Planned Giving Officer

The Diocesan Office of Development has an opening for a full-time Planned Giving Officer. This position is responsible for securing planned gifts to support ministries of the Diocese of Charlotte, cultivate relationships with current and new Catholic Heritage Society members, and increase endowment gifts to the Foundation Diocese of Charlotte that support the Diocese of Charlotte. Must be willing to travel within the Diocese of Charlotte.

Knowledge and Experience:

• BA/BS degree required

• 3 to 5 years of demonstrated experience in professional fund development; 3 years planned giving experience preferred

• Excellent relationship building skills: ability to work effectively with parishioners, prospects, and parish leaders

• Proficient in MS Office

• Excellent organizational and attention to detail skills

• Self-starter with the ability to work independently

• Experience in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge/NXT and WealthEngine preferred

Please submit letter of interest and resume to:

Gina Rhodes, Office of Development gmrhodes@rcdoc.org or mail to:

1123 South Church Street, Charlotte, Nc 28203 e Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The sentence given to Bishop Álvarez was the harshest for an Ortega opponent since the Nicaraguan leader unleashed a crackdown on critics of his increasingly tyrannical regime, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Ortega has persecuted political opponents -- arresting seven potential presidential candidates prior to his winning re-election in 2021, in a race the United States and European countries considered rigged. His regime has also extinguished the registrations of nongovernmental groups, forced the closure of Church charities and educational projects, and suppressed independent media outlets.

The Nicaraguan Church has a complicated history with Ortega, who first claimed power in a 1979 revolution with the Sandinistas and returned to office in 2007, presenting himself as a proper Catholic – and supported by some in the Church hierarchy.

Church leaders clashed with Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, after protests over a proposed social security reform erupted in 2018. Parishes provided shelter for protesters and priests subsequently accompanied the families of political protesters.

“The Church has been a moral voice in supporting the defense of life and dignity,” a Nicaraguan priest, who wants to remain anonymous, told OSV News prior to Álvarez’s sentencing. “It opted for being a home or field hospital, as the pope says.”

“Bishop Álvarez,” the priest said, “is the most beloved and most respected bishop for his coherence and his commitment to the poor and neediest. He has been a clear and firm voice in defense of human dignity and, in his role as a pastor, he has been a prophetic voice in defense of the most vulnerable.”

Youth Minister

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, located in High Point, NC has a job opening for a Youth Minister. This is a full-time position. Weekend and evenings required.

Responsibilities include: building young disciples who are connected to Parish life and have a desire to serve others. The Parish provides programs of Edge and Life Teen to assist in this effort. The Youth Minister is in charge of Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation.

Not operating alone, the Youth Minister develops a core team of volunteers and catechists to assist in building the program. Concurrently the Youth Minister should develop close communication and mutual support from the families of the youth. Community involvement would include retreats such as Catholic Heart Work Camp and locally Operation In As Much.

This applicant should be an active practicing Catholic, registered in a Parish, who embraces in word and deed the teachings of the Catholic Church.

If interested, submit resume including personal and professional references to:

Deacon Wally Haarsgaard

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

4145 Johnson Street

High Point, NC 27265

Email: whaarsgaard@ihmchurch.org

Guadalupe is a message of communion amid mixed cultures, pope says

VATICAN CITY — Our Lady of Guadalupe is a message of “mestizaje,” or a fusion of cultures that leads to an encounter between humanity and God, Pope Francis said. In a message to Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo, Spain, Pope Francis reflected on the figure of Guadalupe to mark the occasion of the shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and in Spain becoming “sister shrines.” “Mary, our Mother, is always a bond of communion for her people,” and her invitation to prayer and communion “has been expressed in many places in the world with the invitation to build a temple that would be a house with doors always open to all,” the pope said in his message, which was published Feb. 13. Two of the most famous temples in Hispanic culture built at Mary’s request are the Guadalupe shrines in Spain and Mexico which are considered “sister shrines” following a ceremony in Guadalupe, Spain, Feb. 13 in which Archbishop Cerro and Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes both participated.

Holy Land tourism bounces back after pandemic, but Ukraine war presents setbacks

JERUSALEM — Last December’s Christmas tree lightings in many towns and cities in Jerusalem finally pointed to a return toward normalcy for Holy Land pilgrim visits and tourism following the global pandemic and lockdowns. But the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has presented other setbacks to the local tourism economy and the pandemic changed daily living and livelihoods for many throughout the Holy Land, according to the regional director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), an agency of the Holy See. As Israel lifted all bans and restrictions connected with COVID-19, the country has witnessed a gradual return of tourism, especially in the last quarter of 2022. — OSV

When the Diocese of Charlotte celebrated its 50th anniversary with “Catholic Night” at Truist Field Sept. 9 last year, they broadcast live, featuring an interview with Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese.

“We’re hoping to spearhead more ‘Catholic Night’ events at other baseball parks across the diocese in the future,” Papandrea said.

While they are expanding programming, platforms and community reach, Carolina Catholic Media has a critical need for funding. The network was hit hard by the pandemic and forced to shut down radio operations for seven months, from August 2021 through February 2022, due to insufficient funding. As events were cancelled during the pandemic, fundraising became more difficult. The team was unable to reach out into the community to capitalize on those former opportunities to generate revenue.

“We are here to reflect our beautiful Carolina Catholic community,” Papandrea said. “You can tell when people call in how much of what we do impacts them. Some are fallen away Catholics, some agnostics, atheists… People from all walks of life are finding their way to us and hearing a positive message through our seven audio and video platforms. We need more people from our parishes, schools and ministries to partner with us to continue this important work like our recent March for Life live broadcast.”

Tune in, get involved

Local programming on 1270AM is featured daily: 1-6 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends.

Download the Carolina Catholic Media app to listen to programs live and on demand including sections on Prayer and Learning. Find out more on how you can donate or get involved at www.carolinacatholicmedia.org Questions? Email David.Papandrea@carolinacatholicradio.org.

A 2011 graduate of Belmont Abbey College, Dr. Christine J. Basil began her teaching career elsewhere and returned to serve as an assistant professor at the Honors College. She is grateful for what the college offers faculty like herself.

“The first thing the abbot said to me was: ‘Welcome home,’” Basil recalled. “That deep sense of belonging and community gives rise to very honest and vulnerable conversations. Having taught other places, I’ve never seen anything like what is possible here.”

Thierfelder added, “The two fundamental things that every human being wants is to know what’s true and to be loved. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on… We’re called to love people, invite them in. That Benedictine charism of welcoming each guest ‘in persona Christi’ (in the person of Christ) is where you see Christ in each person no matter what their background is, their faith or who they are. We say, ‘Come on in’ and ‘We love you.’”

On behalf of himself and his brother monks, Abbot Placid expressed his gratitude to everyone who has – and may still – support the “Made True” campaign.

“We, as founders of the college, are deeply moved by the generous support from the donors of the capital campaign as they join us in ensuring that this type of education – which is more important today than ever before – is available now and for future generations.”

How to give

At www.madetrue.bac.edu : Get more information and learn how to support Belmont Abbey College’s historic “Made True” campaign