April 30, 1999

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atholic NEWS HERALD

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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

mail

p<ijM, P«(er

+

is

said to

.^^^^^^

years.

*

Shortest Papacy

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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

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Pappas

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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.

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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

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(Near Carolina Pavilion/AMC 22 Theater)

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is itself

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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

• •

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•

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www.niodularcorp.com or a diocesan parish, school,

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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

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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.

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The Catholic News & Herald

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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

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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

mail

supportive community?

to jtrostar@charlottediocese.org.

relationsliip with

God

within

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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-

mail

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

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witli

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a pttrish school located in Greensboro,

St.

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expc^clalionsby

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to:

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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.

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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