May 12, 2023

At a glance

May 12, 2023

Volume 32 • NUMBER 16

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

5things you need to know this week

GET TO KNOW THE NEWEST APOSTLE

After Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, the Apostles knew they needed to replace Judas to bring their number back to 12. They chose St. Matthias (see icon at right), whose name means “gift of God,” for he had been a disciple of Jesus from the beginning. Tradition says St. Matthias preached the Gospel in multiple locations and died from crucifixion or stoning. His feast day is May 14. For more: www.catholicnewsherald.com.

TAKE A HIKE ON ASCENSION SUNDAY

From the earliest days of Ascension celebrations, the liturgy included a procession to a location outside the city – often to a nearby hill or mountain – to imitate Jesus leading the Apostles out toward Bethany (Luke 24:50). In Jerusalem, of course, they took the original path to the summit of the Mount of Olives. Take your own journey to a nearby summit this Ascension Sunday and contemplate this important scriptural event. For more: www. thomasmorecollege.edu/2019/05/3-ways-to-celebrate-theascension

KEEP CALM AND KEEP CHRIST

May is a busy time in the Church and in families. Maintain your peace and grow your spiritual maturity with the May 15 Sophia Institute Press release, “A Guide to Christian Meditation: How to Engage More Deeply in Personal Prayer” by Father John Bartunek. Join him on a how-to journey into this time-tested method for intimacy with God. To order: www.sophiainstitute.com/product/ guide-to-christian-meditation.

STAFF

EDITOR: Spencer K. M. Brown

704-808-4528, skmbrown@charlottediocese.org

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan

704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org

HISPANIC MEDIA MANAGER: César Hurtado

704-370-3375, rchurtado@charlottediocese.org

EDITORIAL TEAM: Kimberly Bender

704-370-3394, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

Annie Ferguson

704-370-3404, arferguson@charlottediocese.org

SueAnn Howell

704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org

Troy C. Hull

704-370-3288, tchull@charlottediocese.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher

704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson

704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Liz Chandler

704-370-3336, lchandler@charlottediocese.org

ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle

704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org

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

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EXPLORE MARIAN CONSECRATION FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART

You can’t go wrong consecrating yourself and your loved ones to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially during this month dedicated to the Blessed Mother. A great way to include children in this wonderful spiritual gift is to journey through consecration together with books like “Marian Consecration for Children” at www.tanbooks. com and “Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children” at www.catholiccompany.com.

Diocesan calendar of events

ESPAÑOL

VIÑEDO DE RAQUEL : ¿Es usted o un ser querido que busca la curación de los efectos de un aborto anterior? Los retiros de fin de semana son ofrecidos por Caridades Católicas para hombres y mujeres en todas las regiones de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Para obtener información sobre los próximos retiros, incluidos retiros en las diócesis vecinas, comuníquese con Karina Hernández: 336-267-1937 o karinahernandez@live. com.

PRAYER SERVICES

IGBO MASS : 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 14, St. Mary’s Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. Mass will be offered in the Igbo language of Nigeria. For details, call 336-707-3625.

HOLY HOUR FOR LIFE : 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St., Asheville. The Asheville chapter of Sidewalk Advocates for Life (SAFL) is sponsoring an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with rosary and Benediction, followed by a discussion of the mission and ministry of SAFL of Asheville (with snacks). At noon,

attendees will be invited to proceed to Planned Parenthood in Asheville for an hour of peaceful prayer and observation of Sidewalk Advocates doing loving outreach. For details, email Elizabeth or Leigh at SAFL.AshevilleNC@ gmail.com.

HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

LUKE MISSION (UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH) : Divine Liturgy (Mass) at 3 p.m. Sundays at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden. For details, email ucmcanton@gmail.com.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING

PROTECTING CHILDREN: Protecting God’s Children (Protegiendo a los Niños de Dios) workshops educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register for online training, go to www. virtus.org. Upcoming workshops:

CONCORD: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 13, St. James Church, 139 Manor Ave.

SUPPORT GROUPS

RACHEL RETREAT: Are you or a loved

SUPPORT LOCAL GROWERS, FEED THE HUNGRY IN HONOR OF ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER

The patron saint of Madrid, Spain, St. Isidore the Farmer (10701130) entered the service of a wealthy landowner as a child and worked faithfully on the estate for the rest of his life. Isidore was a devout soul and was known for his love of the poor and supplying them miraculously with food. He was canonized in 1622 with four other Spanish saints. His feast day is May 15. Learn more: www. franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-isidore-the-farmer.

— Annie Ferguson

one seeking healing from the effects of a past abortion? Project Rachel retreat weekends are offered by the diocesan Office of Family Life a few times a year for men and women in both English and Spanish. For details, contact Jessica Grabowski: 704-370-3229 or jrgrabowski@rcdoc.org.

TALKS

TENTH ANNUAL EAST MEETS WEST RETREAT: Friday-Saturday, June 23-24, St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden. A program of Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Ukrainian Catholic Mission, the retreat will be led by Matthew K. Minerd, Ph.D, professor of philosophy and moral theology at Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh. Minerd, a member of the Byzantine Catholic Church, will present three talks based on his recently published book “Made By God, Made For God: Catholic Morality, Explained.” No registration required. Offering suggested. For details, email Father Kevin Bezner at ucmcanton@gmail.com.

Upcoming events for Bishop Peter J. Jugis:

MAY 12 – 6 P.M.

Sacrament of Confirmation

St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

MAY 17 – 6 P.M.

Sacrament of Confirmation

St. Mark Church, Huntersville

MAY 19 – 10 A.M.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

MAY 21 – 12:30 P.M.

Sacrament of Confirmation

St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

Our faith

May is devoted to Mary

Mary is also our mother, given to us by Jesus as He was dying upon the cross.

“When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (Jn 19:26-27). This tender scene speaks to us of the depth of the Love that inspires, informs and transforms all human love – the Love Incarnate who gives us His Mother. Mary’s obedience and unwavering faith in God also exemplify how we should act as Christian disciples. She embraced God’s will and freely chose to cooperate with God’s grace – thereby fulfilling a crucial role in God’s plan of salvation. She did not understand the whole picture, but she trusted God every step of the way – from the moment the Angel Gabriel visited her until she saw her Son crucified and resurrected.

As Pope Francis wrote in “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and be glad”): “She is that woman who rejoiced in the presence of God, who treasured everything in her heart, and who let herself be pierced by the sword. Mary is the saint among the saints, blessed above all others. She teaches us the way of holiness and she walks ever at our side. She does not let us remain fallen and at times she takes us into her arms without judging us” (176).

Mary is also our greatest intercessor. As we pray in the “Hail Mary”: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.”

Her role has always been to bring us closer to Christ, as first illustrated in her instructions at the wedding feast of Cana: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).

She is also Mother of the Church, present with the apostles when the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost.

Throughout the centuries, the Church has turned to Mary to grow closer to Jesus.

Many forms of piety toward the Mother of God help deepen our relationship with Jesus – the rosary chief among them. In these devotions to Mary, “while the Mother is honored, the Son, through whom all things have their being and in whom it has pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell, is rightly known, loved and glorified and ... all His commands are observed.”

While Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14, is not a liturgical holiday, it is a wonderful opportunity to meditate on Mary’s special role in the Church and in our lives, and to give thanks to all mothers.

— www.catholic.org, USCCB

Learn more

At www.catholic.org/mary : Learn more about the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary – as mother, model and disciple, as well as her appearances and messages for us today

Marian feast days in May

n May 13 – Our Lady of Fatima

n May 24 – Mary Help of Christians

n May 31 – The Visitation

Daily Scripture readings

MAY 14-20

Sunday: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, 1 Peter 3:1518, John 14:15-21; Monday (St. Isidore): Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-16:4a; Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-11; Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (The Ascension of the Lord): Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20; Friday: Acts 18:9-18, John 16:20-23; Saturday (St. Bernardine of Siena): Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23b-28

Pope Francis

Christians must nurture roots of faith and build bridges

The strong roots of faith and community helped the people of Hungary resist and survive Nazi occupation and communism, Pope Francis said, and the people must draw on those roots today to resist the more subtle threats of consumerism and individualism.

At his weekly general audience May 3, the pope reflected on his visit April 28-30 to Budapest, Hungary.

But he also used his main talk as an opportunity to wish a happy 92nd birthday to his friend, Edith Bruck, a Hungarian-born writer and Holocaust survivor now living in Rome.

Fascism and the Nazi occupation of Hungary during World War II led to “the tragic deportation of a large Jewish population” and the deaths of some 400,000 of them, the pope said. “But in that atrocious genocide, many distinguished themselves by their resistance and their ability to protect the victims; and this was possible because the roots of living together were firm.”

“In Rome we have a great Hungarian poet who went through all of these trials and tells young people about the importance of defending an ideal so as not to be conquered by persecution and discouragement,” the pope said. “This poet turns 92 years old today. Best wishes, Edith!”

Although Nazism and communism have been defeated, the pope said, “freedom is under threat” in many parts of the world today but with “kid gloves.”

The culprit, he said, is “a consumerism that anesthetizes,” making people comfortable “with a little material well-being” so they forget the struggles of the past and how important it was to defend their faith and culture.

“This is a problem throughout Europe, where dedicating oneself to others, feeling community, the beauty of dreaming together and creating large families are in crisis. The whole of Europe is in crisis,” he said. “So let us reflect on the importance of preserving roots, because only by going deep will the branches grow upward and bear fruit.”

MAY 21-27

Sunday: Acts 1:12-14, 1 Peter 4:13-16, John 17:1-11a; Monday (St. Rita of Cascia): Acts 19:1-8, John 16:29-33; Tuesday: Acts 20:17-27, John 17:1-11a; Wednesday: Acts 20:28-38, John 17:11b-19; Thursday (St. Bede the Venerable, St. Gregory VII, St. Margaret Magdalene de’ Pazzi): Acts

22:30, 23:6-11, John 17:20-26; Friday (St. Philip Neri): Acts 25:13b-21, John 21:15-19; Saturday (St. Augustine of Canterbury): Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, John 21:20-25

MAY 28-JUNE 3

Sunday (Pentecost): Acts 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13, John 20:1923; Monday (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church): Genesis 3:9-15, 20, John 19:25-34; Tuesday: Sirach

35:1-12, Mark 10:28-31; Wednesday (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary): Zephaniah 3:14-18a, Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 1:39-56; Thursday (St. Justin): Sirach 42:15-25, Mark 10:46-52; Friday (Sts. Marcellinus and Peter): Sirach 44:1, 9-13, Mark 11:11-26; Saturday (St. Charles Lwanga and Companions): Sirach 51:12cd20, Mark 11:27-33

Pope Francis urged people to ask themselves: “What are the most important roots in my life? Do I remember them, do I take care of them?” Budapest, on the Danube River, also is a city of bridges, he said. And while visiting the city he wanted to emphasize “the importance of building bridges of peace between different peoples. This is, in particular, the vocation of Europe, which is called, as a bridge of peace, to include differences and to welcome those who knock on its doors.”

“In this sense, the humanitarian bridge created for so many refugees from neighboring Ukraine, whom I was able to meet while also admiring the great network of charity of the Hungarian church, is beautiful,” the pope said.

“Build bridges,” he told people, “bridges of harmony, bridges of unity.”

Raphael’s “The Madonna and Child” (1595-1599)

‘If you put all the love of mothers into one heart, it still would not equal the love of the heart of Mary for her children.’ — St. Louis de Montfort

Our diocese

N.C. pro-life advocates applaud likely 12-week abortion limit and prepare anew

SPENCER K.M. BROWN skmbrown@charlottediocese.org

who have not yet received an exam to verify the stage of their pregnancy.

One drawback in the bill that pro-life advocates note is some $7 million in funding to increase access to contraception, which denies the gift of pregnancy through artificial means.

More

CHARLOTTE — Pro-life advocates across the Diocese of Charlotte are hailing new restrictions on abortion – and new resources to help pregnant women – approved May 4 by the North Carolina General Assembly. Advocates expressed joy and gratitude for the likely ban on most abortions after 12 weeks, but acknowledged work remains to be done.

The state’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vowed to veto the abortion bill, but the Republican-controlled legislature predicts an override that will allow the legislation to become law July 1, in a destination state for women seeking abortion in the Southeast.

“This is a good step in the right direction … something to celebrate,” said Marianne Donadio of Room At The Inn, a Catholic maternity home in Greensboro, who has worked for 35 years to bring an end to abortion.

In Shelby, Father Peter Ascik, director of the diocese’s Office of Family Life, called the pending law “a welcome development.” In a May 4 letter to fellow priests, he urged continued prayer and work “for the care and protection ‘in law and in life’ of every mother, every family, and every unborn child.”

In Asheville, Father Patrick Cahill, pastor of St. Eugene Church, said, “What I like most about this bill is that it expands childcare funding, acknowledging that life is sacred on the other side of the womb as well.”

If the bill survives a veto, the “Care for Women, Children and Families Act” would prohibit most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in North Carolina. Current state law allows abortions up to 20 weeks, and later in cases when the mother’s life or health is in danger.

The bill would also cap abortions at 20 weeks in cases

of rape or incest and 24 weeks for “life-limiting” fetal anomalies. The state’s exception allowing abortions in cases when the mother’s life is in danger would stay in place.

Pro-life advocates applauded the bill for the lives it would save, but soberly noted the reality that more than 90 percent of abortions take place before 13 weeks. Advocates also noted a lack of legislative support to further protect unborn children, as pursued by proponents of a “heartbeat bill” that would ban most abortions after six weeks.

Still, supporters appreciated the incremental improvement of the 12-week ban and lauded other provisions in the 46page bill, which includes $160 million for such services as maternal health, adoption care and paid leave for teachers and state employees after the birth of a child.

The bill also includes:

n New requirements to ensure informed consent about risks and alternatives for those seeking abortion.

n Additional health and safety requirements for abortion facilities.

n Required medical care for babies born alive after an attempted abortion.

n A ban on abortion based on a Down Syndrome diagnosis.

n A ban on mailing chemical abortion pills to women

2023 Eucharistic Congress just months away

SPENCER K.M. BROWN skmbrown@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — The Eucharistic Congress, the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual “family reunion,” is less than four months away.

The 19th annual event will be held Sept. 8-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center, featuring educational talks in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, along with a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration and a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis.

The 2023 theme is: “I am with you always,” which comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:20.

Bishop Jugis notes the integral connection between the love of Christ and the Eucharist, stating, “The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ’s great love for us, a love which He showed us by His sacrifice on the cross for our salvation. Christ is really present in the Holy Eucharist, and through the Eucharist He strengthens our charity.”

Bishop Jugis also personally selected the artwork for the Eucharistic Congress holy card to illustrate the theme for the event. “The Ascension of the Lord” by Girolamo Muziano is an altarpiece

in the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, located in Rome. It is the principal church of the Oratorians, a religious order of priests founded by St. Philip Neri in 1561. Muziano (1532-1592) was a prolific Italian painter who became the leading artist in Rome during the Counter-Reformation. He graduated from painting classical landscapes to grand Biblical figures in the style of Michelangelo, with attention to anatomical accuracy and dramatic proportion. His fame grew, and even Michelangelo praised his work. Later in his career, Muziano served as superintendent of the works of the Vatican under Pope Gregory XIII. This work, painted in 1575, depicts Jesus at His Ascension, with the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary looking up in wonder. With Our Lord’s peaceful face and hand outstretched in benediction, viewers can almost hear His parting words as He instructs the Apostles: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28-18-20).

Get updates online

At www.goeucharist.com : Get information about the 2023 Eucharistic Congress, in English and Spanish, as plans are finalized

“It’s a positive first step in protecting the lives of unborn babies, their mothers and families in the state,” Jessica Grabowski, the diocese’s Respect Life director, said of the bill. “We hope this act (leads to) additional opportunities to save even more unborn lives beginning at conception. … Activists will need to remain committed and vigilant.”

North Carolina will likely remain a destination for abortion-minded women from surrounding states that have more restrictive laws. Some 30,000 lives were lost to abortion in 2020, the latest state figures available. More than a third of those abortions were performed in Charlotte.

Bishop Peter Jugis last year called on the diocese’s 92 parishes across the western half of North Carolina to strengthen their support for pregnant women in need. He urged parishes to consider implementing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Walking with Moms in Need” program, to inventory local services for pregnant women and explore ways to fill the gaps within their communities.

The program is thriving at St. Pius X Parish in Greensboro and St. Matthew Parish in Charlotte, and other parishes are following suit.

The diocese already partners with hundreds of agencies across its 46 counties who deliver direct services to pregnant and parenting women – from health care and housing, to food and transportation, to parenting classes and college tuition.

“While there is still work to be done, this bill offers greater legal protection for the unborn child than previously existed in our state,” Father Ascik said, “and significantly expands care for mothers in need.” — OSV News contributed.

‘It’s a positive first step in protecting the lives of unborn babies, their mothers and families in the state.’

Jessica Grabowski Diocese of Charlotte Respect Life Director

“The Ascension of the Lord” by Girolamo Muziano (1575) is the featured image of the prayer card for the 2023 Eucharistic Congress.

inside

PAGE 27: Diocese’s Family Life director comments on the new legislation

Catholic Charities food banks expect increased demand this summer

CHARLOTTE — As schools let out for summer vacation and prices of food continue to rise, Catholic Charities’ food banks across western North Carolina are expecting an increased demand on household supplies.

In 2022, Catholic Charities’ food banks distributed more than 562,000 pounds of food to nearly 14,000 families in need. With children out of school and unable to receive school-provided meals, a greater struggle is placed on families. Prices of food and household goods continue to rise, leaving little or no wiggle room for many family budgets.

“There’s a common saying about food insecurity that I find sums up the needs of families, especially those with children, after school closes for the year: Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation,” says Gerry Carter, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. “For most of us, childhood memories of summer vacations involve thoughts of being outside, playing games, just being kids. But for many families served by our food pantries, summer vacation includes the reality that food will not be plentiful – that there simply won’t be enough to eat. We’re exceptionally proud of our partnerships with parishes and community groups to lessen the pain of hunger in our local communities during the summer months and throughout the year.”

— Spencer K.M. Brown

How can you help?

Financial donations are an effective way to help serve people in need and enable Catholic Charities to assist participants and buy food. Learn more and make donations via: ONLINE: www.ccdoc.org (click on “Donate”)

MAIL: Make checks payable to “Catholic Charities” and send to: Catholic Charities, Central Processing, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003

PHONE/EMAIL: Contact Virginia Garramone, director of development, at 704-3703349 or vlgarramone@ccdoc.org

Food pantries

To make a delivery to any of these locations, call for an appointment at least 24 hours in advance:

CHARLOTTE FOOD PANTRY: Call 704-370-3262 or text

704-268-9821

Hours: Tuesdays 10 a.m.-noon, Thursdays 1-3 p.m.

Need assistance?

ASHEVILLE FOOD PANTRY: Call 828-255-0146

Hours: Wednesdays 11 a.m.1 p.m.

InternationalNational Combined Collection to be taken up May 20-21

CHARLOTTE — Parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte will take up a second collection for relief efforts and other work of the Church at all Masses the weekend of May 20-21 as part of the International/National Combined Collection.

WINSTON-SALEM FOOD PANTRY: Call 336-727-0705

Hours: Thursdays 9-11:30 a.m.

Catholic Charities offers services to people across western North Carolina. Go online to www.ccdoc.org or email info@ccdoc.org for help.

St. Joseph College seminarians celebrate graduation, prepare for next step in formation

CHARLOTTE — Six men are graduating from St. Joseph College Seminary this month, earning undergraduate degrees from Belmont Abbey College and trading in their college “house cassocks” for new black cassocks that mark their upcoming move to major seminary. (Top photo, from left) Connor White, Patrick Martin, Bailey Van Nosdall, Emanuel Martinez, Kolbe Flood and James Johnson IV are pictured receiving their new cassocks after a baccalaureate Mass May 7 at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. They will continue their studies and priestly formation for the Diocese of Charlotte at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Coordinated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, donations received from this annual collection benefit five organizations: Catholic Relief Services, Collection for the Holy Land, Collection for the Works of the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence), The Catholic University of America, and the Catholic Communications Campaign. Donations are used as follows:

n The Catholic Relief Services Collection supports Catholic Church organizations that carry out international relief and solidarity efforts. Programs include relief and resettlement for victims of persecution, war and natural disasters; development projects to improve living conditions for the poor; legal and support services for poor immigrants; peace and reconciliation work for people suffering from violence; and advocacy on behalf of the powerless.

n The Holy Land Collection supports the work of the Franciscans working in the Holy Land. The Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land have the unique responsibility of caring for the Holy Places as well as caring for the Christians living in the Holy Land.

n The Peter’s Pence Collection provides the Holy Father with the financial means to respond to those who are suffering as a result of war, oppression, natural disaster and disease. The USCCB National Collections Committee oversees the promotion of this collection.

n The Collection for The Catholic University of America underwrites scholarships to assist financially deserving students in completing their education at CUA in more than 50 disciplines.

n Through websites, social networks, television, radio and print, the Catholic Communication Campaign helps the Church spread the Gospel message through the media locally and nationally. Half of all donations to the CCC collected in the diocese stay in the diocese to support local communications needs, such as radio and television programming and diocesan publications.

— Catholic News Herald

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FREDRIK AKERBLOM

A celebration for the generations

IHM, Pennybyrn community come together for High Point priest’s 50th anniversary

SPENCER K.M. BROWN skmbrown@charlottediocese.org

HIGH POINT — When Immaculate Heart of Mary School’s leaders proposed an anniversary bash to commemorate their chaplain Father Tom Norris’s 50th year as a priest, he hesitated. He didn’t like the idea of being in the spotlight.

Instead, Father Norris suggested a celebration for the entire IHM Parish community where he serves, inviting residents from the nearby Pennybyrn retirement community to bring together young and old.

So plans were made. Invitations went out. And when the day came, May 4, the celebration at IHM School was exactly what Father Norris hoped for – a blending of generations and sharing of community spirit.

“He told us he simply wanted to throw a ‘senior luncheon’ for residents of Pennybyrn,” said Maryann Leonard, IHM’s principal. “But as people began asking what the luncheon was for, Father Tom finally had to tell them.”

More than 200 people turned out for the occasion –including IHM students and residents of Pennybyrn, where Father Norris also loves to serve.

“I’ve always wanted to bring a sense of community to everyone here,” Father Norris explained. “Loneliness can be so hard on the heart and soul. Just to have everyone here – not to celebrate me or a silly anniversary – but to be together, for the kids to see this older generation and connect, that’s just wonderful.”

Since the pandemic, it has been difficult for many in the community to come together and join in fellowship. Father Norris has worked hard to do just that.

The celebration spanned generations, from 4-year-olds in the pre-kindergarten class to a Pennybyrn resident who just turned 102 and still attends daily Mass. The occasion also celebrated Immaculate Heart’s graduating eighthgrade class, who volunteered to serve the luncheon.

“Father Tom’s impact on the school and parish have been so incredible,” Leonard said. “He truly embodies the virtue of humility and is a true teacher at heart. He knows how to teach in his sermons, and he really reaches the kids.”

After the meal, the school’s music director had a surprise performance for everyone. Students in pre-

kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second grades took the stage, filling the banquet hall with Bible songs. Then IHM student Rohan D’Souza performed a violin solo, followed by fellow eighth-grader Jiseung Ha playing the piano to accompany a group of eighth-grade singers.

Father Norris was nearly in tears as the students gifted him with “prayer bouquets,” potted flowers with prayer intentions for him from each class at the school.

Despite his best efforts to put the spotlight on others, the community spirit took on a life of its own and became a celebration of Father Norris, too.

Looking around the room full of friends and students, Father Norris couldn’t help but reminisce on his time as a priest.

“It’s hard to believe, 50 years,” he said. “It began all those years ago in Philadelphia. In June of 1973, there were

Father Tom Norris celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood by throwing a party for the people – young and old – he ministers to, including students at Immaculate Heart of Mary School and Pennybyrn retirement community in High Point. The school arranged a luncheon and special musical performances for everyone’s enjoyment. “I’ve always wanted to bring a sense of community to everyone here,” he explained.

six of us to be ordained. But the auxiliary bishop who was scheduled to ordain us was sick. We all were wondering, even that morning, if he would show up. What would happen if he didn’t? He did, of course, fighting sickness.” Ordination day “was one of the happiest days of my life.”

Father Norris was ordained a priest with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a religious order known for its teaching in parish schools. His ministry eventually led to his assignment at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and School in 1989.

Father Norris grew up going to Catholic schools and had relatives who were in religious life. The priesthood was something he was always interested in.

“I always thought it was something wonderful to aspire to: a life of service.

And when the Oblates came to our high school, it sort of clicked for me. These were men who served God and taught school, the two things I was most interested in, and that’s when I knew I would be a priest.” He entered seminary when he was 17, much to the doubt of family and friends.

“My aunts all took bets, saying I wouldn’t make it to Christmas as a seminarian that first year,” Father Norris remembered, smiling. “Back then I just took it one day at a time, and that’s what I’ve always done. One day, one year at a time, and this is where God has led me.

“I’ve always tried to tell these students over the years that the temptations of many careers will arrive, but they don’t always reward you how you hoped. Religious vocations take a lot of sacrifice, but you must take it one day at a time and it will be worth it. Because in a life of service to others, the rewards are immeasurable.”

Troop 9 Scout receives the high honor of Pillars of the Faith award

CHARLOTTE — Jackson Griffin, a Scout in Troop 9 chartered by St. Patrick Cathedral Parish, has received the Pillars of the Faith distinction – the highest Catholic Scouting honor in the Diocese of Charlotte. Earlier this year, Griffin, 16, received the Pope Pius XII Catholic Boy Scout award. He has previously received the Ad Altare Dei award as a Boy Scout, and the Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei awards as a Cub Scout. In earning all four Catholic awards, Griffin became eligible for the special award.

Mike Nielsen, chairman of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Committee on Scouting, was on hand to give Griffin the pin at a recent troop meeting. Nielsen said he has read a statistic that only 4 percent of youths who enter Scouting go on to earn Eagle Scout.

“From what I have seen with the committee the past six years, this is even more rare,” Nielsen said. Griffin was the only Scout in the diocese this year to receive the award. The son of Mike and Brice Griffin, he attends Regina Coeli Academy.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEPHEN GUILFOYLE

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

PHOTOS BY SPENCER K.M. BROWN | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

American Catholics Make Difference in Haiti Through Support of Kobonal School

When Catholic donors give to a charity — particularly to support mission work in a country like Haiti — they often ask, “Is this really going to make a difference?”

“Is this really going to have a lasting impact on the poor?”

It may surprise you, but according to Jim Cavnar, CEO of Cross Catholic Outreach, the answer to those questions is a resounding “Yes!” Cavnar has been working with Catholic missions around the globe for more than 20 years, and the case studies his team has compiled clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of outreaches run by priests, religious sisters and Catholic lay leaders.

One of the Catholic missions he often praises is the Kobonal Haiti Mission, founded by Father Glenn Meaux. [See related story on opposite page.]

“The Kobonal Haiti Mission has a variety of effective ministries to help the poor, and one of their most successful outreaches is the school they operate for needy children in the Diocese of Hinche,” Cavnar said. “Children in that area of Haiti had been growing up illiterate prior to the Mission’s founding, and many became trapped in a cycle of poverty that virtually assured they would remain poor for the rest of their lives. When the school opened its doors, everything changed for those kids. They got a quality education, and that blessing opened up doors of opportunity for them.”

Cavnar also credited American Catholics for the role they have played in supporting the Mission’s many programs. They have been particularly supportive of Fr. Meaux’s school and have helped it grow over the years.

“Compassionate Catholics in the U.S. provided the financial support Fr. Meaux needed to fund construction of classrooms, hire staff and maintain the school’s

operation,” he explained. “Their donations continue to support the great things he is doing, and he is deeply grateful for the help they are providing. His success depends on it.”

When asked why donors are so eager to support ministries like Fr. Meaux’s Mission in Kobonal, Cavnar suggested it is because American Catholics have a high level of trust in missionary-run programs, and they want a tangible connection to the families being helped. When they give to the Kobonal Haiti Mission, they are satisfied their gift will have a direct and meaningful impact.

“For example, when someone contributes to the Kobonal Haiti Mission’s educational programs, they know they are changing a child’s life for the better,” Cavnar said. “In those cases, their gift becomes something like a scholarship. It educates a child who might otherwise have remained illiterate. The impact that it has is dramatic. In time, as those children grow up and can pursue better jobs, many are even able to lift their entire family out of poverty.”

So the question “Will my charitable gift really make a difference in Haiti?” has been answered. Yes, it will!

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach education programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02384, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner, or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Above: Fr. Meaux’s Mission has always aspired to address all the needs of the poor in Kobonal, and that goal has led him to build schools to provide poor children in that area of Haiti with a quality Catholic education and a lunch feeding program.

Below: The school system run by the Kobonal Haiti Mission includes classes for a range of grade levels and even offers a scholarship program for those students interested in pursuing higher education through college classes or technical training.

Legacy Giving Provides Catholics With Unique Opportunity to Bless Others

If you are like many Catholics born in the 1950’s or before, you have probably begun to think about the spiritual legacy your life and actions represent. What did we care about? What did we value? These are some of the things we hope will be remembered.

“For a growing number of Catholics, this introspection has led to the exploration of ‘legacy giving’ — the use of one’s will, trust, life insurance policy or retirement to leave behind an echo of one’s beliefs, deeds and values — a blessing of others that will reverberate

beyond our own lifetime, hopefully influencing our family and others we cherish,” explained Jim Cavnar, CEO of Cross Catholic Outreach, an official Catholic relief and development charity with a staff dedicated to such estate planning.

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

“A will or trust can also reflect a person’s special heart for a country or

for an area of need. It can be used to build houses for poor families or to build classrooms to educate children, for example,” Cavnar said. “Others simply want to help the poorest of the poor and make their legacy gift for that purpose. It’s their way of saying, ‘As a Catholic, I value life and support works of mercy. I want my family to understand that calling and believe in it too.’ And because legacy gifts can be quite large, they often achieve incredible things. A single one might build an entire school or fund the construction of hundreds of homes. It’s

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

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

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

Cross Catholic Outreach: “We Can Lift Families Out Of Extreme Poverty By Focusing On Education”

Ask most Catholic missionaries how they would eliminate poverty in a developing country like Haiti, and they will usually begin by talking about the value of an education. Poverty, they will often say, is born out of illiteracy and is perpetuated by the hardships and lost opportunities the uneducated must endure.

“They will also explain that in one generation, a quality education can end this downward spiral and turn everything around. That is why so many Catholic missions make it a priority to send needy children to school. They know the value of teaching children to read, write and do arithmetic - that we can lift families out of extreme poverty by focusing on education,” explained Jim Cavnar, CEO of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the leading Catholic ministries working to educate poor boys and girls in the developing countries of the world. “Once

children break free from poverty, they tend to lift up their whole family and continue to make education a priority when their own children are born.”

When Father Glenn Meaux and his missionary team arrived in Kobonal, Haiti, in 1989, he was deeply disturbed by the magnitude of poverty he saw there. Very few employment opportunities existed for the unskilled, uneducated population, so very few families were able to earn money to buy food.

Access to safe water was also a serious problem. Many families were traveling long distances to collect contaminated water from ponds or streams because no other options existed.

In addition to suffering caused by hunger and thirst, Fr. Meaux saw that families were starving for spiritual guidance. Entrenched in superstition and occult practices, few had ever heard the name of Christ.

“There was no agriculture; there was no irrigation system; there was literally no hope at the time,” Fr. Meaux recalled. “With this sense of hopelessness, it is easy to see how Kobonal earned its reputation as the ‘darkest corner of the Diocese of Hinche.’”

Realizing that creating real and lasting improvement in Kobonal would require local children to be educated, Fr. Meaux

included the launch of a school in his plans to revitalize the community, and that decision is now credited with starting the incredible turnaround the area has experienced.

“The Kobonal school became the centerpiece of the entire community’s transformation,” agreed Cavnar, who has helped the Mission develop its educational programs over the years.

“Fr. Meaux also used the school to bring down cases of malnutrition in the area by serving breakfast and lunch to the attending children. In every project he pursues, he keeps his focus on improving lives, and the Kobonal school plays an important role in that objective. It started as a way of educating the youngest kids

Above: The Kobonal Haiti Mission provides students with everything they need to succeed, including uniforms and supplies. The teachers at the school are committed to helping ensure children who enter the program late are not left behind.

Left: Life in Kobonal is hard and many families still live in poverty, so the Mission continues to seek support from compassionate Catholic donors in the U.S.

in the area, but as children have moved through the program, it has evolved to include support for those seeking a higher education as well. As a result, it really does have the potential to break the cycle of poverty in Kobonal, ending poverty for individuals and families once and for all.”

According to Cavnar, many American Catholics share Fr. Meaux’s enthusiasm for educational programs that benefit the poor, and Cross Catholic Outreach regularly receives donations to support Catholic missions educating children in Haiti, Central and South America, and the developing countries of Africa.

“There are three types of people who regularly support education. One group has been blessed by God, have children

How to Help

To

who were educated, and want that same blessing provided to others,” Cavnar said. “The second group is interested in giving to programs that break the cycle of poverty — to teach a man to fish, as the saying goes. They love educational ministries because they have that kind of life-transforming impact. The third group is drawn to our educational programs because they want to change a life and bless a poor child in a very direct and personal way. They are effectively giving a scholarship to a child and can celebrate that their act of mercy will forever change a boy’s or girl’s life for the better. All of those are great reasons to support Catholic missions that educate the poor. All of them will make a world of difference.”

help

“A quality education can end this downward spiral and turn everything around.”

Jim Cavnar Cross Catholic Outreach

Our schools

MACS parent forum focuses on teens’ cell phone, social media use

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — A teenager glued to their cell phone, oblivious to who or what’s around them: It’s a common source of frustration for parents.

Cell phones and social media permeate our lives, and many Charlotte-area Catholic parents have told their school leaders that they struggle with helping their teens find a healthy balance.

In response, the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Board, in partnership with the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Schools Office, brought together experts last week to help inform and empower parents.

TEENS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says two-thirds of teens aged 13-17 have mobile devices with internet access and, on average, teens report being online almost nine hours a day, not including homework time. Eight out of 10 teens have at least one social media profile, and more than half report visiting a social media site at least daily.

Social media has benefits, including connecting with friends and family, making new friends, sharing interests, finding support, expressing ideas and creativity, and learning about current events.

But what MACS parents said they were concerned about are the negative aspects of excessive social media use –especially on teens’ mental health.

“Social media has become a behemoth many parents don’t know how to guard against or feel so overwhelmed, they have given up,” said MACS Board President Beth Sullivan. “The MACS Board saw a need to help address parents’ social media concerns in a way that is inclusive of all schools and across elementary, middle and high school grades.”

EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Hundreds of MACS parents heard from a panel of experts May 2 in a special forum hosted at the MACS Fine Arts Center.

Dr. Myra Preston, a Charlotte-area neurophysiologist, explained that human brains aren’t fully developed until around the age of 22, especially the parts of the brain that govern judgment, emotional intelligence and impulse control.

Adolescent brains “are still under construction,” Preston said, and excessive social media use has been shown to cause hypersensitivity in teen brains.

Dr. Joy Granetz, a pediatric neuropsychologist, told parents to look out for behavioral “red flags” with their teens: withdrawal or isolation, feelings of depression or anxiety, chronic fatigue, addictive or compulsive behavior, and resistance to putting their phones down to spend time on other activities.

There’s no one set of rules or standard for every teen, Granetz cautioned, so “it’s really important to know your child – know their specific personality.”

Bill Keese, a veteran counselor at Holy Trinity Middle School, said he has seen the impacts of social media use on students over the years – both good and bad. Social media spurs connection and creativity, Keese noted, but the harmful effects of excessive use breeds negative comparisons to their classmates and feelings of being excluded.

“Every adolescent is trying to fit in,” he said.

Father Peter Ascik, director of the diocese’s Family Life Office, agreed with Keese that social media touches on our fundamental needs to be loved and to belong. So it’s important to put social media in the broader perspective of children’s spiritual and social formation, he said, so they develop good habits of reflection, wisdom and self-control –“habits of choosing wisely, consistently, freely, joyfully.”

“As parents, a very important role is to help your children develop these virtues, so they can be the author of their own life,” he said.

And, he noted with a smile, “social media is not necessary for survival or for salvation.”

PARENTS REACT POSITIVELY

Father Ascik’s comment really stood out to parents after the discussion.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Hundreds of parents attended a special forum May 2 on teen social media and cell phone use, hosted by the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools and the Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools Office. Pictured (from left) are: Dr. Myra Preston, a neurophysiologist; Father Peter Ascik, director of the diocese’s Office of Family Life; Jennie Sniffen, MACS board member and the event’s moderator; Bill Keese, counselor at Holy Trinity Middle School; Dr. Joy Granetz, a pediatric neuropsychologist; and Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of schools.

6 tips for parents and their teens

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for teens’ cell phone use, experts offer this basic advice:

n SET LIMITS: Limit the time each day your teen uses their phone. Three hours or less per day is a general guide. Set limits on what sites or content they can access. Set aside situations when phones are not allowed (such as family meals and outings, or Sundays). Social media accounts should be set to private.

n MONITOR USE: Familiarize yourself with your teen’s cell phone parental controls and privacy settings on apps. Have access to your teen’s phone, and routinely monitor your teen’s social media activity. Teens should not be allowed to have any account – social media or otherwise – that parents do not have access to.

n GROW USAGE OVER TIME: Most social media networks set a minimum age of 13. Delay giving your teen a cell phone until they need one and are mature enough to understand and follow your rules. Start younger teens off with a phone that has just the basics: call, text, map, weather and calculator.

Janet Riggs and Liliana Salas, who each have daughters in middle school, said they appreciated hearing the panelists’ viewpoints as they consider how and when to allow social media.

Gossip, misunderstood text messages that cause hurt feelings, negative comparisons to unrealistic images of beauty online – these issues worry the two moms, so they want to set boundaries and encourage their daughters to develop “authentic relationships.”

“How do we create healthy boundaries for our kids? How can they use technology and take advantage of it, but in a healthy way?” Riggs said.

“I want her to put her phone down on her own,” Salas said.

The constantly changing digital landscape – trendy new apps, complicated privacy settings, increasingly distracting features and notifications – make it challenging for any parent to stay on top of this issue, MACS parent Kelly Warnement said. She gained valuable information “in learning how to navigate technology with our kids.”

All three parents said they would like to have more discussions like this.

Dr. Greg Monroe, the diocese’s superintendent of schools, told parents that the diocese’s schools have a multilayered approach to internet safety, but these efforts

n DEFINE EXPECTATIONS: When you do decide to give your child a cell phone, create a cell phone “contract” with them – many examples are available online. Set reasonable rules you all can agree on. Post it in a visible spot (like the refrigerator) for accountability, and set consequences up front for breaking the rules.

n HAVE REGULAR CONVERSATIONS: Talk often and honestly with your teen about cell phones and social media use – and really listen to them. Have regular “microconversations” rather than one big talk. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they’re doing and how their apps work.

n DON’T REWARD WITH MORE: Don’t use social media or cell phone access as a reward for good behavior while using their devices. Instead, reward your teen for doing things other than spending time online – getting extra sleep, playing outside, reading a book, volunteering, etc.

alone cannot keep students safe.

“Parents are the primary educators of their children,” Monroe said, so it’s important for parents to stay informed and set ground rules for their kids.

“This event is a great example of a common challenge that we all recognize: the impact of social media on our students’ development, and what we as parents and educators should do to address, monitor and guide social media’s impacts on our young people.”

Learn more

www.faithandsafety.org : Sponsored in part by the USCCB, this site has tips about internet safety, model cell phone contracts, parental control apps, checklists to guide parents’ conversations with their teens, and more.

www.healthychildren.org : The American Academy of Pediatrics’ website for parents has resources such as family media plans teens can co-create with their parents, to replace frequent negotiations about device use.

www.commonsensemedia.org : This non-profit organization has information about age and content appropriateness of video games and other media.

Three Christ the King students to join the ‘Long Gray Line’

STEPHEN GUILFOYLE sguilfoyle@comporium.net

HUNTERSVILLE — Two Christ the King High School seniors and one recent graduate are on their way to West Point – a rare achievement, especially for a school with a senior class of 83.

Seniors Abigail Marks of Huntersville and Jeffrey Sithong of Salisbury won appointments to the U.S. Military Academy from North Carolina’s congressional representatives.

Mooresville’s Maria Reyes, class of 2022, will join them in the freshman or “plebe” class this fall, after spending the past year in ROTC at East Carolina University and in the National Guard.

“What a wonderful achievement for these students, who have distinguished themselves and will go on to serve our country,” said Christ the King’s Principal Carl Semmler. “It’s also a testament to the great education and character we are building here, in partnership with our families, with our faith always at center of what we do.”

Even West Point public information specialist Frank DeMaro noted the unusual achievement for a school the size of Christ the King to send three students to join the “Long Gray Line.” The phrase is used to describe the generations of graduates and cadets of the U.S. Military Academy, in a nod to their gray wool uniforms.

The three Christ the King students will join as many as 1,300 in their Corps of Cadets class, DeMaro said.

Students will bid their parents goodbye and report to campus June 26 to begin their “transformation” from civilian to military life. They’ll be sworn in, issued uniforms and supplies, get a haircut, learn to salute and march, and start physical training.

New cadets go through six weeks of what’s called “Beast Barracks,” a summer program that tests the limits of their physical, emotional and mental capacities. It culminates with a 12-mile march.

Classes start the next day.

“I thought about (going to West Point) my sophomore and junior year,” Marks said. “I fully decided that that’s where I wanted to be after attending their summer leadership experience.”

The appeal, she said, was “just the environment and how everyone was pushing you to become better, and how everyone was helping each other out and just being a part of something bigger than myself.”

West Point overlooks the scenic Hudson River about 50 miles north of New York City and is renowned for its historic significance during the American Revolution. Marks and Reyes said it’s almost like a castle, with its classical architecture.

The education is tuition-free, and graduates are commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army, obligated to serve five years on active duty and three years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“Considering it’s going to be my life for the next 12 years … you really gotta want it if you’re going in,” Marks said.

Her Catholic education at Christ the King, she said, provided a foundation.

“I think the teachers here are very supportive. It’s like everyone at the school is pushing for your success.”

Abigail Marks

Age: 17

Parents: Paula and Doug Marks

Parish: St. Mark

Favorite subjects: Anything to do with math or science

Major: Undecided

Extracurricular: Cheerleading and track (shot put and discus)

Nomination: U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams

Family connection: Great-grandfather, U.S. Navy

Jeffrey Sithong

Age: 17

Parents: Alec and Carolyn Sithong

Parish: Sacred Heart

Favorite subject: Math

Major: Engineering

Extracurricular: Football (wide receiver) and basketball (forward)

Nomination: U.S. Sen. Ted Budd

Family connection: Great-grandfather, Class of 1953, West Point. Older brother Jacob, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Maria ‘Ria’ Reyes

Age: 18

Parents: Matt and Catherine

FAMILY TRADITION

Sithong’s great-grandfather attended West Point. Two years ago, Sithong visited the college for a “ring” ceremony. His grandmother donated his greatgrandfather’s class ring back to West Point, to be melted down to make new class rings.

After the visit, his mother asked if he might like to attend.

“I was just like, ‘Wow, I could really go here?’” he said. “Because it seems like an awesome place.”

He thought hard about the big career commitment. “There can also be a lot of benefits from that,” he said. “And I think the pros are a lot better than the cons.”

He remembers that moment when he returned home and his mother was holding mail from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

“It was really awesome when I got that letter,” he said.

GAINING CONFIDENCE

“Ria” Reyes also has a family legacy at West Point – on both sides of her family tree. She’s been visiting the campus her whole life.

Her father, Matt, was in the Class of ’89. Her mother, Catherine, was in the Class of ’90. They met at West Point and later married there.

When it came time to pick a college, Reyes wasn’t certain.

“I did consider West Point, but I wasn’t really confident in my ability to actually complete the program. I didn’t think I could do it.”

So she studied for a year at East Carolina.

Her experience with ROTC and the Guard while attending ECU convinced her she has what it takes to be a cadet.

Having gone through basic training and advanced training (in field artillery support) for the Guard, she’s got a leg up on her classmates in physical fitness and military protocol.

At the same time, she will start from scratch at West Point.

“It’s a little weird, because I will be one of the older people in my class,” she

said. “I know I didn’t start my West Point journey at the same time.”

But she is more confident now.

Her father is proud of his daughter’s decision.

When his wife attended, about 10 percent of West Point cadets were women. That percentage has grown to 30 percent, but his daughter will still be in the minority.

“I wish it could be more like 50-50,” Reyes said. “But in basic training, the amount of females there was like 25 percent. … So I’m used to it.”

“I just gotta keep my head up, perform well,” she said. “I know my worth.”

Reyes Parish: St. Therese in Mooresville; Catholic Campus Ministry at East Carolina University

Favorite subjects: Music (trumpet); psychology and science

Major: At ECU, entrepreneurship; at West Point, psychology

Nomination: Capt. Tan Nguyen, commander basic training unit, and recommendation from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis Family connection: Mother and father, older brother Matt all graduated from West Point. Brother a serving captain currently attending U.S. Army Ranger School.

Sithong

Marks Reyes

PHOTO (LEFT) PROVIDED BY CHRIST THE KING HIGH SCHOOL, (RIGHT) BY THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

(From left) Christ the King seniors Abigail Marks, 17, and Jeffery Sithong, 17, shown in a recent picture taken at the school, will join 2022 graduate Maria Reyes as “plebes” in the Class of 2027 at West Point in June.

St. Michael students ‘find’ the Ark of the Covenant

GASTONIA — Amid cheering and the theme song to “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the students of St. Michael Catholic School in Gastonia “found” the long-lost Ark of the Covenant. The school gym was transformed into an ancient-Israel-themed escape room, and teams of students across fourth and eighth grade scrambled to solve clues and overcome obstacles.

Christian author Janeen Zaio organized the event with St. Michael School.

Unlike in traditional escape rooms, students weren’t locked within the walls, but the walls of Jerusalem presented their own challenge. Teams walked on the narrow “walls” littered with what appeared to be broken glass, then threw a dagger at a bell to earn points. They searched for dye to reveal an invisible (and messy) message on a scroll. Their favorite part was crawling through a glowworm cave to find a hidden clue.

The teams who earned the most points won the opportunity to find the Ark of the Covenant. With a clue and a good deal of intuition, they found the Ark in a vault just as the prophet Jeremiah predicted. The rest of the children processed

behind the winning team until they safely returned the Ark to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Janeen Zaio’s program ties together religious lessons with fun adventures. The students learned about the landmarks, religion and customs of Israel during the time of Jesus.

Zaio, a native of Charleston, travels across the Carolinas hosting the escape room as part of her ministry. The event immerses students in her children’s book, “The Treasure With a Face,” which follows the adventures of a 12-year-old treasure hunter traveling to Jerusalem to meet Jesus and find the Ark of the Covenant. Zaio said that within the suspense and humor of the story is a theme to inspire love for the Eucharist. “I wrote the book to take students beyond Eucharistic knowledge to relationship,” Zaio said. “I try to stir emotions and give children an experience that inspires them to love our Eucharistic Lord with their heart and soul.”

— Spencer K.M. Brown

Day of Reflection

Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive

We will take a journey through scripture and ponder over present times to see how God is speaking to His people and to move them to action!

 Date: June 3rd, 2023

 Time: 9am-3pm

 No cost to attend and open to all  Lunch will be provided

 Location: Bishop McGuinness High School - 1725 NC-66, Kernersville, NC 27284

The day will be facilitated by Deacon Stephen Pickett, Diocese of Charlotte, NC and Sister Sandra Helton SSND, the School Sisters of Notre Dame

To RSVP, scan the QR code with your camera app or use any QR code scanning app or register using the link here:

https://AAAFMdayofreflection.rsvpify.com

Presented by: African American Affairs Ministry Diocese of Charlotte Questions; Contact: RLAdams@rcdoc.org

Two Holy Trinity Middle School students welcomed into the Church

CHARLOTTE — Fellow students gathered around to watch as Hayes Hamilton and Max Puckett, seventhgraders at Holy Trinity Middle School, were baptized, confirmed and received their first Holy Communion April 20 at St. Ann Church.

Father Joseph Matlak, the school’s chaplain, conferred the sacraments of initiation. The entire seventh grade and the boys’ families – around 350 people –witnessed this unique moment for the school: the full reception of two students into the Catholic faith.

“This is the first time as a school that we have celebrated the sacraments of initiation for our students,” said Kevin Parks, principal of Holy Trinity Middle. “It’s a wonderful witness and example to our students and our community.”

Ordinarily, the sacraments of initiation are celebrated at a parish, but Hayes and Max wanted to receive the sacraments surrounded by their peers. Their pastors approved, and Father Matlak stepped in to assist. The celebration was held the week after Easter at St. Ann Church, located across the street from the school, after students had returned from spring break.

During his homily, Father Matlak told the students, “Do you know how I know God exists? Because God is calling new Christians to His Church. God is calling you to a new life in Christ, in our community of Catholics.”

Holy Trinity Middle School

Max

Catholic homeschool ministry congratulates Class of 2023 graduates

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Parish’s Homeschool Ministry announces the following students graduated this year from homeschooling programs in the Diocese of Charlotte (from left):

n Mark Anthony Pressley of Holy Spirit Homeschool

n Clare Bruno of Saints and Scholars Academy

n Anna Clare Simms of Saint Michael the Archangel Academy

n Mollie Anne Obermiller of Sacred Heart Academy

n Grace Marie Yellico of Mother of Divine Grace School

n Lauren Nicole Theriot of Immaculate Heart Academy

n Vianne Shingledecker of Way of the Shepherd Home School

n Maximilian Kolbe Torres of Mother of Divine Grace School

Parks noted, “This was a unique opportunity for our students and teachers to witness Max and Hayes’ initiation into the Church. I firmly believe the Holy Spirit inspired Max and Hayes to seek membership in our Church because of the positive influences within our school community.”

— Catholic News Herald

Poster artists honored

CHARLOTTE — The North Carolina Knights of Columbus recently recognized the artistic talents of several students at Our Lady of the Assumption School for their participation in the “Keep Christ in Christmas” poster contest. Bill Sparger of Knights Council 11102 presented certificates for first place to fourth-grader Emanuel Calin and second-grader Sherlyn Martinez; for second place to second-grader Hope Tran; and honorable mention to second-grader Noah Ong. Also pictured is OLA’s Principal Tyler Kulp.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOLY TRINITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

students

Puckett and Hayes Hamilton recently received the sacraments of initiation at St. Ann Church. They are pictured after Mass with (from left) Principal Kevin Parks, school chaplain Father Joseph Matlak, St. Ann’s Deacon Peter Tonon and teacher Kevin Glossner.

The ‘other Marys’ behind the ‘other

Motherhood is a mystery: From the moment a woman learns she is pregnant, she may wonder what God has in store for the little soul she shelters, and a world of possibilities opens in front of her as she cooperates with God in His act of creation. Among Catholics, there is a special motherly vocation that is closely configured to the Blessed Virgin Mary: the mother of a priest.

An unexpected calling

The middle son of Fernando and Martha Lucia Gutiérrez gave his parents the surprise of a lifetime when he called them one day to give them an update. They fully expected to hear that he was going to get married, but 25-year-old Andrés told them he was going to become a missionary priest instead.

“It was a total surprise,” Martha Lucia says. Despite all indications to the contrary at the time, she now understands that he had been discerning things in his mind and heart for a long time.

Martha Lucia never openly encouraged the priesthood, but the Gutiérrezes did consecrate their family, including each of their three sons, to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Born in Colombia, the future Father Andrés Gutiérrez moved to Spain with his family when he was 2 and lived there for about seven years before the family relocated to south Florida. Martha Lucia took care to make their home one filled with faith.

“I would encourage parents to motivate the kids to religious life. They don’t have to be a priest, just encourage spiritual life at home,” Martha Lucia says. “We always had a small altar with the Virgin, a crucifix, flowers and holy water. We made it part of our daily lives as much as we could. When you do that, I think they keep it.”

Seeds of Father Andrés’ vocation were planted in college when he went on a three-week mission trip to Cusco, Peru. His discernment continued slowly, however. He finished college with a master’s degree, began working

Porres Parish.

His mother insists that all she did was pray for each of her children. She says sometimes being the mother of a priest makes her more conscious of herself. “Other people think that you have to be different or special, and it’s not true. You’re the same, always,” she says.

Father Gutiérrez, on the other hand, notes his mother’s special gifts, especially in the way she nurtured and guided all her children.

“Without the exemplary selflessness of my parents, I would not be a priest. In my mother, that translated to an unlimited and unconditional disposition of service to us, her children. Her only motivation and joy was her family,” he says. “I would also highlight her wisdom and intuition, paired with my dad’s prudence and faith, that led me specially to structure a personal world view based on faith and virtues and avoid many of the dangers inherent in growing up.”

Father Gutiérrez says the faith never felt overly forced or imposed because it was lived out naturally.

“She always clearly respected our individuality and created an environment for the healthy growth of our free will. I think this is quite remarkable, as I now see how difficult it is for parents to strike this balance. It speaks volumes of my mom and the grace of God at work in her.”

Many mothers of priests live – and pray – the joyful, luminous, rosary in a unique way, imitating Mary in their faithfulness, homes where their sons grow and draw closer to Jesus, their lives as “other Christs,” ministering to His people. St. Pius X may have put it best when, from personal experience, God, but goes through the heart of the mother.”

Of his sainted mother Monica, St. Augustine, a bishop and what I am, I owe to the prayers and merits of my mother.”

Throughout the centuries, these sentiments have been

Destined for the priesthood

As soon as Kathryn O’Brien learned her daughter Cheryl was expecting a baby boy, she announced, “He’s going to be a priest!”

Three years later in 1984, that little boy, the son of John Sr. and Cheryl Eckert, had his defense ready on the playground in Peoria, Ill., when a young girl approached him and said, “Johnny Eckert, I’m going to kiss you.” The future Father John Eckert stopped her in her tracks and said, “No, I’m going to be a priest.”

“It was one of those things that he just knew from a very young age,” says his mother Cheryl. “As a young child, he could always communicate well with adults and then, as he was growing up, he could always communicate with young kids. He was sensitive to others and very empathetic.”

The eldest of four children, Father Eckert has always felt at home in the Church.

“There was never, never a point where he was just going through the motions, and a lot of people saw that in him,” his mother recalls. “At the parish we belonged to until he was 10 years old, the assistant priest chose him to be one of the ones to get his feet washed on Holy Thursday, which was very unusual for them to pick a child. He wasn’t even old enough to be a server.”

Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cheryl pondered these things in her heart.

Though he considered entering the seminary after high school, the young John Eckert ultimately decided to go to college at Saint Louis University where he had many friends, including a girlfriend. He double majored in political science and communication and was ranked highly in his class.

for Intel Corp. in Arizona, and had a good, very Catholic girlfriend.

He started questioning what God was calling him to do and ultimately decided to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in Peru in 2015 for the Archdiocese of Cusco, where he still ministers today as pastor of St. Martin de

Though he is only able to visit Greensboro once or twice a year, Martha Lucia says she and Fernando have been able to watch Father Gutiérrez offer Sunday Mass online. Together, they frequently pray the rosary and a novena for their son and his ministry.

Says Father Gutiérrez, “When I embarked on this divine adventure at the age of 25, I cannot doubt that her prayers and sacrifices – hidden from the spotlight – have accompanied and sustained me every step of the way. Praise God for mothers!”

“He had the world at his feet. He could have done anything or gone anywhere, and so at that point it was a choice,” Cheryl says.

Though he considered graduate school, he ultimately decided to enter the seminary and was ordained in the Diocese of Charlotte in 2010.

“I was very happy with the way things turned out,” his mother says.

(At top) Father Andrés Gutiérrez with his mom Martha Lucia at his high school graduation; (above) Father Gutiérrez with his mom and brothers (photos provided)

(At top) Father John Eckert as a young boy with his mother Cheryl; (above) his nephew Owen. (photos provided)

‘other Christs’

luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the faithfulness, humility and prayer. They foster faith-filled the Eternal High Priest, and one day formally dedicate The joys, these mothers say, far outweigh the sorrows. experience, he said, “A vocation comes from the heart of and Doctor of the Church, once wrote, “What I became mother.” been shared by countless priests who became saints,

Celebrating Mother’s Day with stories of Mom’s influence on 3 priests

including John Bosco, Bernard of Clairvaux and John Paul II.

It’s true today in the Diocese of Charlotte, too. Recently the mothers of Father Andrés Gutiérrez, a missionary priest in Peru whose family belongs to Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro; Father John Eckert, pastor of Sacred Heart in Salisbury; and Father Noah Carter, pastor of Holy Cross in Kernersville, shared their perspectives about this special calling with the Catholic News Herald. These moms’ memories and experiences were as unique as the men they helped raise, but they all have in common a rock-solid faith in God and a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

“A mother’s prayers are very powerful for all her children and for every vocation,” says Father Gutiérrez’s mother, Martha Lucia. “Try it, and you’ll see.”

A beautiful answer to a mother’s prayer

The cross has been near ever since the earliest days of Father Noah Carter’s life.

“In the hospital, about 20 to 30 minutes after feeding, he would become ashen and blue and have trouble breathing,” recalls his mother, Holly Carter. “So at that point in time, I just had this prayer that whatever it took, whatever God wanted from me, I would do. I prayed, ‘If You save this child, I will raise him in Your hands.’”

The doctors placed baby Noah on an apnea monitor to track his heart rate and breathing, and he remained on it for seven months after the day of his birth, which happened to be Sept. 14 – the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

“You had to wire him up,” Holly remembers. “If he wasn’t wired up to the machine, you had to hold him.”

As heart-wrenching as the medical intervention was, Greg and Holly Carter were also living the joyful mysteries at the birth of their youngest son. All the while, God kept Holly’s promise in mind.

At the time, Holly was Episcopalian but was feeling drawn to the Catholic faith. She converted three years after Noah was born because she wanted to raise their children in a one-religion household. The life of the Church came before any outside activities and even before school when altar servers were needed for a funeral at their parish, St. Barnabas in Arden.

Grandma O’Brien was pleased, too.

Father Eckert says he never felt pressure to enter the seminary but knew his parents would support him.

“I make the joke that I predate being a cradle Catholic, that I’ve been Catholic since conception just because of the way they are and how good my parents have been,” Father Eckert says. “My parents never made us go to Mass. They made us want to go to Mass. It was part of the air we breathed, the water we drank. It was a good environment to discern the priesthood.”

Father Eckert became the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury in 2014, and his parents, who live 40 minutes away in Charlotte, became parishioners in 2016. Like the mother of St. John Bosco who helped her son in his mission, Cheryl donates her time and talent to her son’s ministry as the parish’s bookkeeper.

With her significant business experience, she is a welcome resource.

“It’s good to be able to bounce things off my mother. I know she’s going to tell me the truth,” Father Eckert says. “She’s been such a huge help navigating a time at the parish where we had some very significant debts, and then to have her generosity coming on as a volunteer has been incredible.”

Recently, a Seven Sisters Apostolate was established at the parish. This involves seven women who commit to one Holy Hour each week dedicated to praying for their pastor. In ministries like these, any woman can “mother” a priest by spiritually adopting him in prayer.

“It’s a very humbling gift to know that I’m being so intentionally supported in that way. To know that I’ve got that kind of support is just beautiful,” Father Eckert says. “I’m glad my mom joined this group of women in the parish. At the same time, I know she has been praying for me forever. I am grateful for her every day.”

“I was very mindful of what my boys experienced and what they were involved in,” she says. “They could pick just one extracurricular activity outside the church.”

Growing up, the family read from the Books of Wisdom and Proverbs at home, and young Noah was already showing a strong interest in the Mass at age 7. At the 5:30 Vigil Mass his mother would have to hush him as he’d say the words of

encourage me to step back and really ponder things and pray about them before I did anything. She was that voice of reason and spirituality.”

Ultimately, he decided to enter the seminary after high school. He was still 17.

“He graduated in June, his father took him up to seminary in July, and as far as I was concerned, that’s when my heart had to say, ‘I have fully turned him over to God and to the diocese and put my trust in God and the diocese to take care of my child,’” Holly recalls.

That year, the seminarians’ education session ended on Mother’s Day, and Holly went to pick up her son and attend Mass. “It was perfect. When I met the other young men, I was so glad he had them alongside him,” she says.

Father Carter was ordained a deacon in Rome in 2013 and to the priesthood in the Diocese of Charlotte a year later. He noted his mother’s wonderful spirit of hospitality and the way she ensured everything was in order for his first Mass. In 2019, he became pastor of his first parish: Holy Cross in Kernersville, where he serves today.

Father Carter stays involved in the lives of his family members, including his young nieces. When it comes to his mother, their bond is extra close.

Holly says, “I watch his hands and face, and to me, it looks like he has a lot of my mannerisms. I have a friend who goes to St. Margaret in Swannanoa, and she agrees. After he came to do their parish mission, she told me, ‘It was like I could see you standing behind him.’”

the entire Eucharistic Prayer along with the priest.

As their son continued to show interest in the priesthood throughout his teen years, Greg and Holly helped him explore how to make that happen.

“I had a sense that this is what God was calling us to, because a priest doesn’t come up by himself,” Holly says. “My heart was just so overflowing with grace and fullness knowing that that’s what he really felt he might be called to. I was so happy that he was seriously considering it and that he wasn’t afraid.”

Father Carter says, “In the many conversations we had growing up, my mom was really the one who would

In this special vocation within motherhood, every priest’s mother similarly stands behind her son in spirit with the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the mother of all priests, Mary remains present with them at the altar as she stood by her Son at the foot of the cross – praying, consoling and rejoicing with each of them throughout their lives.

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : Read more from the mothers of these priests, see more photos, and learn about the tradition of the “manutergium,” the linen cloth priests give to their mothers after ordination

Father Eckert recently celebrated the first Holy Communion of (At top) Father Noah Carter with his mom Holly and two older brothers; (above) Greg and Holly Carter with their son at his ordination in 2014 (photos provided)

Las ‘otras Marías’ detrás los ‘otros Cristos’

Celebrando el Día de la Madre con la historia del impacto de las madres en tres sacerdotes

Una llamada inesperada

El hijo intermedio de Fernando y Martha Lucía Gutiérrez dio a sus padres la sorpresa de su vida cuando los llamó un día para darles una noticia. Esperaban escuchar que se iba a casar, pero en cambio Andrés, de 25 años, les dijo que iba a convertirse en sacerdote misionero.

“Fue una sorpresa total”, dice Martha Lucía. A pesar de todas las señales en contra hasta ese momento, ahora entiende que él había estado discerniendo durante mucho tiempo.

Marta Lucía nunca alentó abiertamente el sacerdocio, pero los Gutiérrez consagraron su familia, incluyendo a cada uno de sus tres hijos, a Jesús a través del Inmaculado Corazón de María.

Nacido en Colombia, el futuro Padre Andrés Gutiérrez se mudó a España con su familia cuando tenía 2 años y vivió allí durante siete años antes de que la familia se mudara a Florida. Marta Lucía se encargó de hacer de su hogar uno lleno de fe. “Yo animo a los padres a motivar a sus niños a la vida religiosa. No tienen que ser sacerdotes, solo fomentar la vida espiritual en casa”, dice Martha. “Siempre tuvimos un pequeño altar con la Virgen, un crucifijo, flores y agua bendita. Lo hicimos parte de nuestra vida cotidiana tanto como pudimos. Cuando haces eso, creo que ellos también lo hacen suyo”.

Las semillas de la vocación del Padre Andrés fueron plantadas en la universidad, cuando realizó un viaje misionero de tres semanas a Cusco, Perú. Sin embargo, su discernimiento continuó lentamente. Terminó la universidad con una maestría, comenzó a

por cada uno de sus hijos. Dijo que a veces ser madre de un sacerdote la hace más consciente de sí misma. “Otras personas piensan que tienes que ser diferente o especial, y no es cierto. Eres la misma, siempre”, dice.

De otro lado, el Padre Gutiérrez señala los dones especiales de su madre, especialmente en la forma en que nutrió y guió a todos sus hijos.

“Sin la ejemplar generosidad de mis padres, no sería sacerdote. En mi madre, eso se tradujo en una disposición ilimitada e incondicional de servicio a nosotros, sus hijos. Su única motivación y alegría era su familia”, dice. “También destacaría su sabiduría e intuición, que junto con la prudencia y la fe de mi padre, me llevaron especialmente a estructurar una visión personal del mundo basada en la fe y las virtudes y evitar muchos de los peligros inherentes al crecimiento”.

El Padre Gutiérrez dice nunca sintió que la fe fuera impuesta porque se vivió naturalmente.

“Ella siempre respetó claramente nuestra individualidad y creó un ambiente para el crecimiento saludable de nuestro libre albedrío. Creo que esto es bastante notable, ya que ahora veo lo difícil que es para los padres lograr este equilibrio. Dice mucho de mi madre y de la gracia de Dios obrando en ella”.

Destinado al sacerdocio

Tan pronto como Kathryn O’Brien supo que su hija Cheryl esperaba un bebé varón, dijo, “¡Va a ser sacerdote!” Tres años mas tarde, en 1984, ese pequeño niño, hijo de John Sr. y Cheryl Eckert, tenía listas sus defensas en un parque en Peoria, Illinois, cuando una niñita se le acercó y le dijo, “Johnny Eckert, voy a darte un beso”. El futuro Padre John Eckert la paró en seco y dijo, “No, voy a ser sacerdote”. “Era una de esas cosas que él sabía desde muy joven”, dice su madre Cheryl. “De niño, siempre se comunicaba bien con los adultos y luego, a medida que crecía, podía comunicarse siempre con los niños pequeños. Era sensible a los demás y muy empático”.

Siendo el mayor de cuatro hermanos, el Padre Eckert siempre se sintió como en casa en la iglesia.

“Nunca, nunca hubo un momento en que hiciera las cosas sin interés, y mucha gente vio eso en él”, recuerda su madre. “En la parroquia a la que pertenecimos hasta que tuvo 10 años, el sacerdote asistente lo eligió para ser uno a quien le lavarían los pies el Jueves Santo, siendo muy extraño que eligieran a un niño. Ni siquiera tenía la edad suficiente para ser monaguillo”.

Al igual que la Santísima Virgen María, Cheryl guardó estas cosas en su corazón.

Aunque consideró ingresar al seminario después de la escuela secundaria, el joven John Eckert finalmente decidió ir a la Universidad de Saint Louis, donde tenía muchos amigos, incluida una novia. Obtuvo una doble especialización en ciencias políticas y comunicación, ocupando un lugar destacado en su clase.

“Tenía el mundo a sus pies. Podría haber hecho cualquier cosa o haber ido a cualquier parte, ese momento era decisivo”, dice Cheryl.

Aunque consideró la posibilidad de estudiar un posgrado, finalmente decidió ingresar al seminario y fue ordenado en la Diócesis de Charlotte en 2010.

“Estaba muy contento con la manera en que resultaron las cosas”, dice su madre.

La abuela O’Brien también estaba contenta.

trabajar para Intel Corporation en Arizona y tuvo una novia buena y muy católica.

Comenzó a hacerse preguntas sobre el llamado de Dios hacia él y finalmente decidió estudiar para el sacerdocio. Fue ordenado en Perú para la Arquidiócesis de Cusco en 2015, donde aún es párroco de la Iglesia San Martín de Porras.

Su madre insiste en que todo lo que hizo fue orar

Aunque solo puede visitarlo una o dos veces al año, Martha Lucía dice que ella y Fernando, han podido ver al Padre Gutiérrez ofrecer Misa dominical online. Juntos, con frecuencia rezan el rosario y una novena por su hijo y su ministerio.

El Padre Gutiérrez dice: “Me embarqué en esta aventura divina a la edad de 25 años. No puedo dudar de que sus oraciones y sacrificios en silencio me han acompañado y sostenido en cada paso del camino que he dado. ¡Alabado sea Dios por las madres!”

El Padre Eckert dice que nunca se sintió presionado para ingresar al seminario, pero sabía que sus padres lo apoyarían.

“Yo bromeo diciendo que soy católico desde antes de nacer, desde el momento de la concepción, por la manera en que mis padres son y han sido”, dice el Padre Eckert. “Mis padres nunca nos obligaron a ir a Misa. Ellos nos hicieron desear ir a Misa. Era parte del aire que respirábamos, del agua que bebíamos. Fue un a buen ambiente para discernir el sacerdocio”.

El Padre Eckert se convirtió en párroco de la Iglesia DESTINADO, PASA A LA PÁGINA 17

(Arriba) El P. Gutiérrez con su mamá Martha Lucía en su graduación de la secundaria. (Abajo) El P. Gutiérrez con su mamá y hermanos (Fotos proporcionadas).

La maternidad es un misterio. Desde el momento en que una mujer se entera de que está embarazada se pregunta qué tiene reservado Dios para la pequeña alma que alberga, y un mundo de posibilidades se abre frente a ella mientras coopera con Dios en Su acto de creación. Entre los católicos hay una especial vocación maternal que se configura muy de cerca con la Santísima Virgen María: la madre de un sacerdote. Muchas madres de los sacerdotes viven y rezan los misterios gozosos, luminosos, dolorosos y gloriosos del Santo Rosario de manera única, imitando a María en su fidelidad, humildad y oración. Fomentan hogares llenos de fe donde sus hijos crecen y se acercan más a Jesús, el Eterno Sumo Sacerdote, y un día dedican formalmente sus vidas a ministrar a Su pueblo. Las alegrías, dicen estas madres, superan con creces las penas.

San Pío X pudo explicarlo mucho mejor cuando, por experiencia personal, dijo: “Una

vocación viene del corazón de Dios, pero pasa por el corazón de la madre”

De su santa madre Mónica, San Agustín, obispo y Doctor de la Iglesia, escribió una vez: “Lo que llegué a ser y lo que soy, se lo debo a las oraciones y los méritos de mi madre”.

A lo largo de los siglos, estos sentimientos han sido compartidos por innumerables sacerdotes que se convirtieron en santos, incluyendo a Juan Bosco, Bernardo de Claraval y Juan Pablo II.

Esto también es cierto hoy en la Diócesis de Charlotte. Recientemente las madres del Padre Andrés Gutiérrez, sacerdote misionero en Perú cuya familia pertenece a la Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Gracia en Greensboro; el Padre John Eckert, párroco de Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury; y el Padre Noah Carter, párroco de Santa Cruz en Kernersville, compartieron sus perspectivas sobre este llamado especial con el Catholic News Herald.

Los recuerdos y experiencias de estas madres fueron tan únicos como los hombres a quienes criaron, pero todas tienen en común una fe sólida en Dios y un amor profundo por Nuestra Santísima Madre.

“Las oraciones de una madre son muy poderosas para todos sus hijos y para cada vocación”, dice Martha, la madre del padre Gutiérrez. “Pruébalo y verás”.

Hermosa respuesta a las oraciones de una madre

Desde los primeros días de vida del Padre Noah Carter la cruz ha estado cerca.

“En el hospital, unos 20 a 30 minutos después de alimentarse, se ponía cianótico y tenía problemas para respirar”, recuerda su madre, Holly Carter. “Así que, en ese momento, ofrecí que cualquier cosa, lo que fuera, lo que Dios quisiera de mí, lo haría. Oré: ‘Si salvas a este niño, lo pondré en Tus manos’”.

Los médicos colocaron al bebé Noah en un monitor de apnea para rastrear su ritmo cardíaco y respiración, y permaneció en él durante siete meses después del día de su nacimiento, que resultó ser el 14 de septiembre, la Fiesta de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz.

“Tenías que conectarlo”, recuerda Holly. “Si no estaba conectado a la máquina, tenías que sostenerlo”.

Al mismo tiempo de la desgarradora intervención médica, Greg y Holly Carter también vivían los alegres misterios en el nacimiento de su hijo menor. Mientras, Dios mantuvo la promesa de Holly en mente.

DESTINADO

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 16

Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury en 2014, y sus padres, que viven a 40 minutos en Charlotte, se convirtieron en parroquianos en 2016.

Al igual que la madre de San Juan Bosco, que ayudó a su hijo en su misión, Cheryl dona tiempo y talento a la misión de su hijo como contadora de la parroquia.

Con su importante experiencia empresarial, es un valioso recurso.

“Es bueno poder conversar con mi mamá. Sé que ella siempre me va a decir la verdad”, dice el Padre Eckert. “Ella ha sido de gran ayuda para navegar un tiempo en la parroquia en el que teníamos algunas deudas muy importantes. Contar con su generosidad como voluntaria ha sido increíble”.

Recientemente, se estableció en la parroquia el Apostolado de las Siete Hermanas. En este esfuerzo, siete mujeres se comprometen a realizar una Hora Santa cada semana dedicada a orar por su pastor. En los ministerios de este tipo, cualquier mujer puede ser “madre” de un sacerdote al adoptarlo espiritualmente en oración.

“Me siento muy honrado al ser apoyado de esta manera. Saber que tengo ese tipo de apoyo es simplemente hermoso”, dice el Padre Eckert.

“Me alegra que mi mamá se uniera a este grupo de mujeres en la parroquia. Al mismo tiempo, sé que ha estado orando por mí desde siempre. Estoy agradecido por ella todos los días”.

Más online

En www.catholicnewsherald.com : Lea más sobre las madres de estos sacerdotes, vea más fotos y conozca la tradición del “manutergium,” un paño que los ordenados entregan a sus madres.

En ese momento, Holly era episcopal, pero se sentía atraída por la fe católica. Se convirtió tres años después del nacimiento de Noah porque quería criar a sus hijos en un hogar de una sola religión. La vida de Iglesia vino antes de cualquier actividad externa, e incluso antes de la escuela, cuando se necesitaron monaguillos para un funeral en su parroquia, San Bernabé en Arden.

“Era muy consciente de lo que mis hijos estaban experimentando y en lo que estaban involucrados”, dice. “Podrían elegir solo una actividad extracurricular fuera de la Iglesia”.

Al crecer, la familia leía los Libros de Sabiduría

y Proverbios en casa, y el joven Noah ya mostraba un gran interés en la Misa a los 7 años. En la Misa de Vigilia de las 5:30, su madre tenía que pedirle que guardara silencio cuando recitaba todas las palabras de la Oración Eucarística junto con el sacerdote.

A medida que su hijo continuó mostrando interés en el sacerdocio durante su adolescencia, Greg y Holly lo ayudaron a explorar cómo hacer que eso sucediera.

“Tenía la sensación de que esto es a lo que Dios nos estaba llamando, porque un sacerdote no viene solo”, dice Holly. “Mi corazón estaba tan rebosante de gracia y plenitud sabiendo que eso es a lo que realmente sentía que podía ser llamado. Estaba tan feliz de que lo estuviera considerando seriamente y de que no tuviera miedo”.

El Padre Carter dice: “En las muchas conversaciones que tuvimos mientras crecíamos,

mi madre era realmente la que me animaba a dar un paso atrás y realmente reflexionar sobre las cosas y orar por ellas antes de hacer nada. Ella era esa voz de la razón y la espiritualidad”.

Finalmente, decidió ingresar al seminario después de la escuela secundaria.

“Se graduó en junio, su padre lo llevó al seminario en julio y, en lo que a mí respecta, fue entonces cuando mi corazón tuvo que decir: ‘Lo entregué completamente a Dios y a la diócesis, y puse mi confianza en Dios y en la diócesis para cuidar de mi hijo’”, recuerda Holly.

Ese año, la sesión de educación de los seminaristas terminó el Día de la Madre, y Holly fue a recoger a su hijo y asistir a Misa. “Fue perfecto. Cuando conocí a los otros jóvenes, me alegré mucho de que los tuviera a su lado”, dice.

El Padre Carter fue ordenado diácono en Roma en 2013 y sacerdote en la Diócesis de Charlotte un año después. En 2019, se convirtió en párroco de su primera iglesia: Santa Cruz en Kernersville, donde sirve actualmente.

El padre Carter se mantiene involucrado en la vida de los miembros de su familia, incluidas sus jóvenes sobrinas. Cuando se trata de su madre, su vínculo trasciende la distancia.

Holly dice: “Observo sus manos y su rostro, y para mí, parece que tiene muchos de mis gestos. Tengo una amiga que va a Santa Margarita en Swannanoa, y ella está de acuerdo conmigo. Después que él fuera a hacer misión en su parroquia, ella me dijo: ‘Fue como si pudiera verte de pie detrás de él’”.

En esta vocación especial dentro de la maternidad, la madre de cada sacerdote también está detrás de su hijo en espíritu con la Santísima Virgen María. Como madre de todos los sacerdotes, María permanece presente con ellos en el altar, así como lo estaba junto a su Hijo al pie de la cruz, orando, consolando y regocijándose con cada uno de ellos durante todos los misterios de sus vidas.

(Arriba) El P. John Eckert de niño con su madre Cheryl. (Izquierda) El P. Eckert recientemente celebró la Primera Comunión de su sobrino Owen (Fotos proporcionadas).

(Arriba) El P. Noah Carter con su mamá Holly y hermanos mayores. (Abajo) El Padre Carter con sus padres, Greg y Holly, en su ordenación como diácono en Roma en 2013 (Fotos proporcionadas).

Padre Julio Domínguez

Tengo un mensaje especial para todos los niños que están celebrando la Primera Comunión.

Puedo experimentar junto a ustedes la gran emoción que sienten en este maravilloso momento de sus vidas en el que se aproxima el gran acontecimiento de la Primera Comunión. Y no es para menos que este sentimiento aflore tan bellamente, pues la realidad es que todo un Dios entrará en tu interior y podrás decir con toda verdad que el mejor amigo de tu alma esta allí, dentro de ti.

Recuerdo como si fuera ayer el día de mi Primera Comunión. Aparte de todas las preparaciones necesarias para este gran momento, me acuerdo, sin olvidar ni una sola palabra, la exhortación que nos dio nuestra catequista, la que con gusto te comparto. Ella nos dijo: Recuerden niños, que lo más importante en este momento no es como vienen vestidos, tampoco lo es la fiesta que les tienen preparada, mucho menos lo es la vela y el rosario que tienen en sus manos, ni siquiera los padrinos que han elegido, sino el maravilloso don que van a recibir, es decir, Dios entrará a su boca y de allí pasara a su corazón. Una vez que ustedes lo reciban con amor, recuerden ir a sus bancas, arrodillarse y pensar en la maravilla que tienen en su corazón.

Estas palabras de nuestra catequista, que era una persona muy entregada a las cosas de Dios y sumamente devota del Santísimo Sacramento, quedaron muy fuertemente grabadas en mi corazón, y pienso que en el corazón de muchos otros niños.

En este día en que recibes por vez primera al Señor, te pido darle gracias por el gran don de sí mismo a nosotros, por permitirnos gozar de la dicha de poderlo tener en nuestras vidas y gozar de su maravillosa amistad.

De aquí en adelante, después de este primer encuentro con Cristo en la Eucaristía, podrás encontrarte con Él todos los días, si así lo deseas, a través de la oración y sobre todo en su divina presencia cuando lo vuelvas a recibir cada domingo en la Santa Misa. Allí en el Sagrario, la pequeña casita mística de Jesús, Él estará siempre esperando por ti.

Deseo que este momento sea muy memorable para ti y que siempre recuerdes ese primer beso que Jesús dará a tu alma. Recuerda, lo importante es saber que Jesús visitará tu corazón y querrá quedarse para siempre allí si tú se lo permites.

Anima a tus papás, padrinos y amigos a prepararse contigo para este momento tan especial. Que lo hagan con una buena confesión, para que todos juntos comulguen contigo y se acerquen al Santísimo Sacramento del altar.

Felicidades a todos los niños que durante los meses de mayo y junio están recibiendo a Cristo en nuestra diócesis y en muchas otras partes del mundo. Mis oraciones para que el Espíritu Santo derrame sobre ellos una profunda piedad y puedan disfrutarlo como el gran milagro de nuestros corazones.

Al término de la Misa de Clausura por la cita anual, cientos de miembros de la Renovación Carismática permanecieron en el recinto para tomarse fotografías con sus líderes, consejeros espirituales y sacerdotes. La reunión, dijo Belisario Solórzano, coordinador del movimiento apostólico en la Diócesis de Charlotte, fue aprovechada por muchos miembros locales que regularmente no tienen la posibilidad de asistir a este tipo de reuniones.

Prometieron mantener vivo el fuego del Espíritu Santo

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — Con el firme compromiso de reavivar y extender el carisma de su movimiento apostólico, 550 líderes de la Renovación Carismática de Estados Unidos y Canadá se reunieron en el marco del Encuentro Católico Carismático Latino Estadounidense (ECCLE), realizado en Charlotte del 21 al 23 de abril.

Belisario Solórzano, coordinador de la Renovación Carismática Católica de la Diócesis de Charlotte, dijo que la organización logística del evento recayó en Charlotte después de una espera de 10 años.

El año pasado, durante el encuentro anual que se llevó a cabo en California, al que lamentablemente Solórzano no pudo asistir, se anunció que Charlotte sería la sede en 2023.

“Siete personas de nuestra diócesis viajaron. Fue un día domingo y yo estaba al teléfono con ellos, esperando la decisión de los organizadores. Cuando nos comunicaron la noticia fue una felicidad tremenda la que sentimos”, dijo.

Respecto al propósito de estos eventos, Solórzano señaló que “es abordar la problemática de los diversos grupos, analizar los problemas, los aciertos, las necesidades y otros puntos para efectuar las correcciones necesarias o ratificar los procesos en los que estamos teniendo éxito. Venimos a compartir experiencias y a aprender”.

El privilegio de ser anfitriones dio a los organizadores locales la oportunidad de incluir participantes de los 20 grupos de la diócesis, no únicamente líderes. Por esta razón pudieron estar presentes coordinadores, subcoordinadores, responsables de los ministerios de alabanza y de intercesión, para adquirir valiosos conocimientos que aplicarán en sus propias comunidades.

El lema del encuentro de este año, “Vivir en el Espíritu” hace un llamado a los miembros para regresar a las bases del movimiento. “A veces nos cansamos, lo dejamos de lado, nuestro trabajo no es tan efectivo. Este congreso nos reanima, nos hace ver que Dios nos ha llamado, que somos importantes y que si no hacemos la tarea que Él nos ha dado, ¿quién la hará?”, dijo Solórzano.

Katia Arango, coordinadora nacional de la Renovación Carismática Católica Hispana, responsable del ECCLE 2023, dijo que la Renovación Carismática ha trabajado un plan de tres años, y que el primer año se enfoca en “vivir en el espíritu”. La espiritualidad en la renovación carismática, subrayó, se da a través del bautismo en el Espíritu Santo y el llamado a sus miembros es a vivir en el espíritu, lo que significa ver todos los días dónde nos

Los grupos de trabajo se organizaron por regiones, donde se analizaron problemas, aciertos y soluciones para mejorar el trabajo misionero que debe, según resaltaron los organizadores, llevarse a cabo en comunidad.

quiere Dios y hacia dónde nos movemos.

“Con el tiempo, en los desafíos, en la cultura que este país y la sociedad nos impone, a veces se pierde muy rápido la emoción, la efervescencia, el fuego de los eventos. Y nuestro llamado después de este ECCLE es que permanezcamos viviendo conducidos por el Espíritu Santo en nuestro trabajo diario, en nuestras comunidades, nuestras parroquias y la diócesis en la que estamos llamados a servir”, dijo.

Uno de los secretos para mantener la “llama encendida” de forma permanente, anotó, es la vida en comunidad. “Necesitamos vivir insertados en comunidad parroquial, diocesana, donde, a pesar de tener diferentes dones, diferentes carismas, todos traemos y aportamos algo para que la Iglesia sea un lugar mejor”.

Respecto al papel de la Renovación Carismática dentro de la Iglesia Católica, Arango dijo que desde este movimiento se puede ofrecer la experiencia de una vida en el Espíritu. “Una vida que recibe el amor de Dios, que proclama a Jesucristo como Señor, y que recibe esa fuerza del Espíritu Santo para saber que no estamos solos. La Renovación cree que el Espíritu Santo vive en cada momento porque es promesa de Jesús para nosotros. No estamos solos, el Espíritu Santo camina en los momentos de alegría, de necesidad, pero, sobre todas las cosas, cuando pensamos que nada tiene sentido hay una nueva esperanza porque Jesucristo está vivo”, finalizó.

Reciban la Eucaristía, el mejor amigo de sus almas, con alegría en su corazones

PADRE JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ es Vicario Episcopal del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

FOTO CORTESÍA RENOVACIÓN CARISMÁTICA DE LA DIÓCESIS DE CHARLOTTE

San Matías, patrono de arquitectos y carpinteros

Matías es un nombre bíblico que significa “regalo de Dios”. Clemente de Alejandría, basándose en la tradición, afirma que San Matías fue uno de los 72 discípulos que el Señor envió a predicar durante su ministerio.

San Matías solo se menciona por nombre una vez en el Nuevo Testamento en el libro de los Hechos de los Apóstoles. Hechos 1:21-26 cuenta el relato completo cuando San Matías fue elegido para convertirse en el Apóstol que reemplazaría a Judas Iscariote. Los Hechos de los Apóstoles afirman que Matías acompañó al Salvador, desde el Bautismo hasta la Ascensión. Cuando San Pedro decidió proceder a la elección de un nuevo Apóstol para reemplazar a Judas, los candidatos fueron José, llamado Bernabé y Matías. Finalmente, la elección cayó sobre Matías, quien pasó a formar parte del grupo de los doce.

El Espíritu Santo descendió sobre él en Pentecostés y Matías se entregó a su misión.

Clemente de Alejandría afirma que se distinguió por la insistencia con que predicaba la necesidad de mortificar la carne para dominar la sensualidad.

Esta lección la había aprendido del mismo Jesucristo.

Congreso Eucarístico 2023 a pocos meses de realizarse

SPENCER K.M. BROWN

skmbrown@charlottediocese.org

CHARLOTTE — El Congreso Eucarístico, la “reunión familiar” anual de la Diócesis de Charlotte, ya se encuentra a menos de cuatro meses de distancia. El XIX evento anual se llevará a cabo el 8 y 9 de septiembre en el Centro de Convenciones de Charlotte, con charlas educativas en inglés, español y vietnamita, junto con una Hora Santa de Adoración Eucarística y una Misa de clausura celebrada por el Obispo Peter Jugis. El lema de 2023, “Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días”, proviene del Evangelio de Mateo 28:20.

El Obispo Peter Jugis seleccionó personalmente la obra de arte para la estampa sagrada del Congreso Eucarístico, ilustrando así el lema del evento. ‘La Ascensión del Señor’, de Girolamo Muziano, es un retablo de la Iglesia Santa María en Vallicella, también llamada Iglesia Nueva, ubicada en Roma. Es la iglesia principal de los Oratorianos, una orden religiosa de sacerdotes fundada por San Felipe Neri en 1561.

Colecta Combinada Internacional/ Nacional se realizará del 20 al 21 de mayo

CHARLOTTE — Las parroquias de toda la Diócesis de Charlotte realizarán una segunda colecta en todas las Misas durante el fin de semana del 20 al 21 de mayo, como parte de la Colecta Combinada Internacional/Nacional.

Coordinada por la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB), las donaciones recibidas por esta colecta anual benefician a cinco organizaciones: Servicios Católicos de Socorro, Colecta de Tierra Santa, Colecta por las Obras del Santo Padre (Óbolo de San Pedro), la Universidad Católica de América y la Campaña Católica de Comunicaciones.

Las donaciones se utilizan de la siguiente manera:

IMAGEN CORTESÍA MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID ‘San Matías’, óleo sobre tabla de Pedro Pablo Rubens (Siegen, Westfalia, 1577-Amberes, 1640). Porta en una mano el hacha con la que fue martirizado mientras levanta la otra y dirige la mirada hacia el cielo con la boca entreabierta.

Según la tradición, predicó primero en Judea y luego en otros países.

Nicéforo Calixto, historiador eclesiástico, refiere que Matías, “que rellenó la docena, atracó en Etiopía primeramente”.

Los griegos sostienen que evangelizó la Capadocia y las costas del Mar Caspio, que sufrió persecuciones por parte de los pueblos bárbaros donde misionó y obtuvo finalmente la corona del martirio en Cólquida. Los “Menaia” griegos sostienen que fue crucificado. Se dice que su cuerpo estuvo mucho tiempo en Jerusalén y que sus reliquias fueron, por encargo de Santa Elena, llevadas a Tréveris, donde se venera su tumba en la abadía dedicada al Santo. También hay reliquias en la Iglesia Santa María Mayor en Roma, en la Iglesia Santa Justina en Padua, ambas en Italia, y también en la Iglesia San Pedro en Lima, Perú.

Es el santo patrón de los carniceros, arquitectos, sastres, los que tienen viruela, los carpinteros y los que luchan contra el alcoholismo.

La Iglesia Católica celebra su fiesta cada 14 de mayo.

— Información extraída de ACI Prensa, Catholic Net y EWTN

Lecturas Diarias

MAYO 14-20

Domingo: Hechos 8:5-8, 14-17, 1 Pedro 3:15-18, Juan 14:1521; Lunes: Hechos 16:11-15, Juan 15:26-16:4; Martes: Hechos 16:22-34, Juan 16:5-11; Miércoles: Hechos 17:15-16, 22–18:1, Juan 16:12-15; Jueves (San Juan I, Papa y mártir): Hechos 18:1-8, Juan 16:16-20; Viernes: Hechos 18:9-18, Juan 16:20-23; Sábado: Hechos 18:23-28, Juan 16:23-28

Muziano (1532-1592) fue un pintor italiano que se convirtió en el artista principal en Roma durante la Contrarreforma. Al igual que Miguel Ángel, pintó desde paisajes clásicos a grandes figuras bíblicas con precisión anatómica y proporción dramática. Su fama creció, e incluso Miguel Ángel elogió su trabajo. Más adelante en su carrera, bajo el mandato del Papa Gregorio XIII, Muziano se desempeñó como superintendente de las obras del Vaticano. Esta obra, pintada en 1575, representa a Jesús en su Ascensión, con los Apóstoles y la Santísima Virgen María mirando maravillados. Con el rostro pacífico de Nuestro Señor y la mano extendida en bendición, los espectadores casi pueden escuchar Sus palabras de despedida mientras instruye a los Apóstoles: “Todo poder me ha sido dado en el cielo y en la tierra. Vayan, pues, y hagan discípulos en todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a observar todo lo que les he mandado; y ¡recuerden! Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo” (Mt 28-1820).

El Congreso Eucarístico se realizará los días 8 y 9 de septiembre de 2023 en el Centro de Convenciones de Charlotte, ubicado en 501 South College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.

Información actualizada online

En www.goeucharist.com Consiga la más reciente información sobre el Congreso Eucarístico 2023 en español e inglés.

n La Colecta de Servicios Católicos de Socorro apoya a las organizaciones de la Iglesia Católica que llevan a cabo esfuerzos internacionales de ayuda y solidaridad. Los programas incluyen asistencia y reasentamiento para las víctimas de persecución, guerra y desastres naturales; proyectos de desarrollo para mejorar las condiciones de vida de los más necesitados; servicios jurídicos y de apoyo para inmigrantes sin recursos; labores de pacificación y reconciliación para las personas que sufren de violencia; y la defensa en nombre de los que menos tienen.

n La Colecta de Tierra Santa apoya el trabajo de los franciscanos de la Custodia de Tierra Santa, que tienen la responsabilidad de cuidar de los Santos Lugares, así como de los cristianos que viven en Tierra Santa.

n La Colecta del Óbolo de San Pedro proporciona al Santo Padre los medios financieros para responder a aquellos que sufren como resultado de la guerra, opresión, desastres naturales y enfermedades. El Comité Nacional de Colectas de la USCCB supervisa la promoción de esta colecta.

n La Colecta para la Universidad Católica de América brinda becas para asistir financieramente a los estudiantes a completar su educación en las más de 50 disciplinas que ofrecen.

n A través de páginas web, redes sociales, televisión, radio y prensa, la Campaña de Comunicación Católica (CCC), ayuda a la Iglesia a difundir el mensaje del Evangelio a través de los medios de comunicación a nivel local y nacional. La mitad de todas las donaciones a la CCC recolectadas en la diócesis permanecen en la diócesis para apoyar las necesidades de comunicación locales, como la programación de espacios en radio y televisión y las publicaciones diocesanas.

— Catholic News Herald

MAYO 21-27

Domingo (La Ascención del Señor): Hechos 1:12-14, 1 Pedro 4:13-16, Juan 17:1-11; Lunes (Santa Rita de Casia): Hechos 19:1-8, Juan 16:29-33; Martes: Hechos 20:17-27, Juan 17:1-11; Miércoles: Hechos 20:28-38, Juan 17:11-19; Jueves (Santa María Magdalena, San Gregorio, San Beda): Hechos 22:30, 23:6-11, Juan 17:20-26; Viernes (San Felipe Neri): Hechos 25:13-21, Juan 21:15-19; Sábado (San Agustín de Canterbury): Hechos 28:1620, 30-31, Juan 21:20-25

MAYO 28-JUNIO 3

Domingo (Pentecostés): Hechos 2:1-11, 1 Corintios 12:3b-7, 12-13, Juan 20:19-23; Lunes (Bienaventurada Virgen María, Madre de la Iglesia): Génesis 3:9-15, 20, Juan 19:25-34; Martes: Sirácides 35:1-15, Marcos 10:28-31; Miércoles (Fiesta de la Visitación de la Virgen María): Sofonías 3:14-18, Lucas 1:39-56; Jueves (San Justino): Sirácides 42:15-26, Marcos 10:46-52; Viernes: Sirácides 44:1, 9-13, Marcos 11:11-26; Sábado: Sirácides 51:17-27, Marcos 11:27-33

Arts & entertainment

Vatican to bring pope’s encyclicals to life in architecture exhibit

JUSTIN MCLELLAN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Commemorating 10 years since the election of Pope Francis, the Vatican will physically represent the teachings of his encyclicals at the Venice Biennale international architecture exhibition May 20 to Nov. 26.

The Vatican’s exhibit, titled “Social Friendship: Meeting in the Garden,” will take visitors through scenes in which person-like “figures,” holding their arms open in welcome and acting out scenes of dialogue, convey themes inspired by the encyclical “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.”

The exhibit will then lead to a garden constructed of reused materials with plots growing vegetables from different parts of the world, chicken coops, seed storage facilities and rest areas. The space is intended to be one of contemplation and represent Pope Francis’ ecological encyclical “Laudato si, On Care for Our Common Home.”

Part of the exhibition will feature work by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, recipient of the 1992 Pritzker Prize, which is widely considered to be the highest honor in the field of architecture. At a news conference presenting the exhibit April 18, Cardinal José Tolentino

de Mendonca, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, said the Vatican’s involvement in the exhibition is an “extraordinary opportunity” since architecture is a “practical laboratory of the future, not far from typically spiritual questions.”

The Vatican’s exhibit is both an “intense political and poetic declaration about what a meeting between human beings can become,” he said, and it “puts all living things in architecture, making us all jointly responsible for our common home.”

“Over the 10 years of his pontificate, Pope Francis has acted and spoken on involving all, without forgetting the peripheries, the poor and refugees,” said Cardinal Tolentino. “This already constitutes a great legacy for the future of all those who desire a world that is more just and less wounded by social inequalities, and that is evident in the two parts of the Holy See’s pavilion.”

The Vatican pavilion will be assembled at the Benedictine Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, which will bring

visitors “closer to the daily life of a Benedictine monastery and its Rule, opening the possibility for a renewed dialogue with those emblematic spaces of the architectural tradition,” the dicastery said in a statement.

It will be the second time the Vatican has participated in the bi-yearly architecture exposition, now in its 18th edition. In 2018, it created an exhibit titled “Vatican Chapels” in which 10 architects each built small chapels, some futuristic and others rustic, in a wooded area of Venice.

CNS | COURTESY STUDIO ALBORI

A model depicts the garden that will be part of the Holy See’s pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale architecture exhibition. The space is meant to represent Pope Francis’ ecological encyclical “Laudato si’, On Care for Our Common Home.”

CNS | COURTESY ÁLVARO SIZA

A model represents the figures that are part of the Holy See’s pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale architecture exhibition. The figures are meant to represent the teachings of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.”

Our nation

Honolulu bishop says Mass for Vermonter on path to sainthood for ministering with St. Damian of Molokai

CORI FUGERE URBAN OSV News

STOWE, Vt. — One hundred and eighty years ago, Ira Dutton was born in Stowe on farmland upon which now stands Blessed Sacrament Church.

“No one at that time had the slightest inkling that 180 years later, people from Hawaii and people from Stowe and beyond would be together (in the church) to give thanks to God for his birth and his presence among us,” said Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva.

He was the homilist and celebrant of a special Mass celebrated in April at Blessed Sacrament Church to mark the 180th anniversary of the birth of Dutton, now known as Servant of God Joseph Dutton, a layman who ministered to people with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, in Hawaii with St. Damien DeVeuster and St. Marianne Cope. Now he is now on the road to canonization.

After leaving Stowe, Dutton served in the Union Army during the Civil War. “He set out, perhaps scandalized that half his beloved country could think it acceptable to have other human beings as slaves,” Bishop Silva said in his homily April 23. “He went on the journey of the Civil War to try to right that wrong, yet to hold together the union of pro- and anti-slavery states. … He was disillusioned by the ugliness of war and its absurdity of killing others so that you could ultimately be at peace with them.” His early life was dissolute, and he entered a marriage he was ill-prepared to sustain, drank to excess and caroused. But Dutton turned his life toward God

and embarked on a journey of repentance “by which his very life would give witness to Jesus,” Bishop Silva said.

Dutton spent 44 years isolated on the Hawaiian island of Molokai with “the most destitute and desolate outcasts of the world, those who suffered the scorned disease of leprosy,” he continued. “Every day of his life (there) he would encounter Jesus in a very real way. Every day he would give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and visit the sick and imprisoned. Most of us choose one or two of these things to do, but he did all of them every day of the last 44 years of his life.”

Bishop Silva noted that everyone has sadness and distress in their lives, but he emphasized that Jesus takes the initiative to walk with everyone. “Sometimes he is disguised as a beggar in need, as a confused young person, as a depressed elder, as someone the world finds distasteful to be with. But if we come here (to Mass) every Sunday – or more often – for this breaking of bread, we will recognize the Risen One, the Lord Jesus, who gives us such joy that we must … run and tell others.”

The presence of Jesus alone “can turn us from sinners into saints, so we come here to listen to him and to know him in the breaking of bread, and to serve him in the disguise of those who are most in need,” the bishop said.

Deacon Bob Begley of Holy Angels Parish in St. Albans, Vermont, attended the Mass along with other Secular Franciscans, honoring Dutton, who was a Third Order Franciscan. “It was joyful to witness a life of Gospel living being acknowledged so many

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years after and the legacy continuing,” he told Vermont Catholic, Burlington’s diocesan publication.

Blessed Sacrament Church was filled for the Mass, and Father Jon Schnobrich, pastor, enthused, “We are just so grateful all of you chose to celebrate Servant of God Joseph Dutton … (who) inspires us to a life

of holiness and grace.”

Bishop Silva – who like the other priests celebrating the Mass and members of the congregation wore a Hawaiian lei – gave the final blessing in the Hawaiian language. — Cori Fugere Urban is managing editor of Vermont Catholic, official publication of the Diocese of Burlington.

OSV NEWS | CORI FUGERE URBAN, VERMONT CATHOLIC

Two women stand beneath a picture of Servant of God Joseph Dutton ahead of a Mass in his honor celebrated by Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu at Blessed Sacrament Church in Stowe, Vermont, April 23. Dutton was a layman from Stowe who ministered to people with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, in Hawaii with St. Damien DeVeuster and St. Marianne Cope, and he is now on the road to canonization.

Abortion bans fail in GOP-controlled Nebraska, South Carolina

LINCOLN, Neb. — Abortion bans failed in Nebraska and South Carolina, two Republicanled states, while passing in North Dakota in the final week of April. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June that overturned prior rulings by the high court – including Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey, which found abortion access to be a constitutional right – many states moved to either restrict or expand access to the procedure.

In South Carolina, state senators rejected a bill April 27 that would have banned nearly all abortions in a 22-21 vote.

In Nebraska, lawmakers came one vote short of breaking a filibuster April 27 to vote on a six week abortion ban. In a post on its Facebook page, the Nebraska Catholic Conference said the state’s Legislature “failed to protect mothers and babies from abortion. ... The bill may have died, but we’re not done. We have all shown up and given our greatest of efforts.”

After multiple mass shootings, Atlanta archbishop calls for ‘prayer that leads to action’

ATLANTA — “Prayer that leads to action” is needed to counter a bewildering rise in mass shootings and gun violence, said Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer. The archbishop, a Conventual Franciscan, released a May 4 statement following two deadly mass shootings that took place in Georgia within a week of each other. The first saw five women shot, one fatally, in the waiting room of an Atlanta medical office May 3. Killed in the attack was Amy Wald St. Pierre, 38, a 2003 graduate of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Ga., and an employee at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On May 4, Kentavious White, 26, killed his grandmother and mother, along with McDonald’s manager Amia Smith, 41, before taking his own life. The attack occurred in the rural town of Moultrie, Ga.. In his statement, Archbishop Hartmayer also pointed to the Feb. 28 shooting death of Jatonne Sterling, 20, who was killed behind the Lyke House Catholic Center, a Newman center located at the Atlanta University Center Consortium. The archbishop

said that “every act of violence makes the world a little bit darker. ... (and) can erode our hope and challenge our faith.” Yet “we cannot ... surrender to despair,” he stressed. While admitting he does “not have any concrete answers today,” Archbishop Hartmayer pledged to “commit to action” instead of “just offering words in the wake of the (shootings).” The archbishop said he would look “for ways that the Church in Atlanta can support efforts to make our communities safer and more supportive for everyone.”

Bishop Flores: Brownsville crash indicative of ‘corrosive tendency’ to devalue life

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A vehicle crashed into a crowd waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 10, authorities said. Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville called the crash indicative of a “corrosive tendency” to devalue vulnerable human life. Around 8:30 a.m. May 7, a gray Range Rover crashed into a bus stop where a group of individuals were waiting for a bus, several of whom were sitting on a curb as the unmarked city bus stop lacked a bench, local police said .The driver, George Alvarez, 34, has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter, police said. The bus stop is outside the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, where surveillance footage captured the incident. Many of the victims were Venezuelan men, local officials said, who were waiting for a bus back to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the shelter. Bishop Flores said in a statement: “We mourn and are shocked by the horrific loss of the lives of the seven immigrant men from Venezuela who were killed when a vehicle crashed into them this morning in Brownsville. And we pray for several others who were injured and are in serious condition.” He added: “Let us take extra steps as a local community to care for and protect one another.”

Dallas bishop urges ‘prayers for peace’ after mass shooting

DALLAS — Dallas Bishop Edward J. Burns addressed the faithful of the diocese “with a heavy heart” late May 6 after at least eight people, including a child, were killed during a mass shooting that afternoon at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. “Like all of you, I am deeply troubled by the shooting in the community of Allen and the senseless disregard for life that has occurred in our community,” Bishop Burns said in a statement. “The Catholic community is in unity and solidarity with the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. May God, our Heavenly Father, bring comfort and strength to all affected by this tragic event. We ask God to comfort our community, the victims and their

families.” Authorities said a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding at least another seven people before being killed by a police officer who happened to be at the mall. The Allen Police Department said one of its officers had already responded to the outlet mall on an unrelated call, when they heard gunshots shortly after 3:30 p.m. The department said their officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat.” Victims range in age from 5 to 61 years old, authorities said.

Possible Eucharistic miracle under Vatican investigation

HARTFORD, Conn. — A possible Eucharistic miracle in Connecticut is now under investigation by the Vatican. Archbishop Leonard P. Blair told a Hartford television news station May 2 that the Dicastery (formerly Congregation) for the Doctrine of the Faith will examine whether an apparent multiplication of Communion hosts during a March 5 liturgy at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, Connecticut, was supernatural. The church, along with Immaculate Conception Church and St. Casimir Church, both in Terryville, Conn., is part of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish. St. Maximilian Kolbe pastor Father Joseph Crowley said in a YouTube livestream of his March 12 homily that an unnamed extraordinary minister of holy Communion at the previous week’s liturgy had begun to run out of hosts – only to find that “all of a sudden there (were) more hosts in the ciborium.” Speaking to media May 2, Archbishop Blair said he had “(sent) out an experienced priest who has knowledge of Church law, canon law, to follow procedure, (and) to just examine exactly what happened and under what circumstances.” The Vatican’s investigation is expected to take approximately two weeks.

Iowa governor poised to sign bill loosening restrictions on child labor

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa is poised to enact legislation loosening its child labor protections,

a trend in some red states that has prompted concern from some Catholic leaders. Iowa is poised to enact Senate File 542, which would permit teenagers to work more hours per day and later at night. It also would permit 16- and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in restaurants with parental permission. Republican Gov. Kim Ryenolds is expected to sign the measure. OSV News has reached out to the Iowa Catholic Conference for comment. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-Ark., signed into law March 8 the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, which eliminates state age verification for children younger than 16 seeking a job. Similar efforts are gaining traction in other states, which has prompted concern from some Catholic leaders. On its website, the Catholic Labor Network stated that “it is hard to believe that in the 21st century child labor would be a problem in the United States.”

New Barbie seen as affirmation of children with Down syndrome

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When Mattel announced the release of a Barbie doll portrayed with Down syndrome April 25, the global toy maker explained the addition to its product line is intended “to allow even more children to see themselves in Barbie.” But a corresponding awful and certainly unintentional irony is that – due to elective abortion – the doll has fewer potential look-alike playmates than ever before. While estimates vary, elective abortions of children whose Down syndrome is detected in prenatal tests are as high as 67-75% percent in America. “I think we have to see this as a positive development,” said Mark Bradford, founding president of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation USA, “and use it to point out the contradiction of promoting individuals with disabilities, and using Down syndrome as the symbol of that, against the push – and there is a push in many areas of this country – for prenatal diagnosis and the termination of individuals with Down syndrome.” The doll has quickly sold out online at major retailers such as Amazon and Target, but “additional product will be available this summer,” a Mattel spokesperson said.

— OSV News

Rev. Ramon Berg – 2003

Rev. Henri Blanc – 1972

Rev. Anthony E. Cahill, OSB – 1985

Rev. Hugh Hagerty, OSB – 1979

Rev. Edmund Kirsch – 2001

Rev. Michael T. Kottar – 2021

Rev. Francis J. McCourt – 1982

Rev. William McShea – 1973

Rev. Matthew McSorley, OSB – 2012

Rev. James J. Noonan – 1992

Rev. Msgr. Michael O’Keefe – 1994

Rev. Edward C. Smith – 1983

Rev. James A. Stuber – 1985

Our world

Every moment is a chance to live the Gospel, pope tells new Swiss Guards

JUSTIN MCLELLAN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis asked 23 new members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard to draw close to the sacraments, read Scripture and meditate on spiritual texts, including during calm shifts on guard.

“Your mission here in the Vatican is a path the Lord has opened for you to live your baptism and bear joyful witness of faith in Christ,” the pope told them May 6.

“In the many faces that approach you each day, be they members of the Roman Curia or pilgrims and tourists, may you see just as many invitations to recognize and share God’s love with each person.”

The pope met with the recruits and their families before the traditional swearing-in ceremony in a Vatican courtyard. The ceremony is held May 6 each year to commemorate the 147 Swiss soldiers who died protecting Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome on that date in 1527.

Pope Francis said that the guard, now composed of 125 Swiss men, should be “an environment of human and Christian formation for all.”

At a late afternoon swearing in ceremony, which the pope did not attend, the new guards marched in formation before their families, members of the Roman

Curia and Swiss dignitaries in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.

One by one, they placed a hand on the flag of the Swiss Guard while raising the other with three fingers to symbolize the Trinity. In one of Switzerland’s four official languages – German, French, Italian or Romansh – the recruits swore to serve the pope and his legitimate successors “faithfully, loyally and honorably,” and, if necessary, to sacrifice their lives in his defense.

Viola Amherd, vice president of Switzerland, led the government delegation attending the ceremony. Pope Francis was represented by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute secretary for general affairs in the Vatican Secretariat of State.

The guards began the festive day with a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica celebrated by Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

New Swiss Guards must be Swiss citizens, unmarried, Catholic males between 19 and 30 years old. They commit to serve for at least 26 months.

Renovations to the Swiss Guard barracks, set to begin in 2025, will include the construction of private bathrooms to accommodate the possibility of integrating women into the guard, but an executive of the Swiss foundation overseeing the renovation said that decisions rests entirely with the Vatican and the pope.

Missionaries needed today, including in ‘tired old West,’

CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Missionaries are needed today just like in the past because “there are so many men and women who still need the Gospel, not only in the so-called ‘mission lands,’ but also in the tired old West,” Pope Francis said. Meeting May 8 with members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, commonly known as the Spiritans, the pope encouraged them to approach people with the same respect for their dignity

and cultures as they did 300 years ago when evangelizing among the Indigenous of North America and the people of the Caribbean and Africa.

Noting that congregation members had been reflecting on a line from Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing something new,” Pope Francis pointed to the first verse of the chapter: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.”

“When I hear this, I am reminded of the hand of God who caresses, caresses the people, caresses each one of you;

pope says

the tender God who caresses always,” he said. “I am dwelling on these words because they seem to me to reflect very well some of the values fundamental to your charism: courage, openness and surrender to the action of the Spirit so that he can make something new.”

“Your charism, open and respectful, is especially valuable today, in a world where the challenge of interculturality and inclusion is alive and urgent – within the church and beyond,” the pope said.

He urged the missionaries to look at each person “with the eyes of Jesus,

who desires to meet everyone – do not forget this: everyone – making himself especially close to the poorest, touching them with his hands, fixing his gaze on theirs.”

Members of the congregation, who have placed themselves under the mantle of the Holy Spirit, must allow the Spirit “to enlighten you, to direct you, to push you where He wishes, without setting conditions, without excluding anyone, for it is He who knows what is needed in every age and at every moment,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis greets a new member of the Swiss Guard and his family May 6, before the traditional swearing-in ceremony held at the Vatican.

CNS| VATICAN MEDIA

U.S. religious freedom panel: Conditions ‘worsening’ around the globe

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Conditions for religious freedom are “worsening” around the globe, a U.S. government body monitoring international religious freedom said in a recent report. In its 2023 report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom identified “regression” last year in countries including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua and Russia. The annual report by the independent, bipartisan commission makes recommendations to the U.S. government for the promotion and protection of religious freedom abroad. USCIRF recommended that the State Department designate 17 countries as “Countries of Particular Concern” due to governments that engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanamar), China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. The report details difficult circumstances for some people of faith in those nations, such as China’s “attempts to eradicate Uyghurs,” human rights violations amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine including the suppression of some religious communities, and the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s persecution of Catholic leaders.

Holy Year 2025 website live; registration opens this fall

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican office in charge of coordinating plans for the Holy Year 2025 announced they are launching a new website

and releasing an app to help people register and to guide them along their pilgrimage in Rome. By registering online at iubilaeum2025.va or on the jubilee app, people will receive a free digital “pilgrim’s card,” which will be needed to participate in jubilee events, especially gaining access to the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, said Monsignor Graham Bell, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section coordinating the Holy Year. People can begin registering online starting in September, he said, “by clicking on the ‘participate’ button.”

Uruguay celebrates beatification of local Church father

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguay’s Catholic Church celebrated beatification of Bishop Jacinto Vera May 6. Bishop Vera was not only the first bishop of Montevideo, the capital, but is considered the father of the local Church. It was a celebration like no other since Uruguay was settled by Europeans more than 500 years ago and gained independence in 1828. It was the country’s first beatification, and Bishop Vera is on the path to becoming Uruguay’s first native home-grown saint. “He took over an institution in ruins and left a vibrant church with religious orders, seminaries and an organized laity,” Cardinal Daniel Sturla of Montevideo, told OSV News. Bishop Vera’s path to beatification was not direct. The first attempt to have him beatified came in the late 19th century and again in the early 20th century after the first recorded miracle attributed to him. In 1936, the family of a 14-year-old girl on her deathbed prayed to Bishop Vera and María del Carmen Artagaveytia recovered overnight and lived to be 87. Documentation of the miracle, however, was lost. Retired Bishop Alberto Sanguinetti, who headed Uruguay’s Canelones Diocese 2010-2021, got involved with Bishop Vera’s cause in the late 1990s, spending 14 years as vice postulator. Bishop Sanguinetti said Bishop Vera “has a rich and complex personality – an immigrant, rural worker and intellectual who cared deeply about all social groups, but with a preferential option for the poor. He was a missionary and an evangelizer, who people considered a saint while he was alive,” he said.

Dialogue requires respect, pope tells Christian, Muslim leaders

VATICAN CITY — Interreligious dialogue requires sincerity and mutual respect to be fruitful, Pope Francis told Christian and Muslim leaders. It also requires “the awareness of both convergences and divergences” between different faiths, he said, but with emphasis on “what unites us on a religious and spiritual level as well as on an ethical-moral level.” The pope met May 4 with Catholic and Muslim leaders gathered in Rome for the sixth colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, based in Amman, Jordan. Pope Francis praised the institute’s work regarding “the preservation and enhancement of the Arab Christian heritage.” “I can but express further gratitude, because this not only benefits the Christian citizens of yesterday and today, but also protects and consolidates this heritage throughout the Middle East, so diverse and rich in ethnicities, religions, cultures, languages and traditions,” he said.

Order of Malta elects Canadian as grand master

ROME — The Sovereign Order of Malta has elected Canadian Fra’ John T. Dunlap as its 81st grand master, the first non-European to head the order in its history. Dunlap was elected May 3 by an absolute majority of the 99 voters from 18 different countries, according to a statement released by the order. A corporate and immigration lawyer from Ottawa, Dunlap has been legal counsel to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations since 1997. He joined the Order of Malta just one year earlier and took his vows to become a professed knight of the order in 2008. In June 2022, Pope Francis appointed Dunlap to lead the order as lieutenant of the grand master. The Order of Malta had not had a grand master since the death of Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre in 2020.

Death toll surpasses 400 in Congo floods, landslides

BUSHUSHU, Congo — As the death toll from the flooding and landslides in Congo surpassed 400, Catholic bishops in the country expressed their deep sorrow at the disaster, while calling for support. Archbishop Marcel Utembi Tapa of Kisingani, president of Congo’s bishops’ conference, said it was a sad moment for the Church and the country, as rescue workers continued to pull out bodies trapped in mud in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in Kalehe territory in South Kivu province. The tragedy was ignited May 4 following days of heavy downpour in the region near the shores of Lake Kivu, triggering landslides and causing rivers to burst their banks. The resulting sludge covered homes, as it swept away people and farmlands.

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Father Julio Domínguez

First Communicants: Receive the Eucharist, your soul’s Best Friend, with joy and wonder

To all the children who are celebrating their first Holy Communion at this time of year, I have a special message. I can imagine the great emotion you feel at this wonderful moment in your life, as you approach the great event that is your first Holy Communion. This is a great and beautiful moment because through the Eucharist, God will enter within you and your soul will meet its Best Friend. I remember the day of my first Holy Communion as if it were yesterday. Apart from all the necessary preparations, I can still remember every single word that my catechist told me, and which now I share gladly with you. She told us: “Remember, children, that the most important thing at this moment is not how you come dressed, nor is the party your family have prepared, nor the candle or the rosary you have in your hands, not even the godparents you have chosen; but the wonderful gift you will receive – that is, God entering through your mouth and from there getting into your heart. Once you receive Him with love, remember to go to your pew, kneel down, and think of the wonder you have in your heart.”

My catechist was a person very devoted to God and extremely devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, and her words became strongly engraved on my heart.

On your special day, when you receive the Lord for the first time, I ask you to thank Him for the great gift of Himself to us all, for allowing us to experience the joy of having Him in our lives and enjoy His wonderful friendship.

After your first encounter with Christ in the Eucharist, you will then be able to meet Him every day, if you wish, praying and in His Divine Presence when you receive Him again every Sunday at Holy Mass. There in the Tabernacle, the little mystical house of Jesus, He will always be there for you.

I hope this moment will be very memorable for you, and that you always will remember that first kiss that Jesus gives to your soul. Remember, the important thing is to know that Jesus will visit your heart, and He will want to stay there forever if you let Him.

Encourage your parents, godparents and friends to prepare for this special moment with you. May they do so with a good confession, so that everyone together may approach the altar and receive Holy Communion with you.

Congratulations to all the children in our diocese and in many other parts of the world who during the months of May and June will be receiving Christ in the Eucharist.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will pour out upon them a deep piety and they may appreciate the Eucharist as the great Miracle of our hearts.

Like a shepherd, God wants to lead us, not push us into His fold

My family and I keep a small flock of heritage sheep in the pasture behind our home. They are a primitive domestic breed from Scotland called Soay. We chose this particular breed of sheep because they are very low maintenance. Self-sufficiency runs in their Scottish blood. They generally take care of themselves, which suits our particular style of shepherding just fine.

But low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. We do have to work with them on occasion, and to do so we gather them into an enclosure called a sheepfold. There are two ways to do this: You can push them or you can lead them.

Pushing the sheep into the fold works by taking advantage of the sheep’s natural wariness. They are a prey species and naturally move away from anything they perceive as a predator. This is how sheepdogs work, moving the flock wherever the shepherd wants them to go. We have no need for sheepdogs on our tiny pasture, but you can use people to the same effect.

You approach them from behind, they perceive you as a threat and move away from you. By limiting their options (with fencing, or by positioning other people) you can get them to where you want them to go. It’s effective, but it can be stressful for the sheep. You have to be very calm and patient when you move sheep this way, or it puts them into “flight” mode and makes them very difficult to work with once you have them in the fold.

A much better method is to lead them. This is only an option if you are someone the sheep know and trust. While our sheep feed primarily on grass (we got them to be living lawn mowers), we do supplement their diet with feed pellets. I give them a couple of scoops every morning, and I always feed them in their sheepfold. It doesn’t take them long to learn the routine. Now, whenever they see me walking toward the sheepfold, they eagerly line up behind me and follow me in. This is a much better way of getting the sheep to where I want them to be – less stressful for the sheep and shepherd alike. But it only works because they know and trust me.

In our pilgrim journey on this earth, God is leading us somewhere. The 23rd Psalm describes our heavenly destination as “verdant pastures” and “restful waters.” But we have to pass through the dark valley to get there. That’s the part we don’t like, so we resist it.

When we discover in our heart desires that are opposed to God’s will, we may sometimes wonder why God doesn’t just use His omnipotence to make us better people. This can be especially true if we struggle with habitual sin or feel that we aren’t devout or pious enough. We know what we are supposed to do, but we lack the will to do it. Like St. Paul, we may delight in the law of God but find in ourselves another principle – at war with our mind –that keeps us captive to sin (Rom 7:23). We imagine it would be so much easier if God would force us to be holy.

Our loving God doesn’t want to push us into heaven, like a tyrant. He wants to lead us there, like a shepherd. “He walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice” (Jn 10:4).

This is the better way. But it only works if the

sheep know and trust the shepherd. How do we, the members of His flock, come to know our Good Shepherd? By spending time with Him, in prayer and Adoration. We learn to recognize His voice by reading the scriptures. We come to recognize His countenance by contemplating the mystery of His life. You cannot know Christ your Shepherd unless you spend time with Him.

Knowing Jesus is one thing. Trusting Him is another. It takes not just knowledge but trust to follow our shepherd through the dark valleys of life. The darkness is scary, and we naturally flee from it. We will only follow someone we trust to care for us. How does Jesus gain our trust? The same way I gained the trust of my little flock. He feeds us.

Before Jesus introduced His most difficult teaching on the Eucharist, he first fed the multitudes with a few loaves and fish. He showed them that He could provide miraculous food for them to satisfy their bellies (Jn 6:1-15). And when they came back looking for more, He promised them food that would satisfy their hearts. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51).

God holds nothing back from us. He provides all that we need. May we never fail to trust in our Good Shepherd, who feeds us with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, to lead us to peaceful pastures of repose. With such a shepherd as our guide through the dark valleys of this world, what more could we possibly want?

DEACON MATTHEW NEWSOME is the Catholic campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.

FATHER JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ is the Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Deacon Matthew Newsome

‘On your special day, when you receive the Lord for the first time, I ask you to thank Him for the great gift of Himself to us all.’

Some of Deacon Matthew Newsome’s Soay sheep

Abortion limits and expanded care for moms are good match

North Carolina’s “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act,” which passed the General Assembly May 4, takes a holistic approach to the abortion issue. It prohibits most abortions after 12 weeks and also significantly increases support for pregnant women and their babies.

Expected to become law this month, here are three key takeaways:

1) The act invests millions in helping mothers in need.

The legislation funds programs to help mothers during pregnancy and beyond, including $75 million toward childcare, $59 million for foster care and children’s homes, $20 million for maternity and paternity leave for teachers and state employees, and $16 million to reduce maternal and infant mortality. It also allocates $3 million to help mothers and fathers complete community college, recognizing the role of education in furthering family and career plans.

Pairing protection for unborn children with support for mothers in need is becoming the new norm for pro-life legislation. In Texas, as the state’s limit on abortions after 6 weeks became law, the state simultaneously allocated $100 million to provide support services to pregnant mothers and their families. In Mississippi, Missouri and South Dakota, where abortion was also restricted, these states have worked to expand Medicaid eligibility for postpartum moms. And Florida has matched recent efforts to advance protections for unborn children with millions for pregnancy, postpartum and foster care.

Programs like these should be part of every pro-life bill. Studies have found that a significant number of women seeking abortion cite worries that having a baby would make education, work, or caring for dependents more difficult. The new North Carolina act responds directly to these concerns not only by allocating public funding but by increasing the flow of information, including the creation of a website to inform women of public and private agencies that offer assistance. Under the new law, this list must be provided to every woman seeking an abortion as part of her right to informed consent.

2) The law helps protect women from unsafe abortion practices.

Abortion proponents often raise the specter of dangerous, illegal, “back-alley” abortions, but legal abortion also comes with health and safety risks.

It’s hard to forget the infamous Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, convicted for multiple felonies in a “house of horrors” abortion clinic, which festered due to lax oversight from state officials. In Charlotte, an abortion facility was temporarily shut down in 2013 when state regulators found conditions, including

dirty surgical instruments, that presented “an imminent danger to the health, safety and welfare of the clients.”

The Act maintains yearly inspection and licensure requirements for North Carolina clinics. It also ensures that women are not rushed or coerced into unwanted abortions, and safeguards the life of the mother in the event of a medical emergency.

The Act ensures that both chemical and surgical abortions will be administered in a medical setting. Chemical abortions account for more than half of abortions in North Carolina and some advocates have promoted administering this method of abortion via telehealth, which makes it difficult to screen for problems. But the legislation requires in-person visits to secure informed consent 72 hours before having any abortion. The law also upholds North Carolina’s existing requirement that the chemical abortion pill be administered in-person, and adds a follow-up visit afterward to screen for possible complications.

3) The law doesn’t protect all unborn children – but it is a step forward.

The act was modeled on abortion regulations in Europe, most of which limit abortion after 12 weeks (the first trimester), with various exceptions beyond that point. The new North Carolina law also limits second- and thirdtrimester abortions, with exceptions through 20 weeks for rape and incest, and 24 weeks for “life-limiting anomalies.”

Unfortunately, because more than 90% of abortions in North Carolina take place before 12 weeks, most unborn children at risk of abortion remain without legal protection. In addition, by excepting some unborn children from protection after 12 weeks, the law falls short of recognizing the full human dignity of children conceived in tragic circumstances – or of truly serving the mothers who are victims.

Too often abortion is presented as if it were the only possible response to the horrific crimes of rape or incest, or to the sadness of a life-limiting diagnosis. But the witness of mothers who chose life even after suffering an assault, and of parents who found even a short time with a disabled child could be filled with love and closeness, shows that the law’s approach does not do justice to the complex needs of the families who experience these situations.

Despite these limitations, the Care for Women, Children, and Families Act represents real, if incremental, progress toward legal protection for every unborn child. The law also responds to the needs of mothers and families struggling to welcome life. As we continue our work to build a culture of life in North Carolina, we should welcome this legislation as an important step toward that goal.

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‘Jesus Himself is the way to follow to live in truth and to have life in abundance.’

Father Peter Ascik