who is said to have sent $350,000 in similar gifts to Vatican and other Church officials. The report detailed allegations of sexual misconduct at the diocese as well as when he was at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in the 1980s.

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Bransfield’s resignation Sept. 13, 2018, and in July the pope announced disciplinary actions for the bishop, including prohibiting him from living in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and from presiding or participating anywhere in any public celebration of the liturgy. Bishop Mark Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston asked Bishop Bransfield to pay the diocese $792,638 in restitution and to apologize to victims and to the diocese. Bishop Bransfield, too, seemed to have a personal account, but it drew on money from the diocese for the gifts he gave to Church officials.

McCarrick and Bishop Bransfield repeatedly have denied wrongdoing.

Though Cardinal O’Malley said the report on McCarrick would be published by Christmas or the New Year, the USCCB’s outgoing president, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Houston-Galveston, said in the November meeting that even though it was almost finished, “they are in the process still of more information coming in.”

Washington Post publishes Vatican report on West Virginia investigation RHINA GUIDOS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A national newspaper published a document that, it says, is a copy of a report now in the hands of the Vatican, detailing what witnesses say transpired during the tenure of the retired bishop of the Diocese of WheelingCharleston, as well as other allegations of sexual misconduct while he was the rector of Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Washington Post published the 60page document Dec. 23 on its website, which describes previously published accounts of alleged abuse and financial misconduct by retired Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, including “troubling incidents” that caused concern by some church workers that he may have targeted minor altar servers for abuse, though there’s no conclusive evidence that he carried out the abuse, the document said.

The newspaper said it published the account because of “significant” public interest and because it hadn’t received an answer from Catholic Church officials about whether the report would be released. In it, investigators describe a culture of fear and power fueled by the abuse of alcohol and prescription pain killers on the part of Bishop Bransfield, who was the head of the diocese from 2005 until 2018. However, the report looks at what it calls “predatory behavior targeted at seminarians, young priests and other young men” from 1982 to 1987, while he was at the country’s largest Marian shrine in Washington.

During his time there, the report says,

he employed “grooming” behavior toward young men, including conversations of a sexual nature, giving cash or other gifts and favors, touching young men and each time increasingly invading their personal boundaries to see how far he could go. One of his alleged targets, whose professional position was redacted in the report, said the former bishop would glance at him below the waist. He then allegedly would touch his “genital area in the presence of this individual.” Some seminarians who came into contact with the prelate said they found him “creepy” and told of closed-door meetings he would demand in his office at the shrine, according to the document.

The document details behavior that seemed to worsen with his arrival in West Virginia, where he had access to the diocese’s finances, and he used the money to buy gifts for young men, to take them on private travel and indulge an appetite for alcohol. The report includes a heavily redacted incident when Bishop Bransfield, and a person whose position is unknown, traveled during an unspecified date to Castel Gandolfo, where the pope has a summer residence, and where the bishop allegedly slapped the person’s buttocks, “which upset (name redacted) greatly.”

Another heavily redacted incident tells of “convocation events in May” after which “the bishop drank to excess one evening and exposed” himself, then pulled the unnamed person toward him and ran his hands over his chest then on his genitals.

In a section describing concerns about minors at the Cathedral of Wheeling, the report says an unnamed person

observed the former bishop “grooming” some of them “and told the Delegate for Administrative Affairs that he believed parents should be warned against having their children serve as altar servers for the bishop.”

Once incident describes the retired bishop pushing money into the hand of a former altar server at a restaurant and picking up the tab for his family’s dinner.

“The young man’s mother was deeply concerned about the interaction she witnessed between the bishop and her son,” the report says.

Though many seemed Bransfield to have witnessed some of the behavior publicly or were told about it, no one seemed to challenge the bishop because of fear, even after they heard fearful accounts of young priests or seminarians, or they didn’t want to endanger their careers in the Church, the document says. Instead, they watched as a steady stream of young men headed into the bishop’s path, even as they occasionally seemed to fear what could happen to the men at the hands of the prelate.

The document’s findings say that “Bishop Bransfield subjected multiple seminarians and priests to unwanted sexual overtures, sexual harassment and sexual contact, beginning no later than the time of his employment as Director of Finance and Executive Director/Rector of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C.”

Though it details many alleged incidents of sexual improprieties, it also documents two men who lived with the former bishop in Washington, and who remain close to him, who said they never saw any of the behavior described.

The document says it was prepared for Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who was tasked by the Holy See with investigating the goings-on in West Virginia during Bishop Bransfield’s time there.

The story by The Washington Post said that even though the Federal Bureau of Investigation seems to be investigating the matter, related to an accusation that retired Bishop Bransfield allegedly touched a 9-year-old during a field trip to the District of Columbia, it’s unclear whether they have read the report.

The Post story says that Tim Bishop, a spokesman for the Diocese of WheelingCharleston, told the newspaper in a statement, that the diocese “paid the costs associated with the investigation because it was warranted by the conduct of its former bishop,” and that the “Holy See commissioned the preliminary investigation, thus the report belongs to the Holy See.” Pope Francis accepted Bishop Bransfield’s resignation Sept. 13, 2018, but the bishop left under a cloud of allegations of sexual and financial misconduct. This past July the pope announced disciplinary actions for Bishop Bransfield, prohibiting him from living in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and from presiding or participating anywhere in any public celebration of the liturgy.

The report is available at https://wapo. st/bransfieldreport.

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Faith leaders, nonprofit groups hail House repeal of ‘parking lot tax’ WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress has repealed a so-called “parking lot tax” that was part of the 2017 tax cut measure and would have required houses of worship and other nonprofits to pay a 21 percent tax on employee benefits such as parking spaces and transit subsidies. The repeal was part of House and Senate appropriations bills, passed by the two chambers Dec. 17 and Dec. 19, respectively. President Donald Trump signed the bills Dec. 20. “Houses of worship and charitable organizations provide invaluable spiritual care, social services, and support in every community in our country,” the chairmen of two U.S. bishops’ committees said in a Dec. 20 statement. “Especially during this time of year, we remember the ongoing good work happening through these organizations. To impose a new tax on these entities was wrong in the first place.” “We applaud Congress for amending the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate this burdensome tax,” they said.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, issued the joint statement.

Smith, USCIRF welcome State Dept. report on religious persecution WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Catholic member of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom welcomed the U.S. Department of State’s redesignation of nine nations as “countries of particular concern” for carrying out or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.” State Department officials maintained the designation for Myanmar (Burma), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in a Dec. 18 report, following the commission’s recommendation in April. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said Dec. 20 that Congress had raised concerns about China’s effort to “Sinicize” religion in the world’s largest nation.

Actions have included the seizure of Bibles, removal of the “halal” designation from food products, Church demolitions, and the removal of loudspeakers and Islamic crescents and domes. He also cited the need for U.S. officials to pay “special attention” to events in Eritrea as people continue to flee persecution in the East Africa nation. Smith has long championed religious freedom globally. He is senior member the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, ranking member House Global Human Rights Subcommittee and co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Trump rule separates billing for abortion from health coverage WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration Dec. 20 finalized a rule requiring health insurers to send customers a bill for coverage of an elective abortion that is separate from their premium for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The head of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee commended the administration “for enforcing the law.” “Consumers have a right to know if they are paying for elective abortion,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “While the Affordable Care Act still

allows government-subsidized plans to cover abortion, at least with this rule, Americans can now see and try to avoid complicity by choosing plans consistent with their consciences,” he said in a Dec. 23 statement. “I commend the administration for enforcing the law, for its efforts to ensure transparency in health care, and for attempting to respect unborn human life.” “Abortion should never be paid for with taxpayer dollars,” she added in a Dec. 20 statement. “This simple and straightforward policy has been codified for decades by the U.S. Congress in the Hyde Amendment The Exchange Program Integrity Final Rule, as it is called, “finally implements section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act, nearly a decade after it was enacted into law,” said Katie Glenn, government affairs counsel at Americans United for Life.

Faith in 2018. The Catechism of the Catholic Church now states that the “death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the

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inviolability and dignity of the person.”

— Catholic News Service

Supreme Court to hear cases of fired Catholic school teachers WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court will take a deeper dive into laws governing Church and state next year when it examines two Catholic school teacher firings. The court agreed Dec. 18 to take up the combined cases of two California Catholic schools that were sued by teachers they had fired who claimed they had been victims of job discrimination. The schools, both in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, argued in lower courts that they were exempt from discrimination laws by “ministerial exception.” This exception is based on a 2012 Supreme Court decision that said Church and religious school employers are exempt from anti-discrimination laws for employees who are ministers of the faith. In these two cases, federal district courts ruled in favor of the schools, citing ministerial exception. But two separate panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed these decisions, saying the limited extent of the employee’s religious duties were insufficient to qualify for a ministerial exception that was more often applied to those with roles of religious leadership. Becket, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm, is representing the schools in the cases: St. James School v. Biel and Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru. In a Dec. 18 statement, the firm said: “Most courts have ruled that ministerial employees are those employees who perform important religious functions, like instructing young children in the precepts of the Catholic faith,” adding that the 9th Circuit in these cases “rejected this widely accepted rule.”

New report shows decreased use of death penalty in U.S. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Use of the death penalty in the United States continues to decrease, according to a report released Dec. 17 by the Death Penalty Information Center.

The report said this year’s 22 executions and 33 new death sentences were down from the previous year’s 25 executions. This year also marks the fifth consecutive year when there were fewer than 30 executions and 50 death sentences. The report also noted that death sentences have declined by more than 85 percent and executions by more than 75 percent from their peaks in the 1990s. “It is encouraging to see the continual decline in the use of the death penalty in the United States,” said Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice. “People in the pews and clergy at the highest levels of Catholic leadership are lifting up the Church’s unconditionally pro-life stance and working to build a criminal legal system that honors the sacredness of human life,” she added in a Dec. 17 statement. This past June, the U.S. bishops voted to revise the death penalty section of the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, reflecting an earlier change made by Pope Francis and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the

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In Brief Pope begins restoring normal governance to Chilean dioceses VATICAN CITY — Beginning the process of restoring normal governance to the dioceses of Chile in the wake of a massive clerical sexual abuse and cover-up scandal, Pope Francis named archbishops for the archdioceses of Santiago and Puerto Montt. In May 2018 every bishop in Chile offered his resignation to Pope Francis after a three-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the abuse scandal and cover up. By March 2019, Pope Francis had accepted the resignations of eight of the bishops leading one of the country’s 27 dioceses or other Church jurisdictions. Embattled Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati of Santiago was the last to step down. Pope Francis named Bishop Celestino Aos Braco of Copiapo, 74, as administrator of the archdiocese in March and named him archbishop Dec. 27. Also Dec. 27, Pope Francis named former Santiago Auxiliary Bishop Luis Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago to be the archbishop of Puerto Montt. The new archbishop, who turns 61 Jan. 2, had been apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Rancagua since June 2018.

Pope: ‘Christendom no longer exists,’ explains revamp of Curia VATICAN CITY — The ongoing reform of the Roman Curia is a necessary part of the Catholic Church’s fidelity to its mission to proclaim the Gospel, recognizing that very few countries today can be described as “Christian” and that new ways of evangelizing are necessary, Pope Francis said. But attempts to meet the new challenges are threatened by “the temptation of assume an attitude of rigidity,” the pope said Dec. 21 during his traditional pre-Christmas meeting with cardinals and top officials of Vatican offices.

“Rigidity, which is born of the fear of change, ends up erecting fences and obstacles on the terrain of the common good, turning it into a minefield of incomprehension and of hatred,” the pope said.

“And today this temptation of rigidity has become very evident.” Conversion and transformation are part of an individual’s response to God’s call, but also must take place within the Curia, which is called to be at the service of the Church in its efforts to share the Gospel, he said.

— Catholic News Service

Pope Francis kisses a figurine of the baby Jesus as he arrives to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24.

CNS | PAUL HARING

Pope Francis: Christmas says, ‘You are loved’ CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Christmas night tells each person, no matter how poor or sinful, that they are utterly and totally loved

by God, Pope Francis said as he celebrated Jesus’ birth.

The grace of God revealed in the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem “is divine love, the love that changes lives, renews history, liberates from evil, fills hearts with peace and joy,” the pope said in his homily Dec. 24 as he celebrated the nighttime liturgy.

“Tonight, the love of God has been revealed to us: It is Jesus,” he said.

The liturgy began with the “kalenda” or Christmas proclamation of Jesus’ birth “innumerable ages” after the creation of the world, “in the year of the 194th Olympiad” and in the 42nd year of Caesar Augustus’ reign when the whole world was at peace.

Pope Francis processed into St. Peter’s Basilica and, reaching the transept, unveiled a life-sized statue of the baby Jesus, kissed it and blessed it with incense.

Twelve children, aged 5-11, from Italy, Japan, Venezuela, Kenya, Uganda, the Philippines and Iraq brought flowers to the statue and, at the end of Mass, were to accompany the pope to the basilica’s Nativity scene.

In his homily, Pope Francis told a story similar to, but quieter, than that recounted in the song, “The Little Drummer Boy.” The pope’s story was about shepherds who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

“There was one shepherd who had nothing to give. He was extremely poor,” the pope said. “As the others were competing to offer their gifts, he stood apart, embarrassed.”

“At a certain point, St. Joseph and Our Lady found it hard to receive all the gifts, especially Mary, who had to hold the baby. Seeing that shepherd with empty hands, she asked him to draw near. And she put the baby Jesus in his arms,” the pope continued.

Receiving Jesus, the shepherd “became aware of having received what he did not deserve, of holding in his arms the greatest gift of all time,” the pope said. “He looked at his hands, those hands that seemed to him always empty; they had become the cradle of God.” The shepherd, feeling loved and overcoming his embarrassment, “began to show Jesus to the others, for he could not keep for himself the gift of gifts,” the pope said.

‘God does not love you because you think and act the right way. He loves you, plain and simple.’

Pope Francis “Dear brother, dear sister, if your hands seem empty, if you think your heart is poor in love, this night is for you,” the pope said. “The grace of God has appeared, to shine forth in your life.

Accept it and the light of Christmas will shine forth in you.”

In Jesus, the pope said, the Almighty “made Himself tiny, so that we might love Him.” St. Paul described the coming of Jesus as “grace,” he said, because it means something completely free. God’s gift of Jesus is not something anyone deserves or anyone can ever repay.

Christmas is a reminder, the pope said, that “when we failed to measure up, God became small for our sake; while we were going about our own business, He came into our midst.”

“Christmas,” he said, “reminds us that God continues to love us all, even the worst of us.”

Preaching in a packed basilica, to an overflow crowd watching on screens in St. Peter’s and to millions of television viewers worldwide, Pope Francis said God’s message at Christmas is, “I love you and I will always love you, for you are precious in my eyes.”

“God does not love you because you think and act the right way. He loves you, plain and simple,” he said. “You may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you.”

The only thing people need to do with God’s grace is accept it and let themselves be loved by God, he said.

“To accept this grace means being ready to give thanks in return,” he said. “Often we live our lives with such little gratitude. Today is the right day to draw near to the tabernacle, the crèche, the manger, and to say thank you.”

Receiving the gift of Jesus, believers should try to be like Him by being a gift for others, the pope said. “It is the best way to POPE, SEE PAGE 17

January 3, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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World needs peacemakers, not empty words, pope says in message CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The world does not need more empty words, it needs committed, active peacemakers who do not exclude or manipulate, but are open to respectful dialogue, Pope Francis said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace Jan. 1.

“In fact, we cannot truly achieve peace without a convinced dialogue between men and women who seek the truth beyond ideologies and differing opinions,” the pope said in the message released Dec. 12.

Peace requires “patient effort to seek truth and justice, to honor the memory of victims and to open the way, step by step, to a shared hope stronger than the desire for vengeance,” he said.

Peace also requires “ecological conversion,” he said, which basically is “a new way of looking at life as we consider the generosity of the Creator who has given us the earth and called us to a share it in joy and moderation.”

People, he said, need “a new way to dwell in our common home, to accept our differences, to respect and celebrate the life that we have received and share, and to seek living conditions and models of society that favor the continued flourishing of life and the development of the common good of the entire human family.”

The pope’s message was released at a Vatican news conference led by Cardinal Peter Turkson, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

The pope defined peace as a journey built on: hope that inspires people to keep moving forward, “even when obstacles seem insurmountable”; listening that learns lessons from the past; reconciliation that respects others; ecological conversion; and patience and trust.

His message, which the Vatican sends to heads of state around the world, invited everyone “to set aside every act of violence in thought, word and deed, whether against our neighbors or against God’s creation.”

“The culture of fraternal encounter shatters the culture of conflict,” he said, and it makes “every encounter a possibility and a gift of God’s generous love. It leads us beyond the limits of our narrow horizons and constantly encourages us to a live in a spirit of universal fraternity, as children of the one heavenly Father.”

Pope Francis said every act of war is “a form of fratricide that destroys the human

POPE FROM PAGE 16

change the world: we change, the Church changes, history changes, once we stop trying to change others but try to change ourselves and to make of our life a gift.”

“Jesus shows this to us tonight. He did not change history by pressuring anyone or by a flood of words, but by the gift of His life,” he said. “He did not wait until we were good before He loved us but gave Himself freely to us. May we not wait for our neighbors to be good before we do good to them, for the Church to be perfect before we love her, for others to respect us before we serve them.”

family’s innate vocation to brotherhood,” and all violence has a lasting effect “on the body and soul of humanity.”

War often begins with the inability to accept the diversity of others and is fueled “by a perversion of relationships, by hegemonic ambitions, by abuses of power, by fear of others and by seeing diversity as an obstacle,” he said. Peace, stability and security cannot be built by fear or threats, particularly “the threat of total annihilation” with a strategy of nuclear deterrence.

“Every threatening situation feeds mistrust and leads people to withdraw into their own safety zone,” he said.

A “global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future” is needed, he said, and it can be achieved by pursuing “a genuine fraternity based on our common origin from God and exercised in dialogue and mutual trust.”

“The desire for peace lies deep within the human heart, and we should not resign ourselves to seeking anything less than this,” he said.

A patient and respectful listening to victims and lessons of the past “can lead to courageous and even heroic decisions,” Pope Francis wrote. “It can unleash new energies and kindle new hope in individuals and communities.”

People’s moral consciences must be formed and strengthened, and individual and political will must be renewed, he said, “so that new ways can be found to reconcile and unite individuals and communities.”

“The world does not need empty words but convinced witnesses, peacemakers who are open to a dialogue that rejects exclusion or manipulation,” he said.

“There can be no true peace unless we show ourselves capable of developing a more just economic system,” he also said.

Reconciliation and forgiveness also are essential for creating a more fraternal world, the pope said. “We should never encapsulate others in what they may have said or done, but value them for the promise that they embody.”

2020 World Day of Peace message from Pope Francis Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Peace, Jan. 1, 2020, is titled “Peace as a Journey of Hope: Dialogue, Reconciliation and Ecological Conversion.” Every year, since 1968 when the first World Day of Peace message was promulgated by Pope Paul VI, a message to all people on the importance of working for peace has been issued by the Vatican. The World Day of Peace is celebrated on the first day of the new calendar year, the same day that the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In his message, Pope Francis speaks of the “human family’s innate vocation to brotherhood.” He asks: “How, then, do we undertake a journey of peace and mutual respect? How do we break the unhealthy mentality of threats and fear? How do we break the current dynamic of distrust?” The answers to these questions are offered by the Holy Father. “We need to pursue a genuine fraternity based on our common origin from God and exercised in dialogue and mutual trust. The desire for peace lies deep within the human heart, and we should not resign ourselves to seeking anything less than this.” For the pope, peace comes from our participation in a “journey of listening based in memory, solidarity and fraternity.”

Go to www.ccdoc.org/education to find the full text of the 2020 World Day of Peace message (in English and Spanish) and other resources associated with this day, including an Invocation for Peace from Pope Francis (in English and Spanish) and a link to a press release about the 2020 World Day of Peace message from Catholic News Agency.

JOSEPH PURELLO is Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s director of social concerns and advocacy.

And, he said, “only by choosing the path of respect can we break the spiral of vengeance and set out on the journey of hope.”

Spend time with Our Lord The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed to have Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offered in five locations. All of the faithful, of any age, are invited to participate!

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Elizabeth Scalia

I

Bobby Speers

An unkind world needs St. Joseph, The gift that keeps on giving T the perfect patron for 2020

recently experienced something of a “Saint Joseph Synergy,” finding a copy of Father Donald H. Calloway’s “Consecration to St. Joseph” in my mailbox, and on the very same day that we read at Mass: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. (Matt 1:18-19) Having the book in my hand on the same day in which Joseph is featured in our readings felt a bit like one of those moments when the Holy Spirit is giving me a pronounced slap upside the head, saying “pay attention.”

For that reason (and a few others) I am asking St. Joseph to be my patron for 2020, and to teach me what he knows.

Bold of me, perhaps, but in general I think “teach me what you know” is precisely what we should ask of the saints and, in my experience, if you ask for the lessons, they’ll supply them to you by the handful. Given all of my failures in 2019, it seems wise for me to go to a master teacher for some one-on-one tutelage on how to live and work and love with steadiness and a truly grounded faith. That would mean going to Joseph.

We know the rest of the story begun in the reading above.

Joseph does not put Mary aside. An angel comes to him in a dream. Not a great archangel as greeted Mary, but a rather workaday heavenly messenger tasked with reassuring a rather ordinary workman of his time. Going on faith, he brings Mary into his home, and prepares to parent and protect Emmanuel, “God-with-us,” and to quietly contribute to what Christ Jesus, the Man-God, would become, and even how He would conduct His earthly ministry. There is a rabbi on the cross, and He looks like a king, but He was a tekton (i.e., artisan, builder, technician) like His stepfather, the righteous man who likely drilled Him in the law even as he taught Him how to take the measure of whatever construction material was before Him and determine its best usage – to envision, design, attach, refine, and finish.

Perhaps parables of mercy were launched in the imagination of the rabbi when He was still very young, when the master taught Him his craft, urging the apprentice to discover metaphors before His eyes: how the difficult process of planing something down – of making straight what is gnarled and knotted – brings out its inner beauty, even as it exposes its tiniest deformities to the scrutiny of the world.

An adolescent with the wisdom and confidence to debate the temple elders might have nodded in agreement, while countering that those minute flaws only served to better emphasize all that was intrinsically lovely within the wood – what made it worth saving and finishing, rather than tossing into the fires.

People like to say, “We don’t know anything about Joseph.” Well, we know what matters: n Joseph was righteous; he lived devoutly and in accordance with God’s word. n Joseph was faithful; he was a man willing to work within the mysteries of God as they came at him. n Joseph was courageous; it is no small thing to go outside of the customs of a village or a tribe. n Joseph was generous; the needs of Mary and the Child came before all else, including his established life and industry.

‘Oh, that in 2020 the whole world would make a model of this righteous, faithful, courageous, generous, and kind Jewish man.’ n Joseph was wise; he understood that God’s mind and ways are not our own, but always trustworthy.

We know one other thing about Joseph, and with the world as it is, it might be the most important thing to think about: he was kind.

Joseph’s kindness may outweigh all his other good qualities, even his righteousness. Righteousness can sometimes become a boat stuck on the shoals of justice and thereby rendered immovable. Kindness, which contains an element of mercy, can lift the vessel to freedom.

Joseph’s kindness is an example of true strength. He could have, in all “righteousness,” cast Mary aside in a way that publicly shamed her and would have ended her life.

Within the Law, within the society and the tribe, he had that power and to use it would have meant no dishonor to him.

But even before the reassurances that came from heaven, Joseph was too kind to use his socially approved power in that way. Having seen qualities in Mary that made him see her as unique and lovable, her value was not so lessened in his eyes as to diminish her human status into mere, disposable thing-hood. He would not expose her to that element of humanity that, even today, has a lust for the lives and the blood of the vulnerable – for vengeful, often spiteful, interests that serve something other than heaven.

Joseph was righteous; The righteous life he embraced developed his faithfulness; Faithfulness gave him courage; Courage permitted his generosity; Generosity let him grow in wisdom; Wisdom taught Joseph kindness.

Kindness is where, if we must err at all, all our errors should occur.

Joseph made no errors because he was a man of faith, and a man in full.

Oh, that in 2020 the whole world would appreciatively make a model of this righteous, faithful, courageous, generous, and kind Jewish man. Indeed, with such an undertaking, 2021 might look very different.

ELIZABETH SCALIA is a Benedictine Oblate and author of several books including the award-winning “Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life” and “Little Sins Mean a Lot.” Before joining the Word on Fire team as an editor-at-large, she served as editor-in-chief of the English edition of Aleteia, and as managing editor of the Catholic section of Patheos.com. She also blogs as “The Anchoress” at www.theanchoress.com. She is married and lives on Long Island.

Consecration to St. Joseph At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Get more information about Father Donald H. Calloway’s “Consecration to St. Joseph,” which the Diocese of Charlotte is offering this year as part of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Year of St. Joseph celebrations

he Christmas season is bursting with jovial gatherings, good food, great conversations, surprises and lots of laughter, rejuvenating the human spirit at least until the party is over.

Christmas morning rolls around and the excitement of opening presents brings a closeness -–a unity of all who anxiously surround the Christmas tree. As the packages are torn asunder, the floor is littered by torn paper, empty boxes, and discarded gift bags. Presents are quickly placed back under the tree or taken to a new location, where they will sit on a shelf, stuffed in a drawer or stuck in the closet. Some are actually brought back to the store.

The long-anticipated countdown of days waiting for Christmas is over and we go about our business, forgetting about all the wonderful presents both little and big surprises that we were given. By Easter, we won’t remember who gave us what for Christmas. Come next November, the rush of Christmas excitement will send us running back to the stores.

Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas which is found in scripture? Isaiah 7:14 tells us, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name Him Emmanuel.” And in Isaiah 9:5-6, we read: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon His shoulder dominion rests. They name Him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, upon David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which He confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.”

Recapturing the first Christmas, Joseph, who was the chosen husband and caregiver to the Virgin Mary, found a safe place for them to lodge, knowing Mary was about to give birth. Here’s the reality of this biblical scene found in Luke 2:1-14: For us men and for our salvation God came down from heaven. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God was born of the Virgin Mary. Mary willingly delivered God’s love, forgiveness and mercy, wrapping God in swaddling clothes, then carefully laid the Newborn King in a manger, or a trough to feed animals.

The gift of Christmas was given to us by God, our Father. In John’s beloved and familiar verse of 3:16-18, he writes: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Yes, it’s a free Gift, given with a promise of eternal life, a durable Gift that lasts forever, and is worth more than all the gold and silver in the universe. But – there is one string attached – the Gift must be opened, worn and used.

Unfortunately, Catholics aren’t going to church as often as they should. Did we miss this package under our Christmas tree? Perhaps we opened the Gift, forgot who gave it to us, and there it sits on the shelf waiting to be opened again. Could it be that we discarded this Gift because we didn’t like the fabric or the color? Maybe in our infinite wisdom, we thought we didn’t need this Gift or decided we were too important to even consider this menial Gift? If you have shoved your Gift behind closed doors, there is still time to open the box. Celebrate Christmas every day by going to Mass. There on the altar God’s Gift – the Eucharist – is waiting for us. This is the Gift that keeps on giving.

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

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Bishop Robert Barron

God comes to reign

I

am sure that every religious person, every believer in God, at some point wonders, “Why doesn’t God just straighten everything out?” Why doesn’t the all-powerful and all-loving Creator of the universe simply deal with the injustice, suffering, violence, and sin that so bedevil His world? Well, we can hear precisely this cry in the prophets of ancient Israel.

All of them – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, etc. – utter some version of “How long, O Lord?” One form that this expectation takes is a yearning that the God of Israel would come to reign as king, which is to say, as one who has the power and authority to right every wrong.

The first reading that the Catholic Church proposes for Mass on Christmas morning is a passage from the 52nd chapter of the prophet Isaiah, and it speaks exactly in these terms: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion, ‘Your God is King!’” (Isa. 52:7). The prophet is envisioning the great day when Yahweh will take charge and set things right, when He will “bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations” (Isa. 52:10), that is to say, roll up His sleeves, asserting His dominance over His enemies.

‘God’s love, we can say with utter confidence, is more powerful than sin and death.’

The fundamental message of Christmas is that this prophecy has come true – but in the most unexpected way. In order to understand this, let us look first at the magnificent poem with which St. John opens his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14). What is of supreme significance here is that Jesus of Nazareth is not simply one more in a long line of prophets, not one more wisdom figure, not just another religious hero; rather, He is what Isaiah and his prophetic colleagues longed for: God Himself in the flesh, come to rule. We know that kingly authority is involved in this enfleshment of God, for St. John reminds us: “What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:3-4). The evangelist is telling us that the Word has come to fight an enemy, and the enemy will not prevail.

If we turn from John to the familiar Christmas story as recounted by St. Luke, we will appreciate the unexpected part of this message. Who is this warrior, this divine champion come to right the wrongs of the world? He is a baby, born in a cave because there was no room for

Him even in the cheapest travelers hostels of Bethlehem; placed in a manger, the place where the animals eat; wrapped up in swaddling clothes, unable to move.

What is the mighty arm of Yahweh, bared for all the nations to see? It is the naked arm of an infant child reaching forth from the manger. They were expecting a Davidic warrior, wielding the weapons of the world, establishing the supremacy of Israel through bloody conquest. They got a warrior all right, but one who would fight with the weapons of heaven, not of earth.

How do we know, on Luke’s telling, that we are dealing with a warrior king? His birth is announced by an entire stratias (army) of angels, beings of immense power, subsisting at a higher pitch of existence (Luke 2:13). Caesar was able to dominate the world precisely because of his army.

Luke is telling us that the baby King has a far more impressive host.

The Gospels can be read as the story of the divine/human King coming to reign.

On the cross, He entered into close combat with the enemies of God, battling them through forgiveness and nonviolence; and in the Resurrection, He manifested His decisive victory. God’s love, we now can say with utter confidence, is more powerful than sin and death. But there is more to this odd story, and a glance back at St. John’s prologue will help us understand what this is. The evangelist says, “He was in the world and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). The third “world” that John uses refers to all that stands opposed to God’s intentions, the realm of sin. “But to those who did accept Him he gave power to become children of God ...” (John 1:12).

In one sense, Jesus the king finished the work, fought and won the battle. But at the same time, it is eminently clear that sin and death are still operative – and therefore, the King gives us the privilege of participating in His identity and mission.

Being a “child of God” is not so much a special status in which we exult, but rather, an empowerment to fight in the King’s army, to join Him in the great struggle.

Like our Master, we enter into combat, but with the weapons of the Spirit. If we turn to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we see exactly what this looks like: “Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from His mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. ...

Therefore, put on the armor of God ... clothed with righteousness as a breastplate ... hold faith as a shield ... and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:10-17). How wonderful that St. Paul gives us a description of Christian mission that is, simultaneously, completely militant and completely nonviolent!

So as Christmastide rolls around once again, let us rejoice in the coming of the Savior – but even as we rejoice, let us resolve to join the Lord, as happy warriors, in His great campaign.

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, online at www.wordonfire.org.

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‘Remember – talk to young people, not to clobber them, no. To listen to them, to sow something. This dialogue is the future.’

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From online story: “Pope tells his elderly peers the prayers of the old are powerful” In 2019, 228,552 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 445,993 pages. The top 10 headlines in 2019 were: n Vandal damages crucifixes at St. Joseph Church in Bryson City.............................................7,314 n Bishop, Belmont Abbey apologize to victim as chancellor steps down over misconduct finding 6,715 n 2019 Eucharistic Congress: ‘Stay With Us, Lord’.......................................................................... 6,182 n Local filmmaker, collaborators create ‘Messiah’...........................................................................5,747 n Father Sutter to become pastor of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte....................................... 5,077 n Three men ordained priests June 22............................................................................................... 3,315 n Planned Parenthood will begin doing abortions in Charlotte.................................................. 3,325 n Bishop Jugis names new vicar general/chancellor for Charlotte diocese..............................3,118 n Parishioners restore Greensboro’s oldest Catholic church to its original splendor..............997 n ‘Phishing’ scam targets Charlotte-area pastors, parishioners.....................................................914

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 3, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of January.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Rev. Francis T. Connolly 2008 Rev. Tom Stott 2005 Rev. Vincent Erb 2005 Rev. Msgr. Eugene H. Livelsberger 1987 Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Newman 1981 Rev. Arthur J. Racette 1975

High School Principal - Atlanta, GA St. Pius X Catholic High School, a co-educational, college preparatory high school located in Atlanta, Georgia, seeks a visionary principal beginning on July 1, 2020.

Opened in 1958 and accredited by AdvancED/Cognia, St. Pius X serves a student body of approximately 1100 students with 102 professional staff members. St. Pius X Catholic High School offers 27 AP (Advanced Placement) Courses, sponsors 66 athletic teams, and is recognized for outstanding drama, music and art program offerings. In addition, SPX is a seven-time recipient of the Director’s Cup sponsored by the Georgia High School Athletic Association – recognizing both athletic success and outstanding sportsmanship among school sponsored teams.

Responsibilities of the principal encompass: nurturing and upholding strong Catholic

Room at the Inn, Shepherd’s Center, Samaritan and Next Step Ministries.

— Patti Dmuchowski

Knight of the Year named

St. Mark parishioners get into the holiday spirit HUNTERSVILLE — The Knights of Columbus and the St. Mark Faith Formation Department recently joined together to light the parish’s outdoor Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols, bless nativities and package gifts for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. Cookies and hot cocoa were also served. Parishioners were asked to bring items to package in shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. All around the Parish Hall were people filling boxes with small toys and gifts to send to children around the world.

Maryanne Pape, Elementary Faith Formation Coordinator, delivered 130 completes boxes to the Samaritan’s Purse processing center in Charlotte before the holidays. Deacon Tom McGahey also blessed more than 20 Nativity displays that people brought from their homes saying, “Lord, bless all who look upon this manger; may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, and raise up our thoughts to Him, who is God-with-us and Savior of all, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”

Identity in all aspects of school life; ongoing development of rigorous academic

— Amy Burger

standards; supporting and recruiting a highly qualified teaching staff; supervising the

Council receives award

educational program; and, working collaboratively with the administrative team for the

JEFFERSON — St. Francis Knights of Columbus Council 16839 recently received the Father McGivney and Columban awards for Membership and Programs. District Deputy Jim Taylor presented the awards to Past Grand Knight Bob Breton at the November meeting.

smooth and efficient operations of the school.

The successful candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church; additional requirements include: hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership; have a minimum of five years of Catholic high school chief administrative experience; exhibit superior communication skills; model a collaborative leadership style to lead others in the mission of Catholic education; demonstrate knowledge in current areas of professional development; practice effective instructional leadership; and, demonstrate proficiency with encouraging the integration of technology across the academic program.

To learn more about St. Pius X Catholic High School, please visit the school’s website www.spx.org Interested candidates should send a resume, letter of interest and three references by January 29, 2020 to: Dr. Diane Starkovich, Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Atlanta, 2401 Lake Park Drive S.E. Smyrna, Georgia 30080-8862 or electronically to dstarkovich@archatl.com No phone calls, please.

Supporting community groups KERNERSVILLE — Members of Holy Cross Parish Columbiettes celebrated their annual Christmas event by donating $300 each to local community groups including Crisis Control,

ORGAN FROM PAGE 13

Beginning about 60 years ago, some pipe organs were removed or heavily modified.

But in some diocesan parishes, the pipe organ remained an integral part of parish life.

“They don’t think of it as something secondary,” Father Secrist said. “And now we hope to provide some good direction for maintaining these instruments for future generations.”

Father Secrist led the Gregorian chant schola at the Pontifical North American College when he was a seminarian in Rome. He maintains memberships in the American Guild of Organists, the Organ Historical Society and other organizations,

JEFFERSON — St. Francis of Assisi Knights of Columbus Council 16839 recently named John Pokorney as Council Knight of the Year. Pokorney has been the secretary of the council for the past two years. He also serves as the St. Francis of Rome Knights of Columbus Roundtable chairperson. He serves many functions in the Knights in the Sparta community and for the Church.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

Knights donate coats GREENSBORO — Members of St. Pius X Knights of Columbus Council 11101 recently purchased and distributed 195 new coats to needy children in the Triad area. The effort was part of the Knights’ national Coats for Kids program devoted to providing winter clothing to children in need. Since 2011, the Greensboro area Knights have donated more than 1,800 new coats.

For the past two years, the council has partnered with Backpack Beginnings to distribute the coats to local children. Backpack Beginnings is a volunteer effort providing comfort without charge to needy children in Greensboro, and its mission is to feed, comfort and clothe children in need. This year the council also provided coats to Caswell County Schools. Funds to purchase the coats came from Brother Knights and the generosity of St. Pius X parishioners.

— Walter Kulla

which allows him to remain in contact with world-renowned composers, musicians, organ builders and teachers.

The priest noted that, through the centuries, music and art have contributed significantly to the well-being of civilization and society.

Just as the church in its mission of preaching the Gospel has drawn together people of different nationalities, cultures and political situations, “so, too, can music be that kind of a link between people of diverse backgrounds,” he said.

He maintained that music also has the power to reveal love at its deepest level.

“And whom should we love more than anybody else but the Lord? So the music that we use is an expression of that love, of the deepest longings of our heart.”

JAY NIES is editor of The Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City.