Sept. 6, 2024

At a glance

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Volume 33 • NUMBER 22 1123 S. CHURCH ST. CHARLOTTE, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@rcdoc.org

704-370-3333

PUBLISHER

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

INDEX

Contact us 2

Español 9-11

Our Diocese 4-7, 14-23

Our Faith 3

Our Schools 8

Scripture 3, 11

U.S. news 12-13

Viewpoints 26-27

World news 24-25

STAFF

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@rcdoc.org

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

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CATHOLIC ALL WEEK

Timely tips for blending faith & life

Intheir Nazareth home, the Holy Family engaged in many forms of work – experiencing joys, worries and sorrows just as we do today. Although we are called to model the Holy Family in dedicating our work to God, it can be easy to get lost in our to-do lists at home and beyond. However, we can all turn the work we do into “holy labor,” pushing through the anguish of the day-to-day and, through prayer, turning our work into a glorification of God. In honor of Labor Day, here are three September saints whose work brought glory to God:

LABOR FOR OTHERS

St. Teresa of Calcutta, better known as Mother Teresa, is famous for her work with the poorest of the poor in India. Many joined her mission, but she also recognized that not all are called to this kind of work, emphasizing the need to love those closest to us first: “Whatever you do for your family, your children, your husband, your wife, you do for God. All we do, our prayers, our work, our suffering, is for Jesus.” Celebrate St. Teresa of Calcutta’s Sept. 5 feast day by watching “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love.”

LABOR FOR JUSTICE

St. Peter Claver, whose feast day is Sept. 9, was a Spanish Jesuit priest who left his homeland for the Caribbean port of Cartagena in 1610 to minister to African slaves. He is known for tirelessly ministering to the enslaved people there, visiting the slave ships as they arrived in the port and offering the people food, medicine and spiritual consolation. He learned several African languages and baptized 300,000 slaves over his 40-year ministry. (Read more about him on the next page.) In his honor, learn about our local Knights of Peter Claver: Council 411 for men, and Court 411 for women.

Diocesan calendar of events

EVENTS

FREE MEDICARE SEMINAR: 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St., Asheville. The second of three free, unbiased seminars presented by Abby Landry from the Council on Aging of Buncombe County and hosted by Catholic Charities Elder Ministry. This seminar is an invaluable resource for those new to Medicare, people turning 65, caregivers, and anyone transitioning from group health plans. One more seminar is set for Sept. 24 at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville. RSVP to Sandra Breakfield at 704-370-3220 or email sandrab@ccdoc.org.

PRAYER SERVICES

RED MASS : 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11,

LABOR FOR LOVE

The Blessed Mother labored for Love Himself, giving birth to God’s only Son Jesus and raising Him here on earth. By extension, her mother St. Anne’s labor bringing her into the world was similarly blessed. In honor of Mary’s birthday on Sept. 8, the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary Sept. 12, and the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Sept. 15, get to know more about the life of Mary through the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, an Augustinian nun and stigmatic (someone who bears the physical wounds of Christ, called the stigmata), in “The Life of the Virgin Mary.” — Annie Ferguson

Scan the QR code for this week’s recommendations:

St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte. Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., will be principal celebrant. All who work in the legal profession are invited. Reception to follow with guest speaker U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad. RSVP for the reception at https://pp.events/ aaKV5Ymm.

IGBO LANGUAGE MASS : 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, St. Mary’s Church, 812 Duke St., Greensboro. Park at the Windsor Center. For information, call 336-707-3625.

HOLY HOUR FOR NICARAGUA : All are welcome to a Holy Hour in Spanish for the Intention of Bringing Peace to Nicaragua. 7-8 p.m. every Thursday (except for the first Thursday of every month), St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

SEPT. 7 – 4:30 P.M. Mass

St. Michael Church, Gastonia

SEPT. 8 – NOON

70th Anniversary Mass

Our Lady of the Highways Church, Thomasville

SEPT. 10 – 11 A.M.

Presbyteral Council Meeting

the following events:

Diocesan Pastoral Center, Charlotte

SEPT. 10 – 7 P.M.

Confirmation

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Mocksville

SEPT. 11 – 6 P.M.

Red Mass

St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

SEPT. 12 – NOON

Diocese of Charlotte Foundation Board Meeting

Diocesan Pastoral Center, Charlotte

SEPT. 13-26

Meeting of Newly Appointed Bishops Rome

Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., will participate in

Claver

Emmerich

Our faith

St. Peter Claver: Jesuit apostle to African slaves

Feast day: Sept. 9

On Sept. 9, the Catholic Church celebrates St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit missionary who spent his life in the service of African slaves brought against their will to South America during the 17th century.

Peter Claver was born into a farming family in the Spanish region of Catalonia during 1581. He studied at the University of Barcelona as a young man, and joined the Jesuits as a novice at the age of 20.

While studying philosophy in Tarragona, Peter developed a friendship with an older Jesuit lay brother, Alphonsus Rodriguez. Although Alphonsus spent his days doing menial work as a doorkeeper, he had immense insight into spiritual matters and encouraged Peter to become a missionary in the Spanish colonies. Pope Leo XIII would later canonize both men on the same day, almost two centuries later.

In 1610, Peter Claver – now a priest –arrived in Cartagena, a port city in presentday Colombia. Despite Pope Paul III’s repeated condemnations of slavery during the previous century, European colonists continued importing African slaves, often sold by their own rulers, to work on plantations and in mines. Those who survived the ship journey could expect to be worked to death by their masters. Peter was determined to sacrifice his own freedom to bring material aid and eternal salvation to the African slaves, in keeping with his vow to become “the slave of the blacks forever.” The young priest made and kept this resolution despite his own health problems (aggravated by Cartagena’s tropical climate) and the language barrier between himself and the population he served.

Many Spanish royal officials in Cartagena appreciated Claver’s work, and made contributions toward the slaves’ relief and religious education. The slave traders, on the other hand, found the priest and his interpreters to be a nuisance. Meanwhile, some Spanish expatriates who sought out the priest because of his holy reputation refused to enter the same church or confessional as the black slaves.

To minister to speakers of a foreign language, Claver often employed pictorial representations of Catholic truths. He also communicated by means of generosity and expressions of love, giving food and drink to the ailing workers and visiting them during bouts of sickness that often proved fatal.

“We must speak to them with our hands,” he reasoned, “before we try to speak to them with our lips.”

In keeping with his vow of “slavery,” Peter survived on minimal amounts of food and sleep. His life of humility and

penance led to miraculous occurrences – as when he healed the sick with the touch of his cloak, or appeared surrounded by a supernatural light during his hospital visits.

St. Peter Claver’s work came to an end when he died from the plague on Sept. 8, 1654. He had baptized and taught the faith to more than 300,000 slaves during his four decades in Cartagena.

During the Vatican’s Synod for Africa in 2009, Cartagena’s Archbishop Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal lamented the fact that his city had been the center of an “awful commerce.” But he spoke with gratitude for the fact that the same city had become the home of such a “great witness to sanctity,” the “apostle of the slaves, whose body rests in our cathedral, who lived to protect them and lead them towards the faith” in which they could experience God’s love.

— CNA/EWTN News

Driving away migrants is a ‘grave sin’

Working to turn migrants away from the prospect of peace and security in a new country is “a grave sin,” Pope Francis said.

“It needs to be said clearly: There are those who systematically work by all means to drive away migrants, and this, when done knowingly and deliberately, is a grave sin,” he said during his general audience Aug. 28.

The pope began his audience in St. Peter’s Square by explaining that he would “postpone the usual catechesis” – he currently is in the middle of a series of talks about the Holy Spirit – to discuss “the people who – even at this moment – are crossing seas and deserts to reach a land where they can live in peace and security.”

“Brothers and sisters, we can all agree on one thing: Migrants should not be in those seas and in those lethal deserts,” he said. “And, unfortunately, they are there.”

Migrants cannot be deterred from those deadly crossings “through more restrictive laws, nor through the militarization of borders, nor through rejections,” he said. “Instead, we will achieve it by expanding safe and legal avenues for migrants, by facilitating sanctuary for those fleeing wars, violence, persecution and many calamities; we will achieve it by fostering in every way a global governance of migration based on justice, fraternity and solidarity.”

Everyone, he added, must join forces “to combat human trafficking” and “stop the criminal traffickers who mercilessly exploit the misery of others.”

“What kills migrants is our indifference and that attitude of rejection,” he said, praising the many “good Samaritans” working to support migrants.

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, 4,110 people died or went missing while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2023.

SEPT. 8-14

Sunday (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time): Is 35:4-7a, Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10, Jas 2:1-5, Mk 7:31-37; Monday (St. Peter Claver, Priest): 1 Cor 5:1-8, Ps 5:5-6, 7, 12, Lk 6:6-11; Tuesday: 1 Cor 6:1-11, Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b, Lk 6:12-19; Wednesday: 1 Cor 7:25-31, Ps 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17, Lk 6:2026; Thursday: 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13, Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24, Lk 6:27-38; Friday (St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church): 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27, Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12, Lk 6:39-42; Saturday (Exaltation of the Holy Cross): Nm 21:4B-9, Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38, Phil 2:6-11, Jn 3:13-17

SEPT. 15-21

Sunday: Is 50: 5-9a, Ps 116: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9, Jas 2: 14-18, Mk 8: 27-35; Monday (Sts. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs): 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33, Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17, Lk 7:1-10; Tuesday: 1 Cor 12:1214, 27-31a, Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5, Lk 7:11-17; Wednesday: 1 Cor 12:31-13:13, Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22, Lk 7:31-35; Thursday: 1 Cor 15:1-11, Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28, Lk 7:36-50; Friday (Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs): 1 Cor 15:12-20, Ps 17:1bcd, 6-7, 8b, 15, Lk 8:1-3; Saturday (St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist): Eph 4:1-7, 11-13, Ps 19:2-3, 4-5, Mt 9:9-13

SEPT. 22-28

Sunday (Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time): Wis 2:12, 17-20, Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6, 8, Jas 3:16-4:3, Mk 9:30-37; Monday (St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest): Prv 3:27-34, Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5, Lk 8:16-18; Tuesday: Prv 21:1-6, 10-13, Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44, Lk 8:19-21; Wednesday: Prv 30:5-9, Ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163, Lk 9:1-6; Thursday: Eccl 1:2-11, Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17bc, Lk 9:7-9; Friday (St. Vincent de Paul, Priest): Eccl 3:1-11, Ps 144:1b and 2abc, 3-4, Lk 9:18-22; Saturday: Eccl 11:9-12:8, Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17, Lk 9:43b-45

Reflecting on the seas and deserts migrants cross to reach their destinations, he noted the biblical significance of such areas as “places of suffering, of fear, of despair, but at the same time they are places of passage to liberation, to redemption, to attaining freedom and the fulfillment of God’s promises.”

Yet the Mediterranean Sea and the deserts, plains, forests and jungles crossed by migrants in pursuit of a better life have become “migrant cemeteries,” he said. “And even here these are often not ‘natural’ deaths, no. At times, they have been taken to the desert and abandoned.”

But, he continued, “to accompany the people on their journey to freedom, God Himself crosses the sea and the desert.”

“God does not remain at a distance, no. He shares in the migrants’ drama. God is there with them, with the migrants,” he said. “He suffers with them, with the migrants, He weeps and hopes with them.”

Pope Francis

St. Peter Claver is depicted preaching to slaves in Colombia.

Workers inspect the famous domed roof of St. Lawrence Basilica, which needs repairs to correct water intrusion and other issues in the centuryold structure. A grant from the National Park Service is the latest in a series of fundraising successes for the Asheville parish, which is aiming to raise $6.5 million to fund the first phase of a major renovation effort that would start in 2025.

National grant to aid historic Asheville basilica repairs

Funds will go toward first phase of estimated $23 million restoration effort

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

ASHEVILLE — The iconic, century-old St. Lawrence Basilica has been awarded a $750,000 “Save America’s Treasures” grant from the National Park Service to go toward much-needed renovations that will protect and preserve it for generations to come.

Built in 1909 on a hill in downtown Asheville, the red brick church was designed and built by renowned Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino Sr. – nicknamed “the architect of New York” – whose vaulting, domes and ceiling work can be seen at Carnegie Hall, Ellis Island, Grant’s Tomb and Grand Central Station in New York and at the Boston public library. Designed in the Spanish Renaissance style, it features one of the largest free-standing elliptical domes in North America and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Treasured by parishioners and visitors alike, the 115-year-old church draws more than 100,000 visitors annually, but it is showing its age. Water intrusion has damaged some of the exterior brick and interior tile work and has led to cracks in its famed, herringbone tile dome. The Park Service grant is one step in a longer-term effort to fully restore the basilica, at an estimated cost of $23 million. The first phase – the most urgently needed restoration and repair work – is estimated to cost $6.5 million.

The grant will cover structural repairs, including redesigning and reconfiguring the stormwater drainage system and rebuilding brick and mortar on the basilica’s parapet and cornices.

“The basilica is a truly magnificent church, and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to do this work preserving our heritage for future generations,” said Monsignor Roger Arnsparger, pastor.

The grant speaks volumes about the historical significance of the basilica, said Mary Everist, board president of the Basilica Preservation Fund, a tax-exempt

nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the future integrity of the art and architecture of the basilica.

“It really speaks to the importance of the basilica in the fabric of Asheville,” Everist said. “The basilica is important not only to those who live here, but our visitors.”

The parish has already raised more than $3 million to preserve the structure, and the preservation fund has secured more than $1 million in other grants and donations. Everist said the organization also will launch a national campaign to raise another $2 million for the first phase of preservation, which will include replacing the basilica’s copper-clad dome.

The parish is leading the preservation effort in coordination with the Diocese of Charlotte.

The basilica is the only site in North Carolina and one of only 28 nationally to receive a “Save America’s Treasures” preservation grant this year. One unusual feature of the church is the tomb inside, where architect Guastavino was laid to rest after his death during construction of the church. His son and business partner Rafael Guastavino Jr., also renowned for his tilework, finished the basilica in 1909, a year after his father’s death.

St. Lawrence Basilica is home to 1,200 parish families and is open daily for self-guided tours. Its guest book has documented visitors from 49 states and 35 countries, Everist said.

“People come from around the world to visit the basilica, and it takes a significant amount of resources to keep it accessible,” she said. “We do everything we can to keep it open to the public.”

Everist said the goal is to begin repair work in the spring of 2025.

The Park Service grant means a lot to Lawrence Gilliam, a St. Lawrence parishioner since 1969 and one of the Basilica Preservation Fund’s founding members. He called on his background of more than 40 years as a grant writer to work with Everist on the grant proposal.

“I was elated to hear about the grant,” Gilliam said.

“This is a great feeling because it helps us to keep a significant building like the basilica around for hopefully the next 100 years.”

Gilliam’s connection with St. Lawrence goes back to his childhood. He first entered the doors of St. Lawrence as a baby with his parents shortly after they moved to the Asheville area in 1946. He recalled a trip he took to visit relatives in northern Italy several years ago and visits he made to historic churches there.

“I saw some lovely churches while there, including ones with ancient frescoes, but I think that St. Lawrence stands with all of them for beauty,” he said.

Park Service Director Chuck Sams said the grant marks a milestone. “The Save America’s Treasures program began 25 years ago and continues to enable communities across the United States to preserve and conserve their nationally significant historic properties and collections,” he said in a statement. “It’s fitting to celebrate this milestone anniversary through a wide range of projects that help to pass the full history of America and its people down to future generations.”

Since 1999, Park Service grants have provided some $405 million to preserve more than 1,400 nationally significant collections, artifacts, structures and sites.

Since news of the grant broke, the Basilica Preservation Fund received a donation of $250,000 from an anonymous corporate donor, Everist said. The Biltmore Company has also contributed to the project; the elder Guastavino also did tile work at the Biltmore House, which initially brought him to Asheville.

More online

At www.savethebasilica.org/donate : Learn more about how you can support the preservation and restoration of St. Lawrence Basilica

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : See more photos of the historic basilica

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. LAWRENCE BASILICA

Father Cook assigned as pastor of St. Pius X Parish

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., announced Aug. 31 that Father William Christian Cook has been assigned to serve as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Greensboro, effective Sept. 6. He succeeds the late Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, the parish’s longtime pastor who died July 19 after a short battle with cancer.

Father Cook, 57, comes to St. Pius X after serving as pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Swannanoa and Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville.

“I am humbled and honored to follow Monsignor Marcaccio, who did so much to build up St. Pius Parish and School over 24 years,” Father Cook said, “and while nobody can replace Monsignor’s style and good humor, I will do everything I can to embrace the people of St. Pius and the Greensboro community in the way he did.”

Father Cook was ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte on June 17, 2017, after working as a lawyer for more than a decade. He returns to Greensboro, where he began his priestly career serving as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Grace Parish for two years. He then became pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish and Immaculata School in Hendersonville in 2019, where he oversaw a significant school renovation, and was assigned to St. Margaret Mary Parish in 2023.

A native of High Point, Father Cook was baptized and received First Communion at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church before his family moved to Asheville, where he attended Asheville Catholic School. Bishop Michael Begley, the first Bishop of Charlotte, confirmed him at St. Eugene Church in Asheville.

more than a year, we continued to grow closer to God, built friendships, and accomplished much during our time together,” he wrote. “I also grew to love you, and the special parish of St. Margaret Mary. I will miss you so very much and hope to visit often.”

A new pastor has not yet been appointed for St. Margaret Mary Parish, but Father Cook assured parishioners that “Bishop Martin took great care in deciding who would succeed Monsignor Marcaccio,” and is working just as deliberately to “find the right priest” to pastor St. Margaret Mary.

St. Pius X Parish includes 1,800 families and a school of more than 400 pre-K through eighth-grade students.

Father Cook recognizes providence in his new assignment, which he said may have been foretold during his growing friendship with Monsignor Marcaccio.

“In what may have been a sign, I would often tell Monsignor Marcaccio that I would be happy to follow him at St. Pius whenever he retired. He would respond only with that grin we all know so well,” Father Cook wrote in his first message to St. Pius X parishioners.

The two had become friends through attending diocesan events and during Father Cook’s previous Greensboro assignment. Before Monsignor Marcaccio’s cancer diagnosis, they had been planning to meet for dinner. “I wish (those plans)

Just weeks after offering the funeral Mass for longtime pastor Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, Bishop Michael Martin returned to St. Pius X Church to celebrate the weekend’s Masses Aug. 24-25 and be with parishioners.

Pictured with him are parishioners Jeff and Fran Nemeth. At the beginning of the Aug. 24 vigil Mass, Bishop Martin shared a little humor, telling parishioners they were “really scraping the bottom of the barrel” with him filling in while they awaited the assignment of a new pastor.

In his homily, he reflected on the day’s Mass readings, referring to the recent Olympic games to illustrate his message. People who commit themselves to the rigor of a particular sport – going “all in,” he said –are inspiring, and he called people to that same level of commitment in following Jesus. Earlier this week, Bishop Martin announced that he was assigning Father Christian Cook as pastor of the Greensboro parish.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in public affairs from Western Carolina University, and a law degree from the University of Dayton. He worked as a corporate attorney for 12 years before answering a call to the priesthood – a seed planted when he was an altar server at St. Eugene Parish in Asheville.

He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

Father Cook announced his departure at his weekend Masses and in an Aug. 31 letter to his parish.

“Although I was your pastor for little

Upcoming collection will support diocese’s retired priests

GREENSBORO — Churches across the Diocese of Charlotte will take up a special collection Sept. 21-22 to support the diocese’s retired priests, including Father Robert “Bob” Ferris – who at 86 is still on the road most weekends saying Mass and providing pastoral support at Catholic churches across western North Carolina.

Known affectionately as “Padre Dad,” because he became a priest late in life after having a family, Father Ferris traverses the diocese, stepping in for busy priests called away or in need of time off. He regularly celebrates Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church and St. Pius X Church near his home in Greensboro.

Like many of the diocese’s retired priests, Father Ferris fills his days providing spiritual direction, leading mini retreats at parishes, speaking to groups, teaching OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) and assisting at Cursillo retreats. He also makes house calls to hear confessions and bring Communion to homebound parishioners. Occasionally, he celebrates Mass at the Pennybyrn retirement community in High Point.

“I don’t want to stop until God calls me home!” Father Ferris says.

Father Ferris says. “But I never wanted to stop administering the sacraments upon retirement.”

Over the past eight years since he retired, he has been able to set more of his own schedule and get a bit more rest. He also spends more quality time with his family.

“My grandkids know me now,” he says. “I can celebrate Mass with them, attend birthday parties and family celebrations.” Still, Father Ferris wants to continue serving the diocese as long as God allows. “I tell Him, ‘Lord, you give me the good health and the people, and I’ll work for you.’”

In a letter to the faithful, Bishop Michael Martin urges parishioners to support the annual Priests’ Retirement Benefits Collection, noting that retired priests like Father Ferris “continue to make a difference and need our love, prayers and support.”

— Catholic News Herald

About the Priests’ Retirement Benefits Collection

had come to fruition. And while it seems many plans were cut short by our dear Monsignor’s passing, we must trust this is all part of God’s bigger plan for us.”

As he prepares to take spiritual leadership of St. Pius X Parish, he offered words of comfort to his new parish family.

“God does not desert us. God continues to provide priests for His Church, and I’m honored to be asked to step into that role in the tradition of Monsignor Marcaccio,” he said. “Although we continue to mourn, we continue to look to the future with that foundation of hope that is found in our faith.”

The diocese needs to raise $1.97 million in this year’s collection for retired priests to stay on track to provide future pension income and supplemental retiree health insurance for the 133 priests actively serving the Church in western North Carolina and for the diocese’s 24 retired priests. Parishioner gifts are the primary source of funding.

Serving as a priest for 23 years, Father Ferris was ordained in 2001, many years after his beloved wife Mary Kay passed away. He has six grown children, 10 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

The former pastor of St. Aloysius Parish in Hickory, Father Ferris officially retired in 2014 but finds himself regularly assisting at parishes throughout the Triad and across western North Carolina.

“When I was at St. Aloysius Parish, I got tired, as I was up early and out late a lot,”

n The Priests’ Retirement Benefits Collection provides for the future pension income and retiree health benefits of the 133 priests actively serving the Church in western North Carolina, as well as 24 retired priests.

n The 2024 goal is $1.97 million.

n Contributions will help fund the diocese’s Priests Pension Trust and Retired Priests Health Plan Trust, as well as retirement programs of religious orders and other dioceses that are providing priests to serve in parishes of the Diocese of Charlotte.

n For parishioners unable to attend Mass the weekend of Sept. 21-22, a gift can be made by mail or online. Please mail checks to Priests’ Retirement Fund, Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C., 28203. Online, please go to your parish website if it offers online giving or visit www.charlottediocese.org/ donate, then click “Other Campaigns” to give to the Priests’ Retirement & Benefits Collection. Your gift will be credited to your parish.

Cook

MARYANN LUEDTKE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Martin encourages new Benedictine priest to ‘obedience and prayer’

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE plguilfoyle@rcdoc.org

BELMONT — Benedictine Father James Raber was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., in a special standing-room-only Mass at Mary Help of Christians Basilica Aug. 24.

The ordination Mass was a visible sign of the close connection between the Benedictine monastic community and the Diocese of Charlotte – with the monks of Belmont Abbey, priests and seminarians of the diocese, the Belmont Abbey College community, local Sisters of Mercy and other religious coming together with friends and family of the new priest for the celebration.

Bishop Martin called the gathering “an iconic moment” in which “to witness God’s grace at work.”

Father Raber’s ordination comes 10 years after he entered Belmont Abbey to discern a religious vocation following seven years of service in the U.S. Merchant Marine. The former navigator entered Belmont Abbey in 2014 and professed final vows as a Benedictine monk in 2018.

Father Raber will serve as campus chaplain at Belmont Abbey College, ministering to students and fostering the faith on campus.

EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE AND PRAYER

In a homily directed to the Benedictine monk, Bishop Martin – himself a religious order priest – reflected on the two themes of the Rule of St. Benedict (a set of precepts written by the founder of the Benedictine order that govern the lives of its monks): obedience and prayer.

“Those two foundational pillars in your life, James, come to a unique moment now in your ordination as a priest,” Bishop Martin said. “What should that look like as you go forth from here today as a priest of Jesus Christ?”

The readings for the ordination Mass offer an answer, he said.

The first reading from the Book of

Numbers (Chapter 11) explains that God calls certain people to ministry in the community. In the second reading, St. Paul tells the Corinthians that ministers should preach about Jesus Christ, despite being only “earthen vessels.” In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and His sheep know Him.

“God has called you, James, as a Benedictine to also serve the Church as a priest,” Bishop Martin said.

“As a religious myself in a community of brothers and priests,” Bishop Martin said, he is often asked why some religious orders have both types of members.

A religious order priest is not a member who has gone “all the way” or is “somehow better than” the brothers in that community, he said. Rather, “you as a Benedictine priest are called to an accountability that’s even greater than the rest of your Benedictine brothers. It’s not a greater status, it’s an accountability to live more publicly what you profess as a Benedictine.”

That means following St. Paul’s advice to preach about Jesus, not oneself. “It is Christ Jesus whom you are about. Nothing more, nothing less,” Bishop Martin said.

“That reality is powerful, that reality is exciting, and that reality is overwhelming,” the bishop acknowledged, especially for anyone chosen for the priesthood.

“I find your story remarkable, how and what has brought you to this today in this moment,” the bishop continued. It’s “a beautiful example of how God wants to make His Son Jesus known through this guy, this merchant marine turned monk, now ministering on a college campus bringing the Good News, bringing the two pillars of Benedictine life that the world can’t understand and does not promote: obedience and prayer.”

He told the new priest, “You can show how Jesus’ life gets made manifest in lots of different ways, and we glory in that difference.”

St. Paul’s description of ministers as

“earthen vessels” is apt for Father Raber, the bishop also noted. “Vessel” can mean a ship, and the Church is also often described as a ship.

“Your maritime history brings together these two worlds – of the ship that is the Church, this vessel that is afloat in the world, but it’s broken, it’s earthen, it crumbles at times,” he said.

Humility means admitting that we are weak without the strength of Christ, he said, and that “calls us to obedience and prayer.”

Father Raber is called to serve as a humble presence of Jesus to others, especially students, following the example of the Good Shepherd.

“You are to be in their midst as their shepherd,” Bishop Martin said, “to know and to be known,” rooted “in the life of obedience and prayer that allows you to be about His work.”

“That’s what shepherding is all about,” he said. “It’s not about you. It’s about a greater relationship, which is made manifest sacramentally as a priest.”

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : See more photos from Benedictine Father James Raber’s ordination, and read about his journey to discern a religious vocation

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROLANDO RIVAS

Bishop Michael Martin lays hands on the head of James Raber, ordaining him a priest during a special Mass celebrated Aug. 24 at Mary Help of Christians Basilica in Belmont.

Collecting for the L.A.M.B. Foundation

KERNERSVILLE — Members of Holy Cross Knights of Columbus Council 8509, including Richard Wallace (pictured), collected donations for the council’s annual fund drive for people with disabilities at the city’s recent Honeybee Festival. The Knights’ effort resulted in more than $775 for the L.A.M.B. Foundation of North Carolina, a charitable organization supporting people with special needs founded in 1960 by William Scott, a Knight who had children with special needs. The donations will support special education programs at schools in Forsyth County.

Faith

Father Jeff Kirby, STD “The Way of the Lord: Speaking Moral Truth with Love”

Christine Wisdom, MS, LMHC “From Suffering to Healing in Family Life”

St. Matthew Catholic Church 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy Charlotte, N.C. 28277

Pro-life advocate CANDACE OWENS will be visiting to remind us that a culture of Life can only be built when we do all things for the Greater Glory of God. Plus, several of the courageous women who received support from our ministry will be sharing their heroic testimonies.

To register: Please visit roomattheinnbanquet.org OR use the QR Code

A $50.00 nonrefundable reservation fee is required. For more information, please contact Katie Schneider at KSchneider@RoomInn.org

Adamo Manfra, Major USMCR, S.T.B. “Faith in the Public Square: Catholic Engagement in Politics and Policy”

Room At The Inn…where Hope is born!

Room At The Inn is a pro-life ministry of the Catholic Church serving single mothers from all of North Carolina and is listed in the Official Catholic Directory (P.J. Kenedy and Sons), licensed by NCDHHS, and accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

Recognized as a leader in programs for single, pregnant women experiencing homelessness, state and local agencies have honored Room at the Inn’s life changing services. In 2018, Room At The Inn received national recognition during the March for Life at a nationally televised ceremony from the White House Rose Garden by President Trump.

Bishop Martin celebrates first Mass at Charlotte Catholic High School

CHRISTINA

LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Students crowded into the gym for Mass at Charlotte Catholic High School Aug. 29 to hear from Bishop Michael Martin, who urged them to focus on Jesus with enthusiasm.

But first, the teens got a wake-up call from their new bishop at the start of the Mass. When the group responded with a weak “amen” during the introductory rites, he channeled his former coaching self.

“We’re going to try again!” he exclaimed. “Let’s put some heart and desire to praise our God into it and sound like we mean it! Our God deserves our attention!”

The students immediately perked up, responding with a loud “Amen!”

In his homily, the former Catholic educator and coach focused on three characters described in the day’s Gospel from Mark, which recounts the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. (Aug. 29 is the feast day, or memorial, of his death.)

The story of John the Baptist’s beheading may not seem relevant to students today, the bishop acknowledged, but it offers important lessons for navigating life’s challenges.

The Gospel story features three characters, he explained: Herod’s cruel wife Herodias, her daughter Salome, and St. John the Baptist himself.

Herodias wanted John the Baptist to be killed for criticizing her illegitimate marriage to Herod. She symbolizes people who ruin their lives by making wrong, selfish decisions, Bishop Martin said.

“None of us ... ever starts out thinking that we’re going to do something really, really bad,” he said. “Don’t think you’re not capable of doing something really, really wrong. You are, I am. It’s all part of the broken human condition.”

The bishop then asked the students to repeat after him:

“I am one poor choice away from disaster.” Then he reminded them that everyone is accountable for their actions – to one other and to God.

The teenaged Salome, the bishop continued, was about the same age as many of the students and spent her time “gliding through life dancing for everyone, without ever thinking what she’s doing.” She ended up dancing for Herod’s guests and following Herodias’ suggestion to ask Herod for John the Baptist’s head on a platter.

Anyone could easily end up in a similar situation of being dragged without thinking into bad situations by their friends or others, the bishop said. He urged them to seriously consider their decisions so they can make good choices.

The martyred John the Baptist offers a model way of life, Bishop Martin said.

“John the Baptist focused on proclaiming

Jesus as Lord – he recognized Jesus even from the womb,” he said. “Focus upon Him along the course of this year … show who you are and what you’re about. Be singularly focused on Jesus and willing to take small steps each and every day to say, ‘This is who I am, this is who my God is, and this is how I choose to live.’”

At the end of his visit, Bishop Martin

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : See more photos and video from the Mass

CHARLOTTE — Over 250 people nearly filled St. Patrick Cathedral Sept. 4 for Mass to mark the start of the school year for homeschool families. Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., celebrated the Mass, which also fell on the 85th anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral. Bishop Martin addressed most of his homily to the dozens of children present, asking them, “Who has the best teacher at home?” When several kids raised their hands and said, “Mom!”, the bishop agreed. Parents – especially mothers – are the best teachers, he said, and he encouraged them to model the Holy Family. He also noted the importance of church as a place to learn. “We do important things here at church,” he told the children. “Our homes are special places for learning, just like Jesus’ home was a special place for learning. And our church is a special place for praying. Let’s make sure that we keep both of those places holy.” After Mass, the bishop greeted the many families who had come out for the special liturgy.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Martin encourages homeschool families

On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube

granted Charlotte Catholic students the following day off from school – in keeping with a tradition when the bishop visits a Catholic school.

TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Michael Martin visited Charlotte Catholic High School and celebrated Mass Aug. 29. In his homily, the bishop encouraged students to think carefully about their decisions and how they impact themselves and others.

September 6, 2024 | catholicnewsherald.com

Padre Julio Domínguez

Una maravillosa experiencia

Estimada Familia de la Diócesis de Charlotte:

Una vez más hemos respondido a la voz del Señor que nos invitó a permanecer en Él. Que maravilloso fue ver las miles de almas que vinieron al Congreso Eucarístico y pasar un día hermoso con la gran familia de Dios.

Como siempre, la comunidad Hispana ha participado en grandes masas de todas las parroquias y podemos ver como cada año, más y más personas se unen a la procesión y actividades del Congreso Eucarístico.

Quiero agradecer de una manera muy especial a las personas que dedican su tiempo a preparar el Congreso, sobre todo a aquellos que dan su tiempo, tesoro y talento. Como podemos darnos cuenta, es un evento masivo que requiere mucha logística, pero que gracias a Dios está bendecida de muchos voluntarios que año tras año ayudan en la consecución del evento.

El pensar en cuántas almas reciben alimento espiritual durante el Congreso me llena de mucha emoción. Es el momento de Dios que llama a sus hijos a estar presentes, es un acto eclesial en el cual nuestra madre, la Iglesia, se hace presente en sus obispos, sacerdotes, diáconos y todo el pueblo de Dios, para dar un testimonio público de nuestra fe.

Este año, que marcó el vigésimo Congreso Eucarístico diocesano, se decidió que el viernes por la noche fuera dedicado a los jóvenes, y el resultado fue un éxito tremendo pues cientos de jóvenes se congregaron con el Señor y esperamos que año tras año vaya creciendo más su participación.

Agradezco de corazón a todo el pueblo de Dios por manifestarse, tomar parte de este gran evento y ayudarnos a que año tras año vaya siendo más organizado y sobre todo con más participación. Que el Santísimo Sacramento del Altar les bendiga siempre y que una mayor devoción y adoración en nuestras parroquias surja como consecuencia de estos días de gracia.

¡Bendiciones para todos!

EL PADRE JULIO DOMÍNGUEZ es vicario apostólico del Ministerio Hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Casi un centenar de jóvenes se conectaron con Dios

VICENTE CAPISTRANO

Corresponsal especial para Catholic News Herald

PICKENS, South Carolina — El 16 de agosto, 94 jóvenes de entre 18 y 30 años llegaron al centro de retiros en Pickens, Carolina del Sur, para participar en la Jornada Juvenil anual de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, un retiro de tres días donde cada joven tiene un encuentro personal con Jesucristo desde su propia realidad, así como también un encuentro personal con su iglesia.

Esta jornada marcó un año de muchos primeros. Esta fue la primera vez que el retiro se realizó fuera de la parroquia y en un centro de retiros.

Los jóvenes llegaron con muchas ansias. Para la mayoría, esta sería su primera experiencia de vivir un retiro.

El grupo juvenil Fruto de Fe, compuesto por un equipo de 57 personas y coordinado por Mercy Quintanilla y Juan Pablo Vanegas, pasó los últimos 6 meses organizando esta experiencia. El retiro incluyó testimonios y charlas, todos presentados por jóvenes adultos que vivieron el retiro anteriormente. Fueron acompañados por el Padre José Gregorio Rubio, vicario parroquial, quien estuvo presente para ofrecer confesión y guía espiritual cuando fue necesario.

Hubo momentos de sonrisas y risas, pero también momentos de oración, meditación y sanación. “Volví a conectarme con Dios después de alejarme un tiempo. Me recordaron que no estoy sola, que tengo a Dios, a Jesús que murió por mí en la cruz, y a su madre María. Venir a este retiro fue la mejor decisión que pude haber tomado y lo volvería a hacer”, dijo Lezzly Reyes López, una de las participantes.

El retiro contó con la presencia del Coro Dei Lux, Luz de Dios, conformado por un talentoso grupo de jóvenes que interpretaron temas, en su mayoría compuestos por ellos mismos.

Adicionalmente, un grupo de 14 jóvenes se aseguró de que el Santísimo Sacramento nunca permaneciera solo durante toda la duración del retiro. Incluso durante toda la noche, numerosos servidores permanecieron orando por aquellos que se encontraban viviendo el retiro.

La Misa de clausura fue celebrada por el Padre Marvin Navas, párroco de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. En su homilía, el Padre Navas dijo a los jóvenes que, “esta jornada juvenil fue creada para ustedes. Para que puedan verse a sí mismos. Ya es tiempo, jóvenes, de abrir los ojos y ver cuál es el camino que les da paz, amor y vida. Jóvenes, no están solos”. También dedicó unas palabras a los padres, recordándoles que sean pacientes y caminen con sus hijos,

el verdadero camino que les da paz amor y vida. “No están solos”, subrayó.

porque la semilla que ha sido plantada dará fruto.

Después de la Misa, los jóvenes fueron recibidos por sus familias y la comunidad.

El grupo juvenil Fruto de Fe quiere extender una invitación a todas las personas entre 18 y 30 años que no estén casadas para que se unan a ellos en oración, temas, dinámicas y mucho más todos los jueves a las 7:30 p.m. en la Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ¡Ven y conoce a jóvenes católicos como tú! ¡Joven de acción, haz de tu vida una misión!

VICENTE CAPISTRANO es director del programa de jóvenes de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Charlotte.

En la Misa de clausura del retiro juvenil anual, el Padre Marvin Navas, párroco, se dirigió a los jóvenes pidiéndoles que abran los ojos y vean

Maribel García, coordinadora de la pastoral de salud del Ministerio Hispano del Vicariato de Charlotte, en representación de la Coalición de Fe y Salud, se hizo presente en la reunión de coordinación de la organización comunitaria sin fines de lucro Enlace.

FOTO CÉSAR HURTADO | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pastoral de Salud se integró a organización Enlace

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — En su afán de construir más redes de colaboración con otras organizaciones de fe locales, la Pastoral de Salud del Vicariato de Charlotte, a través de ‘Fe y Salud’, una coalición de organizaciones de fe, se integró a Enlace, una organización sin fines de lucro formada en 1998. Así lo informó Maribel García, coordinadora de la pastoral de salud, quien destacó la presencia del ministerio hispano de la vicaría en la más reciente cita de Enlace, denominada ‘Evento de Líderes de Fe’ que se llevó a cabo el pasado 19 de agosto en los salones de la Iglesia Metodista Unida Hickory Grove.

“La pastoral de salud de nuestro vicariato asistió a esta reunión, en representación de Fe y Salud, para presentar los programas que lleva adelante, que incluye servicio médico en diversas parroquias, la pastoral de duelo, consejería católica, planificación familiar y otros. Además, dio a conocer algunos otros servicios que ofrece la diócesis a través, por ejemplo, de Caridades Católicas, y otras organizaciones como Alianza de Servicios de Prevención que tiene el programa ‘Familia Adelante’”, señaló la coordinadora.

“Enlace se fundó con el propósito que la comunidad hispana tuviera información precisa de todo lo que sucede en la ciudad de Charlotte y alrededores”, dijo Irlanda Ruíz, presidenta de junta directiva de esa organización.

Precisó que reúnen a diferentes miembros que quieran alcanzar y mejorar el bienestar educativo, económico, social y sanitario de la población latina. “No hacemos distinciones, tenemos a agencias de gobierno, organizaciones de fe, instituciones sin fines de lucro, sistemas de salud física y mental, corporaciones e individuos”.

Enlace, dijo, se organiza en diversos comités como participación cívica, salud, comunicaciones, cultura, educación, desarrollo económico, fe, seguridad pública y vivienda. Se reúnen una vez al mes para informar sus actividades, planificar y recibir nuevos miembros.

Destacó que cualquier persona de la comunidad puede ser miembro y que ello es muy efectivo, “precisamente para las personas recién llegadas”. “A mí me ayudó muchísimo cuando llegué a la ciudad hace 6 años y no conocía sobre servicios, el sistema escolar, el transporte y más”.

Por su parte, Liliana Molina, quien desarrolla el programa de asistencia a los adultos de la tercera edad ‘Póngale vida a sus años’, dijo que “Enlace actúa como puente entre los miembros, la comunidad latina y la gran comunidad de Charlotte-Mecklenburg para identificar necesidades, crear colaboraciones y promover la unidad entre los miembros”.

Añadió que entre las metas se encuentra la de capacitar a los futuros líderes de la comunidad latina de Charlotte, “para servir mejor a su ciudad”.

García, presente durante la última reunión de Enlace, dijo que la presencia de la comunidad católica local en esta organización, a través de la pastoral de salud de la Vicaría de Charlotte y ‘Fe y Salud’ será beneficiosa para todos. “De lo que se trata de es de ampliar nuestra cobertura de servicios y Enlace tiene los contactos. Vamos a seguir trabajando por nuestra Iglesia Católica de Charlotte y toda la comunidad en general”.

A propósito del mencionado programa ‘Póngale vida a sus años’, este periódico diocesano publicó en agosto de 2022 una nota en la que resalta el servicio que brinda a los adultos mayores.

‘NO

Al Servicio De Todos

El llamamiento anual para La colecta de beneficios de jubilación de los sacerdotes se llevará a cabo en cada parroquia el fin de semana del 21 y 22 de septiembre de 2024.

Próxima colecta de apoyo a los sacerdotes jubilados de la diócesis

GREENSBORO — Las iglesias de toda la Diócesis de Charlotte realizarán una colecta especial el 21 y 22 de septiembre para apoyar a los sacerdotes jubilados de la diócesis, incluido el Padre Robert “Bob” Ferris, quien a los 86 años todavía está en circulación la mayoría de los fines de semana ofreciendo Misa y brindando apoyo pastoral en las iglesias católicas en todo el oeste de Carolina del Norte. Conocido cariñosamente como “Padre Papá”, porque se convirtió en sacerdote tarde en la vida después de tener una familia, el Padre Ferris recorre la diócesis, reemplazando a los sacerdotes que se encuentran ocupados, o que necesitan tiempo libre. Regularmente celebra Misa en las Iglesias Nuestra Señora de Gracia y San Pío X, cerca de su casa en Greensboro. Al igual que muchos de los sacerdotes jubilados de la diócesis, el Padre Ferris llena sus días proporcionando dirección espiritual, dirigiendo mini retiros en parroquias, hablando a grupos, enseñando en O.C.I.A. y asistiendo en los retiros del Cursillo de Cristiandad. También hace visitas a domicilio para escuchar confesiones y llevar la comunión a los feligreses confinados en sus casas. De vez en cuando, celebra Misa en la comunidad de jubilados Pennybyrn en High Point.

“¡No quiero parar hasta que Dios me llame!”, dijo.

La diócesis necesita recaudar $1.97 millones en la colecta de este año para los sacerdotes jubilados, a fin de mantenerse en el camino correcto para proporcionar futuros ingresos de pensión y seguro médico complementario de jubilados para los 133 sacerdotes que sirven a la Iglesia en el oeste de Carolina del Norte y para los 24 sacerdotes jubilados de la diócesis. Las donaciones de los feligreses son la principal fuente de financiación.

Sirviendo como sacerdote durante 23 años, el Padre Ferris fue ordenado en 2001, muchos años después de que su amada esposa Mary Kay falleciera. Tiene seis hijos adultos, 10 nietos y dos bisnietos.

Ex párroco de San Luis Gonzaga en Hickory, el Padre Ferris se retiró oficialmente en 2014, pero se encuentra ayudando regularmente en parroquias de todo el Triad y en todo el oeste de Carolina del Norte.

“Cuando estaba en la parroquia San Luis, me cansaba, ya que me levantaba temprano y salía

muy tarde”, dijo el Padre Ferris. “Pero nunca quise dejar de administrar los sacramentos después de jubilarme”.

En los últimos ocho años, desde que se retiró, ha podido establecer más de su propio horario y descansar un poco más. También pasa más tiempo de calidad con su familia.

“Mis nietos ahora me conocen”, señala. “Puedo celebrar Misa con ellos, asistir a fiestas de cumpleaños y celebraciones familiares”. Aun así, el Padre Ferris quiere seguir sirviendo a la diócesis mientras Dios lo permita. “Le digo: Señor, tú dame la buena salud y la gente, y trabajaré para ti”.

En una carta a los fieles, el Obispo Michael Martin insta a los feligreses a apoyar la colecta anual de beneficios de jubilación de los sacerdotes, señalando que los sacerdotes jubilados, como el Padre Ferris, “continúan marcando la diferencia y necesitan nuestro amor, oraciones y apoyo”.

— Catholic News Herald

Acerca de la Colecta de Beneficios de Jubilación para Sacerdotes

n La Colecta de Beneficios de Jubilación para Sacerdotes proporciona los futuros ingresos de pensión y beneficios de salud para jubilados de los 133 sacerdotes que sirven a la Iglesia en el oeste de Carolina del Norte, así como a sus 24 sacerdotes jubilados.

n La meta para 2024 es de $1.97 millones.

n Las contribuciones ayudarán a financiar el Fideicomiso de Pensiones para Sacerdotes y el Fideicomiso del Plan de Salud para Sacerdotes Jubilados de la diócesis, así como los programas de jubilación de las órdenes religiosas y otras diócesis que están proporcionando sacerdotes para servir en las parroquias de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

n Para los feligreses que no puedan asistir a Misa el fin de semana del 21 y 22 de septiembre, pueden realizar sus donaciones por correo o en línea. Por favor, envíen los cheques por correo al Fondo de Jubilación de los Sacerdotes, Diócesis de Charlotte, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C., 28203. En línea, visite el sitio web de su parroquia si ofrece donaciones en línea, o acuda a www. charlottediocese.org/donate, luego haga clic en “Otras campañas’ y luego “Colecta de Jubilación y Beneficios para Sacerdotes”.

QUIERO PARAR HASTA QUE DIOS ME LLAME

Nuestra Señora de los Dolores

Por dos veces durante el año, la Iglesia conmemora los dolores de la Santísima Virgen: durante la Semana de la Pasión y también el 15 de setiembre.

En la Edad Media había una devoción popular por los cinco gozos de la Virgen Madre, y por la misma época se complementó esa devoción con otra fiesta en honor a sus cinco dolores durante la Pasión. Más adelante, las penas de la Virgen María aumentaron a siete, y no sólo comprendieron su marcha hacia el Calvario, sino su vida entera.

1er Dolor: La profecía de Simeón en la presentación del Niño Jesús.

Simeón le anunció que una espada de dolor atravesaría su alma, por los sufrimientos de Jesús, y ya en cierto modo le manifestó que su participación en la redención sería a base de dolor.

2do Dolor: La huida a Egipto con Jesús y José.

La Virgen María tuvo que huir precipitadamente, pasando grandes penalidades, sobre todo al ser su Hijo tan pequeño. Al poco de nacer, ya era perseguido de muerte el que precisamente había venido a traernos vida eterna.

3er Dolor: La pérdida de Jesús.

La Sagrada Familia pierde a su Hijo que desaparece. La Virgen pasó tres días angustiada buscándolo. Pensaría qué le habría podido ocurrir en una edad en que todavía dependía de su cuidado y el de San José.

4to Dolor: El encuentro con Jesús camino al calvario.

La Virgen María derramó lágrima de dolor al ver a su Hijo cargado con la cruz, como cargado con nuestras culpas, llevando el instrumento de su propio suplicio de muerte. Él, que era creador de la vida, aceptó por nosotros sufrir este desprecio tan grande de ser condenado a muerte y precisamente muerte de cruz, después de haber sido azotado como si fuera un malhechor y, siendo verdadero Rey de reyes, coronado de espinas; ni la mejor corona del mundo hubiera sido suficiente para honrarle y ceñírsela en su frente. en cambio, le dieron lo peor del mundo clavándole las espinas en la frente.

5to Dolor: La crucifixión y agonía de Jesús.

La Virgen María sintió dolor al ver la crueldad de ver clavado a Su amadísimo Hijo, y luego verle agonizando en la cruz para darnos vida a nosotros.

6to Dolor: La lanzada y el recibir en brazos a Jesús ya muerto.

IMAGEN CORTESÍA MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID. ‘La Sagrada Familia con los atributos de La Pasión’. Óleo sobre lienzo de autor anónimo que copia la obra original de Luca Giordano. Probablemente fue pintado en la segunda mitad del siglo XVII.

La Virgen María siente dolor al ver la lanzada que dieron en el corazón de su Hijo, como si la hubieran dado en su propio corazón; el Corazón Divino, símbolo del gran amor que Jesús tuvo ya no solamente a ella como Madre, sino también a nosotros por quienes dio la vida.

7mo Dolor: El entierro de Jesús y la soledad.

La Virgen María derramó lágrimas al enterrar a su Hijo; Él, que

era creador, dueño y Señor de todo el universo, era sepultado en tierra; llevó su humillación hasta el último momento. Y, aunque supiera que al tercer día resucitaría, el trance de la muerte era real.

— Condensado de ACI Prensa

Please pray for the following priests who died during the month of September:

Rev. Msgr. Thomas Burke – 2001

Rev. Msgr. Arthur Duncan – 2002

Rev. Gregory Eichenlaub, OSB – 1975

Rev. James King – 1978

Rev. John J. Murray – 1997

Rev. Edward F. O’Doherty – 1998

Rev. Bernard Rosswog, OSB - 1999

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus www.kofcnc.org

Lecturas Diarias

SEPTIEMBRE 8-14

Domingo: Isaías 35:4-7a, Santiago 2:1-5, Marcos 7:31-37; Lunes (Memoria de san Pedro Claver, presbítero): 1 Corintios 5:1-8, Lucas 6:6-11; Martes: 1 Corintios 6:1-11, Lucas 6:12-19; Miércoles: 1 Corintios 7:25-31, Lucas 6:20-26; Jueves (Memoria del Santísimo Nombre de María): 1 Corintios 8:1-13, Lucas 6:27-38; Viernes (Memoria de San Juan Crisóstomo, obispo y doctor de la Iglesia): 1 Corintios 9:16-19, 22-27, Lucas 6:39-42; Sábado (Fiesta de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz): Números 21:4-9, Filipenses 2:6-11, Juan 3:13-17

SEPTIEMBRE 15-21

Domingo (Memoria de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores): Isaías 50:5-9, Santiago 2:14-18, Marcos 8:27-35; Lunes (Memoria de San Cornelio, Papa y San Cipriano, obispo, mártires): 1 Corintios 11:17-26 , Lucas 7:1-10; Martes: 1 Corintios 12:12-14, 27-31, Lucas 7:11-17; Miércoles: 1 Corintios 12:31-13:13, Lucas 7:31-35; Jueves: 1 Corintios 15:1-11, Lucas 7:3650; Viernes (Memoria de San Andrés Kim Taegon, presbítero y San Pablo Chong Hasang y compañeros, mártires): 1 Corintios 15:12-20, Lucas 8:1-3; Sábado (Fiesta de San Mateo, Apóstol y evangelista): Efesios 4:1-7, 11-13, Mateo 9:9-13

SEPTIEMBRE 22-28

Domingo: Sabiduría 2:12, 17-20, Santiago 3:16-4:3, Marcos 9:3037; Lunes (Memoria de San Pío de Pietrelcina, presbítero): Proverbios 3:27-34, Lucas 8:1618; Martes: Proverbios 21:1-6, 10-13, Lucas 8:19-21; Miércoles: Proverbios 30:5-9, Lucas 9:1-6; Jueves: Eclesiastés 1:2-11, Lucas 9:7-9; Viernes (Memoria de San Vicente de Paúl, presbítero): Eclesiastés 3:1-11, Lucas 9:18-22; Sábado (Memoria de Santos Wenceslao, mártir, y San Lorenzo Ruiz, mártir, y compañeros, mártires): Eclesiastés 11:9-12:8, Lucas 9:43-45

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Our nation

Parishes heed pope’s teachings about climate, sustainability

ANNA DOUGHERTY OSV News

ARLINGTON, Texas — On a balmy day in Arlington, Carol Stilley walked through a garden created by members of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish.

Bees traveled from flower to flower as stems stretched their leaves up to catch the morning sun. When Stilley looked above her, five monarch butterflies fluttered above her head. The monarchs had found the lantana plant – a delicate and colorful flower – that the parishioners had just planted to fuel the endangered butterflies’ migration.

Stilley sighed as she was struck by the beauty of it all.

The parish’s pollinator garden is one of many efforts by parishes across the U.S. to concretize the ideas in Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on caring for creation, “Laudato Si’,” and its more recent counterpart, “Laudate Deum.” The papal teachings urge Catholics to care for the Earth through sustainable practices, while also demonstrating that caring for the environment and caring for human beings go hand-in-hand.

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote in “Laudato Si’” that “we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

Eight years later, in “Laudate Deum,” the pontiff pleaded with even more urgency for environmental action: “I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.”

Parishes around the United States have heard Pope Francis’ call and responded in force. From Cleveland to Seattle, parishes are moving toward the Holy Father’s vision of a more sustainable church and world.

WATER CONSERVATION

Cleveland had a problem: When it stormed, stormwater drainage mixed with the overtaxed sewage system, dumping pollution into Lake Erie. To help lift the burden off the stormwater drainage system, the Northeast Ohio Sewer District

offered grants to institutions that would redirect their stormwater into the ground.

When John Niedzialek heard about the grant opportunity, he encouraged his parish, Historic St. Casimir in downtown Cleveland, to apply. The church was a perfect candidate: Due to its urban location and asphalt parking lot, almost all of the stormwater on the campus went directly into the city sewers. Niedzialek, a part-time resource protection specialist at the Lake Soil and Water Conservation District and an assistant professor of earth science at Lakeland Community College, said that Pope Francis’ writings as well as his own love for the environment motivated him to initiate the effort.

“We need ... to be stewards of the land,” Niedzialek told OSV News. “When my grandchildren come to the church, I (tell) them that the work we are doing is to make the Earth a better place for future generations.”

According to information from Niedzialek

and Father Eric Orzech, Historic St. Casimir’s pastor, the church received the $168,000 grant in 2016 and used it to replace the parking lot with permeable pavers, install rain barrels and redirect storm water into gardens with native plants.

The effort has reduced runoff by 820,000 gallons every year, according to a report by the Northeast Ohio Sewer District on the project.

“In ‘Laudato Si’,’ the section with our Holy Father’s appeal called for unifying the whole human family in an effort to maintain our common home,” Father Orzech told OSV News in an Aug. 20 email. “This is exactly – on a commensurate scale – what our project did.”

GARDENING

TO FEED THE POOR

Patrick Barredo, the director of social outreach and advocacy and staff liaison for the care for creation group at St. James Cathedral in Seattle, heads a project that serves people in poverty by serving the Earth.

The Cathedral Kitchen dinner program feeds over 150 meals each weeknight to people with low incomes or who are experiencing homelessness and uses the produce that the cathedral’s care for creation team grows on the grounds of the Cabrini sisters, located just a few blocks from St. James.

“St. James is a part of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, whose first two goals are to listen to ‘the cry of the Earth’ and ‘the cry of the poor.’ The Kitchen Garden allows us to respond to those two goals at the same time, by cultivating the earth to produce food to feed the hungry,” Barredo said.

The cathedral also hosts an annual environmental fair to educate parishioners on sustainable practices, such as using LED bulbs or best gardening practices.

Barredo said that the cathedral is “trying to live as a culture of encounter.”

NATIVE LANDSCAPING

Every year, monarch butterflies rest in Arlington, Texas, on their long migration route from Mexico to the Northern U.S.

In 2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classified the species as endangered. The decline in the colorful butterflies population is due, in part, to the diminishing supply of plants such as milkweed and lantana that nourish the butterflies’ long journey.

Most Blessed Sacrament in Arlington aims to be a waystation for butterflies and other important pollinators. Native, drought-tolerant plants – which require less water to thrive than plants not native to Texas and attract pollinators – surround the sign that bears the name of their parish. The garden was created by members of Caring for God’s Creation Ministry, headed by parishioner Carol Stilley.

Stilley said that “Laudato Si’” and “Laudate Deum” have directly inspired the ministry.

“Pope Francis was very instrumental in all of us feeling passionate about it,” she said. “It’s not just about the climate. It is about relationships: relationship with each other, relationship with God, and relationship with nature. That is integral ecology.”

The ministry, founded in May 2023, also has planted a plot at the Lake Arlington Native Plant and Pollinator Garden, which is owned by the city of Arlington, and plans to expand the pollinator garden on their campus into an area of lawn that is not in use. Stilley said the group is starting with small projects like adding a water bottle refill station outside of the adjoining school’s gymnasium and replacing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.

GREEN CONSTRUCTION

Since the promulgation of Francis’ environmental teachings, many other parishes have launched ministries that seek to materialize their ideals. St. Anthony in Sacramento, California, installed solar panels, which were blessed by Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto. St. Thomas Becket in Eagan, Minnesota, hosts lectures about fair trade and best gardening practices. A coalition of North Florida Catholics, Big Bend Catholics Caring for Creation, educates and advocates for change in Tallahassee, Florida.

Jay Gilchrist, chair of the St. Thomas More Green Team in Coralville, Iowa, said that he has seen climate change rapidly unfold in Iowa. He knew they had to do something.

“The climate is changing; the natural areas are disappearing. Iowa, right where we live, used to be all prairie and woodlands,” he told OSV News. “Now there is very, very, very little prairie and the woodlands have greatly diminished too because of agriculture.”

When the number of St. Thomas More parishioners outgrew the size of their church, Gilchrist and others at St. Thomas More decided to combat the effects of Iowa’s changing climate by encouraging the parish to implement sustainable construction practices. The addition to the church –which, like the original church building, will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified – will have an energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, light fixtures with occupancy sensors, roller shades and double insulated windows.

“When Pope Francis tells us in ‘Laudate Deum’ that we need to change the way that we relate to the Earth, we are trying to take that seriously,” Gilchrist said.

OSV NEWS | COURTESY PATRICK BARREDO

Father Michael G. Ryan, pastor of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, leads the blessing of the St. James kitchen garden Sept. 22, 2018.

In Brief

‘We are women of steel,’ LCWR honoree tells fellow women religious at assembly

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sister Nancy Schreck has worked with congregations of women religious across the country and around the world, spent years in high school classrooms, and ministered for decades with other sisters in rural Mississippi, and after all that experience she has this to say about Catholic sisters: “We are women of steel.” She was speaking to nearly 800 Catholic sisters at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious assembly as she received the group’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Sister Nancy, a Sister of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa, was honored Aug. 16, the last day of LCWR’s annual assembly, held this year in Orlando.

According to Global Sisters Report, she has served in leadership and formation ministry in her congregation, as well as on the LCWR national board and in the LCWR presidency, and as a delegate to the International Union of Superiors General.

LCWR represents about two-thirds of the nearly 36,000 sisters in the United States.

According to Global Sisters Report, the assembly opened Aug. 13 with various welcome messages, including one sent by Sister Simona Brambilla, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. In her letter, Sister Simona wrote that “if we allow it, consecrated life can truly be a

catalyst for social transformation,” and wished attendees “a time of great peace and wisdom.”

U.S. bishops’ diocesan survey sets new baseline for Hispanic ministry in parishes nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent diocesan survey conducted by the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs offers a baseline to the parish-based pastoral response to Hispanic Catholics around the country. The survey, which was started last April and concluded in August, included questions on the number of parishes in each diocese, the number of parishes offering Mass in Spanish, and the number of parishes with a Hispanic/Latino presence or ministry without a Mass celebrated in Spanish.

The results, released Aug. 21, shared the responses of the Latin Catholic dioceses and archdioceses in the U.S., reporting that 4,479 out of 16,279 U.S. parishes offered Sunday Mass in Spanish. The survey also found that about 2,760 parishes have a Hispanic/Latino presence or ministry but do not currently offer Mass in Spanish and that “99% of the dioceses surveyed have several parishes that offer Mass in Spanish,” according to a press release sent by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The survey will assist in the implementation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/ Latino Ministry, a 10-year plan approved by the U.S. bishops in June 2023.

“It was very important to know what the starting point is, what is the number of parishes that already have a Sunday Mass in Spanish,” said Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, assistant director of Hispanic Affairs under the USCCB’s Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, adding that where this happens “many other ministries emerge as well.”

— OSV News and Catholic News Service

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‘Go out into the world’

STORY — PHOTOS — Christina Lee Knauss and Annie Ferguson

Patrick Schneider, Troy Hull, Binh-An Nguyen and Liz Chandler

world’

Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., leads Benediction during the Holy Hour of the 2024 Eucharistic Congress on Aug. 31. The 20th annual event also included Mass with the bishop, a Eucharistic Procession through Uptown Charlotte (one of the largest such events in the nation), praise-andworship concerts, dramas, inspirational talks, confessions, vendors, and much more.

‘May this Congress not stop here, but rather go out into the world’

2024 Eucharistic Congress draws 10,000 people

CHARLOTTE

— In the homily for his first Eucharistic Congress as Bishop of Charlotte, Bishop Michael Martin encouraged the approximately 10,000 attendees to go out into the world and share the presence of Jesus with everyone they encounter –especially people they may not know.

The new bishop marveled at the size and passion of the near-record crowd that gathered over two days for the Diocese of Charlotte’s 20th annual Eucharistic Congress.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect this!” he said.

The cavernous hall of the Charlotte Convention Center echoed with sacred music and choral voices singing hymns to greet more than 100 colorful banners representing parishes and ministries from around the diocese, followed by flags of more than 20 nations and a procession of more than 100 priests and deacons.

The two-day celebration was a joyful mix of music, worship and fellowship, all centered around the Eucharist as the source and pinnacle of Catholic faith. The Mass tied it all together as a standing-room-only crowd heard Bishop Martin’s homily focused on the Eucharist as a source

More online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com : See more photos and video highlights of the 2024 Eucharistic Congress

On the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel : See full videos of Bishop Martin’s keynote address and closing Mass homily, Father Sanchez’s Holy Hour homily, and the recorded talks of the English Track and Spanish Track speakers

of unity that can draw the Church’s – and the world’s –diverse community together.

‘REMAIN IN HIM’

During his homily, the bishop reflected on the Gospel reading from Luke which featured the episode on the road to Emmaus, where two disciples do not recognize the risen Christ. They invite Him to share a meal with them, and only then do their eyes open to the fact that Jesus is with them. This moment, the bishop said, shows the power of welcoming the stranger.

“We live in a world that is so frightened … let’s understand how the brokenness of the world has distanced us from the stranger and has made us leery of the stranger,” he said. “Fear born out of sin and born out of brokenness has distanced us and detached us, so it’s harder and harder to remain with each other and to remain in Him,” echoing this year’s congress theme: “Remain in Me.”

People can take a lesson from how the disciples acted on their way to Emmaus, he said. Receiving the Eucharist as part of a larger and diverse community, alongside people they do not know, can help Catholics learn how to bring God’s love to all they encounter in the world.

“May that teach us something about what the Eucharist means, about what the Eucharist can do and can be,” he said.

‘YOU BELONG HERE’

The Eucharistic Congress began Friday night with what organizers estimated was the largest opening night attendance ever in its 20-year history.

The night included vespers with the monks of Belmont Abbey, two praise-and-worship concerts and a keynote address from Bishop Martin, who urged people to reconnect through faith in Christ. He assured the crowd, “You belong here,” saying people from across the diocese and the world can all find a place as followers of Christ.

The Congress offers a chance not only for Catholics to connect with Christ through the Eucharist, he said, but also learn ways to offer that vital connection to others who are searching for meaning.

“We have the power to transform that, to make a difference here in western North Carolina,” he said. “… You belong here. I belong here. May we bring that message

‘Seeing all of the diversity and sharing with one another is like one big church.’

Anna Bazaldua, Holy Spirit Mission in Taylorsville

12,250

Chairs in the two main halls at the Charlotte Convention Center and all were filled –leaving standing-room only

10,000+

People estimated at the Eucharistic Congress on Saturday

5,900

Hosts consecrated for Holy Communion at the closing Mass

3,000

People estimated at Friday night’s opening program (a record!)

110

Yards that lines for confession stretched at one point on Saturday

106

Banners carried in the Eucharistic Procession

105

Minutes it took for the procession to complete its 0.8-mile route

94

Vendors featured during the two-day event

52

Weeks until the 2025 Eucharistic Congress, whose theme “Pilgrims of Hope” reflects that of the Vatican’s Jubilee Year

46

Priests hearing confessions at any given time on Saturday

36 Communion stations during Mass

20

Number of Charlotte Eucharistic Congresses held

17

Slides in sacred art light show about St. Francis of Assisi, donated in honor of Bishop Martin, a Conventual Franciscan

12

Benedictine monks from Belmont Abbey who led everyone in Evening Prayer Friday night

9

Billboards promoting the Eucharistic Congress around Charlotte leading up to the event

2

Bishops present at the event: Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv., the fifth Bishop of Charlotte, and his predecessor and founder of the Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Peter Jugis

1

Body in Christ gathered in communion

El obispo Michael Martin, OFM Conv., lidera la Procesión Eucarística a través de las calles de Uptown Charlotte el 31 de agosto. La procesión, una de las más grandes del país, reunió a miles de personas como parte del 20º Congreso Eucarístico anual de la Diócesis de Charlotte. El evento también incluyó misa con el obispo, conciertos de alabanza y adoración, dramas, charlas inspiradoras, confesiones, puestos de vendedores y mucho más.

“Que este Congreso no se detenga aquí, sino que salga al mundo”

Congreso Eucarístico 2024 reúne a 10,000 personas

CHARLOTTE

— En la homilía de su primer Congreso Eucarístico como Obispo de Charlotte, el Obispo Michael Martin animó a los aproximadamente 10,000 asistentes a salir al mundo y compartir la presencia de Jesús con todos los que encuentren, especialmente con personas que quizás no conozcan.

El nuevo obispo se sorprendió del número de los asistentes y la pasión de la multitud casi récord que se reunió durante dos días en el Vigésimo Congreso Eucarístico anual de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

“No sabía qué esperar, ¡pero no esperaba esto!” dijo. El amplio salón del Centro de Convenciones de Charlotte resonaba con música sagrada y voces corales cantando himnos para saludar a más de 100 coloridas banderolas que representaban parroquias y ministerios de toda la diócesis, seguidas por un bosque de banderas de más de 20 naciones y una procesión de más de 100 sacerdotes y diáconos.

La celebración de dos días fue una mezcla alegre de música, adoración y compañerismo, todo centrado en la Eucaristía como fuente y culmen de la fe católica. La Misa lo unió todo mientras una multitud que se quedó de pie escuchaba la homilía del Obispo Martin, enfocada en la Eucaristía como una fuente de unidad que puede cohesionar a la Iglesia y al mundo diverso.

Más online

En www.catholicnewsherald.com : Vea más fotos y videos destacados del Congreso Eucarístico 2024

En el canal de YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte : Vea videos completos de la conferencia magistral del Obispo Martin y la homilía de clausura, la homilía de la Hora Santa del Padre Sánchez, y las charlas grabadas de los oradores de los programas en español e inglés.

‘PERMANEZCAN

EN ÉL’

Durante su homilía, el obispo reflexionó sobre la lectura del Evangelio de Lucas que presenta el episodio en el camino a Emaús, donde dos discípulos no reconocen a Cristo resucitado. Lo invitan a compartir una comida con ellos, y solo entonces se les abren los ojos al hecho de que Jesús está con ellos. Este momento, dijo el obispo, muestra el poder de acoger al extranjero.

“Vivimos en un mundo que está muy asustado… entendamos cómo la fractura del mundo nos ha distanciado del extranjero y nos ha hecho desconfiados del extraño,” dijo. “El miedo nacido del pecado y de la fractura nos ha distanciado y desenganchado, por lo que es cada vez más difícil permanecer unos con otros y permanecer en Él,” dijo, resonando con el tema de este año: “Permanezcan en Mí”.

La gente puede aprender de cómo actuaron los discípulos en su camino a Emaús, dijo. Recibir la Eucaristía como parte de una comunidad más grande y diversa, junto a personas que no conocen, puede ayudar a los católicos a aprender cómo llevar el amor de Dios a todos los que

encuentren en el mundo.

“Que eso nos enseñe algo sobre lo que significa la Eucaristía, sobre lo que la Eucaristía puede hacer y puede ser,” dijo.

‘TÚ PERTENECES AQUÍ’

El Congreso comenzó la noche del viernes con lo que los organizadores estimaron como la mayor asistencia a la noche inaugural en sus 20 años de historia.

La noche incluyó vísperas con los monjes de la Abadía de Belmont, dos conciertos de alabanza y adoración, y una conferencia magistral del Obispo Martin, quien instó a la gente a reconectarse a través de la fe en Cristo. Aseguró a la multitud, “Tú perteneces aquí,” diciendo que las personas de toda la diócesis y del mundo pueden encontrar un lugar como seguidores de Cristo.

El Congreso ofrece una oportunidad no solo para que los católicos se conecten con Cristo a través de la Eucaristía, dijo, sino también para aprender maneras de ofrecer esa conexión vital a otros que están buscando un propósito. “Tenemos el poder de transformar eso, de hacer una diferencia aquí en el oeste de Carolina del Norte”, dijo. “…Tú perteneces aquí. Yo pertenezco aquí. Que llevemos ese mensaje a nuestro mundo que lo necesita tanto. Será la Eucaristía la que nos recordará diariamente quién pertenece, y la respuesta a eso es siempre todos”.

‘SÉ UNO CON ÉL’

La diversidad de la diócesis se mostró el sábado por la mañana cuando miles salieron a las calles del Uptown de

‘I’ve been coming here since I was 10 years old. I love it because you get to see all these people that you grew up with, especially if you’re from this diocese. It’s like a big Catholic family reunion, and it’s a beautiful opportunity to really renew the whole point of why we’re here, which is the Eucharist.’

Katelyn Jones, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Charlotte

‘This is pretty fun. I love it. Probably one day in the future I’ll get to come here as a priest.’

Matteo Maldonado, 9, St. Mary’s Parish and Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro

(Above) Eleanor Adeimy, 101, a parishioner of St. James Parish in Hamlet, and her daughters Dorothy Taylor and Mary Long were among thousands of people – young and old, from across the Diocese of Charlotte and beyond – at the 2024 Eucharistic Congress. (Right) The congress was one of the first public appearances for Bishop Emeritus Peter Jugis, founder of the event (pictured here speaking with his successor, Bishop Michael Martin), since his retirement in May.

‘The bishop’s message goes with the times because people are feeling lonely and anxious, and there are a lot of mental health issues, but people belong, they have a purpose – and that’s a good message.’

Martha Fenn, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Monroe

CONGRESO

Charlotte en una procesión eucarística de una milla que tardó casi dos horas en completarse. Concluyó dentro del centro de convenciones y fue seguida por una Hora Santa y una homilía bilingüe pronunciada por el Padre Juan Miguel Sánchez, secretario del Obispo Martin.

El mensaje del Padre Sánchez estuvo orientado por la lectura del Evangelio sobre la vid y los sarmientos (Juan 15:1-8), mientras alentaba a la congregación a permanecer cerca de Jesús.

“No hacemos una procesión con el Santísimo Sacramento para ser vistos por las calles de Charlotte, pero es bueno ser vistos en las calles de Charlotte caminando con nuestro Dios,” dijo. “Cuanto más nos ajustamos a la Voluntad Divina de Jesús, más seremos capaces de dar frutos y más seremos uno con Él”.

Esta mañana de oración llevó directamente a un día completo de charlas educativas, Adoración Eucarística y actividades para familias, niños y personas con necesidades especiales. Los asistentes también pudieron comprar objetos religiosos en 94 puestos y ver una exhibición de arte sagrado iluminado con imágenes de San Francisco de Asís en honor al Obispo Martin, quien es un franciscano conventual.

El evento atrajo a miles de personas de todas partes de la diócesis, como lo mostró un mapa montado en el salón principal donde los asistentes podían colocar un pin en la ubicación de su parroquia. Cientos de pines estaban esparcidos por todos los rincones del oeste de Carolina del Norte, desde Asheboro hasta Asheville, Mount Airy hasta Murphy, y cada parroquia intermedia.

Los asistentes también estaban ansiosos por recibir los sacramentos.

Las filas para la confesión se extendían más de 100 yardas, con penitentes alineados en dos áreas de los principales salones de exhibición, esperando su turno con uno de las docenas de sacerdotes listos para escuchar y absolverlos.

La multitud que se quedó de pie en la Misa de clausura era tan grande que hacia el final de la Comunión, el clero en las 36 estaciones de distribución de la Comunión estaba rompiendo las hostias consagradas en piezas cada vez más pequeñas para que todos pudieran recibir el sacramento.

‘SALGAN AL MUNDO’

Al final de la Misa, el Obispo Martin invitó a la multitud al próximo Congreso y reveló el logo y el tema del evento de 2025: “Peregrinos en Esperanza”. También bendijo objetos religiosos para la multitud, agradeció al Obispo Jugis por su inspiración para iniciar el Congreso en 2004 y a Monseñor Roger Arnsparger por supervisar el evento durante las dos últimas décadas.

También sonrió al ver a la gente llenando el salón de exposiciones, observando, “Estamos a reventar”, y bromeó diciendo que el próximo año la diócesis podría necesitar realizar el Congreso Eucarístico en el estadio de las Panteras de las Carolinas.

Animó a la multitud a llevar sus experiencias del Congreso al mundo. “Que este Congreso no se detenga aquí”, dijo, “sino que salga al mundo que necesita tanto la Real Presencia de Jesús, que necesita saber dónde estar conectado, que necesita saber qué es la verdadera vida, y que llevemos eso a nuestro encuentro con el extranjero, el pobre, el huérfano, el enemigo, y que lo reconozcamos en la fracción del pan”.

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 18 This year’s Eucharistic Congress featured educational programs for families, middle school and high school students, and special needs individuals, as well as programs for adults in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

CONGRESS

to our world that needs it so much. It will be the Eucharist that will remind us daily of who belongs, and the answer to that is always – everyone.”

‘BE ONE WITH HIM’

The diversity of the diocese was on display Saturday morning as thousands took to the streets of Uptown Charlotte for a mile-long Eucharistic procession that took nearly two hours to complete. It ended inside the convention center and was followed by a Holy Hour and bilingual homily delivered by Father Juan Miguel Sanchez, priestsecretary for Bishop Martin.

Father Sanchez’s overall message was shaped by the Gospel reading about the vine and branches (Jn 15:1-8) as he encouraged the congregation to remain close to Jesus.

“We don’t make a procession with the Blessed Sacrament to be seen in the streets of Charlotte, but it is good to be seen in the streets of Charlotte walking with our God,” he said. “The more we adhere to Jesus’s Divine Will, the more we will be able to give fruit and the more we will be one with Him.”

This prayerful morning led straight into a full day of educational talks, Eucharistic Adoration, and activities for families, children and those with special needs. Attendees also could shop for religious objects at 94 vendors and view a sacred art light exhibit featuring images of St. Francis of Assisi in honor of Bishop Martin, who is a Conventual Franciscan.

The event drew thousands of people from all parts of the diocese, shown by a map set up in the main hall where attendees could place a pin on their parish location. Hundreds of pins were spread out to all corners of western North Carolina – from Asheboro to Asheville, Mount Airy to Murphy, and every parish in between.

Attendees were also hungry to receive the sacraments.

Lines for confession stretched more than 100 yards, with penitents lining up in two areas of the main exhibit halls, waiting for their moment with one of dozens of priests to listen and absolve them.

The standing-room-only crowd at the closing Mass was so large that toward the end of Holy Communion, clergy at the 36 Communion distribution stations were breaking consecrated hosts into smaller and smaller pieces so that everyone could receive the sacrament.

‘GO OUT INTO THE WORLD’

At the end of Mass, Bishop Martin invited the crowd back for the next Congress and revealed the logo and theme for 2025’s event: “Pilgrims of Hope.” He also blessed religious items for the crowd, and thanked Bishop Jugis for his inspiration to start the Congress in 2004 and Monsignor Roger Arnsparger for overseeing the event throughout the past two decades.

He also smiled as he looked at the people filling the exhibit hall, noting, “We are busting at the seams,” and joked that next year the diocese may need to hold the Eucharistic Congress at the Carolina Panthers stadium.

He encouraged the crowd to take their experiences from the Congress out into the world.

“May this Congress not stop here,” he said, “but rather, go out into the world that needs so much the Real Presence of Jesus, that needs to know where to be connected, that needs to know what true life is, and may we bring that with our encounter of the stranger – the poor, the orphan, the enemy – and may we recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.”

Our world

Pope tells Indonesians: Share the Gospel with joy

Pope Francis is on longest foreign trip of his papacy

CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Christian call to share the Gospel is not about trying to win converts at all costs, but about living in a way that exudes Christian joy and always treats others with respect, Pope Francis told churchworkers in Indonesia.

The 87-year-old pope is on the longest foreign trip of his papacy: a four-nation apostolic visit Sept. 2-13 to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore that has him covering more than 20,000 miles.

He arrived in Indonesia Sept. 3, but before resting, he visited with migrants and refugees assisted by Jesuit Refugee Service, orphans cared for by Dominican sisters and elderly and sick people assisted by the Community of Sant’Egidio.

At his next meeting, on Sept. 4 with bishops, priests, religious and catechists, Pope Francis said, “Proclaiming the Gospel does not mean imposing our faith or placing it in opposition to that of others, but giving and sharing the joy of encountering Christ, always with great respect and fraternal affection for everyone.”

‘Living out fraternity means welcoming each other, recognizing each other as equal in diversity.’

Pope Francis

He asked Indonesian Catholics to be “prophets of communion in a world where the tendency to divide, impose and provoke each other seems to be constantly increasing.”

Welcoming Pope Francis to Jakarta’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunyamin of Bandung, president of the Indonesian bishops’ conference, told him the bishops hope his visit will prompt Catholics to “increasingly seek an encounter with God that manifests the joy of the Gospel, creates a culture of encounter in which we see others as a brother or sister, and restores the integrity of creation by listening to the cry of the poor and of the earth, our common home.”

In his speech to the group, Pope Francis focused on the theme the bishops chose for his visit: “Faith – Fraternity –Compassion.”

Those Christian values, he said, can coincide easily with “Pancasila,” Indonesia’s founding philosophy that emphasizes five principles: belief in one God, a just and civilized citizenry, unity, democracy and social justice. Indonesia has some 276 million people

and about 87% of them are Muslim, according to government statistics. The Vatican estimates that 3% of the population is Catholic, which equates to about 8.3 million people.

Father Pilifur Junianto, a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, traveled from Batam to meet the pope. He said Catholics in Indonesia practice “silaturahmi,” which “means we encounter others – other religions, other cultures. We visit each other on our feast days,” especially when members of the same family or close neighbors belong to different religions.

“As Catholics, we are focused on its meaning as universal – we can accept others,” he said. “Our main service as Catholics is education – schools and universities. We can influence all our students,” including many who are not Catholic. “That way we can help implement ‘Pancasila.’”

After a woman and a young man gave brief testimonies about their ministries as catechists, Pope Francis told the crowd that catechists have the most important role in the Church, followed by religious sisters, then priests and bishops. It was just one of many off-the-cuff comments the pope made

during the meeting.

Pope Francis told the churchworkers that Indonesia’s natural beauty should remind people that God gives human beings all good things. “There is not an inch of the marvelous Indonesian territory, nor a moment in the lives of its millions of inhabitants that is not a gift from God, a sign of His gratuitous and everlasting love as Father.”

“Looking at all we have been given with the humble eyes of children helps us to believe, to recognize ourselves as small and beloved and to cultivate feelings of gratitude and responsibility,” he told them.

The variety found in humanity also is a gift from God, he said, and a call to live as brothers and sisters with all. “No two drops of water are alike, nor are two brothers or sisters, not even twins are completely identical. Living out fraternity, then, means welcoming each other, recognizing each other as equal in diversity.”

Faith and recognizing each other as brothers and sisters, the pope said, must lead to compassion – not just giving alms to the poor, but drawing close to them, helping them stand and fighting for justice on their behalf.

“This doesn’t mean being a communist,” he said. “It means charity – love.”

“What keeps the world going is not the calculations of self-interest, which generally end up destroying creation and dividing communities,” he said, “but offering charity to others. Compassion does not cloud the true vision of life. On the contrary, it makes us see things better, in the light of love.”

Earlier that day, Pope Francis met with political leaders and urged them to preserve national unity by working for the common good and promoting cooperation when “the exasperation of contrasts” threatens to divide a country.

National unity, he said, “is a work of craftsmanship entrusted to everyone, but in a special way to those in political life, who should strive toward harmony, equity, respect for the fundamental rights of human beings, sustainable development, solidarity and the pursuit of peace, both within society and with other peoples and nations.”

The pope also inserted several impromptu comments into his prepared text, including a criticism of Indonesia’s decades’ long efforts to convince families to use contraceptives and have no more than two children.

While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, it also is home to Catholics and other Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. The country also boasts of having more than 300 ethnic groups with dozens of languages.

The pope’s schedule includes an interreligious meeting at Southeast Asia’s largest mosque as well as opportunities to meet with the nation’s Catholics and to visit some of the social and charitable works they carry out in Jesus’ name.

In Indonesia, like the three other islandnations on the trip – Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore – care for the environment is also expected to be a key theme.

PHOTOS BY LOLA GOMEZ | CNS Pope Francis is greeted by children as he arrives for a meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians and pastoral workers at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 4. (Below) A group of children smile as they wait for Pope Francis to attend an official welcome ceremony outside Merdeka Palace in Jakarta Sept. 4.

Pope: Church still needs university for educating missionaries

VATICAN CITY — While expert scholarship and good stewardship mean the pontifical universities in Rome should be working together, Pope Francis said it is essential that the Pontifical Urbanian University does not lose its centuries-long focus on preparing missionaries from and to the varied cultures of the world. In fact, he said Aug. 30, it is important that the university’s “missionary and intercultural specificity be seen even more clearly in the quality of the formation that it offers, so that its graduates can be creative in mediating the Christian message vis-à-vis other cultures and religions.”

“How greatly we need priests, consecrated persons and lay people filled with missionary zeal for evangelizing cultures and thus inculturating the Gospel! These two things always go together: the evangelization of culture and the inculturation of the Gospel,” Pope Francis told members of the section of the Dicastery for Evangelization responsible for the university and for what are traditionally known as the Church’s mission territories.

which restored and emphasized the contemplative character of Carmelite life. St. Teresa was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970.

New study: Shroud of Turin bloodstains are ‘consistent with Jesus Christ’s tortures’

TURIN, Italy — A study published in July revealed that a new analysis of the Shroud of Turin, including the composition and a microscopic analysis of bloodstains, shows that the marks are consistent with the tortures endured by Christ as described in the Gospels.

The study, titled “New Insights on Blood Evidence from the Turin Shroud Consistent with Jesus Christ’s Tortures,” stated that the presence of creatinine particles with ferritin, often a byproduct of muscle contractions, “confirms, at a microscopic level, the very heavy torture suffered by Jesus of the HST,” or Holy Shroud of Turin. Furthermore, “numerous bloodstains scattered throughout the double body image of the HST show evidence that Jesus of the HST was tortured,” it stated. “Bloodstained marks all over the body image which are consistent with pre-crucifixion flagellation, bloodstained marks on the head that are consistent with a ‘crown’ of thorns, blood marks on the hand and feet that are consistent with crucifixion and the bloodstain on the chest that evidences a post-mortem wound that corresponds with the post-mortem spear wound that Christ received as is described in the Bible,” it said.

for study of relics

Carmelites find St. Teresa of Ávila’s body still incorrupt after opening coffin

ALBA DE TORMES, Spain — The silver coffin of St. Teresa of Ávila was opened in Alba de Tormes Aug. 28 only to confirm her body has remained incorrupt since her death in 1582. The opening of the Spanish nun’s tomb marks the beginning of a study of her relics to be carried out by Italian doctors and scientists – with the approval of the Vatican.

The last opening of St. Teresa’s coffin happened in 1914, 110 years ago. The Spanish Diocese of Ávila now wants to obtain canonical recognition of the relics from Rome. According to the announcement made by the Postulator General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, Father Marco Chiesa, those present at the scene were able to see that “it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914.” The then-general of the Carmelites, Clemente de los Santos, wanted to see the body of the foundress. Both openings – 110 years ago and now – confirmed that the body of St. Teresa has remained incorrupt since her death. A first look at her body revealed, Father Chiesa recounted, that “the last few years were difficult for her to walk, due to the pain that she herself described.”

St. Teresa, one of the great mystics of the Catholic Church, started the Carmelite reform,

The new study was written by Giulio Fanti, associate professor of Mechanical and Thermal Measurements at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua.

Holy Land patriarchs call for cease-fire at war’s one-year mark

JERUSALEM — With the one-year mark approaching of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, spurred by the Hamas attack on southern Israeli agricultural communities Oct. 7, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem have urged the warring sides to “reach a rapid agreement” for a cease-fire.

The cease-fire should result “in the end of the war, the release of all captives, the return of the displaced, the treatment of the sick and wounded, the relief of those who hunger and thirst, and the rebuilding of all public and private civilian structures that have been destroyed,” they said, calling for an “end to the pursuit of death and destruction,” and adding that “despite repeated calls for the de-escalation of violence from ourselves and the international community, the situation in our beloved Holy Land has only continued to deteriorate.”

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the war since Oct. 7. Hamas killed 1,200 people, including soldiers, in their early morning onslaught and took more than 250 people hostage.

— Catholic News Service and OSV News

ViewPoints

Believing without belonging

There is a frightening trend in contemporary Christianity. It’s a phenomenon known as “believing without belonging.” Large numbers of individuals say they believe in Jesus Christ but no longer belong to, or participate in, the communal life of the Church. Why? What is behind this trend? What can we do about it?

Likely we all have family members and friends who have stopped going to Church. It is not unusual to hear them say, “I am a Christian, but I don’t go to church anymore,” or “I am spiritual, but I do not believe in organized religion.” Hearing someone say these things always saddens me.

One question we should all ask ourselves is this: “Do I only believe in Jesus, or do I also believe Jesus?” Reread that question carefully. Those are two entirely different things. We can believe in Jesus as a historical figure, but not believe His teachings. Jesus instituted His Church. His Church is known as the “Bride of Christ.” Jesus wants to have an intimate relationship with His Church. Can anyone truly be a follower of Christ and not be a member of His Church?

The concept of “believing without belonging” highlights a disconnect between personal faith and communal worship. Sadly, way too many people today express a belief in Christ but choose not to be an active participant in a faith community. Secularization has led to a decline in traditional religious observance. Too many people today distance themselves from organized religion. They claim their spirituality is a personal matter.

A COMMUNAL FAITH

Our Christian faith, as established by Jesus, is inherently a communal faith. Jesus, Himself, established the Church and He called us to be a part of it. So, if we say we are followers of His, it seems paradoxical to say, “I am a Christian, but I am not into the church thing.” To say this seems to be rejecting His call to physically, not merely spiritually, be “an active part of the one body.”

Our Christian faith is deeply rooted in the community of believers. No Christian should be alone and isolated. Faith is much more than a private relationship between a believer and God. We are meant to be actively in physical communion with others. We need the Church to provide a nurturing environment where we can grow in faith, supported by the collective experience and wisdom of the entire community.

Unfortunately, many Christians prioritize personal spirituality over communal worship. For them, a Church community seems restrictive or unnecessary.

The Church itself is not without fault. Too often some parishes present an unwelcoming atmosphere. This can lead people to feel alienated rather than embraced. The bureaucratic nature of some Church structures can also detract from the pastoral care that we all seek. People can feel disconnected. To combat this, our churches should encourage dialogue and understanding among their members. When the Church fosters an inclusive atmosphere, it helps individuals feel valued and connected. Ultimately this encourages them to participate more fully in the life of the community.

The decline in Mass attendance can be attributed to secularization, a crisis of belonging, internal challenges within the Church, and the cultural shift that prioritizes individualism over communal worship.

Another major issue leading to believing without belonging is the large number, more than 40,000, of Christian denominations. This has led to a fragmented understanding of faith and community.

‘THE CHURCH OF ME’

An overemphasis on personal interpretation of Scripture and individual experience over communal traditions risks the

“Mountaintop moments,’ the Eucharist and advice from a saint on our journey of faith

St. Philip Neri, the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, is not nearly as well known as he should be. The “Saint of Joy,” as he is called, was known for his cheerfulness and sense of humor as well as his profound insights in the confessional and his mentoring of young people through friendship and fellowship.

This 16th-century Italian saint is connected most directly to English-speaking Catholics through St. John Henry Newman, who chose the Congregation of the Oratory as the form of religious life that he, newly reconciled with Rome, chose for himself and his friends who had converted alongside him. Newman founded the Birmingham Oratory, the first of the English Oratories. (As it happens, it was at this oratory, not too many years later, that a boy, one John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, took “Philip” as his confirmation name. That, however, is another story.)

St. Philip left few written documents, but his friends and disciples fortunately collected his sayings and wrote them down; these were translated into English by Father F.W. Faber of the London Oratory, a contemporary of Newman’s. I was delighted to discover that the Oxford Oratory has just published a new edition of “The Maxims and Sayings of St. Philip Neri” in the same format as their excellent Oratory Prayer Book, which is arranged such that there is one saying per day, providing a pithy thought to reflect on. It can also be very illuminating to go through the Maxims with a particular theme in mind and see what St. Philip has to say about it.

‘A renewed focus on the Eucharist can have a profound impact on our spiritual lives, if we are diligent and persistent.’

St. Philip had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, observing: “Our sweet Jesus, through the excess of His love and liberality, has left Himself to us in the Most Holy Sacrament.” (June 6) He exhorts us, “Let all go to the Eucharistic table with a great desire for that Sacred Food. Sitientes! Sitientes! (Thirsting! Thirsting!)” (June 7).

The United States has just had a National Eucharistic Congress, the first in 80 years. From north, south, east and west in America, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession, culminating in a great procession through the streets of Indianapolis, and tens of thousands of attendees participated in Eucharistic Adoration as well as attending Mass. It was a powerful experience, and now these attendees (and the many more who watched the events on livestream or recordings) are back at home.

While many attendees have had powerful experiences, the real test is whether these will result in lasting spiritual growth. It can be very hard to move from the “high” of a mountaintop moment at a conference or event, to the quotidian reality of day-to-day life. How would St. Philip advise us to build on this national moment of worship and prayer?

To begin with, we can benefit from his downto-earth approach to the spiritual life. It can be tempting to chase after the emotions that attended a powerful experience, as if this would secure the graces we experienced at that earlier moment. However, St. Philip advises us, “Prayer and communion are not to be made or desired for the sake of the devotion we feel in them, for that is seeking self, and not God; but we must be frequent in both the one and the other in order to become humble, obedient, gentle, and patient” (June 4). If tears flowed at a moment when we were deeply moved in prayer or in a moment of corporate worship, or if we observe others who are overcome with emotion, we might make the mistake of taking the outward expression of emotions as a new benchmark against which we have to measure our everyday prayer life (and find it wanting). It’s easy to be discouraged if we unconsciously consider outward expressions of emotion as being evidence of real spiritual growth: What happens if we are always dry-eyed at Mass and don’t feel so much as a quiver of emotion at Adoration? As St. Philip puts it, “Perfection does not consist in such outward things as shedding tears and the like, but in true and solid virtues. Tears are no sign that a man is in the grace of God, neither must we infer that one who weeps when he speaks of holy and devout things necessarily lives a holy life” (Feb. 5 and 6). Tears sometimes accompany a powerful experience of the grace of God, but this often has more to do with a person’s temperament than anything else; it is simply more natural for some people than for others to show their emotions outwardly.

Mountaintop moments give us a glimpse of things beyond our everyday experiences, and serve to strengthen our faith and encourage us to persevere. When we come back down to the valley of ordinary life, after an experience in which prayer and devotion felt natural or easy, we can expect there to be difficulties in getting back into the routine. But we mustn’t lose heart. As St. Philip, who was immensely practical, explained, “We must not leave off prayers because of distractions and restlessness of mind, although it seems useless to go on with them. He who perseveres through the whole of his accustomed time, gently recalling his mind to the subject of his prayer, merits greatly” (March 11).

A renewed focus on the Eucharist can have a profound impact on our spiritual lives, if we are diligent and persistent. St. Philip offers some advice that is deeply practical for going forward with increased devotion to the Blessed Sacrament: “It is not a good thing to load ourselves with many spiritual exercises; it is better to undertake a little, and go on with it; for if the devil can persuade us to omit an exercise once, he will easily get us to omit it a second time, and the third, until at last all our pious practices will melt away” (June 11).

For instance, if you have never had the practice of a Holy Hour, but are motivated by the Eucharistic Congress to start participating regularly in Eucharistic Adoration, I would suggest starting small and working your way up. There is no requirement that Adoration has to be 60 minutes in length, and I, for one, find that I am much more inclined to do it (rather than just think “it would be

Dr. Holly Ordway

Brian Pusateri

God holds us as He holds each leaf that falls

When the long days of summer fade and autumn’s cool, crisp air starts to settle in, it will be hard not to feel a shift in our spirits, too. I’m not one to have a favorite season; I love them all. But there’s so much to praise about fall. The vibrant colors of the leaves, the shorter days and the cozying up with a warm drink all invite us to slow down, to take stock of where we are in life and to savor our many blessings.

Fall naturally draws us to reflection. What better way to do that than through the lens of our faith? And the Catholic poet Rainer Maria Rilke can help.

Rilke’s poem “Autumn” really nails the essence of this season. He writes, “The leaves fall, fall as from far, / Like distant gardens withered in the heavens; / They fall with slow and lingering descent.”

The leaves, with their acquiescing descent, are more than just leaves -- they are symbols of a fundamental principle in the spiritual life: surrender. Tempted to clutch the boughs of their trees, the leaves give in, however reluctantly, to nature’s summons.

When they begin their descent, they let go of the branches they cling to. Entrusting themselves to wind and breeze, they yield to the whims of current and weather. Whether tossed violently or permitted to descend gracefully, leaves accept it all as it comes. Each leaf relents and falls.

Rilke’s words remind us that this reluctance to let go is something we all experience. Life is full of changes, and sometimes we resist them, even though we know they’re part of God’s plan. Rilke says in his poem that the Earth itself is falling – “And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls / From out the stars into the Solitude.” We’re falling, too, sometimes feeling like we’re drifting into a precarious

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uncertainty. And it’s so tempting to feel like we’re alone. But here’s the thing: God is found only in the solitude.

“The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely, no matter how much he may surround himself with people,” writes the Trappist monk Thomas Merton. “But the man who learns, in solitude and recollection, to be at peace with his own loneliness, and to prefer its reality to the illusion of merely natural companionship, comes to know the invisible companionship of God.” Solitude isn’t emptiness or darkness.

Rilke doesn’t leave us hanging in despair. The beauty of his poem is that it leads us right back to God. In the midst of all this falling – whether it’s leaves, the Earth, or our own lives – there’s One who holds everything “infinitely softly in His hands.”

The poem concludes, “Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall / And lo! the other one: – it is the law. / But there is One who holds this falling / Infinitely softly in His hands.”

How comforting is that? In a world that’s constantly changing, where everything seems to be in motion, God is the steady hand holding it all together. He’s unchanging, always there, gently guiding us through the ups and downs, the letting go and the holding on.

So, when we move into autumn, let’s take a moment to see the falling leaves for what they are – a summons to surrender. But even in that surrender, we’re never abandoned. Each leaf that falls is held by the same God who holds us. He’s there in every season, every transition, guiding us with a love that never fails.

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PUSATERI

further fragmentation of the Church. Christian spirituality can begin to lack a solid foundation. When this happens, personal beliefs take precedence over the shared doctrines and practices that have historically united Christians.

The Church, with all of its diversity, still requires unity. We are, after all, the one Body of Christ. In Ephesians 4:1-6 Paul tells us there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.

The constant division within the Church ultimately leads to “the church of me.” Left unchecked, this will completely fracture the Body of Christ. As this happens, we risk losing the richness that comes from engaging with the broader Christian tradition.

In John 17:21, Jesus prayed that we would be one, as the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. As one Church, we should always display the love and unity of our Triune God.

ORDWAY

FROM PAGE 26

a good thing to do sometime”) if I aim for 15 to 20 minutes, rather than a whole hour. The point is to spend time with the Lord –however long that might be.

I will close with the pairing of two sayings of St. Philip that I find particularly encouraging with regard to our journey of

HOW TO CHANGE THE TREND

So, what can you and I do to change this trend? To begin with, we must be a living witness to our true Christian faith and the joy that comes from being a active member of the Body of Christ. Our lives should embody the Gospel message. We need to work hard at making all people feel welcomed and valued. We need to be more ecumenical. We need to bring an end to bickering and division within the Church and between our various denominations. We need to start inviting our friends and family members to Mass. In the end, the Church, as the Body of Christ, thrives when its members actively participate in its life and mission. Ultimately, this leads to a deeper connection with God and one another. If you and I do our part, we will begin to see a shift from the trend of believing without belonging to a new trend with a vibrant Church made up of believing and belonging Christians.

There is much work to do. Let’s get busy today!

BRIAN PUSATERI, founder of 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries, is a Catholic author and speaker. This was previously published at brokendoorministries.com.

faith:

“The great thing is to become saints” (Nov. 1).

“One of the most excellent means of perseverance is discretion; we must not wish to do everything at once, or become a saint in four days” (Aug. 19).

St. Philip Neri, pray for us!

DR. HOLLY ORDWAY is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University.

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