March 26, 2021

March 26, 2021

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Longtime educator named head of Bishop McGuinness High School 17

Our Lady of Consolation Church launches $2M campaign to renovate old school 5 INDEX

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Windows to heaven Four sacraments featured in new stained glass at Mooresville church Learn more about Divine Mercy Sunday 2

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‘Go to Joseph’

Parishes celebrate Solemnity of St. Joseph; college seminary celebrates its fifth anniversary

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Las Siete Palabras 14-16

Our faith 2

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Who can say that he is free from sin and does not need God’s mercy? As people of this restless time of ours, wavering between the emptiness of self-exaltation and the humiliation of despair, we have a greater need than ever for a regenerating experience of mercy.’ St. John Paul II, “Regina Coeli” message, April 10, 1994

Divine Mercy Sunday How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Mankind’s need for the message of Divine Mercy took on dire urgency in the 20th century, when civilization began to experience an “eclipse of the sense of God” and, therefore to lose the understanding of the sanctity and inherent dignity of human life. In the 1930s, Jesus chose a humble Polish nun, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, to receive private revelations concerning Divine Mercy that were recorded in her Diary.

St. John Paul II explains: “This was precisely the time when those ideologies of evil, nazism and communism, were taking shape. Sister Faustina became the herald of the one message capable of off-setting the evil of those ideologies, that fact that God is mercy – the truth of the merciful Christ. And for this reason, when I was called to the See of Peter, I felt impelled to pass on those experiences of a fellow Pole that deserve a place in the treasury of the universal Church” (St. John Paul II, “Memory and Identity,” 2005).

In his second encyclical, “Rich in Mercy,” St. John Paul II offered an extended meditation on the mystery of God’s mercy, which he calls “the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God.” He returned to this theme throughout his pontificate.

On May 5, 2000, five days after the canonization of St. Faustina, the Vatican decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would henceforth be known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The devotion to Divine Mercy Sunday grew rapidly after its designation by the pope and is now widely celebrated

by Catholics. The Divine Mercy image is often carried in processions on Divine Mercy Sunday, and is placed in a location in the church so that it can be venerated by those who attend the Mass.

St. John Paul II, who died in April 2005 on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, was himself beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, and was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014,

by Pope Francis.

— USCCB

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given to St. Faustina with this promise: “Encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you” (Diary, 1541). “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. … Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy” (Diary, 687).

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed using a rosary: Step 1: Begin with the Sign of the Cross, then say one Our Father, one Hail Mary and the Apostles Creed. An optional opening prayer is: “You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.” Then repeat three times: “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!” Step 2: Then on the beads where with the rosary you would pray an Our Father, say the following: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

Step 3: On each of the 10 Hail Mary beads, say the following: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all five decades.

Step 4: Conclude by saying the following three times: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” An optional closing prayer is: “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”

Daily Scripture readings MARCH 28-APRIL 3

Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord): Mark 11:1-10, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Mark 14:1-15,47; Monday: Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday: Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 36-38; Wednesday: Isaiah 50:4-9a, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday): Isaiah 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9, Revelation 1:5-8, Luke 4:16-21; Friday (Good Friday): Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; Saturday (Easter Vigil): Genesis 1:1-2:2, Genesis 22:1-18, Exodus 14:15-

15:1, Isaiah 54:5-14, Isaiah 55:1-11, Baruch 3:9-15, 32, 4:4, Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28, Romans 6:3-11, Mark 16:1-7

APRIL 4-10

Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord): Acts 10:34a, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, 5:6b-8, John 20:1-9, Mark 16:1-7; Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday: Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday: Acts 4:1-12,

John 21:1-14; Saturday: Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15

APRIL 11-17

Sunday (Divine Mercy Sunday): Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31; Monday: Acts 4:23-31, John 3:1-8; Tuesday (St. Martin I): Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7b-15; Wednesday: Acts 5:17-26, John 3:16-21; Thursday: Acts 5:27-33, John 3:31-36; Friday: Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday: Acts 6:1-7, John 6:16-21

Our parishes

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Bishop’s Holy Week, Easter liturgies to be livestreamed CHARLOTTE — Join Bishop Peter Jugis this Holy Week and Easter in special liturgies streamed live from St. Patrick Cathedral.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, March 28, the liturgies at the cathedral commemorating Jesus’ Passion, death and resurrection will be streamed on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel.

Seating inside the cathedral for each liturgy is being strictly limited to 150 people to ensure safe distancing, and the annual Chrism Mass – when the bishop blesses the sacramental oils used in all the diocese’s churches for the coming year – will be celebrated privately due to lack of adequate seating for others besides clergy.

People are instead encouraged to participate by watching online; subscribe to the YouTube channel to get an email notification when each livestream begins.

The livestream schedule is:

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Adoration and Open House for patronal feast and anniversary MOUNT HOLLY — St. Joseph College Seminary opened its doors for a community open house March 20 in honor of its patronal feast day and fifth anniversary of the program’s founding. More than 300 people toured the college seminary’s new building, home to 27 young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood for the Diocese of Charlotte while attending classes at nearby Belmont Abbey College. On the Solemnity of St. Joseph March 19, the college seminarians, their formators and supporters participated in Eucharistic Adoration in the college seminary chapel. St. Joseph College Seminary was canonically erected by Bishop Peter Jugis on March 19, 2016, and moved into its permanent location in Mount Holly last summer. Placed under the patronage of St. Joseph, foster father of Our Lord, the name also reflects the heritage of the diocese, which was first shepherded by Bishop Michael Joseph Begley when it was carved out of the Diocese of Raleigh in 1972.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FREDRIK AKERBLOM

n Palm Sunday, March 28: 11 a.m. Mass n Tuesday, March 30: 10 a.m. Chrism Mass n Holy Thursday, April 1: 7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper n Good Friday, April 2: 3 p.m. Veneration of the Cross n Saturday, April 3: 8 p.m. Easter Vigil A complete schedule of Holy Week and Octave of Easter worship services is on the cathedral’s website, www.stpatricks.org.

At the cathedral and all other parishes throughout the diocese, public health protocols remain in place to reduce the risk of virus spread, and the Sunday obligation to attend Mass remains waived by the bishop. The faithful are encouraged to wear face coverings, maintain safe distancing between household groups, and wash or sanitize their hands frequently.

Capacities at indoor services may be restricted to ensure safe distancing, so parishioners should check their parish’s website for details on sign-ups and other details.

According to guidance issued by the Vatican, public processions for Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil are permitted, but participants should observe safe distancing between household groups. The footwashing rite is to be omitted during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday, everyone except the celebrant should venerate the cross by bowing or genuflecting.

For Good Friday, the Vatican also suggests parishes add the two solemn intercessions which it introduced for Good Friday last year to pray for an end to the pandemic:

At www.stjcs.org: Learn more about St. Joseph College Seminary and subscribe to their newsletter

XI: Let us pray also, dear friends, to Our Almighty Father for those who are stricken ill by the coronavirus, that he may wipe the face of the earth from disease, give hope to the sick, comfort to families, and strengthen doctors and nurses with courage.

(Prayer in silence. Then the priest says:) Almighty God, creator of all that is good, who sent Your Son as the Divine Physician, cast out disease and the current attack against us, comfort those who suffer, and bring close to yourself all who are in danger of death.

Through Christ our Lord.

XII: Let us pray, dearly beloved, for all those who have died as a result of infection, that God may not look upon the sins of the departed, but see in their sufferings the face of his own suffering Son and have mercy on their souls.

(Prayer in silence. Then the priest says:) Almighty and merciful Father, hear our cry for those who have died and are dying from this virus, and send your angels to minister to their souls, for we know it belongs to your boundless mercy to be ever kind and look upon one’s faith and righteousness.

Through Christ our Lord.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. JOSEPH COLLEGE SEMINARY

Planting for the future MOUNT HOLLY — The seminarians, families and friends, and formators of St. Joseph College Seminary recently planted 100 trees along Arctus Avenue and on the grounds of their new campus. Led by Randal Romie, a parishioner of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro, and Dr. Joel Stroot of Family Faith Farm, they were able to get the job done swiftly.

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: MARCH 28 – 11 A.M. Palm Sunday Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

APRIL 1 – 7 P.M. Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

APRIL 3 – 8 P.M. Easter Vigil Mass St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

MARCH 30 – 10 A.M. Chrism Mass (private) St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

APRIL 2 – 3 P.M. Celebration of the Passion of the Lord St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

APRIL 9 – 10 A.M. Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

Diocesan calendar of events March 26, 2021 Volume 30 • NUMBER 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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CONFERENCES & CATECHESIS ‘MADE FOR COMMUNITY – AN INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING’: A 9-week course through St. Matthew yoUniversity (SMU), led by Father Peter Ascik, Rachel Willoughby and Dr. David Glasow, starting April 14 and continuing until June 14, 7-9 p.m.

Wednesdays, held in the Banquet Room at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte.

Free, but please register. For more information, contact Rachel Willoughby at 704-543-7677, ext. 1020.

‘ANCHORED – FAITH, HOPE, LOVE’ DIOCESAN YOUTH CONFERENCE: April 23-25, held virtually. For details, go online to www.anchored2021.com.

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS PRAY FOR THE UNBORN: 10 a.m. Friday, March 26, Family Reproductive Health, 700 E Hebron St., Charlotte. Join Concerned Women for America and 40 Days for Life to pray for the lives of the pre-born. For details and participation, call 704-516-0820.

‘ENTER THE MYSTERY’ – A RETREAT FOR ANY WHO ARE NEW OR WANT TO BE RENEWED IN THE FAITH: 4 p.m. Friday, March 26, and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28. The Catholic Conference Center offers this unique retreat opportunity for those new to the Catholic faith or have been journeying with newly or soon-to-be baptized and confirmed individuals. These include anyone new to the faith or wishing to be renewed in the faith, such as RCIA candidates, catechumens and elect and their sponsors. This one-night retreat is structured to help people deepen their appreciation for the mysteries of the faith and provide a foundation for a fulfilling life in the Church for years to come. For details, call 828-3277441.

RETURN TO GOD PRAYER MINISTRY: 1 p.m., Saturday, March 27, Veterans Park, Huntersville. Come pray at this peaceful public prayer event with members of the St. Mark Church community. All are welcome. Learn more at www.returntogodnow.com. Questions? Email returntogod2020@gmail.com.

EASTER FOOD BASKETS BLESSING: 1 p.m. Saturday, April 3, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. The blessing will take place in the church to provide safe spacing. This Eastern and Central European tradition is also called “The Blessing of the Easter Baskets” (“Swieconka” in Polish), and will last about 30 minutes. Children can even bring their own baskets with their own treats, including chocolate and Easter candy.

For details, call Deacon James Witulski at 704-960-3704.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are: CHARLOTTE: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 15, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road

FILE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Looking forward to Holy Week and Easter March 28 is Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week, which culminates with the commemoration of Jesus’ Passion, death and resurrection. The liturgies of Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday and Easter together are called the Paschal or Easter Triduum (“triduum” means “three days” in Latin). Learn more about the traditions surrounding Holy Week at www.catholicnewsherald.com (click on “Our Faith”). Above are scenes from past Holy Week and Triduum celebrations across the Diocese of Charlotte. This year’s celebrations are being limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but most churches are open and offering both in-person worship services as well as livestream options for those remaining homebound. Check with your local parish for the latest details, as most churches are restricting indoor capacities and attendance at some liturgies is by advance registration only. To find a parish near you, go online to www. charlottediocese.org/parishes.

SUPPORT GROUPS RACHEL’S VINEYARD: Are you or a loved one seeking healing from the effects of a past abortion? Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats are offered by Catholic Charities for both men and women in the diocese.

For details about upcoming retreats, contact Jackie Childers at 980-241-0251 or Jackie.childers1@gmail.com, or Jessica Grabowski at 910-585-2460 or jrgrabowski@ charlottediocese.org.

WORLDWIDE VIRTUAL MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: Thursday, April 15-Saturday, May 6. As we journey

during this Lenten season, let us take time to reflect on our marriage. What can we do to make our marriage even better? For details and registration, visit www. ncmarriagediscovery.org or call 704-315-2144.

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

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

Catholic Charities’ Partners in Hope fundraiser offers match challenge SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

WINSTON-SALEM — Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte held a successful “Partners in Hope” virtual fundraiser March 11.

The fundraiser – a critical source of support for Catholic Charities in the Triad – was held online this year due to public health restrictions with in-person gatherings. Through the virtual event, people were able to gather online to celebrate and support Catholic Charities’ work in Forsyth, Guilford and surrounding counties.

At the outset of the event, an interesting challenge was presented to viewers when sponsors pledged to match donations from viewers, dollar for dollar, up to $142,500. As of press time, more than 300 donors have risen to that challenge and event organizers report Catholic Charities is within striking distance of their goal.

Highlights of the Partners in Hope virtual fundraiser included an invocation by Bishop Peter Jugis, a keynote address from Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, and a closing message and prayer by Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor.

Dr. Gerard Carter, Catholic Charities’ executive director and CEO, reported from outside the food pantry at the Piedmont Triad office in WinstonSalem, sharing the good news of the successful efforts to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional methods of outreach were unavailable.

“Being a COVID world, everything pivoted last March without missing a beat. We now bring food to people in their cars to keep everyone safe,” Carter said.

He also shared how mental health counseling services were able to continue as “telehealth” using a secure and confidential online platform.

“Counseling is typically provided face to face.

When all of a sudden we couldn’t do that any longer, that business as usual couldn’t be usual any longer,” Catholic Charities pivoted to digital technology, he said. “We are now able to provide the same high-quality level of counseling with a licensed therapist regardless of where you live in the area.”

Carter also shared that Catholic Charities provided substantial assistance over the past year to people financially impacted by the pandemic, especially those needing rent and utility assistance.

Becky DuBois, director of Catholic Charities’ Piedmont Triad regional office, said of the successful fundraiser, “I am always humbled by and appreciative of the generosity of the sponsors and donors of Partners in Hope.”

“Catholic Charities would not be able to provide food and baby clothing, counseling services, financial assistance, case management services, support for community college students and so much more without the ongoing support of the sponsors and donors who are truly our partners in providing hope to the many people who come to Catholic Charities when in need. On behalf of the individuals and families we are privileged to serve, I thank you,” DuBois said.

Also during the March 11 event, the 2021 Bishop William G. Curlin Partners in Hope Award was given to Father Michael Buttner, retired pastor of Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

View and donate At www.ccpartnersinhope.org: Missed the virtual Partners in Hope event March 11? It’s not too late to help!

Go online to watch the program and learn how you can support the work of Catholic Charities in the Triad.

OUR PARISHESI

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Our Lady of Consolation Church launches $2M campaign to renovate old school SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

CHARLOTTE — Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte’s only historically African American parish, has launched a $2 million capital campaign to convert its former school building into a learning center to serve the surrounding community as well as parishioners.

The surrounding neighborhood north of uptown Charlotte has markedly changed since the church was built in 1955 – most notably with the multimillion-dollar urban redevelopment of Camp North End. Parish leaders are excited about the possibilities the old school could offer the growing number of young people, the elderly and newcomers moving in nearby.

Forced to close in 1988 due to dwindling enrollment, the 12,000-square-foot building has fallen into disrepair over the years. The capital campaign’s first phase aims to transform the building with a new roof, windows and handicappedaccessible entrance, as well as enable much-needed foundation repairs; major updates to the building’s HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems; renovated bathrooms; and new flooring, paint and furniture throughout.

“OLC is in the center of change and we want to be a part of that change,” said Bartina Edwards, who heads up the parish’s stewardship committee called Renewing Our Commitment, or ROC. “We want to make sure that those in the community who are challenged by access issues are not left behind. That is critical.”

A community learning center would be a resource and “beacon of hope and strength” in the community, Edwards said, echoing the parish’s mission statement. It would house programs geared to the underserved: the elderly, children and people with healthcare disparities, she said.

Keith Anderson, chairperson of the parish’s capital campaign committee, believes the timing is right for the campaign – entitled “The Time is Now” – despite the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now is the time. It’s a difficult time, but we’ve been through other difficulties, and we’ve always come through it,” Anderson said. “We have to continue to push forward. We are always trying to spread the Gospel at all times. We are anxious to do it, not just for us but for future generations, too.”

‘OLC is in the center of change and we want to be a part of that change.’

Bartina Edwards

Our Lady of Consolation Parish’s Renewing Our Commitment committee

Help the campaign At www.ourladyofconsolation.org/capital-campaign: Learn more about Our Lady of Consolation Church’s campaign to renovate its old school and contribute securely online. Donations can also be mailed to 2301 Statesville Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28226. Questions? Contact Keith Anderson at olccapitalcampaign@gmail.com, or call the parish office at 704-375-4339.

It has been a challenge to concentrate all of the parish’s extensive social, educational and pastoral activities inside the adjacent parish life center, they said. This project to make improvements to the church’s other facilities could not wait.

Added Edwards, “Getting back into our church, to strengthen that sense of spirituality and the connection to God and just the essence of being Catholic, is of utmost importance.

Without the much-needed upgrades to our facilities, our mission of being a beacon of hope is not fully actualized.”

May 9 is Pledge Day, when organizers hope to have 100 percent participation from parishioners in pledges to the campaign. Nearly $500,000 towards the $2 million goal has been raised so far.

If the fundraising campaign goes well, the parish hopes to start the renovation project before the end of this year and complete the work in 2022.

“We are excited about the opportunity to grow with the surrounding community,” said Father Basile Sede, pastor. “OLC has been a staple and system of support for residents of the Statesville Avenue corridor since the 1950s…

Improvement of the facilities will allow OLC to expand the spiritual and community work of the Church.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JAMES SARKIS

Celebrating St. Patrick CHARLOTTE — St. Patrick Cathedral and School celebrated their patronal feast day in a big way March 17. Celebrations began with a Mass for students, followed by a performance by bagpiper Mark Adamson through the halls and classrooms of the school. The kids then enjoyed Irish dancing, “leprechaun games,” and a St. Patrick’s Day parade in the parking lot. Later that day, the cathedral’s rector and pastor Father Christopher Roux offered a livestreamed Mass at Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly and blessed the grave of Father T.J. Cronin, the first pastor for the Irish immigrants who settled in western North Carolina in the early 1800s and built the historic church in 1843.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 OUR PARISHES

Windows to heaven Four sacraments featured in new stained glass at Mooresville church

T

he light which passes through the five colors of the stained glass is like a window to heaven.”

This reflection from Father Mark Lawlor, pastor, helped announce and celebrate the completion of four stained glass windows recently installed in the sanctuary of St. Therese Church in Mooresville. The church, built in 2015, was designed to include four windows flanking the altar and shining rays of colored light down into the church. Those windows were installed Feb. 22-26 and portray the sacraments of baptism, Holy Eucharist, confirmation and marriage.

Father Lawlor noted that the project has been in the works for two years and

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM WINDOW

SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST WINDOW

The Sacrament of Baptism window includes an image of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist.

Jesus was not baptized because of original or actual sin as we are. Jesus was baptized to inaugurate a new sacrament. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissioned His Apostles and charged them to “make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). In the lower panel, there is an image of the old baptismal font that was used for many years when the parish was located on Main Street.

The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist window shows the priest distributing Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. It is Our Lord’s gift of Himself. Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn 6:35). The lower panels include an image of a chalice and the monstrance which is used in Eucharistic Adoration.

was made possible by one couple’s generous donation.

“In our discernment of what scenes or saints to portray in the windows, we finally decided on four sacraments that are often celebrated in the church, and so the windows will be a focal point for parishioners, guests and those celebrating sacraments,” he explained.

The new windows were created and installed by Salem Stained Glass of East Bend.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. St. Therese Parish contributed.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION WINDOW The Sacrament of Confirmation window includes an image of the bishop administering confirmation.

During the anointing on the forehead with the sacred chrism, the bishop (or his delegate) says, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The candidate depicted in the window is shown with her sponsor, who is a spiritual guide and companion. In the lower panels, there is an image of a dove, representing the Holy Spirit, and the oil stock containing the chrism.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE WINDOW The Sacrament of Marriage window depicts the covenant relationship and vocation in the Christian life for those who are called. The couple profess their vows to each other in the presence of God, a minister of the Church and at least two witnesses. The lower panels feature images of joined hands and wedding rings.

‘Sacraments are encounters with the Blessed Trinity and opportunities to receive grace.

It is my hope that the new windows will affirm our faith in the Risen Lord.’

Father Mark Lawlor

Pastor, St. Therese Church

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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PRAYER, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ST. JOSEPH

Greensboro parish, prayer group blessed by passion of Hannah Hammer GEORGIANNA PENN CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — Hannah Hammer knows the power of prayer. At 93, she’s seen a lifetime of prayers answered personally and for so many others, including generations of members of the St. Joseph’s Prayer Group at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

“You can come late and leave early,” says Hammer.

“What we celebrate is the Holy Spirit.”

Hammer joined the group in 1972 when they met in private homes and at various Catholic parishes around Greensboro. Hammer has led the circle of parishioners for nearly 30 years, and members of the group say they feel blessed to pray with her.

“Our mission is to pray for prayer requests of parishioners,” says longtime member Christine Plesh. “It’s a call to prayer. And when you answer that call, the Holy Spirit leads you. It just affects our whole life.”

St. Pius X’s pastor Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio says Hammer and the prayer group are a gift to the Church.

“Not everyone prays in the same way and the St. Joseph’s Prayer Group is an expression of the great spiritual diversity of the Church. As pastor, I have relied on the prayerful support of this intercessory group in matters of great importance and in dealing with individuals needing special pastoral attention,” Monsignor Marcaccio says.

“In addition to the charismatic gifts of the Spirit that Hannah may be known to possess,” he says, “I appreciate the ‘maternal’ gift she shares with our parishioners. I have sent people who have struggled with issues of family and forgiveness to talk with Hannah, and it is amazing to witness the peace and acceptance that often comes to them from their conversations.”

Growing up Methodist, Hammer answered the call to Jesus at an early age.

“We may as well have been Catholic, because we never missed church,” she says. As a teen, she remembers kneeling at the altar, giving her life to God: “God, if there’s anything about me you could use, you can have me.”

After World War II, “the boys” came home and then went off to college thanks to the G.I. Bill, Hammer recalls. It was at “Chapel Hill” where she met her future husband Dick Hammer, who she says had just flown 35 missions as a

Hannah Hammer, 93, facilitates the St. Joseph’s Prayer Group at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

PHOTOS BY GEORGIANNA PENN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(From left) Prayer group members Gail McGrail, Betty Hofer, Desmond Morrissey, Christine Plesh, Father Bob Ferris, Hannah Hammer and Dottie Alieksaites meet outside St. Pius X Church.

bombardier in Germany. They started a family and were blessed with six children, 20 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Hammer’s conversion to the Catholic faith was purely intellectual, she says, until years later when she was abruptly introduced to the power of the Holy Spirit. In 1972, the Hammers, along with five of their six children, barely escaped a massive house fire.

“Awoken by a sweet smell of inky black smoke, I thought I might lose my family,” she recalls. “I did not ask God to save anyone. I simply cried out to God these three words: ‘They’re yours, Lord.’ (After that) wave after wave of pure liquid love washed over me. I had never felt such a saturation of peace.”

Once safely outside away from the fire, she counted every family member. “At that moment, I moved from believing in God to knowing God. I knew for a fact there

was a God and He loved me. And the most important thing in the whole universe is Truth. And that Truth is not a philosophical thought…that Truth is a person.”

Shortly thereafter, the Hammers discovered the St. Joseph’s Prayer Group. It was clear to them that they were under the watch and care of St. Joseph himself.

“It’s the power of the Spirit that makes God exciting, and that power comes – as it says in all four gospels and the Book of Acts – from the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

The way fellow parishioners see it, the entire parish – not just members of the St. Joseph’s Prayer Group – has been blessed to come under the watch and care of Hannah Hammer.

“Hannah has been anointed by the Holy Spirit,” says Rosalie Russo.

Parishioner Dottie Alieksaites adds, “Hannah has been such a blessing to the St. Pius X community. She is just a treasure.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER; PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Ite ad Ioseph’ – ‘Go to Joseph’ As the Diocese of Charlotte and the universal Church celebrates the Year of St. Joseph, parishes commemorated the March 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph with Masses, consecrations and other prayers. (Above, left) Members of the Fraternus youth ministry at St. Mark Church in Huntersville led people in the Consecration Prayer to St. Joseph and the Litany of St. Joseph during a Vigil Mass March 18. In his homily, parochial vicar Father Melchesideck Yumo preached, “Our world today needs fathers. It has no use for tyrants who demean others as a means of compensating for their own needs. It rejects those who confuse authority with authoritarianism, service with servility, discussion with oppression, charity with a welfare mentality, and power with destruction.” (Above, right) During a livestreamed Mass March 19 from Old St. Joseph

Church in Mount Holly, one of the oldest Catholic churches still standing in North Carolina, Father Paul Buchanan urged people to follow the example of North Carolina Catholics in ages past: “Ite ad Ioseph – go to Joseph, in any need and in all circumstances. He was there for Our Lady and Our Lord. He has been there for so many others throughout the millennia.

He will be there for you, too.”

At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Find educational resources, prayers and devotions, and more to celebrate the “Year of St. Joseph”

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 OUR PARISHES

Mercy Sister Mary Regina Werntz passes away aged 76 BELMONT — Mercy Sister Mary Regina Werntz, 76, died March 11, 2021, at Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont. She had been professed as a Sister of Mercy for 59 years.

A private Memorial Mass was celebrated Thursday, March 18, 2021, at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Belmont. Sister Regina donated her body to science with final interment in Dallas, Pa., among the Sisters of Mercy.

Born on Jan. 9, 1945, she was the daughter of Joseph M. Werntz and Constance Witt Werntz of Shamokin, Pa. After attending St. Joseph’s School in Shamokin and St. Cyril Academy in Danville, Pa., Regina entered the Sisters of Mercy of Dallas, Pa., in 1962.

Following completion of her novitiate studies, she graduated from Misericordia College in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a concentration in music. From 1966 to 1977, Sister Regina taught at Catholic elementary schools in Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre and Lancaster, Pa.; and Bayside, Bethpage and West Islip, N.Y. After earning a master’s degree in theological studies from the University of Dayton in 1981, she taught high school religion classes at Mount de Sales in Macon, Ga.; Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa.; Bishop Hoban in Wilkes-Barre; and Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte.

Sister Regina developed her communication skills as a staff writer for Union Scope at the Mercy Union Administration Center in Potomac, Md.; at TSM Creative Services in Pittsburgh; and as director of communications for the Dallas (Pa.) Regional Community.

She and Mercy Sister Mary Ann Brady were co-founders of RSM Creative Services, a unique service that provided hospitals and other Mercy ministries with materials to train lay staff in the spirit and heritage of the Sisters of Mercy.

This led to serving in mission effectiveness offices at St. Edward’s Hospital in Fort Smith, Ark.; St. John’s Regional Health Center in Springfield, Mo.; and the Development Office at Mercy Health Center in Baltimore.

Her most recent years of ministry were spent in service to the Sisters of Mercy as a community life coordinator at Mercy Villa retirement convent in Baltimore and in the South Central Archives in Belmont.

Sister Regina was multi-talented and shared her gifts freely.

She wrote a book of the sisters’ history, “Our Beloved Union: A History of the Sisters of Mercy of the Union,” published in 1989. She was steeped in Mercy history and loved to share stories about the order. She also played the piano with feeling and wrote numerous hymns based on scripture. Always interested in learning, she looked forward to attending the annual Scripture Institute each summer at Misericordia University in Dallas. In all things, she was creative, knowledgeable, compassionate, generous and outgoing.

Sister Regina was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Philip, Norman and Joseph.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Barbara Werntz Benjock, and nieces Linda Slagle of Hickory and Angela Werntz of Belmont.

Memorials may be sent to Sacred Heart Convent, 500 Sacred Heart Circle, Belmont, N.C. 28012 (care of: Mercy Sister Lee Ann McNally).

— Catholic News Herald

‘Walking with Moms in Need’ St. Matthew Parish answers call to minister to pregnant women, mothers SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

team, and I am so excited to be part of this project.”

Melissa Scanlon is another parishioner who volunteered to help steer the new ministry after hearing Father Ascik’s homily and attending the “Walking with Moms in Need” information session Oct. 31.

“When I heard Father Peter’s homily and request to start ‘Walking with Moms in Need,’ it felt like a personal invitation from the Holy Spirit to do my part,” Scanlon says. “As a mother myself, I understand just how important it is to have community and support.

My hope is that we at St. Matthew can work to change the culture in our community so that women can confidently choose life for their babies, knowing that they will be supported along the way and that they are loved first by the Father but also by us.”

Since they became organized, Scanlon says,

CHARLOTTE — A homily last October for Respect Life Sunday inspired parishioners at St. Matthew Church to answer the call from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help pregnant women and new mothers.

The effort – called “Walking with Moms in Need” – is a nationwide campaign to encourage U.S. parishes to walk alongside vulnerable pregnant women, providing them with information, direct assistance and resources. It was launched March 25, 2020, the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s encyclical “Evangelium vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”) and the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

Father Peter Ascik brought home the campaign’s message to St. Matthew parishioners after learning about it while attending the 2020 March for Life in Washington, D.C. That message? Catholics must put into practice Church teaching that all lives are valued, using their time, talents and skills to build a culture of life in their own communities.

Father Ascik took the campaign’s message to heart. “I was interested in PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIDIA SUNDBERG being a part of that at my parish and Mom Reyna and her newborn are being assisted by the St. Matthew “Walking with learned more, but then the COVID-19 Moms” ministry. She and her husband were considering abortion but decided against it when they learned through Sidewalk Advocates For Life that there were people who pandemic started,” he recalls. “So the initiative was delayed a little bit. But were willing to accompany them in choosing life for their child. by the summer of 2020, the USCCB and ‘Walking with Moms in Need’ put out more materials, hosted a webinar and encouraged “volunteers have been organizing a database of local parishes to start the ministry when it was feasible.” resources for moms in need that are aligned with our Respect Life Sunday last October proved perfect Catholic values – everything from medical care to child timing for Father Ascik to preach about St. Teresa of care to housing services to counseling.”

Calcutta and her message about life and serving Jesus.

Those resources are being carefully vetted and “I said that ‘Walking with Moms in Need’ addressed specific people are being identified within those these two things and does it in a way where we serve organizations so that the mothers in need are connected Christ in that pregnant mom and in the unborn child,” directly to the people who can best help them. he recalls.

Says Scanlon, “We want to make this database “I was listening to the Mass livestream for that available to everyone in our parish and in our Sunday, and heard his request,” remembers parishioner community and will eventually be posting it to our Patty McOwen. “His invitation was simply: ‘If you website, as well as making printable versions that can would like to, come help me.’ He said it with such be handed out. The goal is to make our parish aware sincerity and compassion and love, I started to weep. that there are resources should they need them – for “I said to myself, ‘I am going to help him do this!’ I themselves or for others.” am a nurse with a variety of experiences over the last Meanwhile, volunteers are providing moral support 30-plus years, and I felt this was such a good fit for my MOMS, SEE PAGE 19 heart and my experiences. I became part of the core

“Get your ducks in a row!”

Please pray for the following deacons who died during the month of March: Paul Teich Joseph Mack

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

3/13/2013 3/22/2020

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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SEMINARIAN SPOTLIGHT: Deacon Juan Miguel Sanchez 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.

Originally from Mexico, Deacon Juan Miguel Sanchez is a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir. He is in the final phase of studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. His ordination to the priesthood is scheduled for June 19 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

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 Deacon Sanchez to talk about his journey to the priesthood: CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?

Deacon Sanchez: The first time I felt the call to the priesthood was when I was 8 to 9 years old. I was serving as an altar boy at the time. The priest of my home parish in Guadalajara, Mexico, was a very dynamic, friendly and encouraging person.

It was through his example that I began to consider responding to what God had already inspired in my heart. I believe it is natural for every guy to see in a faithful and holy priest an image to follow. There is a certain natural attraction to the priesthood and the fatherhood they represent. For me, it was that strong and caring figure that would provide my family and the community with a vivid example of how to be a good Catholic. I slowly began to desire to be like him; I wanted that “something” that emanated from him. I always liked to be around the church and I was often involved in the different groups of the parish, but at first I did not want to admit I felt a call to the priesthood, or perhaps I was afraid of the idea.

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

Deacon Sanchez: This a difficult question for me, for I never wanted to share my desire even when I was very involved in the parish. To me, there were two realities that were in conflict with each other. On one side, I knew that I was being called to the priesthood by having that sense of belonging to the Church. On the other side, and coming from a large family, the figure of the priest seemed to be always alone and that in a way created a sense of rejection to the idea. It was not until later in life that I realized priests are, in fact, never alone.

Not until my late 20s did I begin to share my desire to be a priest with a priest friend of mine and my family. I believe parents can see the attraction and the seeds of vocations in their children: my mom, in particular, would ask me if I wanted to be a priest on several occasions. At the time I told her no, but in my heart I always felt that intuition.

CNH: What type of feedback or advice did you receive?

Deacon Sanchez: Of course, for my parents it was a bit of a surprise coming from a 27-year-old, but all they wanted was to see me happy: “If you think that this is what will make you happy, then we will support you!” they said. Some of my friends began to wonder if I was making the right choice. I remember a coworker telling me, “Are you crazy? You have worked for years to be in the position you are in now and you want to leave it, just like that?” Yes, I had more than what

I needed materially, but there was still something missing in my life.

CNH: What have you been doing while in seminary since discerning a vocation to the priesthood?

CNH: How did you go about discerning where you Deacon Sanchez: There are few aspects in felt called to explore your possible vocation? which I have been growing a lot during my Deacon Sanchez: I began to talk to a priest time in seminary. The first is the spiritual friend who was instrumental in directing part of being in seminary. As seminarians, my discernment. I began by helping in my we pray the Liturgy of the Hours both in home parish with some catechesis for both community and on our own every day. children and adults. These required some In time this becomes a daily source of studies in order to really help them well. intimate interaction with God and a way I started helping with some retreats in to strengthen my spiritual bond with the the diocese, as well. Then, I joined school entire Church. At home we always prayed again to finish the rosary, so my GED. It was praying the 12 years since rosary has I was formally also been for in school, so me a sort of it was a little direct spiritual frustrating in the connection with beginning. Having my loved ones to divide my time – knowing that between work, back home my volunteering for parents would catechesis and be praying the going to school rosary at the was not easy, but same time I was. it was rewarding I would follow up at the end. During with daily visits this time, I began to the Blessed to go to Perpetual Sacrament and Adoration that with some time, was offered at a particularly nearby parish. towards the I went there on end of the day, my way to class to do a good or coming back examination of from work. All conscience. these changes in Secondly, my life helped me I began to SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD to realize that I quickly realize too was capable of being an instrument for how much I needed to prepare myself Christ in order to lead others to Him. One intellectually and how little I knew about of the key elements of my discernment philosophy and theology. I was humbled was a strong sense of peace and happiness by the best and seemingly overwhelming in serving others, which I had never felt task I had taken. However, I was able to before – along with a sense of personal be patient with myself and to take every empowerment when entrusting myself to semester one at a time. In the beginning God’s providential guidance.

I did not fully understand the relation between the intellectual/academic and CNH: How and when did you reach out to the the desire to serve God. I am a more Diocese of Charlotte Vocations Office? practical guy, I thought! I slowly began to Deacon Sanchez: It was during the realize that the more I learned, the more summer of 2012 and with the help and I would be able to appreciate my position support of Father Julio Dominguez, who as a seminarian and as someone called to assisted me in every step of my vocation. learn and to be prepared to help others.

At first, I was very naïve of the process Therefore, I started to read more – in and in reality I simply followed what I particular, about the lives of the saints. was told. Everyone was understanding of Thirdly, through the interaction with my situation and helped me to be more at people at the parish and in the various ease with it. After contacting the diocese, pastoral ministries, I have grown in love of I received the typical questionnaire form neighbor and of God. I have come closer to for seminarians, which is a kind of selfGod by contemplating and witnessing the examination in itself. Of course, I was grace of God at work in others. nervous in the beginning but I did not want In summary, I have developed a deeper to let anything interfere with what God was placing in front of me.

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

Deacon Sanchez: During the summer of 2013, I was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Charlotte. At that time, I was assigned to St. Eugene Parish in Asheville to finalize some studies in order to obtain my GED. Everything was providential and all things fell into place, and before I realized it, in one year I was able to finish high school and have all the necessary means to enter seminary.

CNH: What seminaries have you been assigned to?

Deacon Sanchez: In 2013 I was sent to the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, to do my college studies there. After four years I was asked to go to the Pontifical North American College in Rome to do my theological studies. I have been here in Rome for four years.

reliance on God’s divine providence, by developing a richer and better prayer life, by taking all learning as an opportunity given to me by God to exercise my intellect in discovering the Truth, and by encountering Christ in my neighbor.

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

Deacon Sanchez: Trust in God’s providence and entrust your whole being to Him. After all, we all are called to holiness, and responding to God’s call to the priesthood can become the first step toward it. I would like to reiterate what St. John Paul II used to say: “Do not be afraid.”

If one takes on the task of the priesthood, many blessings follow afterward and God will provide the necessary means if one is truly committed to it.

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

Deacon Sanchez: I would say to focus on the fact that this vocation is a response to the intuition that God has placed in my heart. It is not what I want, but a free response to God’s invitation. I know God is who makes me happy, even in the midst of struggles! During difficult moments I always think about the many blessings I have received and all the things I have achieved so far. I always try to be positive and see the good side of things. Even when things are hard, I think of the cross and realize that my situation really is not that bad. If my vocation is a call from God, then all I can do is to go to Him. — SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

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.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 OUR PARISHES

Belmont Abbey College announces first graduate degree program: Master of Health Administration BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College is launching its first graduate degree program, a Master of Health Administration, the college announced March 8.

The Master of Health Administration is the degree for leadership in healthcare, and with Belmont Abbey College students will be able to complete the program fully online, the college said in a statement.

“This is a new day on many fronts for our college,” Dr. Travis Feezell, provost of Belmont Abbey College, said in the statement. “With our first graduate degree program, we’re answering not only the aspirations of so many future students

but also the needs of our community. The Master of Health Administration brings to our healthcare professionals a vital knowledge base and skill set so needed today.”

Professionals seeking to advance in their career, develop themselves as leaders, and acquire knowledge and skills in health policy, analysis, finance, marketing, strategic planning and ethics will find the MHA a fit for their goals.

The 16-month MHA curriculum will begin this fall, with additional start times for cohorts beginning in the spring of 2022 and fall of 2022.

MHA tuition is $695 per credit hour

Director of Religious Education The Parish of St. Therese Catholic Church of Mooresville, N.C. is seeking a fulltime Director of Religious Education. This role works in collaboration with the Pastor to develop and maintain comprehensive parish catechetical programs for children, youth and adults.

This position is responsible for the following: • •

•

• • • •

Provide religious formation, education, and sacramental preparation to members of the parish faith community.

Help children and adults of the parish nurture a love and devotion to their Catholic faith and identity.

Ensure that all curriculum, all religious education programs, and all volunteers support the teachings of the Catholic Church and are in accordance with the policies of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Supervise Little Way Preschool Staff, Sunday Nursery Staff and Faith Formation Staff.

Recruit Catechists for the religious formation programs and provide them with periodic ongoing formation.

Participate in and assist the Education and Formation Commission.

Encourage opportunities for involvement in parish life.

including books and fees. The new program will not require a GRE or GMAT for admission and is pending the approval of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Dr. Gwyndolan Swain will lead the new program. She brings more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry as well as nine years managing similar degree programs.

Belmont Abbey College will instruct students fully online, giving professional students the flexibility they seek to advance in their careers.

Dr. Swain will host a webinar introduction to the Masters of Health Administration at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15. For more information, go online to www.healthcare.bac.edu.

News of the new graduate degree program comes not long after Belmont Abbey College inked a new partnership with CaroMont Health Inc. to build a hospital near campus that will complement the college’s new healthcare degree programs.

Abbey and CaroMont officials officially signed a lease agreement in September 2020 for the construction of the hospital on the abbey’s property, to be named CaroMont Regional Medical Center-Belmont.

The cooperative venture will provide substantial benefits to the Abbey, the

Learn more Belmont Abbey College will host a webinar introduction to the Masters of Health Administration program at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15. For more information, go online to www.healthcare.bac.edu.

college, CaroMont Health and the Gaston County community, officials said in a statement at the time.

The moves are part of the college’s SOAR initiative, which has involved creating new majors at Belmont Abbey College, including degree programs in Nursing and Health Information Management & Analytics, which began welcoming students last fall. Other new majors such as Marketing and Supply Chain Management were also part of this concerted effort.

Students pursuing these healthcare majors are expected to have practicals at the new hospital and use classrooms located on the hospital’s campus. They will also be able to look to the hospital for possible employment opportunities after they graduate.

Officials said the hospital, located east of the college’s main campus off I-85, could open as early as mid-2023, pending state approvals.

— Catholic News Herald

Save the Date

Candidate Requirements include the following: • • •

•

Practicing Catholic in good standing; Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Education or Theology; Minimum of 5 years’ experience with administering a Religious Education program (or similar education program) including financial and personnel management skills; and Bilingual, preferred.

Additionally, the candidate must have excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, public speaking and presentation skills; must be prepared to organize and implement large, program-wide events; and must be able to have flexibility in work hours to meet the needs and availability of our parishioners. Able to work evenings and weekends.

For more information about St. Therese Catholic Church and this position, please visit our website at sainttherese.net. Interested candidates are invited to send a letter of interest with resume and salary history to Rev. Mark Lawlor, 217 Brawley School Road Mooresville, NC 28117, or to mslawlor@charlottediocese.org. The letter of interest should explain why the candidate is interested in the position and include examples of why he/she is qualified for the position.

Applications will be accepted through April 1, 2021 The Parish of St. Therese, rooted in Ignatian Spirituality, strives to Love God, Follow Jesus and Serve All by doing ordinary things with great love.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For the safety of our guests and benefactors, this will be a virtual event.

Join us at ccvineyardofhope.org

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

At conference, men encouraged to deepen relationship with God CHARLOTTE — Men of the Diocese of Charlotte gathered March 20 to pray, learn and deepen their faith during the 11th annual Catholic Men’s Conference.

The one-day conference, held in person at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte and virtually, featured Mass with Bishop Peter Jugis, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, confessions and prayer time, as well as talks

by Bear Woznick, surf champion and author; Dr. William Thierfelder, Olympic athlete and president of Belmont Abbey College; and John Eades, author and motivational speaker.

The speakers encouraged the men to deepen their personal relationship with God and live up to their callings as Catholic men, husbands and fathers, focusing on the conference theme “As iron sharpens iron,” taken from Proverbs 27: “Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another.”

During his talk, Woznick described how he drifted away from his faith in adulthood, focusing on his work as a world champion surfer, stuntman and adventurer. But the more he achieved success, he said, the more he began to question his life, asking “Is that all there is? I want more.” His father gave him a copy of Stephen K. Ray’s book “Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church.” Through prayer, study and self-examination, Woznick rediscovered his faith, and now he strives to help other men find that same connection to their faith and to the Church through his “Deep Adventure Ministries” podcast, books and motivational talks.

“The Church isn’t a club. It isn’t an organization. It’s an organism – it’s the living Body of Jesus Christ,” he said, challenging the men to explore their relationship with God and embrace His will for them.

Thierfelder echoed the same message, noting that money, power and fame are not the keys to true happiness – a relationship with God is.

“You will never have enough money, you will never have enough fame, or pleasure or power – you will never have enough,” he said.

It is in relationship with God and one another that we find love, he said, and while love requires sacrifice, it is the path to true happiness. He urged the attendees to go deeper with their relationship with God in order to fulfill their calling as Catholic men.

While the conference was also made available online, it was important to put on an in-person event within what public health protocols would allow, said Jason Murphy, one of the organizers.

“You just cannot replicate an event like this online,” Murphy said. “Guys need to be around other guys – see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, be a part of something greater than ourselves. There is nothing like the sound of 200 men praying and singing together. It is powerful, encouraging and uplifting as we storm heaven as a united battalion of Christian soldiers fighting the battle of our lives to be the men, fathers and husbands God has called us to be in the face of a world that does its best to stand in our way.”

— Catholic News Herald

Support the mothers and babies at

Case Management Coordinator - Asheville Catholic Charities seeks a full-time Case Management Coordinator to coordinate direct assistance programs for individuals and families in need; including emergency food pantry, burial assistance, and direct financial and holiday assistance.

For more information, visit ccdoc.org/jobs. A cover letter and resume (2 page maximum) must be submitted electronically to DBFebles@charlottediocese.org. No phone calls please.

ccdoc.org St Mary’s Catholic School Job Opening for the 2021-2022 School Year

Science Teacher Room At The Inn and get a chance to

win $5,000 cash!

Only 300 tickets will be sold, so you do actually have a chance to win Tickets are $100 each

Buy your ticket online NOW:

roominn.org/buy-raffle-tickets-here/ or mail a check with “Raffle” in the memo to: PO Box 13936, Greensboro, NC 27415 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT – GOOD LUCK!!

(Drawing will be on May 6th)

St Mary’s Catholic School in Greenville, SC is accepting applications for a highly-qualified middle school Science teacher for the 2021 2022 school year.

St Mary’s Catholic School is a two-time National Blue Ribbon School with a 120 year history of academic excellence and currently serves 305 students in grades K3 through 8. St Mary’s is served by both the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia as well as a team of experienced, dedicated lay teachers, and offers a wonderful work environment and a welcoming, familial atmosphere.

The ideal candidate would be a practicing Catholic, highly experienced with teaching Science to middle school students, and possess a valid teaching certification. Compensation is dependent upon years of experience.

Please email cover letter, resume, and references to Principal Steven Zimmerman at principal@stmarysgvl.org. For more information about St Mary’s Catholic School, please visit our website at https://smsgvl.org.

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 OUR PARISHES

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

WNC Respect Life Mass and prayer vigil held in Asheville SWANNANOA — More than 50 Catholics from around the Asheville and western North Carolina region gathered March 13 at St. Margaret Mary Church for a vicariate-wide prolife Mass offered by Father Brian Becker, pastor.

After Mass, Father Becker blessed and anointed the participants, who then traveled to pray and witness outside the Planned Parenthood facility in Asheville. There, he and the group

prayed the rosary and other prayers offered for an end to abortion. Organized by the Carolina Pro-Life Action Network (C-PLAN) of Western NC, parishes represented included St. Barnabas Church in Arden, St. Lawrence Basilica and St. Eugene Church in Asheville, Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon and Sacred Heart Church in Brevard, as well as St. Margaret Mary Church. C-PLAN of Western NC was formed in 2018 by parish Respect Life leaders to help coordinate pro-life across the region and holds meetings every other month. C-PLAN also has chapters in Charlotte and in the Triad. The group’s next event is a regional Respect Life meeting at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, April 25, at St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon. To learn more or join their e-mail list, contact Joanne Gregory or Elizabeth Harris at ashevilleprolifecatholics@ gmail.com.

— Jessica Grabowski and Mike FitzGerald, correspondent

MiraVia raising funds for relocation project CHARLOTTE — For the past 27 years, MiraVia – a Catholic, non-profit charity which helps abortion-vulnerable women choose life and build independent, healthy lives for themselves and their children – has called Weona Avenue in Charlotte “home.”

The Outreach Center has been a safe haven

and source of hope for more than 9,200 women and their children since it opened its door in 1994, but with the growing demand for services, MiraVia is now in need of a larger facility and is raising money to accomplish that goal.

The Outreach Center serves low-income, qualifying pregnant women for up to one year.

Mothers receive biweekly material support including groceries, clothes, diapers and other household items. They also provide individual and group support classes to address issues that may be causing stress and help women create a plan for future success. Clients learn about health, parenting, nutrition and relationship building, as well as getting connected to English language classes and community resources if needed.

MiraVia has received a generous offer from an anonymous donor who will match gifts up to $50,000 if an additional $50,000 is raised by Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11. Donations will be automatically doubled and 100 percent of the contribution will be used towards the Outreach Center relocation project.

To make a secure online donation, go to www. miravia.org, or mail donations to MiraVia, 3737 Weona Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28209. Indicate “Outreach Center relocation project” in the subject line. Questions? Call Megan Edahl at 704-525-4673, ext. 11.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Joseph-Mary Foundation sends supplies to Cameroon CLEMMONS — The Joseph-Mary Foundation, founded by Father Peter Nouck, parochial vicar

of Holy Family Church, recently sent more than 2,200 pounds of supplies and equipment to its sister branch in the impoverished southwest region of Cameroon. Members of Holy Family Parish were principally responsible for the donations. The goal of the foundation, fondly referred to as JOMAFO, is to empower young people to seek a better life through education and health, all administered in the spirit of Christian teachings. The shipment contains prescription medicines, medical and hygiene supplies, small medical equipment, and clothing.

Computer supplies were also included to enable the foundation to establish a computer center for use by its students and the community.

The foundation is sponsoring 20 educational scholarships and is also working to achieve designation as a health center to be able to provide outpatient care.

Pictured are Hank Rudge, secretary of the foundation, and Doriant Kamsu of Onatech Cargo.

— Hank and Tina Rudge

FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

Ministerio Hispano anunció actividades virtuales por Semana Santa Padre Julio Domínguez

Viviendo plenamente la Semana Santa

L

a Paz y bien a todos ustedes y a todas sus familias en estos días tan hermosos de preparación a la Semana Santa.

Quiero escribir estas líneas para animarlos a vivir de una manera muy plena las próximas festividades que ya se avecinan, y que nos darán muchas gracias y bendiciones si nos acercamos a ellas con profunda devoción y fe.

Desde el domingo de ramos, iremos a la iglesia a celebrar el Domingo de la Pasión del Señor y recordaremos el momento que Cristo entró triunfante en Jerusalén para tomar el camino que conduce a la crucifixión y así cumplir la voluntad del Padre. Es un domingo victorioso y por eso llevamos palmas o ramas de olivo en nuestras manos, porque Jesús ha decidido que el tiempo ha llegado y que la voluntad del Padre tiene que realizarse. Les invito a no simplemente tomar una rama de palma, sino a comprometerse con Cristo a vivir su victoria y querer hacer siempre la voluntad de su Padre.

Lo que no me gustaría que hicieran es que lo tomen solamente como un momento de superstición queriendo bendecir ramas de palmas para buena suerte y otras cosas que nada tienen que ver con nuestra religión.

El Jueves Santo les pido que se hagan el propósito de no faltar a la Misa. Es una Misa sumamente importante pues celebramos la institución de la Eucaristía, la institución del sacerdocio ministerial y el mandamiento nuevo del amor.

Nosotros debemos tener un profundo amor a Cristo Eucaristía y celebrar llenos de júbilo este acontecimiento. Nosotros, que hemos sido llamados a un conocimiento más profundo de la presencia real de Cristo, debemos comprometernos a no dejarlo solo en la adoración que se tiene después de la Misa. Les pido a todos llevar sus veladoras y encenderlas durante su adoración después de Misa como signo de su fe y amor a la Eucaristía.

Estas veladoras llévenselas a casa y, cada que hagan oración, enciéndanlas como signo que Cristo Eucaristía es la luz del mundo.

En el Viernes Santo les recomiendo mucho mantenerse en estado de mucha oración.

Lastimosamente mucha gente ha perdido este sentido y se va a divertir a las playas, parques de recreación, ríos, etc. Esto es un agravio muy fuerte contra el Señor. La Iglesia Universal está de luto pues conmemora la Muerte de Aquel que por nuestros pecados decidió tomar nuestra cruz.

Ahora bien, a muchas comunidades les encanta hacer el viacrucis viviente, lo cual es algo muy hermoso pues de alguna manera recuerdan la Pasión del Señor. Les pido no sea solamente un show, una comedia para divertirnos un rato, sino que tenga la unción sagrada que eleve el espíritu a Dios. El viacrucis actuado o viviente como lo llamamos, es solamente un acto de piedad y no nos quita la obligación de ir al servicio litúrgico de la parroquia en donde se celebrará la Pasión SEMANA SANTA, PASA A LA PÁGINA 19

CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — El Padre Julio Domínguez, director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, informó que, debido a que aún existen restricciones de reunión y aforo decretadas por las autoridades de gobierno debido a la emergencia sanitaria por el Coronavirus, se han realizado algunas grabaciones de video para ayudar a la feligresía en su vida espiritual durante la Semana Santa.

Para el Viernes Santo se ha grabado el programa especial ‘Las Siete Palabras’, con la participación de sacerdotes, diáconos, religiosas y miembros laicos de la diócesis.

“Sabemos que en esta época estamos acostumbrados a visitar nuestras parroquias, tener los Vía Crucis vivientes, participar en celebraciones y las ceremonias tan preciosas que tenemos, pero ahorita, por eso de la pandemia, sabemos que no podemos realizar tantas actividades”, dijo el Padre Domínguez, agregando que sin embargo, “a través de los medios sociales podemos darles algo para que ustedes lo compartan, lo vivan y sientan que estamos verdaderamente en este santo tiempo de Cuaresma”.

Las transmisiones extraordinarias darán inicio el Jueves Santo, con la celebración de la Hora Santa por el Padre Gabriel Carvajal.

El Viernes Santo, a mediodía, se exhibirá el programa de ‘Las Siete Palabras’, una serie de mensajes que reflexionan sobre las últimas palabras de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo en su sacrificio en la Cruz.

Finalmente, el Sábado de Gloria, en horas de la mañana, el Padre Julio Domínguez, acompañado de varios

invitados, llevará adelante un Retiro virtual en el que se desarrollarán los temas del Viernes Santo, el Silencio del Sepulcro y el Silencio de María.

“Yo espero que les llegue al corazón, lo vivan profundamente y recuerden que todo lo que viene del Señor, todo lo bueno, todo lo Santo, viene a mover nuestras raíces cristianas para gozar de una mejor vida y llevarnos al camino de la santidad”, dijo el Padre Domínguez.

Todos los videos serán transmitidos por la página de facebook de Catholic News Herald en español, www.facebook. com/CNHEspanol y la plataforma de videos YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte, www.youtube.com/ DioceseOfCharlotte.

Durante la Semana Santa se han programado otras transmisiones de las actividades a realizarse en la Catedral San Patricio. Para mayores informes visite la página YouTube de la diócesis, donde encontrará los enlaces para seguir las Misas y ceremonias desde la seguridad y comodidad de su hogar.

Líderes y Catequistas de Statesville atienden capacitación online STATESVILLE — La Hermana Juana Pearson, coordinadora del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Salisbury, y que aparece en el segundo casillero, arriba a la izquierda, conduce cada mes charlas de capacitación sobre los cimientos de la fe católica a diferentes grupos de su vicariato.

“Siguiendo las indicaciones de nuestra diócesis, llevamos a cabo sesiones para que nuestros líderes y catequistas profundicen su fe católica y conozcan más el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica”, dijo la carismática coordinadora. La primera fase, que sienta las bases del conocimiento de la fe, debe concluir próximamente y de inmediato los participantes continuarán abordando el tema de la oración. Los grupos que reciben capacitación mensual pertenecen a las iglesias Santiago el Mayor en Concord, San José en Kannapolis, Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury, Santa Teresa en Mooresville y San Felipe Apóstol en Statesville.

FOTO CORTESÍA HERMANA JUANA PEARSON

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En Semana Santa del Obispo, las liturgias de Pascua se transmitirán en vivo CHARLOTTE — Únase al Obispo Peter Jugis en esta Semana Santa y Pascua, en liturgias especiales transmitidas en vivo desde la Catedral San Patricio.

A partir del Domingo de Ramos, el 28 de marzo, las liturgias en la catedral que conmemoran la Pasión, muerte y resurrección de Jesús se transmitirán por el canal de YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

El aforo dentro de la catedral para cada liturgia está estrictamente limitado a 150 personas para garantizar un distanciamiento social seguro, y la Misa Crismal anual, cuando el obispo bendice los aceites sacramentales a ser utilizados en todas las iglesias de la diócesis durante el próximo año, se celebrará en privado. Se anima a los fieles a participar siguiendo todas las incidencias online.

Suscríbase al canal de YouTube para recibir una notificación por correo electrónico cuando comience cada transmisión en vivo.

El horario de las transmisiones en vivo es: n Domingo de Ramos, 28 de marzo: 11 a.m. Misa n Martes 30 de marzo: 10 a.m.

Misa Crismal n Jueves Santo, 1 de abril: 7 p.m.

Misa n Viernes Santo, 2 de abril: 3 p.m.

Veneración de la Cruz n Sábado de Gloria, 3 de abril: 8 p.m. Vigilia Pascual El programa completo de los servicios de adoración de la Semana Santa y la Octava de Pascua se encuentra en el sitio web de la catedral, www. stpatricks.org.

En la catedral y en todas las demás parroquias de la diócesis, los protocolos de salud pública permanecen vigentes para reducir el riesgo de propagación del COVID-19, y la dispensa del obispo de atender obligatoriamente a Misa los domingos sigue vigente. Se anima a los fieles a que usen mascarillas LITURGIAS, PASA A LA PÁGINA 19

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iiiMarch 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

Las Siete Primera Palabra

Segunda Palabra

Acababan de levantar en alto a Jesucristo clavado en la cruz. Y es precisamente entonces cuando se alzan las grandes voces de blasfemias y de insultos, cuando los silbidos del pueblo se mezclan con las risotadas de los escribas y fariseos, cuando saboreando su triunfo lanzaron sus enemigos su reto definitivo: “¿Pues no eres tú el Hijo de Dios? Ahora tienes la ocasión de demostrárnoslo. ¡Baja de la cruz y entonces creeremos en ti y caeremos de rodillas a tus pies!”.

Y dirigiéndose a la chusma añadirían sin duda: “¿Ven cómo teníamos razón?, ¿Ven cómo no era más que un hechicero y embaucador?”.

Y precisamente entonces, cuando Jesucristo hubiera podido ordenar a la tierra que se abriera y hundir para siempre en el infierno a aquellos energúmenos, precisamente entonces, Jesús decía: “Padre, perdónalos porque no saben lo que hacen”. Y lo dice con inefable ternura, “Padre, perdónalos”.

Jesucristo nos reconoce culpables. Si no lo fuéramos no pediría perdón por nosotros.

El mundo no conocía el perdón. “Sé implacable con tus enemigos”, decían los romanos. El perdón era una cobardía: “ojo por ojo, diente por diente”. Era la ley del Talión la que todo el mundo practicaba.

Y sin embargo, el perdón es el amor en su máxima expresión. Es fácil amar, es heróico perdonar.

Pero hay un heroísmo superior todavía al mismo perdón, escuchar “no saben lo que hacen”.

Cuando odiamos sin detenernos a pensar por qué odiamos, cuando lanzamos palabras que hieren a los demás, cuando mentimos para salir adelante, cuando olvidamos nuestros compromiso de amar en las buenas y en las malas, cuando nos olvidamos de los seres que nos dieron la vida, cuando no estamos conscientes del dolor de los demás y no hacemos nada para remediarlo teniendo la manera de hacerlo, cuando destruimos los sentimientos de los demás, cuando no damos alimento al hambriento teniendo de sobra en nuestra mesa. Padre, ¿perdónalos porque no saben lo que hacen?

Jesucristo no solamente perdona, no solamente olvida, lo que ya sería heróico. Jesucristo excusa, ¡y esto ya es el colmo del amor y del perdón!, busca una circunstancia atenuante, como hubiera buscado una aguja en un pajar si pudiera hallarla entre sus verdugos.

No pudo encontrarla, puesto que pide perdón. Y para el que es del todo inocente no se pide perdón. Les reconoció culpables, pero ya que no podía encontrar la inocencia nos excusa y ofrece a su Eterno Padre una circunstancia atenuante: no saben lo que hacen.

Señor y Dios mío, que por tu amor agonizaste en la cruz para pagar con tu sangre la deuda de mis pecados, y abriste tus divinos labios para alcanzarme el perdón de la divina justicia, ten misericordia de todos los hombres que están pecando en estos momentos y de mi cuando me halle en igual caso. Y, por los méritos de tu Preciosísima Sangre derramada para mi salvación, dame un arrepentimiento tan intenso de mis pecados que experimente tu amor en el regazo de tu infinita misericordia.

Dice el Evangelio que a derecha e izquierda de Jesucristo fueron crucificados dos ladrones. Dos fascinerosos: el que luego resultó el buen ladrón, que era precisamente el que estaba a la derecha de Jesucristo, y el que resultó el mal ladrón, que era precisamente el que estaba a la izquierda del Señor.

Tal vez no les correspondía aquel día ser crucificados. Estaban condenados a muerte, pero seguramente hubieran sido ajusticiados después de los días solemnes de la Pascua. Pero, acaso para dar más brillantes al espectáculo de la crucifixión de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, fueron crucificados juntamente con Él.

Al principio quizá comenzaron a blasfemar los dos ladrones. El ladrón de la izquierda comenzó increpar a Jesús: “Si eres Hijo de Dios, baja de la cruz, sálvate a ti mismo, sálvanos a nosotros y entonces creeremos en ti”. Reacción normal y humana frente al sacrifico que estaban soportando.

Jesucristo escuchó en silencio esas blasfemias. A pesar del dolor, al sufrimiento por el martirio, con la fuerza del amor divino, volviendo la cabeza hacia la izquierda dirigió una suave mirada, llena de amor y misericordia hacia aquel desgraciado, y calló. ¡Qué sentimientos se desprenderían de Jesús hacia este hombre confundido y desesperado! Tal vez repitió para Él mismo la palabra del perdón, la palabra del perdón que acababa de pronunciar; “porque yo os he dicho antes que el Evangelio: Padre, perdónales, porque no saben lo que hace ni lo que dicen”.

En realidad, no tenía él toda la culpa. Lo estaba oyendo de sus jefes. Siempre el inductor es más culpable que el ejecutor material del crimen.

El otro ladrón, el de la derecha, al contemplar el heroísmo sublime de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, al escuchar el eco dulcísimo de su palabra de amor y de perdón, al ver de qué manera recibía aquella tempestad de insultos, risotadas y blasfemias, con el esfuerzo de encontrarse con su compañero halló la mirada de Jesús en el centro, y dirigiéndose al compañero, le dijo: “¿Ni siquiera a la hora de la muerte temes a Dios?”.

“Tu y yo estamos estamos bien crucificados porque hemos sido criminales, pero este que está aquí, en medio de los dos, nada de malo ha hecho. Este es inocente”.

Confesión humilde de sus culpas. Pero el ladrón continúa: “Acuérdate de mí”.

No le pide un lugar en el reino, no le pide un trono; no cree merecerlo. Qué bien había comprendido el Corazón de Cristo. Está seguro que su reino no es de este mundo. Cosa que el de la izquierda no entiende. Y Jesús, desde lo alto de la cruz, le contesta: “Hoy estarás conmigo en el paraíso”. ¿Quién podrá explicar el amor y la misericordia de Jesucristo, Redentor de la humanidad? Basta decir perdón para que en el acto se nos cierren las puertas del infierno y se nos abran de par en par las puertas de la gloria.

A veces, por nuestra desidia, incomprensión, orgullo, soberbia, vanidad, por la busca de comodidades, descuidamos purificar nuestra vida, olvidamos que somos peregrinos, que vamos a morir, que el reino de la vida verdadera no está aquí. Y por eso renegamos, blasfemamos, somos injustos con nosotros mismos, con la familia, los hermanos, y después echamos la culpa a los demás debido a nuestras insatisfacciones y desgracias.

No hay que mirar al suelo, no hay que mirar las desgracias de nuestra vida, sino hay que tomar con valentía la decisión de reconocer nuestros pecados y querer cambiar. Y en esta decisión volver la mirada a Jesús que con amor, paciencia y paz nos escucha. Él inmediatamente nos da la respuesta como al buen ladrón: “Hoy, esta tarde, ahora, estarás en mi Reino”.

Que así sea.

Padre, perdónalos porque no saben lo que hacen

— Diácono Enedino Aquino, Greensboro

Hoy estarás conmigo en el paraíso

— Padre José Juya, Iglesia San Miguel, Gastonia

Tercera Palabra

Madre, ahí tie Ahí tienes a

Estamos reflexionando sobre el aconte humanidad: el Dios hecho hombre clavad diciéndonos sus últimas palabras, que de nuestro corazón Junto a la cruz de Jesús estaban su m de Cleofás y María la Magdalena. Jesús, predilecto, dice a su madre: Mujer, ahí tie discípulo: Ahí tienes a tu madre. Desde a su casa. Juan 19:25-27.

Jesús antes de expirar quiere entrega los que piensan que la Virgen María tuvo tenido más hijos, Jesús no se la hubiera entrega a uno de sus discípulos, dice la E Y, curiosamente, no está el nombre de dando margen a todos, a ti, a mí, para qu no solo a nuestra casa sino a nuestro cor de imitar sus virtudes.

Jesús, María y el discípulo predilecto p Jesús no quiere dejarnos huérfanos. Por siempre con nosotros. Pero también ha q trata de un regalo muy especial, puesto significativo: poco antes de morir.

Llama la atención, como decía, que no predilecto. Tal vez para que cada uno de con tal que nos portemos como discípulo Hoy, al pie de la cruz, escuchemos a J los seres humanos: “Ahí tienes a tu mad Ojalá que también tengamos la actitud María a nuestra casa y tratando de imita Hagamos una pequeña oración: Señor a María como madre. Gracias porque ella maternal del Padre celestial. Capacítano su ejemplo, pues María es tu primera dis Palabra y ponerla en práctica.

Santísima Virgen María, gracias porqu mano y condúcenos a Jesús. Consígueno y unos oídos de discípulos. Amén.

Que Dios los Bendiga.

— Padre Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar, Iglesia

HE COVER

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

Palabras

enes a tu hjo. a tu madre.

tecimiento más grande de la do en la cruz, a punto de expirar. Y está ebemos guardar en lo más profundo de

madre, la hermana de su madre, María viendo a su madre y al lado al discípulo enes a tu hijo. Después le dice al aquel momento el discípulo se la llevó a

ar lo más grande que tiene. Discúlpenme o más hijos físicamente. Si hubiera dado al discípulo más querido. Se la Escritura “al discípulo que más quería”. el discípulo. ¿Por qué? Porque nos está ue aceptemos a María y nos la llevemos, orazón, a nuestro diario vivir tratando

protagonizan este bello momento. r eso envía su Espíritu, que estará querido regalarnos a su Madre. Se que lo hace en un momento muy

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Cuarta Palabra

Quinta Palabra

Septem Verba en latín es la denominación convencional de las siete últimas frases que Jesús pronunció durante su crucifixión, antes de morir, tal como se recogen en los Evangelios canónicos. Los dos primeros, el de Mateo y el de Marcos, mencionan solamente una, la cuarta. El de Lucas relata tres, la primera, segunda y séptima. El de Juan recoge las tres restantes, la tercera, quinta y sexta. No puede determinarse su orden cronológico.

La Cuarta Palabra, “¡Dios mío, Dios mío!, ¿por qué me has abandonado?”,”¡Elí, Elí! ¿lama sabactani? refleja el momento más triste y desolador de la agonía de Cristo en el Gólgota como fue el abandono.

Esta palabra es una oración en el sufrimiento y en la soledad. Antes de morir se volvió a Dios como una plegaria llena de misterio. El que sufre puede convertir el sufrimiento en poderosa oración por las necesidades del mundo.

Jesús es Dios y hombre, y en el madero de la cruz revela su humanidad. Era el hombre de dolores, sufría como sufrimos los humanos.

El eco de su dolor llegó a todos pero no impresionó a sus enemigos, más bien gritaban con audacia sacrílega: “Caiga su sangre sobre nosotros y sobre nuestros hijos”. Pudo más el odio y la rabia desbordada que la queja divina, los intereses religiosos pervertidos que el llamado a la consolación y a misericordia.

Sabemos que las palabras de Jesús desde la cruz no son un discurso, una arenga política, una simple denuncia de un abuso sobre un inocente. No, son una oración, una oración cargada de compasión y misericordia, una oración con un profundo contenido humano y espiritual, una llamada a la búsqueda del bien y al combate decidido contra el mal. Jesús ora desde la cruz por todos, ora al Padre por nuestra salvación.

“Dios mío, Dios mío, por qué me has abandonado”, es el clamor de tantos hombres y mujeres en el mundo víctimas de la persecución, el hambre, el abuso, el desamparo. El clamor del hombre ante el abandono de los gobernantes injustos que no respetan sus derechos, de los patrones que no pagan justo salario, de las instituciones que pisotean los derechos humanos.

Más que un grito de dolor es un llamado a la esperanza.

No es el desespero de Jesús, no es la “noche oscura” de Jesús. Es un llamado sentido a fortalecer la esperanza, la esperanza en Aquel que es la misericordia infinita, al que tiene el poder para deshacer el sufrimiento y convertirlo en alegría y paz. Jesús, al sentirse abandonado, nos quiere enseñar que en este mundo está a la puerta de la vida el sufrimiento que nosotros vemos como desgracia, pero que Él nos enseña a verlo como el camino para encontrar al gran alivio, la dicha de sentirse renacido, revitalizado; la dicha de la novedad, del gran levantamiento en Jesús resucitado.

Dios mío, Dios mío, no nos abandones en nuestro camino por este mundo lleno de peligros, de atentados contra la vida, pero especialmente contra nuestra vida espiritual, apartándonos de Ti, único bien, llevándonos por las liviandades y gozos contaminantes del pecado.

En esta palabra de tu Hijo queremos descubrir tu divina presencia compasiva y misericordiosa para sentirnos acogidos, protegidos y llenos de gozo en el camino de conversión, de vuelta decidida a tu amor.

Amén.

Oh buen Jesús, estoy aquí, ¿puedes verme? Estaba aquí cuando te tomaron para ser flagelado. Estaba aquí cuando te trajeron nuevamente y preguntaron a quién deberían dejar libre.

No quiero confrontar. Quiero ser parte de la multitud. Es más seguro cuando permanezco anónima, cuando nadie me mira o pone atención. Soy una completa cobarde.

Por donde te estoy siguiendo puedo ver tu rostro. Es difícil reconocerlo, pero sé que eres Tú. He pasado largos momentos contigo y te he escuchado. Y ahora no estoy haciendo nada para detener lo que está pasando.

Aún la cruz que vas cargando tiene tu sangre. Has santificado el madero con tu sangre. Y yo, que he sido santificada con tu presencia y palabras, estoy escondida en esta multitud.

Jesús, ¿puedes verme?, ¿nos puedes ver?

Pareciera que cargar esa cruz está tomando toda tu energía y fuerza. He visto cuando aquella mujer salió de la multitud y trató de limpiar tu rostro. Vi como la miraste. ¿Qué viste en sus ojos?, ¿te miró ella a ti?, ¿qué pudo ver ella en tus ojos?

Te vi mirando a todas aquellas mujeres que estaban gritando muy fuerte.

Estoy llorando al ver cómo te van empujando fuertemente y sin compasión.

Pero mis lágrimas son cobardes y en silencio.

Jesús, todavía estoy aquí subiendo la montaña con la muchedumbre. No tengo el valor, y sin embargo no quiero dejarte. He mirado como te arrancan tus vestiduras. Puedo ver que te han puesto allá arriba de la montaña, horriblemente colgado en una cruz.

No pude escuchar las palabras que aquel criminal te dijo, ni lo que tu respondiste. Pero vi su rostro, y pude darme cuenta que fue reconfortado por lo que le dijiste. ¡Tú siempre eres tan compasivo! Y esto es tan equivocado, ¡todo esto que te está pasando! ¡Acabo de escuchar nuevamente tu voz! Dijiste, “Tengo sed”. El soldado ha puesto una esponja mojada en un palo. ¡Estás muriendo en una cruz! Jesús, ¿qué estás diciendo?, ¿qué nos estás tratando de decir?, ¿por qué o por quién estas sediento? Tus palabras me hacen temblar. ¡Odio lo que te han hecho! Te miro y puedo ver que tus ojos nos miran con compasión. ¿Qué es lo que miras al vernos a todos nosotros aca abajo? ¿De qué estas sediento? ¿Estás sediento por nosotros? ¿Estás sediento por nuestras almas? ¿Estás sediento por nuestras vidas en el mismo momento, en el último momento, en que se te va la tuya? No sé por lo que estas sediento.

Quisiera poder hacer algo por ti. Soy una gran cobarde. Estás allí salvándome, y ¿qué estoy haciendo yo por ti?

Me siento tan vieja, tan cansada y débil. ¿Qué estoy haciendo por ti en este tiempo, en mi tiempo?

Tu sacrificio es, a la vez, siempre presente y eterno. Estás sediento por mí, por cada uno de nosotros, por todos nosotros, por nuestra salvación, por nuestras almas. Puedo verlo en tus hinchados ojos. Pienso que puedo entender ahora bastante de lo que nos has dicho. ¿Por qué tuvo que pasar esto? Tus palabras están escritas en mi corazón.

Oh Jesús mío, humildemente pido tu gracia para estar sedienta por las almas de todos aquellos que has puesto bajo mi cuidado, tal como como tú estás sediento en este momento.

¡Dios mío, Dios mío!, ¿por qué me has abandonado?

Tengo sed

— Diácono Darío García, Hickory — Hermana Juana Pearson, Salisbury

15

16

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Las Siete Palabras Sexta Palabra

Séptima Palabra

Todo se ha consumado

Cuando somos niños, en la catequesis aprendemos que somos creados con un propósito. La primera pregunta que recuerdo del programa catequético, que me quedó grabada en el corazón, es ¿para qué fin nos ha creado Dios?

Dios nos ha creado para mostrar su bondad y que participemos de la gloria eterna en el cielo.

Cada uno de nosotros está invitado a participar de ella con nuestro Dios.

De igual manera, el Señor Jesús recibió una misión, un llamado. Pero, a diferencia de nosotros, el Señor no fue creado y sabemos que vive desde el principio con Dios. Sin embargo, al nacer de María, recibe una misión, que es la de asegurarnos un espacio para que cada uno de nosotros goce de la vida eterna.

En la palabra del día de hoy, el Señor resume toda su misión al decir que todo se ha cumplido.

Yo imagino que en la mente y corazón de Jesús están pasando un sinfín de ideas, de recuerdos que le hacen, en ese momento tan crítico, decir “todo se ha consumado”.

Pienso que el Señor está recordando momentos difíciles y especiales de toda esa misión que le fue dada desde el momento en que el Ángel se le aparece a nuestra madre y, en el vientre puro de ella, comienza a crecer aquel hombre que ahora miramos en la cruz.

Creo que Jesús también reflexiona sobre lo que vivió en el seno de esa familia de Nazareth, la formación que recibió de sus padres y los momentos especiales, como el bautismo que recibió de Juan. Pienso que Jesús trae a su mente el rostro de Juan, de los espectadores, y también le viene a la memoria esos momentos

Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu

cuando fue tentado y tuvo que ser fuerte para llegar a su meta.

Pienso que Jesús recuerda a los amigos que encontró en el camino, a sus discípulos, a las mujeres y hombres con los que compartió sonrisas, milagros y tantas otras cosas hermosas.

Ahí culmina toda esa misión del Señor, esos tres años de ministerio y toda su vida anterior.

El Señor llega a ese punto y le dice a su padre que todo se ha cumplido.

En estos momentos, doy gracias a Jesús porque no se echó para atrás en el momento de su vida cuando fue tentado, cuando estuvo cansado pero sabía que su misión era ganar el cielo para nosotros.

Esta frase de Jesús nos debe hacer pensar en nuestra propia misión. ¿Cómo vamos con la misión que Dios nos ha dado?

Cuando somos bautizados recibimos una misión como cristianos, cuando recibimos el Sacramento de la reconciliación recibimos una misión específica ese día, cuando recibimos la Eucaristía cada domingo el Señor nos vuelve a recordar que tenemos una misión. Cuando recibimos el Sacramento del matrimonio o cuando el sacerdote recibe las Sagradas Órdenes también recibe una misión especial.

Ya estamos a punto de llegar al momento cúlmen. Reflexionemos si podremos decirle nosotros al Señor: “la misión se ha cumplido”.

Que el Señor los bendiga y que sigamos juntos este camino de conversión. Amén.

Una de las penalidades impuestas al hombre a causa del pecado original es que su cuerpo morirá. Después de haber sido expulsado del paraíso terrenal, Adán, por primera vez, se encuentra con la muerte de su hijo Abel.

Adán le habló a Abel, pero éste no le contestó.

Le levantó su cabeza, pero enseguida, al soltarla, se desplomó. Sus ojos muy fijos y fríos.

Entonces Adán se acordó que la muerte era la pena del pecado. Era la primera muerte en el mundo. Ahora, el nuevo Abel, Cristo, asesinado por la raza de Caín, volvía a la casa del Padre.

La sexta palabra desde la cruz era hacia la Tierra, la séptima hacia Dios. La sexta era una despedida del tiempo, la séptima era el comienzo de su Gloria.

El hijo pródigo regresaba a casa. Treintitrés años atrás había salido de la casa del Padre a una tierra lejana y extraña en este mundo. Aquí, en el mundo, empezó a derramar su sustancia, las riquezas divinas de sabiduría y poder. En su última hora, su carne y su sangre eran entregadas por los pecadores. No había nada más que recibir, excepto burlas, ultrajes y el vinagre de la ingratitud humana. Él entró en sí mismo y se preparó para tomar el camino de regreso a la casa del Padre. Y, al hacer esto, salió de sus labios la oración

perfecta: “Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu”. Él no dijo, “en tus manos encomiendo mi cuerpo”. Mateo 10:28 nos dice que no tengamos miedo de aquellos que pueden matar el cuerpo pero que no pueden matar el alma; más tengan miedo de los que pueden matar el cuerpo y el alma. Es por eso que los mártires de la Iglesia no tenían miedo de morir.

Este mundo nos dice que somos seres humanos viviendo una experiencia espiritual. Y es todo lo contrario, somos seres espirituales viviendo una corta experiencia humana, de carne y hueso, que tarde o temprano terminará.

Estas palabras no fueron dichas en un acto exhaustivo, agotador, como un hombre lo hace en el último suspiro de su vida. Él ya había dicho que nadie le quitaría su vida, más que Él la entregaría por nosotros.

La muerte no llegó, le tocó el hombro y le dio un aviso de partida. Él fue a encontrar la muerte para enseñarnos que Él no moriría en un acto exhaustivo, sino que por su propia voluntad y en un acto de amor por nosotros.

Padre, en tus manos recomendamos nuestro Espíritu.

— Diácono Sigfrido Della Valle, Smoky Mountain

— Antonio García, Asheville

Lecturas Diarias 28 MARZO-3 ABRIL

4-10 ABRIL

Domingo (Domingo Domingo (Domingo de de Ramos): Marcos Pascua): Hechos 10:34a, 11:1-10, Isaías 50:4-7, 37-43, Colosenses 3:1-4, Juan Filipenses 2:6-11, Marcos 20:1-9; Lunes: Hechos 2:14, 14:1-15, 47; Lunes: 22-33, Mateo 28:8-15; Martes: Isaías 42:1-7, Juan Hechos 2:36-41, Juan 20:11-18; 12:1-11; Martes: Isaías Miércoles: Hechos 3:1-10, Lucas 49:1-6, Juan 13:21-33, 24:13-35; Jueves: Hechos 3:1136-38; Miércoles 26, Lucas 24:35-48; Viernes: Santo: Isaías 50:4-9a, Hechos 4:1-12, Juan 21:1-4; Mateo 26:14-25; Jueves Sábado: Hechos 4:13-21, Marcos Santo: Isaías 61:1-3a, 16:9-15 6a, 8b-9, Apocalipsis 1:5-8, Lucas 4:16-21; 11-17 ABRIL Viernes Santo: Isaías Domingo (Domingo de la ‘Cristo con la cruz a cuestas’, 52:13-53,12, Hebreos Divina Misericordia): Hechos óleo sobre lienzo de Vecellio Di 4:14-16, 5:7-9, Juan 18:14:32-35, 1 Juan 5:1-6, Juan Gregorio Tiziano. Sevilla, Italia 19, 42; Sábado (Vigilia 20:19-31; Lunes: Hechos 4:23(1490-1576). Imagen cortesía del Pascual): Génesis 31, Juan 3:1-8; Martes: Hechos Museo del Prado, Madrid.

1:1-2, 2, Génesis 22:1-18, 4:32-37, Juan 3:7-15; Miércoles: Éxodo 14:15, 15:1, Isaías Hechos 5:17-26, Juan 3:16-21; 54:5-14, Isaías 55:1-11, Jueves: Hechos 5:27-33, Juan 3:31-36; Baruch 33:9-15, 32, 4:4, Ezequiel 36:16-17a, Viernes: Hechos 5:34-42, Juan 6:1-15; 18-28, Romanos 6:3-11, Marcos 16:1-7 Sábado: Hechos 6:1-7, Juan 6:16-21

Our schools

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Longtime educator named head of Bishop McGuinness High School CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

KERNERSVILLE — A veteran educator with roots in the Triad has been appointed the new leader of Bishop McGuinness High School.

Dr. Jared Rashford will start as head of school in June, succeeding George Boschini, who has served as interim principal for the 2020-’21 school year.

Rashford has more than 20 years of experience in both independent and public schools as a teacher, researcher and administrator – a career that began in the Triad.

While pursuing his master’s degree in education at Wake Forest University, Rashford completed his student teaching at Mt. Tabor High School in Winston-Salem.

Dr. Gregory Monroe, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Charlotte, welcomed Rashford in an announcement March 13: “His evident commitment to his faith, award-winning career, energy and success in leading Catholic, public and independent education programs made it clear he is the right leader to carry forward the excellent traditions of our storied school and elevate Bishop McGuinness to the next level.”

Rashford returns to North Carolina after serving most recently as associate headmaster at St. Louis Priory School, a Catholic school for boys in St. Louis, Mo. There he oversaw the school’s program of study and offices of admissions, athletics, college counseling, communications and technology. Over seven years, he Rashford also served as the school’s dean of academics and principal.

Rashford said he and his wife Amanda are thrilled to be returning to the Triad, where they began their family life together 22 years ago. The Rashfords, who have five children, were members of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem and served as core team members for the parish’s youth ministry program.

“I am humbled and grateful to serve as the next head of school at Bishop McGuinness,” Rashford said.

“From the moment I walked on campus and throughout my visit, I experienced the school’s deep sense of community and continued commitment to excellence.

Bishop is known for its strong tradition of providing an outstanding education in the areas of academics, athletics, the arts, and numerous extracurricular opportunities.”

In recent months, Rashford has been working as a consultant in educational design, management and curriculum. Previously, he was science department chair and a faculty member at Winchester Thurston School, an independent college preparatory school in Pittsburgh.

He also worked as a teacher of science and gifted-andtalented programs at public schools in Atlanta.

He holds a doctorate in teaching and learning from Georgia State University, as well as bachelor’s degrees in biology and Spanish from Duke University.

Rashford was selected after a rigorous national search led by a committee of parents, pastors, education leaders, an alumnus and a long-time benefactor, and guided

by Carney Sandoe & Associates, a national company specializing in recruiting Catholic school leaders.

Bishop McGuinness is one of three high schools in the diocese’s school system. The regional high school, which serves multiple parishes in the Triad, has 422 students this year – up more than 12 percent from two years ago.

“With Bishop being the region’s only Catholic secondary school,” Rashford said, “I am excited to work collaboratively with the Catholic Schools Office, Bishop (Peter) Jugis’ leadership team, faculty and staff, and the alumni community to advance its mission of developing students holistically and equipping them to live and serve our world in a spirit of peace, love and justice.”

17

Students ‘beyond excited’ as Asheville Catholic School construction nears end SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

ASHEVILLE — Asheville Catholic School is in the home stretch of a $3.9 million construction project. Diocesan and school officials estimate the new, 12,000-square-foot addition will be completed around the end of May. The year-long building project featuring a six-classroom addition is being funded in part by a $2.5 million school capital campaign, a $390,000 St. Eugene Parish “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign rebate and a $475,000 FFHL grant to the school.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ASHEVILLE CATHOLIC SCHOOL During recent Catholic Schools Week celebrations, students in preStudents pose after touring the new addition to Asheville Catholic School. kindergarten through the second grade were given a tour of the new primary school wing, Miller noted that the building is well on its way to wearing donated hard hats that were then theirs to keep. completion by late May or early June, and that exterior “We made sure each student got to enter the classroom finish work is being completed as well as interior painting. in which they’ll be learning next year, as well as the He hopes to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony when the other spaces, such as the art room and common area. construction project is completed.

The students were beyond excited and can’t wait to be in “We all want to express our gratitude to all of those their new classrooms when school starts in August,” said who made pledges to help us fund this project. God’s Principal Mike Miller. work is truly flowing through them!” he said.

A HEART OF GOLD

Sacred Heart School endowment honors beloved ‘Mr. T’ SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

SALISBURY — Within the Sacred Heart School community there is a longtime staff member so beloved that a special endowment has been set up in his name.

The new John Michael Thompson Endowment Fund – honoring the man everyone at the school calls simply “Mr. T” – will give more students the opportunity to receive a Catholic education through tuition assistance.

“Over the years, Mr. T has inspired and touched the lives of so many students and families in our school community,” said Camile Denhard, the school’s operations manager. “Always staying positive and focused on the teachings of the Gospel, Mr. T is an example of an incredible Catholic role model for our entire community.”

The endowment is made possible by donations to the Sacred Heart Catholic School 1882 Fund. Named for the year when the roots of Sacred Heart School were planted in Salisbury, the fund is an annual giving program to support and enhance all aspects of the school community, including academics, leadership, technology, arts, athletics, financial aid and professional development.

According to Denhard, this year’s 1882 Fund campaign far exceeded its $82,000 goal, bringing in $150,405. Proceeds of 18.82 percent, more than $28,306, are being used to launch the John Michael Thompson Endowment Fund.

Father Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, is excited for this opportunity to help build an endowment that will be used for tuition assistance.

“Catholic education has meant so much to me personally, to this parish and to the Church in the U.S.,” he said. “And whatever we can do to help our young people get in here, with the financial realities that are there, whatever we can do to assist families, we are striving to do it.”

And, he added, “We couldn’t name the endowment after a better person than Mike Thompson.”

Principal Tyler Kulp attests to Thompson’s

engagement with the school community, recalling that in addition to his faithful assistance at the school for the past 37 years, “Mr. T is famous for writing cards to students, alumni and staff for their birthdays or special events that happen in students’ lives.”

“This endowment will provide tuition assistance for students in years to come,” Kulp said, “so his legacy will be remembered forever. Mr. T has always made the difference in students’ lives and now will continue to provide students an opportunity for a Catholic education.”

Former student Gianna Patella noted, “Growing up going to Sacred Thompson Heart, I always heard stories about Mr. T and how amazing a man he was.

I never fully understood how special he was until I was finally old enough to have him as a teacher. He is the person who taught me the most about my faith, not only through books and worksheets, but in his actions as well.

Mr. T is a prime example of what it means to be a true, devoted Catholic, and I am honored to say that I had the opportunity to be his student.”

So what does Thompson have to say about the new endowment?

He is gratified because of how the money will be used, he said. “A joy will come to both God and myself knowing that students in need will have the opportunity to receive a Catholic education.”

Create an endowment Interested in setting up an endowment at your parish or Catholic school? Establish an endowment in the Diocese of Charlotte Foundation by leaving a bequest in a will, a beneficiary designation from a retirement plan, a gift of real estate, a gift of life insurance, cash or securities sufficient to set up an endowment, or a life income arrangement such as a trust or annuity. For details, contact Gina Rhodes at 704-3703364 or gmrhodes@charlottediocese.org.

Mix 18

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters 2009 book, scripted by Justin Malen, gently promotes a balanced sense of openness on the part of grown-ups and reminds viewers of the value of spending family time together, having fun but also celebrating each other and ritualizing important moments. Brief suggestive material, a single crass term.

CNS: A-II (adults): MPAA: PG

‘The Father’

‘Yes Day’ At the suggestion of a teacher (Nat Faxon), a onceadventurous and fun-loving couple (Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramírez) who fear they have become overly strict parents offer their children (Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner and Everly Carganilla) the experience of the title, a 24-hour period during which the kids make the rules and their elders have to agree to every request – within reasonable limits, of course. The experiment starts off well, but results become raucous and relationships strained. Director Miguel Arteta’s adaptation of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld’s

While this drama has nothing new to say about the challenges of dementia, it does present the difficulties resulting from that illness in an innovative way. In adapting his play with co-screenwriter Christopher Hampton, director Florian Zeller portrays the mental confusion of a man in his 80s (Anthony Hopkins) by keeping the viewer off-balance as well. Thus Hopkins’ character sometimes sees different women (Olivia Colman or Olivia Williams) as the daughter with whom he lives. And he’s often taunted by a strange man (Mark Gatiss) who announces that he also lives in their London apartment. Skillfully understated performances by Hopkins and Colman make this a deeply moving experience, especially for anyone who has cared for an elderly parent at home. Though some may see the proceedings as having a somewhat polite veneer, the protagonist is never violent, only fearful like a child, the film is admirably courageous in other respects, delving into moral depths and laying bare family relationships. Mature themes, fleeting coarse language.

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

On TV n Friday, March 26, 11:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “St. Francis of Assisi.” A docudrama about the life of St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced everything for God. n Saturday, March 27, 8 p.m.

(EWTN) “Charbel.” An intimate biography of St. Charbel Makhluf, a Lebanese monk known as a healer and miracle worker. Living a solitary life, he dedicated himself fully to sharing and humility, uniting both Christians and Muslims. n Sunday, March 28, 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday from Rome with Pope Francis.” Pope Francis celebrates the Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday from Vatican City in Rome. It’s followed by a live presentation of the Angelus, a special devotion commemorating the Incarnation. n Monday, March 29, 5:30 p.m.

(EWTN) “Built on Faith: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” A look inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. n Saturday, April 3, 11:30 a.m.

(EWTN) “Redeemer.” Dramatic

presentation follows Jesus through the last days of His life. n Sunday, April 4, 5 a.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday: Solemn Mass of Easter from Rome.” He is risen! Pope Francis celebrates the Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday in Vatican City, and gives a traditional address and blessing to the city of Rome and to the world. n Sunday, April 4, 2 p.m.

(EWTN) “Hill Number one.” The Korean War, and the battles that ensue, are correlated to Christ’s crucifixion on Golgotha; a dramatic re-mix of biblical and historical elements. Featuring James Dean. n Sunday, April 4, 7 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday from Rome.” He is risen! Pope Francis celebrates the Solemn Mass of Easter Sunday in Vatican City, and gives a traditional address and blessing to the city of Rome and to the world. n Sunday, April 4, 8:15 p.m.

(EWTN) “Voice of the Pastor.”

EWTN’s exclusive interview with Cardinal-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, now Pope Francis.

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March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

MOMS FROM PAGE 8

and friendship to vulnerable pregnant women in addition to practical items and resources. That’s the “walking” part of the ministry.

So far, two expectant mothers have been referred to them by Sidewalk Advocates for Life, which Father Ascik volunteers with, and two others have come under their care.

The ministry is helping the mothers secure what they need for themselves and their babies – everything from diapers and baby clothes to cribs and car seats – as well as connecting them with resources for other possible needs such as legal help, housing, financial aid and counseling.

“Perhaps more importantly, we offer them friendship and prayer,” Scanlon emphasizes. “Support and encouragement go a long way towards helping them to have the confidence to utilize the resources available. Even though we have just started this work, we have already heard that the support and care they feel from our community have been life-giving.”

Reyna is one of the mothers who recently received help thanks to St. Matthew’s new ministry. She used to think abortion would solve all her problems, she says. “But who I am to decide for the life of a little one?

Specifically, when this little one is my own one?”

SEMANA SANTA VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 13

y Muerte del Señor. Es triste ver que en el viacrucis cientos de personas se congregan y al Servicio Litúrgico muy pocas personas llegan, muchas veces ni las que actuaron el viacrucis llegan.

Esto es algo completamente erróneo que tenemos que ir purificando en todas nuestras comunidades, y yo les invito a ustedes a ser esa sal de la tierra y esa luz del mundo.

El Sábado Santo celebraremos la Vigilia Pascual. Es decir, con toda la Iglesia estaremos esperando ese momento tan hermoso de la Resurrección del Señor y todos nosotros, los que ya vamos conociendo un poco más de lo que significa la importancia de la Resurrección, deberíamos estar allí presentes. Los primeros cristianos esperaban con ansias este día y lo celebraban con gozo y devoción. Se recibía a los hermanos que se iban convirtiendo y eran bautizados, y se esperaba la medianoche en la cual Cristo

LITURGIAS VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 13

faciales, mantengan una distancia segura entre grupos familiares y se laven o desinfecten las manos con frecuencia.

El aforo en los servicios interiores puede estar restringido para garantizar un distanciamiento seguro, por lo que los feligreses deben consultar la página web de su parroquia para obtener detalles sobre las inscripciones y otros.

Según la guía emitida por el Vaticano, se permiten las procesiones públicas para el Domingo de Ramos y la Vigilia Pascual, pero los participantes deben observar un distanciamiento seguro entre los grupos de familias. El rito del lavado de pies debe

A Sidewalk Advocates for Life volunteer, whom God “put on my way to the abortion clinic at Hebron, spoke to me about other options and solutions while I was walking to have an abortion,” she recalls.

Reyna is grateful to that person and to all the people who have been praying for her and providing the help she needs to provide for her child.

“I want to tell them thank you because now I have my baby with me, and for showing me there is a solution and God talks through them to me. We have everything the baby needs, and we are forever grateful,” she says.

“Please keep talking to other women considering abortion and helping them through this journey,” she adds.

Liliana Cabada Salas from St. Matthew Respect Life Ministry has been in touch with the volunteer who is accompanying and helping Reyna directly. Salas believes she and her fellow volunteers with “Walking with Moms in Need” serve as instruments of God’s love: “We are all like one big family now trying to help and offer a solution and show how big is the love of our God!”

Learn more At www.walkingwithmoms.com: Learn how to start “Walking with Moms in Need” at your parish. Questions? Contact Melissa Scanlon at melissavscanlon@gmail.com.

había triunfado sobre la muerte.

Ahora todo ha cambiado. Como es de noche, ponemos todas las excusas habidas y por haber para no ir a esta celebración.

Y todos esperamos hasta el domingo, abarrotando a tal manera las iglesias que la misma celebración se vuelve incómoda por tanta gente que llega. Yo les pido a todos ustedes hagan lo posible por participar en la Vigilia Pascual el sábado en la noche, aunque la Misa sea en inglés, y regocíjense con toda la Iglesia en este día tan maravilloso. “Esa es la noche en que Cristo, rompiendo las ataduras de la muerte, salió como Salvador y Redentor”, decimos en el pregón Pascual.

Esta Misa es ya válida para el domingo y así daremos también espacio a aquellos que todavía no han entendido la Resurrección y que vienen a visitar la iglesia en este día tan especial.

El domingo es una continuación de lo que empezamos el sábado, seguimos celebrando la Resurrección de Cristo y por eso las Misas se siguen ofreciendo en todas las iglesias del mundo entero.

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

omitirse durante la Misa de la Cena del Señor el Jueves Santo. El Viernes Santo, todos, excepto el celebrante, deben venerar la Cruz haciendo una reverencia o una genuflexión.

— SueAnn Howell, reportera senior

19

18th Annual

Catholic Charities extends our deepest gratitude to the parishes, companies, and individuals who generously provided matching gift funds for this year’s annual Partners in Hope virtual fundraising event that supports services provided in Forsyth, Guilford and surrounding counties.

Blanco Tackabery Holy Family Catholic Church St. Pius X Catholic Church St. Leo the Great Catholic Church Anonymous (2) David and Kathy Murray Silvia and Jose Rodriguez Vienna Village Anonymous Jerry and Janet Enos Greg and Vina Chase Gabby and Todd Greenwood David and Karen O’Brien The Tierney Family KPMG LLT

Anonymous

Jeanne and Tim McCulloch

Deacon John and Anne Harrison

Tom and Annie McKiernan

Patrick Michel, DMD PA

Bill and Kim Means

Dan and Bonnie Murphy

Heather and Chris Parker

Joe and Nancy Muster

Kathy and Joram Thomas

Liz and Kent Price

Kay Triplett

Mayra and Felipe Villalon

Chermak and Hanson Orthodontics

Yvonne Winters

Holy Cross Catholic Church

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Marco’s Car Wash and Lube

Barbara and Gerald Bryant

Maynard and Harris

Carolee and Tim Ronan

Let’s keep talking. ccdoc.org

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Priest in Kenya Partners With Cross Catholic Outreach To Provide Poor With Safe Water After more than 30 years in the priesthood, Father Fabian’s passion for sharing God’s mercy has only grown stronger. Originally from Ghana, he was first sent to Kenya by the Society of African Missionaries in 2002. It was there he discovered one of his life’s greatest callings: bringing water to people who had none.

“That is one of my biggest dreams.

Everyone should have access to clean and good water,” Fr. Fabian said.

Over the course of six years, Fr. Fabian has collaborated with Cross Catholic Outreach to complete water system projects for 83,000 people in 27 villages throughout the Diocese of Lodwar. More recently, through the Good Samaritan Water Sanitation Services nonprofit he created to expand his mission, other water projects are being undertaken to benefit the poor in other Catholic dioceses. [See story on opposite page.]

“Fr. Fabian has asked Cross Catholic Outreach to join him in an ambitious plan to bring safe water to a 275-mile stretch of land shared by the Diocese of Machakos and Archdiocese of Mombasa,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach.

“We have completed six water systems so far, blessing about 50,724 people in the region, and we hope to bring safe water to 10 additional communities in the months ahead.”

When Fr. Fabian first enters a new community to assess its situation, he begins by asking a simple question.

“You start by asking, ‘What do you need?’” Fr. Fabian says. “Most of the time water is the first on their list.”

According to Fr. Fabian, meeting

a community’s most critical need — water — is the perfect way to share the love of God. One benefit is the way Fr. Fabian works through local parishes, empowering priests to care for their communities by overseeing water projects and appointing village water committees. This strengthens the relationship between the people and their parish, and many experience a deeper understanding of the abundant life that is available to them in Christ.

Many immediate benefits become apparent once communities gain access to clean water. Improved health and

Fr. Fabian was appalled by the muddy water sources families were using, and he sought help from Cross Catholic Outreach to drill wells and install improved water systems.

Working together, they hope to expand these efforts even more this year.

restored faith are often two of the first blessings to reveal themselves.

“It saves the lives of most of these children. It also helps the spirituality of the people, giving them time to go to church,” Fr. Fabian explained.

“Priests call thanking you, saying, ‘You can’t imagine how many people

are attending Mass!’”

There are other spiritual blessings that come from these projects too. According to Jim Cavnar, U.S. Catholics who help fund the work through Cross Catholic Outreach often share their enthusiasm for supporting mission work and say the experience gives them a greater appreciation for the impact of Catholic charity.

“Most American Catholics want to be more involved in helping the poor in developing countries, but they want to do something specific and meaningful like this,” said Cavnar. “I’m sure they will rally to help Fr. Fabian with the work he has planned — and that they

will be blessed by the experience if they do.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach water programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01607, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis.

Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Legacy Giving Provides Catholics With Unique Opportunity To Bless Others If you are like many Catholics born in the 1950s or before, you have probably begun to think about the spiritual legacy your life and actions represent. What did we care about? What did we value?

These are some of the things we hope will be remembered.

“For a growing number of Catholics, this introspection has led to the exploration of ‘legacy giving’ — the use of one’s will, trust, retirement plan or life insurance policy — to leave behind a blessing for others that will reverberate beyond their own lifetime, hopefully

influencing their family and others they cherish,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, an official Catholic relief and development charity with staff dedicated to such estate planning.

According to Cavnar, Cross Catholic Outreach has helped many Catholics establish these legacy gifts and expects them to play a significant role in future ministry missions.

“A will or trust can also reflect a person’s special heart for a country or for an area of need. It can be used to

build houses for poor families or to build classrooms to educate children, for example,” Cavnar said. “Others simply want to help the poorest of the poor and make their legacy gift for that purpose.

It’s their way of saying, ‘As a Catholic, I value life and support works of mercy.

I want my family to understand that calling and believe in it too.’ And because legacy gifts can be quite large, they often achieve incredible things. A single one might build an entire school or fund the construction of hundreds of homes. It’s producing an amazing impact

and serves as an incredible testament to the faith of the giver.”

In addition to this service, Cross Catholic Outreach’s staff can also support donors seeking to establish a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust or special endowment. Financial planners can also obtain information to help those who seek professional counsel or have donor-advised funds.

To learn more about these services, the charity recommends readers visit its special online portal at CrossCatholicLegacy.org.

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U.S. Catholics Are Blessing the Poor in Kenya

by Addressing Their Urgent Need for Safe Water Gladys Mghoi is helping to raise her grandchildren in Mokine, a small village situated in the Archdiocese of Mombasa. Every morning, she wakes up at around 4 a.m. to start the long and arduous process of collecting water for the day.

“In Gladys’ simple home, there is no tap to turn to get a supply of water.

She lives in an impoverished village, and like most everyone else there, she must travel to a distant source to get the water her family needs,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a leading relief and development charity assisting Catholic missions in Africa. “It’s tragic, but water scarcity is common in many parts of Kenya. People in remote areas tend to be desperately poor, and their villages have no infrastructure to supply water. To get what they need to survive, they face a lot of hardships.”

In Gladys’ case, quenching the thirst of her grandchildren means a walk of nearly 2 miles to a dry riverbed. There, villagers have dug a hole that allows water to seep up from the ground. It is a slow process, so Gladys and the others who come to the spot often have to wait in line more than an hour to fill their containers with muddy water from the pit.

The walk home with this “reward” is also a challenge because the jerrycan she uses can become very heavy when it is full.

Because of Gladys’ age and health, her older grandchildren usually assist with this exhausting process. When they do, it disadvantages the family again.

Water collection often takes so long the children either arrive late to class or miss school altogether.

According to Cavnar, solving the water scarcity problem is a priority for Cross Catholic Outreach because a lack of clean water has a negative impact in so many areas of a poor family’s life.

“One of our biggest concerns is the poor quality of the water they currently collect,” he said. “The muddy stuff is often tainted with bacteria, parasites and the chemical runoff from local farms.”

Gladys is aware of this threat too, but since there is no alternative, she sees no other way to proceed.

“We collect water which is very, very dirty, and then it will become very difficult for us and very unhealthy for our consumption,” Gladys admitted.

“This water is very dirty. It is very murky. At the same time, because we

Gladys Mghoi and her grandchildren face tremendous challenges obtaining their daily water supply. They currently walk far to collect contaminated water — because they have no other option. With the help of the Church, this hardship can end. have no option, we have to drink it the way it is.”

As bleak as this situation may seem, Gladys and her neighbors have a reason to feel hopeful. A local priest has become aware of the village’s hardships and is working to provide relief through a partnership with Cross Catholic Outreach. If this project is successful, the challenges she faces in collecting water may soon be over.

“Our goal now is to get the financial backing of U.S. Catholics to fund this special project,” Cavnar said. “If they respond generously, and I believe they will, we can ensure Gladys and her grandchildren have safe water to drink for many years to come.”

Addressing specific needs like this is what Cross Catholic Outreach was founded to accomplish. For nearly 20 years, the Catholic ministry has partnered with a local Catholic priest, religious sisters or missions to solve the problems of the poor.

“U.S. Catholics have been very interested in helping the poor using our approach because they like funding specific needs and supporting the local Catholic clergy,” Cavnar said. “They

want their donated dollars to have a profound and lasting impact, so water projects are the kind of outreach they like best. Providing safe water addresses many needs — from quenching thirst to restoring health to supporting educational goals. In this case, it will also bring long-awaited relief to precious people like Gladys.”

The grandmother confirmed that fact as she explained yet another reason she sees the proposed water project as a blessing.

“It is not very safe for me to collect water as an elderly person, but since there is no alternative, we have to

risk our lives,” Gladys explained.

“Sometimes because of my weakness, I can fall down. Sometimes there are also wild animals [such as] hyenas in the area.”

These risks will also be eliminated when the water project is completed.

“I can’t imagine the joy Gladys will feel when that tap is installed and the clean water flows freely. But I do know one thing — she and the others in her community will praise God,” Cavnar said. “And what a joy it will be for us too. There’s nothing more gratifying than serving as instruments of God’s mercy!”

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01607, PO Box 97168, Washington DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause.

If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

21

Our nation 22

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishops: Relief will help many; lack of Hyde protections ‘unconscionable’ JULIE ASHER CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law March 11 by President Joe Biden, will provide relief to Americans in need amid the pandemic, but it lacks “protections for the unborn,” the U.S. bishops said.

Their March 10 statement quickly followed U.S. House passage of the measure in a 220-211 vote. After the Senate passed its version of the bill March 6, it was sent back to the House where members reconciled its changes with the version they approved Feb. 27. It then went to Biden for his signature.

In a joint statement, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the chairmen of six USCCB committees praised “positive provisions” that “will save people from extremely desperate situations and will likely save lives.” But they called it “unconscionable” that Congress passed the bill “without critical protections needed to ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars are used for life-affirming health care and not for abortion.”

Unlike all of the previous pandemic relief bills, Hyde Amendment language was not included in this measure. It outlaws federal tax dollars from directly funding abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered.

In addition to Archbishop Gomez, the committee chairmen who signed the statement are: Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Committee on International Justice and Peace; Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, Calif., Committee on Catholic Education;

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, La., Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism; and Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington, Committee on Migration.

“As the American Rescue Plan Act was being written, Catholic bishops reached out to every House and Senate office to express our support for providing additional relief to help poor and vulnerable people who are most at risk of harm from this pandemic, and our strong conviction that this relief should also protect the unborn and their right to life,” they said.

“We are grateful this legislation addresses many positive provisions, including unemployment assistance, child and earned income tax credit enhancements, nutrition funding, vaccine distribution funding, health care funding, housing assistance, international assistance to regions stricken by COVID, conflict and hunger,” they said.

But “unlike previous COVID relief bills,” the bishops said, “sponsors of the American Rescue Plan Act refused to include the long-standing, bipartisan consensus policy to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding abortions domestically and internationally.”

Hyde Amendment language “was needed because this bill includes many general references to health care that, absent the express exclusion of abortion, have consistently been interpreted by federal courts not only to allow, but to compel, the provision of abortion without meaningful limit,” the bishops said. “The many important, life-saving provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act have been undermined because it facilitates and funds the destruction of life, which is antithetical to its aim of protecting the most vulnerable Americans in a time of crisis,” they added.

In remarks after its passage, Biden said the American Rescue Plan Act “represents a historic, historic victory for the American people. I look forward to signing it later this week.”

“Everything in the American Rescue Plan addresses

a real need – including investments to fund our entire vaccination effort. More vaccines, more vaccinators and more vaccination sites,” he said.

No Republican in the House or Senate voted for the bill. Two House Democrats joined their Republican counterparts to vote against it Feb. 27; in the final House vote, one Democrat rejected it.

The measure includes $17 billion for vaccine-related activities and programs and $110 billion for other efforts to contain the pandemic; $130 billion for public schools; and $143 billion to expand child tax credit, child care tax credit and earned income tax credit mostly for one year.

Other provisions include $45 billion to temporarily expand Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years and subsidize 2020 and 2021 coverage; $25 billion for grants to restaurants and bars; $7 billion to allow more loans under the Paycheck Protection Program; $6 billion to increase nutrition assistance; and $350 billion for states and localities.

The bill also provides for checks of $1,400 to go to individuals who earn up to $75,000 a year and heads of households earning $112,500; married couples earning $150,000 will get $2,800. Eligible dependents, including adult dependents, also would each get $1,400.

It expressly provides $50 million for family planning, but as the bishops noted in their statement, and other national prolife leaders have said, funding allocated in other provisions can be used for abortion. It directs billions to state and local governments, $219 billion and $130 billion, respectively, “to mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from” COVID-19. Because the Hyde Amendment is not applied to these funds, state and local governments could use the money to pay for abortion and abortion providers in the name of “responding to or mitigating the public health emergency,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

Icons & Iconography Have you ever wondered about icons? What is the tradition behind them? Why are they “written” and not “painted”? What materials are used to create them? What are some of the techniques and spiritual disciplines involved?

Confirmation Coordinator Middle School Youth Minister St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, NC is seeking a full-time Confirmation Coordinator / Middle School Youth Minister who will be responsible for planning and facilitating middle school youth ministry events and weekly sessions.

The individual also coordinates all aspects of the sacrament of

Father Damian Higgins (Ukrainian Rite) is the abbot of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Redwood Valley, California. He has created icons and led workshops for many years, including here at the Rock Hill Oratory. In a live on-line session, he will answer those questions and show us some work in progress.

Please join us on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) No charge, but donations accepted and appreciated.

Registration for Icons & Iconography may be made in one of the following ways: Through the Oratory website: www.rockhilloratory.org Go to Center for Spirituality / Events OR By email to oratorycenter@gmail.com with Icons & Iconography in the subject line.

If you have any questions, please contact the Center at the above email address.

Confirmation, including Confirmation Masses. The position is supervised by the Director of Faith Formation.

For a complete job description please visit: catholicnewsherald.com/jobs To apply please submit a cover letter and resume to Leanne Vaccaro, Director of Human Resources, at leanne.vaccaro@stmarknc.org.

Position open until filled.

ROCK HILL ORATORY Center for Spirituality LEARN, PRAY, GROW

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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In Brief Catholic leaders decry violence targeting Asian Americans WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the days following the March 16 shootings in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six Asian American women, protests and vigils took place around the country remembering the victims and calling for an end to a growing wave of anti-Asian racism and violence. Two Jesuit universities, St. Louis University and Georgetown University, held vigils online that also included discussion on challenges faced by the Asian American/Pacific Islander community and ways to better advocate for them. Catholic bishops and women religious also spoke out against the violence and renewed their calls to end racism. “We must support all victims of violence and stand in solidarity with those who are vulnerable in our communities,” said Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer in a March 17 statement.

House passes two immigration bills with citizenship provisions WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives approved two separate immigration bills March 18, clearing an initial hurdle for two groups seeking a path toward citizenship: younger unauthorized immigrants called “Dreamers” and migrant farmworkers.

Both measures passed in the House along party lines, for the most part, with but will face greater opposition in the U.S. Senate. The

U.S. bishops were among those from various faith-based organizations voicing support for the bills. The American Dream and Promise Act for unauthorized immigrants has enjoyed strong backing in the past as it seeks to provide young adults brought to the country illegally as children a path toward citizenship. All House Democrats voted for it, and nine Republicans voted with them. It passed 228-197. The bill would similarly benefit immigrants in the country under the Temporary Protected Status. The Farm Modernization Workforce Act passed 247-174; 30 Republicans voted for it and two Democrats opposed it. It would allow farmworkers to earn legal status and later they also can apply for permanent residency by showing prior employment and continued work in agriculture.

Va. bishops: Allowing unlimited abortion is ‘deplorable policy’ RICHMOND, Va. — By signing a measure that inserts abortion without limits into Virginia’s health benefits exchange, Gov. Ralph Northam “has crossed yet another tragic threshold,” said the heads of the state’s two Catholic dioceses.

“We decry the enactment of this deplorable policy, which is built on the destructive lie that abortion is health care,” Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Richmond Bishop Barry C. Knestout said in a joint statement March 12. The health exchange is a virtual marketplace created under the federal Affordable Care Act, and through it an estimated 240,000 Virginians access their health plans, the bishops explained. “Under state law for the past decade, plans participating in Virginia’s health exchange were prohibited from covering most abortions. This fundamentally pro-life provision undoubtedly saved many lives. Starting July 1 of this year, however, that provision will be eradicated from our law. Consequently, and tragically, health plans in the exchange will be allowed to cover abortions for any reason.”

— Catholic News Service

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Our world 24

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Post-pandemic world must learn from mistakes, pope says While the world won’t be the same after the pandemic, Pope Francis insists men and women can turn ‘this time of trial’ to ‘a time of wise and farsighted choices for the good of all humanity.’

JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The uncertainty and death brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic can be an opportunity for humanity to reflect on how to build a better world, Pope Francis said in a new book.

“The world will never be the same again.

But it is precisely within this calamity that we must grasp those signs that can prove to be the cornerstones of reconstruction,” the pope said.

The book, titled “Dio e il Mondo che Verra” (“God and the World to Come”), was written with Italian journalist Domenico Agasso and published by the Vatican publishing house March 16.

The pope denounced the manufacturing and trafficking of weapons where large sums of money are spent “that should be used to cure people and save lives.”

“It is no longer possible to pretend that a dramatically vicious cycle of armed violence, poverty and senseless and indifferent exploitation of the environment has not crept in,” he said. “It is a cycle that prevents reconciliation, fuels human rights violations and hinders sustainable development.”

The world instead must be “fraternally united” to face common threats without resorting to “counterproductive recriminations, the exploitation of problems, shortsighted nationalism, propaganda,

isolationism and other forms of political selfishness,” the pope said.

And while the pope said the world won’t be the same after the pandemic, he insisted men and women can turn “this time of trial” to “a time of wise and farsighted choices for the good of all humanity.”

“The path toward salvation for humanity passes through the rethinking of a new model of development, which has as an indisputable point the coexistence of peoples in harmony with creation,” he said.He also said that changing the inequitable distribution of resources does not involve “a downward equalization” depriving people who are better off now, but instead means giving “broader rights” to those who are marginalized.

Pope Francis also highlighted the need for protecting the environment through “sustainable behavior” that ensures that the Earth is no longer used “as a storehouse of resources to be exploited.”

“If we don’t roll up our sleeves and immediately take care of the Earth, with radical personal and political choices, with an economic turned toward ‘green’ (technology) and directing technological developments in that direction, sooner or later our common home will throw us out the window,” the pope said.

Asked about the burden of economic recessions laid primarily upon women, the pope highlighted the need for the presence

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Francis prays in front of the “Miraculous Crucifix” from the Church of St. Marcellus in Rome during a prayer service in an empty St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 27, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. of women at “the center of social, political, employment and institutional renewal processes.”

He also denounced discrimination against women “in terms of pay and work or by losing their jobs.”

The world, Pope Francis said, “cannot overlook the fact that the rebirth of humanity began with woman. From the Virgin Mary salvation was born, that’s why there is no salvation without the woman. If we care about the future, if we desire a flourishing tomorrow, we must give the right space to the woman.”

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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everyone, no matter their situation in life.

“Nobody must ever be excluded from the pastoral care and love and concern of the Church,” he said during the online conference to present details of the “Amoris Laetitia Family Year,” which started March 19.

In Brief

Ministry to families must meet their real needs, pope says

Vatican says no blessing gay unions, no negative judgment on gay people VATICAN CITY — While homosexual men and women must be respected, any form of blessing a same-sex union is “illicit,” said the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in a statement published March 15. The statement was a response to a question from priests and lay faithful “who require clarification and guidance concerning a controversial issue,” said an official commentary accompanying the statement. The response to the question, “Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?” was “Negative.” “It is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage – i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life – as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex,” the doctrinal office said in an explanatory note accompanying the statement.

While such unions may not be blessed, people may still receive a blessing as individuals, the statement said. Pope Francis approved both the statement and the note for publication.

Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, emphasized during a Vatican news conference March 19 that while the Church cannot bless unions that are not sacramental marriages, the Church will always welcome and accompany

VATICAN CITY — The Church cannot claim to safeguard marriage and family life if it simply repeats its traditional teaching without supporting, encouraging and caring for real families, especially when they struggle to live up to that teaching, Pope Francis said. “It’s not enough to repeat the value and importance of doctrine if we don’t safeguard the beauty of the family and if we don’t compassionately take care of its fragility and its wounds,” the pope said March 19 in a message to a Rome conference marking the fifth anniversary of “Amoris Laetitia,” his 2016 exhortation of marriage and family life. The conference, sponsored by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, the Diocese of Rome and the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and Family, kicked off celebrations of the “Amoris Laetitia Family Year,” which will conclude June 26, 2022, at the World Meeting of Families in Rome. Pope Francis told conference participants that his exhortation was meant as a starting point for a “journey encouraging a new pastoral approach to the family reality. The frankness of the Gospel proclamation and the tenderness of accompaniment,” he said, must go hand in hand in the Church’s pastoral approach.

Pope elevates Ireland’s Knock Shrine to international status DUBLIN — Pope Francis has elevated the

Your Life’s Journey…

National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock to the status of an International Shrine of Eucharistic and Marian Devotion. In a March 19 message from the Vatican, Pope Francis described it as an “important moment in the life of the shrine” and “a great responsibility.” With all churches in Ireland closed to public worship under Level 5 COVID-19 restrictions, the pope’s message was relayed to an empty Apparition Chapel at Knock Shrine, where Mass was concelebrated

by Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam and Knock’s rector, Father Richard Gibbons. The Mass was livestreamed. Speaking in Italian, Pope Francis said the designation would mean always having “your arms wide open as a sign of welcome to every pilgrim who may arrive from any part of the world, asking nothing in return but only recognizing him as a brother or a sister who desires to share the same experience of fraternal prayer.” Paying tribute to the Irish faithful he said: “You have been a missionary people. We cannot forget how many priests left their homeland in order to become missionaries of the Gospel. Nor can we forget the many lay people who immigrated to faraway lands but still kept their devotion to Our Lady.”

Pope says he, too, kneels on Myanmar streets, begging for end to violence VATICAN CITY — As security forces in Myanmar have increased their crackdown on civilians, with disappearances, detentions and the killing of peaceful protesters, Pope Francis appealed for an end to violence and the start of dialogue. “Once again, and with much sorrow, I feel compelled to mention the tragic situation in Myanmar, where so many people, especially young people, are losing their lives for offering hope to their country,” the pope said at the end of his weekly general audience March 17.

Without mentioning her name, the pope recalled

the iconic gestures of Sister Ann Nu Thawng, who made headlines when photographs were published of her kneeling before police seeking to shield peaceful protesters and of her extending her arms begging police not to shoot or hurt anyone. “I, too, kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, ‘Stop the violence,’” Pope Francis said. “I, too, spread wide my arms and say, ‘Make way for dialogue.’” Bloodshed “resolves nothing,” he said, repeating his call for dialogue to begin.

Vatican ends practice of priests celebrating Mass alone in St. Peter’s VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is putting an end to the practice of priests going into St. Peter’s Basilica early every morning to celebrate their own Mass at a side altar with just an altar server. Concelebrated Masses still are permitted, as are Masses in the chapels in the grotto of the basilica for pilgrim groups that arrive with a priest or bishop. The Code of Canon Law allows priests to concelebrate and says, “They are completely free to celebrate the Eucharist individually, however, but not while a concelebration is taking place in the same church or oratory.” Every day in St. Peter’s Basilica, between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., several priests can be found at different altars celebrating a Mass without a congregation.

Because there is no preaching or singing without a congregation, the Masses usually last less than 20 minutes each and then another priest may celebrate at the same altar. A letter dated March 12 and initialed by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the Vatican substitute secretary for general affairs, said that beginning March 22 “individual celebrations (of the Mass) are suppressed.”

— Catholic News Service

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ViewPoints 26

catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Jesuit Father John Michalowski

Dr. Tod Worner

The present you want is not the gift you need

S

ome time ago, in the feverish throes of buying a book for a good friend’s birthday, I had an epiphany.

Wrapping the book in colored paper and neatly nestling it in the gift bag, my wife asked me what I had purchased. After naming the book and smiling at my own thoughtfulness, my wife quipped, “Ah. You bought him a gift, not a present.”

Momentarily flummoxed, I had to ask her what she meant. “Well,” she explained, “a gift is something you want them to have; a present is something they actually want.”

Well, who knew there was a difference? Not Merriam-Webster, whom I quickly consulted in my defense. Nonetheless, my wife’s sentiment has always stuck with me.

I have discovered that I spend a lot of time asking God for presents, while deflecting His many gifts. “Would you do this for me?” I implore. “Here is what I want,” I insist. “Clearly, this is what I am supposed to do, so will you expedite it for me?” I reason. For some odd reason when it comes to what is best for me, I am convinced that I am all-wise and all-knowing. “Gimme these presents, God,” I gingerly demand. Gimme, gimme, gimme.

Only, this is not the way God operates. God is interested in what is best for us even when it runs counter to what we think is best for ourselves.

And we know a thing or two about this, don’t we? We don’t let our young children eat whatever they want, go to bed at a time of their choosing, and talk in whatever tone they feel best edifies their point. We also don’t casually allow our teenagers to use drugs, drive at breakneck speeds, or ignore curfew when they are having a grand old time. Do our children lack the understanding that, during their formation, we may know what is best for them? Perhaps. But they – like us – are creatures in possession of free will and appetite who reason that they, in fact, are right. “This,” they argue, “is the way I want it. This is the way it should be.” Like me at times, they are prone to say, “Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

They want my presents (the things they themselves want) more than my gifts (the things I want them to have).

God loves us infinitely (dwarfing even the endless love we have for our own children), and He wants what is best for us. And so He must form us.

The tricky thing about formation is that, as smart as I think I am, I cannot form myself. I once heard a gentleman say, “There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns.

That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” Our path of holiness, from heights of pure sublimity to depths of dark suffering, is littered with “unknown unknowns.”

Left to my own navigation, I am forever wayward; I want what feels good and what will grant me good advantage on my own terms. But that, my friends, is not the path to holiness. I simply don’t always know or want what is best for me, so I need God to help me understand or to foster my faith when I can’t understand. I must be open to God’s formation. I must open myself to God’s gifts.

This Lent, in the midst of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, I am reminded of the need to discern the difference between presents and gifts, between what I want and what I need. And I am assured that, in the midst of my modest suffering and privation, what I once insisted was necessary wasn’t so necessary after all, and what I received from God instead was not only good enough, but was perfect in His plan.

So what does it take for us accept the gifts God gives in our lives? First, we must love God. As the Source of the true, the good, and the beautiful, we should follow the advice of G.K. Chesterton to “let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” Second, we must trust. As Father Cavanaugh told the despondent Rudy in the movie of the same name, “Son, in 35 years of religious study, I’ve come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I’m not Him.” Finally, we must be humble and open before God so we may hear ourselves called, as Parker Palmer writes, “to be the (people we were) born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given (us) at birth by God.” Initially, my wife’s insight about gifts and presents rankled me. After all, the book I bought my friend was perfect for him (at least that’s what I told myself).

But God’s gifts, however unexpected or even undesired, are perfect. Because they are given out of the pure and unadulterated love of a Father to His child. It is now up to us, as Father James Schall would say, “to leave space for gifts” and return God’s love with faith and gratitude.

DR. TOD WORNER is a husband, father, Catholic convert and practicing internal medicine physician.

His blog, “Catholic Thinking,” is found at Aleteia.org.

He also writes for Patheos (“A Catholic Thinker”) and the National Catholic Register. Follow him on Twitter @thinkercatholic.

How do we respond to the poor Lazarus?

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member of the 20s-30s group at St. Peter knows the poor Lazarus by name. Like many Church and I have been involved in a of the poor, he put his faith in God even Teen Lenten Program through video though the world had abandoned him. Now conferencing. The topic is Jesus’ saving Lazarus has found rest in heaven, where God questions.

Although we don’t always grasp the meaning and purpose in scripture, Jesus often asks people questions, such as “What do you want?” and “Who do you say that I am?”

Recently, our group considered another of these questions: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36) That question summed up the readings and psalm from the Thursday of the Second Week of Lent. The key reading from Luke 16:19-31 is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. It raises the stark question: Can you gain just about everything that the world says is important, only to have nothing to show when you come before God at the end of your life?

The rich man in the Gospel appears to have everything – a fine house, the best clothes, terrific food and fine wines, servants, and plenty of friends to dine with him. He has it made, except that when he dies he is the poorest The Rich Man and Lazarus (The Parables of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) by John person for he has no Everett Millais (1864), on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York good deeds and no love to show God. The only one that he really loved was himself. “will wipe every tear from their eyes, and In a way, he was blind for he did not see the there shall be no more death or mourning, poor Lazarus, the person that he walked by wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed on his way into his house each day. The rich away” (Rev 21:4). He has found new life in man, whose name was probably embroidered heaven, resting in the bosom of Abraham. As on his fine linen, was so insignificant in the psalm response says, “Blessed are they God’s eyes that he has no name. As the who hope in the Lord.” prophet Jeremiah says to God, “He is like a As we continue our Lenten journey, let us barren bush in the wasteland ... a land, salty reflect on the question: “What does it profit a and uninhabited” (17:6). Or as the psalmist person to gain the whole world, only to lose would say, “the way of the wicked leads to oneself in the process?” May our prayer be: ruin.” (Ps 1:6). The rich man is lost – not “Lord, help me to find myself and others in because of what he did, but, as we say in the You.” Confiteor, because of what he failed to do.

He was more than able to help, but he did JESUIT FATHER JOHN MICHALOWSKI is the parochial vicar nothing. of St. Peter Church in Charlotte.

Yet God hears the cry of the poor. God

March 26, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Proposed Equality Act attempts to impose an unequal, unscientific, unjust reality

Father Peter Ascik

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n equals sign is a useful tool in math.

It tells us that two quantities have the same value and can be treated in the same way. An equals sign gives us important information. But it can also be used incorrectly. You can’t make two different quantities the same just by putting an equals sign between them.

Nothing will make “a” equal to “b” if “a” is 2 and “b” is 5. In that case, putting an equals sign between the two would be deceiving, and if you obeyed the equals sign and tried to treat the two unequal quantities as if they were the same, you would make mistakes.

Equality is not just a concept in mathematics. It is an important concept in social life, where it is often used as a synonym for social justice. But just as in More online mathematics, simply invoking the concept At www.usccb. of equality in social org/equalitylife cannot make two act: Learn different things the more about same, any more than the proposed Equality Act and putting an equals take action with sign between two and five can make those your elected quantities the same. officials.

There is a bill currently before the U.S. Senate which uses the concept of “equality” in a mistaken way. It is called the Equality Act, and it would rewrite federal law to mandate that someone who identifies as male or female – regardless of their biological sex – must be treated as if they were biologically male or female in all areas of public life. This would impose a false equality between two unequal realities.

The law assumes that a person’s “gender identity,” or subjective belief about being male or female, can be entirely separated from – and even contradict – his or her biological sex. Such an idea requires a complete rejection of biology – a person’s true gender identity would have to be in conflict with the genetic code in every cell in his or her body. Medical experience illustrates the contradictions here – even those who undertake cosmetic surgeries to “transition” to the opposite sex must often

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take hormones for a lifetime to suppress their body’s natural function.

In contrast, the teachings of the Catholic faith are in harmony with scientific reason: the human person is an indissoluble unity of body and soul. Our souls and our bodies cannot be in conflict over something as essential to our personal identity as gender.

The biological sex of the body has deep meaning for the person. As Pope Francis has written, “Valuing one’s own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different. In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment” (Laudato Si’, 155).

The ideology that separates gender and biological sex makes both realities unintelligible. Having negated the biological basis of sex, the theory struggles to even define the concept of gender. It tends to absolutize superficial, secondary behaviors as the true essence of sexual identity. In this way of thinking, a desire to play with dolls or an attraction to pink clothing in a young boy can be considered strong evidence that he identifies as female. A young girl’s interest in sports or roughhousing can be considered evidence that she identifies as male. Gender ideology thus reinforces reductive stereotypes about the personal and social meaning of being male or female, hindering our ability to accept and appreciate the opposite sex.

The Equality Act also promotes social injustice. There are good reasons that we make some social distinctions between men and women based on the differences of their bodies. One is the need for physical privacy. The bathroom, the locker room, and the dressing room are places where men and women need privacy so that they do not have to worry about their bodily differences being sexualized.

The Equality Act explicitly removes the right to privacy in these spaces, opening their doors to anyone who subjectively identifies as that sex. As there is no way to independently verify a person’s claim to be transgender, such standards will be ripe for abuse. The text of the law provides no way to determine a person’s true “gender

Letter to the editor

Abortion should not be used as wedge issue I begin by stating unwaveringly: I do not agree with or condone abortion.

Yet I would like to point out that in his 2013 apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” Pope Francis stresses the importance of mercy and everyday acts of holiness over a narrow focus of judgment or spiritual worldliness.

He condemns those “who ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style from the past” (94). He repeats this warning in his 2018 apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et exsultate.”

Opposition to abortion is a very important aspect of our Catholic faith. It should not be used as a wedge issue or replace a wider concern for social justice. We were not created to be single-issue Catholics. Life in the womb is sacred, just as is life outside the womb.

JANE FRANCISCO is a member of St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte.

identity” except by their own assertion.

Another area where biological differences make a difference is in sports.

Under this law males will be allowed to compete in women’s sports, even when their different physical development would put them at an unfair advantage.

Transgendered women who are biologically male have already begun to set records in women’s sports at various levels.

This is another unjust violation of a social space where reasonable distinctions are made based on biological differences.

The Equality Act will have a profound effect on education. The law would effectively make gender ideology the public philosophy of the United States. Anyone who does not embrace the new standard will be subject to the same legal penalties under federal law that are applied to public racial discrimination. Schools will be affected if they receive any kind of federal aid, even for individual students. Parents will not only be deprived of the right to an educational environment which respects their beliefs but could even be at risk of being charged with civil rights violations and losing custody of their children for refusing to cooperate with a child’s desire to “transition.”

There are no exemptions for religious freedom in this legislation. Quite the contrary. The Equality Act explicitly says that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, a key federal law which protects the rights of Americans to live by their faith, shall not be a basis for exceptions to this new law.

This means that the authors of the Equality Act and those who vote for it are going out of their way to make sure that religious citizens are forced to leave behind their beliefs whenever they enter public life.

Medical professionals will not be able to opt out of participating in gender transitioning treatment and surgery. Faithbased charities such as adoption and foster care services and even women’s shelters would be forced to apply the standards of the law to their work or risk losing federal funding. This would directly impact the people they serve. The skeptical attitude of the law toward people who have religious

convictions is clear. For instance, the bill explicitly calls the tenet that marriage is between a man and a woman a “sex stereotype,” treating one of the longheld core beliefs of Christians, Jews and Muslims as if it were a bad sexist joke.

The Equality Act is an attempt to dramatically curtail the freedom of anyone who disagrees with gender ideology to continue to live according to their beliefs. But the law also fails to serve the very people it claims to protect. The bill promotes the falsehood that fulfillment and happiness can be found by rejecting the biological sex God made us and by rejecting God’s plan for sexual relations.

The Catholic Church recognizes that some people experience genuine discomfort with their biological sex.

The Church does not deny or dismiss the experience or the distress of these people. They are not guilty of a sin simply because they experience these feelings. But the Church loves us enough to tell us the truth, and so the Church affirms that acting on a desire to “transition” to the opposite sex either socially or physically will not bring a person happiness or fulfillment. The elevated levels of psychological and social distress experienced by individuals with transgender feelings – distress which tends to persist even after attempts to “transition” – underscores this truth.

Peace can only be found by accepting the order that God has put in creation, the order that God calls His creatures to live by.

The Equality Act is an attempt to impose a legal “equals sign” between two realities that are not the same – the reality of being biologically male or female and the subjective experience of identifying with the opposite sex. The bill makes no more sense than putting an equals sign between two and five. The gender theory behind this bill is purely ideological. It is not scientific.

It is not realistic. It is not compassionate. It is not the truth. It cannot form the basis of a just society, and it must not be imposed on our country through federal law.

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

Most-read stories on the web Through press time on March 24, 26,902 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 33,455 pages.

The top 10 headlines in March have been: n Bishop Jugis offers guidance on COVID-19 vaccine...............................................................................................................2,988 n Why celebrate St. Joseph?............................................................................................................................................................. 1,573 n Sisters of St. Joseph retiring from 2 Triad schools.................................................................................................................. 1,212 n The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist............................................................................................................................... 629 n Solemnity of St. Joseph celebrated March 19.............................................................................................................................580 n Where to watch Mass online............................................................................................................................................................. 456 n 33-day consecration to St. Joseph starts Feb. 15......................................................................................................................444 n Proposed Equality Act attempts to impose an unequal, unscientific, unjust reality....................................................... 366 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald.....................................................................................................321 n Longtime educator named head of Bishop McGuinness High School...................................................................................197

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catholicnewsherald.com | March 26, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD