October 9, 2020
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‘A place of healing’ Pennybyrn holds groundbreaking for new rehab center
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‘Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship’ 12-13 Meditating on the rosary through music Biber and the ‘Rosary Sonatas’ 17
Mi viaje en el Ministerio Hispano ‘Hispanic pastoral ministry has greatly enriched my life’
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Blessing of the Animals 10-11
Our faith 2
catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Live the Gospel of Life Pope Francis
True prayer leads to concrete acts of love
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rayer isn’t about closing oneself in a room with God “to put makeup on your soul – that’s not prayer, that’s fake praying; to pray is to face God and allow yourself to be sent by Him to help a brother or sister,” Pope Francis said. “The proving ground for prayer is concrete love for one’s neighbor,” the pope said Oct. 7 at his weekly general audience. He had begun a series of audience talks about prayer in May but interrupted them for nine weeks to explain the principles of Catholic social teaching and how their application could heal a world suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, inequality, violence, social tension and despair. At the general audience, the pope announced he was returning to the catechesis on prayer by looking at Elijah, the prophet long venerated by monks, nuns and hermits as “a model of prayer and unshakable faith amid trials.” In the life of Elijah, and for everyone else, too, he said, “in prayer, this always happens: moments of prayer that we feel lift us up, even enthuse us, and moments of prayer of suffering, aridity, trials.” “In the soul of one who prays,” he said, “the sense of one’s own weakness is more precious than moments of exaltation when it seems that life is just a string of victories and successes.” Elijah was a contemplative, but at the same time he was concerned about what was happening around him, the pope said, pointing to the story in the First Book of Kings about Elijah confronting Ahab about taking advantage of the plot Jezebel hatched to kill Naboth and appropriate his land. Pope Francis said the world today needs “believers, zealous Christians,” who can stand up to leaders with the courage of Elijah to say, “This must not be done. This is an assassination.” “Believers act in the world after first having been quiet and having prayed,” he said. “Otherwise, their action is impulsive; it is lacking discernment; it is breathlessly running without a goal. Believers who behave like that commit many injustices because they did not go first to the Lord to pray, to discern what must be done.” The audience began with a reading of the story of the Lord telling a forlorn Elijah He would pass by. “There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound.” And that was where God was. “This happened to Elijah, but it seems like it was written for each of us,” the pope said. “Some evenings we might feel alone and useless. That is when prayer comes and knocks on the door of our heart.”
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his year the Church celebrates the 25th anniversary of the landmark pro-life encyclical “Evangelium vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”). Written by St. John Paul II, this prophetic document passionately reaffirmed the Church’s constant teaching on the value and sacredness of every human life. St. John Paul II wrote that the Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world (“Evangelium vitae,” 1). In taking on human flesh, dwelling among us, and sacrificing His very life for our redemption, Christ reveals the profound dignity of every human person. This God-given dignity does not change with our stage of life, abilities, level of independence, or any other varying circumstance. Rather, it is rooted in the permanent fact that each of us is made in the image and likeness of God, created to share in the very life of God Himself. The human person is a “manifestation of God in the world, a sign of His presence, a trace of His glory” (“Evangelium vitae,” 34). We must reflect this truth in how we act and how we treat one another. The truth of the Gospel of life is at the foundation of who we are as followers of Christ. In His earthly life, Jesus provided the perfect model for how we are to love our neighbor and live out the Gospel call: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Jesus calls each of us to “care for the other as a person for whom God has made us responsible” (“Evangelium vitae,” 87). The Gospel of life is intrinsic to the whole Christian life and foundational to the decisions we make on a daily basis. For, “the Gospel of God’s love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are a single and indivisible Gospel” (“Evangelium vitae,” 2). In his encyclical on the Gospel of life, St. John Paul II recognizes the full range of threats against human life, from poverty and malnutrition to murder and war. He places particular emphasis, however, on threats to life at its beginning and end – precisely when it is most in need of protection. In modern times, children in their mothers’ wombs and those approaching the end of their lives are certainly among the “least of these” in our world’s estimation. Practices such as abortion and assisted suicide tragically reject the truth that human life is always to be cherished and defended with loving concern. As the Church celebrates the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s prophetic encyclical, let us reflect on how we personally live out the Gospel: Do I talk about and act towards others as I would talk about and treat Jesus Himself ? Do I inform myself of the Church’s teachings and engage in the civic arena as first
a follower of Christ? Do I support and advocate for laws and policies that protect and defend human life? Do I help pregnant and parenting mothers in need? Am I ready to support a loved one nearing death?
Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, may Our Lord grant us the grace to truly and courageously live His Gospel of life. — U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
What we believe: Excerpts from the Catechism As Catholics, we know that God alone is the Creator and Lord of life. “Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2319). Our respect for all human life must be absolute – despite what today’s society may say on such issues as abortion or euthanasia:
ABORTION
EUTHANASIA
SUICIDE
From its conception, the child has the right to life. (CCC 2322)
Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. (CCC 2324)
Suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope and charity. (CCC 2325)
More online At www.respectlife.org: Explore educational and prayer resources, learn more about Church teaching on life issues, download the “Gospel of Life” study guide, and check out simple steps for celebrating at home or at your parish
Daily Scripture readings OCT. 11-17
Sunday: Isaiah 25:6-10a, Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20, Matthew 22:1-14; Monday: Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1, Luke 11:2932; Tuesday: Galatians 5:1-6, Luke 11:37-41; Wednesday (St. Callistus I): Galatians 5:18-25, Luke 11:42-46; Thursday (St. Teresa of Jesus): Ephesians 1:1-10, Luke 11:47-54; Friday (St. Hedwig, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque): Ephesians 1:11-14, Luke 12:1-7; Saturday (St. Ignatius of Antioch): Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 12:8-12
OCT. 18-24
Sunday: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b, Matthew 22:15-21; Monday (Sts. John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues and Companions): Ephesians 2:1-10, Luke 12:13-21; Tuesday (St. Paul of the Cross): Ephesians 2:12-22, Luke 12:35-38; Wednesday: Ephesians 3:2-12, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 12:3948; Thursday (St. John Paul II): Ephesians 3:14-21, Luke 12:49-53; Friday (St. John of Capistrano): Ephesians 4:1-6, Luke 12:54-59
OCT. 25-31
Sunday: Exodus 22:20-26, 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10, Matthew 22:34-40; Monday: Ephesians 4:32-5:8, Luke 13:10-17; Tuesday: Ephesians 5:21-33, Luke 13:18-21; Wednesday (Sts. Simon and Jude): Ephesians 2:19-22, Luke 6:12-16; Thursday: Ephesians 6:10-20, Luke 13:31-55; Friday: Philippians 1:1-11, Luke 14:1-6; Saturday: Philippians 1:18-26, Luke 14:1, 7-11
Our parishes
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI
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Diocesan Youth Advisory Council adapts during pandemic SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER
CHARLOTTE — Ministry to teenagers and young people is typically a hands-on, in-person outreach. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diocese of Charlotte’s Youth Ministry has taken its work into the digital space – and the effort has had unexpected benefits. Of particular note is the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council, a group of high school students and adult mentors. It has launched virtual meetings to continue its work promoting and developing plans for youth ministry in the diocese and the annual Diocesan Youth Conference. With its shift to virtual meetings, the DYAC had to cancel all of its events and was left unable to recruit members from in-person parish visits. But online meetings lend themselves to a greater ease in attendance because DYAC members are no longer limited by driving distances or meeting room sizes. Inspired by the potential upsides, Paul Kotlowski, diocesan youth ministry director, reached out to pastors and youth ministers and encouraged them to invite their young people to consider joining the DYAC. The effort resulted in gaining new DYAC members. Sixteen youth and their adult mentors met last month during a video conference session, covering topics such as exploring possible themes for the 44th annual Diocesan Youth Conference, the challenges that the pandemic has brought for young people, and ways the group could address those challenges. Kotlowski said the video meetings will continue for the foreseeable future. “Although we hope to be able to host an actual gathering in 2021,” he noted, “we’re not certain that we will be able to do so, as there are so many yet-to-be realized answers to questions such as: Will there be a viable vaccine? Will our event venue be open and able to accommodate us? Will people be comfortable at large gatherings?” Libby Obermiller, a senior at Christ the King High School and member of St. Mark Church in Huntersville, is a member of the DYAC. She has been involved in youth ministry since the sixth grade and has served on the DYAC since her junior year. “DYAC has had a very positive impact on my faith. It has allowed me to grow closer to God with other high school students who share the same desires and values as me and who challenge me to become the best version of myself,” Obermiller said. “I am hoping that, through my participation in DYAC, I will not only be able to share my love of the Catholic faith with my friends and peers but also help others to grow in their faith.” John Sentilles, a junior in high school and parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, has served on the DYAC for two years. “For me, it definitely deepens my faith and opens me up to how other people my age see the modern world through the Church,” Sentilles said. “Hopefully, I can in some way inspire at least one person to seek a relationship with God.” Sentilles said he looks forward to a time when he and his fellow youth ministry participants can reconnect more in person. “Once it is safe to go back to activities within your parish, there is no reason to not participate, even if you feel like you don’t need the Church in any way right now,” he emphasized. “We all need to get back out into a normal setting around friends, or people you might befriend after this quarantine, to be in the same headspace we were before, because nothing is normal right now.” Kotlowski said he sees one of the silver linings in all of this “is that the pandemic is forcing us to consider ways and means to better use available technology, which will allow us to better reach our youth and expand our reach by creating events that are potentially in-person and virtual simultaneously.”
Four Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God helped “turn the dirt” at a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 24 for a new state-of-theart Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center at Pennybyrn in High Point. SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
‘A place of healing’ Pennybyrn holds groundbreaking for new rehab center SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER
HIGH POINT — The Sisters of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God joyously turned up fertile red soil at the official groundbreaking ceremony for a new rehabilitation center Sept. 24 at Pennybyrn. The public event was kept at a modest attendance level due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The state-of-the-art rehabilitation center will be named the Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center, in memory of Earl Congdon’s late mother. Earl and Kitty Congdon, longtime supporters of Pennybyrn, provided a $3.5 million matching challenge gift to help meet the initial $7 million campaign goal. The Lillian Congdon Transitional Rehab Center will have 24 resident rooms featuring the comfortable, homelike model for which Pennybyrn is well known. It will offer innovative accommodations for inpatient rehabilitative care, a service Pennybyrn has provided for the past several years. Sister Lucy Hennessy, SMG, mission leader, greeted guests at the Sept. 24 celebration and paid tribute to the “pioneer sisters” who came to High Point from London over 70 years ago, purchasing the Penny House and converting it into a convent and a convalescent center with 22 beds. “If we didn’t have COVID-19 to deal with, we would have many more people here,” Sister Lucy noted in her welcoming remarks, but then added, “We chose this day for very significant reasons as our groundbreaking day. It has now been 150-plus years since the founding by Mother Magdalene Taylor, our foundress, and also the founding sisters with her, of our congregation, the Poor Servants of the Mother of God.” Sister Lucy continued, “That year was 1869 – Sept. 24. These great women were filled with faith and a vision for the future. That vision which filled their lives to the fullest was to serve the needs of others, and in the process make life better for those they would serve.” She explained that at their community’s founding, the sisters saw clearly the need to nurse the sick, educate the young, visit people at home and bring comfort to the dying. The religious community thrived throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries – expanding all over England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Europe. “Seven decades later, five SMG sisters from London arrived in the Triad and brought that vision of making life better for others with them. These faithful sisters did not see the future, they hardly thought about it. They were content to do what He wanted at the moment and leave all in His hands,” Sister Lucy noted.
“Today we have the great opportunity to, once again, make life better for others,” she said. The rehabilitation center will take a multi-disciplinary approach to physical, occupational and speech therapy to help patients recover more quickly while also helping to prevent complications or relapses in their healing. The expansion will enable Pennybyrn to expand its therapy services to include outpatient therapy. The transitional rehabilitation program at Pennybyrn will be able to serve patients from throughout North Carolina, as well as other states. Residents will receive expert care from a team of physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational
The new rehab center will take a multi-disciplinary approach to physical, occupational and speech therapy. RENDERING PROVIDED BY PENNYBYRN
therapists and speech language pathologists. They will also enjoy access to Maryfield’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel next door as well as other spiritual services. “It is a place to come and heal,” said Vonda Hollingsworth, Pennybyrn’s vice president. “Working strategically with our partners like High Point Medical Center, Cone Health, Novant and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, we can ensure the full continuum of excellence of care from the event or circumstance that initiated the need for acute care, completing the path that circles back to the return to home. Not only can we provide a high quality of care, we can work together to shorten hospital stays and reduce readmissions – all while working as a team that supports the patient and their own personal goals.” Pennybyrn’s expansion will also include 42 new independent living apartments. The spacious apartment homes will feature 11 different floor plans, ranging from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom with den. All apartments will feature bright, open designs with abundant windows for natural light and a private patio or balcony. Thomas Construction Group will serve as general contractor on the project. — Correspondent Annette K. Tenny contributed.
Online Masses 4
catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
October 9, 2020 VOLUME 30 • NUMBER 1
1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org
704-370-3333
The following parishes are providing live or recorded Masses each week. An updated schedule is online at www.catholicnewsherald.com, or contact your parish for details. LIVESTREAMED MASSES The following parishes offer Masses live at the following times on their Facebook page or YouTube or Vimeo channel. If no time is listed here, check their parish website for more information: BELMONT ABBEY MONASTERY: 11 a.m. daily
PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte
DIVINE REDEEMER CHURCH, BOONVILLE: 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH, KING: 11 a.m. English; 1:30 p.m. Spanish Sunday HOLY INFANT CHURCH, REIDSVILLE: 9 a.m. Sunday OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 10 a.m. Sunday
STAFF
OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH, MONROE: 9 a.m. daily
EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org
QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, BELMONT: 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org
SACRED HEART CHURCH, BREVARD: 12 p.m. daily Mass, 10 a.m. Sunday
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
SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY: 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 5:15 p.m. Wedneday, 9 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Saturday ST. ANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Latin Mass) Sunday ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, ARDEN: 11 a.m. Bilingual Sunday Mass ST. BASIL THE GREAT EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 11 a.m. Sunday ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM: 9 a.m. English; 2 p.m. Spanish ST. DOROTHY CHURCH, LINCOLNTON: 9 a.m. Sunday
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, FOREST CITY IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH, HIGH POINT OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION, CHARLOTTE (ST. HELEN MISSION, SPENCER MOUNTAIN) OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO OUR LADY OF MERCY CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, LENOIR ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH, CANDLER ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, ASHEBORO ST. LAWRENCE BASILICA, ASHEVILLE ST. LEO THE GREAT CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM ST. MARGARET MARY CHURCH, SWANNANOA ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE ST. MARY MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA ST. MICHAEL CHURCH, GASTONIA ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, CHARLOTTE ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, GREENSBORO ST. STEPHEN MISSION, ELKIN ST. STEPHEN MARONITE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE ST. THERESE CHURCH, MOORESVILLE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE
ST. EUGENE CHURCH, ASHEVILLE: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil; 9 a.m. Sunday Mass ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, MOCKSVILLE: 9 a.m. English; 10:30 a.m. Spanish 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.
ST. JAMES CHURCH, CONCORD: English and Spanish
EN ESPAÑOL
ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday in English and 12 p.m. Sunday in Spanish
Las siguientes parroquias ofrecen misas en vivo o grabadas cada semana. Un horario actualizado está en línea en www.catholicnewsherald.com, o comuníquese con su parroquia para más detalles:
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH, WAYNESVILLE, AND IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MISSION, CANTON
OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO
ST. LUKE CHURCH, MINT HILL: 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday in English; 1 p.m. Sunday bilingual; 4:30 p.m. Sunday
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8 a.m. domingo; 7:30 p.m. martes; 12 p.m. miércoles, jueves y viernes. OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, CHARLOTTE
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.
ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE: 7 and 9 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 7 a.m. Wednesday; 9 a.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday in English, and 1 p.m. in Spanish ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 8 a.m. Sunday
OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH, MONROE
ST. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA: Noon Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 9 a.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. Sunday in English and 7 p.m. Saturday in Spanish
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM: 1:30 p.m. Domingo
SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all others.
ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12 p.m. daily; 9 a.m. Sunday
ST. EUGENE CHURCH, ASHEVILLE: 7:30 a.m. Domingo
ST. MICHAEL CHURCH, GASTONIA: 9 a.m. Sunday
ST. JAMES THE GREATER CHURCH, CONCORD
ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, CHARLOTTE: 12:30 p.m. Sunday
ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH, CANDLER
ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 9 a.m. Monday, WednesdayFriday; 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 10:30 a.m. Sunday
ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12 p.m. Domingo
ST. PETER CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 11:30 a.m. Sunday
ST. LUKE CHURCH, MINT HILL: 1 p.m. Domingo
ST. STEPHEN MISSION, ELKIN: 9 a.m. Sunday
ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE: 1 p.m. Domingo
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.
ST. THERESE CHURCH, MOORESVILLE: 9 a.m. weekdays, 5 p.m. Saturday 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 9 a.m. daily; 9:30 a.m. Sunday ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 10 a.m. daily, 10 a.m. Sunday in English and 2 p.m. Sunday in Spanish
RECORDED MASSES The following parishes offer Masses recorded on their website, Facebook page, YouTube or Vimeo channel. Search those platforms for the parish’s name to find the latest Mass information: GOOD SHEPHERD MISSION, KING HOLY CROSS CHURCH, KERNERSVILLE HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, DENVER
SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY: 12:30 p.m. Domingo ST. ALOYSIUS CHURCH, HICKORY: 1 p.m. Domingo
ST. DOROTHY CHURCH, LINCOLNTON: 10 a.m. Domingo
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, ASHEBORO
ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 11 a.m. Domingo ST. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA: 7 p.m. Sabado ST. THERESE CHURCH: 12 p.m. Domingo
VIETNAMESE ST. JOSEPH VIETNAMESE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 9:30 Sunday
LATIN ST. ANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12:30 p.m. Sunday OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 1 p.m. Sunday
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
OUR PARISHESI
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Diocese of Charlotte Foundation surpasses $60M in assets SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER
Art as spiritual therapy HICKORY — The Catholic Conference Center is exploring unique ways to improve the spiritual well-being of people as they navigate the uncertain waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. One has been a novel use of arts and crafts as a means for spiritual therapy. Art therapy has been a proven technique in many counseling situations, so Director Deacon Scott Gilfillan thought, “If this is so, why not take it to a deeper level and use art as a means for ‘spiritual’ therapy?” He lined up expert presenters to offer three hands-on workshops: Prayer Doodles, The Potter’s Hands, and the Healing Art of Poetry. “As children, we used to find delight and peace in simple little activities like doodling, or playing with clay, or even scribbling little poems. The retreat tapped into the power of these simple activities to both bring out the childlike qualities in each person but also invite them into God’s Presence as they see themselves molded and shaped like clay or receiving inspired messages on little slips of paper,” he said. For the participants, it was a time to step back and allow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speak to each of them in this creative process. “Loved the whole experience!” Dina McFerrin said afterwards. “Enjoyed the free time to just meditate. One of the best vacations I have ever taken and came home refreshed and relaxed!” At the retreat, people came from Virginia to Charleston – mostly Catholics, but word got out to other faith communities as well. Lauren Anderson, pastor of a Methodist church, said, “I had so much fun with this retreat. Thank you!”
Holy Angels receives grant from Order of Malta BELMONT — The Order of Malta has donated $50,000 to Holy Angels to provide for unforeseen and unbudgeted medical supplies and equipment including PPE supplies to protect Holy Angels residents, who are medically fragile, and the staff who care for them. Members of the order made a symbolic presentation of the grant to Regina Moody, Holy Angels CEO, during their recent Holy Angels Carolina Classic Golf Tournament. In accepting the check, Moody expressed her gratitude to the Order of Malta for its support during this unprecedented time: “Since early March, it has been our primary goal to care for and protect our vulnerable residents. We continue to face each challenge with faith over fear.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY SISTER NANCY NANCE
As a bonus, each participant left with inspired drawings, pieces of pottery, and poems of their own creation. The Potter’s Hands workshop began with Debra Zimmerman of Groovy Girl Pottery sitting at her potter’s wheel molding and shaping a bowl, while her husband Dale expanded upon the many metaphors of how God molds and shapes each one of us. After the demonstration, participants made their own prayer stones, pocket-sized hearts, plus a bowl to keep them all together. Debra fired the individual pieces in her kiln and delivered the finished product about three weeks later. In the Healing Art of Poetry, Susan remarked, “I never realized I could write a poem!” Alden (the presenter) took the participants through the process step by step. She continued, “I was amazed at the result.” Deacon Larry O’Toole and his wife Judy also came to the retreat. After her experience, Judy said, “The retreat was a welcome activity connecting with others in a safe way. The spiritual and creative opportunities were enriching and a lot of fun... Look forward to more such sessions.” The retreat sold out. “We wanted to limit the number of participants to make sure everyone was safely spaced with their own work area and dining room table if they so desired,” Deacon Gilfillan noted. “We capped it at 30 people, and had at least 40 want to sign up. Needless to say, we’ve scheduled another for Nov. 19-20.” For information about the next Art as Spiritual Therapy Retreat, go to the Catholic Conference Center’s website at www.catholicconference.org. — Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte Foundation recently surpassed the milestone of $60 million in assets. The foundation, established in 1994, provides a means for people and organizations to provide long-term financial stability for the diocese and its more than 180 parishes, schools, agencies and ministries. Over the past 27 years, the foundation has grown to encompass 280 endowments that total $60.4 million in assets as of Aug. 31. An endowment is a permanent fund, the principal of which is never touched, but the income from which can be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor organization or person. Endowments provide a way to generate income and help sustain the longterm strength and viability of the diocese and its parishes, schools, agencies and ministries. “The endowments in the foundation range from several thousand dollars to over $4 million. We are also finding that more and more people are establishing named endowments to honor or remember a loved one. Currently, 142 of the 280 endowments are named endowments,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director. Those who make a planned gift to the diocese or any of its parishes, schools, ministries or agencies become members of the Catholic Heritage Society. The society is the diocese’s way of honoring the Christian generosity of Catholic friends who are providing for the future of the Church in western North Carolina. The Catholic Heritage Society is comprised of more than 1,300 people in the diocese, many of whom are leaving gifts to the foundation in their wills. The foundation sends reports out to all these endowment holders every quarter stating where their endowment stands and how much is available to distribute. As a rule, the foundation makes available 5 percent of a rolling three-year average value of its total assets. Since 1994, the foundation has distributed more than $11 million to the diocese and its parishes, schools, agencies and ministries. One example of an endowment making a real impact in the diocese is the Eugene and Carmen Rossitch Endowment Fund for Seminarian Education, established in 2006 to ensure the continued support of seminarians’ education in the diocese. The diocese now has 41 men in various stages of formation – an indication of the diocese’s growth and successful emphasis on promoting religious vocations. “We are finding more and more people in the diocese are remembering the Church in their estates. Many of them are establishing endowments in the foundation, where their gifts can have a lasting impact. Gifts made once in an endowment continue to give forever,” Kelley noted.
Create an endowment Interested in setting up an endowment? Establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a gift of real estate, a gift of life insurance, cash or securities sufficient to set up an endowment, or a life income arrangement such as a trust or annuity. For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704370-3364 or gmrhodes@charlottediocese.org.
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catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 OUR PARISHES
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
World Mission Sunday collection to be taken up Oct. 18 CHARLOTTE — World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this year Oct. 18. A special collection will be taken up in all parishes Oct. 17-18 to further the work of the Holy Father and the Propagation of the Faith around the world. Promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies, World Mission Sunday is the annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions and missionaries of the world. The special second collection taken up during Masses Oct. 17-18 is a global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of more than 1,000 local churches in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe. Through the work of these churches and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, His hope and peace. Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Church in Asheville and liaison for missions here in the Diocese of Charlotte, shares his thoughts on missionary efforts of the Church in advance of the annual collection: “October begins with a special feast day that highlights the importance of a mission spirituality: St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She and St. Francis Xavier are the co-patrons of the mission Church,” Father Cahill said. “St. Therese reminds us that we have to be rooted in a life of contemplation. St. Francis Xavier reminds us we have to be rooted in action. They go together as we take the Good News to the ends of the earth as Jesus clearly commands us.” “Each World Mission Sunday, the universal Church has the opportunity to partner with our brothers and sisters in the furthest reaches of the world. We extend a hand to the margins when we give to the World Mission
What is World Mission Sunday? In 1926 Pope Pius XI instituted Mission Sunday for the whole Church with the first worldwide Mission Sunday collection taking place in October 1927. The Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to last Sunday during the month of October. That day is celebrated in a local churches as a feast of catholicity and universal solidarity so Christians the world over will recognize their common responsibility for the evangelization of the world.
Sunday second collection the weekend of Oct. 17-18,” Father Cahill explained. “The Diocese of Charlotte has always risen to the occasion for this essential dimension of the Church. Despite the difficulties of a pandemic hitting us in 2020, I have no doubt we will rise to the occasion with generosity again this year.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Missio.org contributed.
Learn more At www.propfaith.net: Find out more about the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies around the world
‘Here am I, send me’
D
ear Brothers and Sisters, In this year marked by the suffering and challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the missionary journey of the whole Church continues in light of the words found in the account of the calling of the prophet Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (6:8). This is the ever new response to the Lord’s question: “Whom shall I send?” This invitation from God’s merciful heart challenges both the Church and humanity as a whole in the current world crisis. “Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying ‘We are perishing’ (v. 38), so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this” (Meditation in St. Peter’s Square, 27 March 2020). We are indeed frightened, disoriented and afraid. Pain and death make us experience our human frailty, but at the same time remind us of our deep desire for life and liberation from evil. In this context, the call to mission, the invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor presents itself as an opportunity for sharing, service and intercessory prayer. The mission that God entrusts to each one of us leads us from fear and introspection to a renewed realization that we find ourselves precisely when we give ourselves to others. ...
‘Here I Am, Send Me’
Pope Francis “The mission, the ‘Church on the move,’ is not a program, an enterprise to be carried out by sheer force of will. It is Christ who makes the Church go out of herself. In the mission of evangelization, you move because the Holy Spirit pushes you, and carries you” (“Senza di Lui non possiamo fare nulla: Essere missionari oggi nel mondo.” Una conversazione con Gianni Valente, Libreria Editrice Vaticana: San Paolo, 2019). God always loves us first and with this love comes to us and calls us. Our personal vocation comes from the fact that we are sons and daughters of God in the Church, His family, brothers and sisters in that love that Jesus has shown us. All, however, have a human dignity founded on the divine invitation to be children of God and to become, in the sacrament of baptism and in the freedom of faith, what they have always been in the heart of God. ... Mission is a free and conscious response to God’s call. Yet we discern this call only when we have a personal relationship of love with Jesus present in His Church. Let us ask ourselves: are we prepared to welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to
listen to the call to mission, whether in our life as married couples or as consecrated persons or those called to the ordained ministry, and in all the everyday events of life? Are we willing to be sent forth at any time or place to witness to our faith in God the merciful Father, to proclaim the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, to share the divine life of the Holy Spirit by building up the Church? Are we, like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, ready to be completely at the service of God’s will? This interior openness is essential if we are to say to God: “Here am I, Lord, send me.” And this, not in the abstract, but in this chapter of the life of the Church and of history. Understanding what God is saying to us at this time of pandemic also represents a challenge for the Church’s mission. ... Being forced to observe social distancing and to stay at home invites us to rediscover that we need social relationships as well as our communal relationship with God. Far from increasing mistrust and indifference, this situation should make us even more attentive to our way of relating to others. And prayer, in which God touches and moves our hearts, should make us ever more open to the need of our brothers and sisters for dignity and freedom, as well as our responsibility to care for all creation. The impossibility of gathering as a Church to celebrate the Eucharist has led us to share the experience of the many Christian communities that cannot celebrate Mass every Sunday. In all of this, God’s question: “Whom shall I send?” is addressed once more to us and awaits a generous and convincing response: “Here am I, send me!”
What are we called to do? On World Mission Sunday, we respond, “Here I Am, Send Me,” to our baptismal call to mission, and we offer, at the Eucharistic celebration, our prayers and our generous financial support, through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, to continue the mission of Jesus. Today we are “sent” out to witness to mission in the world through our prayers and sacrifices for our brothers and sisters around the world.
What difference can we make? Your prayers and financial help, offered on World Mission Sunday, support mission priests, religious sisters and brothers, and lay catechists who are Christ’s witnesses to a world in great need of His healing, love and peace.
How can we contribute? You can support the work of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith by giving to the annual collections taken up in your parish. If you miss your parish’s collection or you wish to give separately from the weekend collection, you may send your donation to: Office of National Collections U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops P. O. Box 96278 Washington, D.C. 20090-6278 Make your check payable to USCCB–World Mission Sunday. — Catholic News Herald. USCCB and Missio.org contributed.
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
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IN HONOR OF NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: MY JOURNEY IN HISPANIC MINISTRY
Just after his ordination in 1995, Father Mark Lawlor started to work for the Hispanic Ministry at Holy Family Parish in Clemmons and Christ the King in Yadkinville. (At left and below) Father Mark celebrates a baptism in a humble chapel in the jungle of Peru; appears with participants of a Salesian youth program in Huánuco, Peru; and blesses those attending the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration at St. Therese Church in Mooresville. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FATHER MARK LAWLOR
‘Trips to Latin America, Hispanic pastoral ministry have greatly enriched my life and priestly ministry’ FATHER MARK LAWLOR SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
CHARLOTTE — Sometimes I am asked how I came to speak Spanish. In truth, I am still learning, but I smile as I reflect on this journey that dates back more than 30 years. In high school, I was told I needed to study a foreign language to be accepted into college. I didn’t know what to take. Some of my classmates had taken Latin and had received poor grades, so I decided against that one. I settled on Spanish, which I took for two years. In those days, the emphasis was not on conversational Spanish, but it was a basic start. I certainly never imagined then in the 1970s that Spanish would become my second language. A few specific experiences helped shape my outlook on Spanish during my formation to the priesthood. On a mission trip to the Deep South, I was part of a small group assisting a priest to offer Mass in a barn for some migrant workers. Thirty Hispanic men lived in this barn in Arkansas, surviving in very humble conditions while working on the farms in the area. That was my first experience ministering to migrants. Another time, I went to a hospital in Charlotte to bring Holy Communion to a parishioner following her surgery. In the hallway, a woman approached and asked me, “Are you a priest?” I replied that I was a seminarian. She asked me if I would visit her father, who was a patient there, and bring him Holy Communion. When we entered the room, she told me, “We are from Bolivia and he only speaks Spanish.” We had a Communion service and she translated what I said into Spanish for him. I thought to myself, “I should learn how to communicate in Spanish for my future priestly ministry.” Another time while I was in the North Carolina mountains, heading to the church in Spruce Pine. I stopped for gas and noticed six Hispanic men standing alongside the road, apparently waiting for a ride. I knew that many Hispanics work for Christmas tree growers in that area. I thought to myself, “This is a rural area. I would like to go over and speak to those men, but I don’t speak Spanish.” So while I was still in the seminary, I made the decision
to learn Spanish. I took two classes in general Spanish and then two in “Pastoral Spanish.” After my ordination in 1995, I thought I would have a year or two to work my way into Hispanic Ministry. My first pastor, Father Thomas Walsh, told me upon my arrival at Holy Family Parish in Clemmons, “Well, Mark, you have responsibility for the ministry here and you are also the chaplain to our youth group and to the Hispanic Community of Cristo Rey in Yadkinville.” So rather than having to wait a year or two, I had the opportunity to jump right in. The families at Cristo Rey were very kind and patient with me as I tried ministering to them in Spanish. After a few months, I recognized my limitations, particularly with confessions, homilies and pastoral counsel, so Bishop William Curlin gave me permission to participate in a month-long language school in Mexico. That immersion was a great experience for me. I lived with a family in Cuernavaca, Mexico, attended classes and helped in a local parish. I also visited cathedrals, convents, shrines and historical sites. That immersion opened my ears to the language and helped me to understand and communicate better. Over the past 25 years since then, I have been involved in
Hispanic ministry at each of my parish assignments. After Clemmons, I served in Winston-Salem, Biscoe, Jefferson, Sparta, Charlotte, and now in Mooresville. I have celebrated more than 1,500 Masses in Spanish and have probably baptized approximately 2,000 people in Spanish. There have also been many celebrations of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, house blessings, quinceañeras, weddings and family fiestas. My various trips to Latin America and Hispanic pastoral ministry here in the Charlotte diocese have greatly enriched my life and priestly ministry. As a pastor and as a seminarian supervisor, I have always encouraged parochial vicars and seminarians to spend some time learning the Spanish language and the rich Hispanic culture in order to better serve our Hispanic Catholics. Over the years, I have become convinced that Hispanic ministry is well worth the effort. Participation at events such as the annual Eucharistic Congress demonstrate the tremendous energy and faith of the many Hispanics in our midst. For me, the journey has been a joyful one. FATHER MARK LAWLOR is pastor of St. Therese Church in Mooresville.
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catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 OUR PARISHES
Joining hands and praying for life People across the Diocese of Charlotte gathered last Sunday to kick off Respect Life Month and form “Life Chains” as a public witness for the dignity of all human life, from conception to natural death.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER
More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos from Life Chains across the Diocese of Charlotte
St. Mark Church parishioners gathered along Stumptown Road in Huntersville to take part in a Life Chain Oct. 4. Nearly 250 people came to silently pray along the sidewalk that stretches from St. Mark Church to St. Mark School. The Life Chain is organized each year by the parish’s Respect Life Ministry. The parish also erected a field of 138 crosses to display throughout October to bring attention to Respect Life Month and the large loss of life from abortion. Each cross represents the 47 babies aborted each hour in the world.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NORMALINDA HAMMOND
Hundreds of parishioners of Our Lady of Grace Church held signs as silent witnesses and prayed on behalf of the unborn during a Life Chain along one of Greensboro’s busiest streets, Battleground Avenue.
PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
Parishioners young and old gathered to form a Life Chain outside St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.
Your DSA contributions at work Respect Life ministries in our parishes are supported through the work of the Diocese of Charlotte Respect Life Office. The diocesan Respect Life Office is funded in part by contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and how you can contribute at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.
‘Walking with Moms in Need’ during COVID-19 GEORGIANNA PENN CORRESPONDENT
GREENSBORO — When many doors closed in March to stop the spread of COVID-19, St. Pius X parishioners opened their hearts instead. Despite the pandemic, people wanted to find ways to keep helping others – especially since maternity homes, food banks and other social service agencies could no longer use volunteers in the same way they had been. “For the safety of our clients, we cannot allow volunteers to do what they normally do,” says Marianne Donadio, development director for Room At The Inn maternity home in Greensboro, referring to the many ways volunteers helped before COVID-19 by sorting clothing and hosting on-site baby showers. “It’s hard on us to not have that help and hard on volunteers not to be able to have something to do.” So supporters have turned to donating essential items, especially food, to support local pro-life outreach efforts. St. Pius X parishioner Jim Furman is among them, helping to organize a food delivery program for Room At The Inn with a team of volunteers from the local Ancient Order of Hibernians. Furman found inspiration after attending a Respect Life Open House earlier GEORGIANNA PENN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD this year hosted by the St. Pius Hibernian Mike Wachter and his wife Pat X Purple Hat Ministry. The delivered bread from Harris Teeter to help Ancient Order of Hibernians have a heart for service and were support Room At The Inn in Greensboro. The AOH is among members of the St. Pius recently awarded the Chieftains of Charity Award honoring their X Parish community finding ways to “walk with moms in need,” part of the U.S. bishops’ commitment to local charities. Furman and Donadio both call for a year of pro-life service nationwide attended the “Walking with to mark the 25th anniversary year of “Evangelium vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”). Moms in Need” themed open house at St. Pius X back in January. The event was held in response to the U.S. bishops’ call for a nationwide pro-life year of service from March 25, 2020, to March 25, 2021, entitled: “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service,” to mark the 25th anniversary of “Evangelium vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”). At the start of the effort, things were uncertain because of COVID-19. But now, “with 14 pick-ups, five days a week, it’s something substantial our group can do,” says Furman, the Catholic Action Chairman of the AOH division. The food donations are organized by Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina and the maternity home receives a variety of feasts weekly. Papa John’s pizza on Fridays, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Chipotle, Sheetz sandwiches; and gallons of milk, yogurt and bread from Greensboro Day School. “I absolutely love giving away food to people who need it,” says Furman. “And Room At The Inn is that place. They depend on it, and so do we.” Furman has not only recruited his fellow Hibernians, but is sharing this time in Christ with his newly confirmed grandson, Bobby Lamothe, who recently joined the Knights of Columbus as well. Lamothe and his fellow Knights help Furman’s AOH team keep the program running five days a week – a real joint effort for life, he says. Even though there is little contact with the staff during the food drop-offs because of COVID-19 health protocols in place, there is much gratitude. “Everything is appreciated,” says Room At The Inn staff member and previous client, Tiffany Herbin. “There’s just such a need,” notes St. Pius X parishioner Martha Harvey, who “walks with moms in need” at The Pregnancy Network, formerly called Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center. “Our hope is to bring Christ into their lives,” referring to the center’s “Connect” Mentorship Program designed to match mentors with moms needing spiritual and emotional support during their pregnancy. “Even just a phone call with your mentee, just knowing someone cares enough to check up on you, has an impact,” she says. The various joint efforts to help others, despite the pandemic, all point to people’s shared love for pro-life service, participants say. “It’s really nice when everyone works together,” says Donadio, who recently received a referral from The Pregnancy Network for a mother in desperate need of a place to stay. To be able to connect an abortionvulnerable pregnant mother to the right resources, to support and accompany her in choosing life for her unborn child, is really the work of the Holy Spirit, she emphasizes. “And everyone does their piece of the puzzle.”
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
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In Brief Clergy appointments announced CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis announces the following clergy appointments: n Father Brian Becker: Diocese of Charlotte promoter of vocations, effective Aug. 4 n Father Timothy Reid: chaplain of Charlotte Catholic High School, effective for the 2020-’21 school year n Father Nohé Torres: parochial vicar, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir n Father Brandon Jones: parochial vicar, St. Ann Church in Charlotte
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Huntersville, offered the Vigil of the Two Hearts Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral on first Friday evening, Oct. 2. More than 50 people traveled to the cathedral for the last Vigil of the Two Hearts prior to the Nov. 3 election to pray for an end of abortion and for the nation’s conversion. After Mass, Deacon Peter Tonon, who serves at St. Ann Church in Charlotte, exposed the Blessed Sacrament for nocturnal Adoration and led a Holy Hour of Reparation. The Vigil of the Two Hearts is held each first Friday through first Saturday at St. Patrick Cathedral and is sponsored by Carolina Pro-Life Action Network of Charlotte (C-PLAN). For details, go online to www.prolifecharlotte.org/ two-hearts or email info@prolifecharlotte.org. — Mike FitzGerald, correspondent
Learn about the Lay Dominicans CHARLOTTE — The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapter of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic in Charlotte is hosting “Coffee and St. Dominic” Saturday, Oct. 24, at St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly and via video conferencing. Catholics aged 18 or older who are interested in how laypersons benefit from Dominican life are invited to log on or come learn more about the founder of the Dominican order and the prayer, study, community and apostolate of Lay Dominicans. The event will be held from 8:30 to 9:20 a.m. at the new college seminary, located at 22 Arctus Ave., Mount Holly, N.C. 28120. Call 860-672-5194 for the optional virtual link. For other information, go online to charlottelaydominicans.org.
Vigil of the Two Hearts offered CHARLOTTE — Father Melchesideck Yumo, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in
SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Carmelite ceremony held Sept. 19 ‘Return to God’ group forms HUNTERSVILLE — More than 30 concerned Catholics showed up on a recent Sunday afternoon in Huntersville to pray for the country and encourage local residents to return to God. The prayer vigil, held outside St. Mark Church along Stumptown Road Sept. 27, was organized by a new independent ministry called Return to God. The ministry, founded by several St. Mark parishioners, plans to organize public prayer events in different parts of the area to pray for peace, and a call to conversion of the community back to God. For more information,
CHARLOTTE — Discalced Secular Carmelites of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Charlotte Community held an annual ceremony Sept. 19 at St. Ann Church. During the ceremony, the community received Definitive Promises of three members, Temporary Promises of two members and witnessed four members receive the Carmelite scapular. Two more members will receive their scapular in October. Father Timothy Reid, a member and spiritual advisor to the community, celebrated Mass and presided over the ceremony. The community meets monthly at the parish. contact John Nickl at jan1947@aol.com or Charlie Magro at 704-794-8532. — Mike FitzGerald, correspondent; photo provided by Amy Burger
Marking their anniversary
Cory Catron, pastor, blessed their marriage at the end of Mass. — Patrick J. Hession, correspondent
JEFFERSON — St. Francis of Assisi parishioners Rick and Diane LaBonte celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 9. Father
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catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 OUR PARISHES
Blessing of the Animals
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARYANN LUEDTKE
St. Pius X Church in Greensboro held a drive-through pet blessing event and food drive Oct. 3 to benefit Greensboro Urban Ministry. Also over the weekend, parishioners took part in a virtual CROP Walk, raising more than $7,000, including $3,000 thanks to parishioner Katie Fennie and her dogs.
Deacon Tom McGahey blessed parishioners and their pets at the annual Blessing of the Animals held in honor of St. Francis of Assisi Oct. 3. Reading from the Book of Blessings, Deacon Tom joyously and lovingly took the time to go from person to person, animal to animal, to bless more than 25 pets including four cats, a bird, a rabbit, a gecko, and even a turtle. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
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Blessing of the Animals
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOAN GUTHRIE
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONNIE RIES
The annual blessing of the animals took place at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville Oct. 3 in front of the church.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SISTER MARTHA HOYLE
Birds were among the many pets blessed at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville.
Deacon Jim Bozik blessed people and their pets during a walk-up and drive-up Blessing of the Animals celebration outside St. Peter Church in Charlotte Oct. 3. A virtual blessing was also offered at the conclusion of the parish’s feast of St. Francis prayer service Oct. 4.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ANGELA FLUETT
(Left) Father Richard Sutter, pastor, blessed families and their pets outside St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte Oct. 3.
More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more blessings of the animals at churches around the Diocese of Charlotte
PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
Parishioner also brought their pets to St. Matthew Church in Charlotte for a blessing.
Music Director HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC CHURCH, DENVER NC Looking for a director of music. Must be proficient in organ and piano skills, play traditional and contemporary hymns and work well with staff and parishioners. Please contact Brandi Moon or Father Carmen Malacari at 704 483-6448.
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iiiOctober 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com
CATHOLIC N
‘In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participatio
A closer look at
What does it mean to form my conscience? Catholics have a long tradition of engagement in the public square. Sometimes that engagement requires making difficult moral decisions that impact our own lives and those of others. Our conscience can help guide the decisions we make. The Second Vatican Council guides us: “Always summoning (one) to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience can when necessary speak to (one’s) heart more specifically: do this, shun that” (“Gaudium et Spes,” 16). However, our conscience doesn’t just come to us when we are born. We must work throughout our lives to form it through prayer, learning and conversation.
How do I form my conscience? It takes time to form our conscience so that we can make well-reasoned judgments about particular, real-life situations. The Church teaches that it is important to work continually on conscience formation so we can be prepared to make decisions whenever the opportunity arises. Some specific ideas to form your conscience are: n Begin by being open to the truth and what is right. n Study Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. n Examine the facts and background information about various choices and be discerning in where we gather information. n Prayerfully reflect to discern the will of God. Additionally, it is important to consider how our community of faith can help us form good consciences through some of these steps: n Seek the prudent advice and good example of trusted leaders and others to support and enlighten our conscience. n Learn about the authoritative teaching of the Church. n Pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us develop our conscience. n Regularly partake in an examination of conscience to hear God’s voice in your life.
Prayer for conscience formation I praise you Lord for creating me in Your Divine image. Thank You for giving me a free will to know You and love You. Open my heart to Your teachings and help me to form my conscience according to Your will. Please strengthen me with the virtues of faith, hope, love, and especially prudence. Grant me Your loving guidance each day and send me the graces to always do Your will, even when most difficult. Amen. — U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship is the U.S. bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. This statement represents guidance for the Catholic faithful in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy.
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s Catholics, we bring the richness of our faith to the public square. We draw from both faith and reason as we seek to affirm the dignity of the human person and the common good of all. Everyone living in this country is called to participate in public life and contribute to the common good. As Catholics, we are part of a community with profound teachings that help us consider challenges in public life, contribute to greater justice and peace for all people, and evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel in order to help build a better world.
Why does the Church teach about issues affecting public policy? The Church’s obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith, a part of the mission given to us by Jesus Christ. As people of both faith and reason, Catholics are called to bring truth to political life and to practice Christ’s commandment to “love one another” (Jn 13:34). The US Constitution protects the right of individual believers and religious bodies to proclaim and live out their faith without government interference, favoritism, or discrimination. Civil law should recognize and protect the Church’s right and responsibility to participate in society without abandoning its moral convictions. Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions into public life. The Catholic community brings to political dialogue a consistent moral framework and broad experience serving those in need.
Who should take part in political life? In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to any political party or interest group. In today’s environment, Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised, sensing that no party and few candidates fully share our comprehensive commitment to human life and dignity. This should not discourage us. On the contrary, it makes our obligation to act all the more urgent. Catholic lay women and men need to act on the Church’s moral principles and become more involved: running for office, working within political parties, and communicating concerns to elected officials. Even those who cannot vote should raise their voices on matters that affect their lives and the common good. Faithful citizenship is an ongoing responsibility, not just an election year duty.
How can Catholic Social Teaching guide our participation? In the words of Pope Francis, “progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity depends on four principles related to constant tensions present in every social reality. These derive from the pillars of the Church’s social doctrine, which serve as ‘primary and fundamental parameters of reference for interpreting and evaluating social phenomena.’” (“Evangelii Gaudium,” 221) The four
principles include the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity. Taken together, these principles provide a moral framework for Catholic engagement in advancing what we have called a “consistent ethic of life” (USCCB, “Living the Gospel of Life,” 22). Rightly understood, this ethic does not treat all issues as morally equivalent; nor does it reduce Catholic teaching to one or two issues. It anchors the Catholic commitment to defend human life and other human rights, from conception until natural death, in the fundamental obligation to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God. Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates’ positions on issues and should consider candidates’ integrity, philosophy and performance. It is important for all citizens “to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest” (“Living the Gospel of Life,” 33) .
THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Human life is sacred because every person is created in the image and likeness of God. There is a rich and multifaceted Catholic teaching on human dignity summarized in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Every human being “must always be understood in his unrepeatable and inviolable uniqueness ... This entails above all the requirement not only of simple respect on the part of others, especially political and social institutions and their leaders with regard to every man and woman on the earth, but even more, this means that the primary commitment of each person towards others, and particularly of these same institutions, must be for the promotion and integral development of the person” (131). Every political, economic, social, scientific and cultural program must be inspired by the awareness of the primacy of each human being over society” (132).
SUBSIDIARITY It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations and local realities – in short, for those economic, social, cultural, recreational, professional and political communities to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth. The family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, is the fundamental unit of society. This sanctuary for the creation and nurturing of children must not be redefined, undermined or neglected. Supporting families should be a priority for economic and social policies. How our society is organized – in economics and politics, in law and public policy – affects the well-being of individuals and of society. Every person and association has a right and a duty to participate in shaping society to promote the wellbeing of individuals and the common good. The principle of subsidiarity reminds us that larger institutions in society should not overwhelm or interfere with smaller or local institutions; yet larger institutions have essential responsibilities when the more local institutions cannot adequately protect human dignity, meet human needs, and advance the common good.
THE COMMON GOOD The common good is comprised of “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as
groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 164) Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met. Every human being has a right to life, a right to religious freedom, and a right to have access to those things required for human decency – food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities – to ourselves, to our families, and to the larger society. The economy must serve people, not the other way around. An economic system must serve the dignity of the human person and the common good by respecting the dignity of work and protecting the rights of workers. Economic justice calls for decent work at fair, living wages, a broad and fair legalization program with a path to citizenship for immigrant workers, and the opportunity for all people to work together for the common good through their work, ownership, enterprise, investment, participation in unions, and other forms of economic activity. Workers also have responsibilities – to provide a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, to treat employers and coworkers with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employers and unions should not only advance their own interests but also work together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all. We have a duty to care for God’s creation, which Pope Francis refers to in Laudato Si’ as “our common home.” We all are called to be careful stewards of God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for vulnerable human beings now and in the future. And he calls all of us to an “ecological conversion,” by which “the effects of (our) encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in (our) relationship with the world around (us)”. (“Laudato Si’,” 217) Indeed, this concern with “natural ecology” is an indispensable part of the broader “human ecology,” which encompasses not only material but moral and social dimensions as well.
SOLIDARITY Solidarity is “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to ... the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.” It is found in “a commitment to the good of one’s neighbor with the readiness, in the Gospel sense, to ‘lose oneself’ for the sake of the other instead of exploiting him, and to ‘serve him’ instead of oppressing him for one’s own advantage.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 193) We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Our Catholic commitment to solidarity requires that we pursue justice, eliminate racism, end human trafficking, protect human rights, seek peace, and avoid the use of force except as a necessary last resort. In a special way, our
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October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.comiii
on in political life is a moral obligation.’
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— “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” 2019
t Faithful Citizenship Learn more At www.faithfulcitizenship.org: Download a searchable version of “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” in English or Spanish, watch explanatory videos, explore questions for reflection, and much more solidarity must find expression in the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. A moral test for society is how we treat the weakest among us – the unborn, those dealing with disabilities or terminal illness, the poor, and the marginalized.
How can the Church help us answer political and social questions? A WELL-FORMED CONSCIENCE The Church equips its members to address political questions by helping them develop wellformed consciences. We Catholics have a lifelong obligation to form our consciences in accord with human reason, enlightened by the teaching of Christ as it comes to us through the Church.
THE VIRTUE OF PRUDENCE The Church also encourages Catholics to develop the virtue of prudence, which enables us “to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1806). Prudence shapes and informs our ability to deliberate over available alternatives, to determine what is most fitting to a specific context, and to act. Prudence must be accompanied by courage, which calls us to act. As Catholics seek to advance the common good, we must carefully discern which public policies are morally sound. At times, Catholics may choose different ways to respond to social problems, but we cannot differ on our obligation to protect human life and dignity and help build, through moral means, a more just and peaceful world.
DOING GOOD AND AVOIDING EVIL There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. These intrinsically evil acts must always be rejected and never supported. A preeminent example is the intentional taking of innocent human life, as in abortion. Similarly, human cloning, destructive research on human embryos, and other acts that directly violate
the sanctity and dignity of human life including genocide, torture and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be justified. Nor can violations of human dignity, such as acts of racism, treating workers as mere means to an end, deliberately subjecting workers to subhuman living conditions, treating the poor as disposable, or redefining marriage to deny its essential meaning, ever be justified. Opposition to intrinsically evil acts also prompts us to recognize our positive duty to contribute to the common good and act in solidarity with those in need. Both opposing evil and doing good are essential. As St. John Paul II said, “The fact that only the negative commandments oblige always and under all circumstances does not mean that in the moral life prohibitions are more important than the obligation to do good indicated by the positive commandment.” (“Veritatis Splendor,” 52) The basic right to life implies and is linked to other human rights such as a right to the goods that every person needs to live and thrive – including food, shelter, health care, education and meaningful work.
AVOIDING TWO TEMPTATIONS Two temptations in public life can distort the Church’s defense of human life and dignity: The first is a moral equivalence that makes no ethical distinctions between different kinds of issues involving human life and dignity. The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed. The second is the misuse of these necessary moral distinctions as a way of dismissing or ignoring other serious threats to human life and dignity. Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, environmental degradation, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care or housing, pornography, human trafficking, redefining civil marriage, compromising religious liberty, or unjust immigration policies are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act.
MAKING MORAL CHOICES The bishops do not tell Catholics how to vote; the responsibility to make political choices rests with each person and his or her properly formed conscience, aided by prudence. This exercise of conscience begins with always opposing policies that violate human life or weaken its protection. When morally flawed laws already exist, prudential judgment is needed to determine how to do what is possible to restore justice – even if partially or
gradually – without ever abandoning a moral commitment to full protection for all human life from conception to natural death. As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate’s position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter’s support. Yet a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support.
What public policies should concern Catholics most? As Catholics, we are led to raise questions about political life other than those that concentrate on individual, material well-being. We focus more broadly on what protects or threatens the dignity of every human life. Catholic teaching challenges voters and candidates, citizens and elected officials, to consider the moral and ethical dimensions of public policy issues. In light of ethical principles, we bishops offer the following policy goals that we hope will guide Catholics as they form their consciences and reflect on the moral dimensions of their public choices: n Address the preeminent requirement to protect human life – by restricting and bringing to an end the destruction of unborn children through abortion and providing women in crisis pregnancies with the supports they need. End the following practices: the use of euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of illness and disability; the destruction of human embryos in the name of research; the use of the death penalty to combat crime; and the imprudent resort to war to address international disputes. n Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the life-long and faithful union of one man and one woman as the central institution of society; promote the complementarity of the sexes and reject false “gender” ideologies; provide better support for family life morally, socially and economically, so that our nation helps parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility. n Achieve comprehensive immigration reform that offers a path to citizenship, treats immigrant workers fairly, prevents the separation of families,
maintains the integrity of our borders, respects the rule of law, and addresses the factors that compel people to leave their own countries. n Help families and children overcome poverty and ensure access to and choice in education, as well as decent work at fair, living wages and adequate assistance for the vulnerable in our nation, while also helping to overcome widespread hunger and poverty around the world, especially in the policy areas of development assistance, debt relief and international trade. n Ensure full conscience protection and religious freedom for individuals and groups to meet social needs, and so enable families, community groups, economic structures, and government to work together to overcome poverty, pursue the common good and care for creation. n Provide health care while respecting human life, human dignity and religious freedom in our health care system. n Continue to oppose policies that reflect racism, hostility toward immigrants, religious bigotry and other forms of unjust discrimination. n Establish and comply with moral limits on the use of military force with a special view to seeking a responsible and effective response for ending the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and other parts of the world. n Join with others around the world to pursue peace, protect human rights and religious liberty, and advance economic justice and care for creation. — U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
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Explicaron necesidad y beneficios del Quinto Encuentro
Padre Julio Domínguez
Ricos en misericordia
CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO
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n estos días me ha tocado vivir momentos bien difíciles en mi propia familia y también en nuestra hermosa familia diocesana. Ya tenemos meses sufriendo las consecuencias de este virus que, como muchos dicen, llegó para no irse. Por supuesto que escuchando a los amigos y a mucha gente sufriendo, me llevaba a ponerme en oración y suplicar a nuestro buen Dios que nos ayudara a pasar este mal momento. No fue hasta que la enfermedad llegó a las puertas de mi familia, llevándose a uno de mis tíos muy queridos y a uno de mis primos hermanos, y casi arrastrando a una de mis tías que sigue luchando aún por su vida, que me di cuenta de manera encarnada y real de lo que muchos de mis hermanos en Cristo están sufriendo. No tiene mucho que una jovencita me habló a mi teléfono. Como la mayoría de nosotros, había pasado por ese momento de despreocupación, es decir, un virus que viene pero que pronto pasará. Sin embargo, cuando vio que su mamá enfermó entró en pánico y ahora está en crisis psicológica debido al encierro y la posibilidad real de ser infectada. Otra realidad que me ha tocado vivir en estos días son las crisis financieras de mucha gente. ¿A qué quiero llegar con todo esto? A darnos cuenta que necesitamos seguir orando a Dios por todo esto que está pasando. Pero también a levantar nuestra mirada y darnos cuenta que eso podría pasar en nuestra propia persona o familia. El espíritu de compasión debe ser alimentado. No porque estemos bien no está pasando nada en el mundo. Queridos hermanos, este es un tiempo de volvernos ricos en misericordia. Misericordia quiere decir dar el corazón al miserable. Y sabemos que la miseria no es tan solo algo material, sino que viene vestida de muchas formas como la depresión moral y psicológica, el suicidio, los pleitos en casa, el trauma en los niños y muchas otras manifestaciones. Lanzo una petición a todos los lectores a que nos pongamos alertas para poder ayudarnos unos a otros y no dejar nunca a nadie solo. Cerca de ti habrá siempre un hermano que necesite una llamada, una despensa, unas palabras de consuelo. Les pido que recemos todos los días la Coronilla de la Misericordia, porque allí descubriremos que así como le pedimos a Dios misericordia, Él nos invita a ser misericordiosos con nuestro prójimo. Dios les bendiga. EL PADRE JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ es el director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Siga sus videos en la página YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte.
CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Llevando adelante un programa de revitalización económica con fondos de la Ciudad de Charlotte, la Cámara de Comercio Latinoamericana que dirige Rocío González ha beneficiado a más de 40 pequeños negocios latinos del rubro de la alimentación y 3200 familias afectadas por la pandemia de COVID-19.
Cámara de Comercio Latinoamericana entrega ayuda en alimentos CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO
CHARLOTTE — A través de un novedoso programa que beneficia la reactivación económica de pequeños negocios y la asistencia alimentaria familiar, la Cámara de Comercio Latinoamericana de Charlotte (LACCC) viene sirviendo a la comunidad latina afectada por la pandemia de COVID-19. Rocío González, directora ejecutiva de LACCC, dijo que esa institución, gracias a una subvención otorgada por el gobierno del Condado Mecklenburg, puede ayudar a más de 40 negocios relacionados con la industria de la alimentación, a la vez que “al comprar sus productos se ayuda a alimentar a la comunidad en necesidad”. González indicó que LACCC fue una de las ocho instituciones seleccionadas en el Condado Mecklenburg para recibir subvenciones destinadas a fomentar la reactivación económica de los pequeños negocios locales. “Estamos muy agradecidos con la Ciudad. Nuestro proyecto, que tiene dos vertientes para beneficiar, la de los empresarios y la de la comunidad en general, permite que por ocho semanas se ayude a que los propietarios de pequeños negocios latinos de restaurantes, catering y food trucks reciban un alivio, mantengan sus negocios abiertos y nos vendan sus productos que gratuitamente distribuimos entre la población latina más necesitada”. González subrayó que las autoridades de la Ciudad y la Coalición de Fe y Salud
fueron sus grandes aliados para llegar a la comunidad en general, el sistema escolar, instituciones hospitalarias, parques de casas móviles y organizaciones religiosas. “Hemos coordinado con el hermano Eduardo (Bernal, coordinador del ministerio hispano del Vicariato de Charlotte), lo que nos ha permitido llevar ayuda alimentaria a varias iglesias, entre ellas la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, que recibe 50 tarjetas de alimentos cada martes”. El ministerio hispano del Vicariato de Charlotte, a través de su coordinador, forma parte de la Coalición de Fe y Salud que se reúne regularmente para evaluar las necesidades de la población cristiana del condado, diseñar y establecer programas de asistencia dirigidos a la comunidad latina. González afirmó que “desde el 25 de agosto hemos servido a más de 3200 familias de 4 integrantes e invertido casi 23 mil dólares semanales”, teniendo en cuenta que, “que ni una sola ración de comida se ha desperdiciado”. Como parte de este programa, el pasado jueves 1 de octubre, en un parque de casas móviles localizado al este de Charlotte, se entregaron 300 raciones alimenticias proporcionadas por un food truck instalado en las inmediaciones. Decenas de personas formaron línea a pié o dentro de sus autos para recibir los alimentos. El programa de prevención de COVID-19 de Atrium Health se hizo presente repartiendo mascarillas y desinfectante de manos entre los asistentes.
CHARLOTTE — En una reunión virtual llevada a cabo el pasado jueves 1 de octubre, líderes eclesiásticos de la Región XIV expusieron la necesidad y beneficios del proceso del Quinto Encuentro de la Pastoral Hispana ante otros líderes de la Iglesia del Sureste de los Estados Unidos. El Padre Rafael Capó, pieza fundamental en el proceso de organización regional del Quinto Encuentro, dijo que el proceso fue “guiado por la espiritualidad dictada por el Papa Francisco de convertirnos en discípulos misioneros” que, “con empatía y alegría en el Evangelio sepan cómo llegar a sus hermanos y acompañarlos en su fe y vida diaria”. El P. Capó, nacido en Puerto Rico, es sacerdote de la arquidiócesis de Miami y Misionero de la Misericordia por nombramiento del Papa Francisco. Vicepresidente de Misión y Ministerio en St. Thomas University en Miami y líder de la pastoral hispana en los Estados Unidos, ha ejercido como director de la Oficina e Instituto Pastoral de la Pastoral Hispana de los Obispos del Sureste (SEPI). “¿Por qué se necesitaba un Quinto Encuentro?”, preguntó el P. Capó. “Para demostrar la realidad que los católicos latinos son una mayoría emergente en la Iglesia en Estados Unidos; para reconocer que la Iglesia necesita una nueva generación de líderes que incluya el liderazgo hispano en parroquias, diócesis, escuelas e instituciones católicas; y para asumir la necesidad de atraer a grandes segmentos de jóvenes hispanos de segunda y tercera generación”, respondió. Por esta razón, aseguró que el objetivo del Quinto Encuentro era el de discernir las diferentes maneras en las que la Iglesia puede responder a la presencia de los hispanos y fortalecer la manera en la que los latinos responden como Iglesia. Para el Padre Capó, el Quinto Encuentro sirvió para detectar la urgente necesidad de evangelización en los jóvenes hispanos, en familias, en inmigrantes, catequesis de niños y jóvenes y la formación de una nueva generación de líderes pastorales. El largo proceso del Quinto Encuentro, que se extiende por varios años y se encuentra en la etapa de aplicación de sus conclusiones, partió desde sus bases, es decir, recogiendo las inquietudes del pueblo católico hispano desde el nivel parroquial, luego diocesano, regional y finalmente nacional. Diez fueron las comisiones de trabajo principales del Quinto Encuentro: Evangelización y misión; Formación en la fe y catequesis; Ministerio de familia; BENEFICIOS, PASA A LA PÁGINA 24
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FOTOS CORTESÍA PADRE MARCOS LAWLOR
Apenas ordenado en 1995, el Padre Marcos Lawlor asumió la responsabilidad del ministerio hispano en la parroquia Sagrada Familia en Clemmons, el grupo juvenil y la comunidad hispana de Cristo Rey en Yadkinville. En las fotos, desde arriba y en sentido horario; el Padre Marcos celebra un bautizo en una humilde capilla en la región selvática de Perú utilizando un balde de plástico; aparece junto a participantes de un programa juvenil salesiano en Huánuco, Perú; celebra Misa en una capilla de la amazonía; y bendice a los asistentes a la celebración de la fiesta Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la Iglesia Santa Teresa en Mooresville
Mi viaje en el Ministerio Hispano En el mes de la Herencia Hispana el Padre Marcos Lawlor relata su feliz encuentro con la cultura latina PADRE MARCOS LAWLOR ESPECIAL PARA CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
CHARLOTTE — A veces me preguntan cómo llegué a hablar español. Bueno, en verdad, todavía estoy aprendiendo. Sonrío mientras reflexiono sobre este viaje que se remonta a más de treinta años. En la escuela secundaria me dijeron que necesitaba estudiar otro idioma para ser aceptado en la universidad. No sabía qué estudiar. Algunos de mis amigos habían tomado latín y recibido malos grados, así que consideré que ese idioma era demasiado difícil y me decidí por el español, el que estudié por dos años. En aquellos días, el énfasis no estaba en el español conversacional, sino que era un comienzo básico. Ciertamente nunca imaginé hace muchos años que el español se convertiría en mi segundo idioma.
NECESIDAD DE HABLAR ESPAÑOL
Hay algunas experiencias que ayudaron a dar forma a mi perspectiva durante mi formación al sacerdocio. En un viaje misionero, estaba con un sacerdote y un pequeño grupo para celebrar una Misa en un granero para algunos trabajadores migrantes en Arkansas. Treinta hombres hispanos vivían en este granero en condiciones muy humildes y trabajaban en las granjas de esa zona. Esa fue
mi primera experiencia con migrantes. Como seminarista, recuerdo haber ido a un hospital en Charlotte para llevar la comunión a un feligrés después de su cirugía. En el pasillo, una mujer me preguntó: “¿Es usted sacerdote?” Le respondí que no, pero que era seminarista. Ella me preguntó si podría visitar a su padre que estaba hospitalizado y si le podría llevar la Sagrada Comunión. Cuando entramos en el cuarto, ella dijo: “Somos de Bolivia y él sólo habla español”. Realicé un servicio de Comunión y ella tradujo al español lo que yo iba diciendo en inglés. Entonces pensé para mí mismo que debería aprender a comunicarme en español para mi futuro ministerio sacerdotal. En otra ocasión, estaba en las montañas de Carolina del Norte rumbo a la parroquia en Spruce Pine. Acababa de detenerme para poner gasolina a mi coche y vi a seis hombres hispanos de pie junto a la carretera, aparentemente esperando por alguien que los lleve. En esa área, muchos hispanos trabajan para los cultivadores de árboles de Navidad. Pensé para mí mismo, “Esta es una zona rural. Me gustaría ir a hablar con esos hombres, pero no hablo español”. En el seminario, tomé la decisión de aprender español. Me inscribí en dos clases de español general y luego en dos de español pastoral.
MANOS A LA OBRA
Después de mi ordenación en 1995, pensé que tendría uno o dos años para ingresar al Ministerio Hispano. Mi primer pastor, el Padre Thomas Walsh, me dijo a mi llegada a la parroquia Sagrada Familia en Clemmons: “Bueno, Marcos, tienes la responsabilidad del ministerio aquí y también eres el capellán de nuestro Grupo de Jóvenes y de la Comunidad Hispana de Cristo Rey en Yadkinville”. Entonces, me di cuenta que no tenía un año o dos años para trabajar en ello y que tenía que tomar la responsabilidad de inmediato. Las familias en Cristo Rey fueron muy amables y pacientes conmigo. Después de unos meses, reconocí mis limitaciones en la comunicación en español, especialmente
con confesiones, homilías y consejos pastorales. Le pedí al Obispo Curlin que me permitiera participar en una escuela de idiomas en México por un mes. Él respondió: “Si su pastor lo aprueba, yo lo apruebo”. Esa inmersión fue una gran experiencia para mí. Viví con una familia en Cuernavaca, México, asistí a clases y ayudé en una parroquia local. También visité catedrales, conventos, santuarios y sitios históricos. Esa inmersión me abrió los oídos al idioma y me ayudó a comprender y comunicarme mejor.
LARGA TRAYECTORIA
En los últimos 25 años, he estado involucrado en el ministerio hispano en cada una de mis tareas. Después de Clemmons, serví en Winston-Salem, Biscoe, Jefferson, Sparta, Charlotte y ahora en Mooresville. Con los años, he celebrado más de 1,500 misas en español y probablemente he bautizado a unas 2,000 personas en español. También hay en la cuenta muchas celebraciones por la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, bendiciones de casas, quinceañeras, bodas y fiestas familiares. Mis viajes a América Latina y el ministerio pastoral aquí en la diócesis han enriquecido enormemente mi vida y ministerio. Como pastor y como supervisor de seminaristas, siempre he alentado a los vicarios y seminaristas parroquiales a pasar un tiempo aprendiendo el idioma español y su rica cultura. Con los años, he escuchado algunos comentarios negativos con respecto al Ministerio Hispano, pero estoy convencido de que vale la pena el esfuerzo. La participación en eventos como el Congreso Eucarístico demuestra la tremenda energía y fe de los muchos hispanos en nuestro medio. Para mí, el viaje ha sido alegre.
Más sobre el Padre Lawlor En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Lea la historia sobre la instalación del Padre Mark Lawlor como pastor de la parroquia Santa Teresa en Mooresville.
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catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
San Juan XXIII “¡Oh, los santos, los santos del Señor, que por doquier nos alegran, nos animan y nos bendicen!”, decía San Juan XXIII, llamado el “Papa bueno” y cuya fiesta es el 11 de octubre Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, más conocido como San Juan XXIII, nació en Italia en 1881. Ingresó desde muy joven al seminario y fue ordenado sacerdote en 1904. En la Segunda Guerra Mundial, siendo Obispo, salvó a muchos judíos con ayuda del “visado de tránsito” de la Delegación Apostólica. En 1953 fue señalado Cardenal y a la muerte de Pío XII, fue elegido como Sumo Pontífice en 1958. Poco a poco se ganó el apelativo de “Papa Bueno” por sus cualidades humanas y cristianas. El mundo entero pudo ver en él a un pastor humilde, atento, decidido, valiente, sencillo y activo. Se enrumbó por los caminos del ecumenismo y del diálogo con todos. Escribió las famosas encíclicas “Pacem in terris” y “Mater et magistra” y convocó al Concilio Vaticano II. Es llamado a la Casa del Padre el 3 de junio de 1963, beatificado por San Juan Pablo II en 2000 y canonizado por el Papa Francisco en abril de 2014. El milagro para su beatificación se basó en la curación de Sor Caterina Capitani, una religiosa que tenía una dolencia estomacal muy grave. Las hermanas de la paciente, que conocían de la gran admiración de Sor Caterina por Juan XXIII, oraron pidiendo la intercesión del “Papa bueno” y colocaron una imagen de él en el estómago de la paciente. Minutos después la religiosa empezó a sentirse bien y pidió comer. Más adelante, Sor Caterina relataría que vio a Juan XXIII sentado al pie de su cama y que le dijo que su plegaria había sido escuchada. La ciencia no pudo dar explicaciones de esta curación.
CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO
de la apertura del Concilio Vaticano II, un acontecimiento eclesial ecuménico que buscó la actualización de la Iglesia en el mundo actual. Desde la apertura se destacó la naturaleza pastoral de sus objetivos: no se trataba de definir nuevas verdades ni condenar errores, sino que era necesario renovar la Iglesia para hacerla capaz de transmitir el Evangelio en los nuevos tiempos, buscar los caminos de unidad con las otras confesiones cristianas, buscar lo bueno de los nuevos tiempos y establecer un diálogo con el mundo moderno, centrándose primero “en lo que nos une y no en lo que nos separa”. Al Concilio fueron invitados como observadores miembros de diversos credos, desde musulmanes hasta indios americanos, así como miembros de todas las iglesias cristianas: ortodoxos, anglicanos, cuáqueros, y protestantes en general, incluyendo, evangélicos, metodistas y calvinistas no presentes en Roma desde el tiempo de los cismas. De esta forma, el Concilio Vaticano II se convirtió en el acontecimiento más decisivo de la historia de la Iglesia en el siglo XX. San Juan XXIII no alcanzó a conocer las conclusiones porque falleció el 3 de junio de 1963. Fue clausurado el 8 de diciembre de 1965 y desde él se originaron importantes documentos que siguen siendo de gran actualidad.
CONCILIO VATICANO II
Este 11 de octubre se cumplen 58 años
FE
Fiesta del Señor de los Milagros podrá seguirse ‘online’
FAMILIA
— Condensado de ACIPRENSA
FRATERNIDAD
Caballeros de Colón
Considere unirse a los más de 2 millones de miembros de la organización fraternal católica más grande del mundo y registrándose en línea hoy en: www.kofc.org/es
CHARLOTTE — Las Hermandades del Señor de los Milagros en Charlotte suspendieron todas las actividades conmemorativas que tradicionalmente realizaban durante el mes de octubre, debido a las medidas sanitarias decretadas por las autoridades locales, estatales y federales por la pandemia de COVID-19. En un escueto mensaje, la Primera Hermandad de Cargadores y Sahumadoras nos comunicó que “por el momento, todas las actividades han sido suspendidas hasta próximo aviso”. A fines de octubre del año pasado, esta hermandad realizó una Misa y Procesión en la parroquia San Gabriel en Charlotte. Por su parte, la hermandad del Señor de los Milagros de South Charlotte suspendió la procesión que regularmente llevaba a cabo en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, pero invitó a la comunidad peruana y latinoamericana a una Misa que se celebrará en honor del Señor de los Milagros el domingo 11 de octubre a las 2 de la tarde en la Iglesia Guadalupe, la que será transmitida “en vivo” por la página de Facebook de esa parroquia.
ACTIVIDADES EN PERÚ
La cancelación de las actividades por la importante festividad católica peruana, alcanzó también a la ciudad de Lima, capital de Perú, donde anualmente se celebran procesiones multitudinarias durante el mes de octubre, al que han denominado “Mes Morado” por el color de los hábitos que utilizan los fieles seguidores de esta devoción. La Municipalidad de Lima, a través de numerosas publicaciones, ha solicitado a todos los fieles que se abstengan de asistir al templo de Las Nazarenas, donde se encuentra la venerada imagen del Señor de los Milagros, y acompañen “al Señor de los Milagros desde casa” a través de las señales “en directo” de las páginas de Facebook Nazarenas TV y Museo Señor
de los Milagros. “Busquemos al Señor donde vive… en nuestros corazones”, señalaron. Nazarenas TV ha programado una serie de programas de “Recordando las procesiones”, los días 18, 19 y 28 de octubre. Igualmente ofrecerá la transmisión directa de las Misas que celebrará Monseñor Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Arzobispo de Lima, desde el Santuario de Las Nazarenas, los domingos 18 y 28 de octubre a las 11 de la mañana.
DEVOCIÓN MILENARIA
El 13 de noviembre de 1655 un terrible terremoto estremeció Lima, dejando miles de víctimas mortales y damnificados. En Pachacamilla, un barrio de esclavos angoleños, la imagen de un Cristo moreno quedó intacta. La fiesta religiosa tuvo su inicio en 1687 cuando, en una procesión de rogativas, el mayordomo de la capilla del Santo Cristo, Don Sebastián de Antuñano, sacó una copia en óleo de la pintura original del Cristo por las calles de la ciudad de Lima, semidestruida por un terremoto de quince minutos de duración, pidiendo el cese del cataclismo. En 1746, Lima padeció el terremoto más destructor de su historia y, según se refiere, una réplica de la imagen salió en procesión y la tierra dejó de temblar, lo que acrecentó la devoción del pueblo. Posteriormente se construyó la Iglesia de las Nazarenas, que hoy es el santuario donde se le rinde culto. Nombrado en 1715 ‘Patrón Jurado de la Ciudad de Lima’ y desde 2005 designado por la Santa Sede como ‘Patrón de los Peruanos Residentes e Inmigrantes’, el Señor de los Milagros es también ‘Patrón del Perú’ desde 2010.
Mas online En facebook.com/nazarenastv: Puede seguir diariamente las Misas que se celebran en el Santuario Las Nazarenas, además de programas especiales sobre la devoción al Señor de los Milagros
Lecturas Diarias OCTUBRE 11-17
Domingo: Is 25: 6-10, Fil 4: 12-14. 19-20, Mt 22: 1-14; Lunes: Gal 4: 22-24. 26-27. 31–5, Lc 11: 29-32; Martes: Gal 5: 1-6, Lc 11: 37-41; Miércoles (San Calixto): Gal 5: 18-25, Lc 11: 42-46; Jueves (Santa Teresa de Ávila): Ef 1: 1-10, Lc 11: 47-54; Viernes: Ef 1: 11-14, Lc 12: 1-7; Sábado (San Ignacio de Antioquía): Ef 1: 15-23, Lc 12: 8-12
OCTUBRE 18-24
Domingo: Is 45: 1.4-6, 1 Tes 1: 1-5, Mt 22, 34-40; Lunes (Santos Juan de Brébeuf e Isaac Jogues): Ef 2: 1-10, Lc 12: 13-21; Martes: Ef 2: 12-22, Lc 12: 35-38; Miércoles: Ef 3: 2-12, Lc 12: 39-48; Jueves: Ef 3: 14-21, Lc 12: 49-53; Viernes: Ef 4: 1-6, Lc 12: 5459; Sábado: Ef 4: 7. 11-16, Lc 13: 1-9
OCTUBRE 25-31
Domingo: Ex 22: 20-26, 1 Tes 1: 5-10, Mt 21: 33-43; Lunes: Ef 4: 32–5, 8, Lc 13: 10-17; Martes: Ef 5: 21-33, Lc 13: 18-21; Miércoles (Santos Apóstoles Simón y Judas): Ef 2: 19-22, Lc 6: 12-19; Jueves: Ef 6: 10-20, Lc 13: 31-35; Viernes: Flp 1: 1-11, Lc 14: 1-6; Sábado: Flp 1: 18-26, Lc 14: 1. 7-11
Mix
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI
Meditating on the rosary through music Biber and the ‘Rosary Sonatas’
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On TV n Friday, Oct. 9, 12:50 p.m. (EWTN) “Shawn’s Eyes.” Documentary on Shawn Riney, a man born with Down Syndrome, and how his life touches the hearts of families who know him.
CHRISTINA L. REITZ, PH.D. SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
When one thinks about the great Catholic compositions offered to the glory of God throughout history, the first thought is probably Gregorian chant or the choral music of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. However, instrumental sacred music – particularly that of the Baroque period – has rightfully earned a prominent place in Church music history. Many Baroque Catholic instrumental composers were virtuosi, such as keyboardist Giralomo Frescobaldi (15831643) and violinist Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704). The latter’s “Mystery Sonatas” (or “Rosary Sonatas”) are of particular interest to the faithful in the month of October. Biber (pronounced BEE-burr) spent most of his career employed by the Archbishop of Salzburg in Austria. Although he composed numerous works, he is most remembered for his “Mystery Sonatas” that he composed
n Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Apparitions at Fatima.” Acclaimed for its authenticity, this film faithfully depicts Mary’s appearances at Fatima, her message of repentance and devotion to Christ, and the hope she gave to a generation on the brink of war. n Thursday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. (EWTN) “They Might be Saints: Bishop Frederic Baraga.” Trekking across Michigan’s wilderness earned him the nickname “the Snowshoe Priest,” but his heroic virtue bringing the Gospel to Native Americans and immigrant miners may earn Bishop Frederic Baraga sainthood.
Listen online At www. catholicnewsherald. com: Listen to Biber’s “Mystery Sonatas” while following along with the musical score itself.
in the 1670s. Each sonata represents one of the 15 mysteries of the rosary (the joyful, the sorrowful and the glorious). While somewhat uncertain, it is believed these were originally performed as postludes to services in October. In the Baroque era, which ran roughly from 1600 to 1750, instrumental sacred music finally came into its own and began to be placed on equal footing with vocal sacred music. The term “sonata” is almost exclusive to instrumental music and means “to be sounded.” In Baroque sonatas, there are typically four movements and they are rather short in contrasting tempos. Biber’s “Mystery Sonatas” are scored for violin and basso continuo, meaning a keyboard instrument and bass-sustaining instrument (such as an organ and a cello), with the violin playing the prominent, “Song of the Angels” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1881) melodic role. The 10th sonata is of particular interest because of its unusual use of program at the opening of each sonata by Biber music – instrumental music that has rather than the standard tuning. (In the 10th extra-musical associations (for instance, sonata, only the top string is different, and “Sposalizio” by the devout Catholic tuned to D instead of E.) composer Franz Liszt based on the Raphael This sonata opens with a “Praeludium” painting “The Marriage of the Virgin”). (Latin for “Prelude”) and following the In this sonata, Biber tells the story of the initial chord, the violin repeats assertive, Crucifixion through music. Program music dotted rhythms to illustrate through sound was uncommon in the Baroque era, with the the nailing of Our Lord to the cross. The “Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi (also a rhythmic motive recurs throughout the devout Catholic and ordained priest) being a entirety of the movement – reminding well-known exception. the listener of the pain Jesus endured In the “Mystery Sonatas,” Biber uses a for our sins. It is worth noting that the rare technique called “scordatura,” which “Praleudium” is in the key of G minor, literally means “mistuning.” This means the a tonality associated with unease and violin strings are tuned to pitches specified gnashing of teeth.
Catholic Book Pick ‘Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy’ by Charles A. Coulombe
The Crucifixion sonata ends with an aria with variations, and here one can see Biber’s programmatic genius as he portrays the earthquake described in the Gospel of St. Matthew in Chapter 27:51 that follows Our Lord’s last breath. In the final minute of the work, the violin plays rapid, repeated notes that emulate the earth trembling as described in the scripture passage. During this month of the rosary, the entire collection of Biber’s “Mystery Sonatas” is a new way of considering and reflecting upon the mysteries of the rosary. CHRISTINA L. REITZ, Ph.D., is professor of music at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
Oct. 3, 2004, saw what appeared to many to be a very strange thing: Emperor-King Charles of AustriaHungary was declared a Blessed by St. John Paul II. But odd as this appeared, the real story of the “Peace Emperor” and his remarkable wife reads like a combination of a suspense thriller, Greek tragedy and hagiography. A brave soldier coming to the throne during a war whose start he had no part in, he risked everything to bring the bloody conflict to an end. Betrayed on all sides, his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary helped him to avoid hating those who wronged him. Devoted to his wife and children, Charles succeeded in leading a pious and practical Catholic family life despite everything. At www.tanbooks.com: Order your copy of “Blessed Charles of Austria.” Catholic News Herald readers enjoy 20 percent off their order – use the exclusive coupon code “CNH20.”
Our nation 18
catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Supreme Court’s new term is busy on many levels CAROL ZIMMERMANN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although the Supreme Court began its new term Oct. 5, it is hardly business as usual since the court only has eight members on the bench and it is continuing to hear oral arguments by teleconference due to heath concerns. The nation’s high court moves right into action though with two high profile cases in November: a religious freedom exception to anti-discrimination laws and a review, for the third time, of the Affordable Care Act, the nation’s health care law. The court also could be called upon to decide election disputes if the presidential race is close. And hovering over all of its current work is the ongoing Senate preparation to move forward with President Donald Trump’s nomination of federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18. Cases not on the docket this term also have the court’s attention. For example, the court has been asked by the Trump administration and several states to issue an emergency stay of a federal district court ruling this summer that suspended the in-person requirement during the pandemic for women who want to receive the abortion-inducing drug, mifepristone. And the court also has gained some notice for what it isn’t taking up.
On the first day of its new term, the justices declined to take a case from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. The court’s decision lets the lower court ruling stand, allowing a lawsuit filed against her to proceed. Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, agreed with the court’s decision but also showed displeasure saying: “Davis may have been one of the first victims of this court’s cavalier treatment of religion in its Obergefell decision, but she will not be the last.” Obergefell was the court’s 2015 decision that struck down state bans on same-sex marriage. Back to the court’s fall schedule, on Nov. 4, it will hear oral arguments in Fulton v. Philadelphia, a religious freedom case that centers on a Catholic social services agency that had been excluded from Philadelphia’s foster care program for not accepting same-sex couples as foster parents. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and a few Catholic Charities agencies joined more than 30 other religious groups, states and a group of Congress members filed amicus briefs urging the court to protect the faithbased foster care program under its First Amendment religious exercise rights. At a September webinar sponsored by Georgetown University’s law school, Paul Clementi, a partner at the Washington law
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CNS| JONATHAN ERNST, REUTERS
A demonstrator in Washington holds a large cross outside the U.S. Supreme Court July 8. A religious liberty case is among many before the U.S. Supreme Court during its 2020-2021 term, which began Oct. 5. firm of Kirkland & Ellis, who was solicitor general of the United States from 2005 to 2008, said the court has a lot of “off ramps” with this case, allowing it to address parts of the issue. He pointed out that Catholic Social Services of the Philadelphia Archdiocese was not seeking damages but simply wanted to take part in the program on its own terms. He also said the court may find a way for Philadelphia to give the faithbased agency an exemption to the antidiscrimination law. A decision that looms over the court here is the 1990 Employment Division v Smith decision, which involved two American Indians denied unemployment benefits in Oregon after they were fired for using peyote, a hallucinogenic drug, in a religious ceremony. The court ruled in favor of Oregon, saying its right to legislate against drug use superseded a religious group’s right to use a drug as part of a spiritual ritual. The ruling has been interpreted as giving state and local governments broad powers over religious practices. Clementi said he would be shocked if the Smith decision would be overruled in this
case. In its petition, Catholic Social Services urged the court to overturn Smith, saying that even though the agency’s program should be allowed under that ruling, the decision “has confused rather than clarified the law and should be reconsidered.” Six days after the foster parent case, the court will hear oral arguments challenging the nation’s health care law in a case brought by 18 Republican state attorneys general and supported by the Trump administration. The ACA, which became law in 2010 and was fully implemented in 2015, has been before the nation’s high court twice before, in 2012 and 2015, and survived, but this time its fate is more uncertain particularly with the possible confirmation of Barrett. This case goes back to the court’s 2012 decision that upheld the law’s individual coverage requirement under Congress’ taxing power and the 2017 tax law that zeroed out that tax penalty. Without that tax in place the state leaders claim the ACA’s coverage requirement is unconstitutional. As a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, Barrett has not heard any cases dealing with the ACA. But court watchers have been quick to bring up her 2017 paper in the Notre Dame Law School journal where she criticized Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion in the 2012 ruling, saying he “pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute.” Although the article has raised red flags for those concerned that Barrett could vote to dismantle the law – if she is confirmed to the court in time to hear the case – some legal scholars have said this doesn’t necessarily reveal how she would vote since this case centers on a different legal question. The Catholic Church has had a complicated relationship with the health care law. Catholic hospitals have long emphasized the poor and vulnerable must have access to health care, but Church leaders have objected to the law’s contraceptive mandate, requiring that employee health insurance plans provide contraceptive coverage.
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI
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In Brief Coalition says security grant program for houses of worship needs more funding WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty joined other faith groups Oct. 5 in urging Congress to allocate more funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which assists houses of worship and other nonprofit organizations. The program gives grants to help these entities enhance security through improvements to infrastructure, funding for emergency planning and training, upgrades of security systems and some renovation projects. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has administered the Nonprofit Security Grant Program since its creation by Congress in 2005. The program initially received $25 million in funding, and Congress provided $90 million for the program in fiscal year 2020. A wave of attacks on Catholic churches and statues that has taken place around the country over the past several months has drawn heightened attention to the grant program and the need for more security. Mosques and synagogues also have been vandalized, as have other houses of worship. One of the latest attacks was against two San Diego-area churches, St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, Calif., the seat of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle, and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Syriac Catholic Church nearby. They were found defaced with all kinds of graffiti the morning of Sept. 26. “I woke up this morning to see our Cathedral defaced with pentagrams, upside down crosses, white power, swastikas, BLM, etc.,” the cathedral’s pastor, Father Daniel Shaba, tweeted. “It reminded me to pray for my brethren in Iraq that are facing persecution. Pray for the criminals who did this.”
Bishops offer good wishes, prayers for Trumps, all suffering from COVID-19 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was praying for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, adding, “May God grant them full healing and may he keep their family safe and healthy.” “Let us keep praying for all who are suffering because of the novel coronavirus, especially the sick and dying and their families, and all those who have lost loved ones,” he said in a statement late Oct. 4. “May God give them hope and comfort, and may he bring an end to this pandemic.” The president announced Oct. 2 that he and the first lady had tested positive for COVID-19.
Pro-life leaders welcome ‘Born Alive Executive Order’ announced by Trump WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee Sept. 26 applauded President Donald Trump’s signing the “Born Alive Executive Order” to ensure babies born alive receive care. The order, which Trump signed the evening of Sept. 25, means “babies born prematurely or with disabilities receive a basic medical assessment and appropriate care as required by our federal laws,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., who heads the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “In addition to our laws, basic human rights demand that no baby born
alive should be abandoned and left to die due to being disabled or premature,” the archbishop said. “Every human life, regardless of its stage of development or condition, is precious and irreplaceable and deserves a shot at life.” Trump’s action orders the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make certain federally-funded facilities comply with current law to provide life-saving medical care for infants who survive abortions, are born prematurely or are born with disabilities.
Trump administration drops refugee cap to historic low WASHINGTON, D.C. — Late Sept. 30, the Trump administration announced it would bring the refugee cap – the maximum number of displaced people the country decides to resettle in a federal fiscal year – to a historic low: 15,000. The average during presidencies of both Republicans and Democrats had been around 95,000. But the announcement on the new cap doesn’t mean the bad news for refugees, or organizations that help them, ended there. “It’s not official, the president still has to sign it,” so no refugees can enter the country until that happens, said Ashley Feasley, director of policy for Migration and Refugee Services at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington said Oct. 2 the low number was “heartbreaking,” given “the global need and the capacity and wealth of the United States.”
Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of October. Rev. Alcuin Baudermann, OSB – 1975 Rev. Paschal Baumstein, OSB - 2007 Rev. Patrick J. Donahue, OSB – 1994 Rev. Joseph A. Elzi – 2019 Rev. Raymond B. Hourihan – 2016 Rev. John A. Oetgen, OSB – 2009 Rev. Msgr. William Wellein – 1997 Rev. Lawrence Willis, OSB - 2003
Cordileone: City’s new indoor worship limit a ‘victory’ SAN FRANCISCO — As of Sept. 30, the city of San Francisco is allowing attendance for indoor worship to be 25 percent of the capacity of a house of worship, or up to 100 people, which follows the limit set by the state of California. After the city announced the change, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco called it “an important victory to savor and celebrate.” However, he told the press, “this movement is not over. Our work and victories have just begun.” He thanked people of faith in San Francisco and “the thousands of others across the nation who are joining us at FreeTheMass.com,” a site where people can sign a petition posted in English and Spanish. To date, it garnered 36,210 signatures. — Catholic News Service
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request.) There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times.) Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3 times.) 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be Published in gratitude for prayers answered. Thank you, E.P.
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Our world 20
catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
‘FRATELLI TUTTI’
Belief in God as creator of all has practical consequences, pope says CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY — Professing faith in God as the creator of all human beings, or even simply recognizing that all people possess an inherent dignity, has concrete consequences for how people should treat one another and make decisions in politics, economics and social life, Pope Francis wrote. “Human beings have the same inviolable dignity in every age of history and no one can consider himself or herself authorized by particular situations to deny this conviction or to act against it,” the pope wrote in his encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” Pope Francis signed the encyclical Oct. 3 after celebrating Mass at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, and the Vatican released the more than 40,000-word text Oct. 4. The pope had been rumored to be writing an encyclical on nonviolence; and, once the COVID-19 pandemic struck, many expected a document exploring in depth his repeated pleas for the world to recognize the inequalities and injustices laid bare by the pandemic and adopt corrective economic, political and social policies. “Fratelli Tutti” combines those two elements but does so in the framework set by the document on human fraternity and interreligious dialogue that he and Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt, signed in 2019. In fact, in the new document Pope Francis wrote that he was “encouraged” by his dialogue with the Muslim leader and by their joint statement that “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters.” The encyclical takes its title from St. Francis of Assisi and is inspired by his “fraternal openness,” which, the pope said, calls on people “to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.” The title, which literally means “all brothers and sisters” or “all brothers,” are the words with which St. Francis “addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel,” the pope wrote. That flavor, explained throughout the document, involves welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, listening to and giving a hand up to the poor, defending the rights of all and ensuring that each person, at every stage of life, is valued and invited to contribute to the community, he said. It also means supporting public policies that do so on a larger scale. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed the encyclical as “an important contribution to the Church’s rich tradition of social doctrine.” “Pope Francis’ teaching here is profound and beautiful: God our father has created every human being with equal sanctity
CNS | VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis signs his new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship” after celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, Oct. 3.
‘The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realization of our own limitations, brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organization of our societies and, above all, the meaning of our existence.’ Pope Francis and dignity, equal rights and duties, and our creator calls us to form a single human family in which we live as brothers and sisters,” the archbishop said in a statement. “God’s plan for humanity, the pope reminds us, has implications for every aspect of our lives – from how we treat one another in our personal relationships, to how we organize and operate our societies and economies.” Building on the social teachings of his predecessors, Pope Francis’ document once again strongly condemns the death penalty and makes an initial approach to declaring that the conditions once used to accept a “just war” no longer exist because of the indiscriminately lethal power of modern weapons. St. John Paul II in “The Gospel of Life,” published in 1995, cast doubt on whether any nation needed to resort to capital punishment today to protect its people;
developing that teaching, Pope Francis in 2018 authorized a change to the Catechism of the Catholic Church to make clear that “the death penalty is inadmissible.” Signaling the start of a similar effort to respond to the current reality of warfare, Pope Francis in the new encyclical raised the question of “whether the development of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and the enormous and growing possibilities offered by new technologies, have granted war an uncontrollable destructive power over great numbers of innocent civilians.” “We can no longer think of war as a solution because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits,” one of the main criteria of just-war theory, he said. “In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a
‘just war.’ Never again war!” At the heart of the new encyclical’s appeal to Catholics is a meditation on Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan and particularly on how Jesus takes a legal scholar’s question, “Who is my neighbor,” and turns it into a lesson on being called not to identify one’s neighbors but to become a neighbor to all, especially those most in need of aid. “The parable eloquently presents the basic decision we need to make in order to rebuild our wounded world. In the face of so much pain and suffering, our only course is to imitate the Good Samaritan,” the pope said. “Any other decision would make us either one of the robbers or one of those who walked by without showing compassion for the sufferings of the man on the roadside.” “The parable,” he continued, “shows us how a community can be rebuilt by men and women who identify with the vulnerability of others, who reject the creation of a society of exclusion, and act instead as neighbors, lifting up and rehabilitating the fallen for the sake of the common good.” Pope Francis used the encyclical “to consider certain trends in our world that hinder the development of universal fraternity” and acting as a neighbor to one another, including racism, extremism, “aggressive nationalism,” closing borders to migrants and refugees, polarization, politics as a power grab rather than a service to the common good, mistreatment of women, modern slavery and economic policies that allow the rich to get richer but do not create jobs and do not help the poor. “The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realization of our own limitations, brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organization of our societies and, above all, the meaning of our existence,” he said. Anna Rowlands, a British theologian invited to help present the document at the Vatican, said the text’s “golden thread” is about discerning “what gives life” and helps everyone to develop their full potential and flourish. “The whole theme of the document is about the way in which we’re called to attend to the world as Christ attended to the world,” paying attention to reality rather than “evading it and avoiding it,” and praying for the grace to respond as Jesus would. When people ask, “Who is my neighbor?” often what they really want to know is “Who is not my neighbor?” or “Who can I legitimately say is not my responsibility,” Rowlands said. Pope Francis called for catechesis and preaching that “speak more directly and clearly about the social meaning of existence, the fraternal dimension of spirituality, our conviction of the inalienable dignity of each person and our reasons for loving and accepting all our ENCYCLICAL, SEE PAGE 24
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In Brief Pope releases apostolic letter on Sacred Scripture VATICAN CITY — In an apostolic letter dedicated to Sacred Scripture, Pope Francis said that even today, Christians can learn new things from the countless translations of the Bible that exist. The variety of translations of the Bible in the world today “teaches us that the values and positive forms of every culture represent an enrichment for the whole Church,” the pope said in his apostolic letter, “Scripturae Sacrae affectus” (“Devotion to Sacred Scripture”). “The different ways by which the word of God is proclaimed, understood and experienced in each new translation enrich Scripture itself since, according to the well-known expression of Gregory the Great, Scripture grows with the reader, taking on new accents and new resonance throughout the centuries,” he wrote in the letter released by the Vatican Sept. 30. He signed the document to coincide with the 16th centenary of the death of St. Jerome, the fourth-century convert and theologian best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate).
Pope Francis: Eventual coronavirus vaccine should belong to everyone
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remain confidential. The pope also named Archbishop Filippo Iannone, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, as secretary of the newly formed “Commission for Reserved Matters,” the Vatican said Oct. 5. The pope named several members to the committee, including Bishop Fernando Vergez Alzaga, secretary general of Vatican City State; Bishop Nunzio Galantino, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, which handles the Vatican’s investment portfolio and real estate holdings; and Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy. The commission was a part of the new transparency laws enacted by the pope in June covering contracts for the purchase of goods, property and services for both the Roman Curia and Vatican City State offices, and was part of further centralizing control over the Vatican’s finances. The goal of the new laws was also to save money by establishing central purchasing offices at the Governorate for Vatican City State and at the administration of the patrimony of the Holy See for offices of the Roman Curia.
ourselves if the principal threats to peace and security – poverty, epidemics, terrorism and so many others – can be effectively countered when the arms race, including nuclear weapons, continues to squander precious resources that could better be used to benefit the integral development of peoples and protect the natural environment,” the pope said in the Sept. 25 video address. On the fifth anniversary of his visit to the U.N. headquarters in New York, Pope Francis returned to themes he has repeated since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Humanity faces a choice between trying to go back to an often unjust “normal” or taking the opportunity to rethink economic and political policies, putting the good of all people and the environment ahead of concern for maintaining the lifestyles of wealthy individuals and nations. He drew particular attention to the pandemic’s impact on children, “including unaccompanied young migrants and refugees,” as well as to reports that “violence against children, including the horrible scourge of child abuse and pornography, has also dramatically increased.”
Cardinal Farrell to lead commission determining confidential contracts
Cardinal Becciu resigns as prefect, renounces rights as cardinal
Cardinal: Pope Benedict had approved the Vatican-China agreement
VATICAN CITY — Continuing his efforts to ensure financial transparency and accountability, Pope Francis named Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, to lead a commission that determines which economic activities
VATICAN CITY — In a move apparently related to Vatican financial scandals, Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s resignation as prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes and his renunciation of the rights associated with being a cardinal, the Vatican said Sept. 24. The cardinal, 72, told reporters Sept. 25 that Pope Francis told him he was being investigated for embezzling an estimated 100,000 euros ($116,361) of Vatican funds and redirecting them to Spes, a Caritas organization run by his brother, Tonino Becciu, in his home Diocese of Ozieri, Sardinia. Meeting reporters at a religious institute near the Vatican, Cardinal Becciu denied any wrongdoing.
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican-China agreement on the appointment of bishops was a pastoral, not political agreement, that also had been approved by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican Secretary of State said. Every pope, from St. Paul VI to Pope Francis, has tried to resolve what Pope Benedict described as a difficult situation “of misunderstandings and incomprehension” that did not benefit “either the Chinese authorities nor the Catholic Church in China,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, according to Vatican News Oct. 3. Pope Benedict himself, the cardinal said, approved “the draft agreement on the appointment of bishops in China,” which was signed in 2018 by the Holy See and Chinese officials. The agreement, the details of which have never been made public, is set to expire Oct. 22. The cardinal was speaking at a conference in Milan, marking the 150th anniversary of the presence of missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in China. Vatican officials repeatedly have said that the agreement with China deals only with the appointment of bishops, a question essential for the unity and survival of the Catholic Church in the country.
VATICAN CITY — An eventual vaccine for COVID-19 would belong to the world and should not be hoarded greedily by countries hosting the lab or labs that develop it, Pope Francis said. “The (coronavirus) vaccine cannot be the property of the country of the laboratory that discovered it or of a group of countries that were allied for this,” he said. “If this were so, we would not have learned anything from so much suffering,” the pope said in an interview with the Spanish edition of the magazine “Il Mio Papa” (“My Pope”) published Oct. 7. “The vaccine is the patrimony of humanity, of all humanity, it is universal; because the health of our peoples, as the pandemic has taught us, is a common heritage, it belongs to the common good,” he said. The novel virus that emerged late last year has claimed the lives of more than 1 million people.
Pope to U.N.: Respect for each human life is essential for peace, equality
CNS | PAUL HARING
Tomb of young Italian tech whiz opened for veneration VATICAN CITY — The tomb of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who used his computer programming skills to spread devotion to the Eucharist, was recently opened for veneration in advance of his upcoming beatification. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006, will be beatified Oct. 10 in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy. A statement from the Diocese of Assisi quoted Antonia Salzano, Acutis’ mother, as saying she was “overjoyed that Carlo’s tomb has finally been opened” and that those who have been touched by the young teen’s life “will be able to see him and venerate him in a stronger and more engaging way.” The teenager developed a database and website that chronicled worldwide Eucharistic miracles. His mother told Catholic News Service earlier this year that news of the pope’s approval made her “really, really happy. Pope Francis has always been close to Carlo; he quoted him in ‘Christus Vivit,’ and this was a great privilege in that he cited him as an example for young people in the whole world.” In “Christus Vivit” (“Christ Lives”), Pope Francis’ exhortation on young people, he said the teen was a role model for young people today who are often tempted by the traps of “self-absorption, isolation and empty pleasure.”
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis asked members of the United Nations how they think they can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and build a more peaceful, more just world when many of their countries spend billions on military weapons and when their treatment of the unborn, of refugees and of women shows so little respect for human life. “We must ask
— Catholic News Service
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request.)
O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request.)
There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times.)
There are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times.)
Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3 times.)
Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3 times.)
3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be
3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be
Published in gratitude for prayers answered.
Published in gratitude for prayers answered.
Thankn you, K.P.
Thank you, L.B. & E.B.
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catholicnewsherald.com | October 9, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
Matthew Newsome
Stigmata: The wounds of love
Start with beauty
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will do that to you. And by a special grace from God, those wounds were made manifest on his very flesh. Does this mean the stigmata are simply gifts granted by God to those who feel compassion for His Son’s sufferings? No. Doubtless there have been many saints who felt as much or more compassion for Christ than the stigmatics. If stigmata were merely a trophy awarded by God to especially compassionate souls, that would make them dependent on our human effort – and that’s not how miracles work. God grants His miracles to whom He chooses, and never without a purpose. Just like the healing miracles recorded in the gospels, the stigmata have a greater purpose than their immediate effect. God grants His miracles not only for the good of the recipient, but for the good of the world. Miracles are interesting. They get our attention. When God gets our attention by manifesting the wounds of Christ in the flesh of the saints, what is He telling us? I believe God raises up stigmatics from time in time in the history of the Church not to show us how much the saints love Him, but to remind us of how much He loves us. You see, as much as we may be filled with compassion when we contemplate the suffering of Jesus, we love Him because He first loved us (Jn 4:19). God the Father looks upon the suffering of His children with perfect compassion. He feels the pain of our wounds. Just as my heart broke as my baby daughter’s heel was being pricked, our Father’s heart longs to take the pain we suffer upon Himself. So He does. Love will do that to you.
have an odd habit. When my house gets to that point where every corner offends my desire for order and echoes the noise of the household squabbles and shrieks, I go and pick flowers for the table. To me, the table is the heart of my home. It’s where we gather for meals, art projects, occasional read-alouds over tea, serious family talks, reading the mail or responding to letters and examining the latest collection of mosquito bites that need attention. So, when I need to reestablish my sense of home, I clear the table and dress it with flowers. Then, I feel like my conciliatory efforts can expand outwards from there like the tide, sweeping over the rough places in the sand and smoothing it again for new footprints and shell finds. Sometimes, it is tempting as a wife and mother to approach problems first with knowledge – diving headfirst into research to solve a nagging problem or confronting a child with a verbal prescription for instant change. Other times, I try to lead with service when I feel depleted and tired. I will shove my resentment into the dark corners where it likes to lurk, and I will attack the nearest pile of flotsam from the children with the energy of a hurricane. My hyperactivity fueled by nothing but desperation rarely wins me any willing helpers in my tasks. I’m reminded time and time again during more stressful seasons in our family life that things go best when I lead with beauty, then follow that with knowledge and charitable service. The momentary connection with beauty doesn’t need to be long. A step outside for a breath of fresh air, an aromatic cup of coffee, a quick jog, a five-minute plunge into a book, a few minutes spent with a compelling piece of art, a change of clothes (at least out of lounge wear), a moment to brush unruly toddler hair or a fresh arrangement on a cleared table – these all can recenter your peace and connect you with a deeper sense of self and purpose before you go about your other tasks. Ultimately, seeking beauty with mindfulness is a way of seeking God. He made the world beautiful to help us remember His larger plan for each ripple of our day and each swell of history. We are invited to tend His garden and to be co-creators with Him in our families and our communities. Our small initiatives to recapture this identity in Him open us to the stream of grace that He promises to those who invite Him into their daily “prayers, works, joys and sufferings,” as we pray in the Morning Offering. The liturgy of the Mass invites us into this same pattern. God first wins our hearts with the beauty and stillness of the church, the music and the opening prayers. Now, our hearts are ready for knowledge of Him, the source and end of this beauty, in the Liturgy of the Word. Our response is a gift of self in the offertory – our best gift is to return to Him in gratitude all that He has given us. The cycle continues through the Liturgy of the Eucharist – beauty in the story of salvation history leading to the coming of the Messiah, knowledge in the Words that promise His very self as a gift, and love as we give and receive in the Eucharistic feast. The seasons are changing, and a sort of animal dread of winter touches our hearts with trepidation as we face the additional tumult of school year schedules, elections, approaching flu season and societal unrest. We may have many moments when we need to stop, regroup and start again in faith and fortitude. Start with beauty. Our families need beauty like they need food and sleep and clean jeans to wear. You’ll find that attentiveness to beauty will form within you a sensitivity to the ripples of live-giving water God sends to nourish our souls throughout the day. Couldn’t the world use something beautiful right now?
DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME is the Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.
KELLY HENSON is a Catholic writer and speaker who explores the art of integrating faith into daily life. She and her family are parishioners of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro. She blogs at www.kellyjhenson.com.
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former pastor of mine was fond of saying, “Love us or hate us, you cannot deny one thing: Catholics are interesting.” There is certainly no shortage of interesting aspects to the Catholic faith. From the morbid to the sublime, we have levitating saints (like St. Joseph of Cupertino) and chapels built of bones (like Our Lady of the Conception Capuchin Church in Rome). We have pilgrimages and processions and pious practices aplenty. As long as we maintain a proper perspective, these more curious aspects of our faith can be wonderful tools for catechesis and evangelization precisely because they are attention grabbing. Arguably one of the more interesting phenomena reported among the saints are the stigmata. This is the manifestation on a person’s flesh of the physical wounds suffered by Christ on the cross. Usually it occurs on the hands or feet, though occasionally on other parts of the body. Recorded stigmatics include St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, St. John of God, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Rita of Cascia and others. The term derives from the Greek word “stigma,” meaning “mark.” Some believe St. Paul may have been referring to stigmata when he wrote “I bear the marks of Jesus in my body” (Gal 6:17). The most recent documented stigmatic is St. Pius of Pietrelcina, more popularly known as Padre Pio. For 50 years, from 1918 until his death in 1968, the holy priest bore the wounds of Christ on his hands. He was examined many times by medical doctors, none of whom could find a cause. The wounds had unusually smooth edges, never became infected, and reportedly exuded a sweet odor. What makes Padre Pio’s case especially interesting is that it was recent enough to not only be investigated by the tools of modern medicine, but also to be photographed. You can do a simple online image search for Padre Pio and see pictures for yourself. All this is undoubtedly interesting, but one may ask, so what? Is this just an odd thing that happens to certain saints? What does it mean for the rest of us? In thinking about saints who experience the stigmata, I am reminded of the first time I saw my child in pain. My wife and I were new parents, and we were taking our days-old daughter to the doctor’s office for various routine check-ups. They thought she might be looking a little jaundiced, so they wanted to test her bilirubin levels. To do that they needed a blood sample, so they pricked her heel and squeezed out the tiny drop they needed. It’s been 18 years, but that moment is still etched in my memory. As soon as the needle pricked her heel, her tiny mouth opened in a silent scream. No sound came out, but her face instantly turned beet red. When her cry did come, it broke my heart. Tears rolled down our cheeks as I held her shaking little body. My little girl was hurting and there was nothing I could do. If I could have traded places with her, I would have done so in an instant. I wanted to take her wound for myself. And in a way, I did; not in a physical way but in a real way nonetheless. I felt her pain. Love will do that to you. I believe the stigmata is something like that. It is said Padre Pio first received his stigmata after praying in front of a crucifix. I imagine that, looking upon the image of his wounded savior, the saint’s heart was filled with compassion for Our Lord. He felt Jesus’ pain and his heart broke. He was wounded by a desire to feel Christ’s wounds and take His pain upon himself. And so he did. Love
Kelly Henson
“St. Francis embracing Christ on the Cross” by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (c. 1668-1669), on display at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
‘Ultimately, seeking beauty with mindfulness is a way of seeking God.’
October 9, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI
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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
Deacon Martin Sheehan
‘Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it’
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here is a quote from the great writer Flannery O’Connor that is worth recalling as we approach elections next month: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it (emotionally).” For some reason this makes me think of kale, something I have a strong negative opinion about putting in my stomach. But then I pause and consider the matter more fully: there are the health benefits of kale to be considered. Perhaps there is a sort of link between the consumption of things such as kale, and the formation of opinion and conscience. I put the word “emotionally” in the quote above for clarity because it is critically important to retain. Emotions are certainly high right now. We are continuously inundated with political commercials designed to inflame our emotions and evoke a visceral response. If you participate in social media you also witness this emotional turmoil, and you may have even experienced the unpleasant modern phenomena of being “unfriended.” However, what we are dealing with here is a matter of conscience and not a matter of emotion. Our visceral, emotional response to what we are hearing and seeing needs to progress to a rational examination of the issues, policies and programs proposed by any given candidate or political party (spoiler alert: none will line up completely with the teaching of the Church). We have a duty to form our conscience in a thorough and profound way, one that requires more than internet news feeds, social media and television broadcasts. There is real truth that stands above the quagmire of relativism, and that is the truth of God’s law. St. John Paul II teaches us in “Veritatis Splendor” that “God’s law
does not reduce, much less do away with human freedom; rather, it protects and promotes that freedom.” That truth, as O’Connor observes, can be difficult to stomach but we must seek it in order to be truly free. Hiding from it is not an option, even if it sometimes seems preferable or easier to do so. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us, “When ignorance is in any way willed, either directly or indirectly due to negligence, by reason of a man not wishing to know what he ought to know it does not cause the act to be involuntary, such an error of reason or conscience does not excuse the will.” We should be wary also of deceiving ourselves that we have formed our conscience completely and correctly, especially if we find ourselves doing the mental gymnastics of modern ethical theories such as proportionalism or consequentialism, which seek to allow or justify “lesser” evils in light of a greater good. That would be a little bit like cooking our kale in bacon fat – easier to stomach but no longer very good for us. The truth is that certain things are intrinsically evil, all of the time and without exception. The Vatican II constitution “Gaudium et Spes” (“Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”) covers many of them: “whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and SHEEHAN, SEE PAGE 24
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SHEEHAN
ENCYCLICAL
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children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are supreme dishonor to the Creator” (27). This is a list of truths that none of us wishes we had to stomach, but we cannot hide from these realities. We have a duty, of course, to form our conscience continuously, not only during an election year. But as we approach Nov. 3 let us look beyond our emotional response, get past the rancor and division, and pray that our nation remembers that the truth of God’s law is true freedom.
brothers and sisters.” He also used the encyclical to strongly reassert a traditional tenet of Catholic social teaching: “the universal destination of goods” or “the common use of created goods,” which asserts, as St. John Paul said, that “God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favoring anyone.” The right to private property, and the benefits to individuals and society of protecting that right, Pope Francis wrote, “can only be considered a secondary natural right.” “The right of some to free enterprise or market freedom cannot supersede the rights of peoples and the dignity of the poor, or, for that matter, respect for the natural environment,” the pope said. “Business abilities, which are a gift from God, should always be clearly directed to the development of others and to eliminating poverty,” especially through the creation of jobs that pay a living wage. Pope Francis, Rowlands said, “wants to rehabilitate this idea of social friendship and social peace in the face of an all-pervasive social violence, which he sees running through the economy, running increasingly through politics, running through social media.” The pope is not despairing, she said, but realistic. “He wants to offer a vision of how you begin from the most local, most everyday and most concrete realities to build a culture of peace at every level.”
Pastoral juvenil; Inmigración; Competencia Intercultural; Paz y justicia; Liderazgo y desarrollo Ministerial; Liturgia y espiritualidad; y Vocaciones. El Padre Capó señaló que el proceso evidenció la necesidad de construir un modelo de Iglesia “más acogedor, misionero de las periferias que construya comunidad a través de la integración y no la asimilación cultural”. También destacó la gran disposición de la comunidad hispana para involucrarse en el desarrollo de la formación de liderazgo, y puso de manifiesto la urgente necesidad de la Iglesia de “invertir en la formación de líderes hispanos emergentes”. Gracias al Quinto Encuentro, destacó, se pudo confirmar la necesidad de incrementar el personal intercultural competente entre los servidores, maestros en las escuelas y seminaristas. Entre las recomendaciones más importantes generadas por el Quinto Encuentro destacó la creación de liderazgo hispano juvenil, el proveer acompañamiento a las familias para que florezca en ellas la formación en la fe, educación, salud, desarrollo económico y responsabilidad cívica, además de un renovado compromiso en la solidaridad con los inmigrantes y sus familias que
DEACON MARTIN SHEEHAN serves at Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville and as the youth ministry director at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem.
‘We have a duty to form our conscience in a thorough and profound way, one that requires more than internet news feeds, social media and television broadcasts.’
Read the encyclical At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the full text of “Fratelli Tutti”
sufren de persecución y separación familiar, promoviendo un modelo de liderazgo “basado en un encuentro con Cristo, discipulado misionero y competencia intercultural”. El Quinto Encuentro, subrayó el Padre Capó, “requiere que veamos sinceramente la realidad, juzguemos esa realidad en base a la luz que nos entregan las Sagradas Escrituras y, finalmente, actuemos para responder pastoralmente con la gracia divina y creatividad a los retos que enfrentamos en el día a día”. Citando al Papa Francisco, dijo que espera que el Quinto Encuentro, “continúe dando frutos y que la Iglesia, en todos sus niveles, continúe acompañando este proceso con su propia reflexión y discernimiento pastoral”, para que así todos consideremos, “cómo nuestras iglesias locales pueden responder mejor a la creciente presencia, dones y potencial de los jóvenes hispanos, sus familias y a otras culturas”. En la reunión participaron, entre otros importantes líderes de la Pastoral Hispana, el Reverendísimo Felipe de Jesús Estéve, obispo de la Diócesis de San Agustín; el Reverendo John Stowe, de la Diócesis de Lexington; así como líderes laicos de la Pastoral Juvenil, de Familia y otros.
Más online En www.vencuentro.org: Obtener más información sobre este proceso y acceder a sus documentos y conclusiones
