April 9, 2021

April 9, 2021

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Sarah Quintana’s shining moment Special-needs eighth-grader swishes threepointers in two games

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‘We celebrate with joy’ INSIDE: Easter celebrations commemorate new life in Christ, hope beyond pandemic

8-9, 12-15, 18, 20-21 Music for a sacred space Our Lady of Grace organ, music director to be featured in acclaimed concert series

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‘A new moment is dawning for all of us’ Joyful Chrism Mass brings priests of the diocese together for first time since pandemic began 13 Misa Crismal reunió a sacerdotes de la diócesis por primera vez desde inicio de pandemia 10

Our faith

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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EARTH DAY 2021 Quotes on some of the main themes in ‘Laudato Si’

This is a rare earth open-pit mine in Mountain Pass, Calif., Jan. 30, 2020. Rare earth metals are used in many devices that people use every day: cell phones, computer chips, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent lighting and more. Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home,” encourages “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet.”

Impacts of the market on the environment: “Once more, we need to reject a magical conception of the market, which would suggest that problems can be solved simply by an increase in the profits of companies or individuals. Is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention” (190).

CNS | STEVE MARCUS, REUTERS

‘Laudato Si’ A summary of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical

L

KEVIN COTTER FOCUS

audato Si” is Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on the environment, or more formally, “On Care for Our Common Home.”

“Laudato Si” means “Praise be to you,” taken from the first line of a canticle by St. Francis that praises God with all of His creation.

Normally, papal documents are addressed to bishops or the lay faithful. But, similar to St. John XXIII’s “Pacem in Terris” (“Peace on Earth”), Pope Francis addresses his message to all people.

His goal: “I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation that includes everyone, since the environment challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all” (14).

Pope Francis also has a very striking call to conversion for those in the Church as well: “The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion. It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment. Others are

passive; they choose not to change their habits and thus become inconsistent. So what they all need is an ‘ecological conversion,’ whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (217).

“Laudato Si” is a worldwide wake-up call to help humanity understand the destruction that man is rendering to the environment and his fellow man.

While addressing the environment directly, the document’s scope is broader in many ways as it looks at not only man’s impacts on the environment, but also the many philosophical, theological and cultural causes that threaten the relationships of man to nature and man to each other in various circumstances.

The document is in many ways the epitome of Pope Francis. It is an unexpected topic. It presents Gospel truths. And it provides a challenge for every believer (and non-believers, too).

KEVIN COTTER is the executive director of programming at Amazing Parish. He previously served with Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for 11 years as a missionary and senior director of curriculum. This is adapted from a 2015 FOCUS blog post.

Learn more about Care for Creation CHARLOTTE — Did you know that caring for creation is part of Catholic Social Teaching?

This Earth Day, learn more about how environmental changes impact the most vulnerable among us, and how caring for creation promotes human dignity and peace.

All are invited to attend “Catholics & Creation Care,” an Earth Day event organized by St. Matthew Church’s Care for Creation Team, the Sisters of Mercy and other parishes in the

region. The event will be held starting at 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 22, with both in-person and livestreaming options available.

The featured speaker is Dr. Catherine Wright, a St. Matthew parishioner, author and founding member of the parish’s Care for Creation Team.

Wright recently completed an interactive guide to Pope Francis’ second encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.”

The in-person event will be held at St. Philip

Neri Church, located at 292 Munn Road in Fort Mill, S.C. To register for the in-person or livestreamed event, go to the parish’s website at www.saintphilipneri.org and click on “St. Philip Neri Catholic Social Teaching Ministry” on the homepage.

For more information, go online to www. stmatthewcatholic.org/creation or contact karagogreen@gmail.com.

— Catholic News Herald

False belief in technology: “There is a tendency to believe that every increase in power means ‘an increase of “progress” itself,’ an advance in ‘security, usefulness, welfare and vigor; …an assimilation of new values into the stream of culture,’ as if reality, goodness and truth automatically flow from technological and economic power as such.

The fact is that ‘contemporary man has not been trained to use power well,’ because our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values and conscience.

Each age tends to have only a meager awareness of its own limitations. It is possible that we do not grasp the gravity of the challenges now before us” (105).

Global warming: “A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. In recent decades this warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events, even if a scientifically determinable cause cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it” (23).

Science and technology as a belief system: “It can be said that many problems of today’s world stem from the tendency, at times unconscious, to make the method and aims of science and technology an epistemological paradigm which shapes the lives of individuals and the workings of society.

The effects of imposing this model on reality as a whole, human and social, are seen in the deterioration of the environment, but this is just one sign of a reductionism which affects every aspect of human and social life” (106).

The environment and the poor: “The human environment and the natural LAUDATO SI, SEE PAGE 17

Daily Scripture readings 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, Colossians 3:1, John 3:1-8; Tuesday (St. Martin I): Acts 4:32-37, John 3:14-15, 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, Matthew 4:4b, John 6:1-15; Saturday: Acts 6:1-7, John 6:16-21

APRIL 18-24

Sunday: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19, 1 John 2:1-5a, Luke 21:32, Luke 24:35-48; Monday: Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-29; Tuesday: Acts 7:51-8:1, John 6:30-35; Wednesday (St. Anselm): Acts 8:1b-8, John 6:35-40; Thursday: Acts 8:26-40, John 6:44-51; Friday (St. George, St. Adalbert): Acts 9:1-20, John 6:52-59; Saturday (St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen): Acts 9:31-42, John 6:60-69

APRIL 25-MAY 1

Sunday: Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18; Monday: Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26, John 10:2230; Wednesday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis Grignion de Montfort): Acts 12:24-13:5a, John 12:44-50; Thursday (St. Catherine of Siena): Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday (St. Pius V): Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday (St. Joseph the Worker): Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14

Our parishes

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Sarah Quintana’s shining moment Vineyard of Hope virtual fundraiser set for April 22 CHARLOTTE — Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte invites everyone to attend its “Vineyard of Hope” virtual fundraising event, set for 6:307:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22.

The fundraiser – a critical source of support for Catholic Charities in the Charlotte region – is being held online this year due to public health restrictions on in-person gatherings.

Through the virtual event, people will be able to gather online to celebrate and support Catholic Charities’ work in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.

The virtual event will feature speakers including Bishop Peter J. Jugis and Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Vineyard of Hope participants will also hear from keynote speaker Luis Lobo, Truist Bank executive vice president and multicultural banking manager; Sandy Buck, Charlotte region director; and Dr. Gerard Carter, Catholic Charities’ executive director and CEO. Two annual awards will be given: the Fruit of the Vine Award, which will be given to John R. McLaughlin, Jr.; and the Volunteer of the Year Award, which will be given to Mike and April Buttner.

People who have participated in Catholic Charities’ programs will also share how their lives have been changed by the help they have received over the past year, thanks to the generosity of so many supporters and volunteers.

“Over this past year, we’ve witnessed the heavy toll of COVID-19 on the lives of so many people in the Charlotte metro area who come to Catholic Charities for assistance,” Carter said. “Because of the generous benefactors who contribute through Vineyard of Hope, we’re able to provide help and hope to those who are struggling.”

The April 22 virtual fundraising event aims to bring together parishioners, friends and clergy from across the Charlotte region to raise the funds necessary to provide support and relief to even more people and families continuing to struggle during the pandemic, he said.

“We are so grateful to all of our partners in carrying out the Church’s ministry of charity,” Carter said.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

Register now At www.ccvineyardofhope.org: Register and get more details about the 2021 Vineyard of Hope free virtual event

Special-needs eighth-grader swishes three-pointers in two games JOHN DELL WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

GREENSBORO — In a few years, when the girls from the Our Lady of Grace and St. Leo varsity middle school basketball teams think back to the games they played, the details are sure to be fuzzy or lost over time.

It’s a good bet, however, that they will remember when Sarah Quintana, a special-needs eighth-grade student at Our Lady of Grace, drained a three-point shot that had both teams standing and cheering.

Quintana made her three-pointer on March 23 and then did it again when the teams met at St. Leo in Winston-Salem a few days later. She took two more shots during that game and made both of those, too.

“It’s surreal,” said Sarah’s mother Amy. “It was just a God moment the other day when she made that shot.”

The scene for her first made basket in a varsity game came at OLG’s home gym. Because of COVID-19, no fans – not even parents – are allowed to attend games, but the games are livestreamed for the schools in the Piedmont Elementary Catholic Schools Athletic Association.

Late in the game with St. Leo leading by 20, Coach David Foppe and assistant coach Kaleb Money put Sarah in. On offense she set up in the right wing just behind the three-point line. When she got her chance, she took a pass, took a couple of dribbles and launched it: a left-handed shot that found nothing but net, a three-pointer for the ages.

Both teams celebrated, and Sarah raised her arms in triumph and let out a scream as she ran over to Foppe, looking for a hug.

Foppe, however, yelled for her to get back on defense, and she ran down the court still celebrating an accomplishment that, for her, was more than just a basket.

“It showed she’s like anybody else out here playing, and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” said Grace Galyon, a point guard for St. Leo. The St. Leo coaches – Grace’s mom Kate and her assistant coaches, Lisa Hodges and Erin Sherrill – understood that it was more than just a basketball game. It was a life lesson.

“To see her make that shot was special,” said St. Leo’s Audrey Cavanaugh, who was on the bench but jumped to her feet with her teammates when Sarah made the basket.

After Sarah made another shot at St. Leo on Saturday, both teams celebrated again, with St. Leo’s Grace Galyon hugging Sarah with the clock still running in a show of sportsmanship that is missing in a lot of youth sports competition these days.

Foppe said that one of the goals is to treat Sarah like any other teammate. She practices after school just like the rest of the players, attends meetings and does everything else that revolves around the team.

“She actually shoots the ball really well,” Foppe said. “It wasn’t luck that she made it, because she works on her shot a lot. And we were trying to get her closer to the basket so it would be easier, but she said she likes to shoot the long ones.”

Before Saturday’s game at St. Leo, Sarah was shown a video of her shot.

“That’s me,” Sarah said. “It was exciting, and I had fun.”

Sarah, who has been at Our Lady of Grace School since the fourth grade, has been a part of the school’s special-needs program PACE. Foppe’s eighth-grade daughter Maggie, one of Sarah’s friends, was thrilled when Sarah made the shot.

“At first, I wanted her to dribble in because I thought it was too far, but she proved me wrong,” Maggie said. “I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, she did it.’”

LIVING WITH TSC

Sarah lives with tuberous sclerosis complex, a rare genetic disease that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the brain and on organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs or even the skin.

She had brain surgery for TSC just before she turned 2, and her mother said doctors warned the family what could happen.

“They told us she may not ever be able to walk,” Amy said.

“Well, they obviously didn’t know how determined Sarah was because she’s done more than that.”

Her condition also causes epilepsy that she takes medicine to control. Sarah also has autism, but she has thrived since arriving in the fourth grade.

It was also in the fourth grade that Sarah went to a girls basketball camp at Northern Guilford High School – and fell in love with the game.

“Those high school girls at the time working the camp were so good to her because her attention can wander in a big way, so it was challenging,” Amy said. “But that’s kind of where she started and Coach Kim Furlough (the varsity girls coach at Northern Guilford) and her team were so welcoming to Sarah.”

Fast forward to last season at OLG, and Sarah asked about playing for the varsity, made up of seventh- and eighth-graders.

Sarah Quintana, a special-needs eighthgrade student at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, landed show-stopping threepointers in two recent games against St. Leo School.

JOHN DELL | WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

Her mom wasn’t so sure it would work out.

“We didn’t want to create undue distractions with Sarah being out there, and we just sort of asked the coaches, ‘Can she be on the team and be at practices?’” Amy said.

‘SHE JUST NEVER HAS A BAD DAY’

According to the OLG community and her mom, Sarah’s positive attitude is contagious.

“She doesn’t ever complain about anything and every day is a gift to her,” Amy said. “In her world I don’t even think she realizes she is any different than anybody else. She just keeps going no matter what.”

The epilepsy medication helps her not to have seizures. Sarah also gets MRIs every year to see whether more tumors have grown.

Most of those with TSC are benign, but her cognitive abilities have been affected. Through it all, however, she wears a smile underneath her mask.

One of the challenges as Sarah ages will be tumors that can grow on her kidneys or in her lungs and cause the need for transplants.

“There are always concerns with this,” Amy said.

For two hours at a stretch, Sarah will shoot baskets in the driveway at home when she’s not at practice. And she’s been known to shoot baskets in rain or snow.

That determined look she gets trying to make a basket was evident last week when she went an amazing 3-for-3 in two games.

“She’s never in a bad mood, and she cheers us on all the time,” said Maggie, who has known Sarah at OLG for five years. “And she just never has a bad day.”

Sarah got reminded about her made basket and was asked, “You know you are a superstar?”

Her reply was spot-on.

“Yes, I know,” she said.

— Reprinted with the permission of the Winston-Salem Journal.

UPcoming events 4

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: APRIL 9 – 10 A.M. Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

APRIL 16 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Therese Church, Mooresville

APRIL 12 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

APRIL 19 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Matthew Church, Charlotte

APRIL 21 – 6 P.M. Sacrament of Confirmation St. Elizabeth Church, Boone

Diocesan calendar of events April 9, 2021

CONFERENCES & CATECHESIS

Volume 30 • NUMBER 14

‘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.

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.

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

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

PRAYER SERVICES & GROUPS 33-DAY CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH: Just as Jesus and Mary entrusted themselves entirely to the care and protection of St. Joseph as the head of the Holy Family, so too can we follow their example. Consider making a consecration to St. Joseph using “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” by Father Donald Calloway, MIC. Starting the 33-day series of prayers on Sunday, April 11, would conclude on Thursday, May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Learn more at www.yearofstjoseph.org.

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 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.

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.

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND VIA FACEBOOK

Donations to Catholic Charities CHARLOTTE — In a remarkable partnership, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church) donated more than 10,000 pounds of food for families in need to the Catholic Charities food pantry in Charlotte March 25. The churches enlisted logistical help from Loaves & Fishes, a Charlotte nonprofit that also provides food for the hungry, which transported the food donation to Catholic Charities to distribute directly to people in need. The partnership was born last year as the pandemic hit and the Mormon Church was among those stepping up to help stock Catholic Charities’ Charlotte food pantry. The church grows its own food on farms for charitable distribution around the country, and counts more than 70 congregations in western North Carolina. Since the beginning of 2020, it has delivered more than 2 million pounds of food to the Carolinas from its main food production site in Salt Lake City. Other recent donations have included 104 Rubbermaid Easter “baskets” filled with items for the Charlotte food pantry, provided by families from St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, and hats and scarves for Catholic Charities to give people during food pantry distribution in Winston-Salem, provided by a confirmation student and sponsor from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point. During the pandemic, Catholic Charities has been serving people in need through its three food pantries in Charlotte, Asheville and Winston-Salem – last year providing 663,000 pounds of food to over 11,000 people.

At www.ccdoc.org: Learn more about how you can donate, volunteer or give to help Catholic Charities serve people in need across the Diocese of Charlotte

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI

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A father for our times Author of ‘Consecration to St. Joseph’ visits Greensboro parish in year dedicated to titular saint ANNIE FERGUSON CORRESPONDENT

GREENSBORO — It’s the Year of St. Joseph and, by extension, Father Donald Calloway, MIC. The Marian priest is the author of “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.”

The book has sold 500,000 copies in the year since it was published, and it has been translated into 15 languages. Father Calloway has been traveling for speaking engagements at least once a week ever since Pope Francis declared 2021 would be dedicated to St. Joseph.

“It’s been pretty much nonstop,” Father Calloway said.

So when the popular priest agreed to speak at Our Lady of Grace Church on March 30, the parishioners, staff and clergy considered it divine providence.

Not only was it the last remaining date Father Calloway had available for the next two years, it was also during Holy Week. Yet it wasn’t the first time he visited the parish.

As a seminarian, Father Calloway spent the summer of 1999 there. At the time, his order, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, served the parish. In 1993, when Father Calloway first joined the order, he was sent to OLG to ride a bus with young people to World Youth Day in Denver to hear Pope John Paul II speak.

On top of all of this, March 30 was the start date for the book’s 33-day program for consecrating oneself to St. Joseph, culminating with consecration on May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, a timely observance when so many have lost jobs.

Church members started a parish-wide consecration the day of Father Calloway’s visit.

Consecrating oneself to St. Joseph can be a source of inspiration and hope, Father Calloway said.

He noted that 25 percent of children are raised in a home without a father. “In light

of that, people are looking to find solidity in things that are unchanging because even marriage has been redefined today,” he said.

Then he shared something that came to him in prayer four years ago which led to his spending three years researching St. Joseph and developing the consecration method found in his book.

“When I had my own conversion and became Catholic, I needed St. Joseph to help me to be a good man because I really messed it up in my youth. Joseph was there for me to help me learn virtues and learn how to be a gentleman. What happened to me I think the world could use to understand what a good father is, what a good husband is, what a good man is, and I think that’s a big draw.”

During his talk, after being introduced

by OLG’s pastor Father Casey Coleman, Father Calloway revealed why this historically – and biblically – quiet saint is now in the Church’s spotlight.

“When things are crumbling, which so many things seem to be in society, who would you want to bring in to rebuild things? A carpenter would be a pretty good idea ... we have the best one, and he’s also our spiritual father,” Calloway noted. “God and Our Lady are pointing to him, saying to bring him into your family life. He can help you, your marriage. He can help you with your children. … He’s just kind of allaround. Your dad covers everything.”

Parishioner David Foppe shared what hearing these insights meant to his family: “I brought my two oldest kids to the talk. I thought it was good for them to hear from someone other than just their father about how crazy the world is becoming. You will get caught up in its swift currents if you don’t cling to Jesus Christ and the Church.

What better way is there than through the help of St. Joseph and the Holy Mother?

Father Calloway explained this is in a way that resonated with them.”

During his talk, Father Calloway walked through a series of events in the Church that have emphasized St. Joseph – including when he was declared Patron of the Universal Church in 1870, the apparition of St. Joseph holding the Christ child in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, and the completion of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Canada, in 1967.

He also noted prophecies concerning St. Joseph at Akita and from the 16thcentury Dominican priest Father Isidore of Isolanis, who said the Church in the future would go through an extraordinarily difficult time and would turn to St. Joseph.

He also shared stories about his efforts

Marian Father Donald Calloway speaks to a rapt congregation at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BARBARA MARKUN

to get a letter to Pope Francis requesting a church-wide year dedicated to St. Joseph.

Eventually, the letter was hand-delivered to the pontiff.

The tireless priest also wrote to every U.S. bishop requesting that they declare a Year of St. Joseph in their respective dioceses.

Eleven responded, including Bishop Peter Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte. “I think it’s actually your bishop who was the first one to respond, and then 10 others followed suit,” Father Calloway said.

Bishop Jugis, whose devotion to St. Joseph is well known, declared a Year of St. Joseph in the Charlotte diocese to great applause at the Eucharistic Congress in 2019.

Pope Francis declared a worldwide Year of St. Joseph on Dec. 8, 2020.

When asked about what wisdom St. Joseph would want to impart to the faithful, Father Calloway said, “Have hope.

He would want to say, ‘God is with you.

He hasn’t abandoned you, He hasn’t left you.’ Because a lot of people feel that way.

Suicide rates are very high. Depression rates are very high. I think he would tell us to have hope, trust in Jesus, and don’t become despairing. I think we just need to turn back to a message of hope.”

More online At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Find educational resources, prayers and devotions, and more to celebrate the “Year of St. Joseph,” including information about how to consecrate yourself and your family to St. Joseph

Parents warm up to faith during ‘Fireside Chats’ SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

SWANNANOA — Father Brian Becker, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church, is using an engaging format to share the faith with parents of his faith formation students.

Called “Fireside Chats,” these informal sessions for adults are being conducted in the church during the time when the kids are in their faith formation classes. The sixpart series of sessions includes teaching on a particular topic, followed by a time for questions.

So far, Father Becker has offered two “Fireside Chats,” with four more scheduled between April 14 and May 19. In February, he spoke about prayer, and in March he spoke about living the Catholic faith every day of the week.

Father Becker said he borrowed the format from his days as a parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

“Fireside Chats are drawn from American lore, and it

is used to explain things that need a long chat in a relaxed atmosphere, just as gathering around the fire is informal, so people can listen as things are taught and explained,” he said.

It is an effective way to give an in-depth treatment for issues too complex to cover within the limited timeframe of a homily, he said.

Sarah Kramer, who organizes faith formation for the parish, sees these “Fireside Chats” as a helpful tool for evangelization.

“The parents are really excited to have some formation for themselves,” Kramer said. “It is greatly needed as parents because we don’t have the opportunity to have an interactive situation where we get to be catechized, as the children do.”

Antonio Garcia, the local Hispanic vicariate coordinator, has been simultaneously translating the “Fireside Chats” into Spanish.

“The chats are wonderful! The first one Father did on

prayer, he did it in English, and there were a few parents who were there who were Hispanic. I asked them if they understood any of it and they said they did understand a little of it,” Garcia said.

Yet they wanted to make the information available to everyone, so thanks to some new equipment Garcia can now translate each talk for people who are more comfortable conversing in Spanish.

“I think it is so important for the community to hear the message in Spanish. The whole point is to help them at home. Every bit of information they can receive from their pastor is important,” Garcia noted.

“This gives the parents themselves a chance to engage in and learn what the children are learning,” Father Becker added. “We wanted to do some things specifically directed to the parents, with topics more suited to them and growing their faith and their ability to support their children’s education in the faith.”

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 OUR PARISHES

Save the date.

April 22nd at 7pm.

You’re invited.

“Building Intergenerational Wealth” Featuring financial expert, author, and Brother Knight Joe Jordan

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

This is a multi-state, one of a kind virtual seminar hosted by Knights of Columbus

Learn how to live a life without financial worries.

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Learn actionable steps to turn hard earned assets into a lifetime of income GUARANTEED! Why extended care doesn’t need to be a financial nightmare!

The importance of having a plan and a partner.

Joe’s talk will give you new insights into your financial affairs without losing sight of your faith and values.

Click here to see Joe’s special message to all Catholics.

We look forward to Joe’s presentation on April 22 at 7 PM!

To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AXze5YVgRLmfBsPYqcgg_Q Email me for more information at Christopher.mahoney@kofc.org

Support the mothers and babies at

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win $5,000 cash!

Belmont Abbey in collaboration with the St. John Paul II Foundation. This year’s theme was “Hippocratic Medicine: Do No Harm.” The day began with a special White Mass celebrated by Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, and featured presentations from Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD, on “Rationing in Times of Crisis”; Claudia R. Sotomayor, MD, DBe, on “The Role of Disability in Determining Proportionate and Disproportionate Means”; Paul Hruz, MD, PhD, on “Gender Dysphoria in Children & Adults: Science, Ideology, and Ethics”; and more.

Converging Roads is an initiative of the St. John Paul II Foundation, a national Catholic apostolate proclaiming the Good News about life and family through education and formation.

— Jessica R. Grabowski

Memorial to unborn erected in Hayesville HAYESVILLE — Members of Knight of Columbus Council 14087 erected a memorial for the unborn March 13 outside Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission. Father Alex Ayala, pastor, was present to bless the memorial of crosses – each representing one million abortions. There were many in attendance, with social distancing and COVID-19 protocols in place. It was truly a blessing to do so in these trying times. When asked why they do this, many of the Knights said, “We will continue to be the voice for the voiceless and “Defend Life at All Stages.”

— William Suggs and Phil Roche, correspondent

Medical ethics conference draws more than 85 people CHARLOTTE — The fourth annual Converging Roads conference was held March 20, drawing more than 85 Catholic health professionals and students from more than 20 parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte to St. Patrick Cathedral and online for a day of workshops, fellowship and Mass.

The medical ethics conference was cosponsored by the Charlotte diocese and

Carolina Pro Musica salutes spring with music of Vivaldi and Boismortier BELMONT — Enjoy the season with Carolina Pro Musica and music by Landini, Janequin, Vivaldi, and Boismortier. A program of French and Italian music shares the genius of Vivaldi and his famous Spring Concerto from “The Four Seasons.” French composer Boismortier wrote four cantatas, one for each season. Hear the complete spring cantata for soprano, flute and continuo at this concert set for 8 p.m. Monday, April 12, at the Abbey Basilica in Belmont.

Admission is free. Donations are welcomed.

A limited, masked, and socially distanced, live audience will be allowed in the basilica. Seats may be reserved through abbeyarts@bac.edu.

The concert will also be live-streamed at www. belmontabbeycollege.edu/artslive. For more information, go online to www.bac.edu or www. carolinapromusica.org.

— Rolando Rivas and John Jacob

St. Jude Novena May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world

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)

now and forever.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us, St. Jude, help of the hopeless, pray for us.

Published in gratitude for prayers answered.

Thank you, D.C.

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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FACEBOOK.COM/ CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD ESPAÑOL

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021

“Por Su sufrimiento, Su muerte y Su resurrección, Jesús ha logrado nuestra salvación.” Obispo Peter Jugis Padre Julio Domínguez

Feliz Pascua de Resurrección

Q

ueridos hermanos en Cristo. Ante todo, ¡Feliz Pascua de Resurrección!

Espero en Dios que la celebración anual de la pasión, muerte y Resurrección del Señor hayan llenado de mucha fe, esperanza y caridad sus corazones y que un gran entusiasmo por vivir nuestra vida cristiana haya despertado en todos esos corazones que han gritado: ¡Hosanna al hijo de David, bendito el que viene en el nombre del Señor! y también ¡Jesucristo ha resucitado, en verdad resucitó!

En nombre de mi Obispo, Reverendísimo Peter Jugis, de toda la cancillería, de nuestros párrocos y del Ministerio Hispano, queremos darles las gracias a todos ustedes por haber hecho tan especiales estos días de Semana Santa que hemos pasado juntos.

Es una alegría ver como la gente tiene hambre y sed de Cristo. Aún con todas las medidas de prevención que todavía tenemos por el virus, ustedes nos han demostrado su gran amor por Nuestro Señor, y han venido en grandes muchedumbres en todos los días santos.

La virtud de la fe es la que los ha movido a eso, y me alegro demasiado pues es Dios quien nos da este maravilloso don de la fe, moviendo los corazones a seguirlo como la máxima razón de nuestra vida, y eso queridos hermanos es un don inigualable y supremo.

Esta respuesta de fe anima nuestra esperanza, pues podemos ver como la Iglesia de Jesucristo sigue viva y que nada podrá destruirla ni desanimarla. Nuestros párrocos una vez más han visto que la gente tiene necesidad de Dios, y eso nos llena de una profunda alegría y amor. Les invito a dejar inundar su corazón de esa alegre esperanza que nos lleva siempre a la acción.

Esta acción de la que hablo viene traducida fuertemente en la caridad, una caridad que se expresa en un profundo amor y devoción a Dios Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo. Una caridad que brotando del corazón del resucitado se extiende a todos nuestros hermanos en nuestra Iglesia, en nuestras parroquias, en nuestros hogares y en nuestros lugares de misión, tales como nuestros trabajos, nuestras escuelas y nuestras relaciones sociales.

Como en muchas ocasiones, nuestro Obispo nos ha dicho, sobre todo en los Congresos Eucarísticos, que el mundo necesita a Cristo.

Una verdad que en esta semana quedó plasmada en todas nuestras parroquias y que es una verdad que se extiende a todo el mundo. Así mismo, nosotros nos debemos sentir interpelados por Dios, para que la fuerza de la celebración de los misterios pascuales nos lance al mundo a proclamar a Cristo, tal como lo hicieron los discípulos de Emaús después de haber tenido la experiencia de encuentro con el resucitado.

Bendiciones a todos ustedes y ¡feliz Pascua de Resurrección!

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

FOTO PROPORCIONADA POR JAMES SARKIS

El Diácono Brian McNulty porta el Cirio Pascual abriendo camino a una procesión que ingresa a la Catedral San Patricio iluminada tan solo con las pequeñas velas que llevan los fieles en sus manos. El cirio fue encendido en un fuego realizado frente a la gruta Mariana, desde donde inició el recorrido procesional. Al término de la Misa, los fieles ofrecieron sus velas a la imagen de la Virgen María ubicada en esa gruta.

“Celebramos con alegría” Obispo Jugis: la Pascua es la fiesta de nuestra salvación y nueva vida en Cristo PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITORA

CHARLOTTE — “Celebramos con gozo la resurrección de Jesucristo de entre los muertos. Esta es la fiesta de nuestra salvación”.

Con estas palabras, el Obispo Peter Jugis dio la bienvenida a los fieles congregados el 3 de abril en la Catedral San Patricio por la Vigilia Pascual.

La Misa de vigilia comenzó al caer el sol con la tradicional bendición del fuego de Pascua y el encendido del Cirio Pascual, seguida de una procesión a la luz de las velas a la Catedral San Patricio a oscuras, donde el Pregón Pascual fue proclamado.

A diferencia de la Pascua pasada, cuando la catedral permaneció oscura y casi vacía debido a las restricciones por la pandemia de COVID-19, la celebración de la Pascua de este año fue alegre, aunque con la participación limitada de fieles para permitir un distanciamiento social seguro. La Misa también se transmitió en vivo por el canal YouTube de la diócesis para permitir que las personas participen virtualmente.

El Obispo Jugis sonrió al mirar a las personas sentadas en las bancas, y señaló: “Jesús dijo: ‘Los veré de nuevo, sus corazones se regocijarán y nadie les quitará su gozo’.

Compartimos el gozo de aquellos primeros apóstoles y el gozo

de todos los cristianos a lo largo de los siglos”.

En su homilía, el obispo reiteró sus mensajes de toda la Semana Santa: el sufrimiento y la muerte de Jesús fue la expresión de su amor por la humanidad y nuestra salvación.

“Por Su sufrimiento, Su muerte y Su resurrección, Jesús ha logrado nuestra salvación”, dijo. Y, “habiendo logrado nuestra salvación, comparte su nueva vida con nosotros”.

“No estamos celebrando la reanimación de un cadáver”, dijo. “Celebramos al Señor glorificado, resucitado de entre los muertos. Él comparte esa vida glorificada con nosotros, para que también nosotros podamos cobrar vida en Él, para que podamos cobrar vida y vivir una nueva vida, una nueva vida de gracia, una vida de santidad, una vida de caridad”.

“El Cristo resucitado vive en nosotros y nosotros vivimos en Él, su nueva creación”.

La nueva vida en Cristo comienza con el bautismo, por eso los fieles renuevan sus promesas bautismales cada Pascua, explicó el obispo. “Al hacerlo, renovamos nuestro compromiso con Jesucristo y nuestro compromiso con la vida cristiana”.

El obispo administró los sacramentos de iniciación a dos personas que se unieron a la Iglesia en la Vigilia Pascual: Henry Braden Fisk y Carter McCrain. Ellos son parte de las casi 100 personas de toda la Diócesis de Charlotte que ingresaron a la Iglesia Católica en esta Pascua.

El obispo concluyó diciendo que“Jesús es para todos nosotros el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida”.

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Arriba izquierda: La Iglesia Santa María en Greensboro celebró La Vigilia Pascual, que fue transmitida a la feligresía “en vivo” a través de su página de Facebook.

La celebración se realizó en tres idiomas uniendo a toda su comunidad diversa. Arriba derecha: Los asistentes a la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Gracia en Greensboro observaron todas las medidas de seguridad al participar en las celebraciones de Semana Santa.

Abajo izquierda, Conmemoración de Jueves Santo con lavatorio de los pies en Santa María en Greensboro.

Abajo derecha: La parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe realizó un concierto virtual transmitido por su página de Facebook el Domingo de Resurrección.

Centro: El Padre José Camilo Cárdenas, párroco de la Iglesia Santísima Trinidad en Taylorsville, comunicó que, manteniendo el buen cuidado, regresaron con “cierta paz y normalidad” las celebraciones presenciales durante la Semana Santa.

FOTOS ENVIADAS POR FELIGRESES

Miles de fieles siguieron actividades virtuales en español durante la Semana Santa CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

CHARLOTTE — Aproximadamente cuarenta mil fieles de habla hispana siguieron de cerca las actividades virtuales programadas durante la Semana Santa por el Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte, gracias a la exposición de las mismas por las redes sociales Facebook y YouTube.

En las tres horas de programación divididas en “La Hora Santa” del Jueves Santo, “Las Siete Palabras” en Viernes Santo, y el “Retiro de Semana Santa” el Sábado Santo, participaron el Padre Julio Domínguez, director del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte; el Padre José Juya, coordinador del Ministerio Hispano en Gastonia; el Padre Gabriel Carvajal-Salazar,

administrador parroquial de Nuestra Señora de los Caminos en Thomasville; los diáconos Enedino Aquino, Sigfrido Della Valle y Darío García, coordinadores del Ministerio Hispano en Greensboro, Smoky Mountain y Hickory, respectivamente; la Hermana Juana Pearson, coordinadora del Ministerio Hispano en Salisbury; y Antonio García, coordinador del Ministerio Hispano en Asheville.

Adicionalmente, la Diócesis de Charlotte, a través de su canal en YouTube, emitió “en directo” las Misas de Domingo de Ramos, Crismal, de la Última Cena del Señor, la Celebración de la Pasión de Cristo, y la Vigilia Pascual.

El Padre Julio Domínguez, dijo que el equipo de coordinación de la pastoral hispana tuvo “una muy buena participación el Viernes Santo”, y “con

pequeños mensajes muy llenos de contenido espiritual prepararon a los fieles para vivir una experiencia única”, y sobre todo, “ayudaron a que muchas personas deseen regresar a la iglesia y participar presencialmente en las celebraciones”.

Respecto a la Hora Santa ofrecida por el Padre Gabriel Carvajal, resaltó “que estuvo muy hermosa, sobretodo su mensaje de acogida”. Luego añadió que, en relación al Retiro de Semana Santa, ha recibido muchas felicitaciones pues para muchos de los fieles,“fue realmente como un retiro espiritual, y algunos me pidieron que hagamos esto año tras año pues, aunque no esté la pandemia, algunas parroquias no tienen retiros espirituales en esta época y ellos siempre andan en búsqueda de algo”.

El director también hizo notar que, “con el favor de Dios, muchas parroquias en este

año empezaron a abrirse y retomaron sus actividades. En algunas de ellas hasta se representó el Viacrucis y eso fue ya un paso bastante grande en la actividad parroquial”.

Finalmente, el Padre Julio agradeció la colaboración técnica y de producción de Catholic News Herald en Español, anunciando que el ministerio a su cargo se encuentra elaborando más proyectos audiovisuales para servir a la comunidad hispana de la diócesis.

Más online En www.facebook.com/CNHEspañol y www.youtube.com/DioceseofCharlotte: Todos los videos transmitidos están publicados en la página de facebook de Catholic News Herald en español y la plataforma de videos YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

10

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘Es un nuevo momento y estamos a punto de experimentar una explosión de alegría a medida que las restricciones continúan retirándose.

Un nuevo amanecer para todos nosotros.’

El Obispo Peter Jugis bendice los óleos sagrados el 30 de marzo, durante la Misa Crismal celebrada en la Catedral San Patricio en Charlotte.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Obispo Peter Jugis

Misa Crismal reunió a sacerdotes de la diócesis por primera vez desde inicio de pandemia CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — Fue un reencuentro alegre después de un largo año de ansiedad y aislamiento.

El 30 de marzo, decenas de sacerdotes viajaron desde todo el oeste de Carolina del Norte hasta la Catedral San Patricio para asistir a la Misa Crismal anual de la Diócesis de Charlotte, una tradición de Semana Santa en la que se reúnen alrededor de su obispo, renuevan sus promesas sacerdotales y asisten en la bendición de los aceites sacramentales.

En 2020, la pandemia de COVID-19 cerró las parroquias durante la Semana Santa y la Misa Crismal tuvo que ser transmitida en vivo desde una catedral casi vacía.

Un año más tarde, con signos esperanzadores que la pandemia podría estar disminuyendo, un grupo de clérigos pudo reunirse nuevamente en persona para la celebración, mientras permanecían a una distancia segura en las bancas y se modificaban algunos elementos de la liturgia por precauciones de salud. Este año la Misa también se transmitió “en vivo” para que las personas de la diócesis pudieran participar virtualmente, ya que la capacidad de la catedral está limitada a 150 personas.

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Dirigiéndose a sus hermanos sacerdotes, el Obispo Peter Jugis dijo que Dios nos invita a ir más allá de las dificultades, el miedo y el aislamiento del año pasado para conectarnos con los fieles.

“Siempre es una alegría reunirnos con los hermanos sacerdotes para esta Misa Crismal, y este año, afortunadamente, podemos tener una mayor participación en persona. Pero ya sea que estemos presentes personalmente o participando de forma remota a través de la transmisión en vivo, el presbiterio se une como un solo cuerpo para la renovación de nuestras promesas sacerdotales, la bendición de los óleos y la consagración del sagrado crisma”, señaló.

“A medida que las restricciones por el COVID-19 se retiran gradualmente, lo que nuestros feligreses necesitan experimentar es la alegría de regresar a la iglesia y a la Misa. Quieren la alegría de poder decir (como) en las palabras del salmo. (Sal 122), ‘Que alegría cuando me dijeron vamos a la casa del Señor, ya están pisando nuestros pies tus umbrales...’ El tiempo del miedo, ansiedad, estrés y aislamiento que trajo la pandemia el año pasado está comenzando a llegar a su fin. Y los fieles están listos para seguir adelante”.

“Dios ahora nos impulsa a emprender un

nuevo camino en nuestro ministerio, Dios que es eterna novedad”, dijo el Obispo Jugis.

Y eso significa conectarse “personalmente con tantos feligreses que se han visto obligados a permanecer al margen de la vida de Iglesia, y darles la bienvenida de nuevo a la Iglesia y a la Misa”.

“Es un nuevo momento y estamos a punto de experimentar una explosión de alegría a medida que las restricciones continúan retirándose. Un nuevo amanecer para todos nosotros”.

“Estamos aquí para llevar el gozo de nuestra unción sacerdotal a aquellos a quienes servimos”, dijo.

Luego continuó: “Jesús dice: ‘Te volveré a ver y tu corazón se regocijará y nadie te quitará tu gozo’. La vocación del párroco es ser padre espiritual de los fieles confiados a su cuidado, estar cerca de la gente.

Ustedes ponen a disposición de ellos la gracia de los sacramentos para ayudarles a crecer en la santidad como hijos de Dios. Ustedes forman en sus mentes y corazones las enseñanzas de Cristo. Y ustedes los acompañan en el camino a la vida eterna y la gloria del cielo. Como sacerdotes compartimos en la unción de Cristo, nuestro Sumo Sacerdote, y (somos) inspirados por las palabras del evangelio

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of April:

Rev. Francis M. Cintula – 2014 Rev. Msgr. Charles Gable – 1977 Rev. Richard P. Hokanson- 2013 Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Kerin – 2014 Joseph J. Lash – 1999 Rev. Samuel Orlando – 2003 Rev. Msgr. William N. Pharr - 2008

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de hoy ‘para llevar sus buenas nuevas y el aceite de gozo a su pueblo una vez más’”.

En una expresión de unidad, todos los sacerdotes se pusieron de pie durante la bendición del sagrado crisma extendiendo sus manos derechas hacia el crisma, uniéndose al Obispo Jugis en la oración de consagración.

Los santos óleos bendecidos en la Misa Crismal se utilizan en los sacramentos del bautismo, confirmación y unción de los enfermos, así como para la ordenación de sacerdotes y la consagración de iglesias y altares.

Después de la Misa, los diáconos dividieron los aceites bendecidos en reservas de aceite más pequeñas que se distribuirán a las 92 parroquias y misiones de la diócesis para su uso en las celebraciones sacramentales durante el próximo año.

Más online En www.youtube.com/DioceseofCharlotte: Podrá ver el video y fotos de la Misa Crismal En www.facebook.com/CNHEspañol: Vea un video en el que sacerdotes de la diócesis de Charlotte explican la importancia de la Misa Crismal y bendición de los óleos.

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Promueven ‘Corazón Saludable’ CÉSAR HURTADO REPORTERO

todos conozcan sus beneficios”, explicó.

Respecto al programa de control de la presión arterial y préstamo de monitores sobre el que informáramos en nuestras ediciones pasadas, dijo que se ha establecido con una periodicidad de 15 días en la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

CHARLOTTE — Gracias a una iniciativa conjunta de la Asociación Americana del Corazón, el Departamento de Salud del Condado Mecklenburg y la Pastoral de Salud del Vicariato de Charlotte, más de sesenta familias católicas hispanas se beneficiaron del programa ‘Corazón Saludable’, destinado a promover la salud coronaria en la comunidad.

Fravelin Cuesta, coordinadora de la Pastoral de Salud del Vicariato de Charlotte, dijo que cada martes, durante seis semanas, las familias participantes han recibido importante información relacionada a la nutrición correcta, comida saludable, las enfermedades que se presentan por el consumo de alimentos inadecuados, FOTO CORTESÍA EDUARDO BERNAL dietas, la lectura de Ante la imposibilidad de realizar reuniones presenciales, diversos etiquetas nutricionales ministerios, entre ellos la Pastoral de Salud del Vicariato de Charlotte, han en productos implementado sesiones virtuales sirviéndose de diversas plataformas y manufacturados, redes sociales. En la gráfica, Karina González, instructora, se dirige a más problemas de salud por de 50 asistentes al programa de nutrición y salud coronaria. el exceso de consumo de sodio y otros temas.

“Durante cinco semanas las clases han Por otro lado, es importante agregar que sido teóricas pero con mucha participación paralelamente, la Asociación Americana con las preguntas de los asistentes. La clase del Corazón trabaja un proyecto que final fue una demostración de recetas que proveerá frutas frescas y vegetales a las también recibió buenos comentarios de despensas comunitarias. El proyecto, en todos”, dijo Cuesta. alianza con el Sistema de Escuelas del La coordinadora destacó que el programa Condado Mecklenburg (CMS), la Diócesis pudo llevarse a cabo gracias al soporte de Charlotte, Centro Comunitario Camino y fondos provenientes de la Asociación y 100 Gardens, activará el uso de cinco Americana del Corazón, la colaboración acres de tierra de 100 Gardens destinados de una nutricionista del Departamento únicamente a producir para las despensas de Salud del Condado Mecklenburg y el comunitarias. puente comunitario de la Pastoral de Salud.

Para solicitar información sobre los “Todas las familias participantes programas que desarrolla la Pastoral de recibieron premios y regalos durante Salud, por favor comuníquese con Fravelin la capacitación, además de dos vales Cuesta enviando un texto o mensaje de voz de compra por 30 dólares cada uno a su cuenta de Whatsapp: 1-704-726-6397. para adquirir frutas y vegetales en un También puede comunicarse con Eduardo supermercado local”, informó.

Bernal, coordinador del Ministerio Las reuniones de ‘Corazón Saludable’ Hispano del Vicariato de Charlotte a la se realizaron utilizando la plataforma misma red social, 1-704-770-8342.

Zoom, debido a la restricción de reuniones presenciales en prevención del contagio de COVID-19.

Cuesta dijo estar satisfecha del número de participantes y la permanente asistencia de ellos durante toda la serie de reuniones.

“Normalmente vemos un descenso de la asistencia conforme se desarrollan las May the Sacred Heart of Jesus sesiones. Eso es normal. Pero en este caso, la presencia se ha mantenido hasta el final be adored, glorified, loved and con un promedio de sesenta familias en cada una de las reuniones”. preserved throughout the world La mayoría de participantes registrados fueron de las parroquias Nuestra Señora now and forever. de Guadalupe, San John Neumann, San Gabriel, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for y San Vicente de Paúl, quienes quedaron “muy contentos” por el contenido brindado us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, y el lenguaje sencillo que se utilizó en la capacitación”, precisó la coordinadora. pray for us, St. Jude, help of the La vocera de la Pastoral de la Salud diocesana señaló que esperan continuar hopeless, pray for us. con este exitoso programa, pero que ello depende de la colaboración que puedan Published in gratitude for coordinar con la Asociación Americana del Corazón. prayers answered.

Adicionalmente, informó que preparan una jornada de información sobre las Thank you, M.F. vacunas contra el COVID-19, debido a que existen muchas dudas e interrogantes en nuestra comunidad. “Es importante que

St. Jude Novena

Lecturas Diarias 11-17 ABRIL

Domingo (Domingo de la Divina Misericordia): Hechos 4:32-35, 1 Juan 5:1-6, Juan 20:19-31; Lunes: Hechos 4:23-31, Juan 3:1-8; Martes: Hechos 4:32-37, Juan 3:7-15; Miércoles: Hechos 5:17-26, Juan 3:16-21; Jueves: Hechos 5:27-33, Juan 3:31-36; Viernes: Hechos 5:34-42, Juan 6:1-15; Sábado: Hechos 6:1-7, Juan 6:16-21

18-24 ABRIL

Domingo: Hechos 3:13-15, 17-19, 1 Juan 2:1-5a, Lucas 24:35-48; Lunes: Hechos 6:8-15, Juan 6:22-29; Martes: Hechos 7:51-8,1, Juan 6:30-35; Miércoles: Hechos 8:1-8, Juan 6:3540; Jueves: Hechos 8:26-40, Juan 6:44-51; Viernes: Hechos 9:1-20, Juan 6:52-59; Sábado: Hechos 9:31-42, Juan 6:60-69

26 ABRIL-1 MAYO

Domingo: Hechos 4:8-12, 1 Juan 3:12, Juan 10:11-18; Lunes: Hechos 11:1-8, Juan 10:1-10; Martes: Hechos 11:19-26, Juan 10:22-30; Miércoles: Hechos 12:24-13,5, Juan 12:44-50; Jueves (Santa Catalina de Siena): Hechos 13:13-25, Juan 13:16-20; Viernes: Hechos 13:26-33, Juan 14:1-6; Sábado: Hechos 13:44-52, Juan 14:7-14

‘La Resurrección’, óleo sobre lienzo de Domenikos Theotokopoulos, El Greco (Creta, Grecia, 1541-Toledo, España 1614). Imagen cortesía del Museo del Prado, Madrid.

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iiiApril 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com

FROM TH

‘We celebrate with joy’

Bishop Jugis: Easter is the feast of our salvation and new life in Christ PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE EDITOR

CHARLOTTE — “We celebrate with joy the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the feast of our salvation.”

With these words, Bishop Peter Jugis welcomed the faithful gathered April 3 at St. Patrick Cathedral for the Easter Vigil.

The vigil Mass began at sunset with the traditional blessing of the Easter fire and lighting of the Paschal candle, followed by a candlelight procession into the darkened cathedral where the Exsultet was proclaimed.

Unlike last Easter, when the cathedral and other churches remained dark and nearly empty because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this year’s Easter celebrations were joyful ones – albeit with limited numbers of people and multiple health precautions in place. Masses at the cathedral and many other churches were streamed

live online to enable more people to participate virtually.

At St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Jugis smiled as he looked out at the people sitting in the pews, noting, “Jesus said, ‘I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you.’ We share the joy of those first apostles and the joy of all Christians throughout the centuries.”

In his Easter homily, the bishop reiterated his theme from Holy Week: Jesus’ suffering and death was the ultimate expression of His love for humanity and for our salvation.

“By His suffering, His death and His resurrection, Jesus has accomplished our salvation,” the bishop said. And, “having accomplished our salvation, He then shares His new life with us.”

“We are not celebrating the resuscitation of a corpse,” he said. “We are celebrating the glorified Lord, risen from the dead. He shares that glorified life with us, so that we also can come alive in Him, so that we can come alive and live a new

life – a new life of grace, a life of holiness, a life of charity.”

The joyful message of Easter echoed throughout the 92 parishes and missions of the Diocese of Charlotte, as clergy welcomed back more faithful after a year fraught with fear, isolation, sickness and death.

With public health precautions remaining in place, churches added Masses – both indoors and outdoors – to accommodate additional worshipers while ensuring safe distancing and limited-capacity crowds.

Vincentian Father William Allegretto summed up many people’s feelings in his Easter message to parishioners at St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro: “Being an Easter people this year requires that we grow in integrity and an authenticity of the faith we have in the Risen Lord, living it purposely and joyfully. May the song of the Risen Lord be ever on our lips and within our hearts, celebrating it in the face of the forces that want nothing less than to erase it from our minds and souls.”

Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor, welcomes Jacob Gates into the Catholic Church, administering the sacrament of baptism and other sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil April 3 at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER

(Above) Preschoolers brought their joy to the campus of St. Mark Church once again, as on their final day before spring break, they were treated to an Easter egg hunt around the piazza of the church in Huntersville. (Below) Father Alfonso Gámez, parochial vicar, blesses congregants with holy water during an outdoor Easter Sunday Mass, one of six Masses St. Mark offered that morning to accommodate more worshipers.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY MARYANN LUEDTKE

PHIL ROCHE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father George David Byers, pastor, lights the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil at Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews, as parishioners gather joyfully around him.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

The Easter fire is blessed and the Paschal candle is lit during the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem.

St. Matthew Church – which is one of the largest Catholic parishes in the United States – offered Easter Sunday Mass April 4 at Charlotte Catholic High School’s football stadium, where more than a thousand parishioners could be safely accommodated, in addition to offering additional Masses at its Ballantyne and Waxhaw church locations. The outdoor Mass at Keffer Stadium was a first for the south Charlotte parish.

HE COVER

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

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SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter Jugis, joined by more than 80 priests of the Diocese of Charlotte, celebrated the annual Chrism Mass March 30 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Joyful Chrism Mass brings priests of the diocese together for first time since pandemic began CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

CHARLOTTE — It was a joyful and welcome sight after a year of anxiety and isolation.

Priests traveled from across western North Carolina to St. Patrick Cathedral March 30 for the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Chrism Mass, a Holy Week tradition in which they gather around their bishop, renew their priestly promises to the Church and assist in the blessing of sacramental oils.

Last year the COVID-19 pandemic closed parishes during Holy Week, and the Chrism Mass – which typically brings together more than 100 priests – had to be livestreamed from a near-empty cathedral. Since then, more than 6,600 people in the 46 counties of western North Carolina that comprise the diocese have died from the virus.

A year later, with hopeful signs that the pandemic may be abating, a group of clergy were again able to gather in person for the celebration – while also remaining safely distanced in the pews and modifying a few elements of the liturgy for health precautions. And the Mass was still livestreamed so that people of the diocese could participate virtually, since the cathedral’s capacity is limited to 150 people as a safeguard during the pandemic.

Addressing his brother priests, Bishop Peter Jugis acknowledged that God is inviting us to go beyond the hardship, fear and isolation of the past year and connect with the faithful.

“It’s always a joy to come together with brother priests for this Chrism Mass, and this year fortunately we are able to have greater in-person participation. But whether we are personally present or participating remotely via livestreaming, the presbyterate unites as one body for the renewal of our priestly promises and the blessing of oils and consecration of the sacred chrism,” he said.

“As COVID restrictions continue to loosen ever so gradually their grip on society, what our parishioners most need to experience is the joy of returning to church and Mass. They want the joy of being able to say (as) in the words of the psalm (Ps 122), ‘I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord and now our feet are standing within your gates...’ The time of fear, anxiety, stress and isolation brought on by the pandemic this past year is beginning to come to an end. And the faithful are ready to move forward.”

“God is now impelling us to set out anew in our ministry – God who is eternal newness,” Bishop Jugis said. And that means connecting “personally with so many parishioners who have been forced to the fringes of Church life, and welcome them back to church and Mass.”

“It’s a new moment, and we are about to experience an explosion of joy as restrictions continue to loosen,” he said. “A new moment is dawning for all of us.”

“We are here to bring the joy of our priestly anointing to those whom we serve,” he said.

He continued, “Jesus says, ‘I will see you

again and your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you.’ The vocation of the parish priest is to be the spiritual father of the faithful entrusted in his care, to be close to the people. You make available to them the graces of the sacraments to help them grow in holiness as children of God. You help form in their minds and hearts the teachings of Christ.

And you accompany them on the way to eternal life and the glory of heaven. We share as priests in the anointing of Christ, our High Priest, and (we are) inspired by the words of today’s gospel ‘to bring His glad tidings and the oil of gladness to His people once again.’”

In an expression of unity, all the priests stood during the consecration of the sacred chrism with their right hands extended toward the chrism, joining with Bishop Jugis in the prayer of consecration.

The holy oils blessed at the Chrism Mass are used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and anointing of the sick, as well as for ordination of priests and consecration of churches and altars.

After the Chrism Mass, the oils were divided and distributed to all 92 parishes and missions across the diocese for use in sacramental celebrations throughout the upcoming year.

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: See more photos and video of Bishop Jugis’ homily from the Chrism Mass

‘It’s a new moment, and we are about to experience an explosion of joy as restrictions continue to loosen. A new moment is dawning for all of us.’

Bishop Peter Jugis

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 FROM THE COVER

ENTERING THE CHURCH AT EASTER

Conversion of a lifetime Former skeptic, 80, enters Church at Easter SUEANN HOWELL SENIOR REPORTER

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter Jugis baptizes Carter McCrain during the Easter Vigil April 3 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. At Easter we celebrate new life in Christ, the bishop said, and that new life begins with our baptism. That is why the faithful also renew their baptismal promises each Easter, he explained. “In so doing, we renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and our commitment to the Christian life.”

Father Alfonso Gámez, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, baptizes Milan Howard during the Easter Vigil April 3.

PHOTO PROVIDED

BY AMY BURGER

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LISA CASH

A. John Ayer, 94, was received into the fullness of the faith at the Easter Vigil April 3 at St. Therese Church in Mooresville. Administering the sacrament of confirmation is Father Mark Lawlor, pastor.

Knost spent four decades “doing a lot of studying about Catholicism,” he says, but still not taking the next step.

What set him on the path to the Catholic Church was attending an Emmaus retreat near Charleston two years ago, after being invited by a Catholic friend. Even though the Emmaus retreat he attended was not Church sponsored, the people facilitating the retreat were Catholic.

His experience on that retreat was so profound and its impact so great that Knost was asked to give a talk at an Emmaus retreat the following year.

“The Holy Spirit chose me to stand up during the (initial) retreat and give my own testimony, so I sat down and put that talk

ARDEN — Tom Knost, 80, has embraced the Catholic Church after a lifetime of holding views fiercely opposed to Catholicism. And it was thanks to an Emmaus retreat and the encouragement of Catholics he knew that helped draw him to the faith.

Knost received the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass April 3 at St. Barnabas Church, becoming one of approximately 100 people expected to enter the Church this Easter season.

For Knost, becoming Catholic was the result of several profound encounters with the faith earlier in his life.

Although his own family was not religious, Knost grew up in Ohio living among and knowing many Catholics.

He even married a Catholic when he was 19, but the couple did not practice the faith.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM KNOST They are no longer Tom Knost (third from left) stands with his sponsor Fred Charlton (far right) April 3 married. during rehearsal for the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Barnabas Church in Arden. Once a “I was surrounded skeptic and critic of the Catholic faith, Knost felt the call to become Catholic after

by Catholicism,” he attending and then speaking at an Emmaus retreat. says. “Even though there was no religion in my life, some of it seeped in. When I was 5, together (for the retreat the next year),” he I thought, ‘If this guy Jesus is an important explains. guy, people should be patterning their lives Everything he had been questioning since after Him.’ But I didn’t see anyone doing that his 30s started to make sense after that in the world.” second Emmaus retreat.

Knost spent decades criticizing and “For me, that was me lighting the wick debating his friends and colleagues about on the end of a stick of dynamite,” he says.

Christianity.

Knost then reached out to Father Adrian “What was really driving me was curiosity Porras, pastor of St. Barnabas Church in about God, but it didn’t show up that way,” Arden near where he lived, to find out how to he acknowledges. “I was ‘l’enfant terrible.’ become Catholic.

If someone brought up God, it began a long Father Porras says Knost “has brought argument.” such energy to this year’s RCIA class. He is a One question kept plaguing him over the vibrant soul yearning to know more and more years: “If there is a God, what should I do about God. Through his devotion to the Holy about it?”

Spirit, Tom has found fulfillment and peace in In his early 30s, Knost participated in a entering into the Catholic Church. I am glad personal growth program offered by his that St. Barnabas Parish has provided that employer. The experience had a strong opportunity for Tom.” impact on his outlook towards spirituality, if Knost believes he has been given the gift of not religion or Catholicism specifically. his life to purify and strengthen his spirit.

“It was a crucial thing for me,” he recalls.

“If I’m not doing that, I’m wasting the “I had already been such an ‘I’m going to do it opportunity that God has given me,” he says. myself kind of guy.’ Even knowing there was a Knost knows that his own journey into God, I didn’t see it as a personal thing. I became the Catholic Church has brought answers aware of the reality of it. I didn’t feel a strong to the questions he has been seeking – just personal pull; there was no religious tug. But it as the original two disciples found through altered how I looked at and treated others.” encountering the Risen Christ while walking When he was 35, a friendship with a on the road to Emmaus. colleague who worked as a psychological “As I look out into the world and look trainer prompted another nagging question at Christianity, there really is only one for Knost: “Who do you have to be to have the Christian church: the Catholic Church,” Holy Spirit talk to you?” he says. “Anything else is someone else’s “For 43 years I sat with that question,” he rehashing of stuff, and that is a mistake. says. “That was a question that was burning Everything that is there from over 2,000 years inside me.” is important, some extremely important.”

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com FROM THE COVERI

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SCENES FROM THE EASTER TRIDUUM

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARKUS KUNCORO AND MIKE FITZGERALD

St. Ann Church in Charlotte and the Charlotte Latin Mass Community continued its Latin-Extraordinary Form Triduum with the Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday, April 2. The liturgy was offered by St. Ann’s parochial vicar, Father Brad Jones, and assisted by St. Ann’s pastor Father Timothy Reid as deacon and Father Matthew Kauth, rector of St. Joseph College Seminary, as subdeacon. The liturgy offered was the ancient Latin Good Friday rite, with clergy wearing black vestments to commemorate Christ’s passion and death.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARTY SCHNEIDER

Members of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte held a living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 2. The annual tradition was canceled last year because of the pandemic, but the parish revived the ritual this year to commemorate Jesus’ Passion and death on a cross.

SUEANN HOWELL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMY BURGER

Father Melchesideck Yumo, parochial vicar, was among those who venerated the cross on Good Friday at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Bishop Peter Jugis kisses a crucifix containing a relic of the True Cross during Good Friday’s Veneration of the Cross service at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die on a cross was the supreme moment and “expression of His love for humanity (and) our salvation,” the bishop noted in his homily.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARYANN LUEDTKE

Clergy and servers prostrate themselves before the altar and crucifix at the start of the Good Friday liturgy April 2 at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONNIE RIES AND BOBBY OVERCASH

The eighth-grade faith formation class at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville re-enacted the Living Stations of the Cross on Wednesday of Holy Week.

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Clergy, servers and parishioners pray before the Blessed Sacrament on an altar of repose Holy Thursday at St. Michael Church in Gastonia.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters

Music for a sacred space Our Lady of Grace organ, music director to be featured in acclaimed concert series ANNIE FERGUSON CORRESPONDENT

‘Resurrection’ Handsomely done but sometimes overheated recounting of the death, rising and ascension of Jesus (Juan Pablo Di Pace) as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Writer Simon Block and director Ciaran Donnelly examine the impact of these events on the steadfast Virgin Mary (Greta Scacchi), volatile St. Peter (Adam Levy), even-keeled St. John (Babou Ceesay), brutal Roman governor Pontius Pilate (Vincent Regan) and Caiaphas (Richard Coyle), the unscrupulous Jewish high priest. Catholics will appreciate the centrality of the Blessed Mother and the unquestioned leadership of Peter at the head of the Apostles and of the whole nascent Christian community.

But Block’s script for this latest project from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, while affirming Jesus as Messiah and lord, seems to skirt around his divinity, even altering scriptural quotations to do so.

While the film is, nonetheless, a generally fine dramatization of this most essential of all histories, and one that’s suitable for teens, its graphic depiction of the Crucifixion makes it too upsetting for children. A torturous execution with considerable gore.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG-13

‘A Week Away’ This musical romance with an evangelical Christian twist follows a troubled teen (Kevin Quinn) in foster care who chooses to attend a faith-promoting summer camp as an alternative to juvenile detention. There he falls for the daughter (Bailee Madison) of its owner (David Koechner), helps a tongue-tied pal (Jahbril Cook) give voice to his long-standing crush (on Kat Conner Sterling) and develops other positive relationships. While director Roman White’s film, scripted by Kali Bailey and Alan Powell, doesn’t get any points for originality, its portrayal of young people trying to find their way in the world with the guidance of caring grown-ups will resonate with its target audience. And believing viewers of many stripes will appreciate the message that God has a plan for each and every human life. A soundtrack featuring popular songs from wellknown contemporary Christian performers and some lighthearted humor are additional assets.

Mature themes.

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

Other movies n ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’: CNS: A-III (adults); MPAA: PG-13 n ‘Nobody’: CNS: O (morally offensive): MPAA: R

GREENSBORO — The soul-stirring music that emanates from the Kleuker Organ at Our Lady of Grace Church will be online for all to hear at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 16. The German-made instrument is one of six Greensboro organs selected for a free, three-week virtual concert series set to close the 30th anniversary season of “Music for a Great Space.”

The series offers something in-person concerts often don’t. “Many times, when you see an organ performance, you’re sitting far away maybe just looking at the musician’s back,” says Rebecca Willie, executive director of “Music for a Great Space.”

“One of the wonderful benefits of this kind of virtual presentation is that we get to see hands moving across keyboards and pulling stops, and maybe a little bit of expression on their faces you’d normally ANNIE FERGUSON | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD miss out on.”

Andrew O’Connor, organist and music director at Our Lady of Grace Church in Founded in 1990, “Music Greensboro, will perform an online concert Friday, April 16, on the church’s prized for a Great Space” began Kleuker Organ. its first season celebrating the music of the Fisk Op. 82 organ of Christ United Methodist Church. recitals by world-famous artists.

The same organ, played by Chris Dederer, also As unique as the organ is, rarer still is the kicks off the current virtual series Friday, singular talent of the parish’s organist and April 9. Each year, “Music for a Great Space” music director, Andrew O’Connor. Not long produces performances by high-caliber after majoring in organ music at the University musicians in significant Greensboro venues. of North Carolina-Greensboro, O’Connor As a landmark, Our Lady of Grace certainly earned his current role at Our Lady of Grace is notable. The church was completed in Church, but it was hardly his first time 1952 as a memorial to Ethel Clay Price, an playing the instrument. At just 15, he became ardent devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a substitute organist for the parish and by 16 and has been lauded for its fine Tudor Gothic was playing there on a regular basis. However, architecture. his passion for organ music ignited long before Ethel’s husband Julian Price and their that. family sought the finest materials to build the In fact, one of the pieces on the list to play memorial. The church is adorned with stained for “Music for a Great Space” was, by divine glass from Belgium pieced together to depict providence, the very piece that drew O’Connor the Blessed Mother under many of her glorious to organ music as a young child. titles, period sculptures, and Italian marble “When I was looking through the pieces for the altar and sanctuary. Its soaring ceiling selected for the series, I found the William makes for top-notch acoustics – the extent Boyce voluntaries and, lo and behold, the first of which wouldn’t be realized until decades one, when I started to sample it, is the piece later with the installation of the rare Kleuker that made me fall in love with the organ when Organ.

I was at the beach in Southport when I was 5 or A gift to the church from the Bryan 6. We sat right next to the organ, and you could family commemorating the golden wedding just feel this majestic piece. … I was like, ‘Wow, anniversary of Joseph M. Bryan and Kathleen I never knew what that piece was.’”

Price Bryan, the “Jubilee” organ was built by For the concert, O’Connor will play Boyce’s the Detlef Kleuker Organ Co. of West Bielefeld, “Voluntary 1 in D Major,” as well as “Organ Germany. The yearlong installation was Concerto in G Major” by J.S. Bach (BWV 592) completed in the fall of 1977. The new organ and his own “Fantasia on Regina Coeli: The features 2,226 individual pipes, 32 stops and 47 Marian Antiphon for Eastertide.” ranks over three manuals and pedal, and its installation was feted with a series of organ ORGAN, SEE PAGE 17

On TV n Saturday, April 10, 5 p.m. (EWTN) “The Reformation – Luther’s Struggles.” A look at the life of Martin Luther, the priest, monk and revolutionary figure whose controversial teachings threatened the papal authority of the Catholic Church in the early 16th century. n Sunday, April 11, 6 a.m. (EWTN) “Regina Caeli with Pope Francis.”

Pope Francis recites the glorious prayer to Our Lady Queen of Heaven: the Regina Caeli.

n Saturday, April 17, 2 p.m. (EWTN) “Life and Times of Sister Faustina.” Born in Poland in 1905 as Helena Kowalska, she is now known as St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, or “The Apostle of Divine Mercy.” Father Seraphim Michalenko explains in detail this re-enactment of her life and the devotion to the Divine Mercy.

n Saturday, April 17, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Kateri.”

Born a Mohawk, St. Kateri Tekakwitha endured many hardships. Orphaned and ostracized by smallpox and traumatized by war, she embraced the Catholic faith, became a missionary to her people and the Church’s first Native American saint. n Friday, 23, April 23, 11:30 a.m. (EWTN) “St. Rita of Cascia.” A look at the life of this stigmatized Augustinian nun who was known as a beautiful peacemaker.

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

LAUDATO SI FROM PAGE 2

environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: ‘Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest’” (48).

Consumerism: “When people become self-centered and self-enclosed, their greed increases. The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume. It becomes almost impossible to accept the limits imposed by reality. In this horizon, a genuine sense of the common good also disappears” (204).

Water as a fundamental right: “One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor…. Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity” (29-30).

How we can help the environment: “Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can

reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings. Reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity” (211).

Social media’s effects on our culture: “When media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously…. True wisdom, as the fruit of self-examination, dialogue and generous encounter between persons, is not acquired by a mere accumulation of data which eventually leads to overload and confusion, a sort of mental pollution. ... Real relationships with others, with all the challenges they entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of internet communication which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at whim, thus giving rise to a new type of contrived emotion which has more to do with devices and displays than with other people and with nature” (47).

On overpopulation: “Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate.

At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of ‘reproductive health’…. To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues” (50).

Transgender ideology: “Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect

its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology. Also, 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. It is not a healthy attitude which would seek ‘to cancel out sexual difference because it no longer knows how to confront it’” (120).

Abortion: “Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? ‘If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away’” (120).

Hope in this situation: “Yet all is not lost.

Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their mental and social conditioning. We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom. No system can completely suppress our openness to what is good, true and beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to His grace at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to everyone throughout the world not to forget this dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take it from us” (205).

17

ORGAN FROM PAGE 16

O’Connor composed the third piece extemporaneously during a Latin Mass two years ago: “Father was supposed to process out while we sang the Marian Antiphon. I hadn’t planned another piece and didn’t have any music in front of me, so I played my take on the antiphon.

The Kleuker Friends Organ at Our urged me to Lady of Grace transcribe what Church I played, and I’m excited to PHOTO PROVIDED share it in this

BY ANDREW organ series.”

O’CONNOR Anyone who has listened to O’Connor play the organ at Mass knows how easy it is to get swept up into an otherworldly experience. Many say that to watch him create music in this sacred space is to be in the presence of something truly special.

He explains, “Being surrounded by these beautiful windows with titles for Our Lady, hearing about how important Mary was to Our Lord and our Catholic faith, playing this artistically built organ in this magnificent church with the excellent reverb – and surrounded by so much holiness, smelling the incense and the candles, it’s just an experience like no other.”

Watch the concert online At www.musicforagreatspace.org: Andrew O’Connor of Our Lady of Grace Church performs at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 16. Check-in begins at 7 p.m. To watch the organ concert streamed online, sign up for a free account.

BEING HOPE…

for a World in Search of Meaning Sr. Maureen Sullivan, OP Saturday, April 24, 2021 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

There is a lovely Scottish proverb: Were it not for hope, the heart would break.

Given the events of the past year, this quote seems truly appropriate for this day’s presentation. Actually, our hearts are well cared for because we are Christians, a resurrection people; and the central story of our faith leads from a brutal crucifixion to a wondrous, previously unimaginable, new life. Can we believe that this story continues in our midst? Scripture tells us that we can. As we will see, we are accompanied on our search for meaning by the God of Promise, who has told us: “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am your God. I have made you. I will carry you. I will sustain you.” [Isaiah 46:4] Maureen Sullivan is a Dominican Sister of Hope from New York, with a Ph.D. from Fordham University. She is a nationally known speaker and author of two books on Vatican II. This program will be presented on-line via Zoom, so registration is necessary. Please provide an email address so the invitation and link can be sent to you.

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

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

No charge, but donations accepted and appreciated.

ROCK HILL ORATORY Center for Spirituality LEARN, PRAY, GROW

Our nation 18

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

EASTER MESSAGES SHARED IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON

CNS | JACLYN LIPPELMANN, CATHOLIC STANDARD CNS | EDUARDO MUNOZ, REUTERS

Cardinal Dolan: Christ ‘loves us,’ is ‘with us forever’ NEW YORK — On Easter last year, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan looked out on an empty St. Patrick’s Cathedral amid the pandemic and thought, “Oh my God, I don’t mind an empty tomb on Easter but an empty church? To see the folks back, even though we’re still limited to 50 percent capacity ... sure means the world. Don’t tell anybody, I’m afraid we went a little over that today, but we were very careful,” he told the congregation April 4 in the cathedral that can hold about 2,000 worshipers. He said he also was gratified “that hundreds of thousands are united with us at home. That’s the Church’s job, to get out the good news about the resurrection of Jesus. Welcome to America’s parish church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” he said at the beginning of Easter Mass. “If we can’t be in Jerusalem, if we can’t be in Rome, this ain’t bad. So we are thrilled you are with us.” Massgoers followed all COVID-19 precautions – mask wearing, social distancing and hand-sanitizing in the 2,000-person capacity cathedral. Cardinal Dolan told the faithful that even “in spite of all the restrictions, it’s been an extraordinarily awesome and inspirational Holy Week.” Pictured above, a child gives Cardinal Dolan chocolate after the Easter Mass.

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

Cardinal Gregory: Risen Christ offers hope to people WASHINGTON, D.C. — The risen Christ on Easter offers hope to people experiencing sorrows in their everyday lives and in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory said at an Easter Mass April 4 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. “Easter is an unfolding experience of hope – hope at the very moment of grief,” Cardinal Gregory said in his homily, adding that “Easter is God’s remedy for the grieving heart.”

Washington’s archbishop noted that in the face of the current global pandemic, he as a priest continues to grieve for the sorrow of people who must bear the loss of their loved ones in isolation, as people died of COVID-19 without family members being able to be with them. He said he knows that he will encounter the loss of more family and friends, and that he himself will die one day. “Still, Easter promises me and it promises you that the fear and grieving that those moments will surely offer are not our ultimate human destiny,” he said, adding, “Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to grieve; she came away filled with hope and with joy.” Cardinal Gregory said Easter “brings together many people who long to change their own sorrows to joy, their own doubts into hope and their own fears into faith.” Pictured above, Cardinal Gregory baptizes Jillian Shen during the Easter Vigil April 3 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

Save the Date

Science Teacher 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.

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

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief Texas Senate OKs abortion bills; one would ban it if court overturns Roe AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops was “thrilled to report” the state Senate passed several pro-life bills supported by the conference, executive director Jennifer Allmon said March 31. “These include our top priorities, the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol, S.B. 394, and the Human Life Protection Act, S.B. 9. We have great hope that these bills, which provide further protections for women and unborn children, will become law,” she added in a message in the Texas Catholic Voice, the online news outlet of the Austinbased conference. On March 30, the Texas Senate approved seven bills restricting access to abortion; one of the measures bans abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Now the measures must be taken up by the Texas House of Representatives. Two of the approved bills are: Heartbeat Act, S.B. 8, bans abortions after the child’s heartbeat is detectable, which could be as early as six weeks of pregnancy. The bill has an exception for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest; and Trigger Abortion Ban Act, S.B. 9, which would outlaw most abortions and would take effect if Roe is overturned. Texas would only abortions if the pregnancy threatens the mother’s life.

Speakers say Equality Act ‘overly broad,’ will harm religious liberty WASHINGTON, D.C. — A March 22 online webinar on the Equality Act focused on criticism that the legislation is so vaguely worded it would harm religious liberty and obscure biological reality. The measure would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, the credit system and jury duty.

The webinar was sponsored by the archdioceses of Los Angeles and New York, the dioceses of Arlington, Va., and Green Bay, Wis., and the Catholic conferences of Colorado and Virginia.

On Feb. 25, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act, also known as H.R. 5, in a 224-206 vote. Now it will be taken up by the Senate; the first hearing was March 17 by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The webinar’s moderator, Ryan T. Anderson, who is currently president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said of the bill: “It’s overly broad and doesn’t define all kinds of actions that are truly discriminatory.”

Governor signs death penalty repeal at site of 101 executions since 1991 ARLINGTON, Va. — While standing outside the prison that housed Virginia’s execution chamber, Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation abolishing the death penalty in the state March 24. Legislators and anti-death penalty advocates joined the signing ceremony outside Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, where 101 people have been executed since 1991. “Over our 400-year history, Virginia has executed more than 1,300 people,” said Northam. “(Today) we join 22 other states in saying the government will not take a life, the government will no longer execute people.”

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington and Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond welcomed the new law. “We embrace this hope-filled new beginning,” they said in a joint statement March 24. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, also welcomed the repeal, calling it “a bold step toward a culture of life.”

He, too, noted that Virginia became the 23rd state to abolish the death penalty, “and I urge all other states and the federal government to do the same,” he said. In their statement, Bishops Burbidge and Knestout quoted the pope from his latest encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship”: “As Pope Francis states, ‘The firm rejection of the death penalty shows to what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being and to accept that he or she has a place in this universe.’”

Poll finds church membership continues downward trend in 21st century CLEVELAND — While fewer than half of American adults responding to a recent poll said they are members of a church, synagogue or mosque, the findings do not necessarily mean that people have lost faith in God, a pair of church observers said. Church membership in 2020 dropped to 47 percent of the more than 6,100 respondents to a Gallup Poll. It is the first time since the polling firm started measuring church membership in 1937 that a minority of adults said they belonged to a formal religious institution. Back then, in the midst of the Great Depression, 73 percent of adults said they belonged to a church. Over the next six decades, membership levels remained steady at about 70 percent before a measured decline began. The number of nonchurch members continues a downward trend that began at the turn of the 21st century. “The poll doesn’t note that fewer than 50 percent of American’s don’t believe in God. It’s important to note that across society institutional belonging is not high right now,” said Timothy O’Malley, director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.

“It’s becoming quite clear that at least church membership is not the way most Americans are practicing religiosity,” he said.

U.S., Mexico bishops urge political leaders to ‘welcome, protect’ migrants WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic bishops who head the U.S. and Mexico dioceses along the border that separates them, along with the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee, issued a joint statement April 1 urging governments, political leaders and civil society to “work together to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants.”

The prelates also called on these leaders to “work with other countries in the region to eliminate conditions that compel their citizens to resort to dangerous and irregular migration.”

They issued the statement in response to a humanitarian crisis that has been underway at the U.S.-Mexico border for weeks as hundreds of migrants from Central America and many other places arrive each day seeking refuge in the United States. The bishops said they “witness daily the dilemma that our migrant sisters and brothers face. For most, the decision to migrate is not motivated by an indifference toward their homeland or the pursuit of economic prosperity; it is a matter of life or death. The situation is all the more difficult for children.” Challenges faced at the border, with so many seeking refuge in the United States, require humanitarian solutions, they said. ­— Catholic News Service

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

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

Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte

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

19

Our world 20

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

POPE FRANCIS PREACHES AT EASTER:

Christ’s victory over death proclaims a second chance for all JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES AND CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The Easter liturgies – with the fire, sharing of light from the Paschal candle, the renewal of baptismal promises and the proclamation that Jesus has risen – assure people that it is never too late to start again, Pope Francis said.

“It is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures,” the pope said April 3 during his celebration of the Easter Vigil.

With Italy in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis celebrated a pared-down vigil at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica with an estimated 200 people present and returned the next morning with a similarly small congregation for Easter Mass and to give his blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

The vigil was simpler than usual, but there still was the blessing of the fire, which blazed at the foot of the basilica’s main altar, and the lighting of the Easter candle. Then, the darkened basilica slowly began to glow with the light of candles being shared by the concelebrants and the faithful present.

In his homily at the vigil, the pope said the Gospel proclamation of the resurrection and the angel’s invitation to the women at Jesus’ tomb to “go to Galilee” was a call to return to “the place where the Lord first sought them out and called them to follow Him.” Although His followers often misunderstood Jesus and even abandoned Him “in the face of the cross,” He still urges them to “begin anew,” the pope said.

“In this Galilee,” the pope said, “we learn to be amazed by the Lord’s infinite love, which opens new trails along the path of our defeats.”

The pope said the call to return to Galilee also means to set out on a new path, away from the tomb and from indulging in grief.

Like those at the tomb, he said, “many people experience such a ‘faith of memories,’ as if Jesus were someone from the past, an old friend from their youth who is now far distant, an event that took place long ago, when they attended catechism as a child.”

“Let us go to Galilee, then, to discover that God cannot be filed away among our childhood memories, but is alive and filled with surprises,” he said. “Risen from the dead, Jesus never ceases to amaze us.”

The call to go to Galilee –º a region inhabited by “those farthest from the ritual purity of Jerusalem” – is a reminder for Christians to go out to the peripheries and imitate Jesus who brought the presence of God to those who were excluded.

“The Risen Lord is asking His disciples to go there even now, to the settings of daily life, the streets we travel every day,

Pope Francis delivers his Easter message “urbi et orbi” (“to the city and the world”) after celebrating Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 4.

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

the corners of our cities,” the pope said.

“There the Lord goes ahead of us and makes Himself present in the lives of those around us, those who share in our day, our home, our work, our difficulties and hopes.”

Pope Francis said Jesus calls on all Christians today to “overcome barriers, banish prejudices” and to recognize the Lord “here in our Galilees, in everyday life.”

“If on this night, you are experiencing an hour of darkness, a day that has not yet dawned, a light dimmed or a dream shattered,” he said, “open your heart with amazement to the message of Easter: ‘Do not be afraid, He has risen! He awaits you in Galilee.’”

As is customary, Pope Francis did not preach at the Easter morning Mass, which featured the chanting of the Gospel in both Latin and Greek.

With Italy on another lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pope gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (“to the city and the world”) standing inside St. Peter’s Basilica rather than from the balcony overlooking a full St. Peter’s Square.

“The Easter message does not offer us a mirage or reveal a magic formula,” the pope said before giving the blessing.

“It does not point to an escape from the difficult situation we are experiencing.

The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor.”

The pope offered prayers for the sick and those who have died of COVID-19 and for the doctors and nurses who have made “valiant efforts” to care for the pandemic’s victims.

And he had special words of Easter hope for young people struggling in isolation from their friends. “Experiencing real human relationships, not just virtual relationships, is something that everyone needs, especially at an age when a person’s character and personality is being formed,” he said.

“I express my closeness to young people throughout the world and, in these days, especially to the young people of Myanmar committed to supporting democracy and making their voices heard peacefully, in the knowledge that hatred can be dispelled only by love,” he said.

Pope Francis prayed for many places in the world where the need to fight the pandemic has not silenced the weapons of war and violence.

“This is scandalous,” he said. “Armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened.”

The Gospel witnesses to the Resurrection, he said, “report an important detail: the risen Jesus bears the marks of

the wounds in His hands, feet and side.

These wounds are the everlasting seal of His love for us. All those who experience a painful trial in body or spirit can find refuge in these wounds and, through them, receive the grace of the hope that does not disappoint.”

“May the light of the risen Jesus be a source of rebirth for migrants fleeing from war and extreme poverty,” he prayed. “Let us recognize in their faces the marred and suffering face of the Lord as He walked the path to Calvary. May they never lack concrete signs of solidarity and human fraternity, a pledge of the victory of life over death that we celebrate on this day.”

And, while the pandemic restrictions meant simpler and smaller Vatican celebrations of Easter, Pope Francis noted that in many places the limitations are stricter and even prevent people from going to church.

“We pray that those restrictions, as well as all restrictions on freedom of worship and religion worldwide, may be lifted and everyone be allowed to pray and praise God freely,” he said.

Calling again for a fair and speedy distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the pope said that “in embracing the cross, Jesus bestowed meaning on our sufferings, and now we pray that the benefits of that healing will spread throughout the world.”

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

Easter season is time to seek the risen Lord, experience joy, pope says CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — The Easter season, which lasts until Pentecost, is a time for rejoicing and for always seeking out the risen Christ, Pope Francis said.

“To find Christ means to discover peace of heart,” he said April 5 as he led the recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer from the library of the Apostolic Palace.

With Italy in another COVID-19 lockdown, the midday recitation was livestreamed.

But Pope Francis reminded viewers how the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty, “after initially being shaken, experience great joy in discovering the Master alive.”

“In this Easter Season,” he said, “my wish is that everyone might have the same spiritual experience, welcoming in our hearts, in our homes and in our families the joyful proclamation of Easter: ‘Christ, having risen from the dead dies now no more; death will no longer have dominion over Him.’” From Easter to Pentecost, Catholics pray the “Regina Coeli” in place of the Angelus prayer as an affirmation of the joy of the Resurrection they should experience throughout the Easter season, he said. The prayer begins, “Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia,” because “now Mary’s joy is complete: Jesus lives, love has conquered.

May this be our joy as well!”

After Jesus was buried, the authorities ordered a stone rolled in front of the tomb to keep the disciples from stealing

‘In this Easter Season, my wish is that everyone might have the same spiritual experience, welcoming in our hearts, in our homes and in our families the joyful proclamation of Easter.’

Pope Francis Jesus’ body. The stone, the pope said, “was supposed to be the seal of the victory of evil and death.”

But the Gospel of Matthew says, “There was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.”

“All of the plans and defenses of Jesus’ enemies and persecutors were in vain,” he said. “The image of the angel sitting on the stone before the tomb is the concrete, visible manifestation of God’s victory over evil, of Christ’s victory over the prince of this world, of light over darkness.”

Catholic Schools Director of Development The Diocesan Office of Development has an opening for a full-time Director of Development for Catholic Schools. The candidate must be a college graduate with a degree in marketing, communications, or related field. He or she must have at least three years of experience in fundraising and marketing.

Extensive fundraising experience may be substituted for a completed undergraduate degree.

Responsibilities include working closely with all 19 diocesan Catholic schools and assisting them in developing and carrying out annual school fund development plans including but not limited to annual giving campaigns, major gifts efforts and planned giving activities. Candidate will meet regularly on site with all 19 schools to support and coordinate their fund development efforts

Please submit cover letter and resume

by April 30, 2021 to: Jim Kelley, Office of Development, jkkelley@charlottediocese.org

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 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.

Are you 70 ½ years or older?

Unlock your potential to make a difference.

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

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

Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte

21

ViewPoints 22

catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Dr. Tom Neal

Jesuit Father John Michalowski

What kind of leaven will we be?

Stolen umbrellas: Fumbling into the Kingdom of God W

G

.K. Chesterton once said that his umbrella helped reveal to him why he knew the Catholic Church was for him. He said that whenever he went to non-Catholic churches, he would customarily leave his umbrella by the back door during the worship service. In these churches, his umbrella would always be there waiting for him when he went back out. But the first time he went into a Catholic church to hear Mass, his umbrella disappeared from the back of the church. Someone had stolen it.

His conclusion? If the Catholic Church offered such a generous and open doorway to the rabble, being a home for both sinners and saints, then he had indeed found a home where he could also fumble along into the Kingdom. He added,

‘In moral theology, the “law of gradualism” allows us to see that God takes human beings as they are ... and leads them along the way to take the next best step.’

“Every one on this earth should believe, amid whatever madness or moral failure, that his life and temperament have some object on the earth.

Every one on the earth should believe that he has something to give to the world which cannot otherwise be given.”

A gentleman I knew in Florida, a cantankerous old salt, said to me once: “You know, it takes all the strength I can muster to hold back one biting remark. I used to get discouraged, but a priest once told me in confession, ‘You know, Jesus looks on your one effort to refrain from an unkind remark as having far more value in His eyes than the thousand kind words spoken by someone who is naturally kind. God just wants small heroisms from you that no one will ever notice.’ That made my life much more bearable.”

In moral theology, the “law of gradualism” allows us to see that God takes human beings as they are, meeting them in their real-world circumstances with all their present strengths and weaknesses, and leads them along the way to take the next best step. The heights of holiness for one will look very different than the holy heights of another. In the realm of holiness, appearances are indeed deceiving. If we simply take the abstract demands of the moral law, or some single pristine image of mystical sanctity, and lay these on people without respect to who they are, with their real limits and varied life

circumstances, we set them up for despair, or for cycles of guilt and shame, or for an unsustainable and delusional pursuit of perfectionism.

While we never bend the moral law to accommodate human weakness, we do confess faith in a God who bends down (“descéndit de cælis”) to meet the fallen sinner on the ground in order to love him or her into life, to heal and raise him or her up. We have no need for God to canonize or condemn us, but to have compassion on us so we can carry on each day with hope.

I need this God. As it says in the Book of Lamentations, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:2223).

Pope Francis gave us the Year of Mercy in 2016 to remind us of this marvelous place between lax indulgence and priggish perfectionism called mercy. Mercy is the most human aspect of our faith. It embraces our broken human condition and empowers us to rise from the ashes. Mercy permits us to become more human, after the image of Christ who “fully reveals man to man Himself and makes His supreme calling clear” (“Gaudium et Spes,” 22).

The pope has repeated this theme in other writings and talks, including a 2013 interview with La Civita Cattolica: “The Church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners. I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. And you have to start from the ground up.

“The Church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the Church must be ministers of mercy above all.

The confessor, for example, is always in danger of being either too much of a rigorist or too lax.

Neither is merciful, because neither of them really takes responsibility for the person. The rigorist washes his hands so that he leaves it to the commandment. The loose minister washes his hands by simply saying, “This is not a sin” or something like that. In pastoral ministry we must accompany people, and we must heal their wounds.”

DR. TOM NEAL serves as academic dean and professor of Spiritual Theology at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. While he continues his work on general topics of spiritual theology, especially relating to priestly formation, he has dedicated much of his energy more recently to theological reflection on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful to be “secular saints” whose essential labor is to consecrate the world itself to God by faithfully living out their personal vocations in the world. He blogs at www. nealobstat.wordpress.com.

hat kind of leaven will we be – a good leaven rising up fruit to the praise of God, or a corrupt leaven causing the downfall of our neighbor? Easter, when we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord, is a good time of year to take stock – to cast out the old leaven of corruption, and instead, to leaven the world with loving intimations of God’s kingdom.

In Mark 8:15 Jesus says, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Although leaven or yeast can be a good thing, leaven is often a negative in Old Testament thought. One clears out the old leaven, to prepare for the Passover meal. Leaven can be seen as a corrupting force. What is the “leaven of the Pharisees”? How was their way of thinking corrupting?

Many of the Pharisees were critical of Jesus for curing people on the Sabbath and for not following their interpretation of the Mosaic Law to the letter. At one point, some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him for a sign from heaven. They asked Him this in spite of the fact that Jesus has already cured the blind and the deaf, cast out demons, and fed thousands.

Clearly, they wanted to see God act in their way, not in the way that God was acting through Jesus, His Son. Earlier they had criticized Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands. They looked down on anyone who did not follow their rules on ritual piety. Their narrowness blinded them to the good that Jesus was doing. They projected their scrupulosity upon others. They even accused Jesus of being in league with the devil, because He did not act as they wanted.

But Jesus was leavening the world with mercy and love. At one point Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” (Mt 13:33). God’s leaven is mercy and love. As Jesus says, “By their fruits you will know them” (Mt 12:33).

Jesus was leavening people’s lives with the fruits of love – even into the lives of Gentiles, as He did to the deaf man with the speech impediment and to the young girl troubled by a demon in Tyre. God’s love knows no bounds of ethnicity, religion, race, or socioeconomic status.

What is the leaven of Herod? Herod Antipas was in league with the Romans and their oppression of the people. He was caught up in the protection of his own power and pride. He even beheaded John the Baptist just to save face before his guests at the birthday banquet he held for himself. Later the Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate, sent Jesus off to be crucified, a man he proclaimed to be innocent, because he didn’t want a riot in Jerusalem from those who were crying out for Jesus’ crucifixion. This would have made him look bad if it were reported to the Roman governor in Syria. He too clung to power and pride, the leaven of corruption that made the poor and powerless expendable. This sinfulness is still evident today.

In contrast, the true leaven is God’s grace and the actions that arise from it. As St. Paul says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5:22). Jesus shows us the way as He fed the 5,000 in Jewish territory and 4,000 in mostly Gentile territory. He shows us the way as He gives His life for us.

Especially during this time of pandemic, Jesus’ work is carried out by health care workers, food providers, and so many others amid much uncertainty and risk. Jesus’ leaven continues in the families who shop for an elderly neighbor so that she can remain safely and comfortably at home. The bread of compassion is found in the stay-at-home mom who takes in the child of the working mother next door who has no one to watch over her child during the day. The leaven of humility is found in the person who fills in for a co-worker staying at home with a sick child, spouse or parent. Each Christ-like action gives us a glimpse of the Kingdom.

Lord, grant that we may be so fashioned by Your grace that our lives leaven a hungry world with love. Make us a good leaven this Easter and always. May Your Kingdom come.

‘True leaven is God’s grace and the actions that arise from it.’

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

April 9, 2021 | catholicnewsherald.com CATHOLIC NEWS HERALDI

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Fred Gallagher

Easters today and to come: A meditation

T

he altar was stripped, and we felt the stark but telling Absence. The next day, we symbolically walked the Via Dolorosa and the horror of the crucifixion settled in upon us. We kissed Our Lord’s feet (or bowed to them because of COVID-19 restrictions) as He hung upon the cross: the sacred agony that becomes a part of us. The following day we waited, the figurative waiting for Jesus to come back to us. In the wait, we were solemn and somber, we mourned,

‘If I serve Him, the everyday of Easter so richly informs His suffering on the cross and our suffering that is part and parcel of being human on earth.’ and we wept.

Then, fortunately for us, the sun rose and made the dawn a masterpiece and the Son rose, defining Christianity forever and engendering ultimate hope.

We awoke and felt the weight lifted from us. The Triduum of the heart had been accomplished.

So, now what happens?

We go over it again and again.

The Psalmist tells us: “Make me to know joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast humbled, may rejoice.”

Some translations say the “broken” bones and yet others, the “crushed” bones. You get the picture. We envision the images of a suffering world. Some of us know the suffering on the cross intimately, and some know the dust, the mud and the grit at the foot of the cross.

I know a woman – one of the most charitable women I’ve ever met – who has lost her sight and much of her hearing in just the last few years.

Her hair has fallen out and severe neuropathy pains her daily, coupled with tortuous headaches that strike on a regular basis. Medicines she must take to stave off infections from an autoimmune disease have contributed to strokes. Her husband, a dear friend, has become a full-time caregiver. Yet if you call her on the phone when she is up and going, she will defer questions about herself and ask you about your family. “Tell me all about the kids…how are they doing?”

And she will empathize with anything you may be going through. She will even

laugh with you, through it all, in the miracle of saintly surrender.

Easter Sunday has passed. What do we do now?

What do we do with the inevitability of death and the suffering of so many we love, as well as our own suffering? Where does it go?

What has the Triduum taught us? Can we assimilate the human tragedy we encounter and still embrace the joy of Our Lord’s rising?

Do the wounds and the fears and the doubts carry meaning? Who consecrates this journey we must travel when we meet sorrow at every way station?

If you are expecting simple answers to these questions, I cannot offer them.

I know only that I am more human when speaking with my friend and his wife, when I am trying to express my love in word or deed, and when I am praying the deepest prayers I have – chock full of dejection, anger, befuddlement, desire, longing for love and healing, and crying out for some kind of joy and gladness in these humbled bones.

I also take solace in the most powerful verse of scripture I know: “He wept.”

I know Jesus loved Lazarus and cared deeply for the whole family. Scripture doesn’t say He felt “kind of sorry” for them or was properly sympathetic or thought it best to join the mourners.

Scripture says “He wept.” He shed the tears of grief that many others would soon shed upon seeing Him on the cross, looking to heaven, crying out a loving response to a crucified thief at His side.

I don’t have answers.

Cardinal Newman said, “I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.”

If I serve Him, Easter is ever alive. If I serve Him, the everyday of Easter so richly informs His suffering on the cross and our suffering that is part and parcel of being human on earth.

French writer and Nobel Laureate Francois Mauriac once said, “God does not answer our desperate questionings; He simply gives us Himself.” My friend is finding a heart he didn’t know he had.

His wife can feel the very texture of the wood beams that Christ died on.

And we are here together, marching each dawn into Easter, with our pain and our heartache, with our present sins and the sundry transgressions of the past, with our love for each other and for our God and with our hope, always and forever – our hope in the rising of the Son. FRED GALLAGHER is an author and editor-in-chief with Gastonia-based Good Will Publishers Inc.

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catholicnewsherald.com | April 9, 2021 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD