iTi"rrTr"ii'ir"i'i'ii'"TrTriTi"'ii'
m:-asiz
on tiih
atholic NEWS HERALD
mimm
u ms
t
8
oh
&
April 30, 1999
Volume
nmi
Number 33
Serving Catholics
Inside
in
Western North Carolina
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
Diocesan Youth Conference '99
Colorado
Teens celebrate
call
shootings
to live their faith
School violence seen as time for youth ministry to kick into gear
By
JIMMY ROSTAR
Associate Editor
...Page
7
LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — 'Everyday we face situations
that challenge our morand beliefs," read the mission statement from Diocesan Youth Conference '99. For an entire springtime weekend, hundreds of youth from across the Diocese of Charlotte pondered that missive. In workshops, in parish and vicariate gatherings, and during the closing Mass, teen-agers were prompted to think about what it means to be a Catholic in today's world. als
Agency seeking sponsors for
Kosovar Albanians ...Page
Myths,
3
new science
muddle transplant issue
"Catholic: Just
16
...Page
Local
News Elder Ministry
hosts Spring
T
Fling
15
...Page
It,
Just
Be
It,
Just
youth ministry. "The young church of western North Carolina engaged in
what we
The
call a
'SWOT'
weaknesses, opportunities and threats culminated in lists of gifts the youths promised they'd bring to the church in the new millennium. Laughter, music and conversation permeated the camp grounds. It was a time to celebrate being a teen a Catholic teen. "We are indeed blessed," Kotlowski said. "We have enthusiasm and fire, and hope and technology, and a whole list of wonderful gifts. ... are a very fortunate diocese." And while the conference had an eye on the fijture, participants basked in the joy
—
justice in society ...Page
3
—
fvcry Week & Columns ...Pages
4-5
Entertainment ..Pages
10-11
We
of being members of today's church, too.
Faith Alive! What are
parishes doing
about Generation X? .Pages 8-9
,
"I think you're the greatest people, because I find young people today do more wonderful things than when I was a teen-ager," said Bishop William G. Curlin, who presided at the conference's closing liturgy. "You're taught to take God out into the world, to take him to others who are hurting." Bishop Curlin, who offered special intentions for those killed in the Littleton, Colo., high school massacre, also noted the importance of faith in
_
BY Jimmy Rostar
Chris Geis, at right, and Jeff Johnson entertain Dobie the dachshund during Diocesan Youth Conference '99. More than 400 teen-agers and youth ministers from across the Diocese of Charlotte, along with a couple of fourlegged friends, gathered for the annual event at Camp Thunderbird on Lake Wylie. Geis and Johnson are parishioners of St. Elizabeth Church in Boone. the
process."
discussion process called
SWOT — which stands for strengths,
Conference emphasizes
Editorials
Do
Live It, Just Believe It!" was the theme for the youth conference, an annual event drawing hundreds of teens and youth ministers to Camp Thunderbird in Lake Wylie. The conference is a mix of spiritual and social activities promoting an active faith in teens' lives. This year's event, hosted April 23-25 by the Diocese of Charlotte's Office of Youth Ministry, focused on planning for the future through courage and pride in faith. "This weekend, we engaged ourselves in preparation for jubilee," said Paul Kotlowski, diocesan director of
life
of a teen-ager.
Throughout the weekend, the
"You live in a world that won't permit you to have a quiet life," he said,
teens reflected on
alluding to the all-too-real witness today's teens bear to the horrors of
came here
"You
live in
quiet
life,"
ways
to keep their
values foremost in their lives. faith," said
a worid that won't pennit you to have a said Bishop Curlin, alluding to the
all-
"We
enrichment on our Herbert Frank Vu, a 13for
year-old parishioner of St. Eugene Church in Asheville. "For the younger generations,
we need to set a good example for them to keep our faith alive. of war, violence and persecution. "If ever there was "That's important to me, 'cause I a time that you need courage and faith, it's now." have a little brother." Conference workwar, violence and persecution. "If ever shops invited the teens to find ways of there was a time that you need courage bringing a renewed sense of faith back and faith, it's now." to their parish and daily lives, too. TopThe bishop urged the teens not to ics included vocations, social justice, the cave in to wanting to be part of the "in transition from high school to college, crowd." "Never fear peer pressure," he and a variety of ways to live one's faith. said. "We've got to dare to be diflFerent, In one workshop, teens and adults and dare to be Christ-like. That's discussed the Littleton tragedy in where our church comes in." light of morality and the dignity of the Faith comes alive when it is rooted human person. in a profound love for Jesus, the bishop "Morality is the term we use to desaid. "You start with love; you start with scribe human good," said Father Carl a belief that you will touch your God when you reach out to help people," he added. YOUTH CONFERENCE, page 14
too-real witness today's teens bear to the hon^ors
The Catholic News & Herald
2
The World
Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in Baltimore postponed The VATICAN CITY (CNS)
meeting
Timor peace pact East Timorese
Edward
nal
I.
Cardi-
April 2 1
to restrict activities
gious solidarity.
to vote on independence.
CNS
grants
gatherings, building projects and non-
deportation
essential
from
a
at
Auschwitz
Un-
in 1979.
commerce would be barred 330-foot zone around
Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as other Nazi-run camps.
Study gives effects of changes wrought by 1996 welfare law WASHINGTON (CNS) The government may be successful at get-
—
ting poor people
off" welfare rolls,
but
it
bringing them out of poverty, according to a study issued April 22 by Network, a national is
less successful at
Catholic social justice lobby.
The pres-
ence of 35 million poor people in the United States is "definitely a scandal,"
Mercy Sister Kathy Thornton, Network president, at a press confer-
—
in federal
detention and facing
may soon have
a
new
re-
source to help them understand their
Immigration agencies of the Catholic and Lutheran churches and an Arizona immigrant rights project have produced a "Know Your Rights" campaign that the Immigration and rights.
Naturalization Service has agreed to
"Ninety percent of the people in detention for deportation go through it without a lawyer," said Annie Wilson, vice president for programs at
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service at an April 22 press conference. British aid agency says IMF
mishandled Asian
crisis
MANCHESTER,
England (CNS) The International Monetary Fund
—
ence where the study was released. "Poverty continues as people receive
mishandled the Asian financial crisis, worsening the impact on the poor and helping to undo 30 years of develop-
government
assistance," Sister
Diocesan, planner
Satholic NEWS HERAL0 &
May
April 30, 1999
Volume
8
•
Most Reverend William G. Joann S. Keane
Publisher: Editor:
2
Curlin
Associate Editor: Jimmy Rostar Production Associate: Julie Radcliffe Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick
Secretary: Jane Glodowski
P.O.
E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org
The Catholic News & Herald.
Roman
St.,
Charlotte,
USPC 007-393,
Catholic Diocese of Charlotte,
NC
1 1
is
published by
23 South Church
28203, 44 times a year, weel<ly except
(or
Christmas weel( and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August
for $1
5 per year for enrollees
of the
Roman
in
parishes
CHARLOTTE
The Respect Matthew and
Committees of St. Gabriel churches sponsor a spe-
Life St.
—
all
other
Second-class postage
paid at Charlotte
NC
and other
cities.
POSTt\/IASTER: Send address The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte. NC 28237. The Catholic News S Herald \s
corrections to
responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. not
8
Catholic Diocese of
Charlotte and $1 8 per year for
subscribers.
is May 4 at 7:30 p.m. The devotion services are in memory of the 40 hours the body of Jesus was in the tomb. For more information, call (704) 523-4641.
Mass
St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382
1123 South Church
the
—
continue through May 4, with Masses being celebrated at 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. each day. A closing
Hispanic Editor: Luis Wolf
Mail:
CHARLOTTE
"Forty Hours of Devotion" services begin today at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Devotions
Number 33
ment progress,
—
PHOTO FROM Reuters
Bishop William G. Curlin will be on a personal pilgrimage to Lourdes from April 28 - May 6.
said the British bish-
and development agency. In a report, "Human Development and the
ops' aid
Asia Crisis," released
in Britain
April
20 to coincide with the IMF's meeting in Washington April 27-29, the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development said the Asian economic crisis, and the IMF's response, seriously set back the global crusade to halve world poverty by the year 2015. German court orders crucifix removed from Bavarian classroom
BONN, Germany (CNS)
use.
said
less
mediate release of 35 hostages WASHINGTON (CNS) The president of the Colombian bishops'
Sejm, or lower house of parliament,
Mass
interreli-
bishops also said
network" and stressed that "all the news of the church should be disseminated to combat untruths." Colombian bishops offer to
violence as the territory prepares
der legislation passed by the Polish
papal
used at a
The
social in-
the church needs a "more effective, ac-
Thornton added. Churches, lawyers, INS helping detained immigrants know rights WASHINGTON (CNS) Immi-
stay, including a 26-foot cross
—
curate and speedy communications
outside
former Nazi concentration camps. However, Polish senators said churchapproved crosses must be allowed to
(CNS)
communication, increasing volvement and building up
The two
agreement aimed at ending spiraling
—
India
interreligious dialogue, improving
factions signed the
Polish parliament has passed legisla-
DELHI,
Indian Catholic bishops' standing
to counter a nationwide anti-Christian campaign. To counter attacks against Christians, the bishops suggested strengthening spirituality, promoting
Ximenes
.
or ideology."
committee chalked out an action plan
Belo looks on at a peace pact signing in Dili, East Timor,
Poland to restrict activities outside former Nazi camps WARSAW, Poland (CNS) The tion
The
shake hands as Bishop Carlos Filipe
faith
federal court said the Bavarian
NEW
pro-Indonesia representative Domingo Soares
Pontifical Council for
Stylianos of Australia.
a parent
if
law was "valid without reservations." Indian bishops announce plan to counter anti-Christian campaign
Isaac (left) and
Cassidy, president of the
Promoting Christian Unity, and Archbishop
grounds based on
The
independence supporter Leandro
participate," said the Catholic-Ortho-
—
can only be removed
1999
objects "with serious and reasonable
—
co-presidents of the dialogue
April 30,
Brief fix
meeting of the international CatholicOrthodox dialogue commission, scheduled for June in Baltimore, has been postponed for a full year because of the war in Yugoslavia, announced meeting organizers. The June 6-15 meeting was postponed "because of the hostilities which are continuing in Europe and which make it difficult for everyone to
dox statement. The April 26 statement was signed by Catholic and Orthodox
in
Germany
eral court in
—A
release of 35 passengers kidnapped on
an Avianca domestic flight. Archbishop Alberto Giraldo Jaramillo of Medellin told reporters that the Catholic Church
remove
is
available to negoti-
ate the release "without conditions"
and
"face to face" with the National
Liberation
Army, or ELN, the second-
largest guerrilla
group of Colombia.
New York interfaith service aimed at healing
NEW YORK
fed-
has ordered a
state-run, Bavarian school to
conference said the bishops were willing to mediate with guerrillas for the
John
J.
racial tensions
(CNS)
— Cardinal
O'Connor presided over an
in-
classroom after a couple
prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York April 20 as a
successfully argued that the presence
healing response to tensions ignited by
crucifix
from
a
a
terfaith
Amadou
of the "male torture stake" had de-
the police killing of
graded their 10-year-old daughter and violated her rights. But the Federal Administrative Court in Berlin also ruled April 21 that a 1995 Bavarian state law requiring that the religious symbol be displayed in classrooms is
young Muslim immigrant from Guinea. Cardinal O'Connor welcomed the con-
constitutional.
Under
Mother's Day Mass honoring all mothers, living or deceased, today at 9 a.m. in St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For more information, call (704) 364-5431. CHARLOTTE The Respect Life Committee of St. Gabriel Church begins a month-long "baby shower" today for families. Room at the Inn and Crisis Pregnancy. New baby items can be taken to the parish fellowship hall and outside the daily chapel on the parish grounds, located at 3016 Providence Rd. Call (704) 364-5431 for
—
1 1
CHARLOTTE
—
An
informa-
on The Loyola Institute Ministry Extension (LIMEX), which provides an opportunity for tional session
graduate-level education for those preparing for or engaged in a variety of ministry, is today from 7-8:30 p.m. at
Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Learning groups meet in the Char-
St.
For
which he emphasized was for prayer and not protest, would begin "a new look at racial injustice in our society."
Case
at (704)
362-0013.
14 GREENSBORO
— "The Love of
the Father," a statewide conference on
preparing for the new millennium, is today through May 16 at Greensboro College, 815 W. Market St. Featured speakers are Catholic evangelists Peter Herbeck and Jim Murphy. Fees start at $55 for meals and a shared room on campus. Private rooms and suites are
For details, call Hannah Greensboro at (336) 273-9205, or
also available. in
Joyce in Charlotte at (704) 547-1836. 1
5
GREENSBORO — A five-kilome-
run and one-mile fun run are planned for today at Grimsly High School starting at 8 a.m. The entry fee for the run is $12, which includes a Tshirt for the first 100 entries. The fee for the fun run is $5. All proceeds will ter
for
lotte area.
gregation and said he hoped the service,
the law, a cruci-
cial
more information.
Diallo, a
details, call
Connie
Milligan at (704) 364-3344 or Joanna
benefit the
Twin
Parish
Program of
Our Lady
of Grace Church in Greensboro, which is raising funds for a Catholic parish in Kharkov, Ukraine.
The
parish there will purchase a radio
station with the funding.
For
details
1999
April 30,
In
Conference emphasizes justice By
JIMMY ROSTAR
Associate Editor
WINGATE
— For
Christians to
bring about true justice, they must see Jesus in others and make the of God come alive each day.
kingdom
That's what two noted clergymen
suggested as a model of
faith at "Faith
Doing Justice," an April 1 3 conference at Wingate University promoting dialogue and reflection between Catholics and Protestants on issues of social action. Keynote speakers Bishop William G. Curlin, of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, and the Rev. Tony
Campolo, a Baptist minister, social acand author, discussed bearing a
tivist
living witness to Jesus' plea for out-
reach to others.
"Our
call
to live the life of
is
Christ," said Bishop Curlin,
who
fo-
comments on welcoming
cused his Jesus to walk the earth through the faithful. Ordained almost 42 years ago, Bishop Curlin has spent much of his ministry in poor parishes and as an advocate for the needy. Bishop Curlin shared stories of a longtime personal friend, Mother Teresa, who based her life on service to
The Catholic News & Herald 3
fhe New$
in society
the poor. He urged the students to follow her example of reaching out to
them and demand justice."
people not out of pity, but because they see Jesus in them. The bishop commended today's young adults, saying this generation strives to serve. "Because of your caring, there is an opportunity for peace that may not have existed before," he
the
added.
Campolo, a professor of sociology and director of the sociology program
The conference, co-sponsored by campus ministry offices of
Wingate University and the Diocese of Charlotte, was a first for the univer-
Community
sity.
leaders of various re-
and service organizations facilitated roundtable discussions, which encouraged people of different faith traditions to speak about a common ligious
goal: justice for the oppressed, the
hurting, the needy.
"People talked out of their experi-
Eastern College in St. David's, Pa., also spoke of experiencing Jesus' presence through human service and
ence," said Colleen
Christian caring.
office,
"The kingdom of God is wherever God's will is done, where love and justice prevail," Campolo said. He added that
as a matter of faith.
anything diminishing the dignity of a person is intolerable, because injustice to a person is injustice to Jesus himself "Social action and prayer must not be divided," said Campolo, who regularly advises the president on policies affecting the poor and the country's inner cities. "It's in the context of prayer that we empathize with people and feel their suffering. It's in the context of prayer that we stand up for
we must respond in some way." McDermott also serves as diocesan
at
McDermott, direccampus ministry
tor of the diocesan
of the dialogue on social justice
we must do tians.
this if
There
director of
"The
we
idea
is
that
say we're Chris-
such a huge need, and
is
young
§Soim
organized the event with Todd Lake, Wingate's campus ministry director, and Julie Whichard, the school's Catholic campus ministry associate.
Peter
Consi<l«fi»<i
adult ministry. She
hove
p<ijM, P«(er
+
is
said to
.^^^^^^
years.
*
Shortest Papacy
W^M "HM
'
"»
M
^-^m
Ufboi) VII Sept. 15-27, 1590
| B f
1 Hedi«£HrsmmalafiQ 12ddysoFler his eledion.
W *"f
•esofAprilim
Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Rostar
370-3334 or
first
Pteiise figures ore not nwiiable.
,jL__J
by calling (704)
ihe
led the church fcf 3fl
monlhs ol man mn<leil to
mmt nwtsh
i
by sending e-
to jtrostar@charlottediocese.org.
Refugee agency seeking family sponsors for Kosovar Albanians By PATRICIA Catholic
ZAPOR
News
Service
—
WASHINGTON (CNS) Two days after the administration announced 20,000 Kosovar refugees would be admitted to the U.S. mainland, resettlement agencies were actively seeking people to offer
shelter
— and
them
quickly.
Mark Franken, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services for the U.S. Catholic Conference, said April 23 that many diocesan refugee agencies would immediately start seeking U.S. relatives of Kosovar Albanians who have
fled their
home
country.
asked by the USCC to Albanian families here Qn the Charlotte Diocese] that are ready to
"We were
assist
call
Eddie Mitchell at (336) 548-4325.
—
16 GREENSBORO An tional session on The Loyola
informaInstitute
Extension (LIMEX), which provides an opportunity for
for Ministry
graduate-level education for those preparing for or engaged, in a variety of ministry, is today 3-4 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. Learning groups will meet in the Triad area. For details, call Connie Milligan at (704) 364-3344 or Joanna Case at (704) 362-0013.
MAGGIE VALLEY — A "Spirit Day" for middle-school
youth
Mountain Vicariate
in the
Smoky
today from 12:30-6 p.m. at the Living Waters Reflection Center, 1420 Soco Rd. For details, call
(828) 669-0524.
20 HIGH POINT is
is
—
A healing Mass celebrated today in the chapel of
Maryfield Nursing Home, Greensboro Rd., at 7:30 p.m.
2 1 ASHEVILLE
— The
Catholic As-
sociation of Family Educators, a .school
13 15
home-
support group, meets today at 6
sponsor relatives," said Cira Ponce, director of refugee resettlement for the Diocese of Charlotte. The spon.sorship process, she said, involves filing affidavits of relationships to bring family members into this country. To date. Ponce has worked with five families - four with immediate family members - who want to bring a total of 38 individuals out of Albania and Macedonia. "One family alone is sponsoring 26," said Ponce. Ponce has been advised that the process should begin in two to three weeks. MRS director Frankin expects that by the first couple days of May, the procedures for moving refugees from host countries to the United States
would be
in place.
A team repre-
p.m. for a picnic potluck dinner. All
welcome. For details, call Denise Vish at (828) 645-6990 or Sheryl Oligny at (828) 298-036. HICKORY Dr. Theresa Karminski Burke, a counseling psychologist, leads "Healing for Traumatic Pregnancy Loss," a workshop for profesfamilies are
—
senting MRS, the State Department, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the International Organization for Migration was preparing to travel to the region within a couple of days,
Franken
said.
"After that, they should begin coming here in 21 days, at the outside," he said. The United States planned to move about 400 people a day from Macedonia and other countries that have been housing refugees temporarily, in borrowed rooms, tents
$50 for professionals, $30 for pregnancy care volunteers and other volunteers, and $15 for full-time students. Send checks payable to Transfiguration Ministries, Inc., to Dr. Martha Shuping, 1400-B Millgate Dr., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27103. Cafl Shuping for details at (336) 659-1342.
22 GREENSBORO vertisers
—
Players, ad-
and sponsors are invited to
was working
among the Kosovo refugees
that they are
pre-registration for an additional $6.
vide for instructional materials, infor-
institute of The
FIRE,
is
MRS
Our Lady of Grace School Golf Classic, the school's annual education fund-raiser, starting at 7 a.m. today at the Grandover Resort Golf Course. Cost to play is $99, which includes course play, a golf shirt and a catered luncheon. Proceeds will proparticipate in the
women, men and
fee
said
willing to sponsor in the United States.
mation technology, media center re-
The
Franken
through diocesan refugee resettlement agencies to find people with relatives
and sometimes in open fields. The United States in early April committed to taking up to 20,000 Kosovo refugees, but initially planned to house them in tents at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. That plan met
sional counselors, physicians, nurses, peer counselors, pregnancy center volunteers, campus ministers and clergy, today at the Catholic Conference Center from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The presentation is to help participants better understand how abortion affects families.
with strong objections from human rights and immigrant advocacy groups. On April 21, Vice President Al Gore announced the refugees would be allowed to stay in the United States instead. Gore said priority would be given to people with relati\'es here and those with medical needs that cannot be met in the refugee camps.
sources, scholarship ing, athletics call
and
endowment fund-
fine arts.
Eddie Mitchell
at (336)
For
details
548-4325.
Upcoming
BELMONT — The Southeast rally of a Catholic alliance of faith, in-
tercession, repentance
and evangelism,
from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
is no way of knowing how of the 20,000 slots for refugees to come to the United States may be
There
many
See
KOSOVO REFUGEES,
page
13
Early registration deadline is Aug. 25. For details, cafl (704) 519-0786, or visit the Web at http:// www.ntrnet.net/ -goodnews/.
HICKORY — "The rience:
Initiation
Expe-
Beginnings and Beyond"
is
an
North American Forum on the Catechumenate Aug. 1-6 at the Catholic Conference Center. This foundational institute, which features a track on campus ministry,
teaches the Christian initiation process and the pastoral skills to imple-
ment
it
in various settings. Early-
bird registration (by
May
3) costs
begin at $325 per person (commuter
Wheeler Athletic Center on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Team
rate). For a registration brochure and other details, call Joanna Case at (704) 362-0013 or send e-mail to
members include internationally
jcase@charlotte.infi.net.
is
Sept. 18
known
at the
Catholic clergy, religious and
lay evangelists.
A youth
Advance
session
is
also
$15 for adults and $ 10 for high school and college students. Lunch is available with
featured.
tickets are
Please submit notices of events for the Diocesan Planner at least 1 0 days prior to publication date.
4
The Catholic News & Herald
{dit oriQis & Co
umns
After Littleton words at 1:30 in the .morning, bleary-eyed and numb after hours in
down
'sit
The Pope
Coming of Age
to write these
I
front of the television.
Speaks girl
me
returned to
and
—
Within a 100-foot radius, my children,sleep a little and two teen-age boys wlio went to school today and I
will
And
safe.
Tomorrow morning
send them off again and wait at this
they will
— and
rise,
trust.
moment, two time zones away, high
ancient mountains, other parents
sit in
in
the Catholic Church's
Yesterday morning they also trusted, but now the rooms within their sight and hearing are dark and empty. Their children lie dead in a library, a cafeteria, a hallway lifeless in a place that was once a school but is now a bloody mausoleum. By the time you read this you will know much more about the group of self-proclaimed outcasts called the Trench Coat Mafia; from clues left, a picture will probably have emerged to begin to answer why, even if the reason is beyond reason. And you will hear blame: that it was the parents' neglect; that teachers and administrators ignored warning signs; that it was the music they listened to, the movies they watched, the video games they played; that it was the fault of a violent society; that schools don't spend enough money and resources helping troubled kids; that the killers were picked on; that it was the guns no kid should be able to have. Perhaps it was one or two of those things, perhaps all of them. But even without knowing the entire story, amid all the competing explanations and (yes) excuses, we can be sure of one thing. can rest our case on one factor that underlies all of the above and mixes into a destructive horrific stew of carnage.
passengers kidnapped April 12
To carefully construct pipe bombs filled with nails and plant them around a school. To walk into a room
POPE JOHN PAUL
II
AMY WELBORN
other homes.
CNS
Columnist
—
Pope, at audience, urges people to dialogue over differences By CINDY
WOODEN
News Service Because God CITY (CNS)
Catholic
VATICAN the father of
all
—
peoples,
human
is
beings are
brothers and sisters who must learn to respect each other and settle their differences through dialogue, Pope John Paul II said. During his April 21 general audience, the pope prayed that God would "enlighten the blindness of those who persist in following the torturous paths of hatred and violence, convincing them to opt definitively for a sincere and patient dialogue which will bring solutions beneficial for all."
Pope John Paul's main audience talk about commitment to interreligious dialogue was followed by special appeals for peace in Africa and for the release of airline Colombia. "In addition to the drama which continues in Kosovo, I would like to remember today the many 'forgotten wars' which are bloodying Africa," the pope said. "The long and bitter" list of conflicts in Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan "mostly strike the innocent populations and disrupt the life of the Catholic communities," he said. "In particular, the news of the arrest of Bishop Augustin Misago of Gikongoro in Rwanda has caused sadness and sorrow," the pope said. T+ie bishop was taken into custody April 14 after being accused of participating in the 1994 ethnic genocide that led to the deaths of some 500,000 people. "In the certainty that the power of the Resurrection is stronger than evil, we beg the one who defeated sin and death to quickly turn the
hope
in
and fraternal Africa into a pope said. In his main audience talk, the pope said the Catholic Church's relationship with and its attitude toward other religions begins with a recognition that there is one God who is the father of all and who acts to save all people. While the Catholic Church believes the fullness of salvation comes through Jesus Christ, it
It
of
was
human
their lives
evil.
beings, shoot them, listen to
and say
Whatever
also recognizes that the spirit of God
everything that
is
is
at
work
true and beautiful in other
religions.
Lord God of Israel is not just one God among many, but the one true God, then it follows that all peoples must be saved by him," the pope said. "If the
Interreligious dialogue and a clear proclamation of salvation in Christ are not conflicting church projects. Pope John Paul said. They are aimed at deepening people's faith and respect for one another. "Interreligious dialogue does not mean abdicating proclamation," he said. "Discussion and exchange should lead to deeper knowledge of one another's convictions and to eventual agreement on fundamental values."
its
that's just too bad:
cause, this
is
them beg
This
for
life, and I mean complete. Consider the depths to which one would have to go to kill so ruthlessly and purposefully, and then end the thing by taking one's own life. The arguments will be hurled fast and furiously over the next few weeks. Teens trained to be responsible gun owners will protest that the massacre shouldn't cast a shadow on them. Members of the subcultures initially implicated as factors Goths, devotees of industrial rock, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein will defend themselves, saying they never killed anyone. Kids who spend hours staring at games with names like "Mortal Combat" and "Resident Evil" will say the same things. And I suppose they are right. But the fact is that some of the most powerflil and attractive elements of adolescent subculture advocate nihilism, amorality, violence and the glamour of "darkness." Go to the official Marilyn Manson web site. See if it doesn't give you serious chUls. As morning breaks, I go to the Internet news groups to see what's being said about this. There is universal
—
—
—"Twenty-five among rumored —"Twenty-five
horror, but sprinkled
it's
the grief are the following: to be dead....
But hey
a start."
dead. ...Not bad."
is evil.
what those
Just a few voices
acts in
Littleton, Colo., expressed: complete disregard for
know now,
that's all
among the many. But it
I
think
we
takes.
more than one of a diocese where one priest is the pastor of 20 parishes. In some countries there is one priest for more than 5,000 square miles. "The priests in these situations are utterly deare putting priests in charge of
Spirituality
parish.
for Today
I
know
pendent on outstanding lay men and
women min-
who
help to minister to the people of the parish. Somehow, the church remains alive and isters
well.
How
FATHER JOHN CATOIR
CNS
Columnist
Women
in ministry Eastertide and happy springtime. This
for a peaceful
reality," the
in
We
the value of human
Happy the season of new is
life
and new hope
for all
of us. Recently I came across an interesting statistic. In the Catholic Church in the United States there are 238 Catholic colleges and universities. Fifty of them have graduate
programs
and pastoral ministry, and
women
in
theology
represent 70
percent of the enrollment. "There are more lay people receiving graduate education in ministry and pastoral theology than there are celibate men in the four years of theology leading to ordination," according to "The Future Church of 140 B.C.E.," by Bernard J. Lee (Cross-
beautifully the
Holy
Spirit
is
working
in
our midst. Far from lamenting the shortage of priests, I see it as a creative opportunity for growth. I am optimistic that the Holy Spirit has an agenda for the future church that will lead to a new flowering of spiritual energy. Women will certainly be playing an even more vital role as time goes on. Exactly how this will work itself out, remains to be seen. However, all of us should remember that our power comes from the same source. We are
all
members of the body of Christ.
Priests, bishops, popes, lay
receive their
men and women
power by virtue of
all
their union with
Jesus Christ. In different ways, lay men and women bring the presence of Jesus to the people of God. Wherever two or more are gathered in his
road, p. 139). With the shortage of priests on the increase, the role of the laity in church life seems to be
name, he is in their midst. This new awakening in the church can be seen in the way the word of God is being read and studied. We are gradually developing a deeper reverence for God's word and for one another.
growing significantly. Without a doubt, our young people will experience the church differ-
tact with
ently in the next millennium. Just think, the laity will nearly double in size, and the number of priests will halve their current level in the next 20 years. It is a sure bet that the laity, and women in particular, are going to be playing a greater role in the life of the church. Even today, about 30 percent of all U.S. dioceses have priestless parishes, with women serving as pastoral administrators. More and more bishops
Spirituality
is
defined as one's conscious con-
God. Improving this contact is always a work in progress. The church is finding new ways to survive with fewer and fewer priests. Maybe the Lord is trying to tell us something. Maybe he is the one who is bringing women to the forefront of ministry in our church. bit surprised.
I
wouldn't be
a
April 30,
1999
Light
Father Paul leaned into his microphone as if he were reaching out to hold her hand, and spoke in a
One
Candle
—
McSWEENEY
Pride: Virtue or vice? Can it ever be a virtue? IsThis was the question that came from Marian of Westchester during a recent broadcast of "Religion on the Line," a live call-in program on Radio in New York City. The show is regularly-hosted by Father Paul Keenan, the well known radio-host whose media ministry is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Father Paul invited me to join him during the 6-9 am broadcast one Sunday morning. On this particular show, callers asked for our views and shared their own on a wide variety of concerns, ranging from national politics to the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. After all, this is one city where everyone has an opinion and an attitude to go along with it. So creating one big public chat room here on the airwaves is risky, to say the least. For that reason alone I am in awe of Father Paul's tactful and compassionate handling of each caller. The voice of the woman from Westchester drew pride always a sin?
WABC
hope you
my own
It
was
as troubled as
will be able to help
me
it
was
confused about pride
—
and
is it
sin-
understand
feelings about pride," she asked, "but
raised to be independent
self-reliant.
So
I
—
A friend of mine,
now
was
am
I
a virtue or a sin?"
Father Tliomas
J.
McSweeney
is
director
of The
to be
making a
Can a woman versa?
ever be trapped in a
How does the
man
's
tliis
mission statement the CommitThe tee on Ecumenism summarizes the for
proposals contained in the document. It reads: "The ecumenical and inter-faith mission of the Diocese of Charlotte is to promote dialogue with other Christian denominations, faith formation within the Catholic tradition and a clear understanding of Catholic doctrine as it touches the lives of other Christians, Jews and non-believers. The ecumenical and inter-religious ministry seeks to heal divisions among Christians in the Charlotte Diocese and to reach out to people of good
will.
"The mission
will be carried out at the diocesan level under the leadership of the Ecumeni-
and Inter-religious Commission through a strong working relationship with parishes and diocesan agencies and a particular emphasis on collaboration without ecumenical and inter-religious partners." The specifics of the proposal include: The formation of an Ecumenical and Incal
—
life
his
FATHER JOHN DIETZEN
CNS
Commission which
will
better situate the diocesan ecumenical ministry
—
Corner
body, or vice
Catholic Church look upon
The Committee on Ecumenism
—
ultimately to have a sex-change operation.
woman, he seems
Guest Columnist
Lutheran, Episcopal and United Methodist (LARCUM) partners, which would significantly move forward the already-existing cooperation between the diocese and these denominations; The maintenance and strengthening of the relationships with various ecumenical organizations with which we already have a high level of cooperation, such as the North Carolina Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute of Wake Forest University and Belmont
Question
in his early 30s, decided to
for himself and seems happy with /lis decision. But immediate family has practically disowned him.
FATHER GEORGE M. KLOSTER
within the diocesan structure; A new cooperative structure with our
Christophers.
change his sexuality from male to female. It all began in high school, so this is no sudden decision. Since graduation his life has been a stormy one. He is under a doctor's care, takes hormones and is preparing
Now living as a
Planning
ter-religious Affiars
Sex changes Q.
Strategic
—
J.
Guest Columnist
us in immediately.
tone of utter confidentiality: "Tell me, Marian, is it you to accept help when you need it? Do you ever ask for help?" There was sadness in her answer. "Well, that is just it, Father Paul, lately I haven't been feeling well, and several friends and family have offered to do this but I always refuse. I just can't and that for me bring myself to let them do anything!" instead, he Father Paul didn't interrupt her created an atmosphere of security in which Marian pursued her own question. In turn, she found the independence to seek her own answer. "I take pride in my work, pride in my children, pride in my church," she concluded, "but I also know that in the catalogue of the seven deadly sins, pride is at the top of the list. I just feel torn." A warm smile creased Father Paul's lips, a smile that I am certain his listeners can hear. "Marian, you are right! You have every right to be proud of the good that has blessed your life. After all, you helped it along. And you are also right to be concerned about being so self-reliant that you don't give those who love you the opportunity to express their love. If your pride denies someone else the joy of giving and makes you incapable of experiencing the joy of receiving, then pride becomes a problem." Marian's spirits lifted noticeably: 'What you are saying is that just as we gratefully receive God's love, so we must be grateful for one another's gifts of love." "Oh my," Father Paul softly replied, "I couldn't have said it any better. Thank you, Marian, thank you!" Every day brings opportunities to give and to receive. The right response to both is gratitude gratitude to God and to our neighbors, who show us his generosity, just as we, in turn, can show it to them. difficult for
FATHER THOMAS
cere. "I
The Catholic News & Herald
{ditorials & Columns
Abbey College. The Ecumenical and Commission will provide
Columnist
kind
of sex change?
Inter-religious Affairs
assistance to continue
and/or develop the ecumenical ministry
at the
parish level; formulate guidelines for the ecu-
A. Obviously, your question is an enormously complicated one and allows for no simple or absolute answer. It is possible, however, to point out some factors involved in this kind of process, which is inevitably terribly tortuous and painful for the individual and everyone else involved. First, let's suppose we're dealing with a reasonably normal person whose male or female identity is well established emotionally, physically and psychologically, in relationship both with himself and others.
For such a person to attempt a sex change, even whatever degree might be possible, would be a gross abuse of his or her person and morally wrong. Few if any cases like this are that clear cut, however. In my pastoral and counseling experiences to
with people wrestling with this decision, it has bequite clear to me that an individual can possess a clear genetic sexual individuality (male or female chromosomes), as well as major physical male or female sex characteristics, and still suffer from a confused, if not clearly opposite, sense of personal sexual
function in his or her "proper" sex-related activities.
many
other factors must be considered. Certain relatively new surgical procedures are available to deal in some way with these kinds of In light of this,
anomalies in men and women. There's room for considerable question in many cases, however, as to just how much "sex change" is really involved. More importantly, procedures are increasingly accessible to deal with such physical abnormalities by therapy far less drastic and radical than surgery. One gets the impression that many, though by no means all, of these extreme "therapies" have been implemented up to now with insufficient weighing of the moral implications for both the individual and society. Insofar as that is true, of course, it is to be deplored.
come
At very and
far too
least, it is safe to
many
say that
it is
too soon,
variables are involved, to conclude
every operation or therapeutic procedure labeled a "sex change" is automatically morat this point that
ally
wrong.
menical celebration of marriages, funerals, baptisms, etc.; and to develop new partnerships at the denominational level. The inter-religious dimension of the commission will work with the Jewish community and the expanding Muslim community in North Carolina. Serving on the Ecumenical Strategic Planning Committee are Rev. George Berthold, then of Belmont and now of Boston, Ma.; Bill Block of Murphy; Rev. Louis Canino, of Greensboro; Cookie Elston of Salisbury; Rev. Mark Lawlor of Biscoe; Jane Litzinger of WinstonSalem; Dr. Marion Love of Hickory; Dr. Richard Rupp of Boone; and Sr. Larretta Rivera-Williams, then of Belmont and now of WinstonSalem. Dr. Carol LaHurd of Hickory, a Lutheran theologian; and Rev. Cameron West, then of Gastonia and now of Brevard, a United Methodist pastor and vice-president of Brevard College, serve on the committee as ecumenical consultants. Regina Pastula of Belmont is the diocesan staff person on the committee.
OFM
identity.
The complex system of internal secretions (hormones) which interact from one organ or gland to another is subject to all sorts of imbalance. If extensive enough, it may cause serious difficulties, even insuperable obstacles, in an individual's ability to
Questions for this column
may
Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, jjdietzen@aol.com.
III.
Father John 61651, or e-mail:
be sent to
Father George Kloster
is
chairperson for
Ecumeiiical Strategic Planning Committee.
tlie
He
is
pastor of St. JVilliam Church in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary mission in Hayesville.
5
6
The Catholic News & Herald
Peace education program founder honored by cardinals BOSTON (CNS) The president
year of intensive English. The students will learn how to celebrate Mass in Ukrainian and English. Eventually, they are to be ordained for the Ukrainian Archdiocese of Philadelphia. New Brazilian bisiiops' head
—
of a Massachusetts peace education program was presented with the 10th American Cardinals Encouragement Award at an April 23 banquet in Boston to benefit The Catholic Unix'ersity of America. Joseph M. Chery, who founded the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute with his wife, Clementina, was honored at the annual American Cardinals Dinner, held at the city's World Trade Center. The Cherys established the peace institute in honor of Joseph's son, 15-year-old Louis David Brown, who was shot and killed on his way to a Christmas party hosted by a violence prevention group called Teens Against Gang Violence. .
says
Orthodox nun attends a liturgy at the Orthodox Patriarchy in Bucharest, Romania. Pope John Paul is set to visit Romania
seum of Jewish
Award
of the
New York April
1
8.
Archbishop says priests' movement does not represent all blacks CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) A South African priests' movement that called on the bishops to admit racism still exists in the
—
By
JOHN THAVIS
Catholic
News
Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
— Mark-
World Day of Prayer
for
Pope John Paul
Voca-
ordained 31
II
priests for the Diocese of
Rome and
prayed for a resurgence of vocations throughout the universal church. "The Lord has called you to be ministers of his mercy and dispensers of his mysteries," the pope told the newly ordained during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica April 25.
main task was
He
and
service,
said their
their
model
should be the good shepherd.
Among
the
new
priests
were 10
non-Italians, including men from South Korea, Poland, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela, all of whom have decided to serve in the pope's diocese.
1
7-9. About 70 percent of the country's population
Orthodox.
CNS
priests,
said
all
black
Archbishop Wilfrid
Napier of Durban. Archbishop Napier, vice president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, said many priests were unhappy about the racial labels applied by the African Catholic Priests Solidarity
Movement
in a letter to the conference.
Ukrainians study for priesthood at U.S. Ukrainian seminary WASHINGTON (CNS) Petro
—
The group included a 45-year-old Roman, Stefano Meloni, who had
Zvarych,
who
from
homeland
with 23 other students is in the United States to study for the priesthood at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington. They arrived from southwest Ukraine, which is predominantly Catholic, to master a nine-year theology program that includes one
for several years as a volunteer Vatican hospice for street people, run by the late Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. He said that six years ago, Mother Teresa told him he should be a priest and would pray that he receive a vocation. The pope, who has made a point of personally ordaining priests each year, said the new priests represented a gift for the whole church. Vocations are particularly needed to help meet the task of a "new evangelization" at the start of Christianity's third millennium, he said. He prayed that all priests "may enter in a
his
commitment to debt relief, despite growing support of "the option for the poor." "We are only several months from the year 2000, and we still do not see on the part of the creditors the sense of urgency or the sense of commitment to really do something that would be radical and different for the
into the fidelity
An
new millennium with renewed
and
a
burning missionary
spirit."
Italian Rogationist priest.
ther Vito
Magno, who has
Fa-
tion trends extensively, told Vatican
Ra-
in Africa
and Asia,
1
#
Dealer
In
said Justin Kilcullen, president of In-
ternational Cooperation for DevelopSolidarity, known by its French acronym as CIDSE. Biblical scholar talks to catechists about church as a journey INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) Keynote speaker Passionist Father Donald
ment and
Senior took delegates at a national catechetical conference through a bibli-
journey, illustrating that the
the Catholic Church
#2
Dealer
investment
Call Janice
PartyLite
Pappas
Consultant
According to the Vatican statisthere were more than 9,000
tics office,
priestly ordinations in
1997, nearly
400 fewer than 1996. The number of down to priests declined by 128 more than 404,000 during 1997.
...
—
—
Charlotte
'Our Specialty
Is
Loving Your
Pets'
Animal
Pineville
Hospital Drivers wanted
In
The Whole Southeast
In
The United States
10833
Pineville
Road,
Pineville,
NC
(704) 552-2005 addition to our complete
medical care
facility,
we
also offer:
Boarding Kennels
FOR CUSTOMER SALES & SERVICE SATISFACTION Professional
Carolina Volkswagen NC (704) 537-2336 0 (800) 489-2336 6625
E.
Independence
for info/free catalog
(704) 455-6741
of
Father Senior said that "the story of the church begins in the great saga of Israel, a story reaching back to the moment of creation and forward to the moment of rebirth and renewal." "The Bible casts it as a great journey of faith for God's a journey originating from people, God and ending in communion with God," said the priest, president and professor of New Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
In
No cash
life
a journey.
(Near Carolina Pavilion/AMC 22 Theater)
PartylJte offers fun,
•
is itself
...
but less so for the other continents. He said almost 15 percent of the world's priests and nuns live in Italy, with an average age that is among the highest in the world.
Carolina #
countries that are indebted so heavily,"
cal
studied voca-
dio that the church's vocations picture
was generally good
.
—
more vocations
worked
Dealer
full-time opportunities
is
president of a network of Catholic aid agencies said international creditors
PHOTO FROM Reuters
Zvarych has come from Ukraine to Washington to answer a call. "I have the feeling I am called by God to serve the faithful and the church," said
priests, prays for
#1
part-time or
dignity
lack
church does not represent
Need extra cash?
flexible,
human
Agency iiead says creditors lack commitment to debt relief WASHINGTON (CNS)— The
y-
§5
detect that one's
being threatened, we will speak out," Bishop Chemello said in his first press conference after being elected president of the conference for the next four years. His remarks came after Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso criticized the bishops for remarks made about the country's economic policies.
May
Pope ordains 31 new
tions,
we
"More than
Heritage.
trustees. He made the presentation at a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in
ing
government's economic policies. "We are not an opposition party, but when
Mu-
any other leader of our age, he has told the world this simple truth: that we are all children of Abraham, and that the Holocaust was a sin against JudeoChristian civilization," said Robert M. Morgenthau, chairman of the museum's
—
tinue to voice his opinion about the
—
the annual Heritage
continue to speak out The
newly elected head of the Brazilian bishops' conference. Bishop Jayme Chemello of Pelotas, said he will con-
An Orthodox nun
is
lie'll
SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS)
Romanian
Cardinal O'Connor honored by Museum of Jewish Heritage YORK (CNS) Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York received
NEW
1999
April 30,
People in the New$
"Nothing Could Be Finer"
Grooming
Blvd., Charlotte,
Members
of
St.
Gabriel
Thomas N. Buckley, DVM, owner Member of St. Ann's I
April 30,
1999
The Catholic News & Herald 7
from the Cover
School violence seen as time foryouth ministry to kick into gear By PATRICIA ZAPOR Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON
before they turn to violence.
"Everything
—
(CNS)
said.
parishes have 500 the books as high school students and 50 to 75 who participate in youth ministry," Moser said. "Of course we serve those 50 to 75, but we should be seeking out and serving
He
said even understaffed
community
pate in CNS
Kimmie Cornell
and Brittney Pastine mourn
tiatives
PHOTO FROM Reuters
with high school guidance counselors so that when a crisis arises, all the people with a connection to a teen with a problem can participate in
at the casket
helping.
youth minister, Moser told Catholic News Service, he would have gone to
have a deep sensitivity to violence or a deep commitment to service and
and organizing, community cam-
schools his students attend to talk to them about how the Littleton events
justice, I'd call
make them feel. "If I knew kids
found a kid who's really
paigns for violence prevention or to
handguns. And if he were an active parish
collect
in
my
parish
who
'How
them
are you?"'
distraught,
I
might
In brief...
"One thing Pope John Paul II is good at is reaching out to all kids, not just the Catholics, wherever he goes,"
up, just to ask,
Moser talk
with his parent or refer him to a professional
said.
"If
Moser
I
said.
"We
Thousands attend prayer service for shooting victims
— Thousands
of people turned out for a citywide interfaith prayer service the evening of April 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver to mourn the victims of the deadliest school massacre in U.S. history. Hundreds of young people, many wearing letter jackets from area high schools, huddled together and wept openly at the unfathomable mystery of why two young men would savagely murder 13 people and wound 23 others before taking their own lives at Columbine High School in Littleton April 20.
Cardlnai says LIttieton schooi shootings shouid surprise no one LOS ANGELES (CNS) In the wake of the April 20 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., that left 15 people dead, including the two suspected assailants, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles said there should be little surprise such tragic events occur. "If we as a people continue to denigrate the value of each and every human life, should we be surprised by incidents such as the Columbine tragedy?" he asked in an April 25 statement. In the statement titled "And So Why Are We Surprised?" the cardinal asked that question in several contexts and said the answers go beyond proposals for gun control regulations, conflict management, metal detectors and armed school patrols.
—
—
...
us...
Fifteen people were dead, including the two
Those
community in
ministry
particularly
pitals, the
Another 23 were
hospitalized for injuries
from bomb shrapnel and gunshots. The two
be attuned to what's
shooters, identified as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were said to
people throughout communities,
not just within the
bounds
It
of their
ing
tions they raise.
a religious
"Part of
•
Church through a planned
• •
of Charlotte
•
A bequest in your will A gift from a retirement A gift of life insurance A gift of an annuity A gift of a trust A gift of real estate
For informalioii,
call
Specialists in
corner,"' he said,
Custom Modular
to ttieet your gtviidng
just telling them, it
doesn't
mean
t
Turn- key and Professional Solutions 1803 East Wendover Ave., Suite Greensboro,
(336)
275-8274
at
^ Schools n Institutions ss
plan
(.336)
Daycares
m Churches m Sales Offices a Recreational
E Facilities
NC 27405 275-8649 fax
m Banks
modular@greensboro.com
Cindy Rice at
370-3320 or Jim Kelley
370-3301
Daniel L. Murray, President St.
agency, or diocesan foundation.
is
there's a killer lurking behind every
www.niodularcorp.com or a diocesan parish, school,
it
context for the ques-
'these things happen,
Become a member by making: •
to teens talk
through their feelings about such violence, Moser said, and provid-
Adolf Hitler and had interests others considered eccentric but not necessarily harmful. Moser said the incident underscores the need for communities to take responsibility for spotting young people with such dramatic problems
it."
can be helpful just
to listen
individual parishes.
and changing needs •
tional effort at
have belonged to a group known as the "Trenchcoat Mafia" that idolized
Buildings
Honoring the generosity
ofthe
ing actually is "a great time for youth ministry people to be present to young people. But we have to make an inten-
[MqdularCqrp
Catholic Heritage Society
provide for the future
like the Littleton shoot-
happening with young
their
— the hos-
Rotary Club,
the high schools." Moser said crises
need to
identified as the shooters.
have to take the time connect with the
to
counselor."
of Catholicfriends who
anti-violence ini-
and establish relationships
of their
(right)
Scott was among the 12 students killed at Columbine High School in a shooting rampage carried out by two classmates.
prayer sereducation about violence, teaching mediation skills,
youth
partici-
friend Rachel Scott during her funeral service in Littleton, Colo., April 24.
He suggested holding
Please join
young people of the
the
programs can encourage and
vices, offering parish
the Diocese
all
community."
to be directed into action."
gift to
many
"So
young people on
schoolmates at the Colorado school April 20, Moser, the executive director of youth, young adult and CYO ministry in the Cleveland Diocese composed an e-mail message to youth ministers about how they could respond constructively. "At times like these it is tempting to be overwhelmed by the power of evil and violence," wrote Moser, also chairman of the board of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. "The Gospel demands that we be a people of hope, and our hope needs
—
particularly
need to be attuned to what's happening with young people throughout their communities, not just within the bounds of their individual parishes, he
High School. The morning after two students planted bombs and started shooting
(CNS)
screams that
Moser said. Those in ministry
Cleveland might be a thousand miles away from Littleton, Colo., but Greg "Dobie" Moser was worried about how teens in his town were taking news of the massacre at Columbine
DENVER
me
in
this kind of thing just can't continue,"
Pius
X Pan'sfiioner
IB
Medical
Facilities
8
The Catholic News & Herald
April 30,
faith Alive!
1999
What are parishes doing about
By
mark pacione
Catholic
News
Service
seems that the most difficult challenge for the church in trying to address 20-Some things is remembering that they are a group distinct and different from adoles-
It cents.
Parishes
may
feel
lost
when they
"Generation Xers have
projects or programs that are not clearly
productive. That
youth ministry director Mark Pacione.
this generation,
and meaningful goals.
While young
and hesitant to engage in any significant relationships. Fortunately, as Generation X continues to mature, we are learning that this assessment is radi-
a consistent,
ongoing
effort to
and welcome young adults, activities targeted specifically for Generation X Catholics have a better chance of success. A recent young-adult family Christmas craft day attracted more than 100 families with young invite
—
children.
— A neighboring
Advent gingerbread response from young householders looking for ways to be family in a world
house-making had that
is
parish's
a similar
rarely family-sensitive.
John and St. Louis parishes in Howard County, Md., pooled talents and resources to create a young-adult ministry team that changes leadership every six months. The quick turnaround in leadership helps busy young adults do their part without burning out and makes use of their abundance of St.
leadership
adults are attracted strongly to
projects that address environmental issues and uti-
new modes of technology for communication and management, all goals that contribute to the larger community are attractive. lize
cally unfair. Unfortunately, the negative stereotype
is
20-Somethings are hungry for reand challenges that have clear
sponsibilities, tasks
ers
thinking.
why many parishes
young adults," explains archdiocesan
characterized as underskilled, academically apathetic,
has even discouraged some parishes from reaching out to this generation. How do you get young adults to connect to an older parish? Sacred Heart Church in Glyndon, Md., made outreach to young-adult Catholics a part of parish programming. The parish began to look at every gathering of parishioners as an opportunity for young adults to gather also. Invitations went to both single and married young adults. This was coupled with opportunities for young adults to work together to develop part of a larger event. Creating opportunities for young adults to work together, grow in faith together or socialize became an integral part of the parish staff s
is
have struggled with their outreach to
politically nonchalant, reckless, directionless slack-
there
interest in
are ap-
proached by a young adult looking to connect with a Catholic faith community. It is important to take time to distinguish the differences between Generation X and the even younger youth population. How do parishes retool their evangelization strategy so as to reunite the charisms of the church with Generation X Catholics? The first step in reaching out to today's young adults is simply learning who they are. But that is not such an easy task. Dubbed Generation X by novelist Doug Coupland, the group has been described by a series of negative titles and images. This generation has been
When
little
CNS
Take note
PHOTO BY W.P. WiTTMAN LIMITED
we newcomers and uses
that initial
welcoming
relation-
ship to attract Generation Xers to a wide variety of
evenings of reflection, weekend retreats and service to both the parish and the larger community. At the parish fair, the young-adult-sponsored booth wedged between the Knights of Columbus and the Ladies Sodality is a hopeful sign that young Catholics are finding a place in the church.
The challenge of any parish facing a new arena in ministry is finding the leadership. The plus of youngadult ministry is that it, perhaps more than any other parish outreach, has the opportunity to be a ministry by peers. Given the energy, the hunger and the skills of Generation X, parishes have an almost limitless supply of that most essential skill needed for a new outreach: leadership.
But Generation Xers have little interest in programs that are not clearly productive. That is why many parishes have struggled with their projects or
outreach to young adults. Quite simply, as I see it, parishes that have decided to recreate youth-ministry programs for their young adults become quickly frustrated as the young adults opt out. Contrary to early prognostications regarding
In
also that as Generation
are learning that their
—
hunger
for
X
gets older,
anything that
them be family especially a better family than many of them endured in their adolescence is very important. Parishes in the eastern and western suburbs of Baltimore City recently gathered for four nights of training to help parish staffs and young adults start to think what they might do differently to include Generation Xers. Clearly the emphasis in not on creating new programs within the parish for young adults. Rather, the strategy most parishes find effective, in my. experience, is taking what already exists or is planned and making sure that young adults will be specifically invited, welhelps
—
comed and
included. don't think any parish doing young-adult ministry has found that these young Catholics are not interested in Jesus or how to live out the Gospels. I
Quite the contrary, just as the young 20-Somethings of the church today are hungry for real tasks in our parishes, they are also hungry for real understanding of faith. Jesus seems to transcend the generations very well. Parishes are finding that they can do the same, t Pacione
is
ofthe Office of Youth Ministryfor ofBaltimore.
director
the Archdiocese
a Nutshell
skills.
The team makes
a
very visible effort to welcome
•
Generation X Catholics are part of the church of today
•
Young people
clear
•
in their
- not just the church of tomorrow.
20s are hungry for responsibilities, tasks and challenges that have
and meaningful goals.
As Generation X gets
be family
is
older,
very important.
we
are learning that their hunger for anything that helps
them
April 30,
The Catholic News & Herald 9
1999
faith Alive!
The voices of Generation X
Marks the Spot
By
JAMES A. WALLACE, CSSR
By father
Catholic
News
Generation X refers to people born in the 1960s and 1970s. Its population is about 20 to 35 years old, though some observers, defining this generation broadly, say it includes people born anywhere between 1961 and 1981. Why are they called Generation X? While other titles have been offered, including Baby Busters, the Lost Generation, the 13th Generation and the Searchers, Generation X seems to have the strongest hold on the popular imagination. This title can be traced to Douglas Coupland's early '90s novel "Generation X," referring to a group of middle-class, restless and searching individuals. It now refers to an entire generation. The young people of Generation X grew up with a popular culture that enveloped their lives, observes a Generation X writer named Tom Beaudoin. Also, television, music and computers have served as their main forms of contact with the world. Television appears to have been a primary influence for them in terms of values and behaviors. Cyberspace, the Internet and the World Wide Web have been this generation's playground. The impact of all this on their approach to religion means it may be different from former generations, characterized by an "irreverent spirituality," rooted in the virtual reality of popular culture. The members of Generation X tend not to have the same "vocabulary" of faith as former generations or the same familiarity with church expressions. But is this young generation really any different from former generations in the Catholic Church? Some insist that the answer is yes, which would mean that Generation X presents a challenge for the church. Beaudoin names four characteristics that need to be taken into account by those who hope to draw this generation into the church's active
life:
They
often are
suspicious of institutions, including the church, he says.
Second, personal experience
is
a key to their understand-
ing of life's meaning, especially
its religious meaning. Third, suffering is an important issue with this generation, expressed in fears of tomorrow's limited resources, lower wages, nuclear threats, and in
today's spiritual and psychological crises. "Despair
common and
ism" for this generation, writes Beaudoin. Finally, this generation is quite comfortable in a "culture of ambiguity"; its members may resist absolute values and exclusivist positions. this
make
for the
church
of tomorrow? To begin with. Generation Catholics are part of the church of today. Those older than Generation X
X
might wonder if the faith has taken root in them and whether it will be handed on to the next generation. Still, those working with young adults say the desire to be part of the Catholic
Sometimes there
is
community
is
How
E.
News
DALY
Service
can Generation X, young adults ages 20
to 35, contribute to the church?
don't like that
"I
Gen-X
said Stuart
label,"
Olmsted, 31. "It has negative connotations of guys on skateboards who think I'm in it for myself, who are not motivated and not into global issues. That's not me at all." Olmsted, a graduate student in biophysics, said, "For me working for the church is raising awareness on issues that 'are outside the day-today." Being Catholic for him doesn't only mean going to church and Catholic schools. It also is about what Catholics should try to support. For example, he asks, "Why is the death penalty bad? What should we as Catholics do to change that?
Those
ested in working on in
PHOTO BY Bill Wittman
my
par-
Maureen Daly writes about a Gen-Xer who doesn't
like
the
ish."
Gen-X
parent
label. "It
Tom
Patterson, 30, father of an 18-
month-old daughter, said contribution to the church
...
who
has negative connotations of guys on skateboards are not motivated," he says. "That's not
me at all."
his is
"passing on the faith
is
interested in doing service projects. She
new
is
physically contributing, with a job and a small
and is " still trying to figure out what they need." Sukacz said she volunteers at a clinic that provides medical care to the uninsured, "and
child
my work is
and tradition
come
I've
I
find
I
was
raised with.
That
to really appreciate.
it
is
As
to her parish
something
for actually
difficult."
who works
Patterson,
in
in Baltimore, said: "Working at a Catholic college is a contribution to the church, I guess. It's not standard corporate America. There are beliefs, standards, principles to uphold." "One thing young people have to offer the church is enthusiasm," said Margaret Kieveit, 20, a third-year student at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. "Our whole parish is students
Loyola College
and
instructors....
Most of us
didn't
a service project."
Walter Guzman, 28, is a third-year seminarian. He came to the United States 18 months ago from Medellin, Colombia. He said what his generation has to offer is "an open mind. We have an
student accounts at
with people. Our generation is is getting smaller. There are different cultures and points of view and there is a place for everybody. "We are looking for trust, and we want people to trust us." But, he says, "sometimes we are like a sandwich. Society expects a lot but when we try to do something they say we are inexperienced." t ability to share
grow up going
multicultural.
to Catholic school."
Kievet said she grew up in a military family, is important to her, but "nobody ever asked me before what the church needed from me." Joanna Sukacz, 23, a psychiatric nurse, said she
The world
and service
Maureen Daly
is
on the staff of Catholic
News
Service.
Faith in tiie IVIaricetpiace We not only spoke this week with members of younger generation, asking how they would "/
would
manity.
like to
volunteer with Habitat for
what
And the church might be permany more as a formidable institution than
Generation X, but also with some members of the
like to offer their talents to their parishes.
Hu-
"
— Nathan
— Christy Turnbull, Houston, Texas "What I
lector.
I think
like is it
being a eucharistic minister
helps other teen-agers
and
remember church
isn't justfor adults.
— Chrissy Grabouski, Houston, Texas
"/ like to play the piano,
different Christmas really nervous, but it
there.
a lack of understanding of
CNS
are the issues I'm inter-
is
occasionally leaps overboard into nihil-
What difference does all
MAUREEN
Catholic
Service
"/
would
who wants
and was
Tear's Masses. I
Victor, Middlefield,
like to set
to
New
was
really neat to do.
Ohio
up a program
to help
learn about computers....
anyone
Knowing
more about computers is important in our world and I'd like to share my talent with others. Peter Balint, Mentor, Ohio
today,
—
and I've volunteered to play
being Catholic means. ceived by a loving
community of faith interested in the spiriyoung adults. They may need encour-
tual quest of
agement to join in appropriating our tradition's riches and in shaping the church of the next millennium. What can one do? Be willing to speak about your relationship to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the church, prayer, and your experiences of grace. Faith is often evoked and deepened through personal contact;
conversation
is
needed, not condemnation, edu-
comment. And look for ways to be a receiver. Today's young adults bring gifts and dreams to the church that have their source in God. There is buried treasure all about us, and X might very well mark the spot.
cators often
Food for Thought adults understand the message of faith and the traditions of the church when these are communicated through words, symbols and activities that relate to life experiences." That is one of 12 principles for ministry with young adults presented by the U.S. bishops in a 1996 pastoral message on young adults titled "Sons and Daughters of the Light." Another principle said, "Young adults respond positively when the church invites their participation and engages them in the planning of activities" for the community's spiritual life. Effective ministry with young adults assists them "to become spiritual people," provides them "with constructive opportunities to ask questions and discover answers present in" church teaching and tradition, and engages them both in peer ministry and family ministry, the bishops said in several other principles.
"Young
Young
adults represent a large percentage of the total population, the bishops observed.
"We
need to be a church that them into our community." mented:
Redemptorist Father Wallace sor of homiletics at
Washington, D.C.
is an associate profesWashington Theological Union,
David Gibson Editor, Faith Alive!
is
interested in the lives of these
men and women and
They com-
willing to invite
10
The Catholic News & Herald
April 30,
Readings
1999
Book Review
New book says greatest threat to
Word to Life
Christianity is indifference of people WILLIAM DROEL
Reviewed by
News Service The hero of "The Vatican and the Red Flag" is Pope John Paul II, who Catholic
unlike other church leaders "had never
been an anti-communist"
in the sense
that he thought strong condemnations
alone were sufficient. Instead, Pope John Paul understood that after World War II "people of social and
moral sensitivity" were attracted to communism's attack
"The Vatican and
There were
ex-'
Christianity had to have a convincing response to issues in labor/man-
Struggle for the Soul of Eastern Europe"
relations,
By Jonathan Luxmoore
distribution of property, alienation at
and Jolanta Babiuch. Geoffrey Chapman (London, England, 1999) 351 pp., $39.95.
work and more. As early as his seminary
Pope John Paul began developing a
soul."
gospel of work with the human person, not an economic
the soul of workers of
The
class, at its center.
Authors Jonathan Luxmoore and Jolanta Babiuch,
and report
who
live in
Warsaw
of London, bring fresh research and original translations to a
Western audience mostly unfamiliar with Eastern European events, people and places
—
so unfamiliar, in fact,
Western Europe, North America and elsewhere. Yet much needs to be done to help Christian scientists, lawyers,
ther Jerzy Popieluszko.
tors, civil servants
—
Along the way Luxmoore and Babiuch supply telling anecdotes, espeabout Karol Wojtyla/Pope John Paul II. The Communist Party, for example, approved his appointment as bishop of Krakow because they judged him to be soft on communism. But by October 1978, upon hearing of Wojtyla's election to the papacy, a Pocially
I
he had something to in this parish a long
built this church," the
man
"But what you are doing is wrong, and I can't approve of it So I guess I will just have to go somesaid.
,
where else." At issue was
managers, technicians, educaand other workers all over the world to wrestle with daily questions of justice and right order
in society,
matter that had been under discussion for months, but the man had never expressed his ideas or concerns. He apparently had come to the meeting only to 'make a point' of leaving. His outburst left a somber mood among those in the room. a
come very
active in the life of the hadn't responded to the call to be a part of the building of the
He
is
an instructor and campus
Moraine
minister at
College in Palos Hills,
Valley
Community
III.
given
love. It
is
this faith
community
each of us
—
it's
the
way
into
life
that
we live
in Jesus.
way and truth and life we make his Gospel hap"The man who has faith in me,"
In his
are enabled to
pen:
he says, "will do the works that and greater far than these."
I
do
Questions:
Do you
participate as a "living
stone" in the building of your church
community? How does the community empower you to
faith
carry
out the works of Jesus?
Weekly Scripture Readings for the week of May 2 - 8, 1999 Sunday, Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12; Monday, Corinthians 8, John 14:6-14; Tuesday, Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday, Acts 1
15:115:1-
John 15:1-8; Thursday, Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday, Acts 15:22-31, John 15:12-17; Saturday, Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21 6,
Groce §
AssuYinq Absolute Integrity and Freedom of Choice
HOME&
CREM.'\'r(ON SrRViCK
Droel
and
sadly,
FUNERAL
t
it,
Those who do actively give themselves as living stones to the building of the church and to their church community know that this human institution is fraught with human foibles and imperfection. That goes with the territory. But the great thing is that this "territory" is built on the cornerstone Jesus. Each living stone must have faith that Jesus' Spirit will bind them to each other and to his wisdom that continually breathes
parish.
book, this reviewer recognized about 15 and even those are not well known people like Nikolai Berdyaev, Jacek Kuron and Fain the
time.
if
been
ways more urgent in the post-communist era. The new struggle in-
in
The Tablet
say. "I've
Catholic Eastern Europe, Luxmoore and Babiuch conclude, is in many
that of the nearly 350 Eastern Euro-
Service and
hadn't spo-
Later someone commented, "He didn't build the church." For many years this man had attended Mass there but had never be-
pean names
News
He
pastor interrupted the proceed-
ings to ask
to be a "living stone," as
l)ecome a stumbling block for him, and lie left with only anger and pain.
John 14:1-12
ken a word, but had created a minor "scene" as he noisily rose to leave.
struggle for
volves "reforming the church to face the demands of a pluralistic environment," for the greatest threat to Christianity is not persecution but the indifference of workaday people. The struggle to make the connection between the Christian message and the marketplace is just an urgent
for the National Catholic
Register, Catholic
4-5, 18-19
Peter 2:4-9
ish council meeting.
The
—
form and strength by the Holy Spirit. Instead, the parish community had
By JEAN DENTON The man stormed out of the par-
"the struggle for the
days.
1
3)
cluding the workerpriest experiment in France and Belgium. It was, however, not until the Solidarity movement in Poland that the church was able to rally with large numbers of workers. This is what the authors mean by
the Red Flag: The
There-
fore,
agement
Psalms 33:1-2, 2)
church
today's second reading puts
Acts 6:1-7
1)
themes, chiefly what they see as the failure of local bishops and Vatican officials to adequately articulate for the laity a message or program to counter the appeal of Marxism.
of Easter,
Cycle
ceptions, of course, in-
on poverty and exploitation.
May 2, Fifth Sunday A Readings:
comrades to have a liter of vodka because from now on they would "have to kiss the Catholics' bums" (a British slang expression). Amid complex terrain Luxmoore and Babiuch try to lift out some litburo official told his
1401 Panon Ave. Asheville,
Second location
now open
72 Long Shoals Rd, Atden,
at
NC (828) 687-3530
NC
(828) 252-3535 Tuli-frcc (8K8) 8:'4-3535
Ashcvilk's Catholic Funeral Directors
Dale Groce
•
John Prock
Pre-arrangements and obituaries on-Hne at www. grocefuneralhome.com
Serving Charlotte with
gm^
integrity for
over
flows through a diocesan endowment. When you
establish
an endowment
with the diocesan foundation, you...
Enable Perpetual Support
Dealerships
Every year, your "living water" flows with financial aid to the ministry
Frank LaPointe, President,
Member of
St.
Gabriel
you choose.
Chun
Ensure a Strong Future Allow a
parish, school,
to look ahead
HONDA
jf_'^'TSUBISHI
irm MOTORS Built
For
Living."''
Enact a Lasting Legacy Tbosc who drink the water that I m/I gire them
7001 E. Independence Blvd.
535-4444
6951
E.
Independence Blvd.
531-3131
agency or the diocese
and plan with confidence.
mil never he
— John
4;
thirsty again.
Provide your loved ones with a continuing reminder of your values: Your faith and the mission of the Church.
H
infonruition, call Jim Kelky, Executive Director of The Foundation of the Rawin Catholic Diocese of Charlotte at (704) 370-3301, or call Cindy Rice, Director ofPlanned Giving at (704) 370-3320.
For more
April 30,
The Catholic News & Herald 11
1999
tnfertainment
Movie Review
"Pushing Tin"
is
character-driven By GERRI Catholic
pare
News
NEW YORK
Service
(CNS)
engrossing,
comedy when he takes advantage of Mary one night when Russell's
spouses
—
tipsy
The
not around and seduces her. Worse,
nerves-of-steel world of air traffic con-
Mary
comic consideration in "Pushing Tin" (20th Century Fox). In a Long Island facility where a tight-knit knot of controllers oversee flight patterns in the skies above three major New York area airports, Nick Falzone (John Cusack) rules the roost. Others may freeze, panic or just burn out, but Nick can quickly step in and save the day. A driven man on the job, cocky and easily bored away from it, Nick's got a swell wife, Connie (Cate Blanchett), two youngsters and admirfellow tin-pushers ing co-workers but he's always as they are called
outrage, Nick
up to Russell. Expecting is truly discombobulated when Russell subtly suggests the punishment should fit the crime. Is Nick's wife safe from this charismatic controller, and how can Nick
trollers gets
—
fesses
control her? Intelligent performances contrib-
ute greatly to
making
this increas-
ingly frantic comedy watchable. Also, the reality of the air traffic controllers' highly stressful jobs makes their macho competitiveness believable, rather than seem like contrived pos-
turing to advance are steeped in the that can develop onds when radar
—
looking for a new challenge. He gets much more than he wanted with the arrival of legendary controller Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton), part Cree and all brilliance an affront to Nick's ason the job sumption of leadership. Hyper Nick quickly becomes madly competitive with low-key, elusive Russell, whether it be side-by-side on the job, at the bar with the gang or shooting hoops. Stoic Russell keeps his cool and his distance, and all are startled when he shows up at a barbecue with young wife Mary (Angelina Jolie), who's such a sultry vixen she makes all the guys wish they were single. Nick breaks the unwritten, sacred rule of the controllers regarding
the plot. Audiences intense atmosphere in a matter of secacts up or inatten-
CNS
PHOTO FROM
Warner Bros.
"Lost and Found" David Spade and Sophie Marceau star in the romantic comedy "Lost and adults. The Found." The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III parents are strongly Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
—
—
tion invites disaster.
Cusack
efficiently establishes his
who becomes when his turf is
character, a control freak
—
totally intimidated
threatened and his dominance questioned. Thornton has the harder role since he internalizes everything, spouts a pseudo mysticism that is incomprehensible to Nick, and is jarringly unpredictable in his behavior. The surprise of the movie is Aussie actress Blanchett, completely unrecognizable from her Oscar-nominated role as "Elizabeth." Here she is dolled up, sports a credible Long Island accent and gives more shadings to her role as the cheated-upon wife than one could reasonably expect in a male-oriented comedy. Jolie's character, on the other hand, is pretty much confined to sexpot
Own a Home?
and her motivations seem muddled. Director Mike Newell keeps the action moving along briskly, adroitly using the backdrop of the controllers' nerve-wracking jobs to ratchet up the
These controllers seem as group as cops, and indeed on
face with his
smugness.
Nick's final face-off with Russell if
the writers
wrap up
their story,
doesn't quite ring true, as didn't
know how
to
then settled for a conventional kiss-and-
tensions.
make-up
close a
Until this point, the specter of mid-air
the job they are partners in saving lives if
one gets into trouble. The to-
ken female controller (Vicki Lewis) is into body-building competitions, once again suggesting that her day job is very much a macho endeavor. Because he remains aloof, Russell is an involving character, but it is Nick who gets the opportunity to soulsearch after a few on-the-job incidents bring him to his knees and face-to-
—
finale for
and mid-life
one of the couples.
collisions
made
for an en-
grossing, character-driven comedy.
Due to brief violence, delity, fleeting nudity,
a theme of infiand some profanity
and rough language, tlie U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III adults. The Motion Picture Association restricted, t of America rating is R
—
—
Pare
is
on the staff of tlie U.S. Catholic
Conference Officefor Film
and Broadcasting.
Have Equity? Ask Us About Our Monthly Debt-Free Program
For First
Communion
& Confirmations
UNIVERSAL
special
MORTGAGE
(iifts
Religious Articles
STORE,
Get DIGITAL 1
<\
T
VV
O B
TttlVISIOH It
Cards
INC.
includes Tree
We welcome mail orders and special orders!
and receive
(praft'ssiomd insudluiion
"Neighbors Helping Neighbors" •
•
DEBT CONSOLIDATION LOWER MONTHLY PAYMENTS CASH OUT
(704) 342-2878
Plus 300 other cable
4410-F Monroe Road, CharloUe, NC 28205
(828) 253^705
(800)S20^U
Memben
ofSt.
Sat.
Lawmice parish
370-3298 fax Refugee Office: (704) 370-3290 fax (7041
Justice
(704!
jSocial
&
Peace:
Qra Ponce
1704)
370-3260
Joanne
(7041
370-3225
K,
Frazer
370-3377 fax
Gerard A Carter (704) 370-3228 370-3377 fax Charlotte Area Office 1 123 South Church St Charlotte. NC 28203 Geri King (704) 370-3232 (704) 370-3377 fax (704)
1123 South Church
St,
NC
5r
Mane
Piedmont for Information
on
spoclfic
programs, pleaae call your local olfice.
Triad
621 W. Second Area Director (336)
Asheville,
Frechette
kits.
Grow your own
(828)255-0146
(828)
Food Products,
First
Aid Kits and Radios.
Discount for church and
Y2K
.
Annuals - Spectacular array Blooming pots
.
Perennials
.
.
253-7339 fax
PO. Box 10962, Winston-Salem, NC27108 (336) 727-0705
David Harold
727-9333 fax
NC
Triad area
perpetual food
supply. Gardening Manuals, Storable
^^^^5
Satellite Office
Greensboro,
in the
FOR y2K .
NC 28801
Area Office
Street.
at
BE PREPARED
preparedness programs.
Western Area Office 35 Orange Street,
$49)
1-888-776-5728 or 764-2933
.
28203 www.cssncorg Charlotte,
SOL-SAT
Call
-
Complete non-hybrid vegetable garden
Special Ministries
iServices
channels in digital quality
9:30am - 5:30pm 9:30am - 3:0Opm
Mon.-Ffi.
Administration, Refugee, Justice & Peoce, Special Ministries Executive Director: Elizabeth Thurbee 1704) 370-3228
lie
self-installation kit
h-^}^^ VS\^^^f
^/^^
Manufactured ar)d distributed by
MOUNTAIN MISSION PRODUCTS Boone,
NC USA
(828)265-01 07
-
Wide
Variety
Birdbaths and Fountains Landscape Consulting .'Vvailabie
0605 Park Rd.,Charlotte Next to Black Lion
(704) 341-2200
www.nwps.org/mission/products.htm (336)
274-5577
A Catfiolic fMr)istry
to
Preserve Life
Members of St. Peter
's
12
The Catholic News & Herald
April 30,
Every
Act Of Mercy
Is
Backed By The
Power Of The System.
Mercy Hospital, long known for
and
care
gentle touch,
still
its
backed by the
excellent
offers
healthcare
those
most comprehensive
largest,
system
in
region
the
—
ingredients so important to medical care.
Carolinas HealthCare System. Unlock the
And
Power of the System at Mercy Hospital.
now, each Mercy Hospital program
is
Managed Care
Emergency Department
by a healthcare plan, good Mercy is among your
you're covered
Characteristically offering the shortest waits
If
Mercy ED is staffed by board-certified and board-eligible Emergency Medicine specialists 24 hours a day.
chances are accepted hospitals.
in the area, the
Pain Center
The center
The Heart Center The
cutting edge of high technology allows
cicJists
the center's outstanding heart specialists to
diagnose and treat heart problems. With 25 years of experience, hundreds of open heart surgeries izations
and thousands of cardiac catheterare successfully completed here
Mercy has designed a center exclusively for the diagnosis, treatment and management of lung diseases in adults. The Lung Center offers a wide variety of equipment and specialists who treat the full spectrum of pulmonary disorders from asthma to
comprehensive ap-
a
proach to the diagnosis and treatment of people with chronic pain. Our team of speincludes a physician specially trained
management and
in pain
The Lung Center
offers
focuses on both
the physical and psychological aspects of a person's pain condition.
Rehabilitation Center
A
full
program of
physicians,
—
rehabilitation
—
led
nurses, therapists and
by
coun-
helps patients overcome the changes resulting from physical disability.
lung cancer.
selors
each year.
Conveniently Located Doctors
Outpatient /Inpatient Surgery
The System's network of primary care physi-
Professional staffs give outstanding care to
cians
is
located over several coimties
work with Mercy's 200-plus
and
patients
and
families,
hours or for overnight
specialists.
Mercy Hospital Carolinas HealthCare System In the heart of Elizabeth at Vail Avenue and East 5th Street www.carolincLS.org
whether stays.
it's
for a few
1999
The Catholic News & Herald 13
1999
April 30,
The Balkan Crisis
Kosovars in the news, but agency settling otiier refugees
still
By PATRICIA
ZAPOR
News
Catholic
Service
WASHINGTON
(CNS)
against resettlement for unaccompa-
— With
massive attention foreseen for the 20,000 Kosovar refugees expected to arrive in the United States in the next few months, the director of the U.S. bishops' migration agency said he hopes people remember to open their hearts to refugees from other parts of the world as well. "There's been an outpouring of concern for the Kosovo refugees, but we'd like to channel that to other refugees as well," said Mark Franken, director of Migration and Refugee Ser-
nied minors," Franken said.
ing
is
that
situation
it is
The
think-
preferable to create a
where the juveniles can eas-
be reunited with their families or
ily
placed with foster families in their
home
country. Moving the youths around the world makes that more difficult.
said
However, in this case, Franken some of the children have been
living in the
Ugandan refugee camp
as
long as 10 years.
commitment
In
addition to finding places
in
the
United States for a major portion of the
vices for the U.S. Catholic
Kosovars,
Conference. In addition to finding
MRS is seeking sponsors for
refugees from Bosnia, Iraq, Somalia
places in the United States for a
and Sudan, among other countries.
major portion of the
MRS
Kosovars,
is
seeking
sponsors for refugees from
Bosnia, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan,
CNS
PHOTO FROM Reuters
Elderly refugee ethnic Albanian man carries an elderly refugee on his back in Blace at the border between Macedonia and Yugoslavia April 25. Refugees from Kosovo continued to stream into Macedonia, which has registered about 170,033 from the war-torn province of Yugoslavia.
An
Kosovo Refugees, from page 3 filled by people with medical needs or with U.S.-resident relatives who come forward on their behalf, he noted. After that process is used, remaining slots likely would be opened to people who are being sponsored by strangers. Since the Diocese of Charlotte began its refugee resettlement program in 1975, it has assisted 6,785 refugees from about 18 countries. People interested in more information about possibly sponsoring a refugee, donating furniture or how to donate money should contact Sonya Hayden, coordinator of volunteer services or Cira Ponce, director of refugee resettlement at (704) 370-3260. t
Editor Joann S. Keane contributed
HORIZONS OF THE July 5
"Carmelite
A Resource
—
Ajfordability
Simplicity
SPIRIT
J.
E.
for Life
and Ministry"
O.Com
"Corrterrpiative Tradition"
in
Carolina Funeral &
more information Horizons of the
P.O.
Box 11586,
Cremation
Charlotte,
1
50
Kosovo
Room &
are being
made
camp
paying
off"
— plans
to start resettling
those juveniles in other countries, in-
cluding the United States.
According to Franken, even though the minors at the Ugandan camp have lived there much of their lives,
their daily routines are regi-
mented and highly structured, with strong emphasis on education, t
refugees.
And
beyond the Balkans
strife
keeps the flow of refugees coming. Franken told of one refugee camp in
Uganda
that houses 60,000 people,
most of whom fled Sudan's civil war. About 10 percent of them 6,000 are unaccompanied minors, whose par-
—
—
704-568-0023
ents are dead or cannot be located.
Were Going To * Make You Happy.
write:
SC 29731
Board: $200
.
..With
honest pricing, honest
and honest service on new cars. From the incredible New Beetle, to the all new Jetta IV and luxurious new generation of Audi, we have the right car for your financing,
Europe's most exciting
Steven Kiizma Owner/ Director St.
Matthew (Church and
pocketbook...and your
lifestyle.
Volkswagen -Audi John Diederich, Owner iVIember Saint Gabriel Parish
Knights of Columbus
7401 South Boulevard
.
Charlotte
.
to
children into the
28212
Spirit
Rocl<Hill,
moving those
start
NC
Center
Member Tuition: $
forts appear to be
5505 Monroe Rd.
Avila"
For
care of families. Franken said their ef-
the agencies that oversee the
9
Egan
Lakh
campaign in Bosnia decade returned home after the 1995 Bosnian Peace Accords. But thousands are Muslims or Croats who lived in areas that were turned over to Serbian authority. Others' homes were destroyed during the war and they have no place to go. Some of those refugees have been living in the towns in Albania that now are hosting thousands of
Spirituality:
— "John of the Cross" — Royer the Ccmeite Vilma Seelous, OCD — "Teresa of Keith
Ernest
"ethnic cleansing" earlier this
Dignity
1586
Friday, July
visited
responsibility for them, has a bias
'
Monday,
who
the region last year have been pushing
"The United Nations, which has to this story.
THEOMnDK^ 434 Charlotte Avenue, R O, Box Rock' Hill, SC 29731-1586 (803)327-2097
Several U.S. bishops
among other countries. Most of the 2 million Bosnians who fled their country during Serbia's
704.552.6500
.
800.426.5347
.
www.vwsouth.com
a
14 The Catholic News & Herald
April 30,
Around the Diocese
1999
Retired priest serving Cliariotte and Raieigli dies CLEVELAND — Father Joseph Our Lady Guadalupe Newof in ton Grove for one year. Father Lash was an assistant at Our Lady of Lourdes in Raleigh
at
John Lash, who served
as a priest in
the dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh
died April 22 at his
home
in Cleve-
land, Ohio.
Father Lash served
North
in
Carolina for 19 years before retiring in 1985, ending his career as a Veterans Administration chaplain.
Born March 2, 1923, in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Father Lash decided on the priesthood following World War II. He began studies at St. Photo by Jimmy Rostar
Youth ministry members process with the offertory gifts during the closing liturgy at Diocesan Youth Conference '99 at Camp Thunderbird. Bishop WUliam G. Curlin presided at the Mass, and commended the teens for their faith and service.
Point, to attend the conference. She,
mo-
me is
too,
sensed community. "What's really stuck out with
rality that carry responsibility, so too
that the diocese
the Catholic faith upholds standards
gether, like a family," said Jalbert.
for
moral living and moral thinking.
have to deal with
Michael Church
late
we
He was pastor of St. Anne in Edenton from September 1965, until June, 1969, when he became pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe. He was serving there when the Diocese of Charlotte was established in January 1972. Father Lash was pastor of St. Francis of Assisi from July 1972, until
March
1976. After a sabbatical leave,
he was granted permission to serve outside the diocese as chaplain at a hospital.
He
made
home in
his
retired
May
VA
1985, and
1,
Cleveland,
t
don't
on our own." When the closing Mass had ended, the awards ceremony had concluded and the final keynote address had been
We are Catholic, we are Christians, we are part of the family of God." Membership in that family requires an active faith, said Ryan Short, St.
really close to-
peer pressure, because
like
it
delivered, the teens traveled
are.
from
Bonaventure, N.Y. Bishop Vincent S. Waters ordained him for the Diocese of Raleigh on May 30, 1957, at St. Mary's Church in Wilmington. His first assignment was as an assistant in St.
Plymouth.
in
"Faith really helps us deal with things
"As believers, we experience our call and our moral obligation to be the light of God's loving grace," said Father Del Giudice, who serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Brevard. "It's who we
a teen
is
St.
Norwood, Ohio, before completing his studies at Christ the King Semi-
The
Del Giudice, who facilitated the session. Father Del Giudice said that just as societies establish standards of
attended
nary
Youth Conference, from pagel
Gregory Seminary in Ohio, and also Mary's Seminary in
Mount Washington,
from June 1958 until December 1961, when he became an assistant at Immaculate Heart of Mary in High Point. He first became a pastor in February 1962, at St. Joan of Arc
home
TIME TO CHANGE PATHS? IS IT
with
reminder from their bishop: "The church is going to be okay with people like you in it. I thank you so much for all that you are, for all that you've done and for all that you will do for Christ. t "I thank you for being you." a
in
Gastonia. "In your day-to-day life, I think the number one thing that all religion teaches people is to live a moral life and do what's right," he said. Michelle Jalbert traveled from her home parish, Christ the King in High
.
Do you woke up some days to a nagging voice
telling
Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Rostar
.
you there's nnore to life? for o balance of service, prayer
Are you looking
by calling (704) 370-3334, or by sending e-
and 0 deeper
supportive community?
to jtrostar@charlottediocese.org.
relationsliip with
God
within
a
Has your career choice left you feeling empty, disconnected? . Are you a woman looking to make a difference
.
WE'D LIKE TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR ANSWERS!
JOHANNUS CHURCH ORGANS America's best value in sound
& price.
SYNTHIA MUSIC SYSTEMS Catholic
Hymns
at the
push of a
button.
If
the world?
you answered YES to any
of the above,
explore
it's
vowed
and hearing impaired
tinne to
religious
life
of Mercy.
wltti ttie Sisters
SOUND SYSTEMS Totally wireless systems
in
Women are invited tojoin us as we share ourJourneys in Merc)> " on May 8, 1999from 9:30am 3:00pm at
devices.
at 'Exploring Mercy,
CHURCH PIANOS
-
Sacred Heart Convent, Belmont,
NC
Call Lizz at 704.829.5260
Quality pianos for affordable prices.
ELECTRONIC ORGAN SERVICE ON ALL MAKES
Music
& Electronics, Inc.
Corner of Oak & Broad (704) 663-7007
Streets, Mooresville,
— (800) 33
1
I'reparing for Relirement? Savinj:; for
NC
-0768
We
can help you identify and achieve your financial goals.
Even MO fiin when youjfyJree to Eumpe
Call for an appointment or for Seminar information, dates, and times.
Departing ,No\«mber 8 for a
Jeanne O.
BOOKS AND GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS! Communion, Confirmation,
Hours: (336) 273-2554
Bibles, Rosaries, Statues, IVIedals,
9am 5pm -
233 N. Greene
St.
Monday
110 S. Stratford Road Winston-Saiem, NC 27104
and More!
Friday
Greensboro,
NC
Coming soon, full details on this
MO
rufous
roya.s^e.
(336) 721-9221 or (800) 334-4401
Saumch^Smith Barney -
13 day/12 night cniise from Venice to Lisbon.
McCuUoch
Financial Consultant
Catholic Gift & Boo/c Store 1st
Europe is MO ftin on a cruise.
vour child's education?
lust iiettini; started?
Salomon Smith Barney is a service mark Barney
27401
of
Inc.
A
© 1998 Salomon Smith Barney Inc. Member SIPC
O Holland America
Line
Salomon Smith
Amemberof otnTOUpT
tRADITKLN OF EXCELLENCE
1999
April 30,
The Catholic News & Herald 15
Around the Diocese
Annual Elder Ministry
Events at Elder Ministry's annual
event rings
Spring Fling
By
in
JIMMY ROSTAR
what
really need to look at
we need
Associate Editor
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
HICKORY The 13th annual Spring Fling gathered almost 225 seniors from across the diocese to the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory April 2 1 for a variety of social and spiritual activities. The event was sponsored by Catholic Social Services' Elder Ministry of the Diocese of Charlotte. A barbershop quartet, a line-dancing seminar, outdoor activities and a workshop on growing and using herbs were some of the highlights from the event, which also featured music, raffles, and seminars on health, safety and
spring doing
spiritually
our lives," said Father Sheridan, who noted that spiritual well-being is as important to physical health in the lives of seniors. He suggested rediscovering the traditions of the church, reading the Bible, praying for forgiveness and acceptance, spending more time in church, reaching out to others in need, enjoying peace and quiet, sharing experiences with others, and learning something new. "Attitude is so important," Father Sheridan said. "That's what makes us grow old gracefully." t to be
in
crafts.
Father Ed Sheridan, pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory, presided at the Spring Fling Mass. Father Joseph Kelleher, administrator of St.
Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Rosta r by calling (704) 370-3334, or by sending e-
to jtrostar@charlottediocese.org.
Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, and Father MatthewLeonard, parochial
Workshop: Growing
& Using Herbs
Photos by Jimmy Rostar
Our Lady Consolation Church in Char-
vicar at
of
lotte,
concelebrated.
"All of us are
PRINCIPAL
members of
Catholic Elementary School St.
Pius X Catholic School, a kindergarten tlirough 8th grade
440 students
a professional stafi' of 30. St. Pius X is fully accredited by the state of North Carolina, the Diocese of Charlotte, and is in the application process for SACS
school, enrolls
Catholic
a faith
community, and we
witli
Line-Dancing Seminar
accreditation.
School $
Api)!icam nuisi
a reliUed
ftdcl
Ik'
Charlotte,
a practicing Catholic and have a master's degree in education or
and have teaching andschool ailministraiivei;xj)erience.
a pttrish school located in Greensboro,
St.
(luaJilicatioas
and experience,
l*osilionisavaikibk'b(^liuiinglhel99'>-2(K)Oschoolyt>ar.
Diocese of
Iniereaed persons should submit a letter of iniait, resume, salary'
expc^clalionsby
May
Charlotte
1
2
list
of references, and
to:
Dr.
Michael SLmbe
Supeiintetuienl qf Schools, Diocese ofCbarloite 1
123 Sotah Church Siwi't, ClMrloite.
28203-4003
Faith Formation Director (Sunday Scliool Coordinator): Master's or undergraduate degree in Theology or Religious Studies required. Teaching experience a plus. 1,200-family parish in Charlotte, NC. Salary range $30-35K. Housing available. Projected start date July 1999. Send resume/ cover letter to; St. Patrick's Cathedral, Attn: .Julie Dilick, Education Commission, 1621 Dilworth Rd. E., Charlotte, NC 28203 or fax (704)377-6403.
Administrative Assistant: Immaculate Heart of Mary School and Church have a full-time position available for a person who can be extremely flexible, has good communication skills, computer/ word perfect experience, and some bookkeeping background, iiesponsibilities also include school admissions and general .secretarial duties. If interested in becoming part of a warm, energetic team, please send your resume to Paula Robinson, 605 Barl^ee Avenue, High Point, NC 27262.
Quality
Personal
House Cleaners:
Care. For
per week. Call
nursing care In a Catholic
you
need more care than a\ ailable at
you
is
your home,
visit us.
We
invite
to discover for
yourscli our man\'
(X)
Maryfield Nursing Home
stimuIatiFig daily activities .ind Services
which make
Maryfield the best possible choice for
long-term
care.
Maid
in
Heaven:(704)643-5545. is
accepting
applications for an accountant. Res[x)nsible for pre-
has provided oursranding
come
an hour. 'Weekdays. Flexible
Accountant: The Diocese of Charlotte
Maryfield Nursing lionic
When
.$12
schedules. Charlotte area. Approximately 15 hours
half a century,
environment.
Call (704)341-2200.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES on
1315 Greensboro Road, Hi^h Point,
(336) 886-2444 Visit
our weh>ne at
hrtp://vvvvvv.greensboro.com/mnh
NC
plarft.s?
Love people? Part-time positions axailable. Flexible hours. Colchester Place Gardens and Nursery.
NC and coopa-iUively plans and impkmenis
Excellait benetks. Salary' negotiable depeiuling
28203-1003.
Garden Center Sales Associate: Love
Fins X is
|)rognuns with other are;i Cadiohc schools.
of the
Classified
NC
paring general ledger entries, executing month-end closings, perlbrming account analyses, and filing federal and state grant reports. Applicants sliould liave a minimum of three years related experience and also fund accounting experience. Applicants must be proficient using PCs. EOE. Send resume and salary history to: Controller, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003.
Minister of Religious Education: Diocese of Riclimond. A vibrant and growing parish of 900 families seeks a full-time Director of Religious
Education. Responsibilities include: family-centered program, direction of pre-school through
Grade
8, adult formation, sacramental formation, recruitment and formation of catechists, budget, calendar. Qualifications include faith-filled, practicing Catholic with excellent communication and organizational skills, ability to work collaboratively. in Religious Education or its equivalency and at least three years of parish expe-
MA
rience required. Position available .July
Cliarlotte
is
accepting applications for an accounting clerk. Re.sponsibilities include data entering of accounts receivable, processing payroll, and preparing related
montli-end and (juarter-cnd reports. Applicants should have a minimum of three years related experience. Applicants must be proficient using both the lO-key and PCs. EOE. Send resume and salary history
to:
Controller,
1
123
S.
Churcli
St.,
1999.
Church of the Incarnation, 635 Hillsdale
mittee,
Drive, Charlottesville, 'VA 22901.
Youth Minister: Our Lady
of Grace Catholic
Greensboro, NC is seeking a full-time Youth Minister to coordinate all youth ministry activities and programs. Applicants sliould ha\ e a degree in Religious Education or a related field and three years' experience in youth ministry. Salary commensurate witli experience and education. Send resume and credentials to: Tom Johnson, Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 'West Market Street, CJreensboro, NC. Phone (336) 271-6520. Cliurcli in
Development Coordinator
in Charlotte: Flex-
part-time (20 hours/ week). Catholic Social Services Refugee Office needs a development coordinaible
tor to de\elop
community
resources, primarily
grants and individual donations. College degree required.
Minimum
ment or
of 3 years' experience
in
develop-
association with non-profit, refugee or in-
ternational issues.
Accounting Clerk: The Diocese of
1,
Salary and benefits according to Diocesan guidelines. Mail resume and references to: Seai'ch Com-
Send resume
Services Refugee Office,
to:
Catholic Social
Attn. Director,
South Church Street, Charlotte,
NC
1123
28203
PROPERTIES FOR RENT Beach Condo For Rent: B:'ach a\ ailable 5/l, 5/8, ber. Call (336)
924-2842.
3
Bedrooms
8/28 and
all
at
Myrtle
of Septem-
The Catholic News & Herald
16
April 30,
Life Issues Series
MEDICAL Progress
j Ethical Issues
Myths, new science muddle transplant Issue By
mark PATTISON
Catholic
News
Service
WASHINGTON
(CNS)
—
A
schlocky 1950s-era horror movie told the story of a concert pianist who lost a hand. In a revolutionary medical procedure, he had a new hand attached the hand of a murderer. The hand, needless to say, had a mind of
—
its
own.
What may
have been revolution-
ary or schlocky in the 1950s takes on an entirely different meaning as the third millennium draws near. Witness the debate over the recent transplanting of a new hand onto a man who had lost one of his. Not a hook, not a prosthetic that can be attached or detached
human
hand. Of course, this was hardly the first debate on the merits of transplantation, only the latest. When heart transplants became front-page news in the late 1960s, many people thought it highly irregular at best, and an assault on the integrity of life at worst. at will,
but a real
Opponents had two arguments. One was that the transplant recipient would be ensouled with the abstract "heart" of the
donor
in addition to
The other was Coming we are
the
physical one.
that, if at
the Second
all
resur-
rected bodily into heaven, then heart
donors would be somehow incomplete and therefore not compatible with God's design an argument also used to opposed cremation, even though the "Catechism of the Catholic Church"
—
has
deemed
it
acceptable.
The ensoulment argument
not dead. Dominican Father Pat Norris, associate director of the Center for Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University, said he has read of studies suggesting that heart transplant recipients take on "certain characteristics of the donor." These studies may not stand up to the harshest scrutiny. Father Norris said, but they indicate there is still discomfort with the notion of transplants. Imagine the outcry if the studies had been conducted on humans who had received animal organs usually baboons' hearts or pigs' heart valves to replace failing human organs. is
—
—
considers that act a "gesture of love" toward people in need of transplants. In an interview with the Rome
newspaper La Repubblica in the midst of an Italian debate on new legislation on organ donation, the cardinal said, "Donating one's own organs is a morlong as it is a free and spontaneous act." "The free gift of organs after death is legitimate and can be meritorious," says the "Catechism of the Catholic
The
ally licit gesture of love, as
Church."
Who Died
Dedicated to Children
Three critical issues cloud the transplant picture, according to Father Norris: how organs are obtained, how they are allocated, and whether the good achieved by transplants is outweighed by other societal goals. "Should we be creating financial incentives for organs? Should we be creating any kind of market?" he
Church of the Holy Innocents, New York
asked.
For those organs that are available, he added, "who should get the
is
T^e Shrine Dedicated to Children
Who Have Died Unborn
who or who
have died before birth
memorial
a
for
children
all
through miscarriage, abortion
Much debate has already cenon whether those who contrib-
are stillborn.
organs?" tered
uted to their need for a transplant say, alcoholics
who need new
livers
— —
worthy enough by some moral
are
standard.
To what extent will modern cine find
new ways
to
mediprolong human
When usually
is
parents suffer the loss of an unborn baby, there
no
burial or
any way
for
them
honor and remem-
to
ber their child. His Holiness, Pope John Paul his encyclical letter
now
"living in the
II,
reminds us in
Evangelium Vitae, that these children
Lord" and are with
God
for
all
are
eternity.
life?
Many
still
vividly
remember
the
This shrine offers an opportunity for families to enter the
rare heart-liver transplant given to
then-Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey. There is no doubt, his doctors said at the time, that Casey would have been dead had it not been for Frances Lucas donating the organs of her 34year-old son, William, a black man who died at the hands of a gang. While nobody begrudges saving the life of a dying man, people questioned whether Casey's status vaulted him to the top of a transplant list. Controversy has erupted over how lists are maintained and who gets
name of their child into
Book ofLife which
the
forgiveness
and
The Holy Friday of every the
Our
encased at the
Holy Family and beneath
shrine between statues of the
Eternal Flame candle.
is
shrine
is
the
a place of prayer, healing,
love.
Sacrifice
month
Book ofLife znd
of the Mass
in
is
celebrated
on the
last
honor of the children inscribed into
for the comfort of their families.
scarce organs.
Equal access for the poor to transis a legitimate issue, Father Norris said. He noted the poor see themselves being shut out as organ recipients, and so have a donor rate less
Ifvou would like to enter a child's
plants
please send us a letter with the
it was announced that farm would be created specifically to raise pigs whose organs could be transplanted into humans. Perhaps those animals wouldn't be
and stem
a pig
to alleviate suffering, the use of cells
necessary if Catholics followed the example of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Vatican's top doctrinal official. Cardinal Ratzinger joined an organ-donor association years ago and carries a card to indicate his willingness to donate his organs because he
Even if these cells could in the future be regenerated so that other fetuses and frozen embryos would
cells.
Even though the aim
into
our "Book ofLife,
name of the child,
or contact:
279-5861 ext. 224 Shrine@innocents.com or e-mail us at: Church of the Holy Innocents 128 Westa'tli Street
Dominique Guiteau
than the general population. Father Norris also cautioned against transplants using fetal cells
Earlier in 1999,
name
is
New
at (212)
\ork.
NT 10018
from aborted fetuses and discarded frozen embryos is "immoral and unacceptable," he said.
not have to be used, "there still is an issue of complicity over something that
happened way back," Father
Norris
said.
Ad
sponsored by the Respect Life Office, Diocese of Charlotte.
For information, callMaggi Nadol (704) 370-3229
1999