Jan. 29, 2021

January 29, 2021

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

‘LOVE THY NEIGHBOR’

Charlotte churches among Atrium Health’s new COVID-19 vaccine partnership 3

INSIDE: 12-13

Bishop McGuinness High School adds aviation courses 14

INDEX

Contact us.....................................4 Español......................................... 8-11 Online Masses...............................4 Our Faith........................................2 Our Parishes............................. 3-7 Schools....................................14-15 Scripture readings.......................2 TV & Movies................................. 16 U.S. news.................................18-19 Viewpoints.............................22-23 World news............................ 20-21

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‘Human life is valuable beyond quality and means’ March for Life Charlotte spotlights abortion Marcha por la Vida Charlotte pide la conversión de corazones 3, 9

Spotlight on poverty awareness Catholic Charities provides a lifeline for thousands across western North Carolina 6

Devocionales en fiesta de la Candelaria profundizan nuestra relación con Dios 10

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Human trafficking Pope Francis

Scripture not meant to be stuck on paper but fixed in one’s heart

P

raying with Scripture is not meant to be a mindless repetition of biblical quotes but instead is a gift that is meant to be accepted in people’s hearts, Pope Francis said.

During his weekly general audience Jan. 27, the pope said the words contained in Scripture were “not written to remain imprisoned on papyrus, parchment or paper, but to be received by a person who prays, making them blossom in his or her heart.”

He also said Christians must not exploit the Bible or use it for “ulterior motives” like justifying “his or her own philosophical and moral view.”

“It irritates me a little when I hear Christians who recite verses from the Bible like parrots: ‘Oh, yes, the Lord says (this), He wants this,’” the pope said, departing from his prepared remarks.

“But did you encounter the Lord with that verse? It is not a question only of memory; it is a question of the memory of the heart, that which opens you to the encounter with the Lord. And that word, that verse, leads you to the encounter with the Lord,” he said.

Livestreaming his audience from the library of the Apostolic Palace, the pope continued his series of talks on prayer by looking at how Christians pray with Scripture.

“The Bible was not written for a generic humanity, but for us, for me, for you, for men and women in flesh and blood, men and women who have a name and a surname, like me, like you,” he said.

The Christian tradition of “Lectio Divina,” reflecting on and praying with the biblical readings, allows Christians to enter “into dialogue with the Scripture,” he said. And recognizing oneself in a particular passage, biblical character or situation “is a grace.”

However, he added, praying with Scripture is “delicate” because those who pray “must not slip into subjective interpretations” but instead be united to Scripture and view it as “an icon to be contemplated.”

Pope Francis said the word of God “inspires good intentions,” gives strength and serenity to those in need and “even when it challenges us, it gives us peace.”

“On ‘weird’ and confusing days, it guarantees the heart a core of confidence and of love that protects it from the attacks of the evil one,” he said.

Get informed: this crime ‘hides in plain sight’ SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — North Carolina is ranked 11th in the United States for the number of human trafficking cases reported, according to the National Resource Center for Human Trafficking.

Human trafficking violates the sanctity, dignity and fundamental rights of the human person. The United Nations’ Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines it as “the recruitment, transportation, harboring or receipt of persons by means of force, fraud or coercion…for the purpose of exploitation.”

According to the U.S. State Department, human trafficking appears in “many guises,” often taking the form of commercial sexual exploitation, the prostitution of minors, debt bondage and involuntary servitude. The U.S. government, and increasingly the international community, use the umbrella term “trafficking in persons” to define all forms of modern slavery.

Every year, millions of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, and no sector or industry is immune from human trafficking. Victims may be workers in food processing factories, waiters or cooks at restaurants, construction workers, agricultural laborers, fishers, housekeeping staff at hotels, domestic help in private residences, or sex trafficked women and men in brothels, spas and massage parlors.

According to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization’s 2016 “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery,” nearly 40.3 million people are victims of modern slavery, of whom 24.9 million are trapped in forced labor and sexual slavery and 15.4 million are subjected to forced marriage. Through coercion, deceit or force, they work in jobs and

situations from which they cannot escape.

“This is a pro-life issue and those who fall prey to traffickers are our children, our brothers and our sisters,” explains Kara Griffin, St. Matthew parishioner and member of the Diocese of Charlotte’s anti-trafficking task force coordinated by Catholic Charities’ Respect Life Program.

Griffin explains that many people are forced into these situations or manipulated because of desperate times.

Many who are coerced into trafficking are also vulnerable to other human injustices and become trapped in an endless cycle of poverty, desperation and vulnerability.

Griffin adds, “Many are young people who are vulnerable targets online. They are lonely or feel unloved, and predators know how to provide attention and groom them into activity and behaviors that eventually become criminal acts. The victims feel they are responsible, and this is why this is a difficult crime to address or even identify.”

Victims of prostitution are tricked, drugged and often threatened to engage in acts they never intended to do, she adds. “Many people also fall prey to forced labor conditions in restaurants, clubs, spas, nail salons, construction, agricultural work and more.”

Griffin emphasizes that human trafficking is “a pandemic that’s hiding in plain sight, but that is often ignored even as it reaches and crosses the boundaries of our own communities. Modern-day slavery is one of the fastest growing crimes in America – including labor and sexual exploitation.

“We hope to bring greater awareness to Catholics and open their eyes to this heinous crime.”

— The USCCB, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking contributed.

Join the virtual event Feb. 8 On Feb. 8, the International Day of Prayer and Awareness of Human Trafficking, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte’s Respect Life Office is partnering with the Catholic Coalition of Organizations Against Human Trafficking to host an international virtual prayer service and panel of experts. Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Washington will open the service with a prayer and reflection. To join this virtual event, register here: www.humantraffickingacademy. org/event/day-of-prayer.

Who was St. Bakhita?

On Feb. 8 the Church commemorates the life of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan in the 19th century and later became a Canossian Sister.

Josephine Bakhita was born in a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan in 1869. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery.

Her captors asked for her name but she was too terrified to remember, so they named her “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate” in Arabic.

She was tortured by her masters, who cut her 114 times and poured salt in her wounds to ensure that the scars remained. “I felt I was going to die any moment, especially when they rubbed me in with the salt,” she wrote.

She bore her suffering valiantly, though she did not know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. She also had a certain awe for the world and its creator. “Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: ‘Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?’ And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage.”

After being sold a total of five times, Bakhita was purchased by Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Two years later, he took Bakhita to Italy to work as a nanny for his colleague, Augusto Michieli. He, in turn, sent Bakhita to accompany his daughter to a school in Venice run by the Canossian Sisters.

Bakhita felt called to learn more about the Church, and she was baptized with the name “Josephine Margaret.” In the meantime, Michieli wanted to take Josephine and his daughter back to Sudan, but Josephine refused to go back.

The disagreement escalated and was taken to the Italian courts, where it was ruled that Josephine could stay in Italy because she was a free woman. Slavery was not recognized in Italy, and it had also been illegal in Sudan since before Josephine had been born.

ST. BAKHITA, SEE PAGE 17

Daily Scripture readings JAN. 31-FEB. 6

Sunday: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Mark 1:21-28; Monday: Hebrews 11:32-40, Mark 5:1-20; Tuesday (The Presentation of the Lord): Malachi 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40; Wednesday (St. Blaise, St. Ansgar): Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15, Mark 6:1-6; Thursday: Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24, Mark 6:7-13; Friday (St. Agatha): Hebrews 13:1-8, Mark 6:14-29; Saturday (St. Paul Miki and Companions): Hebrews 13:1517, 20-21, Mark 6:30-34

FEB. 7-13

Sunday: Job 7:1-4, 6-7, 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23, Mark 1:29-39; Monday (St. Jerome Emiliani, St. Josephine Bakhita): Genesis 1;1-19, Mark 6:53-56; Tuesday: Genesis 1:20-2:4a, Mark 7:1-13; Wednesday (St. Scholastica): Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17, Mark 7:14-23; Thursday (Our Lady of Lourdes): Genesis 2:18-25, Mark 7:24-30; Friday: Genesis 3:1-8, Mark 7:31-37; Saturday: Genesis 3:9-24, Mark 8:1-10

FEB. 14-20

Sunday: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40-45; Monday: Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday (Ash Wednesday): Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Thursday: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 9:2225; Friday: Isaiah 58:1-9a, Matthew 9:14-15; Saturday: Isaiah 58:9b-14, Luke 5:27-32

Our parishes

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For Ash Wednesday, priests asked to ‘sprinkle’ ashes on heads

Charlotte churches among Atrium Health’s new COVID-19 vaccine partnership ‘Community Immunity For All’ effort to vaccinate underserved communities CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Priests are being asked to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17 – including sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads rather than using them to make the traditional cross on people’s foreheads.

A note from the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments was shared Jan. 21 with Diocese of Charlotte priests regarding the “distribution of ashes in time of pandemic.”

The note directs priests to say “the prayer for blessing the ashes” and then sprinkle “the ashes with holy water, without saying anything.”

“Then he addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel’ or ‘Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.’ The priest then cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and distributes the ashes to those who come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in their places. The priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the head of each one without saying anything.”

In addition to priests, deacons and deputed lay ministers may also distribute ashes in a similar manner.

The usual practice on Ash Wednesday is to repeat the formula – “Repent and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” – to each person as the ashes are sprinkled on the top of their head or rubbed onto their forehead.

Sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads, rather than marking foreheads with ashes, is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy. Given the spread of the coronavirus, the practice has the advantage of not requiring the priest to touch multiple people.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is a holy day of fasting and abstinence. Ashes are an ancient biblical sign meant as an outward demonstration of repentance for our sins and reminder of our mortality.

This Ash Wednesday, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended for all Catholics of the diocese, and people are asked to exercise prudential judgment in deciding whether to attend Mass. People who are ill or vulnerable to infection are strongly encouraged to stay at home and attend Mass virtually on TV or streamed live online. (A list of available online Masses is on page 4.)

The dispensation from Mass does not remove the obligation to keep the Lord’s Day holy: seek to refrain from work, spend time in prayer individually and as a family, and extend charity to others. If you are unable to attend Mass, you are encouraged to make a spiritual communion.

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor, contributed.

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CHARLOTTE — Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. John Neumann churches are among area churches partnering with Atrium Health on its collaborative effort named “Community Immunity For All,” aimed at getting vaccines to underserved communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The “Community Immunity For All” collaboration “aims to acknowledge the history of health injustice in communities of color, listen to and collaborate with partner organizations, and educate and support individuals in making informed decisions to best protect their health and well-being,” according to a Jan. 21 statement from Atrium Health. The medical provider is “coordinating on-site vaccination events in partnership with local organizations reaching underserved communities of color to ensure equity in access to safe, effective and FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.”

Atrium is still putting together its plans and specific vaccination locations have yet to be determined, but the Charlotte churches could potentially be among those approved as mobile vaccination sites when supplies of vaccines become available. Atrium Health will also work with the churches on providing culturally responsive vaccine information to vulnerable populations.

Vincentian Father Gregory Gay, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, said aiding the community as a possible vaccination site “is our wish and it will be of great benefit to our people, especially the elderly who will not have to form long waiting lines.”

Father Gay thanked Atrium Health for its collaboration, which on several occasions has offered mobile COVID-19 testing at the predominantly Hispanic parish – particularly since the Hispanic population in Charlotte has been severely affected by the pandemic.

“We have all witnessed firsthand the suffering that has occurred in vulnerable communities that don’t have access to life-saving care. And our message is quite simple and clear – we see you, and we are here for you,” Eugene Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health, said in the statement. “That is why I am deeply appreciative of how we are working handin-hand with Governor (Roy) Cooper and his team, the faith community and business leaders to reach out to underserved populations and communities of color.”

Atrium Health’s vaccination outreach effort is being developed based on its successful mobile COVID-19 testing program, which relies on a systematic GIS mapping system to track and monitor for testing and vaccination disparities in the community. Atrium Health has brought its mobile testing units to several Charlotte-area Catholic churches, including Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Consolation churches.

The collaborative vaccination effort took a first step last week at First Baptist Church-West, where nearly 300 eligible people received COVID-19 vaccinations, Atrium Heath communications specialist Savannah Simons said.

The “Community Immunity For All” collaboration incorporates Atrium Health’s existing “Para Tu Salud” efforts that began early in the pandemic to educate and inform Hispanic communities on how to stay safe and healthy. Through “Para Tu Salud,” Atrium Health has convened roundtable discussions with community organizations and coalitions to bridge services and resources to meet the needs of the Hispanic community and established a dedicated Spanish coronavirus webpage with information, resources and a free-risk assessment.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the

‘Para Tu Salud’ outreach under the auspices of Atrium Health, and in collaboration with local community partners and faith communities, has worked to reach our Latinx/Hispanic community with COVID-19 tests and screenings, free masks, and education on COVID-19,” said Rita Dominguez, an Atrium Community Health Project Manager.

Domínguez encourages everyone in the community “to schedule their vaccine and encourage others to do so also.”

The collaborative effort with local churches and non-profit organizations builds on Atrium Health’s public-private partnership with Honeywell, Tepper Sports and Entertainment, and Charlotte Motor Speedway that aims to support 1 million vaccinations by July 4. “‘Community Immunity For All’ is the kind of collaboration that is needed to ensure equitable access to the vaccine and stop this pandemic,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Everyone needs a spot to take their shot – a spot that is trusted and accessible.”

Other local partners of the “Community Immunity For All” collaborative include: CN Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church, Rockwell AME Zion Church, the Latino Faith and Health Coalition, Forest Hill Church, Iglesia Bautista Camino de Salvación, St. Andrews United Methodist Church, El Buen Samaritano, First Baptist Church in Huntersville, Iglesia Cristiana Puerto Nuevo, ourBRIDGE for KIDS, Negocios Hispanos de Charlotte and the Latin American Coalition.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best way for people to protect themselves, their families and their community, Atrium Health reminds people in its statement.

“As larger portions of the population are vaccinated, the whole community becomes better protected.”

Acolyte instituted CHARLOTTE — William Melton Jr., a candidate for the permanent diaconate, was instituted as an acolyte by Bishop Peter Jugis Jan. 20 during a private Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center’s chapel. As an acolyte, he is now entrusted with the duties of attending to the altar, assisting the deacon and priest at Mass, and distributing Holy Communion as an extraordinary minister.

Now expanded to include the laity as a lay ministry, the role of acolyte used to be a minor order in the Church and it continues to be an important step in preparing for ordination as a priest or deacon. Melton is among 13 men currently in formation for the permanent diaconate, scheduled for ordination later this year.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Online Masses 4

catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

January 29, 2021

The following parishes are providing live or recorded Masses each week. An updated schedule is online at www.catholicnewsherald.com, or contact your parish for details.

VOLUME 30 • NUMBER 9

LIVESTREAMED MASSES

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

The following parishes offer Masses live at the following times on their Facebook page or YouTube or Vimeo channel. If no time is listed here, check their parish website for more information:

The following parishes offer Masses recorded on their website, Facebook page, YouTube or Vimeo channel. Search those platforms for the parish’s name to find the latest Mass information:

BELMONT ABBEY MONASTERY: 11 a.m. daily

GOOD SHEPHERD MISSION, KING

DIVINE REDEEMER CHURCH, BOONVILLE: 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday

HOLY CROSS CHURCH, KERNERSVILLE

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH, KING: 11 a.m. English; 1:30 p.m. Spanish Sunday

HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, DENVER

HOLY INFANT CHURCH, REIDSVILLE: 9 a.m. Sunday

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, FOREST CITY

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 10 a.m. Sunday

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH, HIGH POINT

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

OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH, MONROE: 9 a.m. daily

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.

OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO OUR LADY OF MERCY CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM

SACRED HEART CHURCH, BREVARD: 12 p.m. daily Mass, 10 a.m. Sunday

SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY

SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY: 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Saturday

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, LENOIR

ST. ANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Latin Mass) Sunday

ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH, CANDLER

ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, ARDEN: 11 a.m. Bilingual Sunday Mass

ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, ASHEBORO

ST. BASIL THE GREAT EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 11 a.m. Sunday

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE

ST. LEO THE GREAT CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM ST. MARGARET MARY CHURCH, SWANNANOA

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM: 9 a.m. English; 2 p.m. Spanish

ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE

ST. DOROTHY CHURCH, LINCOLNTON: 9 a.m. Sunday

ST. MARY MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA

ST. EUGENE CHURCH, ASHEVILLE: 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil; 9 a.m. Sunday Mass

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, CHARLOTTE

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, MOCKSVILLE: 9 a.m. English; 10:30 a.m. Spanish

ST. MICHAEL CHURCH, GASTONIA ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, CHARLOTTE ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, GREENSBORO

ST. JAMES CHURCH, CONCORD: English and Spanish

ST. STEPHEN MISSION, ELKIN

ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday in English and 12 p.m. Sunday in Spanish

ST. STEPHEN MARONITE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH, WAYNESVILLE, AND IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MISSION, CANTON

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE

ST. LAWRENCE BASILICA, ASHEVILLE: 7:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. Sunday in English and 5 p.m. in Spanish.

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

ST. LUKE CHURCH, MINT HILL: 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday in English; 1 p.m. Sunday bilingual; 4:30 p.m. Sunday

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

ST. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA: Noon Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; 9 a.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. Sunday in English and 7 p.m. Saturday in Spanish

ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE: 7 and 9 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 7 a.m. Wednesday; 9 a.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday in English, and 1 p.m. in Spanish ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 8 a.m. Sunday

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8: 15 a.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. Sunday 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.

OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH, CHARLOTTE

QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, BELMONT: 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, LENOIR: 10 a.m. Sunday, 12 p.m. Sunday in Spanish THE CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

RECORDED MASSES

ST. MICHAEL CHURCH, GASTONIA: 9 a.m. Sunday ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, CHARLOTTE: 11 p.m. Sunday ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday; 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 10:30 a.m. Sunday ST. PETER CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 11:30 a.m. Sunday ST. STEPHEN MISSION, ELKIN: 9 a.m. Sunday ST. THERESE CHURCH, MOORESVILLE: 9 a.m. weekdays, 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.

Sunday ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8:30 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m. Saturday’ 9:30 a.m., Sunday; ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 9 a.m. daily, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.

Sunday in English and 2 p.m. Sunday in Spanish

ST. THERESE CHURCH, MOORESVILLE

EN ESPAÑOL OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8 a.m. domingo; 7:30 p.m. martes; 12 p.m. miércoles, jueves y viernes OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, CHARLOTTE OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH, MONROE SACRED HEART CHURCH, SALISBURY: 12:30 p.m. Domingo ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CHURCH, WINSTON-SALEM: 1:30 p.m. Domingo ST. DOROTHY CHURCH, LINCOLNTON: 12 p.m. Domingo ST. EUGENE CHURCH, ASHEVILLE: 7:30 a.m. Domingo ST. JAMES THE GREATER CHURCH, CONCORD ST. JOAN OF ARC CHURCH, CANDLER ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12 p.m. Domingo ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, ASHEBORO ST. LAWRENCE BASILICA, ASHEVILLE: 5 p.m. Domingo ST. LUKE CHURCH, MINT HILL: 1 p.m. Domingo ST. MARK CHURCH, HUNTERSVILLE: 1 p.m. Domingo ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 11 a.m. Domingo ST. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH, SYLVA: 7 p.m. Sabado ST. THERESE CHURCH: 2:30 p.m. Domingo VIETNAMESE ST. JOSEPH VIETNAMESE CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday ST. MARY’S CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 9:30 a.m. Sunday LATIN ST. ANN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12:30 p.m. Sunday OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, GREENSBORO: 1 p.m. Sunday ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, CHARLOTTE: 12:15 and 7 p.m. Thursday

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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‘We don’t have to kill our children’ SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

PHOTOS BY PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Above) About 200 people took part in the 15th annual March for Life Charlotte Jan. 15, a prayer vigil and public march through uptown Charlotte to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and pray for an end to the tragedy of abortion. (Below) Father Noah Carter, pastor of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville, delivered the keynote address.

‘Human life is valuable beyond quality and means’ March for Life Charlotte held to spotlight abortion, urge conversion of hearts CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — About 200 people of all ages braved a rainy winter’s day to publicly witness to the sanctity of human life, during the 15th annual March for Life Charlotte.

The peaceful outdoor march and prayer vigil in Independence Square Jan. 15 featured many families with young children, members of the Knights of Columbus, local clergy and college seminarians from St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly.

Besides parishioners from Charlotte-area Catholic churches, members of All Saints Lutheran Church in Charlotte also took part in the public event, which was curtailed due to COVID-19 precautions.

The annual March for Life Charlotte recalls the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v Bolton that legalized abortion. The march and special Mass for the Unborn, offered at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, are meant as a time of prayer to call attention to the more than 61 million lives lost to abortion and the need to change people’s hearts.

Father Noah Carter, pastor of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville, delivered the keynote address after the march from outside the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center to Independence Square in uptown Charlotte.

Arguments for abortion have expanded over the decades as our culture has become increasingly individualistic and focused on material comfort above all else, said Father Carter, who called it a “societal epidemic of irrational individualism.”

Beyond the modern pro-abortion movement’s roots in racism and eugenics, championed by Planned Parenthood’s founder Margaret Sanger, the current pro-abortion mindset says that “if a child is unwanted, his or her life (is) somehow less than a wanted child because its life would be one of greater difficulty and trial,” Father Carter said.

“However, I am not aware of any guarantee that one has a right to a life without suffering or distress. There is no guarantee that says that one has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without having to overcome difficulties and obstacles. No, we here know that the right to life is absolute in and of itself. It means that a child has the right to be brought to term, delivered and then cared for lovingly.”

“Human life, indeed, is more than quality and length, but something to be valued in itself,” he said. “Human life at the

moment of conception is about relationship. No matter the situation of the family or the circumstances of the conception, human life produces irrevocable relationships that define and undergird its sanctity.

“First and foremost, there is the relationship of the child with the God who has seen to its formation. Secondly is the relationship between the child and its mother, a relationship of caring and nurturing, a relationship of guardianship and responsibility. These relationships go beyond biology and science.”

“My friends,” Father Carter continued, “our work in the prolife movement is to show forth the powerful reality that human life is valuable beyond socio-economic situations. It is valuable

beyond quality and means. The value of human life is about forming bonds of love and caring. And that is what makes our work and advocacy so important today.

“Not only do the abortion laws need to be changed, but we must also weave our pro-life message into a movement that changes the heart of our country.”

MARCH, SEE PAGE 17

CHARLOTTE — Cassaundra Baber wants everyone to know that a child conceived in rape deserves to live and that a woman can choose life for her child and be successful in the world.

Baber spoke Jan. 15 at the March for Life Charlotte, addressing those who gathered at Independence Square to witness to the sanctity of life.

Baber was raped her freshman year of college 26 years ago. Just 18 at the time, she never contemplated aborting her son. Her Catholic faith formed her understanding of what a precious gift the new life growing inside of her was – full of potential in God’s plan for their lives.

With the support of her family, she completed her college education, launched her career and raised her son as a single mother. She is proud that he too graduated from college and now has a career as a software engineer.

“When I became a mom, it was a joyful experience,” Baber explains. “God gave me a feisty personality. I have had a successful career and achieved goals. I have the personality not to be a victim. This is an important message: we are not victims. We can be moms and have careers. We don’t have to kill our children.”

Baber, a parishioner of St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, has always practiced her Catholic faith – attending Mass, going to confession and praying the rosary – which she attributes to providing the strength she needed in her responsibilities as a single mother.

Baber admits she did not talk about the trauma for 17 years. After her son went away to college, she took time to seek healing. She felt God was calling her to share her story, to educate women about abortion and share the truth about the value of each child’s life no matter the circumstances of their conception.

Last fall, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baber found herself out of work and felt the pull to begin the work God is calling her to do. She founded “Momdacity,” an outreach effort with a mission “to empower women with the audacity to mother in an anti-mom world with real stories and information untainted by the pro-abortion agenda.”

Baber’s goal is to help informed women make informed choices.

“I want to educate women on what abortion is,” she explains. “We have done a poor job about educating women on their bodies and also about what women can achieve. Planned Parenthood has them in their grips. Most Christians are pro-choice. We have to educate women specifically.”

Baber believes we can’t be afraid of this topic.

“We have to tell people abortion is wrong. I am not going to be silent. I am not going to face God and tell Him I was quiet about mass genocide.

We must be louder. We must be bolder. No prochoice movement is going to use my story to justify murder.”

Baber is now speaking to groups and in the future hopes to hold retreats and conferences.

“I hope to have a retreat for moms and their daughters to talk about abortion and motherhood. Our daughters don’t understand because mothers aren’t talking to them about it,” she says.

Ultimately, Baber wants to “show women being a mother is a gift and that plenty of women are mothering successfully” – no matter the circumstances of their child’s conception.

Learn more At www.momdacity.medium.com: Learn more about Cassaundra Baber’s mission to inform and empower women about motherhood. For other inquiries, contact her at momdacity@gmail.com or call 916-917-9142.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 OUR PARISHES

POVERTY AWARENESS MONTH

(From left) Volunteer Janie Anglely at Catholic Charities’ new Lenoir office sorts clothes for its “Wee Care Ministry”; curbside delivery of needed items; Gina Cabrera, Lenoir’s case management coordinator, reports helping about 50 families from Catawba, Caldwell, Burke and Alexander counties with diapers and other items during the pandemic.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

Catholic Charities provides a lifeline for thousands across western North Carolina SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — This January, as the Church marks Poverty Awareness Month, the pandemic continues to take its toll on families across western North Carolina.

Catholic Charities’ offices remain busy providing a variety of services including emergency food, baby supplies, rental assistance and help with utility bills, while also accompanying people in need during this difficult time.

The number of North Carolina’s poor, already high before the pandemic at 13.6 percent – 1.4 million people, or about one in every seven North Carolinians – has increased due to income losses caused by the pandemic.

According to the latest U.S. Census data: 17 percent of North Carolinians with children reported that their kids sometimes or often didn’t eat enough in the past week because they couldn’t afford it, 27 percent of adults living in rental housing reported being behind on rent, and 30 percent of all children live in a family that is either not getting enough to eat or behind on housing payments.

Catholic Charities’ staff and volunteers witness this reality of food and housing insecurity each day.

Over the past nine months, they have distributed 328,778 pounds of food, given out 158 bags of clothing to 153 families, and provided financial assistance in the way of rent to 245 households and utilities assistance to 195 households.

At the Western Regional Office in Asheville, staff and volunteers have been helping a disabled client who had been living in an old van and did not have a regular source of food. Her disability prevented her from being able to work, so Catholic Charities’ “Transition Out of Poverty” staff and volunteers began providing her with healthy food, evaluated her medical needs, provided her with warm clothing, and got her placed onto a priority waiting list for local subsidized housing. For months they remained in close contact with the client, encouraging her to keep doctor appointments and ensuring deliveries of food and other necessities. She was able to move into a new home the day before Thanksgiving, and Catholic Charities volunteers provided her with a celebratory “welcome home” Thanksgiving meal.

Throughout her time in need, she said she felt welcome and heard when she visited the Catholic Charities office, and the emotional support she received kept her motivated to continue on her journey out of abject poverty.

In another example, staff and volunteers at Catholic

Go online to learn more about poverty During Poverty Awareness Month, join the U.S. Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and the Catholic community in the United States in taking up Pope Francis’ challenge to live in solidarity with the poor. At www.povertyusa. org, check out a “Poverty USA Tour” video that presents the difficult struggles faced by families living at the poverty line, along with an interactive map of the U.S. that explores and compares the extent of poverty at the state and county levels. The website also includes daily reflections, prayers and information about addressing poverty and other economic justice issues.

Charities’ office in Winston-Salem have been assisting a single mother with three children who lost her car in an accident, then missed work as a certified nursing assistant when she was unable to find reliable and affordable transportation. Until she lost her car, she had been able to get to work, pay her bills, and take care of her family.

But using other modes of transportation was financially costly and not always reliable, and her finances quickly spiraled downward: she fell behind on rent payments, and her landlord moved to have her evicted. She reached out to local social service agencies, but was unable to find help.

Then she came to Catholic Charities.

Thanks to a generous donor who wanted their entire donation to be used to make a difference for one family, Catholic Charities was able to pay the entire amount of

rent she owed, thus stopping the eviction process. She has since obtained a car and was able to remain in her home, signed a new lease and is now back on solid financial ground.

“The financial assistance she received from Catholic Charities prevented eviction that would have impacted her ability to secure other housing and potentially resulted in additional financial hardship for the family,” said Becky DuBois, Winston-Salem’s regional director.

In an effort to widen its reach and help more people, Catholic Charities is now participating in NCCARE360, the first statewide coordinated care network created to connect people in need with local services and resources. Catholic Charities’ Charlotte Region is currently getting an average of five referrals per day for help – usually rent and utility assistance for people who have fallen behind on their bills as a result of COVID-19 related income loss.

“We are deeply appreciative and sincerely humbled by the generosity of so many benefactors who have shared their time and talent as volunteers and financial resources as donors to support Catholic Charities in carrying out our ministry of charity, especially during the exceptionally trying times so many people find themselves in during the pandemic,” said Dr. Gerard Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities.

Help alleviate poverty right here at home Your financial donations can support Catholic Charities in its work to help people affected by the pandemic to buy food, pay their utility bills and avoid eviction. Make secure donations online at www.ccdoc.org (click on “Donate”); or by mail to: Catholic Charities, Central Processing, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203.

Donations of food – particularly canned and dry goods, easy-toprepare meals and kid-friendly snack items, personal hygiene items, toilet paper, soap and laundry detergent – are always welcome: n ASHEVILLE: Drop off donations at the Western Regional Catholic Charities office (50 Orange St.) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For questions or to make alternate arrangements at other times, call 828-255-0146. n CHARLOTTE: Drop off donations at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center (1123 S. Church St.) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MondayThursday. Contact Sylvia Sekle at 704-370-3295 or McKenzie Keane at 704-370-3261 to schedule a delivery at other times. n WINSTON-SALEM: Drop off donations at the WinstonLIFELINE, SEE PAGE 17

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Clergy appointment announced THOMASVILLE — Father Gabriel Carvajal Salazar has been appointed parochial administrator of Our Lady of the Highways Parish, Bishop Peter Jugis recently Carvajal announced. He replaces longtime pastor Father James Turner, OSFS, who due to illness was transferred out of state by his religious superior.

— Catholic News Herald

‘Phishing’ scams continue to target clergy, parishioners CHARLOTTE — “Phishing” scams involving priests continue to circulate around the Diocese of Charlotte, and parishioners are again being warned to remain vigilant and immediately delete any suspicious-looking emails or texts from priests asking for cash, gift cards or other favors.

More than two dozen clergy in the diocese, and even Bishop Peter Jugis, have been impersonated by scammers online since the first incident was reported in April 2018.

More than two years later, scammers continue to prey on people’s trust by impersonating local clergy.

Pastors and Diocese of Charlotte IT staff urge everyone to be extremely cautious with any emails or texts appearing to come from a Church official that ask for money, gift cards or an urgent request for a reply.

They warn: No priest of the diocese will ever solicit for cash donations or gift cards via personal emails or text messages. If you receive an email asking for information or money – whether from your bank, a vendor or even your pastor – immediately delete it and alert your parish office. In the case of scam text messages, alert your parish and block the number.

— Catholic News Herald

Belmont Abbey announces free ‘Jump Start Summer Class’ BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College is offering incoming first-year students help to get ready for college life: a free course to jump start their college career. When new students submit their enrollment deposit by March 1, they will automatically qualify for a free summer course preceding their first fall semester.

“With so much in flux these days we thought offering our new incoming first-year students an easy first step would give them a smooth transition to college life,” said Dr. Travis Feezell, provost. “We also wanted to reward those who are ready to make the commitment, and are ready to start their Abbey career.”

Eligible courses have been selected from the core curriculum and will include Western Civilization I, Rhetoric and Writing, Introduction to Psychology, The American Constitution, and Introduction to Scripture. By taking a summer course before the beginning of the fall semester, new incoming students will enter their freshman year at least three credits ahead – allowing more flexibility in future terms and potentially shortening the timeline to graduation for some students.

To be eligible, students must apply, be accepted, and then deposit by March 1.

— Belmont Abbey College

OUR PARISHESI

7

SEMINARIAN SPOTLIGHT: Darren Balkey CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed with 41 men currently studying for the priesthood in four seminaries.

Twenty-seven men are at St. Joseph College Seminary in Belmont. Ten men are studying at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. One man is finishing up his studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and three men are at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Balkey Darren Balkey, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, is one of those studying at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary.

To help the faithful of the diocese come to know him and how his vocation has unfolded as he has progressed in his discernment, the Catholic News Herald recently asked Balkey to talk about his journey to the priesthood: CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?

Balkey: My first sense of a priestly calling was when I started serving Mass, about 9 years old. It seemed natural to want to be near the Word of God and the altar during Holy Mass.

Throughout the years, that desire to be near God and bring Him to others stuck around.

CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?

Balkey: The priest who was my spiritual director at the time.

CNH: When did you enter seminary for the Diocese of Charlotte?

Balkey: I was accepted by the diocese May 10, 2016, and began formation and studies in August of that year.

CNH: Tell us about the types of things you have been doing since you began your discernment process throughout your time in seminary.

Balkey: I have been praying the Angelus on a daily basis for a while now. The Incarnation is key for a Catholic, and I love pausing for that reflection in my day. The Liturgy of the Hours, which distributes the psalms throughout the daily routine of the Church, is an important root. Holy Mass is the gathering point for the Universal Church as well as the seminary community, and that helps me remember to gather and present all of my intentions, anxieties and priorities to the Lord.

This past Nov. 23, I received my officer’s commission as an ensign in the Chaplain Candidate Program of the U.S. Navy Reserve.

The People of God in Charlotte will certainly benefit from my priesthood, and I am also making myself available to serve as a naval chaplain to military personnel and their families. My first years of priestly service will be in the Diocese of Charlotte, after which I can receive an assignment to commands in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. I am excited to see how both the civilian parish and military setting are able to enrich the ways I serve the faithful. Bishop Jugis has been extremely kind and generous in allowing me to pursue this dimension of priestly ministry.

CNH: What type of feedback or advice did you get from them?

Balkey: He was very patient with me in college, but challenging in the right way. When I finally let God start opening the door to a vocation, I sent him an email about what was going on in my prayer life and thoughts. He replied, “Well, it’s about time!”

I laughed when I read it, and knew that my email had made him laugh, too. That was exactly what I needed, because my own expectations were so much smaller than God’s plan.

CNH: What advice do you have for a man discerning a call to the priesthood?

Balkey: Saints are like dominoes: they put others into motion.

Turn to the saints and implore their help! The saints I have most grown to love worked hard to be (and find) tremendous friends.

Start being that sort of guy by doing something small – the rosary, daily Mass, etc. – and sharing that with your friends.

Whether you are called to priesthood, religious life or marriage, that will become clear through the saints’ intercession.

CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?

Balkey: My vocation grew alive during my studies at Belmont Abbey College. A lot of hours in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on campus and the Abbey basilica set a strong foundation. I also made retreats with Benedictine and Franciscan communities.

Right after I graduated, I started working in a behavioral health facility. There, I worked in a role of guardianship, and probably a lot like humble St. Joseph, I felt very inadequate! The youth I served were very much in need of a true, loving father, such as only the Eternal Father can be. That experience cast priesthood into an amazing light. My hunger for the sacraments, prayer and Scripture became voracious. I knew that anything less than service of God would leave me empty.

CNH: Looking back on your discernment period over the years, what do you think has helped you the most to discern God’s will for your vocation to the holy priesthood?

Balkey: First, time spent in silence. Second, true friendship with Jesus, the saints, many good priests and my brother seminarians, have been key to my discernment. One moment, though, sticks out. I interviewed Father Tom Kessler (pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville) for a class assignment. He mentioned something that really cut me to the heart. Men, he explained, often go to seminary trying to get built up big and smart and holy enough to be a priest. He rocked my world when he challenged me to ask God the opposite: “Am I little enough, like the Blessed Mother, to say ‘yes’ and let Him make me His priest?”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

CNH: How and when did you reach out to the Vocations Office at the diocese?

Balkey: I initiated contact with Father Christopher Gober in the summer 2015, as I registered for Quo Vadis Days (the diocese’s summer discernment camp for young men). That October, he helped me into the seminarian application process, which I concluded in April 2016.

Is God calling you?

If you think God may be calling you to a vocation as a priest or religious, the Diocese of Charlotte has resources to help you! Go online to www.charlottediocese.org/vocations to learn more and connect with someone who can answer your questions and provide discernment guidance.

Return to God now HUNTERSVILLE — The recently formed Return To God local apostolate of prayer, based out of St. Mark Parish, held its fourth public prayer event Jan. 16 at Veterans Park. More than 50 people turned out for this event on a cold and blustery January afternoon. The group now has a website that is being incrementally built to include resources such as prayers, interviews, articles, prayer event updates and much more. Consider prayerful and financial support to help this apostolate expand its outreach in calling people back to God: go online to www.returntogodnow.com to learn more.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY PAUL ANATRELLA

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021

Parroquia Guadalupe canceló Misas presenciales CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

Padre Julio Domínguez

En oración

E

n estos días he recibido tantos mensajes de familiares y amigos que me piden oración por familiares que están muriendo o ya han fallecido.

Es increíble el número de personas que están sufriendo y mi corazón se estremece y llora ante tanta calamidad.

Es en estos momentos donde nos puede venir el grito interior de decirle a Dios: ¡Dios mío, Dios mío, por qué me has abandonado! O la gran tentación de pensar que Dios es indiferente.

Pero no queridos hermanos, no es así. Hoy más que nunca el Señor está muy cercano a nosotros como lo estuvo con su Hijo en el Getsemaní, o como lo estuvo con su Hijo amado en el momento de las tentaciones en el desierto.

Hoy más que nunca tenemos que gritarle al Padre: si es posible líbranos de este cáliz, pero que no se haga mi voluntad sino la tuya Señor.

El Señor, queridos hermanos, tiene compasión por nosotros y al ser parte del cuerpo místico de Cristo sufre con nosotros.

A veces nosotros, los humanos, tenemos que sufrir las consecuencias de nuestras malas decisiones. Tanto desde la creación de ese virus (si es que perversamente fue creado) hasta el no cuidarnos debidamente como se nos ha recomendado.

Si todos tomáramos conciencia y trabajáramos en los cuidados, en el respeto de los más débiles, y sobretodo en el respeto de la dignidad humana, todo sería otra situación diferente a la que estamos viviendo.

Ahora nos toca doblar rodilla, humillarnos delante del Señor e implorar misericordia.

Debemos de despertar el espíritu de compasión hacia las familias que están sufriendo en estos momentos y ser solidarios en sus necesidades.

Debemos estar atentos a que no se siga propagando el virus por irresponsabilidades nuestras. Usar la prudencia y hacer que los que aún no creen se queden solos y no seguirles el juego de que este virus es solo una fantasía o algo político.

Pero al mismo tiempo tenemos que recuperar el sentido de la dignidad humana. Hagamos más por la vida, recobremos el sentido de dignidad y santidad de la vida humana.

Nosotros los católicos debemos de decir no al aborto, no a los medios anticonceptivos, no a la eutanasia, no a la explotación de menores, no a la trata de blancas, no a todos los cárteles y mafias que matan miles y miles de nuestros jóvenes, no a la violencia doméstica contra las mujeres, los hombres o los niños.

Si recuperáramos a conciencia el sentido de la dignidad humana, tal cual la quiso el Señor, estaríamos haciendo mucho por toda nuestra humanidad.

Quiero decirles a todas las personas que me han pedido oración y que están sufriendo, que no soy ajeno a sus sufrimientos y que pido por todos ustedes.

Ojalá que pronto veamos un nuevo amanecer y Dios nos ayude a seguir adelante, pero que entendamos aquellas palabras que el Señor nos dijo un día: “aquello que hiciste contra el más pequeño de tus hermanos, conmigo lo hiciste”. Ánimo hermanos y que Dios les bendiga a todos.

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

CHARLOTTE ­— En respuesta al creciente número de casos de COVID-19 en la región, y particularmente entre los fieles de la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte, la parroquia decidió cancelar todas las Misas presenciales hasta fines del mes de enero, cuando efectuarán una nueva evaluación sobre las condiciones sanitarias existentes.

El Padre Gregorio Gay, párroco, dijo que, en decisión conjunta con los dos sacerdotes que lo acompañan en su misión pastoral, Padre Hugo Medellín y Padre Leo Tiburcio, el consejo parroquial y el personal de oficina, determinaron suspender las celebraciones presenciales para evitar cualquier posibilidad de contagio entre las personas que asistían a sus Misas.

“Hemos estado manteniendo todos los protocolos de seguridad en la Iglesia”, dijo el Padre Gregorio, aclarando que, tras realizarse el seguimiento de los contagios, se determinó que todos ellos habían ocurrido fuera de las instalaciones parroquiales.

En conversación con varios de los afectados, el Padre Gregorio pudo comprobar que los contagios se habían producido en lugares de trabajo, reuniones familiares realizadas durante las fiestas de Navidad y Año Nuevo u otras situaciones, “pero hasta el momento no tenemos evidencia que (los contagios) hayan sucedido aquí, en la parroquia”, señaló.

“Todos los sacerdotes y el equipo que trabaja aquí diariamente nos encontramos bien de salud”, añadió, por lo que “la parroquia se mantendrá abierta en horarios de oficina atendiendo las necesidades de la comunidad”.

ESTRICTOS CONTROLES

La parroquia Guadalupe realiza uno de los más estrictos controles para el ingreso a su templo. Ujieres y voluntarios guian el estacionamiento, mientras que otros controlan la temperatura corporal y uso apropiado de la mascarilla en

cada uno de los asistentes y visitantes a sus celebraciones litúrgicas o reuniones de ministerios.

Varias estaciones de limpieza con pañuelos desechables, paños desinfectantes y alcohol en gel están distribuidos en todos los ambientes.

En el interior del templo, bajo un riguroso cumplimiento del aforo limitado, los asistentes se sientan por familias en bancas agrupadas respetando el distanciamiento social.

Incluso, durante la celebración de la fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe, ocurrida en la primera quincena de diciembre, se extremaron las medidas de seguridad.

Como se recuerda, las autoridades federales, estatales y locales advirtieron que una segunda ola de infecciones de Coronavirus podría producirse si se relajaban las medidas de prevención durante la temporada de celebración del Día de Acción de Gracias, Navidad y Año Nuevo.

Hasta el miércoles 27 de enero, según datos proporcionados por Wikipedia y The New York Times, más de 731 mil casos de COVID han sido detectados en Carolina del Norte, llegando la cifra de fallecidos a 8.839.

Solo el 11 de enero se sumaron casi 9.500 nuevos casos de COVID en el estado, la cifra más alta desde que comenzó la pandemia.

MISAS VIRTUALES

El horario de Misas virtuales es el siguiente: martes: 7:30 p.m.; miércoles, jueves y viernes: 12:00 p.m.; sábado: 6 p.m. que contará como Misa dominical.

Iniciando el domingo 24 de enero, se realiza servicio de comunión de 8 a.m. a 1 p.m. y solicitan se respete la distancia social, el uso de mascarillas y el lavado de manos frecuente.

Más online En www.facebook.com/NSGuadalupeCharlotte: Visite la página de facebook de la parroquia para mayores informes En charlottediocese.org/coronavirus-update: Infórmese sobre la pandemia de COVID-19

Iglesias de Charlotte presentes en colaboración con Atrium Health para vacunar contra COVID-19 CHARLOTTE — Las Iglesias Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y San John Neumann se están asociando con Atrium Health en su programa ‘Inmunidad comunitaria para todos’, un esfuerzo de colaboración para vacunar a comunidades desatendidas que están siendo afectadas de manera desproporcionada por el Coronavirus.

La colaboración “tiene como meta reconocer la historia de la injusticia sanitaria en las comunidades de color, escuchar y colaborar con organizaciones asociadas, así como educar y apoyar a las personas en la toma de decisiones informadas para proteger mejor su salud y bienestar”, señaló un comunicado de Atrium Health del 21 de enero. El proveedor médico está “coordinando establecer puntos de vacunación en asociación con organizaciones locales que llegan a comunidades de color desatendidas, para garantizar la equidad en el acceso a vacunas COVID-19 seguras, efectivas y aprobadas por la FDA”.

Atrium aún está preparando

sus planes y las ubicaciones de los centros de vacunación aún no se han determinado, pero las iglesias de Charlotte podrían estar entre las aprobadas como puntos móviles de vacunación cuando haya vacunas disponibles. Atrium también trabajará con las iglesias para proporcionar información sobre vacunas que responda culturalmente a las poblaciones vulnerables.

El Padre Gregory Gay, pastor de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte, dijo que ayudar a la comunidad como lugar de vacunación “es nuestro deseo y será de gran beneficio para nuestra gente, especialmente para las personas mayores que no tendrán que formar largas filas de espera”.

El P. Gregorio aprovechó para agradecer la colaboración de Atrium que en varias ocasiones ha ofrecido pruebas de COVID-19 en su parroquia, fuertemente afectada por numerosos casos entre sus fieles.

El esfuerzo de divulgación de

vacunación se está desarrollando a partir del exitoso esfuerzo en pruebas móviles de COVID-19. Atrium Health ha llevado sus unidades móviles a varias iglesias católicas del área de Charlotte, incluidas Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y Nuestra Señora de la Consolación.

“Desde el comienzo de la pandemia, el programa ‘Para Tu Salud’, bajo los auspicios de Atrium Health, y en colaboración con socios de la comunidad local y comunidades religiosas, ha trabajado para proporcionar a nuestra comunidad latina pruebas y exámenes de detección de COVID-19, mascarillas gratuitas y educación sobre COVID-19”, dijo Rita Dominguez, MPH, CHES®, gerente de Proyecto de Salud Comunitaria de Atrium Health.

A través de ‘Para tu salud’, Atrium Health ha convocado mesas redondas con organizaciones comunitarias y coaliciones para unir servicios y ATRIUM, PASA A LA PÁGINA 17

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Padre Hugo A. Medellín

La luz al final del túnel (Izquierda) Portando cartelones y orando el Santo Rosario, centenares de personas pidieron el fin del aborto durante la Marcha por la Vida Charlotte 2021 que recorrió las calles del Uptown. (Abajo) El Padre Noah Carter, pastor de la Iglesia Santa Cruz en Kernersville, orador principal, dijo que “debemos tejer nuestro mensaje provida en un movimiento que cambie el corazón de nuestro país”.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘La vida es más valiosa que la calidad y los medios’ Marcha por la Vida Charlotte pide conversión de corazones para terminar con el aborto CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Cerca de 200 personas de todas las edades desafiaron un lluvioso día de invierno para testificar públicamente sobre la santidad de la vida humana, durante la decimoquinta Marcha anual por la Vida Charlotte.

La marcha pacífica al aire libre y la vigilia de oración en Independence Square del 15 de enero contó con la participación de muchas familias con niños pequeños, miembros de los Caballeros de Colón, clérigos locales y seminaristas universitarios del Seminario Universitario San José en Mount Holly. Además de los feligreses de las iglesias católicas del área de Charlotte, miembros de la Iglesia Luterana de Todos los Santos en Charlotte también participaron en el evento público, que se redujo debido a las precauciones por el COVID-19.

La Marcha anual por la Vida Charlotte recuerda el aniversario de las decisiones de la Corte Suprema de Roe vs. Wade y Doe vs. Bolton en 1973 que legalizaron el aborto. La marcha y la Misa especial por los No nacidos, ofrecida en la Iglesia San Vicente de Paul en Charlotte, están pensadas como un momento de oración para llamar la atención sobre los más de 61 millones de vidas perdidas por el aborto y la necesidad de cambiar los corazones de las personas.

El Padre Noah Carter, pastor de la Iglesia de la Santa Cruz en Kernersville, pronunció el discurso de apertura después que la marcha, que partió desde el Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte, llegara a Independence Square en Uptown Charlotte.

Los argumentos a favor del aborto se han expandido por décadas a medida que nuestra cultura se ha vuelto cada vez más individualista y centrada en la comodidad material por encima de todo, dijo el Padre Carter, quien calificó el aborto como una “epidemia social de individualismo irracional”.

Más allá de las raíces del movimiento moderno a favor del aborto en el racismo y la eugenesia, defendido por la fundadora de Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, la mentalidad actual a favor del aborto dice que “si un niño no es deseado, su vida (es) de alguna manera menos importante que la de un niño deseado, porque su vida sería una de mayores dificultades y pruebas”, dijo el Padre Carter.

“Sin embargo, no se de ninguna garantía de que uno tenga derecho a una vida sin sufrimiento ni angustia.

No hay garantía que diga que uno tiene derecho a la vida, la libertad y la búsqueda de la felicidad sin tener que superar dificultades y obstáculos. No, aquí sabemos que el derecho a la vida es absoluto en sí mismo. Significa que un niño tiene derecho a ser llevado a término, dado a luz y luego cuidado con LA VIDA, PASA A LA PÁGINA 17

E

n el primer domingo del tiempo ordinario se aborda el tema del bautizo del Señor.

Este tópico nos sirve para reflexionar en nuestro propio bautizo que tiene su origen en dicho bautizo. Ese día en el río Jordán (Lucas 3, 21-23), cuando Jesús fue bautizado inició una nueva era en nuestra historia y es un acontecimiento fundamental en nuestra fe.

El bautizo del Señor Jesús marca el paso de su vida privada a su vida pública. Para este momento en el ciclo litúrgico ya pasó el tiempo de Navidad.

En las narrativas de la infancia de Jesús, el niño es un personaje pasivo, rol propio de un niño. El niño Jesús tomó algo de iniciativa cuando se pierde en le templo, derecho propio del niño, de acuerdo a su tiempo y cultura (Lucas 2, 41-52). El resto de la vida juvenil de Jesús se queda oscura en la historia. A los escritores sagrados no les interesaba tanto este tiempo. Pero su vida publica inicia con el momento de su bautizo y por eso es importante para los escritores sagrados mencionarlo.

Al ser seguidores de Jesús también a nosotros nos corresponde ser participes activos en sociedad, en la vida pública. El año pasado, nuestra vida pública se caracterizó de muchas maneras, de las que solo mencionaré algunas.

Primero, por la directiva de los expertos en la salud de portar mascarilla para minimizar el riesgo de contagio. También, como cristianos que reconocemos el racismo como un mal intrínseco, nos correspondía denunciar el odio racial que nos azotó una vez más. Y por último, como cristianos responsables y agentes activos en nuestra sociedad, nos correspondía rendir nuestro voto.

Y gracias a Dios, terminó la era de las noticias falsas. Teorías de conspiración siempre las ha habido; y creo que, en esta vida siempre las habrá. Pero, cuando estas teorías acapararon los medios primarios de comunicación, solo sembraron desconfianza, violencia y miedo. Como seguidores de Jesús nuestra lealtad pertenece a la verdad. Y nos corresponde discernir esa verdad porque ese es un poder y un deber que Dios nos confió desde la creación.

Este nuevo año, podemos vislumbrar una luz al final de ese largo túnel. El presidente Joe Biden, quien profesa la fe católica, abogado de los pobres y marginados, ha prometido traer unidad a nuestro país.

Esperamos una reforma migratoria justa para tantos indocumentados que son trabajadores esenciales y han puesto su vida en riesgo para evitar el colapso de la estructura social. Sin ellos, el año 2020 hubiera sido testigo de muchas más muertes y sufrimientos. Nuestros indocumentados han esperado 20 años por una reforma migratoria justa.

Necesitamos hacer valer nuestra voz para que este oscuro túnel del sufrimiento de nuestro pueblo inmigrante quede por fin detrás de nosotros.

El presidente Biden también ha prometido atacar diligentemente y sin descanso esta pandemia que se ha convertido en el más grande desastre natural de nuestro tiempo. Por el bien de todos, tenemos que colaborar con los esfuerzos y directivas que nos dan los expertos en la ciencia.

La Iglesia también se mantendrá en diálogo con el nuevo presidente para encontrar mejores resoluciones con respecto al mal intrínseco del aborto, punto de tensión entre la Iglesia y el Señor Presidente.

En este nuevo año litúrgico, como en todos los años, es importante mantenernos firmes en nuestras convicciones como cristianos y participar con la sociedad por el bien de todos. Debemos mantenernos en diálogo con los que están en desacuerdo con nosotros. El destruir puentes de comunicación no es de cristianos. El catalogar e interrumpir a otros antes de que terminen de hablar, no es de cristianos. Y el quedarnos con los brazos cruzados y dejar que el mundo ruede tampoco es de cristianos.

Nos corresponde, por nuestro llamado bautismal, ser partícipes activos de nuestra sociedad para crear una cultura de justicia para todos. Nos corresponde crear una sociedad dignificante.

EL PADRE HUGO A. MEDELLÍN C.M., es vicario de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Por Miércoles de Ceniza, sacerdotes “rociarán” cenizas sobre las cabezas

En la fiesta de la Candelaria, los fieles suelen colocar a sus ‘Niños Dios’ ante el altar durante la celebración de la Misa que recuerda la Presentación de Jesús en el Templo.

Estos devocionales, dijo el Padre Fidel Melo, “son momentos de familia, de compartir la mesa, el pan”, que nos acercan más a Dios.

SERVICIO CATÓLICO DE NOTICIAS

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO — Se ha pedido a los sacerdotes que tomen precauciones especiales contra el Coronavirus este año cuando distribuyan cenizas el 17 de febrero, Miércoles de Ceniza, incluyendo el rociar cenizas en la parte superior de la cabeza de las personas en lugar de usarlas para hacer la cruz tradicional en la frente de las personas.

Una nota acerca de la “distribución de cenizas en tiempo de pandemia” de la Congregación del Vaticano para el Culto Divino y los Sacramentos fue compartida el 21 de enero con los sacerdotes de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

La nota instruye a los sacerdotes a decir “la oración para bendecir las cenizas” y luego rociarlas “con agua bendita, sin decir nada”.

“Luego se dirigirá a todos los presentes y sólo una vez dirá la fórmula, tal como aparece en el Misal Romano, aplicándola a todos en general: ‘Arrepiéntanse y crean en el Evangelio’ o ‘Recuerda que polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás’. A continuación, el sacerdote se limpiará las manos, se pondrá una mascarilla y distribuirá las cenizas a los que se acerquen a él o, si procede, se dirigirá a los que están parados en sus lugares.

El sacerdote tomará las cenizas y las esparcirá sobre la cabeza de cada uno sin decir nada”.

Además de los sacerdotes, los diáconos y ministros laicos delegados también podrán distribuir cenizas de manera similar.

La práctica habitual el Miércoles de Ceniza es repetir la fórmula: ‘Arrepiéntete y cree en el Evangelio’ o ‘Recuerda que polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás’ a cada persona mientras las cenizas se esparcen en la parte superior de su cabeza o se frotan en su frente.

Rociar cenizas en la parte superior de la cabeza de las personas, en lugar de marcar la frente con cenizas, es práctica habitual en el Vaticano e Italia. Dada la propagación del Coronavirus, la práctica tiene la ventaja de no requerir que el sacerdote toque a varias personas.

El Miércoles de Ceniza marca el comienzo de la Cuaresma y es día sagrado de ayuno y abstinencia. Las cenizas son un antiguo signo bíblico de demostración externa de arrepentimiento por nuestros pecados y un recordatorio de nuestra mortalidad.

En este Miércoles de Ceniza, la obligación de asistir a Misa permanece suspendida para todos los católicos de la diócesis, y se pide a las personas que ejerzan su juicio prudente al decidir si asistirán a Misa. Se recomienda encarecidamente a las personas enfermas o vulnerables a la infección que se queden en casa y asistan a Misa virtualmente por televisión o transmitida en vivo online.

(Una lista de Misas online disponibles se encuentra en la página 4).

La dispensa de la Misa no elimina la obligación de santificar el día del Señor.

Procure abstenerse de trabajar, dedique tiempo a la oración individualmente y en familia, y extienda la caridad a los demás.

Si no puede asistir a Misa, se le anima a realizar una comunión espiritual.

— Contribuyó Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editora

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Devocionales en fiesta de la Candelaria profundizan nuestra relación con Dios CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — El 2 de febrero se festejará la Fiesta de la Presentación del Señor en el Templo, en conjunto con la celebración de la Virgen de la Candelaria.

Aunque la fiesta cae fuera del tiempo de navidad, es una parte integrante del relato.

Navidad, epifanía, presentación del Señor son tres paneles de un tríptico litúrgico.

Se cuenta que la Iglesia de Jerusalén la celebraba ya en el siglo IV pero a los cuarenta días de la fiesta de la epifanía, el 14 de febrero.

Entre las iglesias orientales se conocía esta fiesta como ‘La fiesta del Encuentro’, nombre muy significativo que destaca un aspecto fundamental: el encuentro del Ungido de Dios con su pueblo.

San Lucas narra el hecho en el capítulo 2 de su evangelio. Obedeciendo a la ley mosaica, los padres de Jesús llevaron a su hijo al templo cuarenta días después de su nacimiento para presentarlo al Señor y hacer una ofrenda por él.

La bendición de las velas (candelas) antes de la misa y la procesión con las velas encendidas son parte de la celebración actual.

Para el Padre Fidel Melo, ex director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, la Candelaria es una fiesta muy hermosa donde se aprecia la vida. “En México, donde tenemos un mosaico de cultura, es todo un ritual familiar”, afirma el P. Melo.

“La Navidad es para recibir de nuevo la espiritualidad, el calor, el amor de

Dios que se encarnó en la forma de la divina infancia de Jesús”. Y nosotros, los hispanos en general, la rodeamos “de todos estos elementos devocionales que nos ayudan a profundizar nuestra relación, nuestro amor, nuestro cariño y nuestra apertura a la presencia de Dios encarnado en nosotros”, añade.

Es así que, por ejemplo, en algunos hogares las familias piden a un familiar o amigo que sea el “padrino” del Niño Dios de su nacimiento.

El día 24 de diciembre, previo a la natividad del Señor, el padrino, que es elegido por tres años para representar su función, vestirá al Niño y lo colocará en el nacimiento o belén.

Regularmente, el día 2 de febrero, cuarenta días después del nacimiento, se celebrará la “levantada’’ del Niño y se le colocará sus nuevos vestidos.

En ambas ocasiones, el padrino ofrecerá lo que se llama un “aguinaldo”para los niños y una comida para los adultos.

Para el Padre Melo, este devocional es un momento de familia, de compartir la mesa, el pan, finalmente un símbolo de compartir la vida.

“De hecho, ¿cómo se simboliza la vida eterna que nos da Cristo? Con el pan que en aquel tiempo se comía, y lo que se bebía que era el vino. Con nuestra comida de hoy simbolizamos también el alimento y compartimos la vida que Dios nos ha dado.

Ese mismo Dios que celebramos ahí lo compartimos en el pan, no solo espiritual sino también material que nos da para sostener esa misma vida que Él nos ha dado”.

“Los latinos tenemos una riqueza grande en nuestras tradiciones profundamente arraigadas en la vida”, subrayó.

Regularmente, las familias presentan las imágenes de sus niños Dios muy bien vestidos en la Misa de la Fiesta de la Candelaria, los colocan bajo el altar y esperan que al término de la Misa el sacerdote bendiga las imágenes.

Además, el día 2 de febrero, día de la Presentación del Señor y Día de la Candelaria, se debe cumplir una promesa realizada el 6 de enero, Día de Reyes, cuando en familia se comparte un pan dulce llamado Rosca de Reyes. La persona que encuentra una pequeña figurilla de un niño dentro del pan debe ofrecer tamales y atole en la fiesta de la Candelaria.

Y respecto a la Rosca de Reyes, ¿sabes cuál es su significado? -pregunta el Padre Melo. “La forma ovalada simboliza el amor eterno de Dios que no tiene principio ni fin.

Comer el pan se relaciona con la comunión de Jesús. Los frutos secos simulan las joyas de los Reyes Magos y significan paz, amor y felicidad. El niño escondido recuerda el momento cuando José y María escondieron al niño Jesús para salvarlo de Herodes. Y, si al partir la rosca te toca el niño Dios, es una bendición porque lo cuidarás y vestirás para presentarlo en el templo el 2 de febrero”.

Más online En www.facebook.com/CNHespañol: Vea un video sobre la celebración de una tradicional “levantada del Niño”.

Lecturas Diarias ENERO 31-FEBRERO 6

Domingo: Deuteronomio 18:15-20, 1 Corintios 7:32-35, Marcos 1:21-28; Lunes: Hebreos 11:32-40, Marcos 5:1-20; Martes (La presentación del Señor): Malaquías 3:1-4, Hebreos 2:14-18, Lucas 2:22-40; Miércoles (San Blas de Sebaste, San Ascario de Amiens): Hebreos 12:4-7, 11-15, Marcos 6:1-6; Jueves: Hebreos 12:18-19, 21-24, Marcos 6:7-13; Viernes (Santa Águeda de Catania): Hebreos 13:1-8, Marcos 6:14-29; Sábado (San Pablo Miki y compañeros): Hebreos 13:15-17, 20-21, Marcos 6:30-34

FEBRERO 7-13

Domingo: Job 7:1-4, 6-7, 1 Corintios 9:16-19, 22-23, Marcos 1:29-39; Lunes (San Jerónimo Emiliani, Santa Josefina Bakhita): Génesis 1;1-19, Marcos 6:53-56; Martes: Génesis 1:20-2:4a, Marcos 7:1-13; Miércoles (Santa Escolástica de Nursia): Génesis 2:4b-9, 15-17, Marcos 7:14-23; Jueves (Nuestra Señora de Lourdes): Génesis 2:1825, Marcos 7:24-30; Viernes: Génesis 3:1-8, Marcos 7:31-37; Sábado: Génesis 3:9-24, Marcos 8:1-10

FEBRERO 14-20

Domingo: Levítico 13:1-2, 44-46, 1 Corintios 10:31-11:1, Marcos 1:40-45; Lunes: Génesis 4:1-15, 25, Marcos 8:11-13; Martes: Génesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10, Marcos 8:14-21; Miércoles (Miércoles de Ceniza): Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corintios 5:20-6:2, Mateo 6:1-6, 16-18; Jueves: Deuteronomio 30:15-20, Lucas 9:2225; Viernes: Isaías 58:1-9a, Mateo 9:14-15; Sábado: Isaías 58:9b-14, Lucas 5:27-32

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

11

ENFOQUE SEMINARISTA: Darren Balkey

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

La fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia, patrona de la República Dominicana, se solía celebrar en la parroquia San Gabriel en Charlotte. Lamentablemente, debido a la pandemia, los organizadores desistieron de llevarla a cabo este año.

Dominicanos recordaron a su patrona CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — La comunidad dominicana del oeste de Carolina del Norte celebró, “en sus corazones”, la fiesta de la patrona de la República Dominicana, la Virgen de Altagracia, el pasado jueves 21 de enero.

En Charlotte, los dominicanos residentes en la ciudad reina solían reunirse en una Misa que se celebraba en la parroquia San Gabriel. Lamentablemente este año, por la pandemia de Covid-19, las actividades se han limitado, se trata de evitar el contacto personal y la reunión de numerosas personas en espacios cerrados.

Jaime Morey, dominicano y parroquiano de San Gabriel, recordó con nostalgia las celebraciones pasadas cuando la comunidad organizada rendía homenaje a la “Tatica”, nombre cariñoso con el que se refieren los hijos de la Quisqueya a la madre celestial de Altagracia.

En aquellas ocasiones la comunidad dominicana se hacía cargo de coordinación de la Misa dominical. Lectores, ujieres y presentadores de ofrendas, así como menores de edad, se presentaban vestidos con atuendos típicos de la isla.

Al término de la Misa se ofrecían bailes folklóricos, daba lectura a documentos sobre el origen de la veneración y compartía comida tradicional dominicana elaborada por los mismos feligreses.

“Es una pena que no podamos reunirnos este año para recordar y celebrar a nuestra patrona”, dijo Morey, “pero la tenemos presente en nuestros corazones, muy en especial en la víspera, cuando con la familia nos hemos reunido para orar a la Virgen”, añadió.

Morey relató que en su país miles de personas llegan en la fecha hasta la Basílica de Higüey, donde se aloja la sagrada imagen de la Virgen de Altagracia. “Es una fiesta nacional, un día feriado en que todos rendimos homenaje a la milagrosa virgen”, señaló.

La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia fue inaugurada en 1971. El 15 de agosto de 1973, por mandato apostólico, se convierte en catedral de la diócesis de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia en Higüey.

Fue construida para reemplazar un antiguo santuario, en donde apareció la Virgen de Altagracia, el que data de 1572.

La imagen de la Virgen de Altagracia es un lienzo que fue pintado probablemente en Sevilla entre 1500 y 1515. Representa la escena del nacimiento de Jesús en el pesebre de Belén, donde se destaca la maternidad de la Virgen. El cuadro es también un ícono. No hay un elemento, un color ni una relación que no tenga su significado y, efectivamente hay 62 distintos símbolos en el lienzo.

Más online En www.basilicadehiguey.do: Encuentre información sobre la historia de esta devoción dominicana

FE

FAMILIA

CHARLOTTE — La Diócesis de Charlotte ha sido bendecida con 41 hombres que actualmente estudian para el sacerdocio en cuatro seminarios.

Veintisiete están en el Seminario Universitario San José en Belmont.

Diez estudian en el Seminario Mount St. Mary en Cincinnati, Ohio. Uno está terminando sus estudios en la Universidad Pontificia Josephinum en Columbus, Ohio, y tres estudian en la Pontificia Universidad Norteamericana en Roma.

Darren Balkey, feligrés de Balkey la Iglesia Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury, es uno de los estudiantes en el Seminario Mount St. Mary.

Para ayudar a los fieles de la diócesis a conocerlo y saber cómo se ha desarrollado su vocación a medida que avanzaba en su discernimiento, Catholic News Herald recientemente le pidió a Balkey que conversara sobre su camino hacia el sacerdocio: CNH: ¿Cuándo escuchaste por primera vez el llamado a la vocación sacerdotal?

Balkey: Mi primer llamado sacerdotal fue cuando comencé a servir en Misa, alrededor de los 9 años.

Me era muy natural querer estar cerca de la Palabra de Dios y del altar durante la Santa Misa. A lo largo de los años, ese deseo de estar cerca de Dios y llevarlo a otros se mantuvo.

CNH: ¿Con quién hablaste por primera vez sobre tu vocación?

Balkey: Con el sacerdote que era mi director espiritual en ese tiempo.

CNH: ¿Que tipo de consejo te dió?

Balkey: Fue muy paciente pero firme conmigo en la universidad. Cuando finalmente dejé que Dios comenzara a abrir la puerta de la vocación, le envié un correo contándole lo que estaba pasando en mi vida de oración y mis pensamientos. Él respondió: “¡Bueno, ya era hora!” Me reí cuando lo leí y supe que mi correo también lo había hecho reír. Eso era lo que necesitaba, porque mis propias expectativas eran mucho menores que el plan de Dios.

CNH: ¿Cómo lograste discernir tu posible vocación?

Balkey: Mi vocación cobró vida durante mis estudios en Belmont Abbey College. Muchas horas en la Capilla de Adoración San José en el campus y la basílica de la Abadía sentaron una base sólida. También hice retiros con comunidades benedictinas y franciscanas.

Inmediatamente después de graduarme, comencé a trabajar en un centro de salud conductual. Allí, trabajé en un rol de tutela, y probablemente mucho como el humilde San José, ¡me sentí muy incapaz! Los jóvenes a los que servía estaban muy necesitados de un padre verdadero y amoroso, como solo el Padre Eterno puede ser. Esa experiencia dio al sacerdocio a una luz asombrosa. Mi hambre por los sacramentos, la oración y las Escrituras se volvió voraz. Sabía que cualquier cosa que no fuera servir a Dios me dejaría vacío.

CNH: ¿Cuándo y cómo contactaste la Oficina de Vocaciones de la diócesis?

Balkey: Inicié el contacto con el padre Christopher Gober en el verano de 2015, cuando me inscribí en los Días de Quo Vadis (el campamento de discernimiento de verano de la diócesis para hombres jóvenes).

Ese octubre, me ayudó en el proceso de solicitud de seminarista, que terminé en abril de 2016.

FRATERNIDAD

Caballeros de Colón

Considere unirse a los más de 2 millones de miembros de la organización fraternal católica más grande del mundo y registrándose en línea hoy en: www.kofc.org/es

Por tiempo limitado - Membresía en línea GRATIS Use el código de promoción (MCGIVNEY2020)

CNH: ¿Cuándo ingresaste al seminario por la diócesis?

Balkey: Fui aceptado el 10 de mayo de 2016, y comencé mi formación en agosto de ese mismo año.

CNH: Cuéntanos sobre el tipo de cosas que has estado haciendo desde que comenzó tu proceso de discernimiento durante tu estadía en el seminario.

Balkey: Llevo un tiempo rezando el Ángelus diariamente. La Encarnación es clave para un católico y me encanta hacer una pausa para meditarla en mi día. La Liturgia de las Horas, que distribuye los salmos a lo largo de la rutina diaria de la Iglesia, es una raíz importante. La Santa Misa es el punto de encuentro de la Iglesia Universal y de la comunidad del seminario, y eso me ayuda a recordar de reunir y presentar todas mis intenciones, ansiedades y prioridades al Señor.

El pasado 23 de noviembre recibí una comisión oficial como alférez en el Programa de Candidatura a Capellán de la Reserva de la Marina de los Estados Unidos. El Pueblo de Dios en Charlotte sin duda se beneficiará de mi sacerdocio, y también me estoy poniendo a disponibilidad para servir como capellán naval para el personal militar y sus familias. Mis primeros años de servicio sacerdotal serán en la Diócesis de Charlotte, después de lo cual podré recibir una asignación a comandos de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, el Cuerpo de Marines o la Guardia Costera. Estoy emocionado de ver cómo tanto la parroquia civil como el entorno militar pueden enriquecer las formas en que sirvo a los fieles. El Obispo Jugis ha sido amable y generoso al permitirme seguir este ministerio sacerdotal.

CNH: ¿Qué consejo le darías a un hombre que discierne su llamado al sacerdocio?

Balkey: Los santos son como fichas de dominó: ponen a los demás en movimiento. ¡Acude a los santos e implora su ayuda! Los santos que más he llegado a amar trabajaron duro para ser (y encontrar) tremendos amigos. Empieza siendo ese tipo de persona haciendo algo pequeño -el rosario, la misa diaria, etc.- y compartiéndolo con tus amigos. Ya sea que seas llamado al sacerdocio, a la vida religiosa o al matrimonio, eso quedará claro por la intercesión de los santos.

CNH: Mirando hacia atrás en tu período de discernimiento a lo largo de los años, ¿qué crees que te ha ayudado más a discernir la voluntad de Dios para tu vocación al santo sacerdocio?

Balkey: Primero, pasar tiempo en silencio. En segundo lugar, la verdadera amistad con Jesús, los santos, muchos buenos sacerdotes y mis hermanos seminaristas, han sido clave para mi discernimiento.

Entrevisté al Padre Tom Kessler (pastor de la Iglesia St. Philip the Apostle en Statesville) para un trabajo de clase. Los hombres, me explicó, a menudo van al seminario para tratar de crecer, ser lo suficientemente inteligentes y santos para ser sacerdotes. Sacudió mi mundo cuando me desafió a pedirle a Dios lo contrario: “¿Soy lo suficientemente pequeño, como la Santísima Madre, para decir ‘sí’ y dejar que Él me haga Su sacerdote?”

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

¿Te está llamando Dios?

Si crees que Dios puede estar llamándote a una vocación como sacerdote o religioso, la Diócesis de Charlotte tiene recursos para ayudarte! Visita www.charlottediocese.org/ vocations para obtener más información y conectarte con alguien que pueda responder tus preguntas y darte orientación sobre el discernimiento.

12

iiiJanuary 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

‘LOVE THY NEIGHBOR’ 2021 Diocesan Support Appeal encourages faithful to ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — During a global pandemic that has created an even greater cry for assistance, we as Catholics are charged to come to the aid of people in need across the Diocese of Charlotte.

The 2021 Diocesan Support Appeal theme is “Love Thy Neighbor,” taken from Matthew 22:36-40: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” It illustrates one way we can strive to share God’s love with others at this difficult time.

“This is a heartfelt reminder and an opportunity to put our faith into action to help others,” Bishop Peter Jugis writes in his DSA appeal letter to the people of the diocese.

The DSA campaign funds more than 50 ministries and programs that serve thousands of people across the diocese. Most notably, the DSA is a significant funding source for Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte for its counseling, food pantries, pregnancy support, refugee resettlement, elder ministry, Respect Life and other programs, as well as the programs and ministries of the Education Vicariate. The DSA also supports multicultural ministries, seminarian education, the permanent diaconate, the annual Eucharistic Congress, and the diocese’s housing corporation.

Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions help fund the annual DSA. Through their contributions, people across the diocese are able to join together to do the Lord’s work – works of love and service that no one person or parish can do alone.

Catholic Charities receives 33 percent of the funds collected in the campaign. Other DSA funds are

allocated to: the Education Vicariate (27 percent); vocations (14 percent); multicultural ministries (14 percent); and the Eucharistic Congress and the diocesan housing ministry (7 percent). Campaign administrative costs are projected to be 5 percent.

Last year, parishioners raised $6.4 million, $230,391 over the campaign’s goal of $6.2 million.

The 2021 DSA campaign goal remains the same as last year’s goal, diocesan leaders determined, because of the financial challenges posed by the pandemic.

Parishes that exceed their goal in donations receive a rebate of 100 percent of the additional funds collected. Parishes that fall short of their goal in donations are expected to cover the shortfall amount from their operating budgets. Diocesan leaders note that last year was especially difficult for many parishes, and some may face similar challenges for most of this year. If a parish falls short of goal at the end of the year, the diocese will consider the financial impact of the pandemic when determining the shortfall amount to be collected.

Bishop Jugis asks parishioners to prayerfully consider making a financial contribution to the 2021 DSA, sharing our blessings from God with others “especially during these trying times of a global pandemic when the needs of many are great. I appeal to you to reflect on your own blessings and return a portion of these gifts to make a difference in our diocese.”

Watch online On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel: Watch a video spotlighting ministries that the DSA supports

OFFICES AND MINISTRIES SUPPORTED BY THE DSA 27%

33%

5%

14% 7%

Where does your money go?

The purpose of the Diocesan Support Appeal 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.”

14%

33% CATHOLIC CHARITIES

27% EDUCATION

Burial Assistance Case Management Counseling Disaster Relief Elder Ministry Food Pantries Legal Immigration Services Marriage Preparation Natural Family Planning Pregnancy Support & Adoption Refugee Services

Evangelization/Adult Ministry • Lay Ministry Campus Ministry Young Adult Ministry Youth Ministry

Respect Life Social Concerns & Advocacy Stay the Course Supportive Services for Veteran Families Teen & Young Parent Support Transition Out of Poverty Wee Care Shoppe Youth in Crisis

Permanent Diaconate

African American Affairs Ministry

5% DSA CAMPAIGN COSTS

7% OTHER Eucharistic Congress

Faith Formation Office • Totus Tuus • In-Services • RCIA • Diocesan Catechetical Conference • Special Needs Resource Group Catholic Schools Offices

14% MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES Hispanic Ministries Hmong Ministry

PLEDGE: Make a pledge in response to a mailing be paid in up to 10 installments by EFT, credit ca monthly reminder statements in the mail or by

DONATE ONLINE: Donate online at www.charlott payments via credit or debit card. (If you give o in having two gift records.)

14% VOCATIONS Seminarian Education

How to support the DSA

Housing Ministry

NOTE: THIS INFORMATION REFLECTS PROJECTED 2021 DSA FUNDING FOR $6.2 MILLION WHICH IS ALLOCATED TO THESE OFFICES AND MINISTRIES.

TEXT OR SCAN TO DONATE: Text “DSA” to 704-

ONE-TIME DONATIONS: Give a one-time contrib Please make checks payable to the “DSA” and no the mail.

STOCK DONATION: Make a donation of publicly Instructions are online at www.charlottediocese

IRA CONTRIBUTION: For donors over 70 1/2 year your IRA.

FOR INQUIRIES: Contact Barb De Mase, associat

HE COVER

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

‘AMA A TU PRÓJIMO’

you receive or in-pew appeal at your local parish. An individual DSA pledge may ard or check. Pledging allows you to make a greater gift over time. You will receive email until your pledge is paid, or until December 2021.

tediocese.org/dsa, either with a one-time gift or set up a pledge with monthly gift online, please do not complete a pledge envelope at your local parish. This could result

-389-2096 or scan the QR code on this page to donate securely online.

bution in response to a mailing you receive or in-pew appeal at your local parish. ote the name of your parish in the memo line of the check. Do not send cash through

traded securities and receive the tax benefits for giving appreciated stock. e.org/ways-to-give.

rs of age, contact your financial advisor to request a charitable distribution from

te director of development, at 704-370-3302 or email bldemase@charlottediocese.org.

PARISH/MISSION

Campaña de Apoyo Diocesano 2021 anima a los fieles a “Ama a tu prójimo” SUEANN HOWELL REPORTERA SENIOR

CHARLOTTE — Durante una pandemia mundial que ha creado un clamor aún más grande de ayuda, nosotros, como católicos, tenemos la obligación de ayudar a las personas necesitadas en toda la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El tema de la Campaña de Apoyo Diocesano 2021 “Ama a tu prójimo”, es tomado del Evangelio de San Mateo 22: 36-40 : “Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo”. Ilustra una forma en la que podemos esforzarnos por compartir el amor de Dios con los demás en este difícil momento.

“Este es un sincero recordatorio y una oportunidad para poner nuestra fe en acción para ayudar a otros”, escribió el Obispo Peter Jugis en su carta de apelación anual de la DSA a los fieles de la diócesis.

La campaña DSA financia más de 50 ministerios y programas que sirven a miles de personas en toda la diócesis. Es una fuente de financiación importante para los programas de consejería, despensas de alimentos, apoyo para el embarazo, reasentamiento de refugiados, ministerio de ancianos, Respect Life y otros de Caridades Católicas de la Diócesis de Charlotte; así como de los programas y ministerios del Vicariato de Educación.

La DSA también apoya los ministerios multiculturales, la educación de los seminaristas, el diaconado permanente, el Congreso Eucarístico anual y la corporación de vivienda de la diócesis.

A través de las contribuciones a la DSA, los fieles de toda la diócesis pueden unirse para hacer la obra del Señor, actos de amor y servicio que ninguna persona o parroquia puede hacer individualmente.

Caridades Católicas recibe el 33% de los fondos recaudados. Otros fondos se asignan al Vicariato de Educación (27%); vocaciones (14%); ministerios multiculturales (14%); y el Congreso Eucarístico y el Ministerio de Vivienda diocesano (7%). Se proyecta que los costos administrativos de la campaña sean del 5%.

El año pasado, los feligreses donaron $ 6.4 millones, $ 230,391 por encima de la meta de $ 6.2 millones. Los líderes diocesanos determinaron que, debido a la pandemia, el objetivo de la campaña 2021 siga siendo el mismo que el año pasado.

Las parroquias que exceden la meta reciben un reembolso del 100% de los fondos adicionales. Aquellas que no la alcanzan cubren la diferencia con fondos de sus presupuestos operativos. Los líderes diocesanos notaron que el año pasado fue difícil para muchas parroquias, y algunas enfrentan los mismos desafíos este año. Si una parroquia no alcanzara su meta, la diócesis considerará el impacto de la pandemia para determinar la diferencia.

El Obispo Jugis pidió a los feligreses que consideren en oración hacer una contribución financiera a la DSA de 2021 compartiendo nuestras bendiciones de Dios con otros, “especialmente durante estos tiempos difíciles de una pandemia global, cuando las necesidades de muchos son grandes. Les pido que reflexionen sobre sus propias bendiciones y devuelvan una porción de estos regalos para hacer la diferencia en nuestra diócesis”.

Mas online En el canal de YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte: Vea el video de DSA 2021

13

DSA GOAL

Christ the King, High Point $16,499 Christ the King, Shelby $2,741 Divine Redeemer, Boonville $25,317 Good Shepherd, King $15,386 Holy Angels, Mount Airy $23,430 Holy Cross, Kernersville $87,491 Holy Family, Clemmons $171,530 Holy Infant, Reidsville $18,308 Holy Redeemer, Andrews $5,548 Holy Spirit, Denver $67,741 Holy Trinity, Taylorsville $9,959 Immaculate Conception, Forest City $44,226 Immaculate Conception, Hendersonville $133,027 Immaculate Conception, Waynesville $6,404 Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point $144,054 Immaculate Heart of Mary, Murphy $22,833 Our Lady of Consolation, Charlotte $49,440 Our Lady of Fatima, Winston-Salem $10,770 Our Lady of Grace, Greensboro $131,849 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bryson City $3,026 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Charlotte $68,231 Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe $59,130 Our Lady of Mercy, Winston-Salem $92,814 Our Lady of the Americas, Biscoe $38,880 Our Lady of the Angels, Marion $12,127 Our Lady of the Annunciation, Albemarle $27,306 Our Lady of the Assumption, Charlotte $48,987 Our Lady of the Highways, Thomasville $21,886 Our Lady of the Mountains, Highlands $13,950 Our Lady of the Rosary, Lexington $22,094 Prince of Peace, Andrews $2,366 Queen of the Apostles, Belmont $108,934 Sacred Heart, Hamlet $3,014 Sacred Heart, Brevard $65,537 Sacred Heart, Mars Hill $8,673 Sacred Heart, Salisbury $98,462 St. Aloysius, Hickory $112,152 St. Andrew the Apostle, Mars Hill $6,451 St. Ann, Charlotte $123,355 St. Barnabas, Arden $83,651 St. Benedict, Greensboro $21,939 St. Benedict the Moor, Winston-Salem $11,575 St. Bernadette, Spruce Pine $37,816 St. Charles Borromeo, Morganton $55,200 St. Dorothy, Lincolnton $40,072 St. Elizabeth, Boone $38,528 St. Eugene, Asheville $82,644 St. Frances of Rome, Sparta $10,229 St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin $29,323 St. Francis of Assisi, Jefferson $22,029 St. Francis of Assisi, Lenoir $30,640 St. Francis of Assisi, Mocksville $25,744 St. Gabriel, Charlotte $394,153 St. Helen, Spencer Mountain $4,336 St. James, Concord $128,167 St. James, Hamlet $11,353 St. Joan of Arc, Asheville $28,484 St. John Baptist de La Salle, North Wilkesboro $20,051 St. John Lee Korean, Charlotte $17,113 St. John Neumann, Charlotte $89,383 St. John the Baptist, Tryon $49,644 St. John the Evangelist, Waynesville $33,073 St. Joseph Vietnamese, Charlotte $46,251 St. Joseph, Asheboro $26,544 St. Joseph, Newton $26,868 St. Joseph of the Hills, Eden $10,202 St. Joseph, Bryson City $8,753 St. Joseph, Kannapolis $19,380 St. Jude, Sapphire $25,709 St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville $80,665 St. Leo, Winston-Salem $162,644 St. Lucien, Spruce Pine $10,920 St. Luke, Mint Hill $112,014 St. Margaret Mary, Swannanoa $29,050 St. Margaret of Scotland, Maggie Valley $20,352 St. Mark, Huntersville $345,677 St. Mary, Greensboro $43,916 St. Mary, Shelby $26,181 St. Mary, Sylva $19,856 St. Matthew, Charlotte $794,625 St. Michael, Gastonia $82,781 St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte $99,588 St. Paul the Apostle, Greensboro $106,379 St. Peter, Charlotte $195,024 St. Philip the Apostle, Statesville $42,238 St. Pius X, Greensboro $219,244 St. Stephen, Elkin $9,666 St. Therese, Mooresville $202,525 St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte $109,677 St. Vincent de Paul, Charlotte $115,899 St. William, Murphy $18,299

TOTAL $6,200,000

Our schools 14

catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Livestreamed Mass and community service mark National Catholic Schools Week, set for Jan. 31-Feb. 6 CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate a firstever Mass for more than 7,000 Catholic Schools students via livestream to classrooms across western North Carolina Monday, Feb. 1, to kick off this year’s week-long celebration of National Catholic Schools Week.

This year’s national theme is “Catholic Schools: Faith.

Excellence. Service.” In addition to the bishop’s Mass, festivities in the Diocese of Charlotte include community service projects, open houses and other spirit-building activities for students, families and parishioners – reinforcing the positive impact Catholic school students have in their local community.

The bishop’s special Mass streamed live from St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte will air on the diocese’s YouTube channel at 10:30 a.m. at all 19 schools across the diocese, using upgraded technology the schools have employed to seamlessly offer both in-person and virtual learning throughout the pandemic.

The public livestream can be accessed via www.youtube.com/ DioceseofCharlotte. Subscribe to the diocese’s YouTube channel to receive an email reminder when the Mass goes live Feb. 1.

The bishop traditionally offers Mass during National Catholic Schools Week at various schools around the diocese, but that was not possible this year due to public health restrictions on mass gatherings and school visitors.

The livestreamed Mass will enable him to share his annual message about the mission of the diocese’s Catholic Schools directly with every student – as well as teachers and parents who tune in from home.

“Beaming the bishop into classrooms across our diocese to celebrate Mass together will be a memorable moment for our students – and a perfect way to launch Catholic Schools Week,” said Superintendent Dr. Greg Monroe. “This is a time for us to showcase the amazing things happening in Catholic schools in our diocese and across the country. It’s a way to promote and celebrate the learning environments and school communities we have created to help students grow academically and spiritually.”

Catholic school enrollment is up 4 percent in the Charlotte region and 2 percent in other areas of the diocese, Monroe said.

Schools will celebrate National Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 with a variety of activities and special daily themes celebrating parishes, communities, students and families, the nation, vocations, as well as faculty, staff and volunteers. Just like the Mass with Bishop Jugis, festivities will be a little different this year with pandemic safety protocols in place.

Among activities planned in the diocese: n Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte will assemble care packets for the homeless and hold a food drive to stock the parish’s food pantry. n Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro will recognize COVID-19 healthcare heroes at the county health department with a presentation of roses and handmade cards, as well as a “drive-by thank you.” n Sacred Heart School in Salisbury will collect gently-used eyeglasses for the Lions Club. n St. Gabriel School in Charlotte will collect donations for MiraVia, a local pregnancy resource center. n St. Leo School in Winston-Salem will create handmade cards for medical personnel in the area, thanking them for their service throughout the pandemic.

Celebrated since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week salutes Catholic education in the United States, and is sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Catholic Education.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Learn more At www.ncea.org/csw: Find out more about National Catholic Schools Week.

(Left) Sophomore Josh Hanflink operates the newly-installed Aviation Simulator at Bishop McGuinness High School. Students in this course, taught

by Dr. John Robinson (above), are able to gain a genuine understanding of aviation and aerospace while providing the information necessary to make good university and career choices if they decide to choose this path.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KATIE WILLIAMS

Bishop McGuinness High School adds aviation courses KIMBERLY BENDER ONLINE REPORTER

KERNERSVILLE — For Bishop McGuinness High School students, the sky is no longer the limit.

The school’s science department added two courses this school year – Introduction to Aviation and Aviation 1 – which allow students to gain a genuine understanding of aviation and aerospace. The classes provide the information necessary to make good university and career choices for students who pursue this path, said Dr. John Robinson, the courses’ instructor.

These classes offer college prep course credits to students in all grade levels, said Katie Williams, the school’s director of advancement.

The curriculum is supplied by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the largest aviation community in the world. Robinson, a retired scientist and a private pilot, said the organization provides the curriculum for free.

Robinson volunteers his time to teach the classes at Bishop McGuinness High School because he said he has always had a passion for aviation and flying. He saw a pressing need for pilots and technicians in the next 20 years.

“We’re trying to spur interest in aviation careers and give young people a chance to learn about the field,” he said. “My son went to Bishop McGuinness. When I saw the program, I thought I would be a good fit because I enjoy teaching.”

This school year, 27 students are enrolled in the two aviation classes.

“We saw this as an opportunity to grow the elective classes students were able to take,” Williams said.

“We now have a full cockpit, a FAA-approved flight simulator, to log time and get credit for flying.”

Robinson said he plans to also teach Aviation 2 next school year, and the AOPA is working on developing an expanded curriculum for all four grade levels that Bishop McGuinness High School could offer in the future.

The program was developed to meet the projected need for pilots in the future, Robinson said. The

COVID-19 pandemic has decreased some need for pilots, but the industry is growing in other ways.

“There’s a growing career opportunity base in the Triad with aviation,” Williams said.

Amazon and FedEx have hubs in the area, Robinson said, and Amazon recently purchased its own fleet of planes. Honda Jet also builds aircraft in Greensboro.

Guilford Technical Community College has an aviation program to help train and supply employees to these major employers.

The classes Robinson teaches can provide all the information a private or drone pilot would need to pass the FAA’s written test.

“These classes provide a great deal of background information for various careers available for aviation and aerospace engineering programs,” Robinson said.

“I try to create a fun environment, to create a solid foundation for students to make good career choices about this field.”

The school purchased the flight simulator with help from a generous donor. Williams said they are looking to add three additional simulators for the school’s program. Right now, classmates can’t team up on a project in the simulator because of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, so additional machines would also enable more students to access the experiments at the same time.

“Dr. Robinson has been such a blessing to this program,” Williams said. “From his experience and expertise, we’ve had nothing but positive feedback from parents and students. The students love it, and we are confident we can fill these classes next year.”

The company that provides the simulators has offered the school a discounted rate if they purchase before March 1, Williams said. If you or anyone you know has information on grants or special funding, contact Katie Williams, director of advancement, at 336-564-1009 or kwilliams@bmhs.us.

Bishop McGuinness High School joins Christ the King High School in Huntersville in offering an FAAapproved introduction to aviation curriculum, in which students also learn the fundamentals of aerodynamics, airplane systems and flight simulation, navigation and flight communications.

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

15

PHOTO PROVIDED BY APRIL PARKER

Julie Ray’s sixth-grade Reading Breakfast Group meets weekly to practice oral reading fluency using nonfiction SCOPE articles.

Comets are soaring at St. Pius X School GREENSBORO — Like the Diocese of Charlotte’s other 18 schools, students at St. Pius X School have been enjoying in-person learning since August. With health and safety protocols in place, students are thriving, made more evident by recent mid-year benchmark assessments.

St. Pius X School uses Dibels Reading and EasyCBM Math assessments to monitor students’ progress multiple times throughout the school year, as well as administering an additional yearly Terra Nova and InView standardized test. Since August, class overall composite scores have increased by as much as 90 points.

Students needing intensive support in reading and math have decreased by half, and students performing above grade level have increased so much that several classes have over half the class performing above grade level both in reading and math.

As well as mid-year benchmarks in reading and math, teachers also assess writing three times a year using narrative, opinion, expository and persuasive writing prompts and grade-level appropriate writing rubrics.

Teachers keep on-going reading, math

Science fair winners GASTONIA — St. Michael School held its science fair Jan. 8, with 25 middle school students participating. The winners were: Connie, first place for “Squeaky Clean”; Ryan, second place for “Big and Small Citrus Shocks”; and Benedict, third place for “Which Fruits, Vegetables, and Drinks Produce Electricity?”

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL

and writing portfolios on all students from prekindergarten to the eighth grade, carefully monitoring growth as students progress through grade levels each year.

The school’s Student Assistance Team which meets weekly to evaluate underperforming students and to plan intervention, using specific reading and math products such as “Read Live,” as well as afterschool programs such as “Math Boost & Title I Tutoring,” to remediate students and bring them up to grade level through individualized and small group classroom instruction. The Academic Enrichment team, staffed by Sigrid Couch and Lisa Sullivan, works tirelessly to identify students with identified learning disabilities so that each student may receive additional support through individualized instruction within the Academic Enrichment room several times a week.

This spring, teachers will participate in intervention training in reading, math and writing to support their efforts to ensure each student reaches grade level achievement. This professional development in turn will be disseminated to teaching assistants and to parents.

— April Parker

Please pray for the following deacons who died during the month of January:

“Get your ducks in a row!”

Estate Planning

|

Probate

WAITING COULD DEVASTATE YOUR FAMILY St. Matthew’s Parishioner

704.843.1446 | www.ncestateplanninginfo.com

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

Dennis O'Madigan

1/31/2016

Mix 16

catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

‘The Marksman’ Well-intentioned but sketchy actioner in which a gruff ex-Marine (Liam Neeson) living on the Arizona-Mexico border reluctantly undertakes to transport an orphaned refugee targeted by the minions of a drug cartel to safety with relatives in Chicago.

Catholic imagery puts in an occasional appearance as the two travelers bond, and there’s a generally pacific, specifically anti-revenge message to offset the vague vigilantism of the title character’s mission. Several crude and crass expressions.

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

“Follow the Leader!”

Monday, February 15, 2021 7:00 p.m.

Presented by: Alice Camille Leadership styles come and go. From biblical patriarchs and kings to modern-day presidents and celebrities, we follow the leaders we invent and choose. Let’s spend some time this Presidents’ Day looking at the biblical perspective on leadership.

A pre-recorded presentation will be made available prior to a live Zoom session on February 15th.

Pre-registration is required to receive the links.

On TV

Catholic Book Pick ‘Stations of the Cross for Kids’ by Regina Doman Let us follow our dear Lord Jesus as He travels the Way of the Cross. He is asking us to follow Him. Are you afraid?

Jesus Himself was afraid to walk this painful journey, but out of love for us, He did so. So for love of Him, we follow.

This fully illustrated version of the traditional Stations of the Cross contains new meditations by children’s author Regina Doman along with: n Scripture verses that point to each station, n traditional prayers attributed to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Alphonsus Ligouri, n lyrics to the traditional hymn “Stabat Mater” (At the Cross Her Station Keeping) in both Latin and English, n a feature that gives historical and scriptural lessons concerning the tradition of walking the Way of the Cross, n and a final prayer that ties the stations to Eucharistic adoration throughout the liturgical year.

Detailed pictures compliment the text and allow the reader to follow Christ and His Mother as they make their way through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to Calvary.

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

n Friday, Jan. 29, 11:30 a.m. (EWTN) “March for Life.” Live and complete coverage of the most important prolife event of the year: the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. n Sunday, Jan. 31, 6 a.m. (EWTN) “Angelus with Pope Francis.” Pope Francis leads the world in the recitation of The Angelus, live from Rome. n Monday, Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m. (EWTN) “The Beatification of Benedict Daswa.” The life of Benedict Daswa is celebrated in this moving documentary following his beatification. A devout Catholic husband and father, he fought against ritualistic killings prevalent in his native South Africa. n Thursday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “The ‘Reformation’: From the Western Rising to Elizabeth I.” Turmoil follows the death of King Henry VIII as the Archbishop of Canterbury imposes radical new reforms. n Saturday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Tshimangadzo: The Story of Benedict Daswa.” Benedict Daswa took a stand against witchcraft and ritual killings in South Africa and paid the ultimate price.

Your Life’s Journey… how will you be remembered?

Establish a legacy that responds to the many gifts God has given you.

ROCK HILL ORATORY Center for Spirituality LEARN, PRAY, GROW For more information about our current programs and events go to – www.rockhilloratory.org If you have questions or would like more details please contact us – oratorycenter@gmail.com

Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte

For more information on how to leave a legacy for your parish, please contact Gina Rhodes, Director of Planned Giving at 704/370-3364 or gmrhodes@charlottediocese.org.

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

LA VIDA VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 9

amor”.

“La vida humana, de hecho, es más que calidad y duración, y debe ser valorada por sí misma”, dijo. “La vida humana en el momento de la concepción se trata de relaciones. Independientemente de la situación de la familia o las circunstancias de la concepción, la vida humana produce relaciones que definen y afianzan su santidad”.

“Primero que nada, está la relación del niño con el Dios que se ha encargado de su creación. En segundo lugar está la relación entre el niño y su madre, una relación de cuidado y crianza, una relación de tutela y responsabilidad. Estas relaciones van más allá de la biología y la ciencia”.

“Mis amigos”, continuó el padre Carter, “nuestro trabajo en el movimiento provida es mostrar la poderosa realidad que la vida humana es valiosa más allá de las situaciones socioeconómicas. Es valiosa

ST. BAKHITA FROM PAGE 2

Josephine remained in Italy and decided to enter the Canossian community in 1893. She made her profession of vows in 1896 and was sent to northern Italy, where she dedicated her life to assisting her community and teaching others to love God. St. Josephine was known for her smile, gentleness and holiness. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. She is the first Sudanese to be canonized and is the patron saint of the country.

— Catholic News Agency

MARCH FROM PAGE 5

Signs, marches and demonstrations only go so far, Father Carter noted: we have to move beyond divisiveness and stereotypes to build relationships of mutual respect and dialogue.

“We must invest ourselves in our local communities, in our neighborhoods, and in our local governments in order to show those who have the power to change the course of our country that the pro-life movement is founded upon love and that acknowledgment of the goodness of an unborn life is beneficial to the common good,” he said. “It begins by forming relationships that are based upon the question: ‘How can we reflect in our community, township, neighborhood, the values that we hold dear as Americans?’

If we are all on our own and not engaging with those who live around us, we don’t think much about enshrining values.

Instead, we simply worry about what’s going to get me ahead and secure my comfort.”

That work “must begin in our communities and with our neighbors,” he said, and it must include partnering with like-minded pro-life advocates outside the Catholic Church.

Also speaking at this year’s march was Cassaundra Baber, the founder of Momdacity, a pro-life effort that aims “to provide every woman with the tools and

más allá de la calidad (de vida) y los medios (económicos). El valor de la vida humana consiste en formar lazos de amor y afecto.

Y eso es lo que hace que nuestro trabajo y defensa (por la vida) sea tan importante hoy”.

“No solo es necesario cambiar las leyes sobre el aborto, sino que también debemos tejer nuestro mensaje pro-vida en un movimiento que cambie el corazón de nuestro país”.

Los carteles, las marchas y las manifestaciones solo llegan hasta cierto punto, señaló el padre Carter: tenemos que ir más allá del divisionismo y estereotipos para construir relaciones de respeto mutuo y diálogo.

“Debemos volcarnos en nuestras comunidades locales, vecindarios y gobiernos locales para mostrar a quienes tienen el poder de cambiar el rumbo de nuestro país que el movimiento pro-vida se basa en el amor, y que el reconocimiento de la la bondad de una vida por nacer es beneficiosa para el bien común”, dijo.

“Ello comienza formando relaciones que se basan en la pregunta: ‘¿Cómo podemos reflejar en nuestra comunidad, municipio,

vecindario, los valores que apreciamos como estadounidenses?’ Si estamos solos y no nos comprometemos con quienes viven a nuestro alrededor, no estamos pensando mucho en consagrar valores. En cambio, simplemente nos preocupamos por lo que nos hace progresar y asegurar nuestra comodidad”.

Ese trabajo, “debe comenzar en nuestras comunidades y con nuestros vecinos”, dijo, y debe incluir la asociación con defensores pro-vida fuera de la Iglesia Católica.

También habló en la marcha de este año Cassaundra Baber, fundadora de Momdacity, un esfuerzo pro-vida que tiene como objetivo “brindar a cada mujer las herramientas y la información que necesita para tomar una decisión informada sobre la maternidad en Estados Unidos”, según declara su blog online.

“Nuestro objetivo es cambiar la cultura en Estados Unidos para creer que cada madre, sin importar sus circunstancias, es capaz de ser madre”.

“Soy la historia que (los defensores del aborto) no quieren que escuches”, dijo Baber a los presentes.

Siendo estudiante universitaria de alto

17

rendimiento, fue violada a la edad de 18 años y quedó embarazada. Ella eligió la vida para su niño por nacer y ahora agradece a Dios por la bendición de su hijo. “Él es lo mejor que he tenido en mi vida y experimentaría su concepción traumática mil millones de veces más si significara (la presencia de) su vida en la mía”, dijo.

“Los partidarios del aborto dicen que las mujeres que han sido violadas necesitan abortar. ¡Es una mentira! La industria del aborto nunca, nunca, me ha preguntado a mí -o a las mujeres como yo- lo que pensamos sobre el aborto”.

Señaló dos estudios sobre violación y aborto realizados en 1979 y 2000 que encontraron que casi el 75% de las mujeres que concibieron mediante violación no eligieron el aborto, y el 88% de las que eligieron el aborto lamentaron más tarde su decisión. “¿Por qué? ¡Porque la vida triunfa!”

Más online En www.catholicnewsherald.com: Vea un video y lea el discurso del Padre en la Marcha por la Vida Charlotte

What can you do to combat human trafficking? n Learn what to look for. Individuals may be victims of human trafficking if they work in the same place they live, have poor living conditions, let someone else speak for them, do not keep their own travel or immigration documents, are not free to leave or contact family and friends, or have to pay their boss for food, clothing and rent. There are locks on the outside of doors, rather than inside, and someone is always watching or guarding them. n Report suspected human trafficking. If you suspect or see anything at all, report it to local police or the National Human Trafficking Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. n Educate yourself and others. The Catholic

information she needs to make an informed choice about motherhood in America,” according to her online blog. “Our goal is to change the culture in America to believe every mom no matter her circumstances is capable of being a mom.”

“I am the story that (abortion advocates) don’t want you to hear,” Baber told marchers.

A high-achieving college student, she was raped at the age of 18 and became pregnant. She chose life for her unborn son and now thanks God for the blessing of her child.

“He is the best thing I have ever experienced and I’d experience his traumatic conception a billion times more if it meant his life in mine,” she said.

“Abortion supporters tell you that women who have been raped need abortion. It is a lie! The abortion industry has never, ever asked me or women like me what we think about abortion.”

She noted two studies regarding rape and abortion conducted in 1979 and 2000 that found nearly 75 percent of women who conceived through rape did not choose abortion, and 88 percent of those who chose abortion later regretted their decision.

“Why? Because life wins!”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See video highlights and read Father Noah Carter’s keynote address from the March for Life Charlotte

Church has several programs and campaigns to bring awareness to the prevalence of human trafficking. Go online to www.usccb.org/ offices/migration-refugee-services/humantrafficking. n Pray. Incorporate honoring St. Bakhita and praying for the victims of human trafficking on Feb. 8 by going to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website, www.usccb.org. n Shop products which are made using Fair Trade practices. Ethical or Fair Trade certification secures the rights of workers, reduces poverty and promotes sustainable development. When you choose fair trade or ethically-sourced products, you create demand

LIFELINE FROM PAGE 6

Salem Catholic Charities office (1612 E. 14th St.) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to noon or 1:30 to 4 p.m. Questions? Contact Harley Elkins at 336714-3203 or email hdelkins@charlottediocese. org.

ATRIUM VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 8

recursos que satisfagan las necesidades de la comunidad hispana. También estableció una página web en español con información, recursos y una evaluación de riesgo de Coronavirus.

Domínguez recomendó a nuestra comunidad a “programar su vacunación y animar a otros a que lo hagan”.

El esfuerzo de vacunación móvil comenzó la semana pasada en First Baptist Church-West, donde casi 300 personas elegibles recibieron vacunas, dijo la especialista en comunicaciones de Atrium Health, Savannah Simons. “‘Inmunidad comunitaria para todos’ es el tipo de colaboración necesitamos para garantizar el acceso equitativo a la vacuna y detener esta pandemia”, dijo la

for more products that do not involve child labor and instead support workers with safe and sustainable employment. n Look for products made by survivors of human trafficking. Your purchases give survivors a head start on a new life and help them from falling back into the hands of traffickers. n Shop with helping organizations. SERRV International is a nonprofit online store dedicated to fighting global poverty through fair and ethical trade. To learn more about purchasing fair trade items or hosting a fair-trade sale or market at your church or organization, go to www.serrv.org.

Need help?

Catholic Charities intends to help as many people as possible during the pandemic. To find out about medical resources, changes to government benefits and food pantries near you, call 2-1-1 to find up-to-date information on available services. Families in the Charlotte area needing financial assistance can self-refer through NCCARE360 at www. nccare360.org/request-assistance.

Dra. Mandy Cohen del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte.

Otros socios de ‘Inmunidad comunitaria para todos’ son: First Baptist Church-West, CN Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church, Rockwell AME Zion Church, Coalición Latina de Fe y Salud, Forest Hill Church, Iglesia Bautista Camino de Salvación, St. Andrews United Methodist Church, El Buen Samaritano, First Baptist Church en Huntersville, Iglesia Cristiana Puerto Nuevo, ourBRIDGE for KIDS, Negocios Hispanos de Charlotte y la Coalición Latinoamericana.

Recibir una vacuna COVID-19 es la mejor manera para que las personas se protejan a sí mismas, sus familias y su comunidad, recuerda Atrium Health en su declaración. “A medida que se vacune a una mayor parte de la población, toda la comunidad estará mejor protegida”.

— Contribuyó Catholic News Herald

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In Brief Vatican exonerates retired Wyoming bishop of sexual abuse, but issues rebuke CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith exonerated retired Bishop Joseph H. Hart of Cheyenne of seven accusations of sexual abuse of minors and determined that five other accusations “could not be proven with moral certitude,” the Diocese of Cheyenne said. However, the congregation issued a canonical rebuke of Bishop Hart “for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips, which could have been potential occasions endangering the ‘obligation to observe continence’ and that would ‘give rise to scandal among the faithful,’” the diocese said Jan. 25. A news release from the diocese also said the congregation rebuked Bishop Hart, 89, “for his disregard of the urgent requests that he refrain from public engagements that would cause scandal among the faithful due to the numerous accusations against him and the civil and canonical investigations and processes being conducted in his regard.” To survivors of sexual abuse, Bishop Steven R. Biegler of Cheyenne said in the diocesan statement, “I support and believe you.”

Archbishop Cordileone: No Catholic ‘in good conscience’ can favor abortion WASHINGTON, D.C. — When they vote, Catholics must weigh many issues of very grave moral consequence “in good conscience,” but “no Catholic in good conscience can favor abortion,” San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said Jan. 21. “’Right to choose’ is a smokescreen for perpetuating an entire industry that profits from one of the most heinous evils imaginable,” he said in a statement. “Our land is soaked with the blood of the innocent, and it must stop.” Archbishop Cordileone’s remarks came in response to comments by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during a Jan. 18 episode of a podcast hosted by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee. Pelosi, a Catholic, accused pro-life voters who supported President Donald Trump in the 2020 election and oppose his recent impeachment by the House of “being willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue” – abortion. The 80-year-old lawmaker from San Francisco has a 100 percent rating on the issue from NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Bishops: Order on LBGTQ equality has implications for religious liberty WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden’s wide-ranging executive order to extend existing federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ people exceeds the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2020 ruling on the issue in Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., said the chairmen of five U.S. bishops’ committees. In so doing, they said, the Jan. 20 order has implications for religious freedom.

“Every person has a right to gainful employment, education and basic human services free of unjust discrimination. That right should be protected,” IN BRIEF, SEE PAGE 19

Nine Catholics nominated to Cabinet-level jobs in Biden administration MARK PATTISON CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In what may be an all-time high, President Joe Biden has nominated nine Catholics to serve in his Cabinet.

One of them, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, has been confirmed as secretary of defense, as of press time Wednesday.

The others nominated thus far and the departments they would head, if confirmed, are Deb Haaland, Interior; Tom Vilsack, Agriculture; Gina Raimondo, Commerce; Marty Walsh, Labor; Denis McDonough, Veterans Affairs; Jennifer Granholm, Energy; Xavier Becerra, Health and Human Services; and John Kerry, presidential envoy for climate.

Kerry was the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 2004.

During his campaign, then-Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis said that if Kerry were to present himself to receive the Eucharist to the prelate, he would not give Communion to the former U.S. senator due to Kerry’s position on abortion. Now a cardinal, the prelate had made a similar declaration on two Wisconsin politicians before leaving the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., for St. Louis.

The remark set off a long discussion and debate within U.S. circles, including among the U.S. bishops themselves, as to what constituted suitability to receive the Eucharist.

Kerry later served as secretary of state under President Barack Obama.

Becerra served 12 terms in Congress before winning election as California’s attorney general four years ago. As attorney general, he argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that the Little Sisters of the Poor should be required to provide birth control services under the Affordable Care Act. On Dec. 21, two weeks after Becerra was nominated by Biden for the HHS post, 40 pro-life and pro-family organizations signed on to a letter calling on the Senate to reject Becerra’s nomination because “as a lawyer, he has used the law against everyone from nuns to pregnancy care centers to the FDA to advance a radical abortion agenda,” according to a press release issued that day.

The Canadian-born Granholm, a former two-term governor of Michigan, spent a year in France helping smuggle clothes and medicine to Jews in the Soviet Union. While studying at Harvard College, she met and married Daniel Mulhern, a theology student at Yale University.

Haaland, who would be the first American Indian to serve in a Cabinet post, served two terms in the House prior to her nomination as Interior secretary. She raised a daughter as a single mother, and started a salsa company to help pay the bills.

Haaland has described herself as “a 35th-generation American.”

McDonough, whose grandparents emigrated from Ireland, received a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College in Collegeville, Minn. While a student, he played defensive back

for the Johnnies under legendary coach John Gagliardi.

McDonough later graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and served as Obama’s chief of staff during his second term.

Raimondo, Rhode Island’s governor since 2015, graduated from LaSalle Academy in Providence, as one of the first girls

allowed to attend what had been an all-boys Catholic school, and was class valedictorian. Raimondo later served on the LaSalle Academy board.

Last March, in the first days of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, she sparred with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over her order requiring New Yorkers to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering Rhode Island. Cuomo’s threatened lawsuit was dropped when Raimondo expanded the order to all travelers to Rhode Island.

Vilsack, 70, was born in a Catholic orphanage in Pittsburgh.

He served as Obama’s agriculture secretary for both terms of his presidency. He served two terms as Iowa governor before serving in the Obama cabinet as agriculture secretary for eight years.

Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants who met in the United States, has been the mayor of Boston since 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He served as president of a Laborers Union local in Boston until he made his first mayoral bid.

After former President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funds to any city declaring itself a sanctuary city for unauthorized immigrants, Walsh reaffirmed Boston’s status as a sanctuary city, saying in a 2017 speech, “If people want to live here, they’ll live here. They can use my office. They can use any office in this building.”

U.S. bishops’ pro-life chair calls plan to codify Roe in federal law ‘tragic’ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee called it “deeply disturbing and tragic” that any U.S. president would mark the Jan. 22 anniversary of the Roe decision that legalized abortion by praising it and committing to codifying it in law.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v.

Wade ruling “denies unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life, under the euphemistic disguise of a health service,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

“I take this opportunity to remind all Catholics that the catechism states,

‘Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable,’” the archbishop said in a statement released late Jan. 22 in response to a statement on Roe by President Joe Biden, a Catholic, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden and Harris said their administration “is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe.” They did not use the word “abortion,” but talked about “reproductive health” and protecting women’s access to “health care.”

“In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack,” they said Jan. 22. “We are deeply

committed to making sure everyone has access to care – including reproductive health care – regardless of income, race, ZIP code, health insurance status or immigration status.”

Archbishop Naumann said the bishops strongly urged Biden “to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need.”

“Public officials are responsible for not only their personal beliefs, but also the effects of their public actions,” the archbishop said. “Roe’s elevation of abortion to the status of a protected right and its elimination of state restrictions paved the way for the violent deaths of more than 62 million innocent unborn children and for countless women who experience the heartache of loss, abandonment and violence.”

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

IN BRIEF FROM PAGE 18

the committee heads said in a joint statement released late Jan. 22 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. However, Biden’s order on “’sex’ discrimination exceeds the court’s decision,” they said. “It threatens to infringe the rights of people who recognize the truth of sexual difference or who uphold the institution of lifelong marriage between one man and one woman.” The statement was issued by the chairmen of the USCCB committees for Religious Liberty, on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and on Catholic Education as well as the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism and the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

Bishops welcome Biden executive order that strengthens DACA program WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops applauded President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day executive action ordering the federal government to keep in place and strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Biden also pledged Jan. 20 to produce immigration reform legislation. Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, USCCB president, and Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Migration, said they were prepared to work with the president and Congress on such an “urgent matter of human life and dignity” for immigrants. In a statement released Jan. 21, the prelates said action on DACA was particularly important for about 800,000 young people who were brought to

the U.S illegally as children. They said the young people who benefit from the program, known as Dreamers, deserve the opportunity to continue working legally in the U.S., access educational opportunities and not fear deportation.

Bishops applaud Biden’s order not to release census citizenship data WASHINGTON, D.C. — The leaders of two U.S. bishops’ committees applauded President Joe Biden’s executive order reversing a policy of the previous administration that excluded unauthorized immigrants from the census count. “We welcome this return to more than a century of American precedent that ensures all residents will be counted and included in the census and apportionment,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington, chairman of the Committee on Migration. “This return to our previous policy reflects the inalienable truth that all people matter and are imbued with human dignity,” they said in a joint statement Jan. 22. Biden’s census order – among several that he signed his first day in office – reversed two of President Donald Trump’s directives related to the 2020 census. The former administration had sought to determine the citizenship status of every U.S. resident through administrative records and also planned to exclude those in the U.S. illegally from being counted in the process of apportioning state congressional seats.

Catholic leaders laud plan to rejoin Paris climate agreement WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic leaders

welcomed President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day announcement that the U.S. is rejoining the Paris climate change agreement. Such action would allow the U.S. to work to reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for, and position the country to become a global leader in addressing climate change, the leaders said. In a joint statement, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Ill., chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, announced their support for Biden’s plan Jan. 21, a day after the new president entered office. Former President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the landmark five-year-old accord in 2017. Trump formally told the United Nations Nov. 4, 2019, the U.S. was withdrawing. Under the agreement, however, the process was not completed until Nov. 4, 2020. The Trump administration argued the agreement was not beneficial to U.S. interests and hindered economic growth.

abortion was under attack and carried cardboard signs with messages supporting abortion. Police and diocesan officials escorted the women out of the cathedral without incident. No arrests were made. Bishop Brennan thanked police officers for their quick response to restore order in a statement released after the Mass, which commemorated the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion. “I want to express my great admiration and thanks to all those attending the Mass whose respectful and prayerful response reflects the joy, hope and mercy that marks our pro-life witness. I also apologize to the families present whose children were exposed to this,” Bishop Brennan said.

— Catholic News Service

Ohio bishop asks for prayers for protesters who disrupted Respect Life Mass COLUMBUS, Ohio — Several women protesting the Catholic Church’s teaching against abortion disrupted an annual Respect Life Mass being celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Brennan at a downtown Columbus cathedral.

The protesters, which a video posted by The Columbus Dispatch showed to number about seven, stormed into St. Joseph Cathedral during the liturgy Jan. 22 and marched through the sanctuary. They shouted that

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Anglican Archbishop Ian Ernest, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Romanian Orthodox Bishop Atanasie Rusnac, vicar for the Diocese of Italy, pray at the tomb of St. Paul during vespers to close the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome Jan. 25.

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Love is clearest sign of faith, pope says in homily for Christian unity CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

ROME — Abiding in God’s love means nurturing one’s relationship with him and with all those whom God loves, Pope Francis wrote in his homily for the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“If our worship is genuine, we will grow in love for all those who follow Jesus, regardless of the Christian communion to which they may belong, for even though they may not be ‘one of ours,’ they are His,” the pope wrote for the prayer service Jan. 25 at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

While a flare-up of sciatica, a painful nerve condition, prevented the pope from presiding over the ecumenical vespers, his homily for the service was read by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The theme for the 2021 celebration, chosen by the World Council of Churches and the Vatican, was “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit.”

Because of the COVID-19 precautions, only invited guests – Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Waldensian, Salvation Army and other Christian representatives – were able to gather for

the prayer at the basilica built over the tomb of St. Paul.

In his homily, Pope Francis noted that the Jesus’ admonition to His disciples, “abide in my love,” is part of Jesus’ discourse on “the vine and the branches.”

“The Lord Himself is the vine, the ‘true’ vine, who does not betray our expectations, but remains ever faithful in love, despite our sins and our divisions,” the pope said.

And all people who are baptized are grafted on to that vine.

Each Christian, he said, is called to maintain and strengthen his or her adherence to God, his or her place on the vine, through prayer.

“In today’s fast-paced and complex world, it is easy to lose our compass, pulled as we are from every side,” he said, but “Jesus tells us that the secret of stability is to abide in Him.” “Personal prayer, spending time with Jesus, adoration – these are essential if we are to abide in Him,” the pope wrote. “In this way, we can place our worries, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows in the Lord’s heart.”

But an individual’s connection to Jesus also is the source of the “vitality” needed to live the Christian faith and to love others, he said.

“To the extent that we abide in God, we draw close to others, and to the extent that we draw close to others, we abide in God,” the pope wrote.

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“Prayer unfailingly leads to love; otherwise, it is empty ritual,” he said. “It is not possible to encounter Jesus apart from His Body, made up of many members, as many as are the baptized.”

And like the branches that Jesus said would need to be pruned sometimes, each Christian will have defects or shortcomings that will need to be pruned away, he said.

“Let us ask the Father, then, to prune our prejudices with regard to others, and the worldly attachments that stand in the way of full unity with all his children,” Pope Francis wrote. “Thus purified in love, we will be able to be less concerned about the worldly obstacles and stumbling stones from the past, which nowadays distract us from the Gospel.”

And while unity among Christians is essential, it is not enough, he said. God “impels us to love not only those who love us and think as we do, but to love everyone, even as Jesus taught us.”

Strengthened in unity, he said, Christians will work together to love all their neighbors and to be “good Samaritans to a humanity that is frail, poor and, in our own time, suffering so greatly.”

“A tree is known by its fruits,” the pope wrote. “By our gratuitous love it will be known if we are part of the vine of Jesus.”

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In Brief Pope adds more women scholars to biblical commission VATICAN CITY — Renewing the membership of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, a body of scholars that engages in research for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Pope Francis added two more women experts.

With the addition of Benedicte Lemmelijn, an Old Testament scholar from Belgium, and Maria Armida Nicolaci, a New Testament scholar from Italy, five women are now part of the 20-member commission. The Vatican announced Jan. 25 the nine new members Pope Francis appointed, and the commission posted the names of the 11 members who were appointed to another term. Pope Francis appointed the first women to the commission in 2014 and renewed their appointments.

They are: Bruna Costacurta, an Old Testament scholar who taught at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University; Spanish Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages, a member of the Missionary Daughters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who specializes in Old Testament Wisdom literature and teaches at the Gregorian; and Mary Healy, a professor of Sacred Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

Academy for Life: Quick action needed on COVID-19 vaccines VATICAN CITY — Saying there is “too much

antagonism and competition” as well as an obvious “risk of severe injustices” in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Pontifical Academy for Life called for international cooperation in setting up vaccine production sites around the world. The same kind of collaboration that went into the development of the vaccines must now be employed to ensure there is an adequate supply available, including for the world’s poorest countries, the academy said Jan. 22. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the academy, and Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, the academy’s chancellor, insisted swift action must be taken to avoid some countries receiving the vaccine “very late because of shortages due to the prior purchase of large quantities by the richer states.” In an earlier statement, the academy had asked governments “to overcome the logic of ‘vaccine nationalism,’” with wealthy nations reserving massive amounts of the vaccine without considering how poorer countries would access doses. The academy called for international agreements “to manage patents” on the approved vaccines so that, using the same formulas, doses could be produced around the world and distributed locally.

Pope urges nations to create a world free from nuclear arms VATICAN CITY — Marking the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons coming into force Jan. 22, Pope Francis encouraged nations to work toward a world free from all nuclear arms. The treaty is the first legally binding international agreement to prohibit signatory states from the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assisting with and encouraging such activities.

Nuclear weapons have an “indiscriminate impact” as they can “strike large numbers of

people in a short space of time and provoke long-lasting damage to the environment,” the pope said Jan. 20. The pope “strongly encouraged” all nations and people “to work with determination to promote the conditions necessary for a world without nuclear arms, contributing to the advancement of peace and multilateral cooperation, which humanity greatly needs today.”

Former Vatican bank president sentenced for embezzlement VATICAN CITY — A former president of the Vatican bank and his lawyer were found guilty of money laundering and embezzling millions of euros from property sales. According to a Jan. 21 statement from the Vatican, Angelo Caloia, who served as president of the Institute for the Works of Religion from 1999 to 2009, and his lawyer, Gabriele Liuzzo, were sentenced to 8 years and 11 months for skimming profits from the sale of Vatican properties. Giuseppe

Pignatone, president of the Vatican tribunal, handed down the sentence and ordered Caloia and Liuzzo to pay a fine of 12,500 euros (US$15,200) each as well as return to the Vatican bank millions of euros frozen in their accounts at the beginning of the investigation.

Lamberto Liuzzo, Gabriele’s son, was also found guilty for his involvement and was sentenced to five years and two months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 8,000 euros (US$9,730). All three defendants received a lifetime ban from serving in public office.

However, they also have the right to appeal the sentence. None of the defendants were present for the sentencing, and the Vatican did not say when or how the men would be taken into custody. Shortly after the hearing, the Vatican released a statement saying the judgment was the culmination of a two-year investigation “to clarify the main aspects of the case” and to allow experts to compare the amount of money received by the Vatican bank to the market value of the properties.

— Catholic News Service

Chief Fiscal Officer The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., a rapidly growing region, is seeking a seasoned financial executive to fill the ecclesiastical position of diocesan fiscal officer. This role serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the Diocese. The position is responsible for managing the finances and financial planning process for the diocese, analyzing key business issues/challenges, and developing and implementing strategies to advance the financial health of the diocese. The position is responsible for financial reporting, tax compliance, cash management, debt financing and investments; and oversees Accounting, Internal Audit, Real Estate, Risk Management, IT, Planning and the diocesan retreat centers.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS: • Be a practicing Catholic in good standing; • Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance; • Hold a CPA or MBA; • Have a minimum of ten years’ experience with multiple responsibilities in financial leadership positions, have administrative leadership experience in a complex organization, and extensive supervisory responsibilities; • Must have advanced knowledge of budgeting principles and practices, accounting principles, not-for-profit tax issues, internal control systems, treasury management, investments, and financial reporting methodologies; as well as working knowledge in the following: real estate, risk management, employee benefits, computer systems and fundraising.

Additionally, the candidate must have excellent written, verbal and public speaking skills adept to varied audiences, excellent strategic planning and organizational skills with a proven track record of successful program/process implementation and must be able to quickly and effectively adapt and respond to changing circumstances.

Are you 70 ½ years or older?

Unlock your potential to make a difference.

An IRA rollover gift to your parish, the diocese, Catholic school, agency, or the Foundation provides meaningful support without impacting your checkbook, and can maximize your giving potential.

For more information about the Diocese of Charlotte and this position, please visit: https://bit.ly/360ixoP. Interested candidates are invited to send a letter of interest with resume and salary history to: Ms. Gretchen Filz, 1123 South Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28203, or to gmfilz@charlottediocese.org. The letter of interest should elaborate on why the candidate is interested in this position with the Catholic Church and explain (with examples) why they are uniquely qualified for the position.

Applications accepted through February 25, 2021

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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DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fred Gallagher

Father Peter Ascik

An example of Catholic integrity in public life

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n Jan. 20, Joe Biden was inaugurated as president of the United States. About two weeks earlier, on Jan. 3, Congressman Dan Lipinski, the representative from Illinois’ 3rd District, ended his last term in Congress after being defeated in his party primary in March 2020. Both men are baptized Catholics. Both men are members of the Democratic Party, which has historically enjoyed broad Catholic support. Yet in the same month the political career of one man reached its height while that of the other came to an end. An important reason for the difference in the political fortunes of Joe Biden and Dan Lipinski is the different choices each politician has made about how to live his faith and moral beliefs in public life.

Lipinski has been a consistent and principled pro-life voice in the U.S. Congress. He was one of two Democrats to support a ban on abortions after 20 weeks and recently signed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

He voted against federal funding for abortion and research which destroys human embryos. He voted to ban abortions based on sex or race, and to ban the transportation of minors across state lines for abortion, a concern in combating sex trafficking.

‘We are obliged to stand firm on the fundamental demands of the moral law, rejecting the legalization of direct attacks on the human person.’

Biden, on the other hand, has been a vocal supporter of Roe v. Wade throughout his career.

A vociferous opponent of appointing pro-life justices to the Supreme Court, he has affirmed on many occasions his support for the “right to choose.” As president he has vowed to codify Roe in federal law – which would transform Roe’s limit on government’s power to ban abortion into a positive “right” to end the life of the child in the womb. The 2020 election found Biden moving even further away from the pro-life position of the Catholic Church as he reversed his long-standing support for the Hyde Amendment, a budget rule which prohibits using taxpayer funds for abortion.

It is no secret that Lipinski’s pro-life stance contributed to his primary defeat at the hands of activists in a Democratic Party increasingly dedicated to abortion-on-demand. Pro-abortion groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood endorsed and funded his opponent, who characterized Lipinski as an “extremist.”

News outlets cast him as a lonely pro-life voice increasingly out of step with his own party.

But in a press conference the morning after

Tempus per annum

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his primary loss, he said, “I could never give up protecting the most vulnerable human beings in the world, simply to win an election… My faith teaches, and the Democratic Party preaches, that we should serve everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

To stand in solidarity with the vulnerable is to become vulnerable. But there is no higher calling for anyone.”

On the other hand, Biden has long lived by a compromise that has allowed him to rise in his party. At the heart of this compromise is his separation of personal principles from his public life. In the 2012 vice presidential debate, he said that he accepted the teaching of the Catholic Church on abortion: “Life begins at conception. That’s the Church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life.”

Yet he continued: “I just refuse to impose that on others… It’s a decision between them and their doctor, in my view. And the Supreme Court – I’m not going to interfere with that.” In this approach he follows prominent Democrats like Tim Kaine and Nancy Pelosi who profess the Catholic faith yet disregard the Church’s call for legal protection for the unborn.

When asked why he did not similarly adopt the approach of politicians who separate their personal morals from their public life, Lipinski responded, “if you believe life exists in the womb, you have to support policies that protect that life.”

This expression of consistency between personal belief and public life harmonizes well with the teaching of the Church. St. John Paul II reminded Catholics that even as they live in the world, “There cannot be two parallel lives in their existence: on the one hand, the so-called ‘spiritual life,’ with its values and demands; and on the other, the so-called ‘secular’ life, that is, life in a family, at work, in social responsibilities, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture” (“Christifidelis Laici,” 59).

Catholics can legitimately debate a variety of concrete options for pursuing the common good through politics. Yet we are obliged to stand firm on the fundamental demands of the moral law, rejecting especially the legalization of direct attacks on the human person.

As St. John Paul II wrote: “Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection.” He clarified the obligations of Catholics with respect to these laws: “In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or vote for it” (“Evangelium Vitae,” 73).

Biden has crafted a position on abortion that is acceptable to his party and to many voters. It helped him to win the presidency. Lipinski’s pro-life principles cost him his position in Congress. His efforts to protect the vulnerable made him vulnerable.

Yet in obeying God rather than men, he has given us a lasting example of Catholic integrity in public life.

very year at this time I have an overwhelming desire to write about “Tempus Per Annum,” what the Church refers to as “Ordinary Time.”

Ordinary Time is sandwiched between celebratory and penitential seasons of the liturgical calendar. And so, our current iteration of it, right after the Christmas Season and right before the Lenten Season, can be a strange time, in that the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, especially in a year so burdened with unrest, pestilence and chaos, is a great reminder of the peace to be had when we come down out of the hills to greet Our Savior in His manger. We also gaze upon the Virgin Mother, who will know heartache as none other; and we glance just out of the lamplight to feel the quiet, protective presence of Joseph, who got them all to that cave on the outskirts of Bethlehem. And we will soon begin the penitential silence and beauty of Lent. We will soon anticipate in our spiritual cleansings the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.

The starlight of Christmas has passed, and the contemplation of Easter is anticipated. So, what is this present moment in the life of the Church? It is Ordinary Time – yet anything but plain or routine, commonplace or humdrum.

There are beautiful but unusual connotations to the word ordinary that bear mentioning. As a noun, an “ordinary” can be one who has been ordained and bears authority to perform certain liturgical and ecclesiastical functions. It can also be an order or form for divine service, as in the “Ordinary of the Mass.” “Ordinal” numerals are ones that follow in a sequence or series and express degree or position in an orderly fashion. And of course, there is “Ordinary Time.” All of these particular references harken back to the root word: “order.”

In Ordinary Time we look to each day not linked to any season but in a sequence of days that follow and days that lead up to. Might the Church be asking me to look and see what is before me, the “stuff” of everyday life that holds in it the possibility of sanctity?

A medieval writer referred to it as the “sacrament of the moment.”

See the single rose my wife put in a little vase on the windowsill in the kitchen, watch how our dog comforts herself on the lap of any willing family member or friend, pray that the daily activities of our children might hint to them of the glory of the God who holds them in the palm of His hand (whether they know it or not), find the right word for the right person and express it with a smile…or a tear if that is what the situation calls for.

Find the sacred in the profane. Give order to the chaos by recognizing how beauty often resides in the hidden places of our lives. Explore the virtuous and sweetly diminutive steps of St. Therese, the Little Flower. Let St. Anthony of Padua find something for you that you didn’t know you were looking for. Ask St. John Paul II to help you celebrate your own personhood in each sacrament of each moment, even the harsh and difficult ones – especially in the harsh and difficult ones.

If the theme of the season just past is embracing the Child who came into this world to save us, and the theme of the season upcoming is to prepare us for the great miracle of Our Lord’s rising from the dead to His Father’s loving arms, perhaps the theme of the season at our feet is plumbing the depths of God’s love for us in the everyday gifts He puts before us, one right after another.

He is gifting us with family we love so deeply it astounds us. He is gifting us with co-workers and friends who have become “like family” in our growing affection and care for them. He is gifting us in those who might need us, whether we know them or not: the cry of the sick and the poor. He is gifting us with His creation, every leaf and stem, every hillock and dip, every crash of wave and splash of faces. He is gifting us with difficulty and doubt and confusion and anger so that we will surrender more forthrightly to His love and His Presence. He gifts us with Himself for the calling, at any moment of any day in any season.

These are the absolute glories of Ordinary Time. How extraordinary they are! Let us treasure them dearly in this, the season of the “sacrament of the moment.”

FATHER PETER ASCIK is parochial vicar of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

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

January 29, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Brian Pusateri

Jumping the line

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ave you ever been standing in line for a long time, when suddenly one or several people jump in line in front of you? How does it make you feel? The act of jumping in line – also known as butting, barging or skipping in line – is the act of entering a queue or line at any position other than at the end. Using this analogy, we should ask ourselves: As Christians, are we similarly putting something ahead of God in our lives? What other things are butting in the line before God? The Bible tells us, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Is God truly first in our life? If someone completed an internal audit of our life – accounting for every hour of our time, every dime of our money and every use of our talents – would their audit confirm beyond all doubt that God is our top priority in life?

When we think of putting God first in our life, this might surprise you, but the

10 percent of my income back to God, who or what things have barged to the front of the line before God? What am I spending my money on? Does God get only my leftovers? Does giving back to God have the primary place of importance in my monthly budget? If not, why not?

To be clear, God loves us whether we give or not. We don’t tithe to earn His love because He already loves us beyond measure. Tithing is not a financial issue; it is a spiritual one.

Tithing is not a money matter; it is a heart matter. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

Tithing is something very important to learn early in life. Parents should begin teaching their young children about this important biblical principle. Young adults need to be well grounded in tithing as they begin to make their first big financial decisions. Too often,

‘Putting God first means so much more than just tithing our money, yet giving back from our income and wealth is a vital part of stewardship.’ topic of stewardship should come to mind.

Why? Because stewardship is discipleship.

In the book “It’s Not Your Money: Finding the Peace of Putting Good First,” author Joseph B. Galloway writes, “Stewardship is striving to live as Jesus lived – putting God first. It is acknowledging God as the source and origin of everything we are and everything we have. Everything is a gift to us from God. Once we embrace this truth, in humble gratefulness, we are to make a return to God from all His gifts to us.”

We are called to give our time, talent and treasure in gratitude to God. In this commentary, I am emphasizing treasure, although that is not to say that time and talent are less important gifts to share.

Proverbs 3:9-10 tells us, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; Then will your barns be filled with plenty, with new wine your vats will overflow.” Is this the reason to give back?

Do we give to the Lord out of a “quid pro quo” expectation? Should we give because we hope to get back? Clearly not. We should give because God, after all, is the source of everything we have, including life itself.

St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Not only should we give back to God first, but we should do so joyfully.

Putting God first means so much more than just tithing our money, yet giving back from our income and wealth is a vital part of stewardship. Are Christians required to tithe?

Giving a 10 percent tithe is clearly biblical.

If we don’t give 10 percent, does God love us less? No, but it might be a good indicator that we don’t love God enough. It might be an indicator that other financial commitments have jumped in line before God. Ask yourself: If I am not currently giving

young Christians permit things like mortgages, car payments, and college and retirement savings to jump the line. God keeps getting pushed further to the back. Without having first allowed for their tithe and with spending already stretched to the max, God gets only some small amount that is left.

Financial advisors and advertisers tell us that a comfortable life is one that allows spending and doing leisure activities without any money worries. They tell us that this is the way to peace and happiness.

People often achieve this level of comfort only to find that they are not truly happy.

Something is still missing.

Again, in “It’s Not Your Money,” Galloway notes, “The world’s way to financial peace does not bring us the peace we truly seek. Real peace comes only from God. It comes from obedience to His word and putting Him first in every area of our lives including with our money.”

We get upset when someone jumps in line ahead of us. I wonder how God feels when we allow so many things to jump in line ahead of Him. I encourage everyone to go online to www.itsnotyourmoney.org and read Joe’s story of how when he, by the grace of God, put God first, including in his budget, he experienced a sense of contentment and peace that is beyond understanding. Isn’t that, after all, what we all truly want?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, as Colossians 3:17 states, ” And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Help me to always keep this message close to my heart. Amen!

BRIAN PUSATERI is the founder of Broken Door Ministries (www.brokendoorministries.com) and a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

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catholicnewsherald.com | January 29, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CELEBRATE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 6

During the week of January 31st-February 6th, we will celebrate our Christ-centered Catholic school environments where a spirit of joy, courage and service to others is nurtured. Student learning will be highlighted, our accomplishments will be celebrated, and we will enjoy gathering to honor all those who have contributed to our schools’ pursuit of excellence in all things.

Charlotte Metro Schools (PK-12)

Piedmont Region Schools (PK-12)

Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte Christ the King Catholic High School, Huntersville Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School, Charlotte Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School, Charlotte St. Ann Catholic School, Charlotte St. Gabriel Catholic School, Charlotte St. Mark Catholic School, Huntersville St. Matthew Catholic School, Charlotte St. Michael Catholic School, Gastonia St. Patrick Catholic School, Charlotte

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, Kernersville Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, High Point Our Lady of Grace Catholic School, Greensboro Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School, Winston-Salem Sacred Heart Catholic School, Salisbury St. Leo Catholic School, Winston-Salem St. Pius X Catholic School, Greensboro

Mountain Region Schools (PK-8) Asheville Catholic School, Asheville Immaculata Catholic School, Hendersonville

Whether your child is starting in Pre-K or finishing out their final years of high school, they benefit from our close-knit community built on faith and virtue. We are dedicated to their educational growth and personal development, so that they can be a disciple of Christ and change the world for the better.

Contact the Catholic Schools Office or a school near you for more information.

How can we help you today?

Diocese of Charlotte Schools Office | 704.370.6299 www.gonccatholicschools.org