March 13, 2020

March 13, 2020

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

‘Gift from heaven’ benefits Concord parish 6

17th Annual Vineyard of Hope gala raises $105K to fund charitable works 6

INDEX

Contact us.....................................4 Español.........................................8-10 Events calendar............................4 Our Faith........................................2 Our Parishes............................. 3-7 Schools....................................14-15 Scripture readings.......................2 TV & Movies..................................11 U.S. news.................................18-19 Viewpoints.............................22-23 World news............................ 20-21

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Precautions, prayers urged in fight against new virus 3, 8, 20 Feast of St. Joseph celebrations planned around diocese 2

Papa Francisco no abrió la puerta a la ordenación de hombres casados 9

Our faith

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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Pope Francis

Christ’s Gospel can satisfy hunger for justice

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mid a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic, Pope Francis soldiered on with his weekly general audience and called on people to not forget those who suffer from war and violence.

During a live broadcast from the library of the Apostolic Palace March 11, the pope said he did not want “this sorrow, this epidemic, to make us forget the poor Syrians who are suffering on the border of Greece and Turkey.”

Thousands of men, women and children have crowded the Turkish side of the Greek border after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the border to refugees and migrants until the European Union meets his demand to add some $3.5 billion in funding for the refugees’ stay in Turkey.

The pope also took time to remember the sick, especially those infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus. He also thanked the countless doctors, nurses and health care volunteers who “are close to the people who suffer,” as well as those who are close to the afflicted through prayer.

The pope continued his series of talks on the Eight Beatitudes by reflecting on the fourth beatitude, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

Hunger and thirst, he explained, are not a mere “generic desire but a vital and daily need.” Jesus’ words, he added, aren’t addressed to those who seek revenge because “the hunger and thirst for justice of which the Lord speaks to us is even deeper than the legitimate need for human justice, which every man and woman carries in their heart.”

“In every heart, even in the person who is most corrupt and far from good, there is a hidden yearning for the light; even if he or she is under the rubble of deception and error, there is always a thirst for truth and goodness, which is the thirst for God,” the pope said.

The Church is called to proclaim the word of God to all because “the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest justice that can be offered to the heart of humanity, which has a vital need of it, even if (humanity) is not aware of it.”

Feast of St. Joseph celebrations planned around diocese SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on Thursday, March 19, is fast approaching and parishes around western North Carolina have plans to commemorate the feast day during the Diocese of Charlotte’s Year of St. Joseph. Here’s some of what is planned for March 19:

BRYSON CITY

n St. Joseph Church, 316 Main St.: 6 p.m. Mass followed by a potluck dinner

CHARLOTTE

n St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Road: Solemn High Mass (Extraordinary Form) at noon n St. Ann Church: 5:30 p.m.

Solemn Vespers in Latin with St. Joseph College seminarians, followed by a procession and blessing of a St. Joseph altar. n St. Ann Church Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for St. Joseph College Seminary: 6:15 p.m. (after Solemn Vespers). Advance tickets only: $10 per adult plate, $5 per child plate ($40 family maximum).

Purchase tickets until March 14, at the parish office or after weekend Masses. Bake sale of St. Joseph breads, cakes and more. All proceeds benefit St. Joseph College Seminary to fund construction of a barn. n St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, 4929 Sandy Porter Road: 6 p.m. Mass in honor of St. Joseph, Most Chaste Spouse of Mary n St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East: 6 p.m. Mass (Novus Ordo) in honor of St. Joseph, Protector of the Church and Patron of Families. After

Mass, a kick-off fundraising event for Carolina Family Coalition will be held 7-9 p.m. in the Family Life Center, featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres, refreshments and a silent auction. To register, go online to www.prolifecharlotte.org.

GREENSBORO

Our Lady of Grace Church, 2203 W. Market St.: 7 p.m. bilingual Mass St. Mary’s Church, 1414 Gorrell St.: 8:30 p.m. Vietnamese Mass in the Parish Center

KANNAPOLIS

n St. Joseph Church, 108 St. Joseph St.: Triduum in Honor of St. Joseph, March 18, 19 and 20, with Mass each night at 7 p.m. Also, 3 p.m. Mass Saturday, March 21, followed by a celebration from 4 to 9 p.m.

LINCOLNTON

St. Dorothy Church, 148 St. Dorothy Lane: 6 p.m. Mass followed by a celebration at 7 p.m.

MOUNT HOLLY

n Old St. Joseph Church, N.C. 273 and Sandy Ford Road: noon Mass EDITOR’S NOTE: If your parish or organization is planning a special activity for the Year of St. Joseph, we want to know! Email the information to chancery@ charlottediocese.org.

More online At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Find educational resources, prayers and devotions, and “Year of St. Joseph” event details from across the diocese, as dates for special events are finalized.

Spend time in prayer with St. Joseph on March 19 Not able to attend any of the parish celebrations for the feast of St. Joseph? Check out the Year of St. Joseph website, www. yearofstjoseph.org, for prayers, devotions and other ways you can deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ through His foster father.

One suggestion: together as a family, slowly recite the Litany of St. Joseph, meditating for a moment on each of the saint’s titles:

Litany of St. Joseph Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Illustrious son of David, pray for us.

Light of patriarchs, pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.

Watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph most just, pray for us.

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Joseph most prudent, pray for us.

Joseph most valiant, pray for us.

Joseph most obedient, pray for us.

Joseph most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of patience, pray for us.

Lover of poverty, pray for us.

Model of workmen, pray for us.

Glory of home life, pray for us.

Guardian of virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of families, pray for us.

Solace of the afflicted, pray for us.

Hope of the sick, pray for us.

Patron of the dying, pray for us.

Terror of demons, pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us!

V. He made him the lord of His household, R. And prince over all His possessions.

Let us pray: O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant, we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

NOTE: This litany is one of many prayers in the official Year of St. Joseph Prayer Book, being distributed in most parishes this month. Published by TAN Books, the special prayer book features an introduction by Bishop Peter Jugis. Contact your parish office for details.

Daily Scripture readings MARCH 15-21

Sunday: Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-2, 5-8, John 4:5-42; Monday: 2 Kings 5:1-15, Luke 4:24-30; Tuesday (St. Patrick): Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Matthew 18:21-35; Wednesday (St. Cyril of Jerusalem): Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9, Matthew 5:17-19; Thursday (St. Joseph): 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24; Friday: Hosea 14:2-10, Mark 12:28-34; Saturday: Hosea 6:1-6, Luke 18:9-14

MARCH 22-28

Sunday: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:141; Monday (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo): Isaiah 65:17-21, John 4:43-54; Tuesday: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-16; Wednesday (The Annunciation of the Lord): Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38; Thursday: Exodus 32:7-14, John 5:3147; Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30; Saturday: Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53

MARCH 29-APRIL 4

Sunday: Ezekiel 37:12-14, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45; Monday: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, John 8:1-11; Tuesday: Numbers 21:4-9, John 8:21-30; Wednesday: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:52-56, John 8:31-42; Thursday (St. Francis of Paola): Genesis 17:3-9, John 8:51-59; Friday: Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42; Saturday (St. Isidore): Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jeremiah 31:10-13, John 11:45-56

Our parishes

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Diocese urges special coronavirus precautions CHARLOTTE — Clergy and parishioners in the Diocese of Charlotte are being encouraged to use special precautions during Mass and parish activities to minimize the potential for spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The virus first detected in China last December has been reported in more than 100 countries, including the United States. The illness is considered highly contagious, with symptoms resembling the flu and including fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. As of March 11, more than 118,000 cases and 4,300 deaths have been recorded globally, mostly in China.

The U.S. is seeing minimal coronavirus cases to date and the Charlotte diocese was not aware of infections locally as of March 11, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising everyone to follow best-hygiene practices to minimize the possible impact of this emerging public health threat.

Based on guidelines from the CDC, Bishop Peter Jugis has urged clergy to remind parishioners to cover coughs/sneezes and throw away used tissues; clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day; avoid shaking hands, and wash hands often; and not share personal items such as cups and utensils.

In a letter issued Feb. 28, Bishop Jugis also strongly encouraged priests not to extend the

More inside

Sign of Peace, distribute Holy Communion from the chalice, or invite people to shake hands in greeting at Mass or other gatherings. Those who distribute PAGE 20: Holy Communion should wash Desert blossoms: their hands before Mass, and clean Church seeks their hands again before and after to keep charity distributing Holy Communion. alive in time of Parishioners are legitimately coronavirus excused from Mass if they are ill or suspect they have been exposed to the virus. Those who are ill may watch live-streamed Sunday Masses online, Masses broadcast on EWTN (www.ewtn.com), or recorded homilies/Masses offered on parish websites.

The CDC expects coronavirus cases to increase in the U.S. and is asking organizations to engage in responsible planning and precautionary measures to reduce the likelihood of infection and related disruption.

Precautions are being taken in churches worldwide because of this virus.

— Catholic News Herald

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the full text of Bishop Jugis’ letter

CNS | CHRISTOPHER ALUKA BERRY, REUTERS

An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion uses hand sanitizer before distributing Communion during Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Atlanta March 8. Amid coronavirus concerns, the Atlanta Archdiocese and other dioceses around the country, including the Diocese of Charlotte, have taken precautionary steps for the health and safety of congregations.

‘We want to be part of regaining the trust of people’ Parishes form abuse awareness initiatives SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Parishes in Asheville and Charlotte are taking steps to promote healing and awareness in the wake of past abuse in the Church.

St. Eugene Parish in Asheville and a group of Charlotte-area parishes led by St. Gabriel Church have formed action groups to foster discussion, restore trust, and support accountability and transparency – all in an effort to help rebuild trust as a Church family.

A group of parishioners at St. Eugene Church formed a Child and Youth Protection Committee in the fall of 2018, after the release of a grand jury report recounting decades of abuse by clergy and other Church workers in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania grand jury report shocked Catholics everywhere, and a forum at the Asheville parish drew over 150 people.

“For two hours, parishioners were provided an opportunity to express their frustration, anger, surprise and ideas on how this continues to affect our Church,” said Rick Lober, committee member and himself a survivor of clergy sexual abuse.

The parish committee was formed as a way to channel people’s emotions into concrete action.

One of its early actions was to urge Bishop Peter Jugis to compile a list of clergy in the Diocese of Charlotte who had been credibly accused of child sexual abuse, as well as suggesting a hotline for

reporting sexual abuse and misconduct, and expanding training in the diocese’s abuse prevention program “Protecting God’s Children” to Catholic school parents.

Their input, along with ideas contributed from many others around the diocese, helped inform the diocese’s efforts that resulted in the launch last December of an accountability webpage and an independent hotline for reporting abuse.

After the accountability webpage – featuring a list of 14 clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse since the diocese was formed in 1972 – was launched, the Asheville parish hosted a prayer vigil Jan. 30.

“We had dozens of parishioners show up and had a prayerful service asking for healing for victims and their families, for innocent clergy affected by this, for Bishop Jugis and the diocese to move forward,” Lober said. Prayers were also offered for perpetrators.

“People who attended have said they remain so grateful that we have taken affirmative steps. They said they felt better now than they did 18 months ago, since our parish has been actively engaged in this issue,” he noted.

Father Pat Cahill, pastor, and committee members met with Bishop Jugis March 4.

“We truly appreciated Bishop Jugis and Father Patrick Winslow (vicar general and chancellor) spending over an hour to discuss our recommendations on further addressing the issue of sexual abuse,” Lober said, calling the dialogue between the chancery and the parish “one of the critical elements” of a larger effort among the faithful to help the Church family heal.

“We want people at our parishes to feel good about the Church and what the Church does,” Lober said. “We want to bring back people who have left. We want

to be part of regaining the trust of people.”

Added Father Cahill, “I continue to be inspired that we continue to be committed to being a part of the solution at St. Eugene Parish. It is not easy to be Catholic sometimes because of human error. The call to persevere in faith, truth and mercy is our invitation to building Jesus’ kingdom.”

Thanks to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection Office, the Asheville parish also got connected with “WATCh” (“We Are The Church”), a group of parishes that have initiated “grassroots” approaches to raising awareness and encouraging the faithful to get involved in productive efforts.

St. Gabriel Parish is one of the parishes with a WATCh committee. It includes parishioners from other parishes in the Charlotte area, including Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, St. Luke Church in Mint Hill, and St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte.

“We would like to be a part of rebuilding,” said Sean DesNoyer, WATCh leader at the parish. “We have to start at our grassroots effort and do something.”

WATCh was formed to address the crisis of trust in the Church from four angles: prayer, healing, education and dialogue. The committee’s mission is “to provide a path for the laity of St. Gabriel to proactively address the brokenness and the challenges in the Catholic Church today by advocating for accountability, transparency and reform.”

The parish’s initial efforts to engage people began with prayer and listening sessions with former pastor Father Frank O’Rourke.

“We realized a need to help people through the healing process,” DesNoyer

said. “Father Frank sent a summary to Bishop Jugis with comments from the people. It was quite telling. A lot of people needed to share.”

Although most of the abuse in the Church occurred long ago, before the U.S. bishops enacted reforms in the landmark 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” DesNoyer noted, “You get a sense the Church is losing people over this issue. It is truly bothering people. The sin of it all is bothering people.

The way it’s been handled is upsetting people.

“That’s why we came together and formed a group with a mission to try to move this forward. We don’t want to just sit and talk about this.”

DesNoyer, members of the WATCh committee and their new pastor, Father Richard Sutter, also recently met with Father Winslow to provide feedback and discuss how the local Church is moving forward.

“It was good dialogue,” DesNoyer said, showing “how the Church can be helped by another view of the laity.”

“The Church is a family of faith,” Father Winslow noted. “All have been hurt by these sins and mistakes of the past. All of us want to make sure they remain in the past, never to occur again. To this end local and diocesan efforts will continue to work together. As a family, we will heal and continue the work of Christ.”

For more information At www.charlottediocese.org: Read more about the Diocese of Charlotte’s “Safe Environment” awareness initiatives, find resources for parents and training information for volunteers

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: MARCH 14 – 12 P.M. Rite of Election Holy Cross Church, Kernersville MARCH 22 – 10 A.M. Mass at Boy Scout Camporee Belk Scout Camp, Midland

MARCH 26 – 6 PM Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Angels Church, Mt. Airy

APRIL 4 Lenten Youth Pilgrimage Belmont Abbey College

APRIL 3 – 10 A.M. Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

APRIL 7 – 10 A.M. Chrism Mass St. Patrick Cathedral

APRIL 14 – 11 A.M. Diaconate Ordination of Brother George Rumley Mary Help of Christians Basilica, Belmont APRIL 20 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Ann Church

Diocesan calendar of events March 13, 2020

ESPAÑOL

Volume 29 • NUMBER 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, March 28, St. Aloysius Church, 921 2nd St. N.E., Hickory. Topics include: effectiveness of modern NFP methods, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting and marital sexuality. Sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS

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

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

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

ELECTRONIC WASTE COLLECTION: 8 a.m.-noon, March 14, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Peace and Social Justice Ministry Care for Creation Team will collect and recycle unwanted and broken electronics. For a list of accepted electronic items, visit www.stmatthewcatholic.org/creation and click on “Upcoming Events.” For details, email Kara at karagogreen@gmail.com.

WOMEN’S MORNING OF REFLECTION, ‘THE WIDOW’S MIGHT’: 8:45 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 14, Our Lady of Grace Church, 2203 W. Market St., Greensboro. This reflection will take place in the Parish Life Center after 8 a.m. Mass in the church. The morning will include time for refreshments and discussion. To register, visit www.rcwomenmar14.eventbrite.com. Donations will be accepted at the door. For details, contact Kate Boschini at 336-430-8856 or regnumchristitriad@gmail.com.

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

IGBO LANGUAGE MASS: Noon Sunday, March 15, at St. Mary’s Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. For details, call 336-707-3625.

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.

LENTEN MISSION, ‘LET US CLIMB TOGETHER’: Monday and Tuesday, March 16-17, at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Morning sessions begin with Mass at 8:45 a.m., followed by a talk at 9:30 a.m. Evening sessions are 6:30-8 p.m., with beautiful praise and worship music, a reflection, and a profound experience of Adoration. Presented by Father Richard Sutter, pastor.

All are welcome.

MASS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. PATRICK: 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, Old St. Joseph Church, N.C. 273 and Sandy Ford Road, Mt. Holly. Mass will be offered by Father Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese.

Hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Jessica Grabowski at 910-585-2460 or jrgrabowski@ charlottediocese.org.

MASS FOR THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH: Noon, March 19, Old St. Joseph Church, N.C. 273 and Sandy Ford Road in Mt. Holly.

BUILDING BETTER CAREGIVERS WORKSHOPS: Wednesdays, March 4 to April 8, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte; and Tuesdays, March 10 to April 14, St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Building Better Caregivers is a free six-week workshop for family caregivers. The workshop addresses specific needs for caregivers who care for someone with dementia, memory problems, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or any other serious illness or injury. Participants will learn how to: apply practical ways to manage fatigue and stress, discover how to manage difficult behaviors and feelings, how to make good decisions and future plans for loved ones and themselves and will also have the opportunity to connect with other caregivers who understand what you are going through. To register, contact Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or email sabreakfield@charlottediocese.org.

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

Thursday, March 26, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. St. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer and grave diseases. The healing prayer service is offered for all those suffering with cancer or other diseases. For details, call the church office at 704-543-7677.

LENTEN MEDITATION SERVICE, ‘THE PASSION WITHIN THE EUCHARIST’: 7 p.m. Monday, March 30, St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Road, Mooresville. For details, contact the church office at 704-664-3992.

PRO-LIFE ROSARY: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Come and help pray for the end of abortion, and feel free to invite anyone who would be morally supportive of this very important cause. For details, email Jim Hoyng at Ajhoyng@hotmail. com or Paul Klosterman at Pauljklosterman@aol.com.

BLESSING OF EASTER FOOD BASKETS: Noon Saturday, April 11, in Aquinas Hall at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. Deacon James Witulski will be blessing Easter food. This Eastern and Central European tradition is also called “The Blessing of the Easter Baskets” (or “Swieconka” in Polish), and will last about 30 minutes. This tradition is becoming increasingly popular among all Catholics. The blessings will be in both English and Polish. Traditional foods, such as sausage, eggs, bread, and butter in the shape of a lamb, are brought to the church, neatly arranged in a basket.

However, every person of any nationality is invited to use their imagination and include their own national foods.

Children can even bring their own baskets with their own treats, including chocolate and Easter candy. For details, call Deacon James Witulski at 704-960-3704.

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

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

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

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

WORKSHOPS

A MATTER OF BALANCE CLASSES: Thursdays, March 5 to April 23, St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St., Asheville; and Mondays, March 9 to May 4, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Do you have concerns about falling? Are you interested in improving your flexibility, balance and strength? A Matter of Balance can help reduce the fear of falling and increase the activity levels of older adults who have concerns about falling. Participants will learn to: View falls and fear of falling as controllable, set realistic goals for increasing activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, promote exercise to increase strength and balance. Classes are limited to 14 participants.

Register by Monday, March 2. For details, contact Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or email sabreakfield@ charlottediocese.org.

RETREAT DAY, ‘SPIRITUALITY AND CARE FOR CREATION’: Saturday, March 21, at Curlin Hall, Mercy Administration Center, 101 Mercy Dr., Belmont. Guest speaker will be Dr. Catherine Wright, a theologian at Wingate, St. Matthew parishioner and author of “Creation, God, and Humanity: Engaging the Mystery of Suffering Within the Sacred Cosmos.” Retreat Day sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. For details to register, e-mail Sister Rose Marie Tresp at rtresp@mercysc.org or call 956-324-7057.

YOUNG ADULTS JUVENTUTEM MASS & TALK: New young adult group is centered on growing in holiness through the Traditional Latin Mass. For details, contact Angela Kessler at JuventutemCLT@gmail.com.

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

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY VATICAN MEDIA

(At left, clockwise) Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte Elder Ministry leader, Sandra Breakfield, (at left) had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis Jan. 31 during the international conference on pastoral care of the elderly held in Rome Jan. 29-31. More than 550 people from 60 countries attended the three-day conference at the Vatican Jan. 29-31. Pope Francis blessed the participants of the international conference during their audience at the Vatican.

Catholic Charities’ Elder Ministry leader meets pope during conference at Vatican SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Sandra Breakfield thought she was being scammed when she got a call from a man claiming to be from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.

The longtime leader of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Elder Ministry Program has taught senior citizens about phone and email scams over the years, so she ignored the phone call.

Then the man emailed her. Still suspicious, Breakfield alerted the diocese’s technology services staff. They did some checking, and learned that the man trying to reach her was legitimate – he works for the Vatican office responsible for elder ministry, and he was inviting Breakfield to a conference in Rome with the pope.

The two connected, and they met at the three-day international conference on the pastoral care of the elderly in Rome held Jan. 29-31.

“I saw him immediately (when I got to the conference) and his reaction was, “’You really do exist! I really exist!

This is amazing!’” Breakfield said. “It was a warm welcome from him. It was incredible, it truly was.”

“The Richness of Many Years of Life” conference was

the first of its kind, drawing 550 people from 60 countries.

It was in response to Pope Francis’ call to emphasize senior adults’ indispensable role in dialogue with young people, in the transmission of the faith and in the youths’ rediscovery of their own roots.

Breakfield said the conference “embraced the richness of each person and the lives they have lived – their wisdom, knowledge, history.” It also stressed the importance not to forget about older adults’ continued participation in the life of families and parishes today, not just in past.

“When you think about the influence of seniors in family and church (life), they are and continue to be the backbone, offering so much experience, expertise, knowledge, living their faith,” Breakfield said.

The conference highlighted the importance of people as storytellers and how they impart the faith to others.

“The elderly are storytellers, sharers of their life experiences and their faith,” Breakfield said. They can be an “encouragement for others as they have lived a life and can help us in our experiences along the way.”

She added, “It’s about love – to love one another, respect the worth and dignity of each and every person, and the value they bring.”

Breakfield said an amazing highlight of the trip to Rome and the conference was the opportunity to meet Pope

Francis.

“When I actually had the opportunity to shake hands with the pope, I felt like he had a firm grip on my hand. We were looking eye to eye. I felt like he was seeing me. That was a ‘wow factor’ for me.

“I said thank you and on behalf of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, extended greetings. It was a very humbling experience, it really was,” she said.

Coming away from the conference, Breakfield said, she gained a deeper appreciation of her work and the importance of serving others through Catholic Charities.

“We can’t as individuals do it (this ministry) by ourselves. But collectively as the Body of Christ, anything is possible. By following the direction of our seniors and stepping up to meet their needs; that is an incredible and wonderful opportunity.”

For more information Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte hosts many events and workshops throughout the year for elderly parishioners around the diocese. Go online to www.ccdoc.org to learn more about Elder Ministry. Questions? Contact Sandra Breakfield, Elder Ministry Program director at 704-370-3220 or email her at sbreakfield@charlottediocese.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 OUR PARISHES

17th Annual Vineyard of Hope gala raises $105,533 to fund charitable works SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte held its 17th Annual Vineyard of Hope Gala Feb. 20.

The annual gathering is an opportunity to raise funds for critical services needed in the community, to celebrate the life-changing work that has been accomplished over the past year, and to honor someone in the community who has made a difference.

This year’s Fruit of the Vine Award recipients were Joe and Carol Gigler, parishioners of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. They were recognized for their service to the Church for the past 36 years, witnessing the remarkable growth of the Charlotte diocese.

The Giglers have endowed the Maureen Reinehr Gigler Fund at Catholic Charities to support the continued development of multicultural ministries in the Charlotte region, which provide access and opportunity to all children in the region, particularly children of immigrant and migrant families.

During the Feb. 20 gala, Catholic Charities reported that thanks to the generosity of donors last year: n 135,603 pounds of food and personal items were distributed to 5,781 people n 643 refugees were welcomed and resettled or received ongoing assistance n 103 refugees secured employment

through job placement services n 240 families received legal immigration services to help establish permanent residence and reunite families n 1,118 mental health counseling services helped people get through difficult times n 316 families received crisis direct assistance, 79 of those for burial assistance to provide a dignified burial for a loved one n 747 residents participated in the Transition Out of Poverty program n 72 volunteers provided 4,722 hours of service This year’s 17th Annual Vineyard of Hope Gala raised $105,533 for Catholic Charities’ efforts to strengthen families, build communities and reduce poverty in the Charlotte region.

“We are deeply appreciative of the generosity of so many local donors who through their donations at the Vineyard of Hope help ensure that Catholic Charities in the Charlotte metro area is able to provide services to those in need.

Our words are insufficient to adequately express our gratitude,” said Dr. Gerard Carter, executive director of Catholic Charities.

More online At www.ccdoc.org: Learn how you can support Catholic Charities’ work across the Diocese of Charlotte.

Be Not Afraid ministry featured in bioethics periodical, book

Order of Malta members go on retreat HICKORY — Approximately 50 Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta from the Charlotte and Central Carolina regions, as well as their spouses, recently gathered at the Catholic Conference Center for their annual spiritual retreat. The three-day retreat was led by Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro and spiritual director for the Central Carolina Region of the Order of Malta.

Attendees were inspired by his presentations relating to the theme of the retreat “Finding The Christ – Some Theological and Spiritual aspects of encounters with the Lord to better live the charisms of our Order.” The Order of Malta is a lay religious order with more than 13,000 members worldwide and over 100 members in North Carolina. The charisms of the Order are defense of the Catholic faith and care for the sick and the poor.

‘Gift from heaven’ benefits Concord parish PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

CONCORD — St. James Parish recently received an unexpected windfall from a former parishioner.

The money came in the form of an estate gift from Carol Ann Darland, who designated the Concord parish as the beneficiary in her will. As part of the settlement of her estate late last year following her death, the parish received a check totaling more than $169,000.

It was “a gift from heaven,” said Dan Ward, the parish’s business manager, who opened the letter from the estate executor

SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Be Not Afraid, a ministry that began in the Diocese of Charlotte in 2008, recently engaged in a series of consults with ethicists at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) and two neonatologists to clarify Catholic teaching regarding the care of infants born who had been prenatally diagnosed with life-limiting prenatal diagnoses. The effort resulted in the publishing of ethical guidance for parents carrying to term and a resource they could use in advocating for the care of their babies.

Recognized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Bioethics Center, BNA is a private non-profit organization that has assisted parents in 25 states, welcoming 191 babies over the past 12 years, despite challenging circumstances.

BNA provides case management support before and after a birth as well as comprehensive accompaniment to the parents, who have often been told by doctors to abort their unborn children rather than carry them to term because of a medical or intellectual disability.

BNA’s co-founder, Tracy Winsor, and co-author Bridget Mora, compiled an ethics document in the summer of 2019, and then had an article published in the NCBC periodical “Ethics and Medics” this past January. They also contributed a chapter in the third edition of the

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RICK MENZE

last September and found the enclosed check for $169,205.25. “Needless to say, we were touched and amazed!”

Darland had been gone from St. James Parish for almost 15 years, having moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she quietly passed away. The church northeast of Charlotte has experienced rapid growth in recent years, and no one currently there recalls her presence – but now everyone certainly knows her name.

A Carol Darland Endowment has been set up using about half of the estate gift, and the other half is being set aside for muchPARISH, SEE PAGE 17

New apostolate to defend family launches March 19 PHOTO PROVIDED BY BE NOT AFRAID

Baby Mila, born with Trisomy 13, is doing well despite a poor prenatal diagnosis.

NCBC reference book “Catholic Health Care Ethics: A Manual for Practitioners” featuring the stories of parents who had used the document in their birth planning and newborn care advocacy.

“Be Not Afraid’s statement on the ‘Ethical Care of Infants with a Life-Limiting Diagnosis’ represents groundbreaking work in a neglected area of infant care. The organization is PERIODICAL, SEE PAGE 17

CHARLOTTE — On March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, a local pro-life group will launch an apostolate to defend the family.

The new apostolate is being called the Carolina Family Coalition, and it is being organized under the auspices of the Carolina Pro-Life Action Network (C-PLAN), a group of Catholic pro-life leaders in Charlotte, Triad and Asheville.

The effort aims to defend and promote the traditional values related to life, family and culture in western North Carolina, from a Catholic perspective.

March 19 is the Solemn Feast of St. Joseph, Protector of the Church and Patron of Families.

A special kick-off event will be held March 19, starting with Mass at 6 p.m.

at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. A fundraising event will follow from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres, refreshments and a silent auction in the cathedral’s Family Life Center.

The event will honor St. Joseph, including a reflection about the importance of defending the family and discussing how Catholics can get involved.

For more information and to register to attend the Carolina Family Coalition kick-off event, go online to www. prolifecharlotte.org/defend-the-family.

Questions? Email C-PLAN at info@ prolifecharlotte.org.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Carolina Pro-Life Action Network contributed.

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

Statesville’s Deacon Chuck Brantley passes away STATESVILLE — Deacon Charles Lee “Chuck” Brantley Sr., 89, of Statesville, passed away peacefully Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, at the Gordon Hospice House.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 2, 2020, at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville, with Bishop Peter Jugis serving as principal celebrant and Father Thomas Kessler, pastor, as homilist.

Burial followed at Oak Wood Cemetery, with his six sonsBrantley in-law serving as pallbearers.

Born March 24, 1930, in Rock Hill, S.C., to the late John Givens Brantley and Cordie Alice Helms Brantley, he graduated from Benton Heights High School in Monroe and served four years in the U.S. Air Force. On Nov. 20, 1954, he married Shirley Ann “Mickey” Dowd Brantley. He was the owner and operator of Brantley Dental Laboratory in Statesville for 60 years. He was a former member of Statesville Jaycees, the Exchange Club of Statesville and the Statesville Moose Lodge.

He was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte on June 19, 1988, in the diocese’s second class of permanent deacons

by Bishop John F. Donoghue. After ordination he was assigned to his home parish of St. Philip the Apostle, where he served faithfully as a permanent deacon with his wife Mickey by his side for the past 32 years. He retired in 2005 and was inactive as a deacon at the time of his death.

In 2016 the Statesville parish presented the Jewell Award to Deacon Chuck and his wife Mickey. This award recognizes members’ dedication and selfless giving to the parish

community.

Deacon Chuck and Mickey joined St. Philip the Apostle Parish more than 50 years ago.

Over the years they were very involved with Cursillo as well as the Charismatic Prayer Group, and they served as co-chairs for RCIA efforts at the parish. Deacon Chuck also served as parish council chairman and grand knight of the local Knights of Columbus council.

He and his family enjoyed boating and fishing on Lake Norman and family beach trips to Oak Island.

Deacon Chuck’s love and kindness touched his family, his church and everyone he ever met.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two sons, Daniel Brantley and Charles “Chad” Brantley Jr.; a daughter, Judith Ann Brantley; and two grandsons, William and Thomas Harwell. Two brothers, J.C. and Richard Brantley, also preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley Ann “Mickey” Dowd Brantley; and seven children, Theresa B. Kindley (Ken) of Lincolnton, Lisa B. Onley (Ken) of Statesville, Alice B. Harwell (Terry) of Statesville, Peggy B. Bolens (Ricky) of Sandy Ridge, Andrea B. Faw Faust (Stephen) of Union Grove, Laura B. Haneline (Brandon) of Statesville and John Brantley of Wilmington. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, one great-grandson and one brother, Eugene Brantley (Sue) of Monroe.

Memorials may be made to St. Philip the Apostle Church – Forward with Christ Building Fund, 525 Camden Dr., Statesville, N.C. 28677. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.troutmanfuneralhome.com.

Troutman Funeral Home of Statesville was in charge of the arrangements.

— Catholic News Herald

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief St. Gabriel changes night access to Adoration Chapel CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church changed nighttime access to its Perpetual Adoration Chapel March 7.

People who would like to come for Eucharistic Adoration overnight from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. should schedule Adoration time through the parish ministry and obtain an access code for the chapel door, as the outer church doors will remain locked at night. Daytime access to the Adoration Chapel from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. will remain open without the need for advance scheduling or an access code.

More information is available online at www.stgabrielchurch.org. Questions? Call the parish office at 704-364-5431.

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is available at multiple locations around the Diocese of Charlotte, including the St. Joseph Chapel on the campus of Belmont Abbey College, located at 100 BelmontMt. Holly Road in Belmont; St. Aloysius Church’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Perpetual Adoration Chapel, located at 921 Second St. N.E. in Hickory; Pennybyrn at Maryfield Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in High Point; and St. Mark Church’s Monsignor Bellow Perpetual Adoration Chapel, located at 14740 Stumptown Road in Huntersville.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI

Catholic healthcare workers continue education efforts CHARLOTTE — More than 50 healthcare workers and their spouses attended the Catholic Health Professionals of Charlotte winter dinner presentation at St. Patrick Cathedral Feb. 7, where they heard a presentation by Dr. David Williams, Belmont Abbey College professor and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, who spoke about applying the Church’s social teachings to healthcare ethics. The presentation was designed as a lead-in for the “Converging Roads” healthcare conference coming up May 9.

Catholic Health Professionals is open to all Catholic healthcare workers in the region. To learn more, contact catholichealthcharlotte@gmail.com.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

Young people learn about Eastern Catholic Churches CHARLOTTE — Young adults attended a talk hosted by Juventutem Charlotte at St. Ann Parish Feb. 5 on the topic of the Eastern Catholic Churches and Divine Liturgy. Father Joseph Matlak, from St. Basil Byzantine Catholic Church in Charlotte, gave a presentation on the history and distinctions of the Eastern Churches, the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and its connection to the Latin Rite Masses, particularly the Extraordinary Form (Latin) Mass. Juventutem Charlotte is open to all Catholics aged 18-35 and is centered around the traditions and charism of the Extraordinary Form Mass. To learn more, email Angela Kessler at JuventutemCLT@ gmail.com.

— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

Catherine's House invites you to join us for a mercy-filled

Pink Lemonade

PARTY Celebrating women who turn life's lemons into pink lemonade Thursday, May 7th, 7PM Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden $60.00 per person

Got stock?

Unlock your potential to make a difference.

Giving appreciated stock to your parish, Catholic school, agency, the diocese or the Foundation creates a gift that will benefit your desired beneficiary and provide you tax benefits.

For Event & Ticket Information www.catherineshouseinc.org Catherine's House provides transitional housing for women and children who are homeless.

For more information, go to www.charlottediocese.givingplan.net or call Gina Rhodes at 704/370-3364.

Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte

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Sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020

Padre Julio Domínguez

La riqueza de los grupos apostólicos

E

n estos días que han pasado desde que tomé a mi cargo la oficina del Ministerio Hispano, he estado investigando el número de grupos apostólicos que tenemos en nuestra diócesis y, con gran sorpresa, me di cuenta que tenemos por lo menos 12 o 13 grupos o movimientos apostólicos.

Entre ellos figuran el Movimiento Familiar Cristiano, Adoración Nocturna, Cursillos, Familia de Emaús, Renovación Carismática, Ministerio Emaús, Grupo del Rosario, Legión de María, Apóstoles de la Palabra, Juan XXIII, Neocatecumenales, Avivamiento en el Espíritu e Hijos de María Santísima.

Al parecer, todos ellos están activos en nuestra diócesis y muy pronto estaré llamando a todos los coordinadores para que presenten los carismas y llamamientos que el Señor les ha hecho. Es interesante ver que todos ellos tienen muchos miembros y están evangelizando más y más gente cada día.

A mí me impacta ver como trabaja el Espíritu Santo en la Iglesia, pues a través de carismas y dones va haciendo el llamado a más personas a involucrarse de algún modo en la Santa Iglesia. Me encantaría escuchar el testimonio de cada uno de ellos y que me muestren lo que están experimentando y transmitiendo a todos nuestros hermanos que ya están siendo evangelizados.

Se me figuran como un jardín de radiantes flores, que entre más variedad haya más hermoso se ve el jardín. Pero, en este jardín hay un propósito común y real, y este viene siendo el agradar al dueño del jardín que las ha puesto. De la misma manera, el Santo Espíritu va plantando sus carismas y va haciendo que éstos florezcan para agradar a Dios, embelleciendo el jardín que es la Santa Iglesia.

En este jardín no tiene que haber competencia entre las plantas, pues cada una de ellas agrega algo novedoso. Y es la combinación de formas y colores lo que hace resaltar la belleza de cada una y de su conjunto. De la misma manera, en nuestra Iglesia el Espíritu Santo sabe bien lo que hace.

Cada grupo apostólico va agregando cosas nuevas a la Santa Iglesia y de esta forma nuestra Iglesia se engalana y brilla en el mundo con todos sus dones.

Nuestros grupos apostólicos deben reflejar la unidad en la diversidad y sentirse siempre parte de la única Iglesia que el Señor quiso fundar. Aquí no caben las riñas y rivalidades, aquí debemos de entender que trabajamos para el mismo Señor de los cielos y debemos alegrarnos por el llamamiento que nos ha dado de poder servirlo en el seno de la Santa Iglesia.

EL PADRE JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ es el director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Diócesis de Charlotte insta a tomar precauciones especiales por Coronavirus CHARLOTTE — Las autoridades de la Diócesis de Charlotte alentaron al clero y a los feligreses a tomar precauciones durante la celebración de la Santa Misa y la realización de actividades parroquiales, con el objeto de minimizar el potencial de propagación del coronavirus COVID-19.

El virus, detectado por primera vez en China en diciembre pasado, ha sido reportado en más de 100 países, incluido Estados Unidos. La enfermedad se considera altamente contagiosa, con síntomas que se asemejan a la gripe e incluyen fiebre, tos seca y falta de aliento. Hasta el 11 de marzo, se han registrado más de 118.000 casos y 4.300 muertes en todo el mundo, principalmente en China.

En Estados Unidos ya son más de 1.000 los casos confirmados de coronavirus, incluyendo algunos a nivel local. Los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades de los Estados Unidos (CDC) recomiendan prácticas de higiene que minimicen el posible impacto de esta amenaza a la salud pública.

Siguiendo las pautas de los CDC, el obispo Peter Jugis insta al clero a recordar a los feligreses que cubran su rostro cuando tosan o estornuden, a que tiren los pañuelos usados, limpien diariamente las superficies de “alto contacto”, eviten darse la mano, a lavarse las manos con frecuencia y no compartir artículos personales como vajilla y artículos de higiene.

En una carta emitida el 28 de febrero, el Obispo Jugis también alienta firmemente a los sacerdotes a no extender el Signo de la Paz, distribuir la Sagrada Comunión del cáliz o invitar a las personas a saludarlos en la misa u otras reuniones. Aquellos que distribuyen la Sagrada Comunión deben lavarse las manos antes de la Misa y limpiarse las manos nuevamente antes y después de distribuir la Sagrada Comunión.

Los feligreses también están legítimamente exentos de misa si se encuentran enfermos o sospechan que han estado expuestos al virus. Aquellos que estén enfermos pueden seguir las Misas dominicales en vivo online, a través de EWTN (www. ewtn.com) u homilías/Misas grabadas y que son ofrecidas en los sitios web de las parroquias.

El CDC cree que los casos de coronavirus aumentarán en EE. UU durante las próximas semanas y pide a las organizaciones que inicien una planificación responsable para reducir la probabilidad de infección.

Las medidas de prevención se están tomando en las iglesias de todo el mundo debido a este virus.

— Catholic News Herald

Más online

En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Lea las instrucciones del Obispo Jugis

Preparación por Cuaresma en Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — Desde el pasado 4 de marzo, la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte ofrece charlas de preparación para el tiempo de Cuaresma.

Las sesiones se realizarán cada miércoles, de 7 a 8:30 de la noche, hasta el miércoles 7 de abril, en el salón multiusos de la parroquia, localizada en 6212 Tuckaseegee Road en Charlotte.

Noé García, un seminarista Vicentino que efectúa su noviciado, llamado seminario interno por la orden Vicentina, es quien tiene a cargo la conducción de las charlas de preparación cuaresmal.

“Lo que queremos lograr con estas conversaciones es seguir aprendiendo sobre cómo vivir un tiempo de reflexión y apertura hacia Dios en esta Cuaresma, en qué consiste este tiempo y conducir a la gente a la celebración de la Vigilia Pascual”, dijo.

Natural de Guatemala y con 8 años de estudios en el seminario, García visita por primera vez Charlotte. Llegado a Estados Unidos cuando contaba con 18 años de edad, reside en Freeport, Nueva York, y, según refiere, ha encontrado en nuestra ciudad una comunidad católica vibrante y trabajadora.

Durante su primera charla, efectuada el 4 de marzo, el joven seminarista hizo notar la importancia del número cuarenta en las Sagradas Escrituras, en las que asegura “se utiliza para eventos muy importantes”.

Señaló que en el Éxodo, libro del Antiguo Testamento cuyo nombre significa ‘camino hacia’, se celebra la Pascua, que es la liberación del pueblo

judío de la esclavitud en Egipto.

“En esa ocasión celebraron el paso del pueblo hebreo por el mar Rojo en camino hacia su liberación de la esclavitud. En cambio, para nosotros los cristianos, la Pascua es la celebración del paso de Jesús, su sacrificio, su muerte y nuestra liberación del pecado”, añadió.

El seminarista recomendó que durante la Cuaresma, en preparación para la Pascua de Resurrección, necesitamos “caminar hacia el Señor, reflexionar, prepararnos para ese encuentro” buscando información. Por ello es bueno, dijo, “usar el Internet y los teléfonos para enriquecer nuestra relación con Dios”, dejando de lado otras actividades de entretenimiento que estos mismos medios nos brindan.

Durante la preparación para la Pascua, afirmó que nos pueden pasar hechos como los sucedidos en la historia de Noé, el Arca y los cuarenta días de diluvio. “Noé sufrió de la burla.

Mucha gente lo creía loco. De la misma manera, actualmente algunos sectores de la sociedad se burlan de los católicos porque celebran la Semana Santa”.

“Por ello es importante estudiar, analizar, comprender el proceso de conversión”, dijo.

“Vamos hacia, estamos en permanente éxodo hacia la vida eterna”.

En este camino, subrayó, puede también aparecer el cansancio en la fe, en el estudio, ya que la tendencia es de resistencia al llamado de Dios y no dar el paso adelante para responder positivamente el llamado. Pero, “no hay que desmayar pues es Dios quien se te acerca y te pide seguir caminando, al igual que a Moisés y al pueblo israelita que caminó por cuarenta años en búsqueda de la tierra prometida”.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El seminarista Vicentino Noé García, quien se encuentra temporalmente sirviendo en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, está a cargo de las charlas de Cuaresma, en preparación para celebrar la Pascua de Resurrección. Las reuniones se llevan a cabo los miércoles a las 7 p.m. en esa parroquia.

Finalmente, el seminarista invitó a profundizar en la historia de Moisés, la que calificó de “fascinante”.

En las siguientes sesiones se abordarán otros temas, entre ellos los métodos de oración.

Charlas de preparación de Cuaresma Todos los miércoles hasta el 7 de abril, 7 p.m.

Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe 6212 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28214

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Papa Francisco no abrió la puerta a la ordenación de hombres casados la evangelización de aquella porción del Pueblo de Dios, sobre todo de los indígenas, muchas veces olvidados y sin una perspectiva de un futuro sereno, también por la causa de la crisis de la foresta amazónica, pulmón de fundamental importancia para nuestro planeta”.

La Panamazonía está formada por territorios independientes de nueve países: Brasil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana y Guyana Francesa. Esta región es el mayor pulmón de oxígeno de la Tierra. Con más de un tercio de las reservas forestales del mundo, es una de las mayores reservas de biodiversidad que contiene un quinto del agua dulce del planeta.

La población de la Panamazonía se calcula en 34 millones de habitantes. De ellos más de tres millones son indígenas de 390 grupos étnicos que viven en una relación íntima con lo que la Tierra les ofrece.

CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — “Debemos de estar atentos y no dejarnos llevar solamente por lo que nos dicen los medios de comunicación”, afirmó el Padre Julio Domínguez, director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, al referirse a la respuesta del Santo Padre con la exhortación apostólica ‘Querida Amazonía’, tras la realización de la Asamblea Especial del Sínodo de los Obispos para la región Panamazónica que se llevó a cabo del 6 al 27 octubre de 2019 en Roma.

En el documento postsinodal, precisa el sacerdote, “el Santo Padre no indica que va a cambiar (la Iglesia) y ordenar sacerdotisas y todo lo demás”. “No, lo que dijo el Papa Francisco es bien claro, es decir, sigue lo mismo, hombres ordenados, diáconos permanentes, religiosas que pueden ayudar y el papel fundamental de la mujer en la Amazonía”, precisó.

En el punto 111 del Documento Final del Sínodo de los Obispos sobre la Amazonía se proponía “establecer criterios y disposiciones de parte de la autoridad competente, en el marco de la Lumen Gentium 26, de ordenar sacerdotes a hombres idóneos y reconocidos de la comunidad, que tengan un diaconado permanente fecundo y reciban una formación adecuada para el presbiterado, pudiendo tener familia legítimamente constituida y estable, para sostener la vida de la comunidad cristiana mediante la predicación de la Palabra y la celebración de los Sacramentos en las zonas más remotas de la región amazónica”.

Sin embargo, el Pontífice, en el punto 87 de ‘Querida Amazonía’, señala que “ese

LOS SUEÑOS DEL PAPA

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE | MEDIOS DEL VATICANO

El Papa Francisco se reunió con pueblos indígenas de la región amazónica durante un encuentro en el salón Pablo VI en el Vaticano el 17 de octubre de 2019. La cita tuvo lugar durante la segunda semana del Sínodo de los Obispos para el Amazonas. carácter exclusivo recibido en el Orden” capacita sólo al sacerdote “para presidir la Eucaristía”. Y subraya que “esa es su función específica, principal e indelegable”.

CONVOCATORIA PAPAL

En octubre de 2017, el Papa Francisco convocó una Asamblea Sinodal Especial sobre la Panamazonía, con el objetivo de “encontrar nuevos caminos para

El P. Domínguez señaló que el documento papal está dividido en cuatro grandes “sueños” que el Pontífice tiene para la región sudamericana. “A saber, un sueño social, un sueño cultural, un sueño ecológico y un sueño eclesial”.

En el sueño social, se proyecta una Amazonía que integre y promueva a todos sus habitantes para que puedan llevar una vida digna. La industrialización alentada por la corrupción “que envenena al Estado”, denuncia el documento, ha ido expulsando y acorralando a los pueblos indígenas que sufren desarraigo y la confusión de sus valores tradicionales.

El sueño cultural, por su parte, destaca HOMBRES, PASA A LA PÁGINA 16

Asociación Americana del Corazón formará promotores de salud CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — Aceptando una solicitud del ministerio de salud del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Charlotte, la Asociación Americana del Corazón formará entre 25 a 30 promotores de salud que brindarán herramientas de prevención de males cardíacos y promoverán un estilo de vida saludable en la comunidad latina residente en la región metropolitana de la Ciudad Reina.

El anuncio fue realizado por Héctor Salgado, director de programas educativos de la Asociación Americana del Corazón para la comunidad hispana, durante la presentación del plan de estudios a los feligreses que se mostraban interesados en participar.

En la exposición, que tuvo lugar el pasado viernes 6 de marzo en las instalaciones del Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, se dieron detalles del curso y explicó el compromiso que adquieren los asistentes.

Salgado dijo que el programa de Promotores de Salud fue creado a partir de las necesidades de la comunidad latina, cuya tercera causa de muerte son las enfermedades del corazón. “Los hispanos somos más propensos a no alcanzar el nivel recomendado de actividad física y también tenemos menos probabilidades de consumir frutas y verduras diariamente”.

“La misión del programa no es solo extender la vida, sino también la calidad de ella”, subrayó.

El plan de estudios del programa cuenta con cinco sesiones de una hora de duración cada uno. Se centra en el conocimiento de la presión arterial, resucitación cardiopulmonar con únicamente el uso de manos, alimentación saludable y entrenamiento del capacitador.

En la primera sesión, dirigida por un entrenador personal certificado, se identifican las barreras que nos impiden hacer ejercicios y se demuestra cómo realizarlos sin necesidad de contar con elementos especializados.

La segunda sesión se centra en los riesgos de la presión arterial alta, sus efectos en la salud, consecuencias y

prevención.

En la tercera, los participantes aprenden a realizar resucitación cardiopulmonar utilizando solo sus manos, convirtiéndose en agentes capaces de salvar vidas humanas.

En las dos últimas sesiones los asistentes aprenderán cómo comer de manera saludable sin afectar su bolsillo, además de técnicas sobre cómo presentar a otras personas los conocimientos adquiridos en este valioso entrenamiento.

Salgado dijo que la Asociación Americana del Corazón busca trabajar con organizaciones comunitarias para identificar a las personas interesadas en mejorar la salud de sus comunidades. “Es una idea interesante que las personas puedan mejorar su salud ayudándose entre ellas mismas”, destacó.

Todos los participantes recibirán herramientas que los ayudarán, no solo a tener una vida mejor y más saludable, sino también a capacitar a otras personas de su comunidad, compromiso que adquieren desde el momento que se registran como asistentes.

Entre esos recursos figuran rastreadores de actividad física, medidores de presión arterial, kits de resucitación cardiopulmonar que incluyen un DVD y un maniquí para realizar prácticas, recetarios de comidas saludables e información y materiales para facilitar presentaciones para al menos 20 personas.

“Yo mismo puedo dar testimonio de lo bueno que es este programa”, expresó Salgado, refiriendo que su madre se benefició del programa y hoy se ha convertido en una promotora entre sus amigos y familiares. “Cada vez que llega alguien a visitarla, ella le mide la presión y le informa de los resultados”, dijo sonriendo.

“Aunque, seriamente, ayuda de gran manera a las personas pues a la presión arterial alta se le llama ‘el asesino silencioso’ porque, sin presentar síntomas, si no es tratada, puede causar enfermedades coronarias”, como ataque cardíaco, derrame cerebral y, por consecuencia, incluso la muerte.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La Asociación Americana del Corazón capacitará a promotores de salud del Vicariato de Charlotte. Héctor Salgado, representante de esa organización, muestra parte del material que recibirán los participantes, quienes se comprometen a difundir lo aprendido entre la comunidad latina de la región metropolitana de Charlotte.

Participe del ministerio de salud del Vicariato de Charlotte Para mayores informes llame a: Eduardo Bernal, 704-770-8342 Fravelin Cuesta, 704-726-6397

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Lecturas Diarias MARZO 15-21

Domingo: Éxodo 17:3-7, Romanos 5:1-2, 5-8, Juan 4:5-42; Lunes: 2 Reyes 5:1-15, Lucas 4:24-30; Martes (San Patricio): Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Mateo 18:21-35; Miércoles (San Cirilo de Jerusalén): Deuteronomio 4:1, 5-9, Mateo 5:17-19; Jueves (San José): 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romanos 4:13, 16-18, 22, Mateo 1:16, 18-21, 24; Viernes: Oseas 14:2-10, Marcos 12:28-34; Sábado: Oseas 6:16, Lucas 18:9-14

MARZO 22-28

Domingo: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13, Efesios 5:8-14, Juan 9:1-41; Lunes (Sto. Toribio de Mogrovejo): Isaías 65:17-21, Juan 4:43-54; Martes: Ezequiel 47:1-9, 12, Juan 5:1-16; Miércoles (La Anunciación del Señor): Isaías 7:10-14, 8:10, Hebreos 10:4-10, Lucas 1:26-38; Jueves: Éxodo 32:7-14, Juan 5:31-47; Viernes: Sabiduría 2:1, 12-22, Juan 7:1-2, 10, 25-30; Sábado: Jeremías 11:18-20, Juan 7:40-53

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Diácono misionero Fernando Marín condujo el retiro organizado por el grupo ‘María, llama de amor’. Decenas de fieles se acercaron al diácono para tomarse fotos, pedir se les autografíe un libro, bendiga rosarios y diversos artículos religiosos o se les imponga las manos sobre ellos.

MARZO 29-ABRIL 4

Domingo: Ezequiel 37:12-14, Romanos 8:8-11, Juan 11:1-45; Lunes: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62, Juan 8:1-11; Martes: Números 21:4-9, Juan 8:21-30; Miércoles: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95, Daniel 3:52-56, Juan 8:31-42; Jueves (San Francisco de Paula): Génesis 17:3-9, Juan 8:51-59; Viernes: Jeremías 20:10-13, Juan 10:31-42; Sábado (San Isidoro): Ezequiel 37:21-28, Jeremías 31:10-13, Juan 11:45-56

Let’s keep talking.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Durante el retiro mariano realizado en Greensboro se llevó a cabo la Hora Santa.

La comunidad católica participó con gran devoción en la Adoración Eucarística.

Misionero español subrayó papel de la Virgen de María “Para ser de Jesús, primeramente hay que ser de María”, afirma CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, J.P.

GREENSBORO — En una jornada de retiro espiritual de un día completo, el grupo ‘María, llama de amor’ de la parroquia Santa María en Greensboro recibió la visita del Diácono Fernando Marín, misionero mariano proveniente de la Arquidiócesis de Valladolid.

Licenciado en Ciencias Religiosas en la Universidad de Comillas en Madrid, España, Fernando Marín, casado y con cinco hijos, abandonó su vida secular como técnico en telefonía, trabajó con sectores marginales de su ciudad y posteriormente viajó en misión a República Dominicana, donde se ordenó como Diácono Permanente el 15 de julio de 2010 en la parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Las Terrenas, Samaná.

Autor de varias publicaciones y producciones de CD, imparte retiros espirituales en Latinoamérica, Europa y Estados Unidos.

Mariano y carismático por 23 años, se considera una persona “privilegiada por seguir a Jesucristo”. El misionero confiesa que vivió mucho tiempo alejado de la Iglesia Católica, pese a haber recibido un llamado en edad temprana, mismo que ignoró por “una seguir una convulsión juvenil”.

“Reconozco que soy un converso. Llevé un tiempo alejado de la Iglesia y, como el apóstol Pablo, volví a ella y soy criatura

nueva en Cristo Jesús. Busqué a Dios en muchas religiones y al final llegué como el hijo pródigo”, dijo.

“las cosas del mundo” que “en el fondo nos alejan de Dios”.

MARÍA, CAMINO RÁPIDO A JESÚS

Para salir de la ‘tibieza’ espiritual, recomienda que pongamos al Espíritu Santo como protagonista de nuestra vida cristiana. “Es el Espíritu Santo el que engendra en María. Es el Espíritu Santo el que transforma el pan y el vino.

Necesitamos tener una relación personal con el Espíritu Santo para que venga a llenarnos, a transformarnos. Cuando abrimos nuestro corazón, nuestro corazón arrepentido, propiciamos que venga Él y nos llene de su presencia”.

Por ello, afirma que, pese a que la Santa Eucaristía es indispensable para acercarnos al Espíritu Santo, necesitamos espacios como este retiro, “donde venimos aquí, a este Monte Tabor, para este encuentro con Dios, cara a cara, donde pasamos un día entero, y donde Dios pueda pues hablarnos al corazón, tocarnos, donde podamos cantarle con toda nuestra alma y recibir también al Espíritu Santo”.

Siendo de devoción mariana, sugiere que -para acercarse más a Cristo- los católicos, sin distinción, realicen un acto de consagración al Inmaculado Corazón de María. Un segundo paso sería el rezo del Santo Rosario diariamente. “Y también imitar a María. Poner a María como modelo. Ella es nuestra guía, nuestro modelo de vida con un corazón limpio.

Todo lo contrario a lo que es el pecado”.

Terminada su misión en Carolina del Norte, el Diácono Marín partirá para Oklahoma City, donde permanecerá por dos semanas en misión por diferentes parroquias.

Luego viajará a otras ciudades de los Estados Unidos, país donde considera se encuentra “el futuro de la Iglesia Católica” de todo el mundo.

Respecto al papel de María como guía para los católicos, el Diácono Marín afirma que ella “es el camino más corto, más fácil y más seguro para llegar a Jesucristo”.

“María es nuestro modelo para llegar a Jesús. María es esa persona y el acercarnos a ella nos aproxima profundamente al corazón de su hijo Jesucristo. Ciertamente, para ser de Jesús primeramente hay que ser de María. María nos une a Jesucristo, María nos une al Espíritu Santo y María puede, a partir de su silencio, hacer que nos entreguemos a ese camino de santidad y de vida nueva en Jesucristo”.

En cuanto a la importancia de la Virgen María, precisa que “ella no quiere ningún protagonismo”, y siendo la mujer el corazón, el amor en el hogar, “tiene que ser también el corazón y el amor en la Iglesia. El cargo es superficial, no importa.

Lo que verdaderamente importa es que nos pongamos al servicio del Señor de los cielos”.

En relación a su visita a Carolina del Norte, expresó que no es la primera vez que llega al estado. “Tengo el privilegio de ser un pequeño instrumento de Dios para su llamado a la conversión de las almas, para que la gente pueda encontrar conversión, sanación y liberación espiritual”.

“Especialmente ahora, con la proximidad de la Semana Santa y durante el tiempo de Cuaresma, con la práctica del ayuno, oración y limosna podemos crecer en santidad y ‘salir de la tibieza’, para ser cristianos de verdad y vivir una vida en plenitud”, propone el diácono, quien confiesa que “verdaderamente” Jesús llena su corazón y no tiene necesidad de

RELACIÓN PERSONAL CON EL ESPÍRITU SANTO

Mix

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

Catholic Book Pick

On TV

‘Marian Consecration with Aquinas’ by Matt Fradd and Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

n Friday, March 13, 1:30 p.m. “Teresa of Avila: Personality & Prayer.” If we live the Gospel fully, we’re going to suffer.

Father Thomas Dubay explains why a look at the saints bring us closer to God.

Mary, but with a preparation that reflects the Church’s love for St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Thomas Aquinas’s writings provide ample resources for the task. Especially in his preaching, there are numerous passages detailing the graces bestowed on Mary and the role afforded her in leading us to Christ.

We hope this book will assist you in offering all that you have to Jesus through Mary in consecration, with the Angelic Doctor as a teacher and guide.

After all, it’s not just religious who are called to holiness. We all are!

It is our hope that this method will captivate you, and lead you to closer union with Jesus as you offer yourselves to Him through Mary.

‘I Am Patrick’ This docudrama subtitled, “The Patron Saint of Ireland,” seeks to debunk many of the myths and legends that have grown up around its subject over the centuries and to capture who he really was as a man and a proclaimer of Christ. The film follows Patrick (played by Robert McCormack, Sean T. O’Meallaigh and by John Rhys-Davies) from his abduction as a teen by Irish raiders marauding in fifthcentury Roman Empire-controlled Britain, through his six years of slavery, his escape back to Britain, his ordination and his voluntary return to Ireland as a missionary bishop. The live-action and documentary elements blend well, keeping the pace moving along as the story unfolds with the help of Moe Dunford’s narration. The actors successfully capture the excitement, determination and zeal Patrick consistently displayed while interviews with historians and authors weave a narrative that reveals him for the amazing evangelist he was. For theater and ticket information, visit: www.fathomevents.com/events/i-am-patrick. Brief stylized violence.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: Not Rated

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St. Louis de Montfort’s classic Total Consecration to Mary has seen a strong resurgence in recent years, with Catholics around the world consecrating themselves to Our Lady. Building off this momentum, this book encourages this closeness to Jesus through

At www.tanbooks.com: Order your copy of “Marian Consecration with Aquinas.”

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

n Saturday, March 14, 8 p.m.

“Romero.” The true story of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s transformation from an apolitical, complacent priest to a committed leader of the Salvadoran people. n Sunday, March 15, 1:30 p.m.

“Celebrate St. Patrick.” The life of one of Ireland’s most beloved saints is celebrated in this unique musical program combining sacred and secular Irish music. An unforgettable musical performance from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. n Monday, March 16, 5:30 p.m. “In the Footsteps of St. Patrick.” Join us as host Jane Veitch takes a spiritual journey in the footsteps of St. Patrick throughout the counties of Armagh and Down where much of St. Patrick’s ministry in Ireland began. n Tuesday, March 17, 1:30 p.m. “St. Thomas More: A Hero for Our Times.”

Dr. Gerard Wegemer of the University of Dallas discusses the life and heroic virtues of St. Thomas More, who gave his life defending the faith during the reign of Henry VIII.

HAVE YOU ANSWERED THE CALL TO SUPPORT THE DSA? The purpose of the Diocesan Support Appeal (DSA) is to help provide the annual funding necessary to carry out the mission of our diocese – namely to fulfill our call to “grow ever more perfectly into a community of praise, worship, and witness, and to become a leaven of service and sign of peace through love in the Piedmont and western North Carolina.” The DSA provides funding for 50 ministries and programs.

When we make our annual contribution to the DSA, we join with all our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the diocese to do the Lord’s work – works of love and service that no one individual or parish can do alone.

Easy Ways to Donate Pledge | One-Time Gift | Online Gift | Stock Donation | IRA Contribution www.charlottediocese.org/DSA

DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

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iiiMarch 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com

IN THE SP

What are the Eastern Churches?

There are more than 20 Eastern Churches in full communion with the Latin (Roman) Church. These are called “Eastern Catholic Churches.”

Each of these has its own liturgical traditions, spirituality, canonical disciplines, and theological expressions of the faith, all the while being in full communion with the pope and the Latin Church.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the largest of these Eastern Churches. Worldwide, Ukrainian Greek Catholics number about 5.5 million, forming the largest particular (“sui juris,” or “self-governing”) Catholic Church, after the majority Latin Church, with about 2 percent of the entire Catholic faithful. The Church is led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of KyivHalych.

St. Basil the Great, father of St. Basil Eastern Cenobitic Monasticism the Great (monks living a common life) Parish in Charlotte is part of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio. The eparchy, established by St. John Paul II in 1983, encompasses parishes from Ohio and Pennsylvania to Florida. The growing parish worships at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 1400 Suther Road in Charlotte.

One does not have to be “Ukrainian” or “Greek” to belong to or attend Divine Liturgy (Mass) at St. Basil’s, any more than one needs to be “Italian” to belong to or attend a Latin (Roman) parish. People from many different backgrounds comprise the parish community, and all are welcome!

Can Roman Catholics fulfill their Sunday obligation at St. Basil the Great?

Yes, Roman Catholics may fulfill their obligation by participating in the Divine Liturgy (Mass) in any Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic church. People are welcome to attend any of St. Basil Parish’s services, which are conducted in English and are mostly sung.

May I receive Holy Communion at an Eastern Catholic Church?

All Catholics are welcome to receive Holy Communion and the other sacraments in any Catholic church, Eastern or Western. All who receive Holy Communion should prepare themselves beforehand by prayer and fasting, and, if conscious of serious sin, by making a sincere confession before receiving Holy Communion.

Learn more Find out more about St. Basil the Great Parish online at stbasil.weebly.com. The parish is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For inquiries, call the parish office at 908-7852764 or email stbasilcharlotte@gmail.com.

— St. Basil the Great Parish

Eastern C Where are they?

Where should they be?

FATHER JOSEPH M. MATLAK SPECIAL TO THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Perhaps the biggest pastoral challenge for Eastern Catholic priests is that their parishes are facing closure due to a massive loss of their own faithful to larger, more prosperous Roman Catholic parishes.

There are millions of Eastern Catholics around the world. In this country, they once numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Waves of immigration led many to settle and establish parishes, schools, religious houses and seminaries. Intermarriage and employment eventually dispersed them across the country. Without any of their own canonical structures, almost all were “lost in the shuffle.”

Devout persons joined local Roman Catholic parishes. In many cases, they registered in those parishes over those of their own ritual tradition, especially to obtain a tuition discount for local Catholic schools. Now, after only a few decades, countless children and grandchildren do not know that they are canonically Eastern Catholic.

When do they find out? Often, it is when they themselves begin sacramental preparation, or when they enter seminary and find out before ordination that they cannot licitly be ordained.

Ever since I began ministering among the Latin Catholic faithful, I have encountered more Eastern Catholics than in my own parish. I regularly hear statements such as “My dad is Eastern Catholic,” or “I was baptized Eastern Catholic,” or “I have been living here for years, and I didn’t know that you even existed until now.” In a few cases, I meet people who declare proudly that they are Eastern Catholics, but who never attend and support their own parish – something that is honestly threatening to destroy our very existence.

Faced with this reality, is there still a place and future for Eastern Catholicism? According to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, it is the right and responsibility of Eastern Catholics to ensure the continued existence of their ritual Churches and to support their own parishes.

WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES

Calling them “the heritage of the universal Church,” the Second Vatican Council devoted an entire decree to the Eastern Catholic Churches (“Orientalium Ecclesiarum”). The council taught the

following: “The Catholic Church holds in high esteem the institutions, liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and the established standards of the Christian life of the Eastern Churches, for in them, distinguished as they are for their venerable antiquity, there remains conspicuous the tradition that has been handed down from the Apostles through the Fathers, and that forms part of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church.

“The Holy Catholic Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, is made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacraments, and the same government, and who, combining together into various groups which are held together by a hierarchy, form separate Churches or Rites. Between these there exists an admirable bond of union, such that the variety within the Church in no way harms its unity; rather it manifests it....

“These individual Churches, whether of the East or the West, although they differ somewhat among themselves in rite ... that is, in liturgy, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage, are, nevertheless, each as much as the others, entrusted to the pastoral government of the Roman Pontiff, the divinely appointed successor of St. Peter in primacy over the universal Church. They are consequently of equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to the others as regards rite, and they enjoy the same rights and are under the same obligations, also in respect of preaching the Gospel to the whole world under the guidance of the Roman Pontiff.”

The same teaching exists in Church law: “The rites of the Eastern Churches, as the patrimony of the entire Church of Christ, in which there is clearly evident the tradition which has come from the Apostles through the Fathers and which affirm the divine unity in diversity of the Catholic faith, are to be religiously preserved and fostered” (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 39).

St. John Paul II famously said, “The Church must breathe with her two lungs” – Eastern and Western – so that both might experience and be nourished by one another. He devoted an entire apostolic letter to the subject, “Orientale Lumen,” in which he taught the following: “Since, in fact, we believe that the venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church, the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition, so as to be nourished by it and to encourage the process of unity in the best way possible for each. Our Eastern Catholic brothers and sisters are very conscious of being the living bearers of this tradition, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters.

The members of the Catholic Church of the Latin tradition must also be fully acquainted with this treasure and thus feel, with the Pope, a passionate longing that the full manifestation of the Church’s catholicity be restored to the Church and to the world, expressed not by a single tradition, and still less by one community in opposition to the other; and that we too may be granted a full taste of the divinely

POTLIGHT

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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(From left) His Excellency Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, gives the homily during a Pontifical Divine Liturgy celebrated in Charlotte during his pastoral visit in 2015.

Eastern Catholics receive the holy mysteries (sacraments) of initiation together – Baptism, Chrismation and Eucharist.

Pictured, an infant is anointed with sacred chrism by Father Mark Shuey. During “chrismation,” a person is anointed on the forehead, eyes, nose, lips, breast, hands and feet to sanctify the mind, body, soul and all the senses to serve God. Eastern Catholics receive Holy Communion from a priest, administered by intinction from the chalice with a communion spoon.

David Rinehart, kneeling before the altar, is ordained a deacon

by Bishop Bohdan in 2019 during a special Divine Liturgy in Charlotte.

Father Matlak chants Byzantine Rite Vespers during the 2018 Eucharistic Congress.

PHOTOS BY ST. BASIL THE GREAT PARISH AND CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Catholics revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church which is preserved and grows in the life of the Churches of the East as in those of the West.”

HISTORICAL SITUATION

Eastern Catholics were often raised believing that their tradition was inferior to the Latin Church. Others were taught that “Catholic is Catholic,” so it really does not matter where a person attends church.

It is true that all the faithful “can participate in the eucharistic sacrifice and receive holy communion in any Catholic rite… (Code of Canon Law, canon 923),” and “a person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite … satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass (Code of Canon Law, canon 1248 section 1).”

However, convenience often prevails over obligation. “Why should I drive all the way to the Eastern parish, when the Roman parish is much closer to my house?”

And, unfortunately, many Eastern Catholics have not been taught about their identity, rights and obligations by their priests or faith formation teachers. There are also numerous anecdotes of Eastern faithful being given the sacraments of first Holy Communion and confirmation, even though as Eastern Catholics they already received these sacraments when they were baptized.

Clearly, this is not desirable or tenable.

HOW CAN WE PLAY OUR PART?

In the first place, other than providing a good introduction to the Eastern Catholic Churches, Latin parishes could regularly provide reminders that Eastern Catholics do not become members of that ritual Church, even if they regularly or exclusively attend there – and even if they should register there. Instead of permitting them to register in those parishes, those faithful should be encouraged to return to their own ritual parishes, since that is where they belong canonically. While the loss of five or 10 families to a large or mediumsized Roman Catholic parish might seem negligible, the same loss can mean the difference between existence and closure for an Eastern Catholic parish in this country.

In the second place, Eastern Catholics who do not regularly support their own parishes should make a good examination of conscience.

Besides understanding the teachings of the Church regarding their own traditions, they should remember that supporting their own parish is a precept of the Church for every Catholic. Eastern Catholic families – or Eastern Catholic fathers in the case of “inter-ritual” marriages – have a moral obligation to raise their children in their own tradition. Neglect in performing this duty deprives the children of their own ritual tradition, and it deprives the parish of its spiritual children – and, consequently, of its own future.

Church law in both the Latin and Eastern churches reminds us

that Eastern Catholics have a right to worship God according to their own rite and to follow their own form of spiritual life. Nevertheless, the Second Vatican Council also teaches that this is a serious moral obligation: “each and every Catholic, as also the baptized of every non-Catholic church or denomination who enters into the fullness of the Catholic communion, must retain his own rite wherever he is, must cherish it, and observe it to the best of his ability.” Eastern Catholics “should know and be convinced that they can and should always preserve their legitimate liturgical rite and their established way of life…. (This) must be observed by the members of the Eastern rites themselves. Besides, they should attain to an ever-greater knowledge and a more exact use of them, and, if in their regard they have fallen short owing to contingencies of times and persons, they should take steps to return to their ancestral traditions.”

Eastern Catholics “should retain and practice their own rite everywhere in the world and should observe it as much as humanly possible (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 35),” should “foster an understanding and appreciation of their own rite, and are held to observe it everywhere…” (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 40, §3), and “should study zealously their liturgical, spiritual, theological and disciplinary patrimony” (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 405).

A FINAL REFLECTION

Two years ago, the homilist for the Holy Hour of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Eucharistic Congress was Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom of Norcia, Italy, whose community had recently suffered through multiple earthquakes. I had the chance to speak with him briefly on the topic of the variety of liturgical traditions in the Church. One of these is the Rite of Braga, Portugal, which was made optional after the Second Vatican Council when the diocese allowed its priests to adopt the Roman Rite. The Bragan Rite is a tradition of venerable antiquity, stretching back hundreds of years before the Council of Trent. I lamented that such a venerable tradition was being lost to the Portuguese Church (from which my mother’s side of the family hails), simply because very few people are taking the necessary steps to preserve it. Father Cassian’s reply was simple: “Yes, indeed, this is how ancient traditions become lost to the Church.”

The Byzantine tradition is not immune to the same effect. Within a few decades, we may very well see its extinction in the United States.

Particularly for those who belong to this endangered tradition, with its liturgies and prayers composed by saints almost 2,000 years ago, let’s not confine it to a museum. Let’s ensure that it remains a living part of the Church of Christ, and, therefore, part of the heritage of every Catholic.

FATHER JOSEPH M. MATLAK is the administrator of St. Basil the Great Eastern Catholic Parish in Charlotte.

You are welcome!

St. Basil the Great Parish welcomes everyone who was baptized Eastern Catholic to return to their faith tradition, as well as any Latin (Roman) Catholics who are interested in learning more about the Eastern Catholic identity and praying, celebrating and proclaiming the faith in accordance with the Byzantine Rite.

DIVINE LITURGY 11 a.m. every Sunday The chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, NC 28213 ​Known as the Mass to Latin (Roman) Catholics, the Eastern rite liturgies were composed by saints in the first millennium. The prayers and hymns are very ancient, and yet are still very relevant for contemporary people. The liturgy is celebrated in English, is mostly sung or chanted, and usually lasts between an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

DIVINE LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS 7 p.m. Wednesdays during Lent The chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte, NC 28213 The Eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on Lenten weekdays. For the faithful to sustain their Lenten effort, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. The liturgy is Solemn Lenten Vespers in addition to Holy Communion, which is given from the Eucharist sanctified on the previous Sunday (hence the name “presanctified”). The service is an ancient one, traditionally considered to be the work of the sixth-century pope St. Gregory of Rome.

Weekday services and other special liturgies are announced online and on social media. For more information, see the parish’s website at stbasil.weebly.com.

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Celebrating heroes for African American History Month

Chip: Louis Armstrong

Mattheo: Jesse Owens

Tommy: Jackie Robinson

Ruby: Rosa Parks

Alex: Muhammed Ali

Ella: Sojourner Truth

Lisset: Harriet Tubman

Jeremy: Frederick Douglass

WINSTON-SALEM — Second-graders at Our Lady of Mercy School celebrated African American History Month in February with a special project.

Each student researched the life of a famous African American they consider to be a hero and then gave a speech on that person and their history-making achievements. They also dressed up to depict that person for their presentation, and even took on their hero’s persona to answer questions from the audience about their hero’s life PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ED JONES

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PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Learning while building SALISBURY — The entire Sacred Heart School community recently participated in a STREAM spring project to build a playhouse for the younger elementary students’ playground. Students were divided into design and creative teams and, through the project, learned real-life math, science and engineering applications.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Talking vocations CHARLOTTE — Seminarians Christian Goduti and Nick Kramer recently visited students at St. Ann School to teach them about the various items that priests use and to talk about religious vocations.

— Photo via Facebook

St. Pius X School welcomes special visitors

Sharing joy through music

GREENSBORO — St. Pius X School welcomed some special visitors recently who brought a wealth of interesting science and literature education to students. On Feb, 12, the Kaleideum of Winston-Salem brought a Star Lab to the school. Students in third, fourth and sixth grades got to crawl into the massive, inflatable Star Lab where they observed the constellations in the night sky, learning the names and myths surrounding these mysterious creations of the universe.

The following week yet another visitor arrived, bringing with him a delightful set of literature in the form of poetry set to novels and picture books, as well as his own writings. Poet Allan Wolf visited the school to present his poetry to students in second through eighth grades. The students found Wolf to be witty and interesting, as they were able to identify with his poetry’s relevance to their lives. Eighth-grade students were able to discuss his book “Zane’s Trace,” which they read in class with the poet, while the school’s Battle of the Books Team was able to enjoy eating lunch with him. Students not only went away from the presentation with signed copies of his latest book of poetry, but with inspiration to write their own poetry about themselves and the world around them.

GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School’s Service Club recently shared their talents and brought musical joy to the community.

— April Parker

— Photo via Facebook

Learning on site KERNERSVILLE — Members of Bishop McGuinness High School’s aviation club recently visited the local airport to check out the planes and learn more about aviation from people who work in the industry. Next year, the school plans to offer an aviation class.

— Photo via Facebook

Running and having fun WINSTON-SALEM — These first-grade students at St. Leo the Great School won a weekly class challenge for “Run Leo,” an annual event featuring a Family Fun run and 5K and 10K runs.

— Photo via Facebook

OM team competes CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew School’s Odyssey of the Mind Team of the “Mighty 3” did wonderful and had a great time at the regional tournament.

— Photo via Facebook

16

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25 the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops kick off “Walking with Moms in Need, a year of service” This initiative is a call to serve pregnant and parenting moms through our parishes, places Pope Francis said should be “islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference.”

Here is your opportunity to participate in this effort later this year.

Youth groups around the diocese will be selling donated pies just in time to pick up for Thanksgiving in order to raise money for the homeless pregnant mothers served by Room At The Inn. We named Room At The Inn’s new fall fundraiser to honor St. Joseph. Bishop Jugis declared 2020 the year of St. Joseph in the Diocese of Charlotte. Saint Joseph also happens to be the patron of Room At The Inn.

For a list of participating youth groups, please visit www.roominn.org/events

HOMBRES VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 9

la preservación de la riqueza cultural de esos grupos étnicos y habla de un “encuentro intercultural” en el que la diversidad no se convierte en “una frontera”, sino en “un puente” que incorpora los derechos de los pueblos.

De otro lado, el sueño ecológico destaca la sabiduría y el respeto de la creación por parte de los pueblos originarios que “no solo la utilizan” sino que encuentran en ella “un lugar teológico, un lugar donde Dios mismo se muestra y convoca a sus hijos”.

Finalmente, el sueño eclesial ve una tarea misionera con el compromiso de sus propias comunidades cristianas que desarrollen una Iglesia “con rostro amazónico”.

TESTIMONIO

El Padre Domínguez señaló que, gracias a una invitación, pudo visitar hace algunos años la región amazónica de Perú y apreciar directamente una realidad completamente diferente a la que vivimos en Estados Unidos.

“No llegamos como simples turistas, sino a visitar diferentes comunidades.

Vimos también lugares turísticos, pero cuando llegamos más adentro nos dimos cuenta de las condiciones más precarias”, afirmó.

Advertidos de los peligros, el grupo fue vacunado y llevó medicinas, cremas para evitar picaduras de insectos y pastillas para potabilizar el agua.

“Nosotros tenemos un concepto de evangelización fácil, cómodo, y no nos damos cuenta de lo que pasa en

los lugares de misión. Por ejemplo, para llegar al punto más remoto de evangelización, entre lancha y caminata, se tomaba entre diez y quince días”, dependiendo del clima, añadió.

Lo sorprendente, relata el Padre Domínguez, es que cuando llegaban a una comunidad, “aun cuando la gente se notaba pobre, era una gran alegría”.

Y su relación con el medioambiente “era bastante Bella, pues viven de lo que les proveen los ríos y la tierra”.

“Podría decir que hay pobreza, pues acá vemos nosotros la riqueza de otro modo, pero hay mucha riqueza para ellos en el sentido natural”.

Finalmente, el Padre Domínguez hizo notar que es visible la falta de sacerdotes y gente que ayude en la región, por lo que se entiende “el grito de los obispos y del Santo Padre a toda la Iglesia para proveer ayuda espiritual para allá”.

En el punto 63 de su exhortación, el Papa Francisco afirma que “la auténtica opción por los más pobres y olvidados, al mismo tiempo que nos mueve a liberarlos de la miseria material y a defender sus derechos, implica proponerles la amistad con el Señor que los promueve y dignifica.

Sería triste que reciban de nosotros un código de doctrinas o un imperativo moral, pero no el gran anuncio salvífico, ese grito misionero que apunta al corazón y da sentido a todo lo demás”.

— Colaboró ACIPRENSA

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com/ espanol: Lea el texto completo de la exhortación apostólica ‘Querida Amazonía’

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

PERIODICAL FROM PAGE 6

a wonderful resource for parents facing challenging diagnoses for their unborn children… Their insights should be available to the widest possible audience,” said Dr. Ted Furton, NCBC’s publications director.

The story of Baby Mila is featured in both the NCBC article and the chapter.

Gesine and Fernando Alvarez had been told that their baby Mila was “incompatible with life” when a twelve-week screening test indicated a risk of trisomy 13.

The Alvarezes were completely

PARISH FROM PAGE 6

needed repairs and capital expenses – things like a new roof, parking lot repairs and other items that are tough to find the money for, even in a growing parish like St. James.

Redemptorist Father Jerome Chavarria, pastor, says Darland’s gift is like an outstretched hand from outside of time – a former parishioner reaching out to help current parishioners she never met.

“Her gift is enduring support that makes all the difference in the world to help the parish here and now,” said Father Chavarria, who has served at St. James for the past five years.

He wonders what loving presence or act of kindness Darland may have experienced

committed to giving Mila every opportunity to live: “She deserved to get all the help we could give her because we love her and even with a diagnosis like Trisomy 13 she had the right to life,” Gesine said.

When Mila arrived early on Aug. 2, 2019, at only 35 weeks and two days’ gestation and weighing 4 lbs., 7 oz., the agreed-on birth and newborn care plan was put into effect. While it is impossible to know what would have happened in the absence of a care plan that asked for their daughter to be treated as any other baby, if left untreated the typical complications that affect many preterm babies can result in death if not monitored and addressed. On Aug. 7, 2019, Mila was discharged, and she is alive today.

“Not all babies with life-limiting prenatal

that prompted her to remember the Concord parish in her will so many years after leaving. But, he added, “I’m not surprised that this community had an impact on her life. The people here are very warm and welcoming of each other. The community has grown, but it has inherited the warmth and hospitality of those early days when the community was smaller.”

Gifts such as Darland’s show just how meaningful having a church home can be to someone, said Jim Kelley, diocesan development director.

“A number of parishioners become actively involved in parish ministry.

Others, while less involved, still attend Mass regularly and provide financial support to their parish. Carol decided to remember her church in Concord in her estate plans even though she moved to Ohio almost 15 years ago. She obviously had a special love for St. James Church,” he said.

17

diagnoses can be saved, but Mila’s story is instructive,” said Winsor. “Looking at the attached picture (of Mila) should impact our perspective of what it means to be given a so-called lethal prenatal diagnosis.”

Of the BNA’s work being published, Winsor said BNA is “so proud of this effort which really grew from the horrible comments made by the governor of Virginia a year ago regarding third trimester abortion.”

For more information To learn more about Be Not Afraid or donate, go online to www.benotafraid.net. Questions?

Contact Winsor at tracy.winsor@benotafraid.net.

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Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope names Savannah, Ga., bishop as Atlanta’s archbishop CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer

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of Savannah, Ga., to be the archbishop of Atlanta.

He succeeds Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, who was Atlanta’s archbishop from 2005 until he was appointed to head the Archdiocese of Washington in 2019.

The appointment was announced March 5 in Washington by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

A Conventual Franciscan, Archbishopdesignate Hartmayer, 68, has served as Savannah’s 14th bishop since Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to head that diocese July 19, 2011.

In Atlanta, Auxiliary Bishop Joel M. Konzen has been serving as administrator of the Archdiocese of Atlanta since Archbishop Gregory’s appointment to Washington.

Archbishop-designate Hartmayer will be installed as Atlanta’s archbishop May 6 at St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell, Ga. It will be something of a homecoming for him as he was the pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Lithia Springs, Ga, in the archdiocese at the time of his appointment to head the Diocese of Savannah. Immediately prior to that, he was the pastor of St. Philip Benizi Parish in Jonesboro, Ga, for 15 years.

“I warmly welcome him as an episcopal colleague who will join (Atlanta Auxiliary) Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III and me in caring for this wonderful

Catholic community,” Bishop Konzen said in a statement issued shortly after the announcement of Archbishopdesignate Hartmayer’s appointment.

“We are looking forward to formally welcoming our new shepherd. I ask you to keep Archbishop Hartmayer, Bishop Shlesinger and me in your prayers as we prepare for that happy Hartmayer day,” he added.

Calling the newly named archbishop an “extraordinary shepherd,” Archbishop Gregory noted he had “served with great distinction” in the Atlanta Archdiocese before going to Savannah.

“He knows the people and is deeply loved and respected” in the archdiocese and “will be an excellent archbishop. ... The people of God will be blessed through his ministry and care,” Archbishop Gregory said in a statement.

Gregory John Hartmayer, son of the late John and Sally Hartmayer, was born Nov. 21, 1951, in Buffalo, N.Y. He was raised in Tonawanda, N.Y., a northern suburb of Buffalo. His family belonged to St. Amelia Parish, and he attended the parish elementary school.

He attended Cardinal O’Hara High School in Tonawanda, which is operated

by the Conventual Franciscan Friars. He graduated in 1969 and joined the Conventual Franciscans at their St. Joseph Cupertino Novitiate in Ellicott City, Md., which is in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He professed his simple vows there Aug. 15, 1970.

Archbishop-designate Hartmayer then pursued studies at St. Hyacinth College and Seminary in Granby, Mass., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

He professed his solemn vows as a Conventual Franciscan friar on Aug. 15, 1973. He was ordained a priest May 5, 1979,

by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.

Archbishop-designate Hartmayer also has three master’s degrees: in divinity from St. Anthony-on-Hudson in Rensselaer, N.Y., in pastoral counseling from Emmanuel College in Boston and in education from Boston College.

After his ordination, he was a guidance counselor, teacher and principal at schools in Baltimore, in various cities in New York and in Florida.

He has held posts within his religious order’s Province of St. Anthony of Padua and has been a delegate to provincial chapters.

Archbishop-designate Hartmayer has an older brother, C. Douglas, and a younger brother, John, both of whom continue to live in western New York with their families. His sister, Mary Jo Kotacka, and her husband Rolf live in Bluffton, S.C.

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For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief USCCB launches ‘Walking With Moms in Need’ yearlong project WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Catholic bishops are being asked to invite the parishes in their dioceses to join a nationwide effort called “Walking With Moms in Need: A Year of Service” from March 25 of this year through March 25, 2021. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, announced the new initiative on the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy across the country. The new program has its own website, www.walkingwithmoms. com, with “resources, outreach tools and models to assist parishes in this effort.

Resources will be continue to be added to the site, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. “As the church and growing numbers of pro-life Americans continue to advocate for women and children in courthouses and legislatures,” Archbishop Naumann said, “the Church’s pastoral response is focused on the needs of women facing pregnancies in challenging circumstances.” This pastoral response to pregnant women and mothers in need “has long been the case” for the Church, he said, but added the Year of Service will “intensify” this response.

Diocese, Catholic community begin long recovery from devastating tornadoes NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Diocese of Nashville and the Catholic community are responding to the needs, both immediate and long-term, of those affected by deadly tornadoes that ripped across Middle Tennessee in the early hours of March 3, leaving at least 24 people dead.

Bishop J. Mark Spalding has visited the affected pastors and churches in Nashville and offered prayers of support for all those suffering from the trauma of the disaster. He has received messages of support from Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. “As the personal representative of the Holy Father in this country, I assure you of his prayers in this difficult situation,” the letter said. Diocesan parishes and schools sprang into action after the storm. Holy Rosary Church in Donelson served as the site of a Red Cross emergency shelter, March 3, and a number of churches and schools were collecting supplies such as bottled water and baby formula for tornado victims. The Knights of Columbus has been marshaling its members to donate money, materials and manpower to relief efforts. “In the coming days, we will offer the strength of unity of nearly 12,000 Knights across the state as we go to work to bring relief to this disaster,” State Deputy Michael McCusker wrote in a letter to local Knights. He called charity “the first and foremost principle” of the fraternal order and said the Tennessee State Council is working in conjunction with the Nashville Diocese “to coordinate a statewide KofC charitable effort.”

materials and webpages produced by partner agencies include practices that are contrary to Church teaching. The response from CRS March 9 comes after Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute, charged that a project operating in Africa affiliated with the U.S. bishops’ overseas development and relief agency promotes the use and distribution of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and pregnancy.

“CRS has, in the past, discovered errors, taken them extremely seriously and corrected them immediately. Should we discover any such inconsistencies with Catholic teaching, CRS will take immediate corrective action,” the agency said in referencing “a recent report” without naming the Lepanto Institute. The CRS statement noted that it regularly participates in humanitarian initiatives with “a wide range of groups,” including other Catholic institutions, faith communities, governments and secular institutions in an effort to deliver much-needed services around the world. “Although some positions and practices of these institutions are not always consistent with the full range of Catholic teaching, CRS’ association with them is always and only focused on activities that are fully consistent with Catholic teaching,” said CRS.

New center at border called ‘model’ for treating migrants NOGALES, Mexico — Through many “ups and downs,” God “has led us to this day,” said Jesuit Father Sean Carroll, head of Kino Border Initiative, at the official blessing of a new 18,000-square-foot facility at the international border in Nogales. The center, in the state of Sonora, is just across the border from Nogales, Ariz., which is in the Tucson Diocese. More than 400 volunteers, supporters and migrants crowded into the facility Feb. 12 to hear from religious and civic leaders, before Bishop Jose Leopoldo Gonzalez of Nogales, Mexico, blessed and cut a ribbon on the new Migrant Outreach Center. Tucson’s Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger and retired Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas at the Vatican for their “ad limina” visit and were unable to attend. The $1.5 million facility replaces the humble “comedor,” or dining hall, across the street that was established in 2009.

Since then, the hall has distributed two meals a day for the poor blocked from entering the U.S. or who have been returned from the U.S. while their asylum cases are pending.

Mexico Led to U.S. Undocumented Population Decline: 2010 to 2018,” released Feb. 28, says that from 2010 until 2018, a total of 2.6 million Mexican nationals “left the U.S. undocumented population” and 45% of those “left voluntarily.”

The document says it shows that “improving social and economic conditions in sending countries would not only reduce pressure at the border but also likely cause a large decline in the undocumented population.” It mirrors the policy position and recommendations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

— Catholic News Service

Undocumented immigrants in U.S. in steady decline, report says WASHINGTON, D.C. — A report from the Center for Migration Studies of New York said the population of immigrants living in the United States without documents has declined 10 percent in eight years. In 2018, the center said, the total “U.S. undocumented population” was estimated to be 10.6 million, a drop of 1.2 million since 2010. The figures show a steady downward pattern as immigration from Mexico to the U.S. has decreased and Mexican nationals have returned home, the report said. The report “Reverse Migration to

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Court sides with migrants seeking asylum before ‘Remain in Mexico’ in effect SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco March 5 refused to lift a lower court’s injunction blocking the Trump administration from applying its “Remain in Mexico” policy to those who arrived at U.S. ports of entry before the policy took effect. The injunction will remain in place pending an appeal by the Trump administration.

The administration’s 2019 Migrant Protection Protocols, as the policy is formally known, require asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases make their way through U.S. immigration courts. After the policy went into nationwide effect, immigrant advocate groups filed a motion to protect the thousands of asylum-seekers they said would have crossed into the United States before the ban’s effective date of July 16, 2019, if the government had not forced them to wait in Mexico before being inspected and processed – or undergoing what the groups call “illegally metered” – at ports of entry.

A divided court examines CRS eyes allegation that La. abortion restrictions materials breach Church teaching WASHINGTON, D.C. — In oral arguments BALTIMORE — Catholic Relief Services said it is reviewing allegations that educational

abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and if the abortion providers have the legal standing to challenge the state law on behalf of their patients. At the end of the hourlong arguments, there were no clear answers. The case has a familiar ring because the court struck down a nearly identical law in Texas four years ago, although with a different bench without Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. In the Texas case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the court said the requirements imposed on abortion providers – to have hospital admitting privileges – imposed “a substantial burden” on women who were seeking abortions and the law wasn’t necessary to protect women’s health. Chief Justice John Roberts, viewed as a key vote in this case, joined the dissenting opinion in that decision.

But last year, he sided with the justices who agreed to stop the Louisiana law from going into effect while its challengers pursued their appeal. In the March 4 arguments, Roberts zeroed in on how its Texas decision should impact the Louisiana law. “Can the results be different in different states?” he asked the attorney representing Louisiana abortion clinics and doctors who challenged the state law on behalf of their patients.

March 4, the Supreme Court justices expressed mixed views about a Louisiana law that requires

19

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Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope urges priests to tend to sick, health care workers VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis prayed that priests would find the courage to visit those who are sick and offer accompaniment to health care professionals and volunteers working during the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic while also keeping themselves and others safe. During a live broadcast of his morning Mass March 10 at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis also prayed for the many people who have fallen ill because of the virus and for health care workers.

“Let us also pray to the Lord for our priests, so that they have the courage to go out and go to those who are sick, bringing the strength of the word of God and the Eucharist and to accompany health care workers and volunteers in the work they are doing,” he said.

The pope’s daily morning Mass is usually celebrated privately with employees or about 20 invited guests. However, due to prevention measures in place, the pope stopped inviting outsiders to the Mass and asked that it be broadcast live “so that those who want can unite in prayer with the bishop of Rome,” the Vatican press office said.

Vatican closes St. Peter’s Square, Basilica to tourists VATICAN CITY — In cooperation with Italian emergency measures, the Vatican has closed St. Peter’s Square and Basilica to tourists until April 3 – its latest move to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by reducing access to places that attract large groups of people. On March 8, the Vatican closed the Vatican Museums, the necropolis and other museums connected with the Vatican. As a result, the pope’s March 11 general audience was not a public event but featured him offering his catechesis broadcast online on Vatican media outlets.

European churches begin guidance to halt COVID-19 spread MANCHESTER, England — Catholic churches across Europe are suspending the sign of peace during Mass and taking other radical measures in an attempt to halt the spread of COVID-19, following protocols issued by their government health ministries. Holy Communion is being distributed in host form only, to be given in the hand only. Holy water fonts have been emptied, the use of shared hymn books and missals has been suspended, and large parish gatherings where people might use shared utensils or plates of food and drinks have been canceled.

Elderly and weak people, as well as those who are showing any signs of sickness, have been advised to stay at home. Catholics are also being told to wash their hands before and after taking part in a liturgy, and are being advised against kissing or touching crosses, statues, pictures and relics during Holy Week.

Lourdes shrine closes pools ROME — As the number of coronavirus cases in Europe continued to rise, the French Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes announced that pilgrims were still welcome, but the pools the sick bathe in hoping for healing would close “until further notice.”

St. Patrick’s parade canceled DUBLIN — Dublin’s iconic St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities, which mark St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland in 432, were canceled due to fears over the spread of coronavirus.

— Catholic News Service

Desert blossoms: Church seeks to keep charity alive in time of coronavirus CAROL GLATZ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — As draconian restrictions, meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, took effect across Italy, the Catholic Church was faced with an unprecedented dilemma: how to minister to a community of faithful effectively under quarantine and how to keep reaching out to those most in need without spreading contagion.

One priest, whose own bishop has been hospitalized, expressed his struggle this way on his parish website: “We find ourselves shut off and imprisoned when by vocation we are called to be on the road.”

“Lord grant me new ways to console those who mourn ... teach me how to be a priest in the time of coronavirus,” wrote Father Enrico Trevisi of Christ the King parish in Cremona – a province near Milan that has seen 66 people die of COVID-19, nearly 1,000 known cases and another 300 suspected cases awaiting results as of March 10.

The new virus has spread to more than 100 countries, with 118,000 cases and 4,300 deaths reported worldwide as of March 11.

That struggle became even more challenging when Pope Francis reminded priests their mission is always to go out. He prayed at the beginning of Mass March 10 that priests find the courage to visit the sick and health care workers and bring them strength with the Gospel and the Eucharist.

While it was clearly implied and reiterated that all ministry must respect health guidelines, precautions and government norms in force, the church still had to quickly discover and decide what ministry and charity in the time of coronavirus could look like.

One way the Church “went out” with the Gospel was by using online video platforms, streaming services on social media, podcasts, television and radio to broadcast Mass, prayer services and Lenten reflections.

Vatican News started an evening radio program and podcast, “On the frontlines: Living with faith in the time of the coronavirus” that is directly geared to bring hope and consolation to the elderly, the homebound, prisoners and health care professionals.

Bishop Antonio Napolioni of Cremona had been airing “At home with you: A special Lent” in order to be closer to his community in northern Italy’s “red zone” before he was hit with respiratory problems connected with COVID-19.

“Now I will be ‘In the hospital with you,’” he told the local paper March 9, which reported the hospital’s medical staff was finding great comfort and support in the bishop’s positive and helpful outlook.

Five doctors there are working 12-hour shifts and one told the news site, Il Fatto Quotidiano, March 10 that he has lost count of the number of incoming patients, with a new “one every half hour. All with swabs that are positive or suspected.”

People have to respond to the crisis and risks they face, “not with fear, but with solidarity and attention to the common good, to the welfare of those who are poorest and most fragile,” said

CNS | PAUL HARING

A man wearing a mask takes a photo as Pope Francis appears on a video monitor in St. Peter’s Square as he leads the Angelus from his library in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican March 8. As a precaution to avoid spread of the coronavirus, the pope’s Sunday Angelus was broadcast on television and displayed on monitors in St. Peter’s Square. After leading the Angelus, the pope said he wanted to see the crowd in “real time” and came to the window of his studio to greet people in the square.

Marco Impagliazzo, president of the lay Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome.

Christian solidarity and charity are needed more than ever right now, he said in an interview with Vatican News March 10, because the isolation imposed by the nationwide lockdown makes the homeless, the elderly, the ill and the differently-abled even more vulnerable. Forty-five percent of Rome’s population lives alone, he said.

“It is necessary to find new ways to be close to these people while avoiding being infected and infecting them,” which means being smart, creative and driven by love, he said.

For example, volunteers are going to people living on the street, bringing them food and products to help with sanitation and hygiene. And the faithful are being asked to call, write or use video or audio messages to chat with people who are homebound or in assisted-living facilities and to bring them groceries.

Staff at soup kitchens are wearing masks and gloves, and they are serving only a few people at a time in order to follow ordinances against groups of people congregating or being close to one another.

The Vatican is keeping its bathrooms and showers open but letting just a few people in at a time, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, told Vatican News March 10.

Its dormitories are open during the day to reduce crowding and it has replaced its cafeteria-style indoor service near the main train station with sack lunches, delivered directly to people in the area, he said.

They are trying to send the message, “You are not facing this emergency alone, we are

here, we will support your needs,” he said.

The Italian bishops’ national Caritas office put out recommendations March 9 asking volunteers also be aware of new needs created by the lockdown, such as families unequipped to have minors at home with schools closed, workers on leave as their place of employment remains closed, as well as prisoners and the many refugees in Italy.

While the increased isolation is bad for those who are already isolated or vulnerable, being required to retreat from the outside world could also be uplifting or spiritually enriching for those who normally live busy or hectic lives.

The lockdown could be lived like a “cloistered” life, dedicated to increased prayer, contemplation and shared communion, Mother Caterina Corona told the Italian news agency ANSA March 8.

“Lent is a time for conversion and (the pandemic) could help us change our habits and improve our way of life,” said the abbess of the Benedictine nuns of St. Anthony in Norcia.

The coronavirus has taken the people of Italy on an unexpected Lenten journey.

As Father Trevisi of Cremona said in his prayer online, “Let us not judge the restrictions, which are an extreme measure to protect the weakest. We suffer in silence not being able to share the struggles and pain of our people.”

It is for all the people the priest can no longer embrace that “we celebrate Mass each day during a Lent that is truly a desert, a place of trial and a place to encounter God.”

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Pope chooses ‘synodality’ as theme for 2022 synod VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has decided the next world Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, which will take place in October 2022, will have the theme: “For a synodal church: Communion, participation and mission.” The Vatican announced the choice of “synodality” as the theme in a brief communique March 7.

“Synodality,” which literally means “walking together,” has become a key topic of Pope Francis’ pontificate, but one which has raised questions and even confusion. The basic idea in the pope’s teaching is that the grace of baptism makes one part of the body of the Church and, therefore, responsible for its life and mission. In a hierarchical Church, that shared responsibility calls for regular, serious and structural forums for listening to all members of the Church. At the same time, as the pope has said, it does not mean putting decisions to a vote as if a synod were a parliament. In 2018, the International Theological Commission, which advises the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, published a document on the topic, “Synodality In the Life and Mission of the Church.

Pope: Humanity, ethics must be at center of AI technology VATICAN CITY — The use of artificial intelligence in science and medicine must be guided by ethical standards that place humanity and the pursuit of the common good first, Pope Francis said. “The ethical development of algorithms – ‘algor-ethics’ – can be a bridge enabling those principles to enter concretely into digital technologies through an effective cross-disciplinary dialogue,” the pope said Feb. 28 in a message to participants in the general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Moreover, he said, “human rights represent an important point of convergence in the search for common ground.” The Pontifical Academy for Life sponsored a major workshop on “Roboethics: Humans, Machines and Health” at the Vatican Feb. 25-26 that focused on the use of robots and artificial intelligence, specifically in medicine and health care.

Argentine bishops oppose plan to legalize abortion MEXICO CITY — The Argentine bishops’ conference expressed its opposition to the president’s plans to present legislation legalizing abortion, saying the South American country had more pressing social concerns.

In a strongly worded homily at a special Mass celebrated March 8 – International Women’s Day – at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, Bishop Oscar Ojea of San Isidro, conference president, also took issue with President Alberto Fernandez referring to opponents of decriminalization as “hypocrites.” “Millions of Argentines, believers and nonbelievers, have the deep conviction that there is life from conception and that a person distinct from its mother is developing in her womb. It is unjust and painful to refer to them as being ‘antirights’ or ‘hypocrites,’” Bishop Ojea said in a Mass attended by thousands and promoted with the slogan: “Yes to women, yes to life.

Disqualifications and stigmatizations (of prolife people) do nothing more than deepen the divisions between Argentines,” Bishop Ojea said.

Pope asks prison community to compose Via Crucis meditations VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has asked the prisoners, guards and the chaplain of a northern Italian prison to write this year’s Way of the Cross meditations. In a letter published in the Italian newspaper Il Mattino di Padova March 10, the pope said he chose the parish community of the Due Palazzi prison in Padua so that the meditations would reflect on the lives of those involved in the prison system, including “the victim, the prisoner, the prison officer, the volunteer, the family of those detained, probation officers, the church, and the innocent person who, at times, is unjustly accused. The prison is a kaleidoscope of situations, and there is always a big risk in telling a detail to the detriment of the whole” system, he said.

“The resurrection of a person is never the work of an individual, but of a community walking together.” Each year, the pope asks a different person to write the commentary and prayers for the Way of the Cross. The evening service will take place April 10, Good Friday, at Rome’s Colosseum. The pope said he chose to announce his choice for the meditations in the local newspaper of Padua because he wanted the announcement “to be a caress to the suffering of these days.”

Cardinal Pell’s lawyers argue for appeal in Australia’s High Court SYDNEY — Cardinal George Pell’s last chance to have his conviction for the 1996 sexual assault of two 13-year-old choirboys overturned in Australia’s High Court continued into a second day March 11, as he applied for “leave to appeal.” In March 2019, Cardinal Pell was handed a six-year prison sentence, with no parole for three years and eight months. Pell’s lawyers are appealing on two grounds: first, that the court made an error in requiring Pell to prove the offending was “impossible” to raise reasonable doubt; and second, in concluding the guilty verdicts were not unreasonable.

Rev. J. Paul Byron - 2011 Rev. Robert A. Gibson - 1987 Rev. Francis Gorham - 1981 Rev. John Houston - 1976 Rev. Msgr. Thomas R. Walsh 2016

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Kelly Henson

Fred Gallagher

St. Joseph and the delight T of love B aby smiles are irresistible, especially when you are the object of the little one’s delight. We have a smiling 4-month-old in our home right now. His siblings and parents will do any number of antics to make him grin. But, more often than not, the most rewarding smiles are those that extend across his face when a person he knows merely walks into his field of vision and he recognizes them.

As we approach the Solemnity celebrating St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, I try to imagine what it must have been like to parent the Son of God. When the Christ Child’s face lit up in recognition of His earthly father, St. Joseph beheld both the delight of his son and, through that Son, the delight of the Heavenly Father for each of us. While other children Jesus’ age progressed out of that initial, innocent expression of pleasure, Jesus likely retained that purity of joy and love for His parents. Instead of being a saucily independent toddler, a petulant preteen or a cynical teenager, Jesus continued to greet His parents at every moment with the recognition of love and wholehearted delight.

The gaze of delighted love satisfies a deep, human longing to be known and cherished.

That gaze is one of the best parts of a love story. We treasure early photographs from our romantic relationships that capture those fleeting and vulnerable moments.

Then, as babies join a family, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles experience the magical thrill of falling in love with another person all over again. A new baby learns to recognize something of home in his family members’ presence and to share that joy with them.

We want to present our best selves to those who greet us with delight. As we date someone and transition into marriage, we put every effort into responding to the beloved’s gift of self with our joy, service, kindness and respect. When a new baby challenges our capacity to give of ourselves more than we knew was possible, we find

‘The gaze of delighted love satisfies a deep, human longing to be known and cherished.’

the strength to continue in their delight. A sleepless night is quickly forgiven when a sunny grin greets our half-shuttered eyes before daybreak.

The pleasure of love that St. Joseph first experienced in Mary’s pure affection was heightened by his paternal love for Jesus.

What a stimulus he had to great holiness in their presence! When he looked up from his work, he saw the respect of the Creator learning to create anew under his instruction. On the road to Egypt and back again through sand and stone, the quiet, patient trust in the eyes of his wife and son must have helped the road feel smoother under Joseph’s feet.

Joseph was capable of failure and weakness, but the constancy of Mary and Jesus’ respect, forgiveness and joyful appreciation softened every hardship, consoled every fear and gave him the freedom to love God with his whole heart and strength at every moment.

Through our baptism, we are called to live our lives as Christ and His family did.

Too often, I find my brows creased with worry, my voice firm with correction and my hands and eyes occupied with tasks and distractions. Some days, it takes significant effort to show the delight that I feel in my husband and children. In a wonderful Lenten read, “The Hidden Power of Kindness,” Father Lawrence Lovasik invites people to begin an “Apostolate of Smiling” to transform families. Discipline and duty have a place in every human home, but delight has a preeminent role, because love is both the motivation and the goal of every other task in the family.

Growing up in an Irish-American family, my father and his brothers had a penchant for dramatically concluding family prayers at large gatherings with some form of Irish blessing. Several of my favorites reference Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

St. Joseph knew what it was to have the Lord’s face shine upon him every day. I can only imagine that Joseph, like Moses after seeing God face to face on Mt. Sinai, turned to radiate some of that divine glory to each person he met.

My prayer for you and for me this Lent is that St. Joseph will teach us to recognize the smile of Christ in our lives and then to share that same delight with those we love in our own homes.

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.

St. Joseph and a happy death

hank you, Bishop Jugis, for the Year of St. Joseph. He is the patron and protector of the Church, patron of the sick and patron of fathers, among many other titles. But another patronage may have puzzled some of you as it did me, at least when I first heard of it: patron of a “happy death.”

Over the years I have lectured on and written books about grief, what it is, and the many ways it manifests itself in our lives. So, naturally, I have an interest in St. Joseph, but when I first heard of this patronage, I thought it a little odd.

I was thinking from the viewpoint of those left behind. Aside from the great sadness and sorrow that accompany the death of a loved one, I could relate to the relief felt at the death of someone who has struggled through a protracted illness. But a happy death?

A priest friend laments the infrequency of black vestments and the true sorrow that comes with losing someone you love for the modern trend of wearing bright colors and “celebrating” one’s life. He is of the mind, and I agree, that we lose something personally and as a culture when we don’t express our sorrow.

So the prospect of a “happy death,” though it might fit the modern mindset, somehow didn’t ring true for me. When I think of my own death I am fearful and anxious, not having grown spiritually enough to be at peace with the great and mysterious inevitability.

I remember my father calling the family together when we were looking for nationally known clinics that might help discover more about his chronic illness. He informed us he wouldn’t be traveling all over the country or looking for any more “expert” doctors. Then he said something to us all I’ll never forget. He said, “Listen, family, I don’t enjoy the prospect of dying, not in the least. But all of you need to know, I’m not afraid of death.” And then, not too long after that, it happened: in bed with his beloved wife beside him, his sons all

around him, having just been present at a Mass in his bedroom said by his best friend of 30 years and having received the last rites, my father took his last breath.

Fifteen years later, in the same bed, my mother decided to lie down after breakfast. She asked her nurse if the man who was the caretaker of her property had had anything to eat. This was a man she had known for nearly 40 years, a man who had been with her father-in-law and her husband at their death beds. The nurse laughed and said he ate anytime he wanted, just like she did. And so my mother, after inquiring genuinely about the well-being of another, laughed and then drifted off the sleep, never to wake up.

Both of my parents taught me the meaning of a happy death. I saw its possibility. I am careful not to say that was their reward for being the wonderful and saintly people they were. Some saints die in great pain and horrific suffering. Though even then, I’m not sure exactly when the word “happy” kicks in. But their deaths gave me a context for this, yet another of the beautiful patronages of St. Joseph.

But why a happy death? It is assumed that Joseph died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, perhaps even in their loving arms. How, then, could it be otherwise?

Isn’t that what we all long for, to die in the presence of pure goodness personified in Our Lord and in His Mother? Perhaps when my time comes, their light will shine forth in the presence of my own family, my dear loved ones. Perhaps when I attend the deathbed of the dying, I will be able to sense the quiet intercession of the solemn, loving hero of the carpenter’s shop where the incarnate God, his foster Son, looked up to him in deference and affection. And in his last breath the saint returned that very look, in a happy death.

FRED GALLAGHER is an author and editor-in-chief with Gastonia-based Good Will Publishers Inc.

Prayer for a happy death O blessed Joseph, who yielded up thy last breath in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.”

Amen.

A short prayer for the dying O St. Joseph, foster father of the Child Jesus and true spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us and for the dying of this day (or this night). Amen.

— From “Favorite Prayers to St. Joseph,” published by TAN Books and Publishers

March 13, 2020 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Jesuit Father John Michalowski

‘Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven’

W

hen His disciples asked Him how to pray, Jesus taught them the Our Father. In it we pray: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We pray that like Jesus we might be obedient to the Father, carrying out the will of the Father in our lives. One part of that will is to forgive those who sin against us.

Following the Father’s will is not always easy.

It certainly wasn’t for Jesus. Yet, like Jesus, we can depend on the help of the Holy Spirit.

In Isaiah 55:10-11, God says, “For just as from the heavens the rain and the snow come down and do not return there until they have watered the earth, St. Katherine Drexel making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

God’s will is accomplished in us, whenever we cooperate with it. The work of our prayer is to ask God to open our hearts to know His will and to give us the courage to carry it out.

On March 3, we celebrated the Memorial of St. Katherine Drexel. St. Katherine give us an example of what it is to follow God’s will so as to produce good fruit. She came from a prominent Philadelphia family and her father was a banking executive. When he died, Katherine and her sister inherited the family fortune. Katherine responded

to the call of our Father to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven, founding the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to work among African and Native Americans. This was at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th century – a time when racial discrimination, lynchings, the KKK and Jim Crow laws were rampant.

Her congregation of sisters was also one of the very few who welcomed women from those communities to join them. She also helped to found Xavier University in New Orleans, the first historically black Catholic college.

Closer to our Charlotte home, when the Benedictines were building the new St. Peter Church in 1892, Sr. Katherine, then in her mid30s, gave the money to buy the pews that parishioners continue to sit in to this day. The one stipulation was that black Catholics could sit in them, too. This was certainly unusual at that time in Charlotte.

St. Katherine had the obedience and the courage to see that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Today her example and gift are honored at St. Peter’s in a bas-relief to the left of the altar. There St. Katherine is caught up in prayer and ecstasy as she contemplates a Jesus and Mary with African-American features.

She knew that God’s will is to reconcile all peoples into the one Body of Christ, and she acted to carry out His will. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

JESUIT FATHER JOHN MICHALOWSKI is parochial vicar of St. Peter Church in Charlotte.

God restores

Most-read stories on the web

‘The purpose of the Lenten journey is to spiritually retrace the journey of Exodus – from the desert to the mountain of God.’ Jesuit Father Pietro Bovati

From online story: “Listen to God in order to follow Him, Jesuit tells curia officials” Through press time on March 11, 11,126 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 14,417 pages. The top eight headlines in March have been: n Diocese urges special precautions at Mass and events................................................................924 n Margaret (Peggy) Jugis, mother of Bishop Peter Jugis, passes away..................................... 820 n Create a St. Joseph’s Table....................................................................................................................694 n Diócesis de Charlotte insta a tomar precauciones especiales por Coronavirus................... 452 n St. Gabriel Church changes access to its Perpetual Adoration Chapel................................... 403 n Queen of the Apostles’ new church dedicated Feb. 23..................................................................220 n Savannah Bishop Gregory Hartmayer to lead Atlanta archdiocese...........................................163 n Almsgiving: Lenten practice gives chance to ‘be generous with the poor’..............................106

Join the conversation online

Patricia J. Hennessy

T

hrough the prophet Joel, the Lord tells us that if we return to Him “with fasting, weeping, and mourning” that He will relent in punishment and have pity on His people. God even goes so far as to say that He will restore everything that the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25-32).

So what have “locusts” eaten in our lives? What sorrows have occurred that have left us bruised and broken? What hardships and tragedies have seemed to have decimated the landscape of our lives?

Maybe disappointments have crashed in and dashed our hopes for happiness and fulfillment. Wounded from the battles of life, our strength may be so frail and flimsy that we are on the brink of despair.

All of these things may have happened to us, but they are not the last word. We turn to God,

who has promised to restore the years that we have known heartache and misfortune.

How does God do this? Well, no one knows the mind of God, but we do know that “nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37).

“There is no time with God; a thousand years, a single day, it is all one” (2 Peter 3:8). Everything is present tense with God. So through this mystery, we can ask God in prayer to heal and to restore any situations in our lives that need God’s merciful, loving touch – no matter when they happened.

We can count on God to bring good out of evil and to love us into wholeness.

Restoration, after all, is His specialty!

PATRICIA J. HENNESSY is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 13, 2020 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

BISHOP’S YOUTH PILGRIMAGE Bishop Peter Jugis invites all the youth of the Charlotte Diocese to join him on a pilgrimage to Belmont Abbey in ongress preparation for the Eucharistic Congress in September.

“Be Holy” - 1 Peter 1:16

April 4 2020 9am - 3pm

Cost: $15/person

Register online at goeucharist.com

ISTIC CON AR GR CH

S ES

EU

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