April 25, 2025

At a glance

APRIL 25, 2025

VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 14 1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@rcdoc.org

704-370-3333

PUBLISHER

The Most Reverend Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., Bishop of Charlotte

INDEX

Contact us 2

Español 34-40

Our Diocese 14-17, 25-33

Our Faith 3

Scripture 3, 40

Special Coverage 4-13

U.S. news 18-19

Viewpoints 22-23

World news 20-21

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CATHOLIC ALL WEEK

Timely tips for blending faith & life

Followingimmediately after Easter Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, which has become one of the most treasured feasts of the Easter season. This year it is celebrated on April 27. But where did this relatively new (less than 100-year-old) feast come from, and how should you honor it?

ORIGINS OF THE FEAST

Mankind’s need for the message of Divine Mercy took on urgency in the early 20th century, when civilization began to lose respect for the sanctity and dignity of human life. In the 1930s, Jesus chose a humble Polish nun, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, to receive private revelations about Divine Mercy that were recorded in her diary. This was at a time when St. John Paul II later noted the evil ideologies of nazism and communism were forming, calling Sister Faustina’s message that God is mercy the only truth capable of offsetting that evil.

PAPAL CONNECTIONS

On May 5, 2000, five days after the canonization of St. Faustina, the Vatican decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. In his second encyclical, “Rich in Mercy,”

St. John Paul II offered an extended meditation on God’s mercy, which he calls “the greatest of the attributes and perfections of God.” He returned to this theme throughout his pontificate. John Paul II died in April 2005 on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, was beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, and was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, by Pope Francis.

— Catholic News Herald, USCCB, OSV News

Scan the QR code for this week’s recommended prayers and activities:

Diocesan calendar of events

EVENTS

How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

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

Begin with the Sign of the Cross, then say one Our Father, one Hail Mary and the Apostles Creed.

An optional opening prayer is:

“You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.”

Then repeat three times:

“O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!”

Then on the beads where with the rosary you would pray an Our Father, say the following: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

CONCERT AT THE ABBEY: 8 p.m. Monday, April 28, Belmont Abbey Basilica, Belmont. End of Semester Concert featuring the String Ensemble led by Katie Carpenter, the Instrumental Ensemble led by Sam Stowe, the Abbey Schola led by Brother Leo Young and Karen Hite Jacob, and more. Free admission; donations accepted. PRAYER SERVICES

HOUR OF GREAT MERCY 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. The hour includes veneration of the Divine Mercy image, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and a blessing with a firstclass relic of St. Faustina. Reception following in the New Life Center Banquet Room. Go to www.stmatthewcatholic.org/mercysunday for details, including how to receive the graces of Divine Mercy Sunday.

‘A PILGRIMAGE OF LOVE’ REVIVAL : 6 p.m. Sunday, May 4; 7 p.m. Monday, May 5; and 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 6. Our Lady of Consolation Church, 1235 Badger Ct., Charlotte. Featuring guest revivalist Father Tony Ricard, a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, pastor, campus minister, author and incomparable preacher. Let your spirit be renewed and your heart be filled with love. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with the Holy Spirit and deepen your faith. All are welcome, particularly young people. For details, call 704-375-4339.

IGBO MASS : 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 11. St. Mary’s Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. For details, call 336-707-3625.

3

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

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all five decades.

Conclude by saying the following three times:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

An optional closing prayer is:

“Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”

APRIL 26 – 5:30 P.M.

National Committee on Scouting Mass ** Charlotte

APRIL 27 – 11 A.M.

Mass and Blessing of Columbarium

St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville

APRIL 28 – 6 P.M.

Confirmation

St. Mark Church, Huntersville

APRIL 30 – 6 P.M.

Confirmation

Queen of the Apostles Church, Belmont

MAY 1 – 8 A.M.

School Mass

St. Michael Catholic School, Gastonia

MAY 1 – 10:30 A.M.

National Day of Prayer

First Baptist Church, Charlotte

MAY 1 – 5:30 P.M.

CCDOC Vineyard of Hope Carmel Country Club, Charlotte

MAY 5 – 4 P.M.

Bishop John Stowe’s 10th anniversary Mass Cathedral of Christ the King, Lexington, Kentucky

MAY 6 – 6 P.M.

Confirmation

St. Leo the Great Church, Winston-Salem

** Denotes a private event

Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., will participate in the following events over the coming weeks:

Are the crown of thorns, holy nails and other relics of Christ real?

Everyonepassing away leaves behind material traces of his or her life.

The existence of a Jewish man, called Jesus of Nazareth, is supported by strong historical evidence. The question therefore is raised: Are the various artifacts associated with His life truly authentic?

The history of relics – authentic or fake – is an amazing, fascinating chapter of Christian history through the centuries, especially the relics of Jesus Christ, which remain the most venerated and famous. Here is a look at several of these holy artifacts that have survived to the present:

THE HOLY CROSS

Martin Luther once said that “one could build a whole house using all the parts of the True Cross scattered around the world,” mocking the Catholic tradition of venerating relics and pilgrimages to places where they were located.

This is not true. According to research carried out in the 19th century, all the known fragments of the holy cross amount to less than one-ninth of its original volume.

Jerusalem. Even the titulus, stating “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” as stated in St. John’s Gospel, was divided into two pieces.

Upon her return to Rome, she converted a part of her house into a chapel to host the relics she had brought back: a fragment of the cross, one half of the titulus and the three nails. Today, this is the site of the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, although in 1629 some of the relics were transferred to the newly reconstructed St. Peter’s Basilica by Pope Urban VIII.

The other two parts of the cross were divided again into smaller parts, currently spread throughout Europe.

It was common to divide a relic into smaller pieces in the belief that even the smallest fragment had the same sacred power as the whole relic.

THE HOLY NAILS

The history of the holy cross begins with Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, who sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem.

On Sept. 14, 320, which would become the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Helena discovered three wooden crosses and three nails in an old cistern not far from Golgotha, where Christ was crucified. She divided Jesus’ cross into three pieces to be sent to Rome, Constantinople and

Daily Scripture readings

APRIL 27-MAY 3

How are we to establish which are the true ones, given that there are 36 “holy nails” in Europe, but only three of them nailed Jesus to the cross? Unexpected help came in 1968 from an archaeological discovery near Jerusalem. There, four tombs were excavated and three nails found near the body of a young man, crucified between 6 and 65 A.D. They are rectangular in shape, 16 centimeters long and 0.9 centimeters wide at their thickest point. Comparison suggests that some “holy nails” are not genuine, since some are too long or made of silver.

The oldest sources say Helena discovered three nails of Jesus’ cross in Jerusalem. The first one is venerated today in the Roman Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. The second nail was brought to Constantinople in 1354 by a Venetian merchant, Pietro Torrigiani.

The fate of the third nail is more difficult to clarify. According to Theodoret of Cyrus, part was embedded in the helmet of

Sunday (Sunday of Divine Mercy): Acts 5:12-16, Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24, Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19, Jn 20:19-31; Monday: Acts 4:23-31, Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9, Jn 3:1-8; Tuesday (St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church): Acts 4:32-37, Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5, Jn 3:7b-15; Wednesday: Acts 5:17-26, Ps 34:23, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, Jn 3:16-21; Thursday: Acts 5:27-33, Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20, Jn 3:31-36; Friday (St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church): Acts 5:34-42, Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14, Jn 6:1-15; Saturday (Sts. Philip and James, Apostles): 1 Cor 15:18, Ps 19:2-3, 4-5, Jn 14:6-14

Constantine and another part melted into his horse’s harness.

There are two places where the emperor’s harness is venerated –Carpentras, France, and Milan, Italy. In 1576, Bishop Charles Borromeo, a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation, carried the relic three times through the streets of Milan, praying for the end of a deadly plague. Since the plague ended, they had no doubt: the holy nail made the miracle.

THE LONGINUS SPEAR

According to the legend, the Roman soldier Longinus was cured of cataracts when he pierced the side of Jesus on the cross and the blood and water flowed out. Longinus was later baptized and martyred. Pilgrims reporting from the Holy Land mention his spear up to the eighth century. The history of this relic goes on from Constantinople. Its ruler, Baldwin II, was forced to sell the spear staff to King Louis IX of France in order to collect resources to defend his Empire.

Two centuries later, Constantinople was invaded by Ottoman Turks led by Mehmed II on May 29, 1453. In 1492, Sultan Bayerid II proposed an agreement to Pope Innocent VIII: to welcome the sultan’s brother, Cem, a

MAY 4-10

Sunday: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41, Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13, Rev 5:11-14, Jn 21:1-19 or Jn 21:1-14; Monday: Acts 6:8-15, Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30, Jn 6:22-29; Tuesday: Acts 7:518:1a, Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab, Jn 6:30-35; Wednesday: Acts 8:1b-8, Ps 66:1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a, Jn 6:35-40; Thursday: Acts 8:26-40, Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20, Jn 6:44-51; Friday: Acts 9:1-20, Ps 117:1bc, 2, Jn 6:52-59; Saturday: Acts 9:31-42, Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17, Jn 6:60-69

dangerous pretender to the Ottoman throne, to Rome. The agreement was that the brother could remain in Rome in exchange for the return of the Longinus headspear. The relic arrived in Rome from Ancona, an Italian city on the Adriatic Sea, delivered by two cardinals. Pope Benedict XIV, in the 18th century, had many doubts on its authenticity. He asked the king of France to send the spear’s staff to Rome to verify the authenticity. The two pieces fit together perfectly.

THE CROWN OF THORNS

In 1870, Charles Rohault de Fleury, a French architect, counted 139 thorns throughout Europe venerated as belonging to Christ’s crown of thorns. At least half of them are fake relics on the basis of studies carried out in Paris, where the true crown has been located for almost 800 years. The hoop of the crown, about 12 centimeters large, is made of Juncus balticus, a plant species typical of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. According to some botanists, there were no more than 50 or 60 thorns in the crown. There is a noteworthy clue in favor of the authenticity of the thorns: In the famous

RELICS, SEE PAGE 17

MAY 11-17

Sunday: Acts 13:14, 43-52, Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5, Rev 7:9, 14b-17, Jn 10:27-30; Monday: Acts 11:1-18, Ps 42:2-3, 43:3, 4, Jn 10:110; Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26, Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7, Jn 10:22-30; Wednesday (St. Matthias, Apostle): Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, Jn 15:9-17; Thursday: Acts 13:13-25, Ps 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27, Jn 13:16-20; Friday: Acts 13:26-33, Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab, Jn 14:1-6; Saturday: Acts 13:44-52, Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, Jn 14:7-14

OSV NEWS | PHILIPPE WOJAZER, REUTERS A reliquary containing what tradition holds is Jesus’ crown of thorns is displayed during a ceremony at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2014. The crown, the most precious of the relics in Notre Dame’s treasury, was saved from the flames of a 2019 fire that severely damaged the cathedral.

CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who was known as “The People’s Pope” and called the Church to serve the poor and to welcome everyone, died April 21 at the age of 88.

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced the death at 7:35 a.m. Monday. Pope Francis gave new energy to millions of Catholics – and caused concern for some – as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about mission, poverty, immigration and dialogue.

“His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Farrell said in a video announcement broadcast from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lived and where he was recovering from pneumonia and respiratory infections. He had been released from Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 23.

Pope Francis “taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Cardinal Farrell said. “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune God.”

The day before his death, the pope had appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to give his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi,” – “to the city and the world” (Editor’s note: Read it on page 8). His voice was weak, and he had trouble raising his arm to make the Sign of the Cross, but afterward he got into the popemobile and drove through the crowds in St. Peter’s Square.

The funeral Mass of Pope Francis was to be celebrated April 26, in St. Peter’s Square.

‘TODOS, TODOS, TODOS’ Pope Francis was often practical and even poetic when

POPE FRANCIS

‘The People’s Pope’

Pope Francis leaves legacy of service and evangelization

NEWS SERVICE

(From top) Pope Francis addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York Sept. 25, 2015. In an iconic photo taken in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis reassures the world during a prayer service in an empty St. Peter’s Square on March 27, 2020.

speaking about family life, the environment and ministry in the Church, but those also were the areas where he frequently

unleashed the perplexity and even ire of some Catholics, who were convinced he was trying to change Church teaching.

Reflecting God’s love to a world in need

“Pope Francis put the poor in the center of his papacy because this meant precisely being in the center of the Gospel.”

– Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity

“He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world and it’s an honor to do that.”

– President Donald Trump

“He advocated for the voiceless and powerless. He made all feel welcome and seen by the Church. He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe. And above all, he was a Pope for everyone. He was the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love.”

– Former President Joe Biden

The initial popularity of his pontificate began to be offset by caution and criticism from some sectors of the Church, particularly because of the openness he showed toward gay Catholics and toward divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

While insisting he was not changing Church teaching, he also insisted Catholics must welcome all people seeking God with a sincere heart.

His insistence at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023 that in the Church there is room for “todos, todos, todos” –“everyone, everyone, everyone” –became a frequent affirmation for the rest of his pontificate.

The iconic images of Pope Francis’ papacy were photographs of him embracing the sick, washing the feet of prisoners and eating with the poor.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the image switched to photos of Pope Francis standing alone in an empty St. Peter’s Square in the rain, verbalizing the fear many people felt, calling upon the Lord’s help to end the pandemic and raising a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament to bless the city and the world.

God’s mercy was a constant theme in his preaching and was so central to his vision of what the Church’s ministry must embody that he led an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy in 2015-16.

A PAPACY OF FIRSTS

Elected March 13, 2013, the Argentine cardinal was the first pope in history to come from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European elected in almost 1,300 years.

The Jesuit was also the first member of his order to be elected pope and the first member of any religious order elected in nearly two centuries.

He spent much of the first nine years of his pontificate pursuing two ambitious projects: revitalizing the Church’s efforts at evangelization and reforming the central administration of the Vatican, emphasizing its role of assisting bishops rather than

dictating policy to them.

His momentum and popularity outside the Church seemed to falter in 2018 because of new revelations about the extent of clerical sexual abuse in the Church and of bishops’ efforts to cover up the scandal, as well as instances in which, initially, Pope Francis seemed more prone to believe bishops than victims.

Pope Francis’ focus on the pastoral aspect of his ministry, and the ministry of all priests, led him to shed elements of protocol

and even safety concerns that would have distanced him from crowds at his public appearances; he kissed thousands of babies, drank the popular Argentine mate herbal tea whenever anyone in the crowd offered it, and tenderly embraced people with disabling or disfiguring ailments.

In the first years of his pontificate, he invited small groups of Catholics – beginning with the Vatican gardeners and garbage collectors – to join him for his early morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, and his short homilies quickly became a primary vehicle for his teaching. With an average congregation

POPE, SEE PAGE 5

“Perhaps his most distinctive leadership will be his historic commitment to addressing the climate crisis. In his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato Si, Pope Francis writes with beauty and clarity, with moral force and fierce urgency to call on all of us to be good stewards of God’s Creation.”

– House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi

“From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. For it to unite humans among themselves, and with nature. May this hope forever outlast him.”

– French President Emmanuel Macron

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE Pope Francis kisses a child while meeting people with disabilities during his general audience at the Vatican Jan. 20, 2016.

CATHOLIC

of fewer than 50 people, the intimate setting gave the pope the space to minister simply and directly, as most of the world’s priests do.

The morning Masses were livestreamed during the strictest of the COVID-19 lockdowns in the spring of 2020.

Eight months after taking office, Pope Francis published his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), a detailed vision of the program for his papacy and his vision for the Church –particularly the Church’s outreach and its response to challenges posed by secular culture.

Faith, he constantly preached, had to be evident in the way one treated the poor and weakest members of society. He railed against human trafficking and rallied forces inside and outside the Church to cooperate in halting the trade in people. Not counting a brief visit to Castel Gandolfo to meet retired Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis’ first trip outside of Rome was to visit migrants – many brought across the Mediterranean by smugglers – in Lampedusa, a southern Italian island just 70 miles from Tunisia.

Although initially he said he did not like to travel, he made 47 foreign trips, bringing his close-to-the-people papacy to the centers of global power, but especially to the “peripheries” of the world’s influence and power.

Making his first trip to the United States in September 2015, Pope Francis became the first pope to address a joint session of Congress. Referring to himself as a “son of immigrants” – and pointing out that many of the legislators were, too – he pleaded for greater openness to accepting immigrants. Throughout the trip, planned around the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, he defended marriage and the family, insisted on the sacredness of all human life, and urged the people of the United States to help one another and offer hope to the world.

Pope Francis’ simple lifestyle, which included his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace and his choice of riding around Rome in a small Fiat or Ford Focus, sent a message of austerity to Vatican officials and clergy. He reinforced the message with frequent admonitions about the Gospel demands and evangelical witness of poverty and simplicity.

The pope also stressed the importance of collegiality, or consultation with his brother bishops, and established an international Council of Cardinals to advise him on

“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”

American

POPE FRANCIS

1 936-2025

reform of the Vatican bureaucracy and governance of the universal Church.

The council had as many as nine members, never more than three of whom were Vatican officials.

BISHOPS AND SYNODS

While acknowledging the suffering many Catholics endured under the communist government in mainland China, the Vatican announced in September 2018 that Pope Francis had approved a provisional agreement with the Chinese government on the nomination of bishops. The agreement, while hailed by some as a step toward

beginning, an integral part of His loving plan for humanity,” he told participants.

In March 2016, Pope Francis published his post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), which insisted that because each family that has experienced brokenness has a different story, those differences must be considered when determining if such couples can access the sacraments.

In October 2021, Pope Francis launched a two-year process of listening on the local, diocesan and national levels in preparation for

unifying the Catholic community in China and normalizing Catholic life there, was seen by critics, including a retired cardinal from Hong Kong, as a betrayal of Catholics who risked their lives to avoid cooperating with the communist government.

The Vatican and China renewed the agreement for another two years in October 2020, 2022 and 2024.

The world Synod of Bishops was given greater prominence under Pope Francis, who continued the reforms begun by Pope Benedict to ensure it was a real forum for discussion.

Pope Francis called two gatherings of the Synod of Bishops to focus on the pastoral care of the family – the first, in October 2014.

Although most media attention was focused on proposals to make it easier for some divorced and civilly remarried couples to return to the sacraments, Pope Francis insisted the agenda was much larger.

“The Lord is asking us to care for the family, which has been, from the

“Millions of people around the world are mourning the tragic news of Pope Francis’ passing. His life was devoted to God, to people, and to the Church.”

– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

“Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor for me.”

– Argentinian President Javier Milei

a synod focused on working “For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission.”

While maintaining the synod’s identity as a meeting primarily of bishops from around the world, the pope expanded the participation by naming several dozen laypeople –women and men – as voting members of the synod, which met in October 2023 and October 2024.

Pope Francis took off the table some of the more complex, sensitive issues raised in the listening sessions. Instead, he set up 10 study groups to look at issues such as ministry by women, seminary

POPE, SEE PAGE 10

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : Read more about Pope Francis’ legacy, approach to issues of marriage and family, his encyclicals, how world leaders remember him, what happens next, and continuing coverage of his funeral and events leading up to and including the conclave.

“From a young age, he devoted himself towards realizing the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.”

– Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

What happens next?

VATICAN CITY — Centuries of experience dealing with the death, or occasional resignation, of a pope has left the Catholic Church with thorough instructions detailing who has responsibility for planning the funeral, preparing for the election of a new pope and taking care of essential business.

The instructions are found in St. John Paul II’s 1996 apostolic constitution, “Universi Dominici Gregis,” which was revised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.

The funeral for Pope Francis is set for Saturday, April 26.

That marks the start of a nine-day period of official mourning (“novendiales”), during which other memorial Masses are celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The cardinals determine when the conclave to elect a new pope should begin, at least 15 days after the pope’s death but no more than 20 days since the vacancy of the papacy. An earlier start is possible if all the cardinal electors – those under 80 on the day the pope died – are present.

With the death of a pope, most top-level Vatican officials – including the prefects of dicasteries –lose their jobs. Regular business continues with dicastery secretaries overseeing paperwork, correspondence and meeting planning.

However, the publication of documents, the nomination of new bishops and the approval of statutes for Catholic universities and religious orders are suspended. Anything that must be issued in the name of the Vatican or in the name of the pope must await the election of a new pope and the re-confirmation or appointment of prefects.

The two senior Vatican officials who retain their titles are the “camerlengo” or chamberlain, currently U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, whose job begins in earnest when a pope dies, and the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis. Everything having to do with the funeral and with preparations for the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor belongs to the College of Cardinals. The rites and rituals used are published in the “Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff.” In late 2024, the Vatican released a simplified version on the orders of Pope Francis. Before the conclave, all the cardinals – including those over 80 – participate in “congregations.”

The “general congregation,” with all the cardinals, handles “important matters,” while “questions of lesser importance” are handled by the “particular congregation.” The cardinals draw lots to determine the three who will serve three-day terms as members of the “particular congregation.”

The general congregation meets under the leadership of the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Besides setting the date for the funeral and for the conclave, it is responsible for:

n Ensuring that a commission of their members prepares the Vatican residence where Pope Francis lived, for the cardinals during the conclave.

n Preparing the Sistine Chapel for the election of a new pope.

n Assigning two clerics “known for their sound doctrine, wisdom and moral authority” to prepare meditations for the cardinals on problems the Church faces and on choosing the next pope.

n Approving the expenditures associated with the death of the pope.

n Arranging for the destruction of the papal fisherman’s ring and the lead seal that had marked Pope Francis’ letters.

Although not as secret as the conclave itself, the cardinals and those assisting them take an oath of secrecy.

— Catholic News Service

–

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s camerlengo

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Pope Francis reacts as he meets migrants during his visit to the Mavrovouni camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece, Dec. 5, 2021.

Bishop Martin commends late pope for fostering a ‘listening Church’

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD STAFF catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — As news of Pope Francis’ death spread, churches across western North Carolina opened their doors and clergy shared words of comfort.

Led by their current and former bishops, Catholic churches across western North Carolina united in prayer April 21 for the Holy Father, in communion with the universal Church.

The 93 churches of the Diocese of Charlotte opened for public prayer at 7 p.m., hosting Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration, recitation of the rosary, evening prayer and other services.

Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., and his predecessor, Bishop Emeritus Peter Jugis, led a Holy Hour of Adoration at St. Patrick Cathedral. It was the first time both Charlotte bishops were together in an official public capacity since this time last year, when news of Pope Francis appointing Bishop Martin was announced. The diocese offers a special Mass for the late pope April 23 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville (Editor’s note: See story on page 7).

At a press briefing at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Charlotte, Bishop Martin further addressed the pope’s death and his legacy to the Church and the world. He said Pope Francis brought his own style to the papacy, one that was influenced by his upbringing in South America and that conveyed “a genuine joy in life.”

He also said the pope played a special role in his life as a priest.

“Pope Francis appointed me Bishop of Charlotte, and so to say that his life has a particular meaning for me or an inspiration for me would be a bit of an understatement,” he said. “I’m incredibly honored by his selection, and so personally to me he means a great deal.”

He recalled meeting Pope Francis last September while he was in Rome with 300 other newly ordained bishops from around the world. During the 90-minute encounter, he said the Holy Father veered easily from

Pope

Francis’

impact here at home

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Pope Francis and join with Catholics of the Diocese of Charlotte and around the world in mourning the loss of our shepherd. I am certain that all people of goodwill rejoice with us that this man of faith has ‘finished the race’ (2 Tim 4:7), and we pray that he will receive the reward which we have all been promised by our merciful God who has saved us from the finality of death.”

– Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv.

“In 2016 Pope Francis blessed the Church with a marvelous gift of his pontificate, the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. … To honor Pope Francis and his memory and give glory to God, let us follow the Holy Father’s encouragement from that Jubilee Year and “embrace God’s mercy and dedicate ourselves to being merciful with others as the Father has been with us.” (“Misericordiae vultus,” 14).

– Bishop Emeritus Peter Jugis

addressing serious issues facing the Church and the world at large to moments of the genuine humor and warmth that endeared him to people around the world.

“I found him incredibly genuine and someone with whom I felt an immediate comfort,” Bishop Martin said.

The bishop said that among the many gifts Pope Francis brought to the faithful during his leadership, his greatest gift was encouraging the universal Church to become more of a “listening Church.” Pope Francis sought “a Church that listens in a time and in a world where listening is hard to find,” he said.

Bishop Emeritus Jugis, who over his 20-year tenure as Bishop of Charlotte met the pope several times, commended him for calling an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, a forerunner of this year’s Jubilee Year of Hope.

That year was “a marvelous

“At the heart of his ministry was a constant refrain: mercy, mercy, mercy. In this Holy Father was a shepherd who longs to lift burdens, not add to them. A pastor who weeps with the suffering and stands with the forgotten. A father who tells us again and again God never tires of forgiving us, it is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.”

– Father John Putnam, pastor, St. Mark, Huntersville

gift of his pontificate,” Bishop Emeritus Jugis said.

Father Tim Stephens, a Jesuit like Pope Francis and the pastor of St. Peter Church in Charlotte, reflected on the pope’s legacy during the noon Mass on Monday, standing next to a framed portrait of the pope placed upon an easel in the sanctuary.

He told the Catholic News Herald, “The Jesuits serving in Charlotte and throughout the world mourn not only the passing of our Holy Father, but also a beloved brother. As we pray for him, he will continue to inspire us to serve as merciful shepherds, especially among those who live at the peripheries of society.”

At Belmont Abbey, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari noted, “This second day of the Easter Octave has brought the sad news of the death of Pope Francis. Easter is, however, a blessed time for Pope Francis to complete his service and go home to the Lord. The Church was blessed that Pope Francis just yesterday on Easter Sunday imparted what was to be his final blessing to the Church and the world.”

Leaders of other faiths, such as Douglas R. Greene, director of Jewish Community Relations at Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, offered words of comfort and admiration for the pope’s ecumenical stance and his impact on the world.

“We know that Pope Francis’ leadership, humility, and unwavering commitment to compassion and justice have been a guiding light not only for the Catholic Church but for the world,” Greene said. “His legacy as a bridge-builder, a voice for the marginalized, and a champion of interfaith understanding will endure for generations.”

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : Read more about local services, what leaders throughout the diocese remember about Pope Francis, and ongoing coverage of events in churches across the diocese.

“His support for refugees and immigrants –and those of us who have dedicated our lives to supporting them and ‘welcoming these strangers’ into our community – was inspirational and gave us strength and clarity that we are, in fact, serving God’s will regarding preserving the dignity of the human person.”

– Laura Townsend Jones, refugee resettlement director, Catholic Charities Diocese

of Charlotte

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Michael Martin and his predecessor, Bishop Emeritus Peter Jugis, led a Holy Hour of Adoration April 21 at St. Patrick Cathedral as thousands across the diocese mourned the passing of Pope Francis. (Below) The two bishops share a moment outside the church.

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‘I will miss this man’ Bishop Martin recalls life and legacy of Pope Francis in Holy Mass

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

HUNTERSVILLE — With song, Scripture and prayer, more than 500 people honored the memory of Pope Francis Wednesday night at the Diocese of Charlotte’s Mass for the repose of his soul, celebrated by Bishop Michael Martin at St. Mark Church.

“We come here tonight with Easter joy and heavy hearts, all at the same time, recognizing that a great spiritual leader has passed from our midst,” Bishop Martin said at the start of the Mass. Yet, “in this Easter season, we celebrate the promise that is made to us each and every one of us as God’s children, that we too will share eternal life with Him.”

In his homily, Bishop Martin said it was important to remember the full scope of Pope Francis’ life, not just his struggles with illness in his final months and his memorable last “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on Easter Sunday. He urged the congregation to reflect on each step, from his childhood to his life as a young man and a young priest, that led to him becoming the leader of the world’s Catholics.

At one point, the bishop - who was appointed by and spoke gleefully about meeting Pope Francis - confided his own grief over the loss of the Holy Father, saying his heart was heavy.

“I will miss this man,” he said simply.

Bishop Martin said the fact Pope Francis spent 38 days in the hospital struggling with pneumonia was a moving symbol of one of the signature phrases of his papacy.

“Pope Francis calls the Church to be a field hospital…and he calls all of us to be the doctors, the nurses, the attendants,” he said, to “bring life, and health and holiness” to others. “He calls us to go out into the world, where the broken and the bruised and the troubled and the neglected are hurting, and to not limit our church to these walls, but rather, go out and be that field hospital, to be present for a broken world.”

He also reminded people that despite his weakened condition, the pope stepped out into the “field hospital,” the day before he died, “bringing the message of Easter joy to a broken world.”

The pope’s example should challenge and inspire us, he said. “May we go forth from here with hearts filled with love, hearts filled with hope, hearts filled with faith to bring that message to the world – a message that we saw on full display the day before our Holy Father received his eternal reward.”

Music for the Mass included hymns in English and Spanish. The liturgy opened with “Pilgrims of Hope,” the official hymn for this Jubilee Year that Pope Francis declared.

Two songs were in Spanish, “Entre Tus Manos” (“Into Your Hands”), selected because it is a popular song among Hispanic Catholics

and describes a soul surrendering to the Lord, said Manuel “Manny” Mora, St. Mark’s music director. The other Spanish hymn, “Alma Misionera” (“Missionary Song”), reflects the pope’s call to serve those in need.

A memento of Pope Francis was on display at the front of the church. Before a photo of the pope draped in black bunting, a single candle flickered near a white hat called a zucchetto that Pope Francis once wore. The story behind the zucchetto is that a nun visited Rome and bought a replica of it, then waved it at Pope Francis as he passed by.

He stopped and exchanged his own hat for the souvenir one. The nun later passed the hat on to one of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother who serve at St. Mark Parish.

After Mass, many people approached the altar to pray before the pope’s photo. One woman and her daughter approached the

altar on their knees. Others took pictures of the photo among the array of flowers.

Parishioner Janet Lang fought back tears as she stared at the picture. “He was pope of the people, and he touched all of our hearts,” she said. “He did so much for the world.”

Phillip and Bailey Burcal attended the Mass with their three children: James, 10, Elizabeth, 7, and Matthew, 4. Bailey said they wanted to impress on them what Pope Francis had done. The kids recalled their own papal memories. James reflected on Pope Francis’ last visit to St. Peter’s Square and Emily commented on his commitment to service.

“We wanted to come celebrate the life of the pope as a family,” Bailey said. “The thing I will remember about him is his heart of service towards the Church and all the people of the world, and how he led so many of the marginalized back to the Church.”

“Pope

to engage people and speak right through it to the hearts of people who might otherwise tune us out.”

“Pope Francis has been a huge inspiration for me personally and in my work with Catholic Charities. From the moment of his election, I was motivated and encouraged by his focus on welcoming those residing on the peripheries.”

– Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO, Catholic

“Through his actions, works and words, guided by his faith and commitment to all people, Pope Francis has provided an extraordinary example and direction. We at Catholic Charities Elder Ministry are humbled by his leadership as we continue to strive to provide a ministry with, for, and by seniors.”

– Monsignor Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor, Diocese of Charlotte

Francis had a certain charm and served at a unique moment in history, during the rise of social media – when any utterance, any glance, any side comment could go global in an instant...He was able to use this modern era of social media

Charities Diocese of Charlotte

– Sandra Breakfield, director, Elder Ministry Program, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte

Sandra Breakfield meets Pope Francis Jan. 31, 2020, during a conference on elderly pastoral care in Rome.

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Saying Pope Francis challenged us “to not limit our church to these walls, but rather, go out and be that field hospital, to be present for a broken world,” Bishop Michael Martin remembered the pope’s legacy April 23 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. A zucchetto worn by the pope was placed in front of his picture, draped in bunting.

‘Urbi et orbi’: Pope Francis’ final message to the world

Christ is risen, alleluia! Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!

Today at last, the singing of the “alleluia” is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy.

From the empty tomb in Jerusalem, we hear unexpected good news: Jesus, who was crucified, “is not here, he has risen” (Lk 24:5). Jesus is not in the tomb, He is alive!

Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.

Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon Himself all the evil in this world and in His infinite mercy has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side. The Lamb of God is victorious! That is why, today, we can joyfully cry out: “Christ, my hope, has risen!” (Easter Sequence).

The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ – crucified and risen from the dead – hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us.

All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in His strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life.

Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life.

Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In His eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded. What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world! How much violence we see, often even within families, directed at women and children! How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and

migrants!

On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God!

I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible! From the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Resurrection, where this year Easter is being celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox on the same day, may the light of peace radiate throughout the Holy Land and the entire world.

I express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. The growing climate of anti-Semitism throughout the world is worrisome.

Yet at the same time, I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation. I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!

Let us pray for the Christian communities in Lebanon and in Syria, presently experiencing a delicate transition in its history. They aspire to stability and to participation in the life of their

respective nations. I urge the whole Church to keep the Christians of the beloved Middle East in its thoughts and prayers.

I also think in particular of the people of Yemen, who are experiencing one of the world’s most serious and prolonged humanitarian crises because

agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon be signed and implemented, and lead to long-awaited reconciliation in the region.

May the light of Easter inspire efforts to promote harmony in the western Balkans and sustain political leaders in their efforts

of war, and I invite all to find solutions through a constructive dialogue.

May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, His Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace. On this festive day, let us remember the South Caucasus and pray that a final peace

from the tensions in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, as well as those Christians who in many places are not able freely to profess their faith.

There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.

Nor is peace possible without true disarmament! The requirement that every people provide for its own defense must not turn into a race to rearmament. The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that create division and are fraught with grave political and economic consequences. It impels us to care for one another, to increase our mutual solidarity, and to work for the integral development of each human person.

During this time, let us not fail to assist the people of Myanmar, plagued by long years of armed conflict, who, with courage and patience, are dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Sagaing, which caused the death of thousands and great suffering for the many survivors, including orphans and the elderly. We pray for the victims and their loved ones, and we heartily thank all the generous volunteers carrying out the relief operations. The announcement of a ceasefire by various actors in the country is a sign of hope for the whole of Myanmar.

I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development. These are the “weapons” of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!

May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions. In the face of the cruelty of conflicts that involve defenseless civilians and attack schools, hospitals and humanitarian workers, we cannot allow ourselves to forget that it is not targets that are struck, but persons, each possessed of a soul and human dignity.

In this Jubilee year, may Easter also be a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners!

to allay tensions and crises, and, together with their partner countries in the region, to reject dangerous and destabilizing actions.

May the risen Christ, our hope, grant peace and consolation to the African peoples who are victims of violence and conflict, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan and South Sudan. May He sustain those suffering

Dear brothers and sisters, In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. Easter Sequence). He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more.

Let us entrust ourselves to Him, for He alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5)!

Happy Easter to everyone!

PHOTOS BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE | VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Francis appears on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) at the Vatican April 20. The traditional Easter blessing was to be his final, formal words to the Church and the world before he passed away the following day.

‘Urbi et orbi’: el mensaje final del papa Francisco al mundo

Cristo ha resucitado, ¡aleluya! Hermanos y hermanas, ¡feliz Pascua!

Hoy en la Iglesia resuena finalmente el aleluya, se transmite de boca en boca, de corazón a corazón, y su canto hace llorar de alegría al pueblo de Dios en todo el mundo.

Desde el sepulcro vacío de Jerusalén llega hasta nosotros el sorprendente anuncio: Jesús, el Crucificado, «no está aquí, ha resucitado» (Lc 24,6). No está en la tumba, ¡es el viviente!

El amor venció al odio. La luz venció a las tinieblas. La verdad venció a la mentira. El perdón venció a la venganza. El mal no ha desaparecido de nuestra historia, permanecerá hasta el final, pero ya no tiene dominio, ya no tiene poder sobre quien acoge la gracia de este día.

Hermanas y hermanos, especialmente ustedes que están sufriendo el dolor y la angustia, sus gritos silenciosos han sido escuchados, sus lágrimas han sido recogidas, ¡ni una sola se ha perdido! En la pasión y muerte de Jesús, Dios ha cargado sobre sí todo el mal del mundo y con su infinita misericordia lo ha vencido; ha eliminado el orgullo diabólico que envenena el corazón del hombre y siembra por doquier violencia y corrupción. ¡El Cordero de Dios ha vencido! Por eso hoy exclamamos: «¡Cristo, mi esperanza, ha resucitado!» (Secuencia pascual).

Sí, la resurrección de Jesús es el fundamento de la esperanza; a partir de este acontecimiento, esperar ya no es una ilusión. No; gracias a Cristo crucificado y resucitado, la esperanza no defrauda. ¡Spes non confundit (cf. Rm 5,5)! Y no es una esperanza evasiva, sino comprometida; no es alienante, sino que nos responsabiliza.

Los que esperan en Dios ponen sus frágiles manos en su mano grande y fuerte, se dejan levantar y comienzan a caminar; junto con Jesús resucitado se convierten en peregrinos de esperanza, testigos de la victoria del Amor, de la potencia desarmada de la Vida. ¡Cristo ha resucitado! En este anuncio está contenido todo el sentido de nuestra existencia, que no está hecha para la muerte sino para la vida. ¡La Pascua es la fiesta de la vida! ¡Dios nos ha creado para la vida y quiere que la humanidad resucite! A sus ojos toda vida es preciosa, tanto la del niño en el vientre de su madre, como la del anciano o la del enfermo, considerados en un número creciente de países como personas a descartar. Cuánta voluntad de muerte vemos cada día en los numerosos conflictos que afectan a diferentes partes del mundo. Cuánta violencia percibimos a menudo también en las familias, contra las mujeres o los niños. Cuánto desprecio se tiene a veces hacia los

(Arriba) El Papa Francisco saluda a un niño desde el papamóvil después de dar su bendición de Pascua a miles de personas en la Plaza de San Pedro en el Vaticano, el 20 de abril. (Abajo) El Papa Francisco saluda a los fieles en la Plaza el 6 de abril.

más débiles, los marginados y los migrantes. En este día, quisiera que volviéramos a esperar y a confiar en los demás —incluso en quien no nos es cercano o proviene de tierras lejanas, con costumbres, estilos de vida, ideas y hábitos diferentes de los que a nosotros nos resultan más familiares—; pues todos somos hijos de Dios.

Es preocupante el creciente clima de antisemitismo que se está difundiendo por todo el mundo. Al mismo tiempo, mi pensamiento se dirige a la población y, de modo particular, a la comunidad cristiana de Gaza, donde el terrible conflicto sigue llevando muerte y destrucción, y provocando una dramática e indigna crisis humanitaria. Apelo a las partes

Quisiera que volviéramos a esperar en que la paz es posible. Que desde el Santo Sepulcro —Iglesia de la Resurrección—, donde este año la Pascua será celebrada el mismo día por los católicos y los ortodoxos, se irradie la luz de la paz sobre toda Tierra Santa y sobre el mundo entero. Me siento cercano al sufrimiento de los cristianos en Palestina y en Israel, así como a todo el pueblo israelí y a todo el pueblo palestino.

beligerantes: que cese el fuego, que se liberen los rehenes y se preste ayuda a la gente, que tiene hambre y que aspira a un futuro de paz. Recemos por las comunidades cristianas del Líbano y de Siria —este último país está afrontando un momento delicado de su historia—, que ansían la estabilidad y la participación en el destino de sus respectivas naciones. Exhorto a toda la Iglesia a acompañar con atención y con la

religiosa o libertad de pensamiento y de palabra, ni respeto de las opiniones ajenas, la paz no es posible.

La paz tampoco es posible sin un verdadero desarme. La exigencia que cada pueblo tiene de proveer a su propia defensa no puede transformarse en una carrera general al rearme. La luz de la Pascua nos invita a derribar las barreras que crean división y están cargadas de consecuencias políticas y económicas. Nos invita a hacernos cargo los unos de los otros, a acrecentar la solidaridad recíproca, a esforzarnos por favorecer el desarrollo integral de cada persona humana.

oración a los cristianos del amado Oriente Medio. Dirijo también un recuerdo especial al pueblo de Yemen, que está viviendo una de las peores crisis humanitarias “prolongadas” del mundo a causa de la guerra, e invito a todos a buscar soluciones por medio de un diálogo constructivo.

Que Cristo resucitado infunda el don pascual de la paz a la martirizada Ucrania y anime a todos los actores implicados a proseguir los esfuerzos dirigidos a alcanzar una paz justa y duradera.

En este día de fiesta pensemos en el Cáucaso Meridional y recemos para que se llegue pronto a la firma y a la actuación de un Acuerdo de paz definitivo entre Armenia y Azerbaiyán, que conduzca a la tan deseada reconciliación en la región.

Que la luz de la Pascua inspire propósitos de concordia en los Balcanes occidentales y sostenga a los actores políticos en el esfuerzo por evitar que se agudicen las tensiones y las crisis, como también a los aliados de la región en rechazar comportamientos peligrosos y desestabilizantes.

Que Cristo resucitado, nuestra esperanza, conceda paz y consuelo a los pueblos africanos víctimas de agresiones y conflictos, sobre todo en la República Democrática del Congo, en Sudán y Sudán del Sur, y sostenga a cuantos sufren a causa de las tensiones en el Sahel, en el Cuerno de África y en la Región de los Grandes Lagos, como también a los cristianos que en muchos lugares no pueden profesar libremente su fe. Allí donde no hay libertad

Que en este tiempo no falte nuestra ayuda al pueblo birmano, atormentado desde hace años por conflictos armados, que afronta con valentía y paciencia las consecuencias del devastador terremoto en Sagaing, que ha causado la muerte de miles de personas y es motivo de sufrimiento para muchos sobrevivientes, entre los que se encuentran huérfanos y ancianos. Recemos por las víctimas y por sus seres queridos, y agradezcamos de corazón a todos los generosos voluntarios que están realizando actividades de socorro. El anuncio del alto el fuego por parte de los actores implicados en ese país es un signo de esperanza para todo Myanmar. Hago un llamamiento a cuantos tienen responsabilidades políticas a no ceder a la lógica del miedo que aísla, sino a usar los recursos disponibles para ayudar a los necesitados, combatir el hambre y promover iniciativas que impulsen el desarrollo. Estas son las “armas” de la paz: las que construyen el futuro, en lugar de sembrar muerte. Que nunca se debilite el principio de humanidad como eje de nuestro actuar cotidiano. Ante la crueldad de los conflictos que afectan a civiles desarmados, atacando escuelas, hospitales y operadores humanitarios, no podemos permitirnos olvidar que lo que está en la mira no es un mero objetivo, sino personas con un alma y una dignidad.

Y que en este Año jubilar, la Pascua sea también ocasión propicia para liberar a los prisioneros de guerra y a los presos políticos.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas:

En la Pascua del Señor, la muerte y la vida se han enfrentado en un prodigioso duelo, pero el Señor vive para siempre (cf. Secuencia pascual) y nos infunde la certeza de que también nosotros estamos llamados a participar en la vida que no conoce el ocaso, donde ya no se oirán el estruendo de las armas ni los ecos de la muerte. Encomendémonos a Él, porque sólo Él puede hacer nuevas todas las cosas (cf. Ap 21,5). ¡Feliz Pascua a todos!

FOTOS POR CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE | VATICAN MEDIA

POPE FRANCIS

education, relations between bishops and religious communities and the role of nuncios. The groups were asked to work on proposals to give the pope by June 2025.

EARLY YEARS

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city, on Dec. 17, 1936. His father was an immigrant from northwestern Italy and his mother an Argentine of Italian origin. He was especially close to his paternal grandmother, whom he later credited with inspiring his “journey of faith.”

As a teenager, the future pope swept floors in a factory, ran tests in a chemical laboratory and worked as a bouncer in a bar. He earned a chemical technician’s diploma from his high school and entered the Jesuit novitiate in March 1958. After studying liberal arts in Santiago, Chile, he returned to Argentina and earned his licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio

San Jose in San Miguel.

In 1967, he returned to theological studies and was ordained a priest on Dec. 13, 1969. In May 1992, Father Bergoglio was called back to Buenos Aires to serve as one of the archdiocese’s three auxiliary bishops. He was named coadjutor archbishop in 1997 and archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998; Pope John Paul II named him to the College of Cardinals three years later.

As leader of an archdiocese with more than 2.5 million Catholics, he strove to be close to the people. He rode the bus, visited the poor, lived in a simple apartment and cooked his own meals.

As cardinal, he was one of the presidents of the 2001 Synod of Bishops, which focused on the role of bishops, and was elected to the synod council, bringing him to the attention of his fellow bishops.

A SURPRISE CHOICE

Cardinal Bergoglio was a known and respected figure and reportedly received the second-highest number of votes on all four ballots cast in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

In a speech to the conclave that elected him, Cardinal Bergoglio warned against “self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism” in the Church and argued the next pope “must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the Church to go out to the existential peripheries” to spread the Gospel.

His election March 13 came on the second day of the conclave, on its fifth ballot, a surprisingly quick conclusion.

The surprises continued at a fast rate, among them the new pope’s choice of name, which he later explained was intended to honor St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”

Pope Francis’ very first words to the crowd in a rainy St. Peter’s Square were disarmingly informal: “Buona sera” (“Good evening”). Many noted that he was wearing only his white papal cassock without the traditional ermine-trimmed, red velvet cape called a mozzetta, which his predecessors had worn on the same occasion. Before bestowing his traditional blessing, he bowed and asked for the blessing of the crowd.

In an interview later, he said he had not prepared what he would say or do, but “I felt deeply that a minister needs the blessing of God, but also of His people.”

Under his watch, the papal charities office increased its outreach, particularly to the homeless who live near the Vatican. Sleeping bags were handed out at Christmas, showers were installed in the public bathrooms in St. Peter’s Square and a special, private tour of the Vatican Gardens and Vatican Museums was arranged.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Newly elected Pope Francis greets people after celebrating Mass at the Vatican March 17, 2013.

PAPA FRANCISCO

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El obispo Martin elogia al difunto papa por fomentar una ‘Iglesia que escucha’

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD STAFF

catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — A medida que se difundía la noticia de la muerte del papa Francisco, las iglesias del oeste de Carolina del Norte abrieron sus puertas y el clero compartió palabras de consuelo.

Guiadas por sus obispos actuales y anteriores, las iglesias católicas del oeste de Carolina del Norte se unieron en oración el 21 de abril por el Santo Padre, en comunión con la Iglesia universal. Las 93 iglesias de la Diócesis de Charlotte abrieron sus puertas para la oración pública a las 7 p.m., ofreciendo Horas Santas de Adoración Eucarística, rezo del rosario, oración vespertina y otros servicios.

El obispo Michael Martin, OFM Conv., y su predecesor, el obispo emérito Peter Jugis, dirigieron una Hora Santa de Adoración en la Catedral de San Patricio. Fue la primera vez que ambos obispos de Charlotte estuvieron juntos en una función pública oficial desde esta misma época el año pasado, cuando se anunció la noticia de que el papa Francisco había nombrado al obispo Martin. La diócesis ofrecerá una Misa especial por el difunto papa el 23 de abril en la iglesia de San Marcos en Huntersville (ver historia en la página 9).

En una rueda de prensa en el Centro Pastoral Diocesano en Charlotte, el obispo Martin habló más sobre la muerte del papa y su legado para la Iglesia y el mundo.

Dijo que el papa Francisco aportó su propio estilo al papado, influenciado por su crianza en Sudamérica y que transmitía “una alegría genuina por la vida”.

También dijo que el papa desempeñó un papel especial en su vida como sacerdote, y más recientemente, con su nombramiento como obispo de Charlotte el verano pasado.

“El papa Francisco me nombró obispo de Charlotte, así que decir que su vida tiene un significado particular para mí o que es una inspiración para mí sería quedarse corto”, afirmó. “Estoy

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD AND SUBMITTED (Arriba) Cientos de personas asistieron a una Misa en Memoria del Papa Francisco el 21 de abril en la Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. (Abajo) El obispo Michael Martin y su predecesor, el obispo emérito Peter Jugis, dirigieron una Hora Santa de Adoración el 21 de abril en la Catedral de San Patricio.

increíblemente honrado por su elección, y en lo personal, significa mucho para mí”.

Recordó haber conocido al papa Francisco el pasado septiembre mientras estaba en Roma con otros 300 obispos recién

El impacto del Papa Francisco aquí en casa

“Estoy profundamente entristecido por la muerte del Papa Francisco y me uno a los católicos de la Diócesis de Charlotte y de todo el mundo en el duelo por la pérdida de nuestro pastor. Estoy seguro de que todas las personas de buena voluntad se alegrarán con nosotros de que este hombre de fe ha “terminado la carrera” (2 Tim 4,7), y rezamos para que reciba la recompensa que se nos ha prometido a todos por nuestro Dios misericordioso, que nos ha salvado de la finalidad de la Muerte.”

ordenados de todo el mundo.

Durante el encuentro de 90 minutos, dijo que el Santo Padre pasó fácilmente de tratar temas serios que enfrenta la Iglesia y el mundo en general a momentos de humor genuino y calidez que lo

hicieron querido por personas de todo el mundo.

“Lo encontré increíblemente genuino y alguien con quien sentí una comodidad inmediata”, dijo el obispo Martin.

El obispo señaló que, entre los muchos dones que el papa Francisco ofreció a los fieles durante su liderazgo, su mayor regalo fue alentar a la Iglesia universal a convertirse más en una “Iglesia que escucha”.

El papa Francisco buscó “una Iglesia que escucha en un tiempo y en un mundo donde escuchar es difícil de encontrar”, dijo.

El obispo emérito Jugis, quien durante sus 20 años como obispo de Charlotte se reunió varias veces con el papa, lo elogió por convocar el Jubileo Extraordinario de la Misericordia en 2016, un precursor del Año Jubilar de la Esperanza que se celebra este año. Ese año fue “un regalo maravilloso de su pontificado”, afirmó el obispo emérito Jugis.

“En 2016, el Papa Francisco bendijo a la Iglesia con un maravilloso don de su pontificado, el Jubileo Extraordinario de la Misericordia. Nos pidió que celebremos en nuestras vidas la misericordia amorosa de Dios, quien nos da a Su Hijo Jesús para ser nuestro Salvador y Redentor misericordioso. El tema de ese Año Jubilar de la Misericordia fue el mandato de Jesús: “Sed misericordiosos como vuestro Padre es misericordioso.” Para honrar al Papa Francisco y su memoria, y dar gloria a Dios, sigamos el aliento del Santo Padre de ese Año Jubilar y “abrazar la misericordia de Dios y dedicarnos a ser misericordiosos con los demás, así como el Padre lo ha sido con nosotros.” (Misericordiae vultus, 14).”

En toda la diócesis, los sacerdotes también reflexionaron sobre el legado del papa y ofrecieron orientación a sus feligreses.

El padre Tim Stephens, jesuita como el papa Francisco y párroco de la iglesia de San Pedro en Charlotte, reflexionó sobre el legado del papa durante la misa del mediodía del lunes, junto a un retrato enmarcado del papa colocado sobre un caballete en el santuario.

Dijo al Catholic News Herald: “Los jesuitas que sirven en Charlotte y en todo el mundo lloran no solo el fallecimiento de nuestro Santo Padre, sino también de un querido hermano. Mientras oramos por él, seguirá inspirándonos a servir como pastores misericordiosos, especialmente entre quienes viven en las periferias de la sociedad”.

En la Abadía de Belmont, el abad benedictino Placid Solari señaló: “Este segundo día de la Octava de Pascua nos ha traído la triste noticia de la muerte del papa Francisco. Sin embargo, la Pascua es un tiempo bendito para que el papa Francisco complete su servicio y regrese al hogar del Señor. La Iglesia fue bendecida porque el papa Francisco, justamente ayer, Domingo de Pascua, impartió lo que sería su última bendición a la Iglesia y al mundo”.

Líderes de otras religiones, como Douglas R. Greene, director de Relaciones Comunitarias Judías en la Federación Judía del Gran Charlotte, ofrecieron palabras de consuelo y admiración por la postura ecuménica del papa y su impacto en el mundo (lea más de otros líderes religiosos online).

“Sabemos que el liderazgo, la humildad y el compromiso inquebrantable del papa Francisco con la compasión y la justicia han sido una luz guía no solo para la Iglesia Católica, sino para el mundo”, dijo Greene. “Su legado como constructor de puentes, voz de los marginados y defensor del entendimiento interreligioso perdurará por generaciones”.

“Con un dolor en mi corazón pero con una fortaleza en Dios damos nuestras sinceras condolencias a todos los Cristianos Católicos y a los más cercanos de nuestras vidas sabiendo que nuestro Pastor Papá Francisco está ya en las manos De Dios y será Jusgado en el Amor De Dios y eso nos da esperanza que brille para El la luz perpetua después de haber cumplido su Misión y mostrarnos el Rostro de Jesús en sus acciones y en el cariño que derrochó en este pueblo.”

– Obispo Michael Martin , OFM Conv.

– Obispo Emérito Peter Jugis

– Dr. Olga Lucia Villar, director ejecutivo de la Southeast Pastoral Institute (SEPI)

CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO — El Papa Francisco, quien llamó a la Iglesia a servir a los pobres y acoger a todos, falleció el 21 de abril a la edad de 88 años.

El cardenal estadounidense Kevin J. Farrell, camarlengo de la Santa Iglesia Romana, anunció su fallecimiento a las 7:35 a.m. del lunes. El Papa Francisco dio nueva energía a millones de católicos —y causó preocupación en algunos— al transformar la imagen del papado en un ministerio pastoral basado en encuentros personales y profundas convicciones sobre la misión, la pobreza, la inmigración y el diálogo.

“Su vida entera fue dedicada al servicio del Señor y de su Iglesia”, dijo el cardenal Farrell en un anuncio en video transmitido desde la capilla de la Domus Sanctae Marthae, donde vivía el Papa Francisco y donde se recuperaba de una neumonía e infecciones respiratorias. Había sido dado de alta del hospital Gemelli de Roma el 23 de marzo.

El Papa Francisco “nos enseñó a vivir los valores del Evangelio con fidelidad, valentía y amor universal, especialmente a favor de los más pobres y marginados”, dijo el cardenal Farrell. “Con inmensa gratitud por su ejemplo como verdadero discípulo del Señor Jesús, encomendamos el alma del Papa Francisco al amor misericordioso e infinito del Dios Trino”.

El día antes de su muerte, el Papa apareció en el balcón central de la Basílica de San Pedro para dar su bendición de Pascua urbi et orbi —“a la ciudad y al mundo”— (léelo en la página 8). Su voz era débil y tuvo dificultad para levantar el brazo y hacer la señal de la cruz, pero después subió al papamóvil y recorrió la Plaza de San Pedro entre la multitud.

La Misa funeral del Papa Francisco se celebrará el sábado 26 de abril en la Plaza de San Pedro. La liturgia da inicio a un período de luto oficial de nueve días.

‘TODOS, TODOS, TODOS’

El Papa Francisco fue frecuentemente práctico e incluso poético al hablar sobre la vida familiar, el medio ambiente y el ministerio en la Iglesia, pero estos también fueron los temas que más confusión e incluso enojo causaron en algunos católicos, convencidos de que intentaba cambiar la doctrina de la Iglesia.

La popularidad inicial de su pontificado comenzó a verse contrarrestada por la cautela y la crítica de algunos sectores de la Iglesia, particularmente por

PAPA FRANCISCO

‘El Papa del Pueblo’

El Papa Francisco deja un legado de servicio y evangelización

(De arriba hacia abajo) El Papa Francisco se dirige a la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York el 25 de septiembre de 2015. En una foto icónica tomada, el Papa Francisco reza frente al “Crucifijo Milagroso” en Roma el 27 de marzo de 2020.

la apertura que mostró hacia los católicos homosexuales y hacia los católicos divorciados y vueltos a casar civilmente. Aunque insistía en que no estaba cambiando la doctrina, también insistía en que los católicos deben acoger a todas

las personas que buscan a Dios con un corazón sincero.

Su insistencia durante la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en Lisboa, Portugal, en 2023 de que en la Iglesia hay espacio para “todos, todos, todos”, se convirtió en una

afirmación frecuente durante el resto de su pontificado.

Las imágenes icónicas del papado de Francisco fueron fotos abrazando a los enfermos, lavando los pies a los presos y comiendo con los pobres.

En 2020, durante la pandemia de COVID-19, la imagen cambió a una foto del Papa Francisco de pie, solo, bajo la lluvia en una Plaza de San Pedro vacía, verbalizando el miedo que muchas personas sentían, invocando la ayuda del Señor para acabar con la pandemia y alzando una custodia con el Santísimo Sacramento para bendecir a la ciudad y al mundo.

La misericordia de Dios fue un tema constante en su predicación y tan central en su visión del ministerio de la Iglesia que convocó un Año Santo Extraordinario de la Misericordia en 2015-2016.

UN PAPADO DE PRIMERAS VECES

Elegido el 13 de marzo de 2013, el cardenal argentino fue el primer papa en la historia proveniente del hemisferio sur y el primero no europeo elegido en casi 1,300 años. El jesuita también fue el primer miembro de su orden en ser elegido papa y el primero de cualquier orden religiosa en casi dos siglos.

Durante los primeros nueve años de su pontificado, persiguió dos proyectos ambiciosos: revitalizar los esfuerzos de evangelización de la Iglesia y reformar la administración central del Vaticano, enfatizando su rol de asistencia a los obispos en lugar de dictarles políticas.

Su impulso y popularidad fuera de la Iglesia comenzaron a decaer

en 2018 por nuevas revelaciones sobre el alcance del abuso sexual clerical y los esfuerzos de los obispos por encubrir el escándalo, además de casos en los que, inicialmente, el Papa Francisco parecía más inclinado a creer a los obispos que a las víctimas.

Su enfoque pastoral llevó al Papa a prescindir de elementos protocolares e incluso preocupaciones de seguridad que lo habrían distanciado de la multitud; besó a miles de bebés, aceptó y bebió el tradicional mate argentino ofrecido por fieles y abrazó con ternura a personas con discapacidades o desfiguraciones.

Durante los primeros años de su pontificado, invitó a pequeños grupos de católicos —empezando por los jardineros y recolectores de basura del Vaticano— a asistir a su misa matutina en la capilla de su residencia. Sus breves homilías se convirtieron rápidamente en un vehículo principal de su enseñanza. Con una congregación promedio de menos de 50 personas, ese ambiente íntimo le permitió predicar de manera simple y directa, como hacen la mayoría de los sacerdotes del mundo.

Las misas matutinas fueron transmitidas en vivo durante el confinamiento por COVID-19 en la primavera de 2020.

Ocho meses después de asumir, el Papa Francisco publicó su exhortación apostólica Evangelii Gaudium (La alegría del Evangelio), una visión detallada de su programa papal y del papel de la Iglesia, especialmente en su respuesta al secularismo.

La fe, predicaba constantemente, debía evidenciarse en la forma en que uno trata a los pobres y a los más débiles. Condenó la trata de personas y movilizó fuerzas dentro y fuera de la Iglesia para erradicarla. Su primer viaje fuera de Roma fue a Lampedusa para visitar a migrantes, muchos traídos por contrabandistas desde África.

Aunque al principio dijo que no le gustaba viajar, realizó 47 viajes al extranjero, llevando su papado cercano a las personas a los centros del poder mundial, pero especialmente a las “periferias” del mundo.

En su primer viaje a EE.UU. en septiembre de 2015, fue el primer papa en dirigirse a una sesión conjunta del Congreso. Se definió como “hijo de inmigrantes” —y recordó que muchos legisladores también lo eran—, y pidió mayor apertura hacia los inmigrantes. El estilo de vida sencillo del Papa Francisco, que incluyó su decisión de no vivir en el Palacio Apostólico y moverse por Roma en un Fiat o

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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(From top) El Papa Francisco saluda a unos niños durante su visita a refugiados en el Centro de Recepción e Identificación administrado por el gobierno en Mitilene, Grecia, el 5 de diciembre de 2021. Se ve la bandera de Argentina mientras el Papa Francisco llega a una audiencia general en la Plaza de San Pedro el 3 de abril de 2013.

EL PAPA

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 12

Ford Focus, envió un mensaje de austeridad al clero. Refuerzó ese mensaje con frecuentes llamados a la pobreza evangélica.

OBISPOS Y SÍNODOS

Aunque reconocía el sufrimiento de muchos católicos en China continental bajo el régimen comunista, el Vaticano anunció en septiembre de 2018 que el Papa Francisco aprobó un acuerdo provisional con el gobierno chino sobre el nombramiento de obispos. Dicho acuerdo fue renovado en 2020, 2022 y 2024.

El Sínodo de los Obispos cobró mayor protagonismo bajo su liderazgo. Convocó dos reuniones enfocadas en el cuidado pastoral de la familia, en 2014 y 2015, y publicó Amoris Laetitia en 2016, exhortando a considerar la situación particular de cada familia.

En octubre de 2021, lanzó un proceso de escucha a nivel local y nacional para un sínodo sobre “una Iglesia sinodal: comunión, participación y misión”. En 2023 y 2024, incluyó a laicos con derecho a voto en el sínodo.

Apartó algunos temas complejos y estableció 10 grupos de estudio sobre temas como el ministerio

femenino, la formación en seminarios y la relación entre obispos y comunidades religiosas. Estos grupos presentarán propuestas en junio de 2025.

PRIMEROS AÑOS

Jorge Mario Bergoglio nació en Buenos Aires el 17 de diciembre de 1936. Su padre era inmigrante italiano y su madre, argentina de origen italiano. Fue muy cercano a su abuela paterna, a quien atribuyó su “camino de fe”.

Trabajó de joven barriendo en una fábrica, en un laboratorio químico y como portero de bar. Obtuvo un título de técnico químico y entró al noviciado jesuita en 1958.

El impacto del Papa Francisco aquí en casa

“Narendra Modi Reflejando el amor de Dios a un mundo necesitado “El Papa Francisco puso a los pobres en el centro de su pontificado porque esto significaba, precisamente, estar en el centro del Evangelio.”

– Cardenal Konrad Krajewski, prefecto del Dicasterio para el Servicio de la Caridad

“Era un buen hombre, trabajaba duro. Amaba al mundo y es un honor hacer eso.”

– Presidente Donald Trump

Se ordenó sacerdote en 1969 y fue arzobispo de Buenos Aires desde 1998. Fue creado cardenal por Juan Pablo II en 2001.

UNA ELECCIÓN INESPERADA

Recibió el segundo mayor número de votos en el cónclave de 2005. En su discurso previo al cónclave de 2013, advirtió contra el “narcisismo teológico” y pidió un papa que ayudara a la Iglesia a salir a las “periferias existenciales”.

Fue elegido el 13 de marzo, en la quinta votación, y eligió el nombre Francisco en honor a San Francisco de Asís.

Sus primeras palabras fueron: “Buona sera” (Buenas tardes).

No llevó la tradicional capa roja, y antes de bendecir, pidió ser bendecido por el pueblo.

Bajo su dirección, la oficina de caridad del Vaticano amplió su alcance, especialmente con las personas sin hogar.

More online

En www.catholicnewsherald. com/espanol : Lea más sobre el legado del Papa Francisco, su enfoque sobre los temas del matrimonio y la familia, sus encíclicas, cómo lo recuerdan los líderes mundiales, qué sucede a continuación y la cobertura continua de su funeral y los eventos previos al cónclave e incluyendo este.

“Abogó por los que no tienen voz ni poder. Hizo que todos se sintieran bienvenidos y vistos por la Iglesia. Promovió la equidad y el fin de la pobreza y el sufrimiento en todo el mundo. Y, sobre todo, fue un Papa para todos. Fue el Papa del Pueblo: una luz de fe, esperanza y amor.”

– Expresidente Joe Biden

¿Qué

sucede a continuación?

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO — Siglos de experiencia lidiando con la muerte, o la ocasional renuncia, de un papa han dejado a la Iglesia Católica con instrucciones detalladas sobre quién tiene la responsabilidad de planificar el funeral, preparar la elección de un nuevo papa y encargarse de los asuntos esenciales.

Estas instrucciones se encuentran en la constitución apostólica de San Juan Pablo II de 1996, Universi Dominici Gregis, que fue revisada por el Papa Benedicto XVI en 2013. El funeral del Papa Francisco está programado para el sábado 26 de abril.

El funeral marca el inicio de un período de luto oficial de nueve días (novendiales), durante el cual se celebran otras misas en memoria en la Basílica de San Pedro. Los cardenales determinan cuándo debe comenzar el cónclave para elegir a un nuevo papa, al menos 15 días después de la muerte del papa, pero no más de 20 días desde que la sede quedó vacante. Un inicio anticipado es posible si todos los cardenales electores —aquellos menores de 80 años el día de la muerte del papa— están presentes.

Con la muerte de un papa, la mayoría de los altos funcionarios del Vaticano —incluidos los prefectos de los dicasterios— pierden sus cargos. Los asuntos ordinarios continúan con los secretarios de los dicasterios encargados de la documentación, la correspondencia y la planificación de reuniones. Sin embargo, la publicación de documentos, la nominación de nuevos obispos y la aprobación de estatutos para universidades católicas y órdenes religiosas quedan suspendidas. Todo lo que deba emitirse en nombre del Vaticano o del papa debe esperar a la elección de un nuevo pontífice y a la confirmación o el nombramiento de los prefectos. Los dos altos funcionarios del Vaticano que conservan sus títulos son el camerlengo o chambelán —actualmente el cardenal estadounidense Kevin J. Farrell—, cuyo trabajo comienza formalmente al

“Quizás su liderazgo más distintivo sea su histórico compromiso con la crisis climática. En su encíclica innovadora, Laudato Si’, el Papa Francisco escribe con belleza y claridad, con fuerza moral y una urgencia feroz para llamarnos a todos a ser buenos administradores de la Creación de Dios.”

– Expresidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, Nancy Pelosi

morir un papa, y el jefe de la Penitenciaría Apostólica, el cardenal Angelo De Donatis. Todo lo relacionado con el funeral y con los preparativos del cónclave para elegir al sucesor del Papa Francisco corresponde al Colegio de Cardenales. Los ritos y rituales utilizados están publicados en el Ritual de exequias del Sumo Pontífice Romano. A finales de 2024, el Vaticano publicó una versión simplificada por orden del Papa Francisco.

Antes del cónclave, todos los cardenales —incluidos los mayores de 80 años— participan en las “congregaciones”.

La congregación general, con todos los cardenales, se encarga de los “asuntos importantes”, mientras que las “cuestiones de menor importancia” son manejadas por la congregación particular. Los cardenales sortean quiénes serán los tres miembros que servirán durante períodos de tres días en la congregación particular.

La congregación general se reúne bajo el liderazgo del decano, el cardenal Giovanni Battista Re, y además de fijar la fecha del funeral y del cónclave, es responsable de:

n Asegurarse de que una comisión de sus miembros prepare la residencia del Vaticano donde vivía el Papa Francisco para alojar a los cardenales durante el cónclave. Las habitaciones serán asignadas por sorteo.

n Preparar la Capilla Sixtina para la elección de un nuevo papa.

n Asignar a dos clérigos “reconocidos por su sana doctrina, sabiduría y autoridad moral” para preparar meditaciones para los cardenales sobre los problemas que enfrenta la Iglesia y la elección del próximo papa.

n Aprobar los gastos asociados con la muerte del papa.

n Organizar la destrucción del anillo del pescador papal y del sello de plomo que autenticaba las cartas del Papa Francisco. Aunque no es tan secreto como el cónclave, los cardenales y quienes los asisten prestan un juramento de secreto.

— Catholic News Service

“Desde Buenos Aires hasta Roma, el Papa Francisco quiso que la Iglesia llevara alegría y esperanza a los más pobres. Que uniera a los seres humanos entre sí, y con la naturaleza. Que esta esperanza lo sobreviva por siempre.”

– Presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron

“Nos enseñó a vivir los valores del Evangelio con fidelidad, valentía y amor universal, especialmente a favor de los más pobres y marginados.”

– Cardenal estadounidense Kevin Farrell, camarlengo del Vaticano

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Our diocese

Hope shines forth at Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage

More than 1,000 teens – a record crowd – attend first event led by Bishop Martin

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

BELMONT — Bishop Michael Martin encouraged a record crowd at the 2025 Diocese of Charlotte’s Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage to respond to Jesus with hope.

The April 12 event brought together more than 1,000 young people to Belmont Abbey College for worship, engaging talks, fellowship, live music, food and games. Held each spring for the past 21 years, the event’s theme this year, “Hope Does Not Disappoint” – mirrors the 2025 Jubilee Year of the Church.

It was a theme that Bishop Martin emphasized in his homily to the teens, his first time attending the event since becoming Bishop of Charlotte. He presided over an outdoor morning Mass for the crowd on the sprawling lawn of Belmont Abbey College, with attendees enjoying clear skies and mild temperatures.

Bishop Martin asked the crowd of young people, “If I said, ‘Thank you,’ you all say?” They replied with a resounding “you’re welcome.” He then asked them what someone would say after a sneeze. “God bless you,” they responded.

He told them that they should respond to Jesus just as enthusiastically – and with hope, not hesitation.

“My prayer is that at each response moment, your voices will be heard, not just by the person sitting next to you but by the people in the back, by the people driving by, and most importantly by the Lord our God. I hope that that’s how we all want to respond,” he said.

“And hope …” he continued, holding his microphone out to the crowd as they responded to complete the theme’s phrase, “never disappoints.”

He repeatedly cheered on the young people using that theme, saying the first part of the phrase with the crowd finishing it.

“The nature of our relationship with our God is call and response,” he explained. “He will do the things He said He will do. You can trust in Him.”

The Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage, a teen rally that serves as a prelude to the Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress this fall, is organized by the diocese’s Faith Formation Office in partnership with Belmont Abbey College. The college’s 100 volunteer Hintemeyer Scholars assist college and diocesan staff in putting on the event.

A RECORD CROWD

The event began early Saturday morning with busloads of teen pilgrims arriving from all across the Charlotte diocese for the day of praise, reflection, fellowship and growth. Some left well before dawn to travel to Belmont.

St. Joseph Parish in Asheboro brought the largest group of young people, 122. And more than 80 youth group members from Divine Redeemer in Boonville left around 6 a.m. to make the trek.

The young people filled the lawn in front of historic Mary Help of Christians Basilica – a Jubilee Year pilgrimage site – sitting on blankets and folding chairs, donning event

T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Hope Does Not Disappoint.”

Kicking off the day’s events, keynote speaker Father Stan Fortuna, who is professed with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York, told the crowd every time he thinks of North Carolina, he can’t help but think of Tropical Storm Helene’s aftermath.

“The hurricane did a lot of crushing,” he said. “The way people think and feel is crushing, people can self-destruct, but Lent gives us a path leading you, me, us, over the triumph of mercy, over all that would crush us or reduce us to something unworthy of our dignity as children of God.”

Father Fortuna spoke about the importance of Lent and the need to continually seek God. Mid-speech, he took out his cellphone, put on a beat and started rapping about God’s Word in his signature Bronx style.

After the keynote address concluded, Gez Ford, a musical missionary from New Jersey, sang the processional hymn to start Mass. Bishop Martin offered Mass alongside Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey and Father Peter Ascik of the diocese’s Family Life Office, as well as other priests, assisted by seminarians of the diocese.

After Mass, the young people dug into more than 300 pizzas and enjoyed games, fellowship and the opportunity to go to confession with Bishop Martin or one of 10 other priests waiting in quiet spots along the edges of the lawn.

“I really like how they do confessions outside, everybody has a good vibe, and this is a good experience,” said Celina Aguilera,

a 15-year-old parishioner from St. James in Hamlet.

“It’s more energetic this year, and Bishop Martin is funny,” said 14-year-old Jasmine Martinez, also from St. James, who met the bishop for the first time at this event.

The young people played spike ball, cornhole and volleyball, occasionally having one of the seminarians or speakers join in.

Besides the pilgrimage experience, the Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage offers teens a unique opportunity to visit Belmont Abbey College and meet its students.

One of the Hintemeyer Scholars, freshman Maria Martin, said the interaction between the teens and the college community is important.

“The students see us as people who love our faith,” she said. “I love being a part of a group that helps to revive the faith in the diocese.”

Attendees also had an opportunity to meet the monks of Belmont Abbey and learn more about the Benedictine way of life and religious vocation.

Middle schoolers from Holy Trinity in Charlotte – Will, Liam, Lily and Lena – were impressed with the beauty and charm of the monastery and college campus, which is nearly 150 years old.

Said Lily, “We have not really ever seen Belmont Abbey and hung out on campus. Having (the youth pilgrimage) here is really cool.”

A FAITH-FILLED PROCESSION

After a performance by singer Ricky Vasquez, Bishop Martin ended the day’s events by leading the young pilgrims in a Eucharistic Procession that wound through the college campus.

He held a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament with Abbot Placid walking alongside him, processing down the tree-lined Abbey Lane.

“The procession reminded me of those mid-century videos of thousands of pilgrims processing to Our Lady of Fatima,” said Luke Hamlyn, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte. “It was really beautiful seeing the faith practiced by all these numerous souls.”

The Eucharistic Procession ended at the Benedictine monastery’s cemetery. There, Abbot Placid gave more words of encouragement to the young people.

“We had the closing Benediction here in the Abbey cemetery. That might seem a little bit strange, but what is our motto about hope?” he asked the teens, who then shouted back, “does not disappoint.”

“The monks, the bishops, the priests, the Sisters of Mercy, so many people … who built up the Church of North Carolina, sleeping in hope,” he said of all those buried in the cemetery. “That is what we are celebrating, that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, never dies again, and will come again one day to take all His faithful ones with Him.

“That is the foundation of our hope,” he said, noting that thanks to Jesus, “there are no hopeless situations.”

“It is fitting that we join those who have gone before us in our procession, of the hope of the resurrection that has come to us through baptism,” he said.

TROY C. HULL AND AIDAN CRETER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Thousands of youth from across the diocese participated in the Bishop’s Youth Pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College. Bishop Michael Martin encouraged them to respond to God’s call with enthusiasm – not fear – as they go out into the world. The day featured speakers, prayer, food and fun.

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

In Brief

Human trafficking prevention event held in Swannanoa

SWANNANOA — “Stop Human Trafficking –Learn and Take Action” was held at St. Margaret Mary Church on April 5. The presenter was Kara Griffin, chair of the Human Trafficking Awareness Committee of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte and member of Alliance to End Human Trafficking and North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

The photo shows a signal victims can use to get attention. If you see this signal, call 911. Learn more at www.ccdoc.org/ humantrafficking.

— Joseph T. Purello

Bringing Easter joy to residents of Margate Health & Rehab

JEFFERSON — Parishioners from St. Francis of Assisi Church provided Easter goodie bags to the 130 residents of Margate Health & Rehab on April 15. This is the third year the parish has donated items to fill Easter baskets and bags for residents.

— Catholic News Herald

Catholic Charities leaders advocate for vulnerable communities on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, recently joined Sharon Davis, the agency’s program assurance director, and fellow Catholic Charities USA member agencies in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the needs of vulnerable individuals and families. As part of this national delegation, Carter and Davis met with Rep. Alma Adams, whose 12th Congressional District includes parts of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties. They shared the agency’s unwavering commitment to upholding the dignity and respect of life for all. Their visit underscored Catholic Charities’ mission to serve as a voice for the marginalized and to influence policies that promote social justice and human dignity.

Summer youth camps offer chance to explore vocations

BELMONT — Young men and women will have an opportunity to learn more about vocations, explore their faith and have fun during three Diocese of Charlotte summer vocations camps coming in June: Quo Vadis Days for young men (15-19) and Duc In Altum for young women (16-19) are week-long camps, while Talitha Koum is a day camp for middle school girls. Registration for all three camps at Belmont Abbey College is open and space is expected to sell out quickly.

Quo Vadis Days is a vocations discernment camp that challenges young men to ask the fundamental question “Quo vadis?” – “Where are you going?” – while equipping them with the tools and opportunity to discern God’s will for their life. Quo Vadis Days 2025 will be held June 16-20.

Duc In Altum, to be held June 23-27, is part summer camp, part retreat. It allows young women to explore their relationship with Our Lord and gain a deeper understanding of their vocation as daughter – Daughter of God, Daughter of Mary and Daughter of the Church – through talks and time spent in prayer and worship. The hope is that participants will open their hearts to responding to vocations as wives and mothers, consecrated religious or consecrated lay faithful.

Talitha Koum is a day-long retreat June 23 for teen girls (12-15) to grow in their relationship with Jesus and Mary and to have fun with each other. The name of this “mini” Duc in Altum was inspired by Our Lord’s words to Jairus’ daughter: “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” (Mark 5:41).

More online

At www.charlottediocese.org/vocations : Find information and registration links for all three diocesan summer vocations camps.

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Deliver with care: St. Therese blankets warm recipients in the mountains

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

MOORESVILLE — A St. Therese couple recently airlifted a special delivery of hand-sewn blankets from Mooresville to the mountains of Sylva, providing comfort to adults and children in need.

Parishioners Kim and John Moloney, lead volunteers of the annual Linus Blanket Project, opted to fly the 22 quilts sewn by confirmation candidates to St. Mary, Mother of God Church.

Father Paul Asoh had requested a rapid delivery. “The sooner, the better; it is still cold up here,” the pastor said.

John Moloney happily complied, using the opportunity to pursue his favorite activities: piloting his plane and spending time with his wife.

“He loves to fly me places whenever we can,” Kim Moloney said. “The whole experience was just very beautiful, because I never did the delivery part to see where the blankets actually ended up.”

When the 23 confirmation candidates started this annual service project in February, Moloney was unsure of the blankets’ destination.

Recalling the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Helene, at the suggestion of a volunteer, Moloney felt the blankets belonged to people in the mountains.

A former priest at St. Therese Parish, Father Asoh, came to mind. Remembering his gratitude for St. Therese’s donations

of gas and food gift cards at Christmas, Moloney knew the need was still dire.

The main roads of Jackson County no longer show Helene’s repercussions, but the economic ripples hit hard in the hollers next to the river.

Average income residents living in Sylva are mostly OK, said Rayanne Herrera, office manager of St. Mary, Mother of God Parish.

“But if you go into the nooks and crannies of Jackson County, you are going to see a lot of dispersed populations that were largely affected, especially during the winter. We just try to fill the gaps within the community.”

When Father Asoh heard about the blankets, he knew it wouldn’t be difficult to find them homes.

“I thought it was so awesome, because you let God lead you to where they should go, and this is really where they needed to go,” Moloney said.

The students created the lap blankets for various ages and genders. A toddler blanket featuring Piglet from Winnie-the-Pooh, a smaller pastel-striped blanket for an infant girl, and even a larger quilt with bears and bucks, clearly for an older man, were ready to find their new families.

Some of the blankets traveled from St. Mary, Mother of God to the Department of Social Services, which was putting final touches on a soon-to-open foster home.

“They were quite lovely,” said social worker Jan Fitzgerald. “The service workers were so excited to give them to their wheelchair-bound clients; this will truly brighten their day. They will bring a smile to the foster children’s faces when they see them.”

The Linus Blanket project at St. Therese, named after the Peanuts character who always carries his blue comfort blanket, has been a tradition for the past 20 years.

Moloney and parishioner Roseann Harrill

have spearheaded the project for the past nine years after the mother-daughter duo of Virginia and Elizabeth Tadvick confidently left it in their hands.

“I like the idea of helping the students with service learning, because I think that is a very important activity the generation is slowly losing,” Moloney said. “We are made to help others.”

The night of the project, the teens entered the fellowship hall to find sewing stations filled with cotton fabrics, rotary blades, cutting mats, irons and sewing machines that around 20 volunteers had set up the previous night.

“It is fun, it’s once a year, it is a lot of work to prepare for it, but we enjoy it, and we look forward to each year,” Moloney said. “In general, the volunteers come back every year and are so excited to just see this and see the process.”

Newcomers to sewing watched a 12-minute YouTube video created by Harrill. The group quickly learned how to operate a pressure footer, which way to overlap and stitch the materials together, and what makes a great stitch.

They were led in a quick prayer, “Lord, please send down your Holy Spirit on all of us to work together in harmony to create beautiful blankets to share with some of your young and old children.”

The confirmation classes broke into groups and spent five hours stitching together their masterpieces.

Moloney, who has been sewing since she was 10, loves to pass on her knowledge. “Sewing is being lost by the generations, so I like that part of it,” she said.

The teens carefully stitched up their four corners, while volunteers fixed broken needles, rethreaded machines and respooled shuttles. They left their individual mark, a label sewn onto the back that read: “Made with Love and Prayers, St. Therese Catholic Church,” authenticated with the designer’s signature.

Afterward, quality control volunteers inspected the blankets and gave their stamp of approval. The tangible payoff was two well-deserved slices of pizza, but the Faith Formation students also left with a new skill set and the excitement of having their creation provide comfort to another.

“I think that this was a wonderful partnership between our churches and social services, and we hope to continue it into the future,” said Herrera. “We are so grateful for the confirmation youth at St. Therese and their beautiful creations that have made a great impact in the Jackson County area.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Confirmation students from St. Therese Parish in Mooresville made and delivered blankets to people served by St. Mary, Mother of God Parish in Sylva as part of their annual Linus Project.

Deacon Carl Hubbell, longtime deacon and leader at Murphy parish, passes away

MURPHY — Deacon Carl Warner

Hubbell Sr., 91, passed away April 9, 2025, at the age of 91. Born on Sept. 8, 1933, he lived a life marked by service, devotion and love. A memorial service to celebrate his life and legacy will be held at noon Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hayesville.

Deacon Hubbell proudly served his country for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force with dedication and integrity. After retiring from military service, he turned his focus to his faith.

He began studies for the diaconate program at St. Vincent De Paul Seminary in Boyton Beach, Florida, and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami by Archbishop Edward McCarthy on May

14, 1988, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Miami.

He served the Miami archdiocese for nearly a decade in parish ministry, where his main focus of service was youth and family life ministry.

In 1998, he and his wife Carole and their family moved to Murphy, and he was incardinated into the Diocese of Charlotte. There he devoted his time to serving the local community and his parish of St. William and its mission, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hayesville.

Even after his retirement from active

moved to Constantinople.

Turin shroud, scientists discovered a very high concentration of pollen grain from Gundelia tournefortii, a species of thistle only found in Judea, around the head area on the linen. This same thistle is one of the plants used in the crown of thorns.

When Jesus was taken down from the cross, it is likely that a disciple took the crown, hiding it somewhere in Jerusalem, where it remained a secret until the Roman Emperor Constantine granted religious freedom to Christians in 313.

Then in 1063, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine X ordered the crown to be

Since Constantinople became the capital of the Latin Empire in 1204, many invaders assaulted the city. Therefore, in order to pay military expenses, King Baldwin II was forced to accept a offer from the French King Louis IX to buy it from him: 135,000 pounds in gold, an enormous price.

THE SHROUD OF TURIN

The most famous and venerated relic of Jesus Christ is an enigma that challenges the most advanced scientific knowledge: a simple linen sheet with an imprinted mystery, capable of justifying the religious belief of millions throughout the centuries.

The Gospels tell that Jesus, taken down from the cross, was wrapped in a linen sheet before being taken to the tomb. John

ministry in 2011, Deacon Hubbell remained a steadfast pillar of the two parishes, offering guidance and support to all who knew him.

Deacon Hubbell was a faithful servant of the Lord and was well known for his ecumenical outreach programs in the region.

Among his many efforts at Murphy, he established a “Cross Walk” during Holy Week that processed from St. William to the local Episcopal church downtown. The walk always gathered many Christians of varying denominations to carry the cross and hear homilies from him and other Christian clergy of the community.

The Town of Murphy named a short road next to St. William Church after him in

writes that Peter, entering the tomb, saw bandages on the ground and the shroud folded in another place.

Tradition identifies that shroud with the relic that arrived in Turin in the 16th century after countless adventurous events between Edessa, Constantinople, France and Piedmont.

Whoever has the privilege of admiring the shroud during one of the rare public displays sees a single piece of linen cloth, herringbone fabric, 4.37 meters long and 1.13 meters wide.

On the cloth are visibly imprinted the front and back images of a human body with various wounds and injuries. Science has never determined how the images appeared.

Various traces of blood are also recognized

honor of his ecumenical leadership.

Deacon Hubbell’s life was a testament to the values of service, faith and family. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His memory will continue to inspire those he leaves behind.

His legacy is carried on by his seven children, five grandchildren, four greatgrandchildren, and two great-greatgrandchildren, as well as his nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the local church or a charity of choice in Deacon Hubbell’s honor.

Townson-Rose Funeral Home of Murphy is in charge of the arrangements.

– first of all on the hands, feet and ribs.

All the data obtained from observations of the cloth extraordinarily coincide with the Gospel narration.

The shroud has always been the subject of extraordinary veneration and also heated scientific debate. No other item has been the subject of such a systematic

Despite a Carbon-14 test carried out in 1988, which traced the shroud back to the 13th or 14th century, many tests and researchers

truth of Christianity does not depend on the shroud, the mystery hidden in it will — Deborah Castellano Lubov, OSV News

May 17, 2025

Join the Family Life Office on a day trip to Raleigh for the 27th annual North Carolina March for Life. Bus will depart from Charlotte. Scan the QR code below to register and find out more!

— Catholic News Herald

Hubbell

Toddler recovers from near-drowning after novena

PHOENIX — An Arizona couple whose toddler survived a drowning incident March 2 is attributing his miraculous recovery to intercessions from Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, along with a multitude of saints and prayers.

Caitlin and Wesley Robinson of suburban Phoenix told OSV News that at the hospital, doctors tried CPR for 52 minutes to revive their 15-month-old son, Vincent, who had a barely detectable, intermittent pulse. His father said he found their baby face down at the bottom of the family hot tub.

The Robinsons said once the toddler was stable, Vincent was placed on oxygen, IV pain killers, paralytics and other sedatives. But he was not out of danger.

“Sunday (March 2), Monday, Tuesday we were preparing ourselves for a funeral, really. And so it was three days on our knees and just praying incessantly,” explained Caitlin Robinson.

The Catholic couple has eight children between ages 12 years and 15 months – all of them named after saints who, Caitlin said, have special significance to the family. Caitlin, now expecting a ninth child, said they started praying

for all of these saints’ intercession before God.

When Vincent was rushed to the hospital, Wesley Robinson immediately contacted his wife’s brother, Father Dan Connealy. Father Connealy spent that first day at Vincent’s beside with the family and friends praying. He

contacted a priest friend who sent a first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney.

Caitlin Robinson was preparing herself for the worst. But she held fast to a Catholic classic that she read in the hospital about trusting in God’s providence.

“We don’t actually ask God

enough, and so when we received the relic of Blessed McGivney I said, ‘OK, I’m just going to ask for total and complete healing,’” she said.

The family said the relic, along with a novena prayer, which they and a network of family, friends and parishioners prayed, arrived

on the third day of Vincent’s hospitalization. It was Ash Wednesday. They placed the relic on the comatose boy’s chest.

By that evening, doctors said he was no longer in the “end of life” stage. The couple said doctors called his turnaround “remarkable.”

Caitlin said they placed the relic on a different part of Vincent’s body each day of the novena. And each day something remarkable happened: an MRI that showed clear images of undamaged organs; the removal of daytime oxygen and the feeding tube; no more fluid in the lungs; Vincent being moved from the pediatric intensive care unit; early on getting up, walking and lifting things; being able to eat regular food and swallowing on his own; and finally, being discharged on the ninth day.

Wesley Robinson said he had never prayed “so intensely in my life” and that his prayer life changed after this experience.

“We should all be calling on Christ and the saints and the angels,” Caitlin said. She added, “Like I said, intellectually we know this, but to feel it in this way, it’s just amazing.” — OSV

News

PHOTOS BY OSV NEWS | COURTESY OF CAITLIN ROBINSON

(From left) Wesley Robinson feeds ice cream to his 15-month-old son Vincent on the day the child was discharged from the hospital after a miraculous recovery from a March 2 drowning incident in Phoenix. Phoenix firefighters from Station 35 pose with Vincent. The team responded to the emergency call when Vincent’s father discovered him March 2 face-down at the bottom of the family’s hot tub in Phoenix. The family says he was saved through prayer and the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney.

‘Waking up to God’ may explain U.S. boost in new Catholics

BOSTON — This Easter Vigil on April 19, parishes across the U.S. welcomed thousands of new Catholics – and this year, numbers are notably on the rise.

Several dioceses are reporting growth in both catechumens, those preparing for baptism, confirmation and first Communion, and candidates, already baptized Christians entering full communion with the Church.

The Boston Archdiocese reports 458 catechumens, up nearly 100 from last year.

The Detroit Archdiocese saw one of the largest increases: 977 people joining the Church, up from 793. In the San Francisco Archdiocese, the number rose from 444 in 2024 to 653 this year.

The Diocese of Charlotte is also experiencing rapid growth, while specific numbers were not available at press time.

Experts say it is hard to pinpoint the drivers for the trend. Some suggest lingering effects of the pandemic, a search for community or the impact of the National Eucharistic Revival.

“You’ve got people – in this post-pandemic world, especially – who are starving for relationship,” said Kathy Fech, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s sacred worship coordinator

A January 2021 Pew Research Center study found nearly 3 in 10 U.S. adults (28%) said the 2020 pandemic boosted their faith and the religious faith of Americans is also stronger.

Responsibilities include coordinating the planning, implementation, and administration of an existing music ministry program comprised of an adult choir, youth choir, and children’s choir for Queen of the Apostles parish community that complements our Catholic Faith and encourages "full, active, and conscious participation" in parish liturgies.

www.queeno heapostles.org

Scan this QR code for a complete job description and information on how to apply.

Giving appreciated stock to your parish, Catholic school, agency, the diocese or the Foundation creates a gift that will benefit your desired beneficiary and provide you tax benefits.

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

Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church, an active and growing parish of approximately 1500 families in Belmont, NC is seeking a full-time Director of Music.

Our world

New miracle confirmed from Lourdes sanctuary

LOURDES, France — In a joyful moment after the rosary on St. Bernadette Soubirous’ feast day April 16 at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, the shrine’s rector, Father Michel Daubanes, announced that a 72nd miracle at the famed pilgrimage site has been recognized.

The sanctuary also confirmed the news on X, saying that Italian woman Antonietta Raco, who suffered from primary lateral sclerosis, “was cured in 2009 during her pilgrimage to Lourdes.”

Primary lateral sclerosis, known as PLS, is a type of motor neuron disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain that control movement. The breakdown of nerve cells in PLS causes weakness in the muscles that control the legs, arms and tongue, leaving a patient dependent on a wheelchair.

Raco’s Italian diocese rejoiced at confirmation of the news.

Bishop Vincenzo Carmine Orofino of Tursi-Lagonegro in southern Italy officially declared the miraculous nature of the healing of Raco April 16.

“Following a pilgrimage to the Grotto of Lourdes in the summer of 2009, after bathing in the pools, on her return home, Mrs. Raco began to move independently and the effects of the unfortunate disease immediately and definitively disappeared,” Bishop Orofino said.

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Medical Committee of Lourdes – an official medical body investigating possible miracles – “declared the healing of the lady to be medically unexplained in the current state of scientific knowledge.”

The news arrived merely four months after confirmation of the sanctuary’s 71st miracle, which had been granted to a British soldier who was wounded during World War I.

David Torchala, the sanctuary’s director of communications, told OSV News: “We are delighted to receive this news from Italy.

“We always wonder why there are so few recognized miracles, only 72, compared to the millions of people who come to Lourdes,” he said, but “it is important to understand that these miracles are the result of long and arduous medical procedures, research and

diagnoses. It’s a long and rigorous process. It also presupposes that cured patients come back to Lourdes to report it, and agree to undergo all this research and further examinations.”

Torchala told OSV News that “there are currently over 7,000 cases that have been studied and for which declarations of healing have been attested. But then, the final decision to recognize a miracle rests with the bishop of the diocese of the patient who has been cured.”

He said that after the scientific work of the doctors, “it’s up to the Church to recognize that there has indeed been the hand of God in a cure.”

Torchala emphasized that in addition to the story of the healed woman, “it is an opportunity to pay tribute to all the organizers and volunteers of this extraordinary pilgrimage, the Italian ‘Unitalsi.’”

“Italians are the most numerous visitors to Lourdes after the French,” he said, adding that they “have a long history of friendship with Lourdes. They come in great numbers, even though they have thousands of their own magnificent churches and sanctuaries dedicated to the Virgin.”

“Unitalsi is a huge organization that brings in pilgrims all year round from all over Italy. Without all the hospitaliers and volunteers who devote themselves all year round to the sick, this woman wouldn’t have been able to come to Lourdes,” Torchala stressed.

Bernadette witnessed 18 Marian apparitions beginning on Feb. 11, 1858, and people of her time witnessed the first physical and spiritual healing miracles after visiting the shrine or drinking or washing in the spring Our Lady pointed Bernadette to in an apparition.

Lourdes’ baths have fully reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2024. The sick, people with disabilities and all other pilgrims can fully immerse in the chilly spring waters in the sanctuary – a powerful spiritual moment of healing and cleansing for many.

The Italian diocese of the healed woman responded to the recognized miracle saying, “Praise be to God, who with this divine sign has once again manifested His presence among His People and has given us His Most Holy Mother, Mary Immaculate, as a powerful mediator of Grace.”

Please pray for the following deacons who died during the month of April

for Charlotte Area Catholic Families in Their Hour of Need Since 1926

OSV NEWS | COURTESY LOURDES SANCTUARY

Antonietta Raco was cured of primary lateral sclerosis in 2009 after bathing in the Lourdes shrine’s pools. Her healing became the 72nd miracle officially recognized. At right is a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes at the shrine.

Church helping survivors heal 50 years after Cambodian genocide

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — April 2025 marks 50 years since the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia, killing nearly 2 million people, including half of the country’s estimated 100,000 Catholics. But today, the Catholic Church, still a small minority, is slowly growing and healing a nation still scarred by trauma.

Bishop Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, a Jesuit who’s served in Cambodia since the late 1980s, says the Church has played a key role in reconciliation, land mine recovery and education. Missionaries returned in the early 1990s as nongovernmental workers, according to the rule applied by the government. Today, the Church focuses on pastoral care, trauma

healing and interfaith dialogue, especially with the country’s Buddhist majority.

For decades, priests such as Father Kevin Conroy were helping to rebuild mental health systems, while others serve rural Catholics and foreign visitors alike.

This Easter, over 300 adults will be baptized in Cambodia, a sign of hope in a country still healing from deep wounds. As Maryknoll Sister Maria Leonor Montiel put it: “The Christian faith is a hopeful faith. There’s Easter.”

What happened Holy Thursday? One Polish nun’s revelations

WROCLAW, Poland — A hidden chapter of Christ’s Passion has come to light through the mystical revelations of Servant of God Sister Leonia Nastal, a Polish nun whose spiritual diary offers harrowing details of Jesus’ imprisonment before the crucifixion.

Declared venerable by Pope Francis in 2016, Sister Leonia recorded visions in which Jesus described brutal, inhumane torture at the hands of his captors –suffering endured in silence and witnessed by no one.

Born in 1903, Sister Leonia joined the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and died during World War II at just 37. Her writings, approved by Church authorities, reveal not only physical torment but also Christ’s enduring mercy toward His tormentors.

Father Leszek Smolinski, a priest familiar with her writings, said private revelations can deepen faith. “God does not give such revelations without purpose,” he said. Sister Leonia’s cause for beatification remains ongoing.

Ukrainians wounded, weary, yet have hope, says Bishop Vincke

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine now in its fourth year, Ukrainians are deeply wounded but nonetheless have hope, said a Kansas bishop who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.

“I don’t know how many Ukrainian people told me, ‘We believe in God, so we have hope,’” said Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of Salina, Kansas. “They kept on saying that over and over again.”

Bishop Vincke traveled with a delegation to Ukraine March 12-19 to discuss pastoral needs and the impact of the USCCB’s support. The trip included meetings with bishops, clergy, religious and aid workers.

Bishop Vincke noted the steep toll Russia’s war has taken on Ukrainians.

“Everybody said, ‘Even if the war ended today, our people are going to need incredible spiritual and psychological support in so many ways,’” Bishop Vincke said.

Sudan needs world’s attention, funding and peace, groups say

VATICAN CITY — Sudan, which is experiencing the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises, needs urgent attention from the world, the head of Caritas Internationalis said.

“Funding for relief efforts is not a gesture of goodwill but an indispensable lifeline to those caught in the crossfire of violence and displacement, who will die in millions otherwise,” Alistair Dutton, secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis, said in a release April 15, the two-year anniversary of conflict in Sudan. Currently, more than 30 million people, which is more than half of Sudan’s population, require urgent assistance, the release said.

“Humanitarian access must be prioritized … ensuring the delivery of critical aid to the most vulnerable,” he said. “This is a moral imperative, a test of global solidarity, and an opportunity to bring hope and stability to a nation that has endured unspeakable hardships.”

Jeff Morgan

The spiritual problem – and opportunity –of boredom, even on a CLT tarmac

At the start of a recent semester, I showed a YouTube video to my students that lauded the perks of ditching social media. I thought it was a clever accompaniment to the assigned reading from Pascal’s “Pensées,” where Pascal argues that we seek distraction to avoid living with purpose before God. The video recommended that if you quit social media you’ll be bored, and that’s good because boredom might prompt fruitful self-reflection and spur creativity. With so many potent and addictive distractions around us all the time, it’s easier to drown out boredom than to pass through it to the benefits on the far side.

STUCK ON A CHARLOTTE TARMAC

Nobody likes to be bored. Stuck on a tarmac for almost three hours a while back, I remembered how awful it can be. My daughter and I were on our way home to Maine after visiting family in Tennessee when our plane got slammed by a thunderstorm in Charlotte as we landed. Delays and cancellations grounded everything and left our plane without a gate to let us out. The air had been turned off, and an incessant high-pitched noise rang from either the brakes or the engine. It was maddening.

Trapped in that hot, tubular prison, I felt what Mary Mann, author of “Yawn: Adventures in Boredom,” describes as boredom’s “restless irritation.” My daughter somehow slept, while the heat and noise and my anxious thoughts about missing our connection hindered me from doing anything fruitful like reading.

I was bored beyond any state of boredom I could remember.

Being bored doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with us. It was hard not to be bored on that Charlotte tarmac (and some students might say the same about my classes). But as Mann explains, boredom might signal “that the train of life has stopped on its tracks, that the narrative is going nowhere.” The late philosopher Harry Frankfurt writes that our aversion to boredom is not “merely a casual resistance to more or less innocuous discomfort.” It is a vigorous resistance to the possibility that there might be something about our interior lives akin to death.

Boredom pushes us to confront ourselves. But usually it’s easier to change the channel.

THE REAL SOURCE OF UNHAPPINESS

“I have often said,” Pascal writes in fragment 168 of “Pensées,” “that all human unhappiness comes from one thing alone, the inability to remain quietly in a room.” This is why we “so love hustle bustle” and why “finding pleasure in solitude is so incomprehensible.”

Without some kind of diversion to pass the time, boredom might take hold. It might direct us to pay more serious attention to ourselves, and this is something we do not like to do. We chase this or that goal and don’t quite realize that what pleases us is the hullabaloo of the chase itself. Because when we catch what we’ve been after and come to a modicum of rest, we don’t know what to do with ourselves. A quiet boredom creeps up, and we might find ourselves questioning from somewhere deep inside: Who are you, where did you come from, where are you going?

For Pascal, these questions reflect more than a vague anxiety about the quality of our lives. There’s a “secret instinct” within us, he writes, “a vestige of the greatness of our original nature,” that knows we are made for something more (168). It knows that we are made for God, that God claims us for rest and beatitude. So, if we let the buzz of distractions fade and if we’re willing to sustain the silence, we can find God in the stillness. But those are big “ifs.”

THE TRUE PLACE OF REST

Pascal reminds us of God’s “love and consolation” and “infinite mercy” (690). So if boredom is a restless irritation that stems from a secret anxiety that our lives have no meaning – or perhaps a meaning from God that we’ve squandered – it’s good to remember that, by the grace of God, our lives’ meaning is not ultimately up to us.

Our rest “is neither outside nor within ourselves” but in both, because it is in God. And so the good news is that if our modern gizmos have allowed us to lose sight of our highest end, we don’t have far to go to find it. At the precipice of his conversion, Augustine realized that turning to God didn’t require “ships or chariots or feet,” but simply “the will to go” because God is always already more present to us than we are to ourselves (Confessions 8.8.19).

It’s in that same spirit that Pascal tells us we can find our true happiness quietly in our room. It’s just that our rooms come with much more techno-glitzy noise than they did in 17th-century France. Our unique challenge is to discern how to fight these distractions –to switch them off, turn them down and learn again how to be still, even if at first it might feel a little boring.

Laura Kelly Fanucci

Walk the Emmaus road this Easter season

Right now is a difficult time for nearly every family I know. Parents are stressed. Teens are depressed. Kids are anxious.

Studies on mental health back this up with statistics, but start a conversation with friends, family, neighbors or parishioners and you’ll soon hear stories of struggle and suffering.

In the midst of tumultuous times in our homes and nation, what does it mean to celebrate Easter? Can we really rejoice in a moment like this?

Tucked within the Gospel of Luke is a story that shows us exactly how to live out the Easter season – not as a one-day celebration, but 50 full days of feasting. What’s more, the walk to Emmaus gives us a road map to guide our journey together as families into the hope of Easter.

‘How is God calling us to step out in faith this Easter?’

STEPPING OUT IN FAITH

First, we need to leave home. The disciples’ courage to step beyond their comfort zone – especially when their own safety was threatened – let them meet the risen Christ. Later, after they recognize the stranger who walked with them, the same impulse spurs them onward: “They set out at once and returned to Jerusalem,” to share with others what had been revealed to them (Lk 24:33).

How is God calling us to step out in faith this Easter? To be not afraid, even in troubling times, to share with others the good news we have found?

WELCOMING THE STRANGER

Second, we must welcome the stranger. The disciples did not dismiss the traveler who joined them on the road. They engaged him in conversation, even when he corrected them in stark terms: “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!” (Lk 24:25).

If the disciples had turned a cold shoulder instead, they might have missed everything God had waiting for them. How can we open our hearts and homes this Easter to those we do not know? Can we remember that Christ is the face of every stranger, or will fear or judgment keep us locked away?

DISCUSSING THE HEAVY QUESTIONS

Third, we have to keep talking together. The disciples are willing to converse, question and debate the difficult news and most pressing questions of their times, “the things that have taken place there in these days” (Lk 24:18). They even share what weighs heaviest on their hearts. When Jesus asks what they are discussing, “they stopped, looking downcast” (Lk 24:17).

Can we keep talking through differences and disagreements, bringing our full selves to each other in good faith?

BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER

Fourth, we need to break bread together. In meals around our family table and at the altar of the Eucharist, we must keep breaking bread in order to encounter Christ present among us.

What place will feasting hold in our Easter celebrations? How can we pray for the wisdom to see Christ among us and the courage to respond to His call?

The road to Emmaus reminds us that Christ goes with us everywhere, walking and talking among us: in our conversations and debates, in ordinary meals and sacred liturgies, in journeys near and far. Our hearts burn within us, too, whenever we realize He has been right next to us all along.

‘STAY WITH US’

When the disciples approached the village, Jesus “gave the impression that He was going on farther” – but they pressed Him to stay with them (Lk 24:28). This small detail holds the key. No matter what is happening in our families or the wider world, inviting Jesus to stay close is the way to discover what God has waiting for us.

“Stay with us.” Their plea is our prayer, too. We need the hope of the risen Christ, perhaps now more than ever.

LAURA KELLY FANUCCI is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality.

JEFF MORGAN is an associate professor of theology at St. Joseph’s College of Maine and writes twice a month on his Substack, “Classics and Crumbs.” This is condensed from an article published at www.wordonfire.org.

A REFLECTION

Pope Francis: A call to listen and respond in love

Iwas appointed by Pope Francis as the fifth Bishop of Charlotte in April of 2024, so it is safe to say that he holds a special place in my life and in my heart.

I recall his election in 2013 and am embarrassed to admit that as a Franciscan I felt a bit conflicted that a Jesuit pope would take the name “Francis”! I soon learned, however, that God had given His Church a new “Francis” who would similarly “rebuild the Church” as did the Poor Man of Assisi eight centuries earlier. Bringing to the world stage a perspective from the southern hemisphere that is often not commensurate with its geographic size, Pope Francis helped us all to see with a new appreciation the forgotten and those on the margins. His teachings on the joy of the Gospel (“Evangelii Gaudium”) and the interdependence of all of God’s creation (“Laudato Si’”) helped us to ask ourselves if we had individually and collectively taken some essential realities of our lives for granted. As believers in the Good News, are our lives really reflecting the goodness that Jesus came to share with us – such that others are drawn to the difference of our lives that only God’s grace can reflect? Similarly, have we been taking for granted that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God? And do we recognize that grants all of us a dignity that necessitates we respond in love to everyone, and that we should hold a special concern for the wellbeing of all of creation, especially the poorest? These encyclicals, as well as others of his pontificate, have highlighted dimensions of life and faith that can often be overlooked.

Perhaps Pope Francis’ greatest gift to the Church and the world is probably the one that is most misunderstood. Calling the faithful to greater “synodality” is by

far, in my estimation, the most responsive act to the greatest need in our Church and our world in this day and age. I remember somewhat mockingly commenting in the early days of the Synod: “Only the Catholic Church would hold a synod on synodality!” So trapped in my own endeavors and shackled by the need to “do something” about the real needs of our day, I was unable to see the power of listening. Thankfully, Pope Francis, inspired by the Holy Spirit, called us all to take time to do just that.

The American male in me wanted to see proactive steps, and the Argentinian Jesuit was inviting me (and us) to experience the power of listening. He understood better than me the line in the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that it is better to understand than to be understood. Oh, that our world would embrace this most impactful dimension of Pope Francis’ legacy.

I will long cherish my brief personal encounter with Pope Francis when I met him at the Vatican last September. He exuded warmth and a playful spirit that reminded me a bit of my grandfathers (minus a cigar). Maybe that is what I wanted to see in this man who had changed my life so dramatically with the whisp of his pen. But I believe that time will show – as has been the case with the other five pontiffs of my lifetime and so many more before that – how God brings the right person for the right moment.

May we all live each moment with that hope – trusting that if God wills, and we say yes, we too can be a bridge (pons, pontis) between heaven and earth that should be the hallmark of every pontiff.

‘He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all.’

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops From online story: “U.S. bishops honor Pope Francis’ legacy in hours after his death”

The Catholic News Herald reached the Facebook and Instagram feeds of more than 1.18 million people in English and Spanish last month. The most talked about post? Coverage of Pope Francis’ death as well as coverage of Holy Week and Easter across the Diocese of Charlotte. Join the conversation: www.facebook.com/CatholicNewsHerald

On YouTube in April so far, videos produced by the Catholic News Herald have been viewed more than 28,000 times. The most popular video? Bishop Martin’s homily for the Diocese of Charlotte Chrism Mass.

So far this month, 28,000 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 50,250 pages. The top 10 trending headlines are:

n Bishop Martin tells priests: Proclaim the Good News to a

Take a ‘Seven Churches’ pilgrimage

Crash survivors warn Charlotte Catholic students

Gratitude and need remain great in WNC

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Mail: Letters to the Editor Catholic News Herald 1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203

BISHOP MICHAEL T. MARTIN, OFM Conv., leads the Diocese of Charlotte.

Bishop Michael T. Martin

VATICAN MEDIA

PILGRIMS TOWARD HOPE

Hope in Every Step, Dignity in Every Job

As Pope Francis reminds us, work is a continuation of God’s creation. Catholic Charities helps neighbors in need navigate the path toward dignified work, trusting in God’s promise to “Prosper the work of our hands” (Psalms 90:17).

Dignified work brings hope. Learn more at ccdoc.org/dignity.

The love of Christ impels us (II Cor. 5:14) to serve our neighbors in need (Mt. 25: 31-46) – we cannot do otherwise (Deus

Caritas Est, no. 25).

‘There

is glory in humility’

As Jesus’ disciples, we must be humble with others – especially the poor, Bishop Martin preaches on Palm Sunday

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE plguilfoyle@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — We are called to be humble like Jesus –reverencing His humility not just in worship but in our encounters with others, especially the poor, Bishop Michael Martin preached on Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday marked the start of Holy Week, commemorating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His suffering and death on a cross, ultimately concluding with His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Bishop Martin presided over Palm Sunday Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, blessing palm branches outside at the Marian Grotto and leading a joyful procession of people into the cathedral where the Gospel of the Passion was proclaimed. It was his first Palm Sunday liturgy since becoming Bishop of Charlotte, and the cathedral was filled with worshipers.

disciples.

“There is glory in humility,” the bishop emphasized, asking the congregation to repeat that phrase several times during his homily.

“As we proclaim His passion and death, we kneel down, we kneel in honor and reverence of the God who is glorified in humility,” he said.

Reverence to God in our worship is good, Bishop Martin said, yet it is not enough.

“That same act of humility needs to be found as much, if not more, out there,” he said, gesturing to the door.

The Gospel for Palm Sunday (Luke 22:14-23:56) describes the crowds of people cheering and waving palm branches – symbols of joy and victory – as Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph.

However, unlike rulers of the time, the Son of God rode into the holy city on a small colt, Bishop Martin noted, not on “some massive beast that would indicate His grandeur, that would tell everyone that He was Lord and King.”

Rather than showing His glory in worldly ways, Jesus’ glory is His humility, the bishop said. Jesus humbled Himself to save us – He was arrested, tortured and crucified, giving up His life – and we are called to demonstrate that same sacrificial humility as His

“We need to be looking for and appreciating the glory of humility out in the world,” he said. “For every act of reverence in this church, there should be at least two, or 10, or a thousand acts of reverence out there in the world.”

“If our acts of reverence and humility right here don’t lead us to see the glory of God in humility out there, there is a wicked disconnect in our hearts, and our acts of reverence here are shallow,” the bishop said. “The same way, the same shallowness, as those who threw their branches in honor of the Lord on Sunday and then ran like rats off a sinking ship on Friday.”

“My brothers and sisters,” he continued, “where is the glory of God in humility out there?

“It’s in your house, it’s in your home, it’s when you bite your tongue and don’t say what you really want to say to your spouse, when you let go of being right, when you willingly give up what you want for the sake of your children, when you do the difficult thing that is so absolutely the antithesis of glory…, when

you go to work and give it your all even when you don’t feel like giving it your all, when you humble yourself before a project greater than you or your desires.”

Yet, more than that, the bishop said, we must have a reverence for

“the poor and the marginalized –the truly humble in our world.”

“If we cannot bow before them, reverence God’s glory in them by serving them – which we’re called to do in today’s Gospel, it … just absolutely hollows out our acts of

reverence in here,” he said.

“Praise God that we’ve come here today to witness His glory and to humble ourselves,” he said. “May we continue to praise God by giving Him glory, by reverencing His humility out there.”

More

At www.catholicnewsherald. com : See more photos of Holy Week celebrations across the diocese.

(From left) Children watch the Vigil Mass entrance procession at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. Father John Eckert blesses people holding palms at the start of Palm Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. Father Melchesideck Yumo holds a palm at St. Benedict the Moor Church in WinstonSalem.

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD, AMY BURGER, AND SUBMITTED

LIZ CHANDLER, AIDAN CRETER AND TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; EDWARD CHAPLINSKY JR. (Above) To mark the start of Holy Week, Bishop Michael Martin celebrated Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. (Far left) Scenes from Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury and (left) St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte.

Chrism Mass

‘I’m so grateful for your yes’ Bishop Martin tells priests to proclaim the Good News to a world in need

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

HUNTERSVILLE — The spiraling, majestic sounds of organ and trumpet greeted a procession of more than 100 priests who filed into St. Mark Church in Huntersville Tuesday morning for the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Chrism Mass. Held each year at the beginning of Holy Week, the Chrism Mass is a special liturgy where oils used in the Church’s sacred rituals and sacraments are consecrated and priests renew their promises and commitment to their ministry.

Bishop Michael Martin called on his fellow priests to go out and “proclaim the Good News to a world in need” during his first Chrism Mass since being ordained as bishop in May 2024.

The Chrism Mass was moved this year to St. Mark from St. Patrick Cathedral to enable more people to attend, especially students, families and those preparing to enter the Church at Easter. A diverse crowd of more than 650 people filled the pews, including many families with children and a group of 30 students from Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte.

“Immersed as we are in Holy Week, we come to a sacred moment where we celebrate God’s gift of the priesthood and these sacred oils,” Bishop Martin told the congregation.

He gave an emotional homily that focused on the promises priests make when they are ordained. The solemn ritual reminded him of his ordination as a priest and as a bishop, he said, but “most importantly, the emotion most prominent in my heart is the memory of two priests in particular in my own faith journey that were unconditional in their sharing of the Good News.”

He invited the congregation to close their eyes for a moment and “picture a priest whose presence in your life was transformational.”

He told the gathered priests that the images brought to mind in that moment reflected the life-changing work priests are doing. He reminded the men that their ministry requires them to offer unconditional love and “spiritual fatherhood” not only to their congregation, but to everyone, especially the poor and marginalized.

“Any time we accept spiritual fatherhood, we accept unconditional responsibility,” he said. “We don’t get to pick our flock. In fact, we’re called constantly to expand our vision of who our flock really is – not simply those who go to church every Sunday but every soul who inhabits the area where we’re sent to serve.”

“What does unconditional responsibility mean?” he asked. “It means deep within the core of our being there is a heart of love that is always expanding in its desire to go out and love unconditionally those who we are

called to serve.”

He added, “And like Jesus, who in the Scriptures spent much more time outside the synagogue, outside the temple, may we accept that same responsibility unconditionally, to get outside of our churches, outside of our chapels, outside of our offices, and go out and encounter the People of God – especially those most on the margins.”

Bishop Martin said he fights the temptation daily to “make his world smaller” as responsibilities and demands pile up, and he acknowledged that can happen to parish priests as they deal with tasks that can seem to take away from the work they promised to do at their ordination.

He encouraged the men to work “not

to narrow the focus but to broaden it,” to always be willing to reach out to share the Good News of Christ with all they encounter.

“Praise God for the ways in which you all have been unconditional in your love for the people entrusted to you, and our Church is richer because of that,” he said. “Praise God for you. … I’m so grateful for your yes. I am so grateful for your service. I’m so grateful for your love of the People of God.”

Bishop Martin then blessed the holy oils that are used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination of priests and anointing of the sick, as well as the consecration of churches and altars.

After Mass, many people gathered in the courtyard to take photos with Bishop Martin

Priests celebrating milestone anniversaries of ordination this year include:

n Father James K. Solari, 70 years

n Father Richard N. Hanson, 50 years

n Father Lawrence W. Heiney, 50 years

n Father Joseph V. Milligan, 50 years

n Father Francis J. O’Rourke, 50 years

n Father David T. Brzoska, 25 years

n Father Joseph L. Dinh, 25 years

n Father Christopher M. Gober, 25 years

n Father Matthew Kauth, 25 years

n Father Shawn O’Neal, 25 years

n Father Baiju P. Puthussery, 25 years

n Father Frank J. Seabo, 25 years

and priests who attended.

The day offered people a chance to reconnect with priests they know and thank them for their ministry, said Kathleen RoseBellow, a member of St. Mark.

“It was a beautiful Mass – you could feel the holiness – and a real blessing,” she said. “Seeing so many priests together was just very moving, and the consecration of the oils was beautiful.”

Steve Hansen, who attends St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Mars Hill, was attending his first Chrism Mass and said it was a special experience for him as he prepared to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil on April 19. “It’s a powerful Mass to witness,” he said. “There was so much reverence, and it was an awesome thing to see for someone like me who is brand new to the Church.”

AMY BURGER AND TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

During the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Chrism Mass, Bishop Michael Martin consecrates the sacred oils that are used in parishes across the diocese for the year. Also during this annual Mass, priests renew their priestly promises to the Church. The Chrism Mass took place at St. Mark Church in Huntersville for the first time this year to allow more families and those preparing to enter the Church at Easter to attend.

On Holy Thursday, Bishop Martin urges humble service to others

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — With reverence and solemnity, hundreds of people gathered at St. Patrick Cathedral on Holy Thursday for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper as Bishop Michael Martin reminded them to humbly serve others.

Holy Thursday marks the start of the Triduum – three of the holiest days of the Church’s liturgical year leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter. The other two days that make up the Triduum are Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

The liturgy was a milestone for Bishop Martin as he celebrated his first Holy Week since being installed as Bishop of Charlotte last May.

He greeted the congregation with a description of what makes the Holy Thursday liturgy so special.

“On this holy night, our Lord, with an eye toward the wholeness of salvation, instituted the Eucharist and instituted the priesthood,” he said.

The Mass was punctuated with solemnly beautiful chants and hymns sung by the cathedral choir. Clouds of incense filled the air as the pews were filled with people ranging from teenagers and families with small children to couples and senior citizens.

In his homily, Bishop Martin reflected on the importance of the Triduum and how the three holy days are “one continuous celebration…that shows us the enormous beauty of the layers of our ritual lives as Catholics.”

He said the three readings for the Mass offered a trio of important truths that reflect the essence of the Triduum and of Easter. The

first reading from Exodus that described God’s installation of the feast of Passover tells us that all human beings are “slaves to sin.”

The second reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians described how salvation can be found only through Christ, a fact embodied in the Eucharist. Finally, the passage from John’s Gospel in which Jesus washes His disciples’ feet, Bishop

Martin said, reminds us all that our mission is to humble ourselves to accept loving service to others.

After the homily, Bishop Martin took part in one of the most visual and moving elements of the Holy Thursday liturgy – the washing of the feet, also called the mandatum, which is done in honor of Christ’s washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper.

He knelt before six men and six women chosen from the cathedral’s parishioners, washed their feet and then dried them with a towel. During the ritual, the choir sang the moving antiphon “A new commandment I give you: Love one another as I have loved you.”

At the end of Mass, the congregation filed quietly out of the cathedral, following Bishop

Martin as he carried the Blessed Sacrament to an altar of repose set up in the parish’s Family Life Center. There, many knelt in adoration as outside, others arrived to join the solemn time commemorating Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The period of Eucharistic Adoration was offered at churches across the Charlotte diocese that evening.

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Bishop Martin washes the feet of parishioners at St. Patrick Cathedral.

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; EDWARD CHAPLINSKY JR.

(Above and far right) Holy Thursday marks the start of the Triduum, three of the holiest days of the Church’s liturgical year. Bishop Michael Martin leads the Eucharistic procession after celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. (Below, from left) Deacon Andrew Templeton incenses the Gospel and then Father Matthew Harrison, parochial vicar, washes the feet of parishioners during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte.

Good Friday

‘The

crucifix

requires a response’ Bishop Martin urges people to take up their crosses on Good Friday

LISA M. GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — More than 200 worshipers watched on Good Friday as Bishop Michael Martin and other clergy prostrated themselves on the wooden floor of St. Patrick Cathedral in an act of humility. The bishop asked them: “What will be your response” to the crucifixion of Christ?

“I felt overwhelmed in a good way,” said St. Gabriel parishioner Lorén Barrett. “I cried since the moment the priests walked in and laid on the floor. I thought, ‘What have we done?’ I wasn’t expecting it to be this emotional.”

The somber liturgy for Good Friday, starting at 3 p.m. – traditionally noted as the time of Jesus’ death – began with the Old Testament prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah 52, then Jesus, the great high priest who can sympathize with man in Hebrews 4, and ended with John’s account of the Lord’s Passion.

Bishop Martin’s Good Friday message urged people to do two things as they contemplate the Crucifixion: realize the serious role they played in it by acknowledging fault, and recognize the gift they can give to the world through their own small crucifixions.

On this day, he said, “We should feel uncomfortable – that is the nature of the Crucifixion.”

“The crucifix requires a response,” he said. “In fact, it demands a response. We cannot simply sit, kneel or stand before it. It is far more compelling. What will be your response?”

As he explained, “The crucifix compels the truth. The truth is my, your fall; we did that. That’s our fault. The fact that the innocent Son of God would take onto Himself the blame, burden and suffering should cause us to want to do that, too.” He ended by urging people to go out into the world and be crucified by dying to themselves.

Deacon Brian McNulty chanted the traditional 10 Solemn Intercessions of the Good Friday liturgy as the congregation knelt, united with millions around the world in prayer for the Church, the pope, the bishop and the clergy, people preparing for baptism, the unity of Christians, for the Jewish people, those serving in public office, and those who don’t know or do not acknowledge God.

Bishop Martin, the altar servers and clergy departed, then returned moments later with a purple cloth-wrapped crucifix. In the back recesses of the church while singing “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world,” the bishop unveiled the crucifix.

With the same lips used to kiss people’s feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the

night before, the bishop venerated the cross, bowing down and kissing the feet of Christ.

Then a long line formed as women, men and children reverenced the cross with silent kisses, touches and genuflections – some with tears as they knelt – while the choir sung the hymn “Crucem Tuam” and then chanted the “Reproaches,” composed by Renaissance musician Tomás Luis de Victoria, ending with a veneration hymn called “Crux Fidelis” (“Faithful Cross”).

The cathedral’s crucifix used for veneration on Good Friday features an encased relic of wood from Jesus’ True cross, and some felt a special blessing with their reverent kiss.

“There was something there, that I never felt before in front of the crucifix,” said an emotional Barrett. “I felt so much

mercy, too, that we were even able to get to be there in His Presence. I really felt like one of His disciples who betrayed Him. I thought, ‘We blew it.’ And we continue to blow it every day, but He lets us try again. I felt I didn’t deserve to be here, only by His mercy.”

Following veneration, consecrated Hosts from the prior evening’s Mass enabled the congregation to receive Communion on the only day of the year when Mass is not celebrated.

The clergy in their red vestments and the altar servers in their red cassocks then left the cathedral in silence, leaving the congregation to ponder their response to the wooden crucifix, surrounded by lit candles on the altar.

AIDAN CRETER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; SUBMITTED

(Above and left) “What will be your response” to the crucifixion of Christ, Bishop Michael Martin asked those gathered at St. Patrick Cathedral for a somber Good Friday liturgy that also included Veneration of the Cross. (Below) Good Friday at St. Basil the Great Eastern Church in Charlotte.

AIDAN CRETER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; AMY BURGER AND SUBMITTED Bishop Martin kisses the crucifix during Veneration of the Cross at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. Parishioners of St. Joseph present a Living Stations of the Cross commemorating Christ’s Passion on Good Friday. Clergy prostrate themselves before the cross at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

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Carmel Country Club, Charlotte “You too go into my vineyard” (Mt. 20:7)

May 15, 2025

DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville Register at ccdoc.org/hope

PATRICIA L.

GUILFOYLE plguilfoyle@rcdoc.org

HUNTERSVILLE

‘This

— Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we have new life and salvation from “the tombs of our lives,” and as His disciples we are called to share that news, Bishop Michael Martin preached at Easter.

That was the message the bishop proclaimed Sunday morning at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, in Spanish at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Charlotte and at the Easter Vigil at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte – the three Masses he celebrated this Easter, his first since becoming Bishop of Charlotte.

At St. Mark Church on Sunday morning, Bishop Martin told a capacity crowd of 1,500 in the church and 590 in overflow seating in the parish hall that we should not merely be spectators at Easter. What was gained for us in Jesus’ resurrection is not something to be observed at a distance “but is rather to be experienced,” he said. “You and I are changed because of what we celebrate here today. Praise God for the resurrection that’s not just the resurrection of Christ but the resurrection of Mike and Laurie and Steve and Alejandro and all of us together.”

“Are you willing to experience that or are you still holding on tight to your spectator status?” he asked, repeating the message of evangelization he emphasized the prior evening at St. Patrick.

That Easter Vigil Mass drew longtime St. Patrick parishioners along with 10 people who became Catholic by receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist. This scene played out across the Diocese of Charlotte, welcoming hundreds of people into the Church at the 93 parishes across the western half of North Carolina. St. Mark, for example, welcomed 29 new Catholics at its Vigil Mass.

It is baptism that connects us to the death and resurrection of Jesus, Bishop Martin said in his homilies, reiterating his call from the start of Lent urging people to embrace conversion and bear witness to Christ’s message.

Our own baptism and experience of the Resurrection should compel us to “get out there” and share the Good News of Jesus with others, he said.

Easter is not a beautiful moment to watch and applaud, then forget in a few days, Bishop Martin said. “We are not here as spectators. We are not here just to marvel at the glory of God and wake up tomorrow and be the same.” Our Easter experience, he said,

great joy … needs Bishop

Martin: Jesus’ resurrection changes

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; MARYANN LUEDTKE PHOTOGRAPHY (Above) A quiet moment of reflection during the Easter Vigil service at St. Patrick Cathedral. (Right) Easter morning Mass at St. Pius X in Greensboro was filled with the joyful sounds of Alleluias and a striking backdrop of colorful spring flowers decorating every area of the church.

(Above) Bishop Michael Martin celebrated Easter Morning gathered they are meant to be more than spectators at Easter, and right) At the Easter Vigil the night before, he welcomed

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The Resurrection and our own baptisms should compel us to “get out there,” Bishop Michael Martin preached during three Masses he offered on Easter.

OF OUR LORD

needs to be shared’

changes us, compels us to share that Good News

is “something greater.”

“You and I are different because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he said. “We’re not just observers, we’re participants. We are immersed fully in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Our faith in the Resurrection means acknowledging “the tombs of our lives,” he said. “You can’t rise unless you die. You can’t be brought to new life unless you acknowledge the stink, the dankness of your former life. We cannot rise with Christ unless we’re ready to let go of our previous tomb. Where is that for you?

“You’ve got to be willing to say, ‘Lord come into that tomb, into that broken relationship, into that habitual sin I can’t get rid of, into that circumstance that just weighs me down – come into that tomb, Lord. That’s where I need resurrection.’”

We are united to Jesus’ death and resurrection through our “immersion into the cleansing water” of baptism, Bishop Martin said.

Baptism “changes us, and we’ve got to stop living like we have never been baptized,” he noted.

Our experience of the Resurrection must be shared, he emphasized.

Catholics who are baptized as adults – such as those who come in to the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil – appreciate the power of baptism and the experience of faith, he said.

They have chosen to become Catholic “because there have been other people in their lives who have been willing to share what this experience has meant,” he said.

“How willing are you to go out into this world that doesn’t know the experience that we’ve had as believers?” he asked. “Are you willing to witness to your faith, to a world that needs it?”

This great joy must be shared, he said.

“We should blow the doors off this place in our desire to get out there and say: ‘My life is different, I’ve risen with Christ, I’m no longer in those tombs, and I can’t live my life without desiring you to be with me in that.’

“Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Praise God for the glory of the resurrection! Praise God that we get to share in it, that when we wake up tomorrow, we are different – we’ve been immersed in the glory of Christ’s death and resurrection in baptism.”

Reminding people of Jesus’ “great commission” to His disciples before His Ascension, the bishop urged people: “Let’s listen to His final words to us and get out there and baptize the nations.”

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Easter Vigil scenes were filled with the joy of new Catholics joining the Church and the glow from countless candles, like these scenes capturing Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari at Belmont Abbey in Belmont (top) and St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville (bottom).

LIZ CHANDLER, TROY C. HULL AND AMY BURGER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Mass at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, telling those Easter, the Resurrection should change their lives. (Top left welcomed 10 new people into the Church at St. Patrick Cathedral.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY OLIVIA DIGIOVANNI

St. Mark Church in Huntersville welcomed 29 new Catholics at its Easter Vigil Mass, a scene that was repeated at churches across the diocese.

Padre Julio Domínguez

La Alegría de la Resurrección!

Queridos hermanos en Cristo, Cada año celebramos con gran devoción y alegría las fiestas pascuales. Este evento de la resurrección del Señor nos recuerda viva y profundamente que no tenemos un Dios muerto, sino que tenemos la dicha y firme certeza de saber que Jesucristo ha resucitado y por eso nos alegramos.

Durante la Semana Santa recordamos los grandes misterios de la Pasión y Muerte de Nuestro Señor, y vivimos todos esos momentos fuertes en los cuales trajimos a nuestra memoria esos momentos tristes y crueles en los cuales nosotros crucificamos al Señor con nuestros pecados; pero al mismo tiempo conmemoramos esos bellos momentos en que nuestro buen Dios nos mostró su amor extremo entregando a su Hijo, y el Hijo en obediencia al Padre, siempre guiado por el Espíritu Santo llevo a cabo la máxima obra de nuestra redención. Es por eso que en estos 50 días de Pascua, la Iglesia entera eleva el canto alegre de ¡Aleluya el Señor Resucitó! Porque la semana santa nos recordó que Jesucristo murió y resucitó por nosotros y por eso estamos alegres. No podemos ocultar nuestra alegría, no debemos ocultarla o sentirnos intimidados por las muchas personas que no creen, sino por el contrario debemos de ser vivos testimonios de esa resurrección del Señor. No se trata de celebrar solo un gran evento, sino de vivir ese momento transformador que nos indica que Jesucristo ha vencido la muerte y que nos quiere dar nueva vida. Nosotros somos esos cristianos santificados y renovamos que llevaremos el mensaje a muchas personas. Con nuestra alegría y entusiasmo, con nuestras sonrisas, con nuestras buenas obras, con nuestro servicio a los más necesitados y sobre todos con nuestra convicción profunda de que seguir a Cristo es el fundamento infalible de nuestra salvación. Sé que actualmente hay muchas cosas que pueden quitarnos la paz y la alegría, como los conflictos en las naciones que empeoran cada día, o la persecución de los cristianos en varios países del mundo, o las deportaciones de inmigrantes que se están dando, o las enfermedades que cada vez son más frecuentes, pero aun con todo esto mis queridos hermanos, debemos iluminar el mundo con nuestra caridad y nuestro servicio, para contrarrestar esas fuerzas negativas y vivir en Cristo. Como diría San Francisco de Asís: Hazme un instrumento de tu paz, donde haya odio lleve yo tu amor, donde haya injuria tu perdón Señor, donde haya duda fe en ti.

Maestro ayúdame a nunca buscar, querer ser consolado sino consolar, querer ser entendido sino entender, ser amado como yo amar Hazme un instrumento de tu paz, es perdonando que nos das perdón, es dando a todos lo que tú nos das, muriendo es que volvemos a nacer. Maestro ayúdame a nunca buscar, querer ser consolado sino consolar, querer ser entendido sino entender, ser amado como yo amar. Estos son los cristianos resucitados que necesita nuestro mundo y yo los animo a reflejar el rostro de Cristo en estos días de Pascua. ¡Felices Pascuas de Resurrección!

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

Él comienza las Visitas Pastorales del Vicario del Ministerio Hispano

LOPEZ | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Comenzaron las Visitas Pastorales del Vicario del Ministerio Hispano el Reverendo Julio Cesar Domínguez. El padre Domínguez visitara a las nueve Vicarias de la Diócesis de Charlotte en las siguientes semanas.

SERGIO LOPEZ catholicnews@rcdoc.org

BOONVILLE — Comenzaron las Visitas Pastorales del Vicario del Ministerio Hispano el Reverendo Julio Cesar Domínguez. El padre Julio visitara a las nueve Vicarias de la Diócesis de Charlotte en las siguientes semanas. Las visitas pastorales comenzaron en la Vicaria de Charlotte el pasado jueves 27 de marzo en el centro pastoral de la Diócesis, “a esta visita asistieron cincuenta y cuatro (54) discípulos misioneros representando a seis parroquias de la Vicaría, Para gloria de Dios” comentaba el Diacono Eduardo Bernal, coordinador de Ministerio Hispano para la Vicaria de Charlotte.

El sábado 29 de marzo la visita pastoral se dio lugar en la Parroquia de San José en Kannapolis, “Padre Julio nos hizo el honor de hacer su presentación anual de Visita Pastoral a los lideres de la Vicaría de Salisbury. Setenta y ocho servidores estuvieron presentes de todas las seis parroquias de la vicaría, incluyendo al Párroco de San José y a nuestro anfitrión el reverendo Blas Caseres, C.Ss,R. Acompañado por el Señor Diacono Wilson Vélez y Leticia Juandiego, directora de Formación de Fe del Ministerio Hispano, además del Reverendo Oscar Rojas

C.Ss,R. Director de Ministerio Hispano de la Parroquia Santiago el Mayor de Concord. Todos disfrutamos de unas horas de información y formación, además de un tiempo en comunidad y el compartir del pan” Comentaba Ibis Centeno, coordinadora de Ministerio Hispano para la Vicaria de Salisbury.

El Jueves 3 de Abril, Padre Julio Visito a la vicaría de Greensboro, Diacono Enedino comento: “Padre Julio en su visita Pastoral nos dio información que fue de mucho interés, participaron lideres de las nueve parroquias de la Vicaria de Greensboro y además tuvimos la visita de varios sacerdotes de la Vicaria; Reverendo John P. Timlin, Reverendo Alexander Palacios y el Reverendo Casey Coleman.

El sábado 5 de abril la Visita Pastoral tuvo lugar en la Parroquia Divino Redentor en el pequeño pueblo de Boonville, para la Visita a la Vicaría de Winston-Salem Alrededor de Cien (100) agentes pastorales se dieron cita al lugar de la reunión, algunos provenientes de las parroquias: San Benito el moro, Nuestra Señora

de la Merced, La Sagrada Familia, Santa Cruz, Santos Ángeles, el buen Pastor y los anfitriones: Divino Redentor.

El Reverendo Padre Jean Pierre Swamunu, les dio la bienvenida a los visitantes; muchos de ellos visitaban la parroquia por primera vez y se sorprendieron por el perfecto español que el padre Swamunu hablaba, quien es originario de la República Democrática del Congo. En su introducción de bienvenida Padre Jean Pierre como cariñosamente lo llaman sus parroquianos, explicaba como el Obispo puede hacer estas Visitas Pastorales según lo que dicta el código de Derecho Canónico 396 en adelante, y en este caso la Visita de su Vicario para el Ministerio Hispano era considerada una Visita Pastoral en nombre del Obispo. También dio la pequeña enseñanza de las “Martas” esos servidores que por servir no captan el mensaje que el Señor trae inclusive para ellos, después de esta reflexión todos los agentes pastorales estuvieron atentos a lo que el Padre Julio estaba a punto de compartir.

El tema de la Visita Pastoral estuvo divido en dos secciones: la primera sección era una reflexión sobre el discipulado y servicio de todos los agentes pastorales y cuál sería su perfil idóneo para servir a Dios. En la segunda parte, Padre Julio hablo del Plan Pastoral Nacional para Ministerio Hispano, que está siendo promovido por la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB), en el portal web de la vicaría de Winston-Salem se encuentran los recursos donde encontraran este documento, que con gusto compartimos la liga al final del artículo. No pretendemos dar un espóiler para las siguientes vicarias y deseamos que puedan experimentar esta visita lo mejor que puedan, en su mejor disposición y con muchas ganas de aplicar ese mejor perfil de agente pastoral, así como la aplicación de ese plan pastoral hispano.

Más online

At www.charlottediocese.org/espanol/equipo-diocesano/ vicaria-de-winston-salem : Plan Pastoral Nacional para Ministerio Hispano, que está siendo promovido por la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos.

SERGIO

Domingo de Ramos

“Hay gloria en la humildad”

FRIDAY OF THE LORD’S

PASSION

Como discípulos de Jesús, debemos ser humildes con los demás, especialmente con los pobres, predica el obispo Martín en el Domingo de Ramos

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE

plguilfoyle@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Estamos llamados a ser humildes como Jesús, reverenciando Su humildad no solo en la adoración, sino también en nuestros encuentros con los demás, especialmente con los pobres, predicó el obispo Michael Martín en el Domingo de Ramos.

El Domingo de Ramos marca el inicio de la Semana Santa, que conmemora la entrada triunfal de Jesús en Jerusalén, Su sufrimiento y muerte en la cruz, y finalmente concluye con Su resurrección en el Domingo de Pascua.

El obispo Martín presidió la Misa del Domingo de Ramos en la Catedral de San Patricio, bendiciendo las ramas de palma afuera en la Gruta de María y liderando una procesión alegre de personas hacia la catedral, donde se proclamó el Evangelio de la Pasión. Fue su primera liturgia del Domingo de Ramos desde que se convirtió en obispo de Charlotte, y la catedral estaba llena de fieles.

El Evangelio del Domingo de Ramos (Lucas 22:14-23:56) describe a las multitudes de personas vitoreando y agitando ramas de palma, símbolos de alegría y victoria, mientras Jesús entraba en Jerusalén triunfante. Sin embargo, a diferencia de los gobernantes de la época, el Hijo de Dios entró a la ciudad santa montado en un burro, observó el obispo Martín, no en “una bestia enorme que indicara Su grandeza, que le dijera a todos que Él era Señor y Rey”.

En lugar de mostrar Su gloria de maneras mundanas, la gloria de Jesús es Su humildad, dijo el obispo. Jesús se humilló para salvarnos: fue arrestado, torturado y crucificado, entregando Su vida, y nosotros estamos llamados a demostrar esa misma humildad sacrificial como Sus discípulos.

“Hay gloria en la humildad”, enfatizó el obispo, pidiendo a la congregación que repitiera esa frase varias veces durante su homilía.

“Al proclamar Su pasión y muerte, nos arrodillamos, nos arrodillamos en honor y reverencia al Dios que se glorifica en la humildad”, dijo.

La reverencia a Dios en nuestra adoración es buena, dijo el obispo Martín, pero no es suficiente.

“Ese mismo acto de humildad debe encontrarse tanto, si no más, allá afuera”, dijo, señalando hacia la puerta.

“Debemos estar buscando y apreciando la gloria de la humildad en el mundo”, agregó. “Por cada acto de reverencia en esta iglesia, debe haber al menos dos, o diez, o mil actos de reverencia allá afuera en el mundo.”

CHANDLER, TROY C.

Y

|

(Arriba y a la extrema izquierda) Para marcar el inicio de la Semana Santa, el Obispo Michael Martin celebró la Misa en la Catedral de San Patricio en

Más de 500 personas asistieron a la Misa del mediodía del Domingo de Ramos en la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Caminos, mientras que cientos más se reunieron en la iglesia Sagrado Corazón en Salisbury.

“Si nuestros actos de reverencia y humildad aquí no nos llevan a ver la gloria de Dios en la humildad allá afuera, hay una desconexión malvada en nuestros corazones, y nuestros actos de reverencia aquí son superficiales”, dijo el obispo. “De la misma manera, la misma superficialidad, que aquellos que arrojaron sus ramas en honor al Señor el domingo y luego huyeron como ratas de un barco que se hunde el viernes.”

“Alabado sea Dios que hemos venido hoy aquí para ser testigos de Su gloria y humillarnos”, dijo. “Que sigamos alabando a Dios dándole gloria, reverenciando Su humildad allá afuera.” PALM

“Hermanos y hermanas”, continuó, “¿Dónde está la gloria de Dios en la humildad allá afuera?”

“Está en tu casa, está en tu hogar, está cuando muerdes tu lengua y no dices lo que realmente quieres decirle a tu cónyuge, cuando dejas de lado el ser ‘correcto’, cuando de manera voluntaria renuncias a lo que quieres por el bien de tus hijos, cuando haces lo difícil que es absolutamente la antítesis de

la gloria…, cuando vas al trabajo y das todo de ti incluso cuando no tienes ganas de darlo, cuando te humillas ante un proyecto más grande que tú o tus deseos.”

Sin embargo, más que eso, dijo el obispo, debemos tener reverencia por “los pobres y los marginados, los verdaderamente humildes en nuestro mundo”.

“Si no podemos inclinarnos ante ellos, reverenciar la gloria de Dios en ellos sirviéndolos – lo cual estamos llamados a hacer en el Evangelio de hoy – eso… absolutamente vacía nuestros actos de reverencia aquí”, dijo.

SEMANA SANTA 2025

LIZ

HULL

AIDAN CRETER

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; SUBMITTED

Charlotte. (Abajo)

Misa Crismal

‘Estoy tan agradecido por su sí’

El obispo Martin llama a los sacerdotes a proclamar la Buena Nueva a un mundo necesitado

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

HUNTERSVILLE — Los majestuosos y ascendentes sonidos del órgano y la trompeta dieron la bienvenida a una procesión de más de 100 sacerdotes que entraron en la iglesia de St. Mark en Huntersville el martes por la mañana para la Misa Crismal anual. Celebrada cada año al comienzo de la Semana Santa, la Misa Crismal es una liturgia especial en la que se consagran los óleos utilizados en los rituales y sacramentos sagrados de la Iglesia, y los sacerdotes renuevan sus promesas y su compromiso con el ministerio.

El obispo Michael Martin exhortó a sus hermanos sacerdotes a salir y “proclamar la Buena Nueva a un mundo necesitado” durante su primera Misa Crismal desde que fue ordenado obispo en mayo de 2024.

La Misa Crismal se trasladó este año de la Catedral de St. Patrick a la iglesia de St. Mark para permitir que más personas asistieran, especialmente estudiantes, familias y aquellos que se están preparando para ingresar a la Iglesia en la Pascua. Una multitud diversa de más de 650 personas llenó los bancos, incluidos muchos niños y un grupo de 30 estudiantes de la Holy Trinity Middle School en Charlotte.

“Sumergidos como estamos en la Semana Santa, llegamos a un momento sagrado donde celebramos el don de Dios del sacerdocio y estos óleos sagrados”, dijo el obispo Martin a la congregación.

Pronunció una homilía emotiva centrada en las promesas que los sacerdotes hacen cuando son ordenados. Dijo que el solemne ritual del día le recordó su ordenación como sacerdote y como obispo, pero que “más importante aún, la emoción más prominente en mi corazón es el recuerdo de dos sacerdotes en particular en mi camino de fe que compartieron la Buena Nueva de forma incondicional.”

Invitó a la congregación a cerrar los ojos por un momento y “imaginar a un sacerdote cuya presencia en su vida fue transformadora.”

Les dijo a los sacerdotes reunidos que las imágenes que vinieron a la mente en ese momento reflejaban el trabajo transformador que están haciendo. Les recordó que su ministerio requiere ofrecer amor incondicional y “paternidad espiritual” no solo a su congregación, sino a todos, especialmente a los pobres y marginados. “Cada vez que aceptamos la paternidad espiritual, aceptamos una responsabilidad incondicional,” dijo. “No podemos escoger nuestro rebaño. De hecho, estamos llamados

El

constantemente a ampliar nuestra visión de quién es realmente nuestro rebaño – no simplemente aquellos que van a misa cada domingo, sino cada alma que habita el área donde hemos sido enviados a servir.”

“¿Qué significa responsabilidad incondicional?”, preguntó. “Significa que, en lo más profundo de nuestro ser, hay un corazón de amor que siempre se expande en su deseo de salir y amar incondicionalmente a aquellos a quienes estamos llamados a servir.”

Añadió: “Y como Jesús, quien en las Escrituras pasó mucho más tiempo fuera

FE FAMILIA FRATERNIDAD

Caballeros de Colón

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

Por tiempo limitado - Membresía en línea GRATISUse el código de promoción (BLESSEDMCGIVNEY)

de la sinagoga, fuera del templo, que nosotros también aceptemos esa misma responsabilidad incondicionalmente: salir de nuestras iglesias, salir de nuestras capillas, salir de nuestras oficinas, y salir a encontrarnos con el Pueblo de Dios — especialmente con los más marginados.”

El obispo Martin dijo que lucha a diario con la tentación de “hacer su mundo más pequeño” a medida que se acumulan responsabilidades y exigencias, y reconoció que eso también les sucede a los párrocos, quienes lidian con tareas que pueden parecer apartarlos de la labor que prometieron hacer en su ordenación.

Animó a los hombres a trabajar “no para reducir el enfoque, sino para ampliarlo,” y a estar siempre dispuestos a compartir la Buena Nueva de Cristo con todos los que encuentren.

“Alabado sea Dios por las formas en que todos ustedes han sido incondicionales en su amor por las personas que les han sido confiadas, y nuestra Iglesia es más rica gracias a eso,” dijo. “Alabado sea Dios por ustedes… Estoy tan agradecido por su sí. Estoy tan agradecido por su servicio. Estoy tan agradecido por su amor al Pueblo de Dios.”

Luego, el obispo Martin bendijo los santos

Sacerdotes que celebran aniversarios importantes de ordenación este año:

n Padre James K. Solari, 70 años n Padre Richard N. Hanson, 50 años n Padre Lawrence W. Heiney, 50 años n Padre Joseph V. Milligan, 50 años n Padre Francis J. O’Rourke, 50 años n Padre David T. Brzoska, 25 años n Padre Joseph L. Dinh, 25 años

n Padre Christopher M. Gober, 25 años n Padre Matthew Kauth, 25 años n Padre Shawn O’Neal, 25 años n Padre Baiju P. Puthussery, 25 años n Padre Frank J. Seabo, 25 años

óleos que se utilizan en los sacramentos del bautismo, la confirmación, la ordenación de sacerdotes y la unción de los enfermos, así como en la consagración de iglesias y altares. Después de la Misa, muchas personas se reunieron en el patio para tomarse fotos con el obispo Martin y los sacerdotes que asistieron.

El día ofreció a la gente la oportunidad de reconectarse con sacerdotes que conocen y agradecerles por su ministerio, dijo Kathleen Rose-Bellow, miembro de la parroquia de St. Mark.

“Fue una misa hermosa – se podía sentir la santidad – y una verdadera bendición,” dijo. Ver a tantos sacerdotes juntos fue realmente conmovedor, y la consagración de los óleos fue preciosa.”

Steve Hansen, quien asiste a la iglesia St. Andrew the Apostle en Mars Hill, asistía a su primera Misa Crismal y dijo que fue una experiencia especial para él mientras se prepara para ingresar a la Iglesia en la Vigilia Pascual el 19 de abril.

“Es una misa poderosa para presenciar,” dijo Hansen. “Había tanta reverencia y fue algo impresionante de ver para alguien como yo, que es nuevo en la Iglesia.”

AMY BURGER Y TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Obispo Michael Martin consagra los óleos sagrados que se utilizarán en las parroquias de toda la diócesis durante la Misa Crismal anual, que se celebró en la iglesia St. Mark en Huntersville. Durante el servicio, los sacerdotes renuevan sus promesas y su compromiso con el ministerio.

Jueves Santo

El Jueves Santo, el Obispo Martin insta al servicio humilde a los demás

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Con reverencia y solemnidad, cientos de personas se reunieron en la Catedral de San Patricio el Jueves Santo para la Misa de la Cena del Señor, mientras el Obispo Michael Martin les recordaba la importancia de servir humildemente a los demás.

El Jueves Santo marca el comienzo del Triduo Pascual, tres de los días más sagrados del año litúrgico de la Iglesia, que culminan con la celebración de la resurrección de Cristo en Pascua. Los otros dos días que componen el Triduo son el Viernes Santo y la Vigilia Pascual del Sábado Santo. La liturgia representó un hito para el Obispo Martin, ya que celebra su primera Semana Santa desde que fue instalado como obispo en mayo de 2024.

Saludó a la congregación con una descripción de lo que hace tan especial la liturgia del Jueves Santo.

“En esta noche santa, nuestro Señor, con la mirada puesta en la plenitud de la salvación, instituyó la Eucaristía e instituyó el sacerdocio”, dijo.

La Misa estuvo acompañada por cantos e himnos solemnes y hermosos, ofrecidos por el coro de la Catedral. Nubes de incienso llenaban el aire mientras los bancos se colmaban de personas de todas las edades, desde adolescentes y familias con niños pequeños hasta parejas y personas mayores.

En su homilía, el Obispo Martin reflexionó sobre la importancia del Triduo y cómo los tres días constituyen

“una celebración continua… que nos muestra la enorme belleza de las capas de nuestra vida ritual como católicos”. Dijo que las tres lecturas de la Misa ofrecen una tríada de verdades fundamentales que reflejan la esencia del Triduo y de la Pascua. La primera lectura, del libro del

peregrinación en autobús NC Sab. 17 de Mayo Marcia por la Vida

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Éxodo, describe cómo Dios instituyó la fiesta de la Pascua y nos recuerda que todos los seres humanos somos “esclavos del pecado”. La segunda lectura, de la carta de Pablo a los Corintios, muestra que la salvación solo se encuentra a través de Cristo, una realidad encarnada en la Eucaristía. Finalmente, el pasaje del Evangelio de Juan en el que Jesús lava los pies de sus discípulos, dijo el Obispo Martin, nos recuerda que nuestra misión es humillarnos para aceptar el servicio amoroso a los demás. Después de la homilía, el Obispo Martin participó en uno de los momentos más visuales y conmovedores de la liturgia del Jueves Santo: el lavatorio de los pies, también conocido como el mandatum, que se realiza en honor al gesto de Cristo de lavar los pies de sus discípulos en la Última Cena. Se arrodilló ante seis hombres y seis mujeres elegidos entre los feligreses de la Catedral, les lavó los pies y luego los secó con una toalla. Durante el rito, el coro entonó la emotiva antífona: “Un mandamiento nuevo les doy: que se amen los unos a los otros como yo los he amado”.

Al concluir la Misa, la congregación salió en procesión de la Catedral, siguiendo al Obispo Martin mientras llevaba el Santísimo Sacramento hasta el Altar de la Reserva en el edificio de Vida Familiar de la parroquia. Allí, muchos se arrodillaron en adoración silenciosa, mientras afuera, otros llegaban en automóvil para unirse a este tiempo solemne destinado a conmemorar la agonía de Cristo en el Huerto de Getsemaní. El período de Adoración Eucarística fue ofrecido en iglesias de toda la diócesis de Charlotte esa noche.

Cuenta las historias de nuestra fe

Coordinador de Medios Hispanos

La Diócesis de Charlotte busca un periodista apasionado e innovador para crear y seleccionar contenido bilingüe atractivo que cubra los eventos, noticias y personas de nuestra creciente comunidad católica hispana.

Contribuirás al galardonado Catholic News Herald y CNH Español en plataformas impresas, digitales y de redes sociales, además de ayudar a desarrollar nuevas. Este puesto ofrece oportunidades de crecimiento como parte de un equipo experimentado en una de las regiones de más rápido crecimiento del país.

Los candidatos deben tener al menos 3 años de experiencia, una licenciatura en periodismo o un campo relacionado con la comunicación, y dominio del español e inglés, tanto escrito como hablado. ¡Aplica hoy!

TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Jueves Santo marca el inicio del Triduo Pascual, tres de los días más sagrados del año litúrgico de la Iglesia. El obispo Michael Martin encabezó una procesión en la Catedral de San Patricio antes de celebrar la Misa de la Cena del Señor.

El

LISA M.

GERACI

lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Más de 200 fieles presenciaron el Viernes Santo cómo el obispo Michael Martin y otros miembros del clero se postraron en el suelo de madera de la Catedral de San Patricio, en un acto de humildad. El obispo les preguntó: “¿Cuál será su respuesta” a la crucifixión de Cristo?

“Me sentí abrumada, en el buen sentido,” dijo Loren Barrett, feligrés de la parroquia de San Gabriel. “Lloré desde el momento en que los sacerdotes entraron y se postraron en el suelo. Pensé: ‘¿Qué hemos hecho?’ No esperaba estar tan emocionada.”

La liturgia solemne del Viernes Santo, que comenzó a las 3 p.m. –tradicionalmente reconocida como la hora de la muerte de Jesús – dio inicio con la profecía del siervo sufriente en Isaías 52, seguida por el gran sumo sacerdote que puede compadecerse del hombre en Hebreos 4, y culminó con el relato de la Pasión del Señor según san Juan.

El mensaje del obispo Martin en el Viernes Santo exhortó a las personas a hacer dos cosas mientras contemplan la Crucifixión: reconocer el papel serio que jugamos en ella, admitiendo que fue nuestra culpa, y reconocer el don que podemos ofrecer al mundo a través de nuestras propias pequeñas crucifixiones.

En este día, dijo, “debemos sentirnos incómodos – esa es la naturaleza de la Crucifixión.”

“El crucifijo exige una respuesta,” afirmó. “De hecho, la demanda. No podemos simplemente sentarnos, arrodillarnos o permanecer de pie ante él. Es mucho más apremiante. ¿Cuál será su respuesta?”

Como explicó: “El crucifijo obliga a enfrentar la verdad. La verdad es mi caída, tu caída; nosotros hicimos eso. Esa es nuestra culpa. El hecho de que el Hijo inocente de Dios haya tomado sobre Sí la culpa, la carga y el sufrimiento, debería motivarnos a querer hacer lo mismo.”

Terminó instando a las personas a salir al mundo y ser crucificados, muriendo a sí mismos en el servicio a los demás. El diácono Brian McNulty entonó las tradicionales 10 Súplica Solemnes del Viernes Santo mientras la congregación se arrodillaba, unida con millones alrededor del mundo en oración por la Iglesia, el papa, el obispo y el clero, los que se preparan para el bautismo, la unidad de los cristianos, el pueblo judío, los que sirven en cargos públicos

Viernes Santo

“El crucifijo exige una respuesta”

obispo Martin insta a las personas a tomar su cruz en el Viernes

Santo

(Arriba y a la izquierda) “¿Cuál será tu respuesta” a la crucifixión de Cristo?, preguntó el obispo Michael Martin a los reunidos en la Catedral de San Patricio durante una

liturgia del Viernes Santo que también incluyó la veneración de la cruz.

y aquellos que no conocen o no reconocen a Dios.

El obispo Martin, los monaguillos y el clero se retiraron y regresaron momentos después con un crucifijo envuelto en un paño púrpura. Desde el fondo de la iglesia, mientras se cantaba “Este es el madero de la Cruz, en el que estuvo colgado el Salvador del mundo”, el obispo descubrió el crucifijo. Con los mismos labios que usó para besar los pies de las personas en la Misa de la Cena del Señor la noche anterior, el obispo veneró la

cruz, inclinándose y besando los pies de Cristo. Luego se formó una larga fila de mujeres, hombres y niños que reverenciaron la cruz con besos silenciosos, caricias y genuflexiones – algunos con lágrimas al arrodillarse –mientras el coro cantaba el himno “Crucem Tuam” y luego entonaba las “Improperios”, compuestos por el músico renacentista Tomás Luis de Victoria, finalizando con un himno de veneración llamado “Crux Fidelis” (“Cruz Fiel”). El crucifijo de la catedral utilizado para la veneración en

SERGIO LÓPEZ | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD; ENVIADO El Vía Crucis Viviente se llevó a cabo en muchas parroquias de la diócesis esta semana. (Izquierda) La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Caminos en Thomasville y Divino Redentor fueron dos iglesias que atrajeron a grandes multitudes.

el Viernes Santo contiene una reliquia de madera de la cruz de Jesús, y algunos sintieron una bendición especial al besarlo con reverencia. “Había algo allí, que nunca antes había sentido frente al crucifijo,” dijo Barrett conmovida. “Sentí tanta misericordia también, el que siquiera se nos permitiera estar allí en Su Presencia. Realmente me sentí como uno de Sus discípulos que lo traicionaron. Pensé: ‘La arruinamos’. Y la seguimos arruinando todos los días, pero Él nos deja intentarlo de

nuevo. Sentí que no merecía estar allí, sólo por Su misericordia.” Después de la veneración, las Hostias consagradas de la Misa de la noche anterior permitieron a la congregación recibir la Comunión en el único día del año en que no se celebra Misa.

El clero, con sus vestimentas rojas, y los monaguillos, con sus sotanas rojas, salieron entonces en silencio de la catedral, dejando a la congregación para reflexionar sobre su respuesta al crucifijo de madera, rodeado de velas encendidas sobre el altar.

SEMANA SANTA 2025

AIDAN CRETER | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

solemne

Pascua 2025

LA RESURRECCIÓN DE NUESTRO SEÑOR

“La victoria de Jesús es ¡nuestra victoria!”

Obispo Martín celebra la Misa de Pascua a la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

SERGIO LOPEZ

catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — La parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe celebraba el Domingo de Pascua con la visita del Obispo Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. Padre Marvin A. Navas, C.M., dio la bienvenida al Obispo al llegar a las instalaciones, con casa llena. De los parroquianos se mostraban felices de tener la visita de su Obispo por segunda ocasión desde su instalación.

El Obispo Martin se dirigió a los parroquianos en la homilía con las siguientes palabras: “No podemos continuar con nuestros estilos de vida mediocres, actuando como si nada hubiera cambiado, ¡cuando todo ha cambiado! la victoria de Jesús es ¡nuestra victoria! Al vivir con El, resucitamos con El, no lo vemos por televisión, si no que nuestro bautismo nos ha sumergido en su vida, muerte y resurrección, nosotros también somos ganadores, también somos campeones, también hemos resucitado de entre los muertos.”

“Por gloriosa que sea esta realidad requiere algo más que solo aceptarla para nosotros mismos y tal vez podamos platicar de ella un poco mañana con otros en el trabajo: _Tuvimos una misa de pascua muy bonita ayer en la iglesia_ pero, ¡No es suficiente! Este tipo de experiencia gloriosa requiere que invitemos a otros a vivirla con nosotros, eso debe de ser el resultado de nuestra vida de recién resucitados, ahora nos vemos obligados a caminar con otros en esta nueva vida resucitada, a compartir su gloria, sobre todo en nuestros hogares, todos y cada uno de nosotros debemos hacer de nuestras familias los celebrantes habituales y heraldos de la gloria de la resurrección, debería de ser tan vivificante en nuestros hogares que la gente se conmueva al encontrarnos.

“Comprométete hoy en este día de Pascua, a hacer tu hogar la tumba vacía que proclama al resto del mundo, que en esta casa Jesús resucito y nos llevó con El.”

Antes de finalizar la celebración El Párroco Padre Marvin agradeció públicamente al Obispo por la visita a la parroquia y además invito al Obispo Michael a presenciar una puesta en escena que los actores, voluntarios y niños que participaron en el Viacrucis Viviente habían preparado para este Domingo de Resurrección.

El Obispo Michael se dirigió a la comunidad: “Estoy muy agradecido con el Padre Marvin, a los padres Vicentinos que están aquí, al personal de Nuestra

Señora de Guadalupe que siempre me han hecho sentir tan bienvenido cuando vengo aquí, una de las cosas que me encantan cuando vengo acá, es que las celebraciones siempre son vivaces, una de esas razones es por su bonito ministerio de música pero también por cada uno de ustedes, lleven esta belleza

allá en el mundo que tanto lo necesita y especialmente a todos los que están afuera bajo las carpas, aquí está caliente, ¡pero allá afuera esta más caliente!” Una vez instalados fuera del parroquia, el equipo de actores se pusieron manos a la obra para la representación de la resurrección, en una obra

musical y actuación donde se presentaron muchos niños en edad de formación de fe, para ser parte del elenco de la representación junto a un actor que estaba en el papel de Jesús. El Obispo estuvo muy contento y maravillado por la escena, junto al Párroco Marvin y asistentes. Ashley Medina una joven de la

parroquia activa en el grupo de jóvenes nos compartió un poco sus impresiones de la visita y la puesta en escena: “Me encanto muchísimo poder verlo y estar en una misa que celebro el Obispo en nuestra hermosa Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, quisiera que siguiera viniendo, todo fue muy bonito; la homilía, la música, la gente que estuvo contenta de verlo, al final de la misa y ver a la gente que saco sus teléfonos para tomarle foto y algunos videos fue algo muy bonito así como también que pudo compartir el momento de la resurrección de Jesús parte de nuestra actuación del Vía Crucis, somos más de cien actores y voluntarios y nos preparamos alrededor de cinco meses, fue muy bonito que estuviera con nosotros, riera con nosotros, fue hermoso”

Al final de la experiencia fueron varias las familias que buscaban al Obispo Michael para tomarse una foto del recuerdo; entre ellos los Caballeros de Colon quienes sirvieron

durante la liturgia.

SERGIO LÓPEZ | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD, AMBER MELLON Y ENVIADO

(Arriba) El Obispo Michael Martin celebró la Misa del Domingo de Pascua en la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte. (Abajo, de izquierda a derecha) El fuego pascual fue encendido en St. Elizabeth en Boone. La Basílica de San Lorenzo en Asheville fue iluminada por velas al comienzo de su Vigilia Pascual.

¿Cómo se convirtió San Juan Crisóstomo en el santo de Pascua?

Ningún santo (que no fuera parte de la Biblia) está más asociado con la fiesta de Pascua que San Juan Crisóstomo. En la mañana de Pascua, cada iglesia que utiliza la liturgia bizantina, ya sea católica u ortodoxa, proclama en voz alta un “sermón pascual” atribuido a Juan. En medio del sermón hay una serie de declaraciones que comienzan con “¡Cristo ha resucitado!” -- a cada una de las cuales la congregación responde: “¡Verdaderamente ha resucitado!”

A lo largo de la fiesta, los cristianos orientales se saludan con esas dos líneas. El breve sermón que los contiene es hermoso, exuberante y poético, acorde con la celebración. Se anuncia como obra de Juan, y es la obra más conocida que lleva su nombre. Y a menudo se describe a Juan como el predicador más brillante de la historia cristiana.

El problema es que probablemente él no escribió el sermón pascual. Los eruditos que han dedicado sus vidas al estudio de Crisóstomo son casi unánimes en este juicio. Es ciertamente antiguo, pero parece haber sido conservado de forma anónima al principio y luego, siglos más tarde, archivado como un fragmento entre los documentos de Crisóstomo, simplemente porque era un sermón digno de su genio.

Sin embargo, Crisóstomo tiene bien merecida su asociación con la Pascua. Merece ser el santo de Pascua, aunque no por las razones por las que en realidad se lo celebra como tal.

Su ministerio estuvo claramente delimitado por dos liturgias pascuales, la primera en el año 387 d. C. y la última en el año 404. Y el arco entre esos días tiene una forma pascual. Trazan el recorrido desde su propio Domingo de Ramos hasta su personal y doloroso Viernes Santo.

Juan nació alrededor del año 349 y fue criado por su madre devota, que enviudó poco después. Su padre dejó un legado suficiente para asegurarle la mejor educación en Antioquía. De joven, Juan fue alumno de Libanio, célebre retórico y consejero imperial, quien años después lo consideró su sucesor ideal en la retórica. Pero Juan no quería una carrera. Quería estar a solas con Dios. Así que se fue a vivir con los ermitaños al cercano monte Silpio. Allí leyó las Escrituras en oración durante todo el día, memorizándolas y luego continuó estudiándolas durante la noche, leyendo a la luz del fuego con los brazos extendidos para protegerse del sueño. Sin embargo, al hacerlo destruyó su salud y tuvo que regresar a la ciudad. El obispo local vio la oportunidad que le había brindado la providencia y pronto ordenó a Juan al diaconado y luego al sacerdocio. La asignación especial de Juan era predicar desde la catedral de Antioquía, uno de los púlpitos más prestigiosos del mundo. En tiempos normales, Antioquía era una ciudad y una iglesia a la que había que observar: una creadora de tendencias y un líder mundial en negocios y cultura. Pero el mandato de Juan en la catedral fue todo menos ordinario. Se encontró inmediatamente en medio de una crisis social, caótica y potencialmente mortal, con todos los ciudadanos de Antioquía (cristianos, paganos y judíos) mirando a Juan y deseosos de contar con su sabiduría y guía.

Parecía que el mundo estaba observando a Juan, y él no decepcionó. La crisis fue de lo más grave. El emperador Teodosio, que gobernaba en la lejana Constantinopla, impuso nuevos y pesados impuestos que afectarían a todos

en Antioquía. La gente salió a las calles en protesta y la manifestación pronto estalló en disturbios. Impulsados por la ira, unos cuantos hombres corrieron al centro de la ciudad y derribaron estatuas del emperador Teodosio y toda su familia. La multitud vitoreó y luego arrastró las estatuas por la ciudad, burlándose de ellas y dañándolas. Fue un acto de traición que se castigaba con la muerte. Según la ley, la estatua del emperador era la misma que su persona. Atacar su estatua era atacar al hombre. Además, cuando los ciudadanos se amotinaban, toda la ciudad podía ser considerada responsable de las acciones de unos pocos. El emperador estaría en su derecho de ordenar una masacre. De hecho, el irascible Teodosio haría precisamente eso, unos años más tarde, cuando convocó al teatro a 7.000 tesalonicenses y luego los masacró en sus asientos.

Arrastrar las estatuas parecía una idea divertida en ese momento. Pero a la mañana siguiente, el pueblo de Antioquía vio claramente que su destino era inevitable. La única pregunta era cuándo llegaría la retribución a su ciudad.

Lecturas Diarias

27 DE ABRIL-3 DE MAYO Domingo (Domingo de la Divina Misericordia): Hch 5,12-16, Sal 117,2-4.1315.22-24, Ap 1,9-11a.12-13.17-19, Jn 20,19-31; Lunes: Hch 4,23-31, Sal 2,1-3.4-7a.7b-9, Jn 3,1-8; Martes (Santa Catalina de Siena, virgen y doctora de la Iglesia): Hch 4,32-37, Sal 92,1ab.1cd-2.5, Jn 3,7b-15; Miércoles: Hch 5,17-26, Sal 33,2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9, Jn 3,16-21; Jueves: Hch 5,27-33, Sal 33,2 y 9.17-18.19-20, Jn 3,31-36; Viernes (San Atanasio, obispo y doctor de la Iglesia): Hch 5,34-42, Sal 26,1.4.13-14, Jn 6,1-15; Sábado (Santos Felipe y Santiago, apóstoles): 1 Cor 15,1-8, Sal 18,23.4-5, Jn 14,6-14

Los soldados comenzaron a arrestar a los sospechosos y a torturarlos.

Algunos fueron ejecutados. Los ricos huyeron de la ciudad.

Los únicos ciudadanos que quedaron fueron aquellos que eran demasiado pobres o débiles para irse, aquellos que no tenían adónde ir o aquellos cuyos familiares estaban encarcelados.

Este remanente acudió en masa a la catedral. Todos, independientemente de su religión, sabían que el nuevo predicador allí, Juan, era el único que podía dar sentido a su situación.

Les predicó una serie de sermones. En el segundo, pinta un vívido cuadro de Antioquía: “Antes no había nada más feliz que nuestra ciudad; no hay nada más triste que lo que es ahora... Nuestra ciudad se ha vuelto ‘como una encina cuya hoja se seca’ (Isaías 1,30).... La ayuda de lo alto la ha abandonado, y está desolada, despojada de casi todos sus habitantes”.

Habiendo reconocido el dolor de su pueblo. Los consoló, pero también los llevó a ver la gravedad de sus pecados y vicios: su falta de autocontrol, que había causado esta crisis y provocado la ira de Dios en el disgusto del emperador.

Sin embargo, explicó que Dios es misericordioso y por eso el pueblo tenía motivos para tener esperanza. La retórica de Juan amplificó los estados de ánimo de Antioquía en todos sus extremos. Se nos dice que muchos incrédulos llegaron a la fe gracias a su predicación.

Mientras Juan estaba en el púlpito, el anciano obispo de Antioquía, Flaviano, hizo un viaje apresurado a la capital para suplicar al emperador en nombre de la ciudad. El viaje fue de más de mil millas en cada sentido. Juan siguió predicando, deslumbrando día a día.

La noticia de Flaviano llegó justo a tiempo para que Juan proclamara desde el púlpito el domingo de Pascua: El emperador había cedido. La ciudad se salvaría.

El último sermón de Juan en la serie fue exuberante: con la alegría de la Pascua y el vértigo de la repentina seguridad de sobrevivir.

Sin embargo, tenía matices, y Juan imploró a su pueblo que retuviera las lecciones que habían aprendido en la adversidad: “Ustedes decoraron el mercado con guirnaldas. Apagaron luces por todas partes. Extendieron vegetación frente a las tiendas. ¡Celebraron como si fuera el cumpleaños de la ciudad! Ahora hagan esto de manera diferente para el resto del tiempo. Corónense de virtudes en lugar de flores.

Iluminen sus almas con buenas obras. Regocijémonos con una alegría espiritual. Y nunca dejemos de dar gracias a Dios constantemente. por todas estas cosas, no sólo que nos ha librado de estas calamidades, sino también que permitió que sucedieran”. Estos fueron los sermones que hicieron justamente famoso al joven Juan. Le valieron el apodo de “Pico de Oro”, que en griego es “Chrysostomos”. Los sermones circularon en transcripciones y pronto fueron traducidos al latín. Llegaron incluso hasta el emperador y su corte, causando una profunda impresión. En la Iglesia antigua, los grandes predicadores tenían la desgracia de atraer la atención en los puestos de poder. Inevitablemente, en 397, Juan fue convocado a la capital, que era un nido de víboras de intrigas, camarillas y envidia.

Los eclesiásticos que habían sido ignorados para el puesto lo odiaban. Planearon derribar a Juan, mediante consejos canguro (parciales o deshonestos) y acuerdos clandestinos con burócratas bien ubicados. Y lo lograron.

El emperador ordenó a Juan que renunciara a todos los deberes sacerdotales y dejara de celebrar la liturgia. Juan se negó. El emperador ordenó a todas las iglesias de la capital que prohibieran la entrada de Juan. Pero Juan siguió adelante durante la Cuaresma y la Semana Santa. Hizo planes para realizar los bautismos habituales de la temporada en los baños públicos durante la Vigilia Pascual.

Esa noche, los ritos fueron interrumpidos por una repentina intervención militar. Los testigos dijeron que las aguas bautismales estaban rojas con la sangre de los nuevos cristianos. Los soldados expulsaron a la congregación y arrestaron a Juan.

En 404, fue exiliado a Armenia, pero su devoto pueblo, de Antioquía y Constantinopla, hizo una peregrinación allí para verlo. Furioso, el emperador envió a Juan a un lugar más remoto y miserable. Se vio obligado a realizar el viaje a pie. Murió en el camino en septiembre del 407. El último testimonio de Juan resonó tan elocuentemente como nunca lo habían sido sus palabras. Su muerte fue ampliamente vista como una mancha en la casa imperial. Cuando sus reliquias fueron devueltas a la capital en el año 438, el emperador Teodosio II, heredero del monarca que había condenado a Juan, se humilló ante el ataúd del santo y pidió perdón.

Juan vivió la gloria del Domingo de Ramos, la desolación del Viernes Santo y su voz sigue inspirando hoy. — OSV News

4-10 DE MAYO

Domingo: Hch 5,27-32.40b-41, Sal 29,2.4.5-6.11-12.13, Ap 5,11-14, Jn 21,1-19 o Jn 21,1-14; Lunes: Hch 6,8-15, Sal 118,23-24.2627.29-30, Jn 6,22-29; Martes: Hch 7,51–8,1a, Sal 30,3cd-4.6 y 7b y 8a.17 y 21ab, Jn 6,3035; Miércoles: Hch 8,1b-8, Sal 65,1-3a.4-5.67a, Jn 6,35-40; Jueves: Hch 8,26-40, Sal 65,8-9.16-17.20, Jn 6,44-51; Viernes: Hch 9,1-20, Sal 116,1bc.2, Jn 6,52-59; Sábado: Hch 9,31-42, Sal 115,12-13.14-15.16-17, Jn 6,60-69

11-17 DE MAYO

Domingo: Hch 13,14.43-52, Sal 99,1-2.3.5, Ap 7,9.14b-17, Jn 10,27-30; Lunes: Hch 11,1-18, Sal 41,2-3; 42,3-4, Jn 10,1-10; Martes: Hch 11,19-26, Sal 86,1b-3.4-5.6-7, Jn 10,22-30; Miércoles (San Matías, apóstol): Hch 1,1517.20-26, Sal 112,1-2.3-4.5-6.7-8, Jn 15,9-17; Jueves: Hch 13,13-25, Sal 88,2-3.21-22.25 y 27, Jn 13,16-20; Viernes: Hch 13,26-33, Sal 2,6-7.8-9.10-11ab, Jn 14,1-6; Sábado: Hch 13,44-52, Sal 97,1.2-3ab.3cd-4, Jn 14,7-14