Jan. 31, 2025

HELENE

At a glance

JANUARY 31, 2025

VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 8 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

Arts & Entertainment 22

Contact us 2

Español 16-21

Our Diocese 4-11

TCATHOLIC ALL WEEK

Timely tips for blending faith & life

he early days of February are filled with feasts whose names sound all too familiar – the celebrations of Candlemas, St. Blaise and Our Lady of Lourdes. What might be less familiar is the history behind these dates, and the origins of the traditions we practice to commemorate them. Here’s a brief glimpse into their stories:

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A CELEBRATION OF LIGHT Candlemas, commemorated on Feb. 2, marks two simultaneous milestones in the childhood of Christ. This celebration commemorates when Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem to present Jesus in the Temple (the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) and the purification of the Blessed Mother. Although Mary’s ritual purification was not necessary due to her sinless nature, the ceremony that was required under Mosaic law prescribed that a woman wait 40 days after childbirth before returning to the Temple. The day is known as the Feast of Candles in honor of the words of the Temple priest Simeon, who in the Gospel of Luke prophesized that Jesus would be a light of revelation for the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel. On this day, candles are blessed for use throughout the year in liturgical services and in our homes.

PROTECTION FROM DISEASE

The Feast of St. Blaise is celebrated on Feb. 3 or Feb. 11 in the Eastern Church. St. Blaise was a 4th-century Armenian bishop, physician and martyr. People – and even animals – reportedly flocked to this pious bishop to be cured of their ailments. The Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years after his death and are widely regarded to have embellished some of the stories surrounding this popular saint. Legend has it that as he was being led away to be imprisoned and eventually

Diocesan calendar of events

EVENTS

martyred – or while he was in prison, depending on the version told – a mother presented him with her young son who was choking on a fish bone. At Blaise’s command, the child coughed up the bone. Today, we honor his feast by having our throats blessed by a priest to help protect them from disease. Two candles are blessed, held crossed together, and pressed against the throat as the prayer of protection is said.

HEALING BODIES AND SOULS

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

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on Feb. 11. Beginning in 1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Mary appeared to a young peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous 18 times. Mary asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision and told Bernadette to drink from a fountain in the grotto. Since Bernadette didn’t see a fountain, Mary indicated a spot where she should dig. When she did, a spring began to flow that remains flowing to this day. Countless pilgrims have flocked to the spring over the centuries in hopes of benefiting from its healing powers. If a pilgrimage to Lourdes isn’t in your immediate plans, you can commemorate the feast by praying the Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes and perhaps watching “The Song of Bernadette,” a 1943 movie about the miraculous apparitions.

— Catholic News Herald

LOPEZ TABOR DUO IN CONCERT: 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3. The Lopez Tabor Duo (Alfonso Lopez, violin, and Michelle Tabor, piano), hailing from Venezuela, returns to the Arts at the Abbey series to perform music by Brahms, Albeniz, William Grant Still and South American composers. Belmont Abbey Basilica, 419 Monastery Lane, Belmont. Details at www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/campus-life/arts-at-the-abbey.

PRAYER SERVICES

HEALING MASS : Mass with sacrament of anointing of the sick, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8. St. Luke Church, 9800 Fairview Road. Anointing is typically provided to those who need healing from physical or mental illness, or someone who will be undergoing surgery. Sponsored by the parish’s HOPE Committee. For details, please call Mary Adams at 704-545-1224.

ST. PEREGRINE HEALING PRAYER SERVICE : 7 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, St. Matthew Church chapel, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Charlotte. Includes a blessing with the relic of St. Peregrine. For details, go to www.stmatthewcatholic.org/st-peregrine.

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 the first Thursday of every month), St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, Charlotte.

FEB. 1 – 11 A.M. World Day of Consecrated Life

FEB. 4 – 9 A.M. School

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School, Winston-Salem

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

FEB. 4 – 1 P.M.

St. Leo the Great Catholic School, Winston-Salem

FEB. 8 – 10 A.M.

Catholic Men’s Conference of the Carolinas

St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte

FEB. 8 – 1:45 P.M. Walking with the Spirit in the World Catholic Creation Conference Sisters of Mercy, Belmont

FEB. 8 – 7 P.M.

Our faith

Pope Francis

St. Joseph is a model of listening to God

St. Joseph is the perfect model of listening to the Lord and quietly putting his word and plan into action, Pope Francis said.

“Joseph trusts in God, he accepts God’s dream for his life and that of his betrothed. He thus enters into the grace of one who knows how to live the divine promise with faith, hope and love,” the pope said Jan. 29 during his weekly general audience.

The pope spoke about St. Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus, as part of his series of talks on “Jesus Christ our hope,” which is the theme for his weekly catechesis throughout the Jubilee Year.

When Joseph discovered Mary’s pregnancy, he said, “his love is harshly put to the test.” Instead of terminating the betrothal, which would have been allowed by law, “Joseph acts thoughtfully: he does not let himself be overcome by instinctive feelings and fear of accepting Mary with him, but prefers to be guided by divine wisdom.”

“Joseph is a ‘righteous’ man, a man who lives according to the law of the Lord,” he said, and he is “open and docile to the voice of the Lord.”

“He dreams of the miracle that God fulfills in Mary’s life, and also the miracle that he works in his own life: to take on a fatherhood capable of guarding, protecting and passing on” God’s promise of salvation, he said.

“Joseph does not ask for further proof,” but fully accepts God’s plan.

“Joseph, in all of this, does not utter a word, but he believes, hopes and loves. He does not express himself with ‘idle words,’ but with concrete deeds,” the pope said.

“Let us, too, ask the Lord for the grace to listen more than we speak, to dream God’s dreams and to welcome responsibly the Christ who, from the moment of baptism, lives and grows in our life,” he said.

Pope Francis spoke to Polish visitors about International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27 - the anniversary of the day in 1945 when Soviet troops liberated the AuschwitzBirkenau concentration camp. An estimated 1.1 million victims of the Holocaust died there.

As people remember the anniversary, the pope asked his Polish visitors to “be custodians of the truth and memory of this tragedy and its victims, including many Christian martyrs.”

It is a reminder of the need for “a constant commitment to peace and defense of the dignity of human life in every nation and every religion,” he said.

A beginner’s guide to prayer for Catholics

What is prayer all about? Clement of Alexandria, a popular teacher of the early Church, put it simply: “Prayer is conversation with God.” Centuries later, St. Thérèse of Lisieux offered a similar sentiment, only more poetically: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

Like any conversation, it goes both ways. We talk to God, and He talks to us. God loves us more than we can imagine. He wants us to get to know and love Him as a Father. Like any loving parent, He wants to spend time talking with His children. As we begin the Jubilee Year in which many are focused more on prayer, here are some commonly asked questions about the topic:

Q. What kind of conversation am I supposed to have?

A. Think of it this way: Imagine that someone saved your life through an act of great personal sacrifice. What kind of conversation would you want to have with that kind of benefactor?

You would no doubt want to offer an earnest thank you. You would be eager to praise the person’s kindness, generosity and selflessness. You would probably ask, “How can I ever repay you?”

Now think about what God has done for us. He created us and gives us life. Every good gift we have is from Him. When the human race turned away from Him and lost its way because of sin, He made the most precious sacrifice possible to save us and bring us back to Himself: He sent His own son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. What kind of conversation should you have with that kind of benefactor? For starters, you can express to Him sincere praise and thanks.

Q. Doesn’t prayer include asking God for something?

A. Of course! Think of a small child who is hungry. If the child comes to his father asking for food, the dad is delighted to answer that request. And if human fathers, Jesus reminded us, know how to give good gifts to their children when asked, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Mt 7:9-11).

In fact, most of the Our Father is devoted to this important aspect of prayer: petition. We ask God to provide for us (“our daily bread”), guide us (“lead us not into temptation”) and protect us (“deliver us

Daily Scripture readings

FEB. 2-8

Sunday (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord): Mal 3:1-4, Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10, Heb 2:14-18, Lk 2:22-40 or 2:22-32; Monday: Heb 11:32-40, Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24, Mk 5:1-20; Tuesday: Heb 12:1-4, Ps 22:26b-27, 28 and 30, 31-32, Mk 5:21-43; Wednesday (St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr): Heb 12:4-7, 11-15, Ps 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a, Mk 6:1-6; Thursday (St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs): Heb 12:18-19, 21-24, Ps 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11, Mk 6:7-13; Friday: Heb 13:1-8, Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc, Mk 6:14-29; Saturday: Heb 13:15-17, 20-21, Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6, Mk 6:30-34

from evil”). He cares about us, and He’s delighted to answer our prayers. “Have no anxiety about anything,” St. Paul insisted, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6).

Just tell God what you need.

Q. What about praying for others?

A. Another important aspect of praying is intercession, which is prayer for others. St. Paul urged that intercessions “be made for all” (1 Tm 2:1).

Everyone has some need for God’s help. It’s your privilege to ask for it on their behalf. Even if you know that they themselves are praying, you can join them in their requests. Our heavenly Father is pleased to see His children helping one another that way.

When you pray for others, you find that your own life changes. Your heart grows warmer toward people in need. You’re not as upset by the difficulties in your own life, because you’re more aware of the troubles other people have. You find yourself more willing to help people in other ways as well.

FEB. 9-15

Sunday: Is 6:1-2a, 3-8, Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8, 1 Cor 15:1-11 or 1 Cor 15:3-8, 11, Lk 5:1-11; Monday (St. Scholastica, Virgin): Gen 1:1-19, Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35c, Mk 6:53-56; Tuesday: Gen 1:20-2:4a, Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, Mk 7:1-13; Wednesday: Gen 2:4b-9, 15-17, Ps 104:1-2a, 27-28, 29bc-30, Mk 7:14-23; Thursday: Gen 2:18-25, Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, Mk 7:24-30; Friday (Sts. Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop): Gen 3:1-8, Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7, Mk 7:31-37; Saturday: Gen 3:9-24, Ps 90:2, 3-4abc, 5-6, 12-13, Mk 8:1-10

It’s not easy, but God calls us to pray even for our enemies. Jesus set the example. As He died on the cross, He prayed for His killers: “Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). Praying for people who have offended or injured us actually makes it easier to forgive them and to see them more as God sees them.

Q. Does God always hear our prayers?

A. We can have the same confidence Jesus had when he prayed: “Father … I (know) that you always hear me” (Jn 11:42). And God not only hears our prayers; He answers them as well. Nevertheless, His answer isn’t always the one we’re hoping to hear. Sometimes we ask for the wrong things – things we would regret having if He gave them to us. Sometimes what we want doesn’t fit into the bigger, wiser plan He has for us and for those around us. Sometimes He’s allowing us to develop patience or to grow in some other way. In any case, we can always pray to God in faith. That doesn’t mean we try to convince ourselves that everything we ever ask for,

PRAYER, SEE PAGE 25

FEB. 16-22

Sunday: Jer 17:5-8, Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6, 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20, Lk 6:17, 20-26; Monday: Gen 4:1-15, 25, Ps 50:1,8, 16bc-17, 20-21, Mk 8:11-13; Tuesday: Gen 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10, Ps 29:1a, 2, 3ac-4, 3b & 9c-10, Mk 8:14-21; Wednesday: Gen 8:6-13, 20-22, Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19, Mk 8:22-26; Thursday: Gen 9:1-13, Ps 102:1618, 19-21, 29 and 22-23, Mk 8:27-33; Friday: Gen 11:1-9, Ps 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15, Mk 8:349:1; Saturday (Chair of St. Peter, Apostle): 1 Pt 5:1-4, Ps 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6, Mt 16:13-19

Our diocese

HELENE RELIEF EFFORTS

Building for God’s people: Catholic Charities helps rebuild mobile homes in Swannanoa

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

SWANNANOA — The sound of hammers driving nails ring through the cold, clear air on a recent afternoon in Swannanoa. For many people, a routine sound of building. For the people here, every pound of the hammer is a step on the road back to a normal life.

Sounds of work such as these have been coming from inside and outside mobile homes at the Alan Campos Mobile Home Park in Swannanoa, a neighborhood engulfed by floodwaters when Tropical Storm Helene ravaged the Swannanoa Valley and dozens of other mountain communities.

Many of the mobile homes in this park were flooded by Helene, forcing residents out of their homes and into the grip of uncertainty that has struck so many in western North Carolina. That’s where Catholic Charities is stepping in.

Since the storm, Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte has been working to rebuild many of the Alan Campos mobile homes so people can return to their lives. Antonio Garcia, a Hispanic Ministry coordinator in the Asheville Vicariate, has stepped in to work with the agency to help coordinate the efforts.

Catholic Charities has been partnering with the Community Organized Relief Effort, a global crisis response organization, to get the work done.

“This was a community nobody had touched after the storm, so we were glad to be able to come here,” Garcia said. “The response from volunteers and the local community has been great.”

ONGOING RESPONSE

Work at the mobile home park is part of Catholic Charities’ ongoing response to survivors’ needs. Relief started immediately after the storm with truckloads of supplies, continued with raising funds to help with immediate needs, and now has shifted to helping with long-term needs such as rebuilding homes, according to Gerry Carter, executive director and chief executive officer for the agency.

Catholic Charities to date has raised more than $9 million for Helene relief efforts, which includes donations coming from all 50 states and countries on three continents. So far, it has spent $1.1 million on direct financial help to survivors in five critical areas: with emergency items such as food, water and baby items; building repairs; financial assistance; rent and utilities. In addition, they have committed another $1 million in anticipated costs. To date, direct financial assistance has reached over 900 identified households.

Some of those funds are committed to providing at least four months of propane – at a cost of $2,700 per month – to power 55 temporary trailers at Haven on the Hill, a refuge in Waynesville for families displaced by the storm. This critical support will sustain the community through April while permanent housing solutions are being developed.

As some other organizations have exhausted their donated funds, Catholic Charities is taking a more judicious approach to address needs that will linger for months if not years as reconstruction continues.

“The bulk of expenses come now with this phase of disaster recovery – the rebuilding of homes – which is where significant costs take place,” Carter said. “One family home, for example, might easily require tens of thousands of dollars. This is also the most time consuming, because it frequently involves massive reconstruction costs and time frames. As we’ve said repeatedly, we’re in this for this long term. We will not stop until every resource is exhausted to help those impacted by Helene.”

STEPPING IN TO HELP

So far about $200,000 has gone toward the repair work at Alan Campos, primarily funding building materials ranging from drywall and flooring to lumber and paint.

Five days a week at 8:30 a.m., regardless of weather, at least 25 volunteers show up to do whatever is needed – painting, woodwork, repairing drywall, moving furniture. Some of

them are local to the area, while others drive in daily from Charlotte and others traveled hundreds of miles to lend a hand.

Denise and Joe Poirier of Michigan were hard at work at one home, cutting wood to rebuild a deck and steps. The Poiriers are members of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Wayland in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. This was their second trip. In November, they assisted with needs around Hendersonville for three weeks.

“This has just been a wonderful experience because we’ve been able to get in a lot closer to work where the needs are,” Joe Poirier said. “Everyone has been great to work with.”

Deacon J.D. Williams, his wife Christy and two of their six children were hard at work a few doors down.

They made their first trip to North Carolina in October. After seeing images of the devastation, the couple collected a trailer full of tools, food and camping supplies and drove it from their home in Virginia to a supply hub in Waynesville run by the nonprofit Operation Air Drop, which worked to airlift supplies to people stranded on mountaintops.

The devastation so moved the couple that they wanted to help more.

“People were telling us just to write a check, but I was convinced that somebody needed to be getting in here to do actual work, to help with the rebuilding,” Deacon Williams said.

An unanticipated connection brought them to Swannanoa.

“My husband’s cousin lives near here, and Antonio went and cleaned some trees off her house,” Christy Williams said. “I was on the phone with her and I said, ‘Hey, how do we

How to help

There has been an outpouring of assistance from people in the diocese, across the country and around the world. Continued assistance is still needed as the relief focus has shifted toward long-term recovery assistance. Here’s how you can help people in need, or get assistance if you live in the affected areas:

Donate money

Monetary donations are the fastest, most flexible and most effective way to support emergency relief efforts. Local responders on the ground can use the funds to help people with immediate as well as long-term needs. Give securely online: www.ccdoc.org/helenerelief

Need help?

n Reach Catholic Charities via an online request form and/or local contact information at www.ccdoc.org

n North Carolina 2-1-1: Use the state’s info hotline (call 211 and press 1, or go online to www.nc211.org) to find information about getting food, water and shelter; finding loved ones; checking current road conditions; filing damage and insurance claims; and other issues. n FEMA assistance: Go to www.disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362, or download and apply through the FEMA app.

Add your prayers

The diocese has an online prayer request form at:

www.charlottediocese.org/form-prayerrequest

help? How do we get connections?’ She gave me Antonio’s phone number, and here we are.”

Christy Williams was excited to show one home where she and her husband had been working alongside others for a week, installing floors and more. She was especially proud of a bedroom they painted in a teenager’s favorite colors to give her a vibrant new beginning.

Deacon Williams wants to connect with other parishes in his Diocese of Alexandria to mobilize more volunteers. One of his biggest hopes is to organize youth for a work session over spring break.

Christy Williams came close to tears when talking about her time in Swannanoa.

“God, I really believe, has been involved in this every step of the way,” she said. “I felt pulled from the beginning that we had to run – run – to help because we are the hands and the feet of Christ. The phrase ‘Who is my neighbor?’ kept going through my mind. These people are our neighbors. And we have to help them.”

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

PHOTOS BY TROY C. HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Five days a week, regardless of the weather, volunteers from the diocese and across the country are helping to rebuild homes damaged by Helene.

Catholic Charities navigates refugee funding halt

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD catholicnews@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Catholic Charities agencies across the country – including in the Diocese of Charlotte – are scrambling to figure out how their work to resettle legal refugees in the U.S. will be affected by funding cuts ordered by President Donald Trump during his first weeks in office.

A Jan. 20 executive order suspended refugee arrivals under the U.S. Refugee Admission Program and appeared to pause funding for some types of resettlement programs while the new administration evaluates the program’s “public safety and national security” implications.

That order meant canceling flights for about 20 families that had been scheduled to arrive in Charlotte over the next few months. But it was unclear immediately whether the funding cuts also apply to services provided to refugees who have already arrived and are trying to build new lives.

Catholic Charities USA is seeking clarification from the federal government, but locally, Bishop Michael Martin and Catholic Charities say they will honor their commitment to provide essential services to the 117 legal refugees who recently arrived through their resettlement program, a partnership between the Catholic Church and the U.S. government. If the federal funds have indeed been curtailed, Catholic Charities said it will use local donations to cover the cost.

“Our commitment has not waivered,” said Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. “Catholic Charities will continue to serve the refugees under our care and provide the resources they need to successfully settle into their new lives in North Carolina.”

The diocese’s resettlement program provides essential services in the first 90 days after refugees’ arrivals – and is currently serving 117 people through its Charlotte and Asheville offices. For refugees assigned by the government to be resettled in the region, caseworkers help secure employment, housing, furniture and supplies, medical screenings and English language instruction, and enroll children in school and youth programs.

‘Our commitment has not waivered. Catholic Charities will continue to serve the refugees under our care and provide the resources they need to successfully settle into their new lives in North Carolina.’

Gerry Carter Executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities Diocese

Under the program, each refugee receives a total of $1,425 to cover the cost for basic needs – including rent – during their first three months.

The diocese also provides services for up to five years through a separate federally funded program potentially targeted for cuts in a Jan. 28 order that was rescinded a day later. That program currently serves more than 1,400 refugees.

The Catholic Church runs one of the nation’s largest refugee resettlement efforts, resettling approximately 18% of the refugees who arrive in the U.S. each year. In partnership with the U.S. State Department and state-run refugee offices,

the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its network of Catholic Charities agencies resettle refugees fleeing war, political upheaval, or religious, economic or ethnic persecution.

The flow of refugees dwindled during President Trump’s first term, falling from an average of about 300 refugees a year to about 50 in 2020. Refugee resettlement by the Charlotte diocese climbed in recent years under the Biden Administration to more than 550 refugees in Charlotte and Asheville last fiscal year.

FLIGHTS CANCELED

The halt on refugee admissions affects

2024 DSA campaign surpasses goal thanks to generous parishioners

TRISH STUKBAUER tmstukbauer@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — The 2024 Diocesan Support Appeal campaign raised $7,276,756 from 11,993 donors across the Diocese of Charlotte – surpassing the campaign goal of $6.7 million by 6 percent.

The theme of the 2024 Diocesan Support Appeal, “One Body in Christ,” encouraged Catholics to help thousands of people in need across the Charlotte diocese. Inspired by 1 Corinthians 12:12, people were called to join together in Christ’s love to serve one another with compassion.

Overall, 16 percent of registered parishioners across the diocese gave an

average donation of $595, up from an average gift of $525 in the 2023 campaign, and 69% percent of parishes and missions across the diocese reached or exceeded their campaign goal.

Parishioners in all 92 parishes and missions in the Charlotte diocese fund the DSA.

Parishes that exceed their goal keep the extra funds they collect, while parishes that fall short of their goal in donations from parishioners make up the shortfall from their operating budgets.

Some of the parishes receiving rebate funds include: St. Mark in Huntersville, St. Leo in Winston-Salem, St. Gabriel in Charlotte and St. Margaret of Scotland in

about 20 families slated to arrive in Charlotte in the near future, said Laura Townsend Jones, Catholic Charities’ refugee resettlement director.

“All of those families had already been vetted, had health screenings and flights scheduled, and that all got canceled,” Jones said, explaining that refugees go through a lengthy screening process in their home countries before being considered for resettlement in the United States.

Currently, Catholic Charities has 25 caseworkers who assist refugees, including one Burmese staff member whose family members had been scheduled to come to the U.S. before the Trump Administration paused all arrivals and funding. Other families were slated to arrive this year from Ukraine, Venezuela, Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The families who have been stranded now wait in refugee camps or temporary housing in several nations, far from their home countries and in some cases facing isolation and discrimination.

ASSISTANCE CONTINUES

Despite any loss in funding, Catholic Charities is determined to continue helping refugee families as they acclimate to life in North Carolina, Carter said. He cites the Christian imperative to “welcome the stranger” and notes that most refugees find work within a few months of their arrival and become self-sufficient within four to six months.

“Catholic Charities will continue to work with the refugees that we already assumed an obligation to serve, even if the federal government has chosen to halt the payment that we receive to provide the service,” he said.

For more than four decades, the agency has resettled refugees hailing from 19 countries, most recently coming from conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Somalia. The program is a lifeline for those who often arrive without knowing anyone or speaking the language.

“We are blessed to be a part of their journey,” Carter said. “Through our programs, refugees quickly find jobs, become self-sufficient, and go on to become valuable contributors to our communities.” — OSV News contributed.

“As our diocese continues to grow in both population and diversity, the DSA has evolved to meet the material and spiritual needs of our local communities,” said David Walsh, the diocese’s associate director of development.

“The combined support of the diocese emphasizes that we are truly ‘One Body in Christ’ by allowing our ministries and programs to thrive and make an impact beyond what one parish could do alone,” he said.

The successful 2024 DSA campaign continues a trend, surpassing each prior year’s fundraising total every year despite the pandemic.

Maggie Valley.

*plus over 200 Afghans through Operation Afghans Welcome and 133 Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees.

Carter

Jones

of Charlotte

DAVID PUCKETT AND CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Why We March:

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 100 pilgrims from the Diocese of Charlotte joined in solidarity with tens of thousands to witness for life in the 52nd March for Life at the nation’s capital, themed “Why We March.”

Father Peter Ascik, Family Life Office Director and one of the trip organizers, knows why we march. As he said, “There is no time like the present to be engaged. In fact, it is possibly the most crucial time in our lives to be engaged politically and in other realms. We are shaping the next 50 years right now.”

Two buses left St. Vincent De Paul Church in Charlotte before sunrise Thursday morning. The group put their suitcases in the luggage compartment of the Rose Charters bus, pulling out their rosary beads and taking seats in anticipation of the sixhour drive to D.C. from Charlotte.

For some, it was their first time going to the national march; for others, it was their 25th. Along with their luggage for the three-day trip, they all packed a different compelling story about why they march. Respect Life Program Director and March for Life coordinator Jessica Grabowski said, “Now that we are moving into our third year,

we have seen people returning to make this pilgrimage yearly to our nation’s capital. We also have new individuals and families who are joining us for the first time.”

This was a diverse crowd with families big and small; some marched solo, like Glenn Keller from Our Lady of the Angels Mission in Marion, who in his later years felt the calling.

“I hope 250,000 people come. I would love if it was the largest March for Life in history,” Keller said.

Others brought all their children, like Paul and Elisabeth Laskowski from St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, who had all six of their children on board.

“We are excited to go as a family and witness to this cause, even though Roe v. Wade was overturned. It is always a fight to protect life at all stages. It is awesome to bring our kids back year after year to do this. It’s kind of like a family tradition,” said Paul Laskowski.

Pilgrims from the diocese joined in the opening Mass for the annual Prayer Vigil for Life Thursday night at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Friday morning, the group went to Life Fest in Fairfax, Va., where they heard testimonies from mothers who have

Diocese takes a stand at the Washington, D.C., March for

received God’s mercy, either by having their unplanned baby or by terminating their pregnancy and later receiving forgiveness.

STOPPING TO PRAY

In St. Joseph on Capitol Hill, a small church only footsteps away from the march, Monsignor Patrick Winslow presided over Mass on Friday morning. The Mass was not highly publicized and was primarily for people from the Diocese of Charlotte. Still, it was filled with the familiar choir voices and faces of the Charlotte seminarians from Mount St. Mary in Cincinnati.

The air was thick with heavy incense, but through it Monsignor was able to make out his entire family – mother, father, sisters, nieces and nephews, all of whom have made it their own tradition to March for Life since as long as his father, Richard Winslow, can remember.

Monsignor Winslow’s homily also focused on the theme “Why we march.” He acknowledges that the Dobbs decision (the landmark 2022 Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade) leveled the playing field, relating the issue to football, but says, “It is not good enough; it is not over.”

Monsignor Winslow said he believes the

PHOTOS BY LISA GERACI, AIDAN CRETER AND AMELIA KUDELA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Above) Monsignor Patrick Winslow hugs his nephew Jack during the march. He can remember marching with Jack on his shoulders 10 years ago. (Top) Pilgrims from the Diocese of Charlotte braved frigid temperatures Jan. 24 to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Families with young children, single people, senior citizens and busloads of students from local colleges all turned out to witness for the sanctity of life.

MARCH

way to win over the younger generation is not demanding they do the right thing, but instead helping them understand and care about the dignity of life, as they have proven they care about other issues such as the environment.

“We don’t want to coerce everybody to do the right thing. Rather, we want people that are able to see the truth and to cry out for laws to protect the dignity of life. That’s what we want. This is why we march, because there is so much more to be done,” he said.

Monsignor Winslow knows St. Joseph’s is in the perfect location to join the March for Life each year and hopes that the Mass for diocesan pilgrims will grow in attendance and become a tradition.

“In later years you will say I was there when there were just a couple of dozen people,” he said.

JOINING THE MARCH

After Mass, the seminarians and the Winslow family burst through the church doors to join tens of thousands of fellow marchers. A wave of black cassocks weaved through the crowd while Monsignor Winslow marched and cherished the time with his own family. His nephew Jack, 16, gave him a huge, overdue hug.

“I had him on my shoulders during this same march 10 years ago, and now he is 16.”

But this all would not have been possible if his biological great-grandmother had terminated her pregnancy, as thousands of Americans do each year.

“I myself am the grandson of an adopted person. An abortion could have been a real possibility; me, my family, none of us would exist,” Monsignor Winslow said.

The March for Life may be a seemingly small step, but Monsignor Winslow believes it is indeed giant.

“If our diocese, or any other diocese, stopped or suddenly thought it was unimportant, it would just fade away,” Monsignor Winslow said as he marched.

Other diocesan pilgrims included Dominican sisters from the Philippines, brothers from the Missionaries of the Poor in Monroe who are from Uganda and Indonesia, and parishioners from Nigeria and El Salvador. These pilgrims – with their own unique cultures and shared Catholic faith –marched from the Washington Monument all the way to the U.S. Capitol together with one common message: We must love the unborn and protect the dignity of human life.

The diocese marchers all wore blue hats with little blue pompoms, the only physical similarity between them. The March for Life

doesn’t discriminate but takes everyone as they are: weak, strong, young, old.

WARM HEARTS LEAD THE WAY

In the middle of the frigid cold, people felt the warmth between them, not on their skin but in their hearts, a peace that can only be found in a unified whole. The march was a way for them to share in the miracle of motherhood and the true blessing of a child.

Each marcher was a walking testimony.

Jessica Grabowski marched along with her new baby in a stroller, her husband by her side with their toddler on his shoulders, as their two other boys clung to their sides, a

‘We don’t want to coerce everybody to do the right thing. Rather, we want people that are able to see the truth and to cry out for laws to protect the dignity of life. That’s what we want. This is why we march, because there is so much more to be done.’

Monsignor Patrick Winslow

(From top left) Pilgrims come together at the end of the March for Life to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the U.S. Capitol. Charlotte parishioners were among the crowd at the opening Mass for the annual Prayer Vigil for Life, Jan. 23 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pilgrims Jose Lora Pena and James Penninger were energized as they joined thousands of others for the pre-march event, Life Fest.

pro-life sign in both their small hands.

“I have been marching for 20 years, since I was in middle school, traveling to D.C. for many of those years on a pilgrimage like this one,” she said. “I have marched as a child, a young adult, as an expecting mother and now with my husband and children. It is just as inspiring and important at every stage of life to publicly stand for life and against abortion. The need for all and many to stand up for the unborn will be forever needed and a priority until each precious life is protected from conception until natural death.”

Blanca Salguero, a 68-year-old parishioner from St. Patrick Cathedral, moved slowly but

steadily using her walker. She was marching for her mother: “I was created because my mother was raped. Even though it was hard, she gave me the gift of life. I march because for the rest of my life I want to defend children,” she said.

The Lebowski couple marched for mothers, too. Their young children marched close to their side, four of the six given to the couple through the gift of adoption.

Looking on, as he marched alone this year because his kids are grown and his wife’s hips hurt, Neil Schunke remembered adopted children of his own.

“We used to sleep on the floor in the church before this event. This is a way of witness. I’ve been blessed with loads of nieces and nephews, kids and grandkids,” Schunke said.

Some considered the march as a physical prayer, like first-time marcher Brother Martin Bukenya Exodus from Uganda, who found a special joy through the peace created by the masses with a similar love.

“Sometimes you need to support life physically. When you support it physically, you show people what to do without telling them,” he said.

Indeed, the 100-plus marchers from the Charlotte diocese – joining tens of thousands of others – showed the nation “why we march.”

Charlotte pilgrims bring back hope from the first Jubilee Year Pilgrimage

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In calling for the Jubilee Year 2025 themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” Pope Francis called pilgrimages a way “to build communion, to make us feel less alone, to rediscover the importance of walking together.”

“May you always find those glimmers of goodness that inspire us to hope,” he wrote.

The first pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year from the Diocese of Charlotte to Washington, D.C., featured not just glimmers of goodness but radiant beams of hope, invigorating its 100 pilgrims with a renewed passion for the Catholic faith.

“We go home now renewed with a deeper conviction and a deeper confidence in who we are, Christ’s people of Life, to bring the good news and the joy and the truth that we have seen during this pilgrimage home, and not to let it pass away from us,” said organizer Father Peter Ascik in his homily for the pilgrimage’s closing Mass.

The Jan. 23-25 trip included participating in the National March for Life in Washington, D.C., bookended by visits to two pilgrimage sites: the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington and the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, Va.

As they left Charlotte early Thursday morning, the two busloads of pilgrims knew where they were going: the highlight of their trip, the March for Life. For many, the visits to the two Jubilee Year basilicas were bonuses. The pilgrims’ deeper connection to Catholicism and renewed sense of hope were unexpected.

PART OF SOMETHING PROFOUND

The largest Catholic church in North America, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is known for its striking Romanesque-Byzantine domes, its intricate collection of glass and marble mosaics, and numerous statues of Mary, the saints and Jesus. Yet even the exquisite work of sculptural art “Mary Immaculate Accompanied by Angels,” by Ivan Meštrovic, seemed to fall short of the magnitude and uniqueness of God’s art: the 5,000 souls crowded inside for Mass on Thursday night.

Pilgrims were wowed by the beautiful artwork, but the unity they felt was what stuck in the memories they made.

When people go on pilgrimage, Father Ascik explained, “we see ourselves as part of something greater than us. We come from different parishes, different towns in North Carolina, and now we see ourselves together. We stepped out of our own lives, and we are part of the People of God, the people of life. (God) calls us out from all different places and cultures to be His people, people chosen by Him to make one Body on the cross made holy by Him.”

The pilgrimage experience solidified the plans of first-time marcher Kyrien Keeton, 18, from Holy Family Parish in Clemmons. She’s been mulling a religious vocation, and seeing people with religious vocations from all walks of life joining the events in D.C. was inspiring.

“I had never seen so many Catholics in one place – so many seminarians, so many

sisters,” Keeton said. “It was so eye-opening to me – they looked so joyous, so jubilant.

“I knew in my mind there was absolutely no question that this is what I wanted to do. I want to be like them in the next Jubilee Year. I want to be wearing the habit, and I want to be in my (religious) order, worshiping at Mass.”

Keeton wasn’t the only one who felt the Holy Spirit nudging her.

Fellow pilgrim Savannah Keeting, a Drexel High School student from St. Michael Catholic Church in Gastonia, said she was moved during Life Fest Thursday night, a

The first pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year 2025 from the Diocese of Charlotte renewed a sense of hope in participants, forged deeper connections to faith and community, and reinforced several calls to vocations.

popular pre-March for Life event organized by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus.

“I saw these two sisters just talking to each other,” Keeting said. “I don’t know what came to me, but I was overwhelmed with tears because something changed in me.”

Heather Martin, who helped guide the pilgrimage along with her husband Deacon Tom Martin of St. Mark Parish in Huntersville, said the Jubilee Year pilgrimage was filled with such experiences.

“The grace stories that people shared on the bus trip were so inspiring,” she said. “We loved the joy and energy of the college students and the wit and wisdom of the older folks, our age and beyond.”

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

The pilgrimage ended Saturday morning with a tour and Mass at a second Jubilee Year site: the Basilica of St. Mary, the oldest Catholic church in Virginia.

The church was built in 1795 thanks to benefactors including President George Washington.

Brian and Laura Misiak brought their three sons on the pilgrimage and were excited about ending the journey at the historic basilica.

“To come to a church with such history and such beautiful stained-glass windows was moving,” Brian Misiak said. “It was the perfect way to wrap up the last three days of our trip, helping us all to appreciate the deeper meaning and the biblical context of the word pilgrimage.”

There at St. Mary’s, the pilgrims took part in another important part of the Jubilee Year: obtaining a plenary, or full, indulgence –remission of temporal punishment for one’s sins.

Charlotte pilgrims quickly formed lines for confessions when Father Ascik announced the requirements to receive the indulgence: confession within 20 days before or after the visit, receiving Communion, and reciting the prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father.

With the help of Deacon Martin, Father Ascik arranged to celebrate Mass, calling on pilgrims to serve as lectors, altar boys and ushers. He randomly chose the pilgrims, unaware of their backgrounds and how their personalities linked to their roles.

One of the Misiak brothers, Nicholas, 18, was asked to be an altar server. Nicholas said later that he has been discerning for two years about applying for seminary and hopes one day to offer the Eucharistic sacrifice on his own parish’s altar.

SPIRITUAL CONVERSION

Holly Reed, a Catholic convert, was chosen to be the lector. That day happened to be the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and the Mass reading she gave from the Book of Acts recounted St. Paul’s encounter with Jesus and conversion while on the road to Damascus.

It was a moving moment for the former self-described pagan. Ten years ago, Reed said, she experienced a “road” of her own. She and her husband Tim were heavily into the occult. They both hated and mocked Christianity, yet Reed kept noticing images of the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing in her day-to-day activities.

“It was wild because I didn’t want anything to do with it because she was Christian,” Reed said. “She kept appearing in pictures, I kept hearing her name, I saw her in statues and books.”

Passing a Catholic church one day, Reed wandered inside on impulse. “I thought, being a good pagan, I was going to sit in front of the statue and worship Mary the deity, the goddess.”

Instead, she said she felt Mary’s presence and an internal voice telling her, “I am so glad you are here; now I want you to stay for Mass.” Reed believes it was the voice of Our Lady, and she started on her journey to becoming Catholic.

“When the Lord wants you, He is going to call you, and He is going to make sure you know that You are His,” Reed said.

“Christ is here to make all things new,” Father Ascik emphasized in his homily at St. Mary’s to conclude the Jubilee Year pilgrimage, and that knowledge gives people hope.

“That is what this year means,” he said. “Hope means we have a future, and each one has a future, and not one of us has reached the end of the road. There is still something more that God has for us and something that is beyond what we even thought.”

More online

At www.charlottediocese.org/jubilee-2025: Learn more about pilgrimage opportunities at our Jubilee Year website

LISA GERACI, AIDAN CRETER AND AMELIA KUDELA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In Brief

Special collection set for this weekend to aid fire victims

CHARLOTTE — Parishioners across the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to participate in a special collection to benefit victims of the Los Angeles wildfires, which have devastated communities, killed at least 28 people and left hundreds homeless or stranded.

The collection will be taken up at Masses the weekend of Feb. 1-2.

All funds raised help individuals and families in these communities. Your financial support will provide life-giving essentials such as water, food, diapers, baby formula and more. Your support will also help with long-term recovery efforts, as individuals and families work to rebuild their lives.

To donate, place your contributions in the specified collection at your parish, making checks payable to your parish and marked “CA Wildfire Relief.”

Donations will be sent to support Los Angeles Catholic Charities’ relief efforts.

Scouts invited to participate in 2025 Catholic Camporee

CHARLOTTE — Scouts across the Diocese of Charlotte are invited to the 2025 Catholic Camporee, a weekend of faith, fellowship and adventure, set for March 21-23 at BSA Camp John J. Barnhardt in New London. This year’s camporee celebrates the Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Highlights of the camporee include Scouting skills and team-building activities, Catholicthemed activities to help celebrate and ignite their faith, Mass on Sunday morning at Camp Barnhardt’s beautiful amphitheater-style chapel, a special service project to live out faith in action, and evening campfire programs filled with skits, stories and fellowship.

Cost is $50 per participant, which includes camping and activity fees, meals and a commemorative Camporee patch.

For more information, to volunteer or to register, please email Leslie Tesch or Mike Nielsen at cdcatholicscouting@gmail.com.

— Catholic News Herald

Columbiettes celebrate milestone anniversary

KERNERSVILLE — The Holy Cross Columbiettes recently celebrated their 30th anniversary. One original member, Martha Schaeffer, joined the group for the celebratory brunch at Corks & Boards in Kernersville. The group’s chaplain, Father Christopher Brock, blessed the meal and the ladies on their anniversary. North Carolina State Columbiettes officers President Kathy Thomas, Vice President Patti Dmuchowski and Financial Secretary Maggie Muelker were also in attendance. The Holy Cross Columbiettes currently have more than 85 members and do numerous acts of charity for their parish and community.

— Patricia Dmuchowski

Bishop Martin invites people to help craft diocese’s vision for future

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte has launched a strategic planning process to help strengthen its mission to proclaim and live the Gospel – and the people of the diocese are being asked to participate.

Staff, clergy and parishioners across the diocese’s 93 parishes, 20 schools and 50-plus ministries are invited to provide thoughts through surveys and interviews about the operations, mission and opportunities for the local Church, diocesan officials said.

They are partnering in the initiative with the Catholic Leadership Institute, an international Catholic apostolate specializing in leadership training and pastoral governance.

“Your participation is vital in this visioning process and, as your new bishop, I hope I can count on your support,”

Bishop Michael Martin said in a video

message posted on the diocese’s YouTube channel.

He cited “unprecedented growth” in the diocese, which he said brings “staggering new capital, operational and spiritual demands on our parishes and ministries.”

When the visioning process concludes this fall, he said, “our diocese will have a thoughtful, prayerful vision for our future – a vision influenced by you and one we hope inspires you to greater discipleship.”

The Catholic Leadership Institute will conduct more than 75 interviews and administer three online surveys for clergy, staff and parishioners. It uses an online survey tool called the Disciple Maker Index that asks parishioners to reflect

on their parish and their own spiritual journey, focusing on attitudes and beliefs, parish participation, relationships and demographics.

CLI then gathers that feedback to help parishes and the diocese evaluate their strengths and opportunities, officials said, and equip parishes with feedback and tools to help them address people’s needs to deepen their discipleship. Data will also help empower clergy and other diocesan leaders to help them recognize their potential and enhance their ministries.

“How are we doing?” the bishop asks in his video message.

“How’s life in the Diocese of Charlotte –and more specifically, how are things going at your parish?”

“How well are our clergy and ministries meeting your spiritual needs – and how much are you participating in all that your parish offers?”

Surveys went out Jan. 21 to clergy and diocesan employees, and the Disciple Maker Index survey for parishioners will be open on Ash Wednesday, March 5. — Catholic News Herald

25th annual Kennedy Lecturer discusses role of women and growth in the Church

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Women should be offered the chance to participate in the life of the Church as much as possible because of the dignity given to them through their baptism in Christ.

That was the message featured speaker Jesuit Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator offered to a crowd of close to 300 who gathered Jan. 25 at St. Peter Church in Charlotte for the 25th annual Kennedy Lecture.

Father Orobator, an internationally known theologian and author of three books, was a voting member at the Synod on Synodality in Rome and found the synod’s discussions on women’s roles in the Church, including greater leadership, to be some of the most important parts of the discussions.

Father Orobator grew up in Nigeria and practiced traditional African religion before becoming Catholic. Ordained in 1998, he holds a doctorate in theology and religious studies from the University of Leeds, England, and is fluent in four languages. He is past president of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar and is currently the dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in California.

At the synod, hearing laywomen and women religious call for more opportunities to participate in the life of the Church led him to think deeply about how women are treated in many spheres.

“I believe in the revealed and self-evident truth that women and men are created

equal in the image and likeness of God, and any exclusion of women from the life of the Church is not only an injustice but a violation of humanity,” Father Orobator said. Participation in the synod led him to learn about the “pivotal role” of women in the Church.

“I learned the importance of listening to how women choose to define themselves, women reclaiming their voice,” he said. “Beyond the traditional roles of mothers, wives and sisters, I heard women define themselves differently – as leaders, ministers, accomplished theologians … roles that includes leadership and ministry within the Church.”

He urged both clergy and laity to “avoid talking about the role of women as an issue or a problem” but instead to consider

the gifts women bring and seek to involve them in the fullness of life of the Church.

“As an ordained male cleric I have never had to fight for perks or privileges, so why do women have to?” Father Orobator asked. “The synodal process uncovered many gaps in how we treat women, and we cannot address these disparities by simply creating more rhetoric and giving women flattering titles.” Future expansion of women’s roles in the Church is an “open question,” he said. He noted how Pope Francis recently appointed the first woman to lead a Vatican dicastery: Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla is the new prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

“There is more than enough room to receive and honor the gifts women bring,” he said. “Listening to their voices would make us a better Church. It is that simple. In this Jubilee Year, I long for the day when women serving in ecclesial leadership will become the norm and not a news headline.”

Father Orobator’s talk was followed by an interview session with Tim Funk,

Martin

Orobator

CHRISTINA L. KNAUSS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator fielded questions by Tim Funk, a former religion reporter, and Toni Tuppence, a writer and speaker on social justice and cultural equity, in Charlotte during the 25th annual Kennedy Lecture.

Divine Worship Office plans expansion

TRISH STUKBAUER tmstukbauer@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — From a young age, Father Noah Carter has been deeply impacted by the beauty of Catholic liturgy.

“My experience of the liturgy was always of something that obviously was not manmade – that we were just custodians and guardians of something that is much bigger than us and that can be traced all the way back to the apostles,” he said.

It’s fitting then that in his new role as the diocese’s director of liturgy he is overseeing changes in the Office of Divine Worship designed to support parishes and educate parishioners to participate more actively at Mass.

“One of the first things that the bishop asked me to do when I took on the office was to organize it in such a way that it would be an even greater resource to our parishes and to the liturgical life that is the ordinary means by which most parishioners interact with their churches,” Father Carter said.

The first change was to rename it the Office for Divine Worship. The more active word “for” reflects the bishop’s aim to be more engaged in parish liturgical efforts, Father Carter said, and to proactively tackle questions. He said it also reflects the vital role the office already plays in ensuring that plans for major renovation or construction of sacred spaces –churches, chapels or cemeteries –follow Church norms.

More than 10 parishes are currently working on major projects that involve sacred spaces, Father Carter said. “A large part of what the office is doing now is reviewing each stage of the plans.”

Because of that growing workload, the diocese will be hiring a full-time associate director of liturgy to manage day-to-day tasks, as well as form two commissions: one for Sacred Art and Architecture and one for Sacred Music, he said.

Envisioned by the Second Vatican Council, these commissions comprised of lay people and clergy will serve pastors, parishes and music programs by offering resources, answering questions and considering their respective liturgical elements.

Also new is the role of consultors, “priests and lay people with expertise in specified areas who would be a sounding board for those who work in this office and also serve as liaisons from the Office for Divine Worship to those different commissions,” Father Carter said.

In addition, he explained, “The hope is for the office to take some of the burden off of priests when it comes to training lectors and extraordinary ministers and that, in the future, we’ll be able to provide ongoing education by leveraging technology – not only for parish staff but also for the liturgical volunteers throughout the diocese.”

Diocese hires general counsel

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte announced this week that experienced civil lawyer and prosecutor Regina Mahoney of Mooresville will join the diocese to serve as its new general counsel effective Jan. 29.

OROBATOR

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estate transactions, guide employment matters, help assess risk and liability, advocate for religious freedom and oversee the diocese’s approach to litigation. She previously worked as staff counsel for Zurich North America, a commercial insurance and risk management company.

A lifelong Catholic and New York native, Mahoney brings 25 years of diverse legal experience, most recently serving as an assistant district attorney in Iredell and Alexander counties. She previously ran an estate planning practice in Mooresville and worked for several law firms in New York, representing a variety of clients including manufacturers, health care providers and commercial property owners.

“We are delighted to have Regina join the diocese and will benefit from the broad experience she brings as we navigate growth across 46 counties of western North Carolina,” said Monsignor Patrick Winslow, the diocese’s vicar general and chancellor. “She is an experienced litigator, and as a prosecutor handled major felony cases and managed extraordinary caseloads that required her to set priorities yet remain focused on her mission – all skills that will be an asset for the diocese.”

As counsel for the diocese, Mahoney will review and manage contracts and real

“I am grateful for the opportunity to put my professional skills to work for my faith, which has given me inspiration and guidance throughout my life,” Mahoney said. “I look forward to working with so many talented people across the diocese’s parishes, schools and ministries – with a goal of providing legal advice and guidance that will help us become even more effective in achieving our mission.”

Mahoney has been an active member of St. Therese Parish in Mooresville since 2013, serving as a lector and confirmation catechist. She also served on the board of Pharos Parenting of Iredell County, a nonprofit that supports low-income families with their parenting needs.

Mahoney earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and law from Binghamton University and a law degree from St. John’s University School of Law, both in New York.

She lives in Mooresville with her husband of 17 years and her two sons and spends her free time cheering them on from the sidelines of the football field and basketball court.

— Liz Chandler

Korean New Year’s blessings

CHARLOTTE — Members of St. John Lee Korean Parish celebrated Seollal – Korean New Year’s Day –Jan. 26 with a special Mass, followed by food and games. After Mass, the children, dressed in hanbok (traditional clothing), performed a customary sebae (New Year’s bow) to the elders, who in turn offered words of blessing and gave them sebaedon (New Year’s money). Following the ceremony, the congregation enjoyed a traditional tteokguk (rice cake soup) for a healthy start to the year and played yutnori, a traditional Korean board game, together as a community.

a St. Peter parishioner and former religion reporter, and Toni Tuppence, a writer and speaker on social justice and cultural equity and member of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte.

He fielded questions about topics including the future of the Jesuits, his journey to becoming a Catholic, the rapid growth of the Church in Africa and the global South, and meeting Pope Francis, who he said in person and conversation is “an ordinary, down-to-earth human being.”

Father Orobator said the growth of the Church in Africa springs naturally from the cultures there, “where religion flows in our veins, where we see divinity everywhere.”

The annual Kennedy Lecture is funded through Thomas and Richard Kennedy in memory of their parents Keith and Joan Kennedy. The annual lectures feature prominent speakers in the fields of religion and ethics with the goal of stimulating thought by taking a deeper look at Catholic teachings.

More online

At www.stpeterscatholic.org : Watch the full 2025 Kennedy Lecture delivered by Jesuit Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator

BELMONT — The Benedictine community at Belmont Abbey celebrated the solemn profession of vows of Brother Chrysostom Sica on Jan. 17, the feast day of Sts. Maurus and Placid (two disciples of St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine order). Joshua Sica, an alumnus of Belmont Abbey College’s Class of ’24, took the name Brother Chrysostom when he entered Belmont Abbey. He is studying theology at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana and is in formation to become a priest. His solemn profession of vows took place at the abbey’s Mary Help of Christians Basilica. In his homily, Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari emphasized that the monastic profession is a calling that involves embracing the cross of Christ. Following the homily, Brother Chrysostom made vows of stability, fidelity to the monastic life, and obedience according to the Rule of St. Benedict. Afterward, the monastic community exchanged the sign of peace with the newly professed monk, officially welcoming him as a vowed member.

Mahoney

PHOTO PROVIDED

Belmont Abbey alumnus celebrates solemn profession of vows as monk

PHOTO PROVIDED

Diocese’s Family Life Conference delves into sensitive topics

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Registered guests at the Family Life Conference warmed themselves with fresh brew and light conversation before pulling out their notebooks in anticipation of a panel discussion on hot button topics such as converting non-believers, suffering and politics.

Around 40 participants met on Jan. 18 in the Diocesan Pastoral Center for this year’s conference themed “Cultural Challenges & Catholic Faith.”

Father Peter Ascik, director of the Diocese’s Family Life Office and pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians Parish in Shelby, warmly greeted participants, “This conference is designed to focus our attention and shine the light of the Gospel on central issues pertinent to human life, to family life, to society, and to the Church.”

The pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Indian Land, Father Jeffrey Kirby, started off the morning with his message “The Way of the Lord: Speaking Moral Truth with Love.”

Father Kirby, full of charisma and laughable anecdotes, argued that conversion of lost brothers and sisters cannot be brought about through nagging and ultimately falls into the hands of God. Through quotes gleaned from St. John Paul II and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, he instructed Catholics to humbly set an example through orthopraxy (living the faith), then find a true human connection, and finally, at the opportune time, gently approach the Gospel.

“We don’t have to give the entire catechism of the Catholic Church in one sitting. We can let them digest, walk the journey and let them take their time,” said Father Kirby, reminding participants that St. Paul took three years to fully emerge into his new faith.

Loren Barrett, a parishioner from St. Gabriel, recently returned to the faith. She wasn’t sure why she impulsively dragged her husband to the conference, but after hearing Father Kirby’s words, she knew they were exactly where God intended.

“I just wanted to express that everything you just said touched my heart,” Barrett told Kirby.

Adamo Manfra, director of research and education at the North Carolina Family Policy Council, took the podium next to deliver “Faith in the Public Square: Catholic Engagement in Politics and Policy.” Manfra acknowledged that in secular politics there

is no clear “Catholic” party. This is where discernment comes into play, he says. When the ballot is difficult, “Instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, vote to lessen the evil.” Manfra went over his “All S” strategy to utilize when attempting to take a political stance in a judgmental country.

“When you have something on your heart, seek God’s will, seek God’s truth, survey the landscape, speak up, stand your ground, surrender the outcome and start over,” he said.

Over a lunch of boxed rotisserie chicken, green beans and rice, guests bonded, chatting about their new-found insights.

St. Matthew parishioner Carissa Scibor

Christine Wisdom delivers a hopeful message to an attentive crowd with her presentation “From Suffering to Healing in Family Life” during the diocese’s recent Family Life Conference.

said, “I love how applicable what the speakers are saying is to our own lives and how we want to bring our faith into our everyday culture.”

Melissa Scanlon, program coordinator for Walking with Moms in Need, noted, “I thought it was really good how the speakers came to the same end. We have to speak the truth and stand for the truth, but ultimately the outcome is not up to us. It’s in God’s hands.”

The final speaker, licensed clinical mental health counselor Christine Wisdom, delivered a soft-spoken message, “From Suffering to Healing in Family Life.”

Wisdom knew she would take care of people since she was a little girl, but getting there was more tumultuous than expected. She didn’t know her path, but God did, and suffering was a part of that journey.

Wisdom believes “God meets you where you are at.” During her adolescent years, at a little retreat during adoration, while singing “Open My Eyes to Your Heart, Lord,” God met her.

She became stronger in her faith and

knew she was destined to become a pastoral counselor.

Later she married Bryan, whose last name ironically is “Wisdom,” whom she met on CatholicMatch.com. He had the same zeal for Christ she did. Through her joys and sufferings, from infertility to childbirths and miscarriages, she became better equipped to guide others. Today Wisdom uses her experiences to help others heal their mind, body and soul.

“The Lord knows everything about us. He called us. He is forming us and working to bring us to Him through our wounds,” Wisdom stated.

Following the lectures, Wisdom and Manfra were joined by Father Ascik for an hour-long question and answer session. Some questions had more difficult answers than others, but everyone left imbued with a new sense of enlightenment.

“It was really a great opportunity to get so many different Catholics together to get to know our faith and how we interact with the rest of the diocese. It is nice to watch us all come together,” St. Luke parishioner and father of five Robert De’Ath stated, with his wife, Katy, by his side, bouncing their new baby, Joey, on her knee.

‘Embrace the cross,’ Bishop Martin encourages Holy Sepulchre members

CHARLOTTE — The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Catholic order that supports the Holy Land, celebrated six new members Jan. 18 at a Mass offered by Bishop Michael Martin at St. Patrick Cathedral. Dame Valencia Yvonne Camp, head of the order’s Washington, D.C.-based Middle Atlantic Lieutenancy, presented membership scrolls to Jane Desch, Nancy Llewellyn, Katie Matlak, Joanne Somerville, Christopher Frank and Bryan Somerville.

In the special liturgy – a Votive Mass of the Holy Cross – Bishop Martin lauded the order for its work and encouraged members to seek out and embrace the cross in their lives. “We look at the cross and run. … We look at the cross and we try to find ways in which we don’t have to embrace it. And yet our celebration today reminds us that even if you think you can get out of here without the cross, you’re mistaken. The cross will come and find you. So why not embrace it more? Why not find ways every single day to praise God for giving us whatever cross is ours?” He told members, “Your order has a tremendous history of not just penitential practice, but of denying itself for the sake of a greater good for others, for the well-being of others.”

The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem was founded nearly a thousand years ago by the pope during the Crusades when Jerusalem came under attack. Today, men and women of the order still sustain and aid the Christian community in the Holy Land through their charitable work. Each year the order contributes globally more than $10 million to support the work of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and other Catholic institutions in providing education, health care, seminary formation, and care for orphans, children and families in Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Learn more about its work at www.midatlanticeohs.com.

PATRICIA L. GUILFOYLE | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

LISA M. GERACI | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Our schools

Catholic schools unite us in hope

Thisweek we celebrate National Catholic Schools Week, and this year we highlight our Catholic schools as “United in Faith and Community.” This celebration comes during a very special time in the Church – a Jubilee Year, which only happens once every 25 years. Pope Francis has designated 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet, every day in our Catholic schools, we’re reminded of the uniting power of faith and hope – values that guide us, even in tough times.

You see, hope is more than just wishful thinking. It’s the belief that no matter what we face in life – good times and bad – Jesus loves us and remains with us. And when we share our hope and faith by encouraging and helping each other, we make our world a brighter, better place.

That’s what makes our Catholic schools so special. Here, students are challenged to pursue excellence, with caring, highly qualified teachers and staff who work closely with students and their parents. But it’s not just about academics. Catholic Schools are about educating the whole child – mind, body and spirit – so students can grow closer to God and each other, then go out to transform the world.

I challenge you to think about what faith and hope mean to you. Whether it’s working as a team, being kind to your classmates or simply doing your best on homework –when you act with faith and hope, you help build up our entire school community and you begin to change the world.

As we go through this week, let’s lean into hope – hope for each other, hope for the future, and hope in the One who loves us: Jesus.

Thank you for being part of what makes our Catholic schools truly special. Let’s make this week – and this Jubilee Year – a beautiful example of being united in faith and hope.

Students abuzz over MACS spelling bee

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — In the end it all came down to one word: cathartic.

Being able to spell that word, which stems from Greek and means a strong release of emotion, helped fifth-grader Benjamin Carney from Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro win the annual Diocesan Spelling Bee held Jan. 23 in the Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic High School.

Open to students in fourth through eighth grades, the annual competition is an unofficial kickoff to Catholic Schools Week, which begins Jan. 26. It’s also a chance for the kids to show off their impressive spelling skills. Students from 13 diocesan schools made it to the bee after winning at the school level.

Through more than 20 rounds, they successfully spelled words that stumped many adults in the crowd.

The words started out relatively simple: brother, critters, indeed, smock and military. As each round progressed, the words got trickier. Students who misspelled a word were eliminated. Some of the words that tripped spellers up: prosecutor, sentient and vociferous.

Some of the more obscure words the spellers tackled: puncheon, psychometry and imperator. Others that were spelled correctly included aesthetic, importune, hydraulics and noncommittal.

In the end there were only two: Ben and fourth-grader James Fisher from St. Ann School in Charlotte. The two boys went back and forth spelling words until finally in the 21st round James misspelled the word “consolation” and Ben got

“cathartic” right.

The two competitors shook hands, and Ben was presented with a certificate by Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools.

Asked what it was like to prepare for a spelling bee, Ben said “it was a lot of notetaking and study.” His parents helped by quizzing him regularly.

“Getting ready for this was kind of fascinating, learning the order of letters and how to spell the words – it’s like a game,” he said. He compared learning spelling words to another favorite pastime

of his – playing trivia, with his favorite topic being geography. When he’s not in school or practicing spelling, Ben also likes to play basketball and video games. The spelling bee had his parents, Ryan and Jessica Carney of Greensboro, on the edge of their seats.

“I was probably more nervous than he was,” Ryan Carney said.

Ben’s mom said her son’s win was a result of several weeks of preparation, beginning with studying lists of words

BISHOP MICHAEL T. MARTIN delivered this video address to students, teachers and school staff across the diocese in honor of Catholic Schools Week.

CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Michael T. Martin

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA L. KNAUSS | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Fifth-grader Benjamin Carney from Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro won the annual Diocesan Spelling Bee held Jan. 23 at the Fine Arts Center in Charlotte, successfully spelling the word “cathartic.” Students from the diocese’s Catholic schools competed in the event to unofficially kick off Catholic Schools Week.

Catholic Schools ‘United in Faith and Community’

One stop for Bishop Michael Martin during Catholic Schools Week was an 8:30 a.m. Mass Jan. 29 at St. Mark School in Huntersville. He celebrated Mass with 720 students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.

All the altar boys, lectors and gift bearers were pupils from St. Mark. The chorus students and band students provided the music to accompany the Mass. Even those who didn’t play an active role participated by raising their hands and answering the bishop’s questions about the gospel reading, “The Parable of the Sower,” during his homily.

The bishop’s first question to students during his homily was, “Do you have any kind of drama program at the school?” After a resounding yes, he called upon a student and asked the drama teacher’s name. “Mrs. Chuma,” the

child replied. The bishop then called upon the drama teacher Emily Chuma to come to the altar. Chuma walked down the aisle with her young son Paul. He prompted the young congregation to say “hi” to Paul and then “hi” to Mrs. Chuma. He then joked that he would like to play the role of a tree in their next performance of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Across the diocese, schools shared in the joyful mood. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory Monroe dawned a dinosaur costume at St. Gabriel School in Charlotte (at right). Bishop McGuinness High School students (at top right) baked homemade cookies, cleaned around the house, chalked the sidewalk, and made welcome cards for SECU Family House of Winston-Salem as part of their celebration of service.

— Photos by Troy C. Hull and submitted | Catholic News Herald

Canongate Catholic High School

How to support the DSA

PLEDGE: Make a pledge in response to a mailing you receive or in-pew appeal at your local parish. An individual DSA pledge may be paid in up to 10 installments by EFT, credit card or check. Pledging allows you to make a greater gift over time. You will receive monthly reminder statements in the mail or by email until your pledge is paid, or until Dec. 31, 2025.

DONATE ONLINE:

Donate online at www. charlottediocese.org/dsa. Either make a one-time gift or set up a pledge with monthly payments via credit or debit card. (If you give online, please do not complete a pledge envelope at your local parish. This could result in having two gift records.)

ONE-TIME DONATION:

Give a one-time contribution in response to a mailing you receive or in-pew appeal at your local parish. Please make checks payable to the “DSA” and note the name of your parish in the memo line of the check. Do not send cash through the mail.

STOCK DONATION:

Make a donation of publicly traded securities and receive the tax benefits for giving appreciated stock. Instructions are online at www.charlottediocese.org/ ways-to-give.

IRA CONTRIBUTION:

For donors over 70 1/2 years of age, contact your financial advisor to request a charitable distribution from your IRA

FOR INQUIRIES: Contact David Walsh, associate director of development, at 704-370-3302 or email dvwalsh@rcdoc.org.

Reflecting God’s Light

2025 Diocesan Support Appeal

A call to build the Kingdom

Reflecting God’s glory by using our hands and our resources to serve others is at the heart of this year’s Diocesan Support Appeal that kicks off the weekend of Feb. 1-2.

The theme of the 2025 Diocesan Support Appeal is “Reflecting God’s Light,” which draws upon a quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

Bishop Michael Martin launched the campaign in a video message by recalling the sacrifices of the early Catholics in our diocese who stretched themselves to further the Kingdom of God. “We are here today because of them,” Bishop Martin said. “What will future generations say of us? Will we have the courage and the audacity to form the world around us into the Body of Christ? Will we stretch ourselves to let God’s light shine through us? If I have anything to say about it, we will, and I hope you will join with me.”

The 2025 DSA campaign supports more than 50 ministries and programs throughout the western half of North Carolina. Programs include seminarian education, faith formation, the permanent diaconate, multicultural ministries, the Family Life Office, and the annual Eucharistic Congress.

The DSA campaign also significantly funds the vital work of Catholic Charities, which continues to support those ravaged by Tropical Storm Helene in addition to its regular casework. Last year, Catholic Charities

Parish & Mission 2025 DSA Goal

Christ the King, High Point: $25,012

Christ the King, Kings Mountain: $3,504

Divine Redeemer, Boonville: $37,098

Good Shepherd, King: $21,876

Holy Angels, Mount Airy: $27,367

Holy Cross, Kernersville: $95,977

Holy Family, Clemmons: $188,582

Holy Infant, Reidsville: $19,525

Holy Redeemer, Andrews: $7,049

Holy Spirit, Denver: $85,476

Holy Trinity, Taylorsville: $16,961

Immaculate Conception, Canton: $7,311

Immaculate Conception, Forest City: $49,583

Immaculate Conception, Hendersonville: $150,790

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Hayesville: $22,481

Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point: $138,667

served more than 24,165 people with emergency aid, counseling, housing support and more.

In 2024, parishioners contributed more than $7.2 million to the DSA –exceeding the campaign’s goal.

This year’s DSA goal totals $6,991,221, with each parish and mission pursuing a goal based on its offertory collections.

Parishes that exceed their goal receive a rebate for 100 percent of the additional funds collected. Parishes that fall short of their goal make up the difference from their operating budgets.

Since 1987, parishioners have invested nearly $143 million in the Church’s mission of charity and pastoral care, changing the lives of over 1 million people.

Using our hands and our resources to make a tangible impact on people’s lives is the way Bishop Martin hopes we will reveal God’s love in a world that hungers for it.

“If we don’t reflect God’s light, others will shine a false light that offers no hope against the darkness of this world,” he said. “Only God provides that hope, and He sent us the spirit of His Son to share it. I ask that you prayerfully make a gift this year to the DSA, and I thank you for continuing the legacy of God’s light in the Diocese of Charlotte.”

Watch online

At www.catholicnewsherald.com

Watch a video spotlighting some of the ministries you support through the DSA

Our Lady of Consolation, Charlotte: $44,285

Our Lady of Fatima, Winston-Salem: $10,975

Our Lady of Grace, Greensboro: $141,268

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Charlotte: $116,299

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cherokee: $1,824

Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe: $62,367

Our Lady of Mercy, Winston-Salem: $113,268

Our Lady of the Americas, Biscoe: $40,698

Our Lady of the Angels, Marion: $12,597

Our Lady of the Annunciation, Albemarle: $30,743

Our Lady of the Assumption, Charlotte: $71,605

Our Lady of the Highways, Thomasville: $32,551

Our Lady of the Mountains, Highlands: $27,322

Our Lady of the Rosary, Lexington: $26,945 Prince of Peace, Robbinsville: $2,067 Queen of the Apostles, Belmont: $118,153

Offices and ministries supported

The purpose of the Diocesan Support our diocese – namely to fulfill our call to become a leaven of service and sign of Parishioners in all our parishes and missions

Heart, Brevard:

Heart, Burnsville:

Heart, Salisbury:

Heart, Wadesboro:

Aloysius, Hickory:

St. Andrew the Apostle, Mars Hill:

Ann, Charlotte:

Barnabas, Arden:

Benedict, Greensboro:

Benedict the Moor, Winston-Salem: $18,358

Bernadette, Linville: $31,200

Charles Borromeo, Morganton: $59,188

Dorothy, Lincolnton:

Elizabeth, Boone:

Eugene, Asheville:

Frances of Rome,

supported by the DSA

Reflejando la Luz de Dios

Appeal is to help provide the annual funding necessary to carry out the mission of to “grow ever more perfectly into a community of praise, worship and witness, and to of peace through love in the Piedmont and Western North Carolina.” missions help fund the annual DSA.

St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin:

St. Francis of Assisi, Jefferson:

St. Francis of Assisi, Lenoir:

St. Francis of Assisi, Mocksville:

St. Gabriel, Charlotte:

St. Helen, Spencer Mountain:

St. James, Concord:

St. James, Hamlet:

St. Joan of Arc, Candler:

St. John Baptist de La Salle, North Wilkesboro: $21,236

St. John Lee Korean, Charlotte: $18,604

St. John Neumann, Charlotte: $103,618

St. John the Baptist, Tryon: $53,546

St. John the Evangelist, Waynesville: $41,556

St. Joseph of the Hills, Eden: $12,377

St. Joseph Vietnamese, Charlotte: $69,475

Un llamado a edificar el Reino

Reflejar

la gloria de Dios utilizando nuestras manos y nuestros recursos para servir a los demás está en el corazón de la Campaña de Apoyo Diocesano de este año, que comienza el fin de semana del 1 al 2 de febrero.

El tema de la Campaña de Apoyo Diocesano 2025 es “Reflejando la Luz de Dios”, inspirado en una cita de San Francisco de Asís: “Toda la oscuridad del mundo no puede apagar la luz de una sola vela”.

El obispo Michael Martin lanzó la campaña en un mensaje en video recordando los sacrificios de los primeros católicos de nuestra diócesis, quienes se esforzaron al máximo para promover el Reino de Dios. “Estamos aquí hoy por ellos”, dijo Martin. “¿Qué dirán las generaciones futuras de nosotros? ¿Tendremos el coraje y la audacia para formar el mundo que nos rodea en el Cuerpo de Cristo? ¿Nos esforzaremos por dejar que la luz de Dios brille a través de nosotros? Si de mí depende, lo haremos, y espero que se unan a mí.”

La campaña DSA 2025 apoya más de 50 ministerios y programas en la mitad occidental de Carolina del Norte. Entre los programas se incluyen la educación de seminaristas, la formación en la fe, el diaconado permanente, los ministerios multiculturales, la Oficina de Vida Familiar y el Congreso Eucarístico anual.

La campaña DSA también financia significativamente el trabajo vital de Caridades Católicas, que continúa apoyando a las personas afectadas

St. Joseph, Asheboro: $33,808

St. Joseph, Bryson City: $13,752

St. Joseph, Kannapolis: $25,635

St. Joseph, Newton: $32,273

St. Jude, Sapphire: $42,502

St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville: $79,468

St. Leo the Great, Winston-Salem: $175,649

St. Lucien, Spruce Pine: $11,953

St. Luke, Mint Hill: $157,656

St. Margaret Mary, Swannanoa: $35,506

St. Margaret of Scotland, Maggie Valley: $22,603

St. Mark, Huntersville: $403,139

St. Mary’s, Greensboro: $71,441

St. Mary Help of Christians, Shelby: $34,309

St. Mary Mother of God, Sylva: $20,329

St. Matthew, Charlotte: $788,590

por la tormenta tropical Helene, además de su trabajo habitual. El año pasado, Caridades Católicas sirvió a más de 24,165 personas con ayuda de emergencia, consejería, apoyo en vivienda y más.

En 2024, los feligreses contribuyeron con más de $7.2 millones al DSA, superando la meta de la campaña.

La meta de la campaña DSA de este año es de $6,991,221, y cada parroquia y misión tiene un objetivo basado en sus colectas de ofrendas.

Las parroquias que superen su meta recibirán un reembolso del 100% de los fondos adicionales recolectados. Las parroquias que no alcancen su meta deberán cubrir la diferencia con sus presupuestos operativos.

Desde 1987, los feligreses han invertido casi $143 millones en la misión de caridad y cuidado pastoral de la Iglesia, cambiando la vida de más de 1 millón de personas.

Usar nuestras manos y nuestros recursos para tener un impacto tangible en la vida de las personas es la manera en que el obispo Martin espera que mostremos el amor de Dios en un mundo que tiene hambre de Él.

“Si no reflejamos la luz de Dios, otros brillarán con una luz falsa que no ofrece esperanza frente a la oscuridad de este mundo”, dijo. “Solo Dios nos ofrece esa esperanza, y Él nos envió el espíritu de Su Hijo para compartirla. Les pido que, con oración, hagan una donación este año a la DSA, y les agradezco por continuar el legado de la luz de Dios en la Diócesis de Charlotte.”

Mira online

En www.catholicnewsherald.com : Mira un video destacando algunos de los ministerios que apoyas a través de la DSA

St. Michael the Archangel, Gastonia: $106,710

St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte: $83,417

St. Paul the Apostle, Greensboro: $96,010

St. Peter, Charlotte: $211,937

St. Philip the Apostle, Statesville: $63,273

St. Pius X, Greensboro: $212,578

St. Stephen, Elkin: $10,962

St. Therese, Mooresville: $222,854

St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte: $112,317

St. Vincent de Paul, Charlotte: $108,352

St. William, Murphy $17,515 TOTAL: $6,991,221

La esperanza y sus enemigos

Con la llegada de un nuevo año, es natural tener esperanza en el futuro. La mayoría de nosotros sabemos que la esperanza no es simplemente un deseo o una actitud optimista. Sin embargo, nos resulta más fácil definir lo que la esperanza no es que explicar lo que realmente significa. En gran parte, esto se debe a que no podemos adquirir esta virtud por nuestros propios medios ni perfeccionarla con la práctica. La esperanza es lo que llamamos una “virtud teologal”, es un don divino que recibimos por gracia de Dios.

Pero la esperanza siempre debe dirigirse hacia algo. Para que sea genuina, debe estar orientada a alcanzar el bien. Para los cristianos, debe orientarse hacia la fuente de toda bondad: Dios.

Por eso, la esperanza nos eleva. Intensifica y dirige nuestros deseos hacia lo alto, hasta que los bienes que antes anhelábamos dejan de atraernos, y lo que más deseamos no es nada menos que a Dios mismo.

Sus enemigos, en cambio, no pasan desapercibidos. El Catecismo señala dos pecados principales contra la esperanza: la desesperación y la presunción. El hecho de que sea tan fácil encontrarlos por todas partes refleja la profunda y generalizada falta de esperanza que caracteriza a nuestra cultura actual.

Desde la óptica de la virtud cristiana, la desesperación es mucho más que una simple actitud negativa. Es un estado que nos convence de no esperar nada de Dios, ni su ayuda ni su perdón. En este sentido, la desesperación se convierte en una acusación contra Él: cuestionamos su bondad, su justicia y su misericordia.

Muchos creyentes auténticos luchan contra la desesperación. Y cuando lo hacen, pueden buscar apoyo en cosas como la política, el dinero e incluso la suerte. Esa forma de ver la vida siempre nos dejará desilusionados y vacíos. Solo Dios merece nuestra confianza; Él es la única fuente de verdadera esperanza. Si la desesperación es la falta de esperanza, la presunción es su exceso. Esta última, sin embargo, puede presentarse de dos maneras. Por un lado, están quienes creen que pueden alcanzar la salvación por sí mismos, sin la ayuda de Dios. Otros, en cambio, presumen de Dios y lo dan por sentado. Estas almas presuntuosas exigen la misericordia divina sin mostrar arrepentimiento. Pretenden alcanzar el cielo sin hacer absolutamente nada para merecerlo. Cuando caemos en manos de los enemigos de la esperanza, las consecuencias son graves. Quienes pierden la esperanza quedan a la deriva. Sin esperanza, no hay nada que dé estabilidad a nuestras decisiones. En su ausencia, no hay viento que impulse nuestras velas ni combustible que nos permita avanzar. Sin embargo, Dios sabe qué hacer cuando nuestra esperanza se debilita. Su poder divino transformó por completo la situación más desoladora de la historia humana: la dolorosa muerte de Cristo en la cruz. La Resurrección es la prueba definitiva de que poner toda nuestra esperanza en Dios es la decisión correcta. Es la certeza de que Él siempre cumple sus promesas. Y a veces, es reconfortante recordar que ese mismo Dios ha puesto en cada corazón el anhelo de la felicidad eterna. Lo ha hecho no para dejarnos desilusionados, sino para inspirarnos a buscar y encontrar nuestra plena realización en Él.

JAYMIE STUART WOLFE escribe para OSV News.

“Tatica de la Higüey” fue honrada en la parroquia San John Neumann

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Decenas de miembros de la comunidad dominicana asentada en la Ciudad Reina celebraron la fiesta de la Virgen de la Altagracia, patrona de la República Dominicana, el pasado domingo 19 de enero en una Misa que se celebró en la parroquia San John Neumann. La liturgia, ofrecida por el Padre Peter Pham, sacerdote residente de origen vietnamita, fue asistida por el Diácono Eduardo Bernal, quien estuvo a cargo de la homilía.

Una delegación de niños y adultos, algunos de ellos ataviados con trajes típicos, abrieron la procesión de ingreso portando banderas dominicanas y una imagen de la Virgen de la Altagracia.

Luego, ya frente al altar, saludaron y se dirigieron a uno de los laterales donde colocaron la imagen delante del ambo de lecturas, las que fueron proclamadas por las feligresas dominicanas Maribel Polanco y Lourdes Báez. Brevemente, antes de centrarse en el mensaje que entregaron las lecturas del día, el Diácono Bernal se refirió a la festividad de la Altagracia.

“Con estas lecturas preciosas que nos ofrece el Señor en este segundo domingo del tiempo ordinario, también estamos celebrando a nuestro pueblo dominicano bajo la advocación de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia. Quiero dar gracias al pueblo dominicano por ese regalo que nos da al pueblo Latinoamericano y, en especial a esta comunidad que nos da la oportunidad de celebrar juntos esta advocación”, dijo, antes de comentar sobre el origen de la fiesta.

HISTORIA Y SIGNIFICADO

Luis Gerónimo de Alcocer y Ocampo, letrado, canónigo e historiador, escribió en 1650 que los hermanos Alfonso y Antonio Trejo, de Plasencia, España, llevaron el cuadro a La Española, hoy República Dominicana. Los investigadores demostraron que los hermanos vivieron en Higüey, desde 1508. Hay siete u ocho documentos que lo confirman, pero en España no hay ni la más mínima pista de su existencia: es un misterio.

La leyenda cuenta que un hacendado de Higüey, a la vuelta de un viaje a Santo Domingo, compartió su

desilusión porque, aunque había encontrado las cintas y botones que le había pedido la hija mayor, no hallaba ni una estampita de la Altagracia que su hija menor quería tanto. Luego apareció un anciano que le entregó un lienzo de la Virgen y sorpresivamente desapareció.

El hacendado llevó el cuadro a su casa y lo colgó en la sala principal. Al día siguiente el lienzo no aparecía. Se lo encontró de nuevo en la copa de un naranjo. En los próximos días se repitió la desaparición una y otra vez. Por ello, se le construyó un antiguo santuario donde se ubicó el naranjo.

El cuadro es una expresión del dogma de la “Maternidad Divina”. María es la Madre de Dios. De allí el título de “Altagracia”, porque la gracia más alta jamás otorgada a un ser humano es la de ser la Madre de Dios.

La imagen cuenta con 62 símbolos diferentes, entre los que destacan la Estrella de Belén (es la Navidad) con ocho puntas (símbolo del cielo) con dos rayos extendiéndose hacia el pesebre: Dios Padre está bendiciendo a su Hijo. Por encima de la Virgen hay doce estrellas (son las tribus de Israel y, a la vez, los apóstoles de Jesús). María es el puente entre el Antiguo y el Nuevo Testamento.

En la actualidad, la imagen se encuentra en la Basílica de Higüey, por lo que se la llama cariñosamente “Tatica de la Higüey”. La Basílica Catedral y Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia tiene un aforo de 45,000 fieles.

La presencia de la Virgen de la Altagracia en la República Dominicana es importante. Se festeja nacionalmente cada 21 de enero, y se puede decir que su imagen está presente en cada una de las parroquias del país. Además, en el país caribeño, 300 mil personas reciben el nombre de Altagracia.

Lourdes Báez, una de las organizadoras del festejo, dijo que ya se encuentran trabajando para activar a la comunidad dominicana en pleno para ofrecer una celebración especial, “como se debe”, para 2026. Además, agradeció especialmente la participación del coro parroquial que dirige Moisés Cisneros. “Ellos, siendo de origen salvadoreño, integraron a dos dominicanos y le dieron ese sabor especial a la fiesta. Estamos muy agradecidos”, dijo.

— Colaboró ACI Prensa

Jaymie Stuart Wolfe

El Obispo Martin invita a las personas a ayudar a elaborar la visión futura de la diócesis

CHARLOTTE — La Diócesis de Charlotte ha iniciado un proceso de planificación estratégica para fortalecer su misión de proclamar y vivir el Evangelio, y se está invitando a los fieles de la diócesis a participar.

Se invita a los empleados, clérigos y feligreses de las 93 parroquias, 20 escuelas y más de 50 ministerios de la diócesis a compartir sus opiniones mediante encuestas y entrevistas sobre las operaciones, misión y oportunidades para la Iglesia local, según informaron los responsables diocesanos.

Están colaborando en esta iniciativa con el Instituto de Liderazgo Católico (Catholic Leadership Institute), un apostolado católico

internacional especializado en formación de liderazgo y gobernanza pastoral.

“La participación de ustedes es vital en este proceso de visión, y como su nuevo obispo, espero poder contar con su apoyo”, dijo el obispo Michael Martin en un mensaje en video publicado en el canal de YouTube de la diócesis.

El obispo mencionó el “crecimiento sin precedentes” en la diócesis, lo que, según indicó, genera “demanda de nuevos recursos

financieros, operativos y espirituales para nuestras parroquias y ministerios”.

Cuando concluya este proceso de visión en otoño, dijo el obispo, “nuestra diócesis tendrá una visión reflexiva y orante para nuestro futuro, una visión influenciada por ustedes y que esperamos inspire a todos a una mayor vida de discípulos”.

El Instituto de Liderazgo Católico llevará a cabo más de 75 entrevistas y administrará tres encuestas en línea para el clero, el personal y los feligreses. Utiliza una herramienta de encuesta en línea llamada Disciple Maker Index que invita a los feligreses a reflexionar sobre su parroquia y su propio camino espiritual, centrándose en actitudes y creencias, participación parroquial, relaciones y demografía.

CLI luego recopila esos comentarios para ayudar a las parroquias y a la diócesis a evaluar sus fortalezas y oportunidades, y proporcionarles herramientas y

retroalimentación para ayudarles a atender las necesidades de las personas y profundizar su vida de discípulos. Los datos también ayudarán a capacitar al clero y a otros líderes diocesanos para reconocer su potencial y mejorar sus ministerios.

“¿Cómo lo estamos haciendo?”, pregunta el obispo en su mensaje en video.

“¿Cómo va la vida en la Diócesis de Charlotte, y más específicamente, cómo van las cosas en su parroquia?”

“¿Qué tan bien están nuestros clérigos y ministerios atendiendo sus necesidades espirituales, y cuánto están participando en todo lo que su parroquia ofrece?”

Las encuestas fueron enviadas el 21 de enero a clérigos y empleados diocesanos, y la encuesta Disciple Maker Index para los feligreses estará disponible el Miércoles de Ceniza, 5 de marzo. — Catholic News Herald

Con fe en La Purísima, Iglesia nicaragüense resiste persecusión

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — En una entrevista, la primera desde que fue exiliado al Vaticano en enero de 2024, Rolando Álvarez, Obispo de Matagalpa y líder de la Iglesia nicaragüense, al ser preguntado sobre cómo afrontar una persecusión religiosa, dijo al medio español ‘La Tribuna’ de Albacete, citando una carta que el Papa Francisco envió a los nicaragüenses el pasado diciembre, que “tengan la certeza de que la fe y la esperanza realizan milagros. Miremos a la Virgen Inmaculada; ella es el testimonio luminoso de esa confianza. Ustedes siempre han experimentado su amparo materno en todas sus necesidades y han mostrado su agradecimiento con una religiosidad muy hermosa y rica espiritualmente”. Y continuó: “Por eso, nosotros nos acogemos siempre a la Purísima, que es la patrona de Nicaragua”. En Nicaragua, la edición del 8 de enero de La Gaceta-Diario Oficial, el periódico oficial del gobierno, informó que el Ministerio del Interior revocó el estatus legal de la Fundación de Monjas Dominicas Contemplativas, citando una “disolución voluntaria” debido a una “disminución de sus miembros y falta de recursos para realizar sus proyectos”. También se revocó la personalidad jurídica a otras 14 organizaciones, entre ellas iglesias evangélicas, grupos caritativos y Save the Children International. Nicaragua ha cancelado la personalidad jurídica de más de 5.400 grupos religiosos y no gubernamentales en los últimos seis años, incluidas órdenes religiosas como los jesuitas y las Misioneras de la Caridad, mientras el gobierno del presidente Daniel Ortega y su esposa, la vicepresidenta Rosario Murillo, cerraba espacios a la sociedad civil, perseguía a la prensa y a la oposición y vulneraba derechos básicos como la libertad de asociación.

En su último informe sobre la represión eclesiástica, publicado en diciembre, Martha Patricia Molina, una abogada nicaragüense en el exilio que documenta la represión contra la Iglesia Católica en su país de origen, afirmó que, en total, 266 eclesiásticos han sido expulsados de Nicaragua o se les ha prohibido regresar tras viajar al extranjero,

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entre ellos 146 sacerdotes, 99 religiosas y cuatro obispos. El Obispo Álvarez, cuyas homilías denunciaban los excesos del gobierno Ortega-Murillo, es quizá la voz más destacada enviada al exilio. Fue enviado a

Un grupo de nicaragüenses residentes en Charlotte se reunieron en un parque local para celebrar ‘La Gritería’, fiesta que celebra la Inmaculada Concepción de la Virgen María. Al lado, imagen de La Purísima.

Roma con 18 eclesiásticos detenidos en enero de 2024, tras ser condenado a 26 años de prisión por cargos falsos de conspiración y difusión de información falsa.

En otra pregunta se le pidió al obispo un consejo para los jóvenes. Les invitó a “volver la mirada a la Sagrada Familia: Jesús, María y José. San José, como varón justo, nos da un ejemplo de valentía y confianza en la Providencia”.

Y añadió: “Les pido (a los jóvenes) que sean valientes, creativos e innovadores. Que no tengan miedo y mantengan la energía necesaria para transformar el mundo en un lugar mejor para todos”.

En diciembre del año pasado, miles de nicaragüenses se volcaron a las calles de León, a unas 60 millas de Managua, para celebrar ‘La Gritería’.

Pese a que el gobierno nicaragüense prohibió la realización de 4.800 procesiones previstas en el contexto de la Semana Santa en 2024, Rosario Murillo, vicepresidenta y esposa del presidente Ortega, dijo en una comunicación en vivo propagada el 6 de diciembre pasado por el medio oficial del

Consejo de Comunicación y Ciudadanía, que “estamos compartiendo la paz, viviendo la paz, celebrando la paz y dándole gracias a nuestra Madre Santísima, a nuestra Madre María, por la paz que estamos en el deber de cuidar celosamente”.

FE LOCAL

En Charlotte, si bien la comunidad nicaragüense no es tan numerosa, sus expresiones de fe son vividas día a día por los feligreses que asisten a las diferentes parroquias de la diócesis.

En diciembre pasado, en la víspera de la fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepción de María, decenas de nicaragüenses se congregaron en un salón de reuniones de un parque del condado Mecklenburg para, siguiendo su tradición, celebrar ‘La Gritería’, una fiesta en honor a la Virgen María en la que los fieles suelen recorrer las calles cantando, rezando y dando vinas a la Purísima Virgen María, patrona de su país.

¿Quién causa tanta alegría?, es la pregunta que a viva voz hace, a lo que la gente responde: ¡La Concepción de María!

Siempre con temor, debido a probables represalias del gobierno de Nicaragua contra sus familiares en ese país, los asistentes declinaron gentilmente comentar su participación. Por ello, una de las organizadoras solo comentó que esta fiesta es un grito de solidaridad con “nuestros hermanos en Nicaragua que con fe y paciencia resisten y perseveran en su fe católica. Desde aquí les decimos que estamos con ellos”.

En febrero de 2023, dos sacerdotes nicaragüenses prisioneros en Nicaragua desde agosto de 2022 arribaron a Charlotte, después de su liberación y deportación a Estados Unidos.

Los sacerdotes Ramiro Tijerino y Óscar Danilo Benavides fueron liberados junto a 222 prisioneros políticos y expulsados de su país por el presidente Daniel Ortega, después que el gobierno de Estados Unidos dijera que había llevado adelante esfuerzos diplomáticos.

Desde ese entonces, ambos sacerdotes han sido asignados como vicarios en diferentes parroquias de Charlotte.

Colaboró OSV

Martin

Vicaría de Asheville anuncia retiros de evangelización

ANTONIO GARCÍA

jagarcia@rcdoc.org

ASHEVILLE — El ministerio hispano de la Vicaría de Asheville anunció la próxima realización de dos retiros de evangelización durante la Cuaresma 2025.

El primer retiro, destinado a los varones, se llevará a cabo del 21 al 23 de febrero, mientras que el de damas se realizará del 7 al 9 de marzo. Ambos tendrán como sede Camp Rockmount, localizado en Black Mountain, Carolina del Norte. Los retiros de evangelización se han estado llevando a cabo en la vicaría de Asheville por más de 25 años consecutivos. Son experiencias de tres días que animan al participante a tener un encuentro consigo mismo, con Cristo y todos los componentes religiosos de la Iglesia Católica.

El retiro se divide en tres etapas: humana, cristiana y apostólica.

En la primera etapa se busca que el participante, a través de los testimonios y temas, vea su propia vida reflejada através de la experiencia de los demás. Ésta suele ser una experiencia dura, en la que se aprecia claramente la vulnerabilidad del ser humano.

En esta etapa, logramos enfocar los diferentes tipos de sufrimientos que llegan a nuestra vida, la mayoría de las veces por decisiones pobres o mal ejecutadas. Estas decisiones tienen consecuencias reales en la vida propia, y de quienes nos rodean. En esta parte del retiro se propicia un espacio adecuado para que el participante eche un vistazo real a su propio yo, acepte sus virtudes y errores y pueda hacer cambios reales en su

vida y en las de su familia.

La segunda etapa está enfocada en la persona de Cristo, en la cual se le presenta al participante a un Dios lleno de amor que está siempre en búsqueda de él. Será este el momento propicio para que el participante tenga un encuentro con Cristo al escuchar testimonios impactantes de hombres y mujeres que han dado un cambio de 360 grados después de conocer al Señor. Aquí se introduce el tema de la Iglesia, los sacramentos y herramientas que ayudarán al participante a fomentar una relación sólida con el Señor Jesús.

ministerio

La tercera y última etapa se enfoca en el apostolado. Aquí se invita al participante a unirse a la acción evangelizadora de la Iglesia comenzando en su familia, en su vecindario, en su comunidad parroquial, enfatizando que todos tenemos algo que aportar para la evangelización. Por ello, los retiros de evangelización son un foco evangelizador muy poderoso en nuestra vicaría ya que permite estar en constante movimiento pastoral a quienes se sienten comprometidos y llamados a ser parte del equipo de propagación de la fe, y da la oportunidad de “cargar baterías” a quienes

de Asheville anunció dos retiros de evangelización para los meses de febrero y marzo. La primera fecha será para varones y la segunda está destinada para las damas. Según explicó Antonio García, coordinador del ministerio hispano, los retiros, que se han estado llevando en la vicaría por más de 25 años consecutivos, son “un foco evangelizador muy poderoso” en el área.

se sienten un poco desanimados en su fe. Finalmente, el último tema que versa sobre las comunidades especiales de base hace un llamado específico al participante a perseverar a través de una reunión semanal con sus vecinos, amigos o

familiares en torno a la palabra de Dios. Los animamos a vivir esta experiencia. Para mayores informes e inscripciones, llame a los teléfonos (828)450-0202, (828)4586758, y (828)713-3210. Las inscripciones son limitadas.

Grupo Emaús se instaló en Greensboro

CÉSAR HURTADO rchurtado@rcdoc.org

GREENSBORO — Con un auspicioso concierto para recaudar fondos para su ministerio, el grupo Emaús inició de la parroquia Santa María inició sus actividades encaminadas a llevar adelante su primer encuentro a fines de mayo del año en curso.

El concierto se realizó el pasado sábado 25, de 7 a 10 de la noche, en las instalaciones de la parroquia, e incluyó un concierto, alabanzas, una reflexión, la presentación de testimonios, la venta de comida y antojitos, y cerrando las acttividades se expuso el Santísimo Sacramento.

El grupo Emaús de la parroquia Santa María está conformado por 60 integrantes varones, y aproximadamente 50 damas, que han vivido el encuentro en otras parroquias, tanto de la Diócesis de Charlotte como de la cercana Diócesis de Raleigh.

Emeterio Cuéllar Luna, coordinador del movimiento apostólico parroquial, dijo que vivió su encuentro Emaús en 2015 en Hillsborough. “Apenas regresé a mi parroquia, con toda la emoción del retiro, pedí autorización para iniciar el movimiento en Santa María. Lamentablemente, en ese momento no había espacio pues somos muchas comunidades comunidades y grupos en la parroquia, no se nos pudo acoger aquí”, añadió.

Sin embargo, la sorpresa llegaría en enero del año pasado. “El párroco nos dijo que había llegado el momento para iniciar las actividades e ir viendo lo del retiro. Y

así comenzamos nuestras reuniones cada primer y tercer martes del mes”, explicó Cuéllar.

Desde ese entonces, los integrantes se han reunido religiosamente en cada fecha disponible de 8 a 10 de la noche para orar, crecer espiritualmente, recibir formación y encaminar sus pasos para el retiro que realizarán del 30 de mayo al 1 de junio en el Centro de Conferencias Caraway localizado en Sophia, NC.

Serán 60 espacios los disponibles para participar, y Cuéllar cree que el cupo se cerrará rápidamente. “La gente ya está preguntando. Hemos recibido consultas de personas interesadas en participar en este primer retiro y, aunque inicialmente pensamos difundirlo en otras parroquias cercanas, creemos que llenaremos los espacios rápidamente solo en nuestra parroquia”, dijo.

Para Cuéllar, el retiro Emaús es una actividad, “que ayuda especialmente a nuestras familias a a comprender más de nuestra vida diaria. Más que nada es para reflexionar y entender más y comprender más a nuestro Señor. Es una experiencia muy bonita y lo tiene que vivir porque no lo va a entender sino hasta que usted lo viva”, dijo.

El Diácono Enedino Aquino, coordinador del ministerio hispano de la Vicaría de Greensboro, cree que la presencia del grupo Emaús será enriquecedora para la comunidad de Santa María.

“Con gusto los recibimos y les dimos la bienvenida a este movimiento apostólico que se acerca al Señor con un carisma muy especial”, dijo, y expresó su

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El

hispano de la Vicaría

Por qué Marchamos: La Diócesis muestra firme postura en la Marcha por la Vida en Washington, D.C.

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Más de 100 peregrinos de la Diócesis de Charlotte se unieron en solidaridad con decenas de miles de personas para dar testimonio por la vida en la 52 Marcha por la Vida en la capital del país, bajo el lema “Por qué Marchamos”.

El Director de la Oficina de Vida Familiar y uno de los organizadores del viaje, el Padre Peter Ascik, sabe por qué marchamos. Como él mismo dijo: “No hay momento como el presente para involucrarse. De hecho, probablemente es el momento más crucial de nuestras vidas para estar comprometidos políticamente y en otros ámbitos. Estamos dando forma los próximos 50 años ahora mismo”.

Dos autobuses salieron de la Iglesia San Vicente de Paúl en Charlotte antes del amanecer del jueves. El grupo colocó sus maletas en el compartimento de equipaje del autobús de Rose Charters, sacó sus rosarios y tomó asiento para anticipar las seis horas de viaje de Charlotte a D.C.

HISTORIAS DE EQUIPAJE

Para algunos, era su primera vez en la marcha nacional; para otros, la 25. Junto con su equipaje para el viaje de tres días, todos llevaban una historia diferente y conmovedora sobre por qué marchan.

Jessica Grabowski, Directora del Programa de Respeto a la Vida y coordinadora de la Marcha por la Vida, dijo: “Ahora que estamos entrando en nuestro tercer año, hemos visto que las personas regresan para hacer esta peregrinación cada año a la capital de nuestra nación. También tenemos nuevos participantes y familias que se unen por primera vez”. Este es un grupo diverso, con familias grandes y pequeñas; algunos marcharon solos, como Glenn Keller de la Misión Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles en Marion, quien, en sus últimos años, sintió el llamado.

“Espero que vengan 250,000 personas. Me encantaría que fuera la Marcha por la Vida más grande de la historia”, dijo Keller.

Otros trajeron a todos sus hijos, como Paul y Elizabeth Laskowski de la Parroquia San Marcos en Huntersville. “Estamos emocionados de ir como familia y ser testigos de esta causa, aunque Roe vs. Wade fue derogado. Siempre es una lucha proteger la vida en todas sus etapas. Es increíble traer a nuestros hijos de vuelta año tras año. Es como una tradición familiar”, dijo Paul Laskowski.

Los peregrinos de la diócesis se unieron a la Misa de apertura por la Vigilia Anual de Oración por la Vida la noche del jueves en la Basílica del Santuario Nacional de la Inmaculada Concepción. El viernes por la mañana, el grupo asistió al Life Fest en Fairfax, Va., donde escucharon testimonios de personas que han recibido la misericordia de Dios, ya sea al tener a su bebé no planeado o al terminar con su embarazo y luego recibir perdón.

PARAR PARA ORAR

En la Iglesia San José en Capitol Hill, una pequeña iglesia a solo unos pasos de la marcha, Monseñor Patrick Winslow presidió la Misa el viernes por la mañana. La Misa no fue muy publicitada y fue principalmente para las personas de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Sin embargo, estuvo llena de las voces del coro y las caras familiares de los seminaristas de Charlotte en Mount St. Mary en Cincinnati. El aire estaba cargado de incienso, pero a través de él, Monseñor pudo ver a toda su familia: madre, padre, hermanas, sobrinas y sobrinos, quienes han hecho de la Marcha por la Vida una tradición, tanto como su padre, Richard Winslow, puede recordar. La homilía de Monseñor Winslow también se centró en el tema “Por qué marchamos”. Reconoce que la decisión del caso Dobbs (el histórico fallo de la Corte Suprema de 2022 que anuló Roe vs. Wade) niveló el campo de juego, comparando el tema con el fútbol, pero dijo: “No es suficiente; no ha terminado”.

Monseñor Winslow dijo que cree que la manera de conquistar a la generación más joven no es exigirles que hagan lo correcto, sino ayudarles a entender y preocuparse por la dignidad de la vida, como han demostrado que se preocupan por otros temas, como el medio ambiente. “No queremos coaccionar a todos para que hagan lo correcto. Más bien, queremos que las personas sean capaces de ver la verdad y clamar por leyes que protejan la dignidad de la vida. Eso es lo que queremos. Por eso marchamos,

de la

desafiaron temperaturas gélidas el 24 de enero para asistir a la Marcha por la Vida en Washington, D.C. Familias con niños pequeños, personas solteras, ciudadanos mayores y autobuses llenos de estudiantes de universidades locales se presentaron para dar testimonio de la santidad de la vida.

porque aún hay mucho por hacer”, dijo.

Monseñor Winslow sabe que la Iglesia San José está en el lugar perfecto para unirse a la Marcha por la Vida y espera que la Misa para los peregrinos diocesanos crezca en asistencia y se convierta en una tradición.

“En los años venideros, dirás: ‘Estuve allí cuando había solo un par de docenas de personas’”, dijo.

UNIÉNDOSE A LA MARCHA

Después de la Misa, los seminaristas y la familia Winslow salieron de la iglesia para unirse a decenas de miles de marchantes. Una ola de sotanas negras se entrelazaba entre la multitud mientras Monseñor Winslow marchaba y atesoraba el tiempo con su propia familia, con su sobrino Jack, de 16 años, dándole un gran abrazo.

“Lo tenía sobre mis hombros durante esta misma marcha hace 10 años, y ahora tiene 16”.

Pero todo esto no habría sido posible si su bisabuela biológica hubiera terminado su embarazo, como hacen millones de estadounidenses cada año.

“Yo mismo soy el nieto de una persona adoptada. El aborto podría haber sido una posibilidad real; yo, mi familia, ninguno de nosotros existiría”, dijo Monseñor Winslow.

La Marcha por la Vida puede ser un paso aparentemente pequeño, pero Monseñor Winslow cree que es realmente gigante.

“Si nuestra diócesis, o cualquier otra diócesis, se detuviera o de repente pensara que no es importante, simplemente desaparecería”, dijo Monseñor Winslow mientras marchaba. Otros peregrinos diocesanos incluyeron hermanas dominicas de Filipinas, hermanos de los Misioneros de los Pobres en Monroe que son de Uganda, feligreses de Nigeria y El Salvador, todos con sus propias culturas únicas y una fe católica compartida, también marcharon desde el Monumento a Washington hasta el Capitolio de EE. UU. juntos con un mensaje común: debemos amar a los no nacidos y proteger la dignidad de la vida humana.

Los marchantes de la diócesis llevaban gorros azules con pequeños pompones del mismo color, la única similitud física entre ellos. La Marcha no discrimina, sino que acoge a todos tal como son: débiles, fuertes, jóvenes y personas mayores.

CORAZONES CÁLIDOS MARCAN EL CAMINO

En medio del frío gélido, la gente sentía el calor entre ellos, no en su piel, sino en sus corazones, una paz que solo se encuentra en una unidad completa. La marcha fue una forma de compartir el milagro de la maternidad y la verdadera bendición de un hijo. Cada marchante era un testimonio viviente.

Jessica Grabowski marchó con su nuevo bebé en un cochecito, su esposo a su lado, con su hijo pequeño sobre sus hombros, mientras sus otros dos hijos se aferraban a sus lados, con un cartel pro-vida en ambas manos pequeñas. “He estado marchando durante 20 años, desde que estaba en la escuela secundaria, viajando a D.C. durante muchos de esos años en una peregrinación como esta”, dijo. “He marchado como niña, como joven adulta, como madre embarazada y ahora con mi esposo e hijos. Es igual de inspirador e importante en cada etapa de la vida estar de pie públicamente por la vida y en contra del aborto. La necesidad de que todos y muchos se levanten por los no nacidos será siempre necesaria y una prioridad hasta que cada vida preciosa sea protegida desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural”.

Blanca Salguero, feligresa de 68 años de la Catedral San Patricio, avanzaba lentamente pero con firmeza usando su caminador. Marchaba por su madre: “Fui creada porque mi madre fue violada. A pesar de que fue difícil, me dio el regalo de la vida. Marcho porque el resto de mi vida quiero defender a los niños”, dijo.

La pareja Lebowski también marchó por las madres. Sus hijos pequeños marchaban cerca de su lado, cuatro de los seis dados a la pareja a través del regalo de la adopción. Mirando desde su lugar, ya que este año marchó solo porque sus hijos están grandes y las caderas le duelen a su esposa, Niel Schunke recordó a los niños adoptados.

“Solíamos dormir en el piso de la iglesia antes de este evento. Esta es una forma de testimonio. He sido bendecido con un montón de sobrinos, hijos y nietos”, dijo Schunke. Algunos consideraron la marcha como una oración física, como el hermano Martin de Uganda, quien encontró una alegría especial a través de la paz creada por las Misas con un amor similar.

“A veces necesitas apoyar la vida físicamente. Cuando la apoyas físicamente, le muestras a la gente qué hacer sin decirselo”, dijo.

De hecho, los más de 100 marchantes de la diócesis de Charlotte, al unirse a decenas de miles de otros, mostraron al país “por qué marchamos”.

FOTOS DE LISA GERACI, AIDAN CRETER Y AMELIA KUDELA | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD Los peregrinos

Diócesis de Charlotte

Durante la celebración de la Festividad en honor de la Virgen de la Candelaria, declarada Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad por la Unesco el 27 de noviembre de 2014, se exhiben danzas en la región de altiplánica de Puno, Perú.

IMAGEN CORTESÍA AGENCIA NOTICIAS ANDINA | CARLOS LEZAMA

La Virgen de la Candelaria

Devoción canaria extendida en Latinoamérica

Según la tradición, la Virgen se apareció en 1392 a dos aborígenes guanches que pastoreaban su rebaño. Los guanches son nativos de las Islas Canarias procedentes del norte de África. Ellos al llegar a la boca de un barranco, vieron que el ganado no avanzaba.

Uno de los pastores avanzó para ver lo que pasaba y vio en lo alto una pequeña imagen de madera de una mujer, como de un metro de alto. En la imagen, la señora portaba una vela en la mano izquierda y cargaba a un niño en el brazo derecho, mientras que el pequeño llevaba en sus manos un pajarito de oro.

La Virgen de la Candelaria, patrona de Canarias, y se venera en la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria en Tenefire. Más adelante, esta devoción se extendió y llegó también a América. En Argentina, por ejemplo, su fiesta se celebra en la localidad de Candelaria, Misiones,

Lecturas Diarias

FEBRERO 2-8

Domingo (Fiesta de la Presentación del Señor): Malaquías 3:1-4, Salmo 23:7. 8. 9. 10, Hebreos 2:14-18, Lucas 2:22-40; Lunes: Hebreos 11:32-40, Salmo 30:20. 21.22. 23. 24, Marcos 5:1-20; Martes: Hebreos 12:1-4, Salmo 21:26b-27. 28 y 30. 31-32, Marcos 5:2143; Miércoles (Memoria de Santa Águeda, virgen y mártir): Hebreos 12:4-7. 11-15, Salmo 102:1-2. 13-14. 17-18a, Marcos 6:1-6; Jueves (Memoria de San Pablo Miki, presbítero y mártir, y compañeros, mártires): Hebreos 12:18-19. 21-24, Salmo 47:2-3a. 3b-4. 9. 10-11, Marcos 6:7-13; Viernes: Hebreos 13:1-8, Salmo 26:1. 3. 5. 8b-9abc, Marcos 6:14-29; Sábado: Hebreos 13:15-17. 20-21, Salmo 22:13a. 3b-4. 5. 6, Marcos 6:30-34

FEBRERO 9-15

Domingo: Isaías 6:1-2a. 3-8, Salmo 137:1-2a. 2bc-3. 4-5. 7c-8, 1 Corintios 15:1-11, Lucas 5:111; Lunes (Memoria de Santa Escolástica, virgen): Génesis 1:1-19, Salmo 103:1-2a. 5-6. 10 y 12. 24 y 35c, Marcos 6:53-56; Martes:

tomado de las antiguas reducciones jesuíticas, capital de los treinta pueblos guaraníes que incluía a Paraguay, Argentina y Brasil.

Actualmente hay procesiones y se espera a la Virgen con serenata popular. Asimismo, en la ciudad de Humahuaca, Jujuy, se realiza la tradicional danza de los toritos y fuegos artificiales. Mientras que en la provincia de Tucumán, en la localidad de Villa de Leales, esta festividad es una de las más multitudinarias. En Guaraní, provincia de Buenos Aires, la Virgen de la candelaria es patrona de la ciudad.

En Copacabana, La Paz, en la Bolivia de 1583, fue tallada la imagen de la Virgen de la Candelaria de Copacabana por Francisco Tito Yupanqui. El Templo de Copacabana es el segundo templo más antiguo de Hispanoamérica. En este país altiplánico, la Virgen de la Candelaria es patrona de Aquile, Cochabamba; Rurrenabaque,

Beni; Samaipata, Santa Cruz; Azurduy, Chuquisaca; y de la comunidad de La Angostura en Tarija.

En la Iglesia de San Antonio, en la isla Mancera en Valdivia, Chile, hay registros del culto a la Virgen de la Candelaria que datan del año 1645. Es venerada en los sectores mineros del norte del país. En la ciudad chilena de Copiapó existe un santuario de la Virgen de la Candelaria y en el pueblo de Mincha, comuna de Canela, se encuentra un templo donde hay gran devoción a la Candelaria y que es monumento histórico nacional desde 1980.

La ciudad de Medellín en Colombia fue erigida en sus orígenes como ‘Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Medellín’ y por ello la Virgen aparece en el escudo de la ciudad. De igual manera, la primera Catedral de la actual Arquidiócesis de Medellín fue la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. Otras ciudades colombianas también la tienen como patrona.

Papa Francisco

San José es un modelo de escuchar a Dios

San José es el modelo perfecto de escuchar al Señor y poner en acción su palabra y plan en silencio, dijo el Papa Francisco.

“José confía en Dios, acepta el sueño de Dios para su vida y la de su prometida. Así entra en la gracia de quien sabe vivir la promesa divina con fe, esperanza y amor”, dijo el Papa el 29 de enero durante su audiencia general semanal.

El Papa habló sobre San José, esposo de la Virgen María y padre adoptivo de Jesús, como parte de su serie de charlas sobre “Jesucristo nuestra esperanza”, que es el tema de su catequesis semanal durante el Año Jubilar.

Cuando José descubrió el embarazo de María, dijo, “su amor es puesto duramente a prueba”. En lugar de terminar el compromiso, lo cual habría sido permitido por la ley, “José actúa con reflexión: no se deja vencer por sentimientos instintivos ni por el miedo de aceptar a María con él, sino que prefiere dejarse guiar por la sabiduría divina”.

“José es un hombre ‘justo’, un hombre que vive conforme a la ley del Señor”, dijo, y es “abierto y dócil a la voz del Señor”. “Él sueña con el milagro que Dios realiza en la vida de María, y también con el milagro que realiza en su propia vida: asumir una paternidad capaz de custodiar, proteger y transmitir” la promesa de salvación de Dios, añadió.

“José, en todo esto, no pronuncia una palabra, pero cree, espera y ama. No se expresa con ‘palabras vacías’, sino con hechos concretos”, dijo el Papa.

Génesis 1:20–2:4, Salmo 8:4-5. 6-7. 8-9, Marcos 7:1-13; Miércoles: Génesis 2:4-9. 15-17, Salmo 103:1-2a. 27-28. 29bc-30, Marcos 7:1423; Jueves: Génesis 2:18-25, Salmo 127:1-2. 3. 4-5, Marcos 7:24-30; Viernes (Memoria de Santos Cirilio, monjo, y Metodio, obispo): Génesis 3:1-8, Salmo 31:1-2. 5. 6. 7, Marcos 7:31-37; Sábado: Génesis 3:9-24, Salmo 89:2. 3-4. 5-6. 12-13, Marcos 8:1-10 FEBRERO 16-22

Domingo: Jeremías 17:5-8, Del Salmo 1, 1 Corintios 15:12. 16-20, Lucas 6:17. 20-26; Lunes: Génesis 4:1-15. 25, Salmo 49:1 y 8. 16bc-17. 20-21, Marcos 8:11-13; Martes: Génesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5. 10, Salmo 28:1a y 2. 3ac-4. 3b y 9b-10, Marcos 8:14-21; Miércoles: Génesis 8:613. 20-22, Salmo 115:12-13. 14-15. 18-19, Marcos 8:22-26; Jueves: Génesis 9:1-13, Salmo 101:16-18. 19-21. 29 y 22-23, Marcos 8:27-33; Viernes: Génesis 11:1-9, Salmo 32:10-11. 12-13. 14-15, Marcos 8:34–9:1; Sábado (Fiesta de la Cátedra de San Pedro, Apóstol): 1 Pedro 5:14, Salmo 22:1-3a. 3b-4. 5. 6, Mateo 16:13-19

En Puno, al sur de Perú, la Fiesta de la Candelaria es una de las más importantes de la región. Allí la imagen de la Virgen de la Candelaria es sacada en procesión por las calles de la ciudad, acompañada de danzas y música tradicional. En noviembre de 2014, la UNESCO declaró la Festividad de la Virgen de la Candelaria de Puno como Patrimonio Inmaterial de la Humanidad.

— Condensado de ACI Prensa

“Nosotros también pidamos al Señor la gracia de escuchar más que hablar, de soñar los sueños de Dios y de acoger responsablemente al Cristo que, desde el momento del bautismo, vive y crece en nuestra vida”, añadió.

El Papa Francisco habló con los visitantes polacos sobre el Día Internacional de la Memoria del Holocausto, aniversario del día en 1945 cuando las tropas liberaron el campo de concentración de Auschwitz-Birkenau. El Papa pidió a los visitantes polacos que “sean custodios de la verdad y la memoria de esta tragedia y de sus víctimas, incluidos muchos mártires cristianos”.

FE FAMILIA FRATERNIDAD

Colón

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

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

Gracias

Su donación de tiempo, oraciones y contribuciones financieras al llamamiento de apoyo Diocesano 2024 tuvo un impacto increíble en nuestra iglesia y más allá.

Logramos nuestra meta gracias a usted y, más importante aún, su generosidad ayudó a innumerables vidas a través de los arduos esfuerzos de los ministerios diocesanos. Usted ayudó a los niños a acercarse más a Cristo, apoyó a familias que despedían a sus seres queridos, defendió iniciativas provida y ofreció ayuda a las personas sin hogar.

Su apoyo ayudó a hacer crecer nuestra iglesia, ministrar a quienes lo necesitan y fortalecer la fe de nuestros hermanos y hermanas. Su donación es una forma profunda de servir a Jesús y participar como "Un Cuerpo en Cristo".

Como su nuevo obispo, le agradezco por darme la bienvenida y por ser generoso con las bendiciones que vienen de Dios. Gracias a personas solidarias como usted, podemos llevar a cabo la misión del Evangelio. Juntos, sigamos construyendo el Reino de Dios en la tierra y reflejemos el amor de Cristo a todos los que encontremos.

Tenga la seguridad de mis oraciones por usted y sus seres queridos.

Paz,

† Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. Obispo de Charlotte

Arts & entertainment

Local

publishing veteran releases ‘Love is Stronger than Death,’ a memoir about faith, loss and hope

LISA GERACI lmgeraci@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Veteran Catholic publisher and founder of Cenacle Rick Rotondi takes readers on a mystical journey of love, faith, mercy and grace in his recently released spiritual memoir. “Love is Stronger Than Death” details the death of his only daughter, Olivia, and shares a father’s ability to cope through faith.

In Rotondi’s memoir, he divulges how his lifelong interactions with the Catholic Church, the guidance he received through his work at local Catholic publishing houses, and the advice of spiritual mentors navigated him, in his words, through his own “Via Dolorosa” of bereavement.

“The book is an inspiring example of how in the midst of tragedy God is there under many disguises and how His channels of grace to us are unlimited and unexpected,” stated retired publisher Bob Gallagher in a review.

Olivia, 25, was a gorgeous ECU graduate, an alumna of Charlotte Catholic High School, a volunteer at Holy Angels and a teacher assistant at St. Ann School who secretly suffered from anxiety and

depression.

Rick Rotondi’s spiritual memoir, “Love is Stronger Than Death,” details how his lifelong interactions with the Catholic Church, the guidance he received through his work at local Catholic publishing houses, and the advice of spiritual mentors helped him navigate the death of his only daughter, Olivia.

SUBMITTED

On the morning of May 5, 2022, Olivia was missing for hours, prayer lists started, and the search began. Rotondi eventually located her car at a hotel. When police were dispatched, they found Olivia lifeless – she took her own life. The traumatic scene prevented Rotondi, his wife Melanie, Oliva’s mother, and her brother Tim from saying goodbye. They could only wait griefstricken for answers in the room across the hall.

Within minutes, Father Timothy Reid of St. Ann rushed in and stood with the Rotondi family, shoulder to shoulder, praying the rosary. Soon after, St. Matthew pastor Father John Allen arrived, granting Olivia an Apostolic Pardon from behind her locked hotel room door, where only God could meet her the rest of the way.

“Sacraments are for the living; we didn’t really know Olivia’s status,” Rotondi said. “For Father Allen to give that Apostolic Pardon through the door, I’m so grateful for that.”

Rotondi believes, just like the name of his own company, Cenacle, that Jesus was able to enter the locked doorway man could not.

“There is only one reason we exist: to be a saint. He took her to His House. He chose that moment. It could have been another moment. He could have saved her, but He didn’t because that was the moment she became a saint,” Rotondi said. Rotondi considers suicide a grave sin but is steadfast Olivia is in heaven, “not presumptuously” but through God’s mercy. Rotondi’s book details how God had prepared Rotondi for this moment. During his 32-year publishing career Rotondi encountered the Divine Mercy Chaplet too often for it to be mere coincidence. The book reveals just how important a role the chaplet played in the weeks prior to Olivia’s death.

Years before, the Order of Malta tasked

themselves to assist in comforting retired Bishop William Curlin during his dying days, which later became another pillar of support provided by God for Rotondi.

“We would watch television together, eat together and have Mass at his home chapel. It was like an extended retreat for me with a spiritual director from Mother Teresa. I was able to hear all the stories of his life with Mother Teresa,” Rotondi stated.

The memoir describes the beautiful bond formed between Rotondi and the bishop, and how the teaching of St. Teresa of Calcutta spiritually lifted Rotondi during his bereavement.

A flock of fathers who left their stamp on the Rotondis’ lives assembled themselves for Olivia’s funeral. Father Benjamin Roberts from Our Lady of Lourdes, Abbot Placid Solari from Belmont Abbey, Father Allen, Father Reid, chaplain of Holy Angels Father Dennis Kuhn and Father Joshua Voitus from St. Vincent de Paul shared in his loss and recounted anecdotes of joy about Olivia’s life. Plus, long-term friend and CEO of TAN Books Conor Gallagher, who fathered 16 biological children, and James Hetzel from The Catholic Company with his own tribe of nine, gave Rotondi the ultimate reassurance needed during the burial – that he was a great father.

“I admire Rick, and I admire Olivia’s family greatly. They are people of deep and profound faith,” Father Allen said.

Rotondi is not the typical grieving dad. “I don’t have a wound that needs treatment. I encourage anyone who is grieving to turn to the great priests and ministries in our Church,” he said.

For Rotondi, Olivia showed herself through cardinals, rainbows and butterflies, urging him to write her testimony because she was unable to do it herself.

“I wanted to say thank you, and Olivia wanted to say thank you. This was the way I could do it, and now it is in His hands for whatever He wants. If it can help one person or give consolation, praise God,” Rotondi said.

In 2016 Rotondi visited St. Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, not understanding at the time how that mercy would play out in his own life. This year, he will travel with Melanie to Italy and Rome as Pilgrims of Hope for the Jubilee Year, seeking hope for Olivia’s salvation, hope for his family, and hope for those grieving a suicide.

Read the details of Olivia’s final days and Rotondi’s experience with God’s mercy in “Love is Stronger Than Death.” The memoir also includes the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which Rotondi encourages any family dealing with the death of a loved one to pray.

More online

At www.cenacle.tv/love : Buy “Love is Stronger Than Death” from this website or from your favorite bookseller

PHOTOS

Olivia Rotondi

Pope Francis clears way for beatification of Georgia martyrs

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries ministering in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia were killed for their faith. By signing the decree in the sainthood cause of the Georgia martyrs Jan. 27, the pope cleared the way for their beatification, although a date for the ceremony was not announced immediately.

The Spanish Franciscans Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz and Francisco de Veráscola were killed between Sept. 14 and Sept. 17, 1597, after

Father de Corpa told a young Indigenous man, Juanillo, who was heir to a Guale chiefdom, that as a baptized Christian he could not take a second wife. Juanillo and a band of his men killed the priest with a stone hatchet at the Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tolomato, which is near modern-day Eulonia, Georgia. They then went after the other Franciscan missionaries living and ministering along the Georgia coast.

Trump bars taxpayer funding for abortion in U.S. and overseas

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Jan. 24 used executive authority to block taxpayer funds from paying for elective abortion procedures both in the U.S. and abroad. Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which bars taxpayer funds from going to nongovernmental organizations abroad that perform or promote abortions. He also signed an executive order to further enforce a ban on federal funding for abortion known as the Hyde Amendment.

The Mexico City Policy, called the “global gag rule” by opponents, was first enacted by former President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Each Republican president since that time has authorized it, and each Democratic president has rescinded the policy. In 2021, the Trump administration expanded the policy’s familyplanning scope to cover most federal global health assistance, renaming it the “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” policy. Trump’s executive order to enforce the Hyde Amendment alleged that “the previous administration embedded federal funding

of elective abortion in a wide variety of government programs.” It rescinded some executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden, including one directing strict enforcement of the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits actions including obstructing the entrance to an abortion clinic, and another defining abortion as “health care.”

USCCB president calls Trump orders ‘deeply troubling’

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on issues including migration, the environment and the death penalty are “deeply troubling,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a Jan. 22 statement, while praising another on gender policy.

Among the first acts of his second term beginning Jan. 20, Trump signed a slew of executive orders to implement his hardline policies on immigration, including seeking to change the interpretation of birthright citizenship under the 14th amendment, an order that prompted a legal challenge. Others included withdrawing from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate and another sought to expand the use of the federal death penalty. Trump also signed an order directing the U.S. government to only recognize two sexes, male and female.

Archbishop Broglio said many of the topics the first batch of executive orders concern “are matters on which the Church has much to offer.” Stressing that the Catholic Church “is not aligned with any political party, and neither

is the bishops’ conference,” Archbishop Broglio said, “No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged.”

Canon and civil law collide on

seal of confession, says expert

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Proposed legislation looking to repeal clergy-penitent protections in at least two states is in a head-on collision with the church’s primary legal code, one expert told OSV News.

Montana and Washington are among the states seeking to compel clergy to disclose abuse revealed to them in the context of the sacrament of reconciliation or similar confidential pastoral settings in other faith traditions. In Montana, state Sen. Mary Dunwell told OSV News Jan. 27 she amended her bill to say that “a priest is not required to make a report under this section if the communication is required to be confidential by canon law or church doctrine” – garnering the support of the Montana Catholic Conference with the change.

Although that state’s bill was satisfactorily amended, legislative efforts to mandate abuse reporting by confessors are fundamentally at odds with the Catholic Church’s understanding of the sacrament of reconciliation, said Father John Paul Kimes, associate professor of the practice at Notre Dame Law School and the Raymond of Peñafort Fellow in canon law at Notre Dame’s de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. “In canon law, the seal (of confession) belongs to no one,” neither the priest nor the

Our world

Catholic Church is willing to accept a common date for Easter in East and West, pope says

CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s willingness to accept a proposal for a common date for celebrating Easter in the West and the East.

Noting that in 2025 the date coincides on the West’s Gregorian calendar and the East’s Julian calendar, Pope Francis said that “I renew my appeal that this coincidence may serve as an appeal to all Christians to take a decisive step forward toward unity around a common date for Easter.”

“The Catholic Church is open to accepting the date that everyone wants: a date of unity,” he said Jan. 25 during an ecumenical evening prayer service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

The service marked the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which focused on this year’s celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gave Christians a common Creed and a formula for determining a common date for the celebration of Easter.

Before the Council of Nicaea in 325,

CNS | VATICAN MEDIA

Pope Francis, Orthodox Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and Malta, left, and Anglican Archbishop Ian Ernest, director of the Anglican Center in Rome, right, pause in prayer in front of the tomb of St. Paul before an ecumenical prayer service marking the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 25 at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

different Christian communities celebrated Easter on different dates; the council decided that for the unity of the Christian community and its witness, Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first

Guest Speakers

full moon after the spring equinox.

But the Julian calendar, which is what Christians used in the fourth century, was increasingly out of sync with the actual solar year, so March 21 – generally assumed to be the date of the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox – gradually “drifted” away from the actual equinox.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII reformed the calendar, dropping 10 days and making the equinox fall on March 21 again. Most Eastern Christians did not adopt the new calendar, leading to a situation where Easter occasionally is on the same day, but Eastern Christians’ celebration can be as much as four weeks later.

Pope Francis has reaffirmed on several occasions the position officially taken by St. Paul VI in the 1960s that if Eastern Christians agree on a way to determine a common date for Easter, the Catholic Church would accept it.

The ecumenical prayer service began with Pope Francis praying before the tomb of St. Paul. He was joined by Orthodox Metropolitan Polykarpos of Italy and Malta and by Anglican Archbishop Ian Ernest, director of the Anglican Center in Rome.

The Orthodox and Anglican bishops also joined the pope at the end of the liturgy in giving their blessing to the crowd.

The theme of the 2025 week of prayer was Jesus’ question to Martha of Bethany: “Do you believe this?”

Indian cardinal chosen to lead Interreligious Dialogue dicastery

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has named Indian Cardinal George J. Koovakad to be the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

The 51-year-old, who received his red hat from the pope in December, also will continue to be responsible for organizing papal trips abroad.

The dicastery is responsible for dialogue with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and members of other world religions. Cardinal Koovakad succeeds Spanish Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, who died in November after dedicating his priestly life and ministry to building bridges between Catholics and Muslims.

Pope: Humans must control AI

VATICAN CITY — Artificial intelligence or any other technology that worsens inequality around the world and increases fake news should not be embraced as “progress,” Pope Francis told business and government leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

friends 2025 FOR LIFE

BRANDY MEEKS VITAE FOUNDATION

In the Gospel of John, Martha tells Jesus that if He had been there, her brother Lazarus would not have died. Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live,” and then He asks if she believes. Martha responds with a declaration of faith: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

“Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress,” the pope said in a message to the World Economic Forum. AI, he said, “should be placed at the service of a healthier, more human, more social and more integral development.”

UNITING AS A COMMUNITY TO FOSTER

UNITING AS A COMMUNITY TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF LIFE, LOVE AND HOPE. A CULTURE OF LIFE, LOVE AND HOPE.

Hosted by MiraVia, this free event invites our pro-life community to gather for inspiring speakers and vibrant fellowship. Come to hear "TED-like" talks from pro-life insiders and stay for a reception with many of the people and agencies who serve expectant parents in need within our community. Ideal for young adults and those who want to build the culture of life.

Saturday, February 22, 2025

7:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Doors Open at 6:30 PM

MACS Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic High School 7702 Pineville Matthews Rd, Charlotte, NC 28226

Tickets are required to attend this event: 5 ticket max per order. Seating is limited. Reception after the program includes complimentary refreshments.

Reserve ticket(s) here or contact Liliana Caicedo at lilianacaicedo@miravia.org; 980-357-9550.

MiraVia, Inc. is an accredited Catholic, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation operating in Charlotte, NC supporting mothers on campus and in the community. Learn more at MiraVia.org.

LYDIA TAYLOR DAVIS STUDENTS FOR LIFE

FR. PETER ASCIK DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE FAMILY LIFE OFFICE

Pope Francis said, “This tender encounter between Jesus and Martha from the Gospel teaches us that even in times of desolation, we are not alone, and we can continue to hope. Jesus gives life even when it seems that all hope has vanished.”

“Hope can falter following difficult experiences such as a painful loss, an illness, a bitter disappointment or a sudden betrayal,” the pope said. “Although each of us may experience moments of despair or know people who have lost hope, the Gospel tells us that Jesus always restores hope because He raises us up from the ashes of

Sometimes, the pope said, people may feel like the search for Christian unity has reached a dead end or that ecumenical dialogue is “doomed to failure.”

LUISA SMOLYNSKY FORMER MIRAVIA COLLEGE RESIDENT

“All of this makes us experience the same anguish as Martha, but the Lord comes to us,” he said. “Do we believe this? Do we believe that He is the resurrection and the life? That He rewards our efforts and always gives us the grace to continue our journey together? Do we believe this?”

The anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is “a year of grace, an opportunity for all Christians who recite the same Creed and believe in the same God,” the pope said. “Let us rediscover the common roots of the faith; let us preserve unity! Let us always move forward! May the unity we all are searching

Pope Francis’ message, addressed to Klaus Schwab, chairperson of the forum, was delivered by Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and was published by the Vatican Jan. 23.

Holy Land pilgrimages are ‘safe,’ Church leaders say

JERUSALEM — Catholic leaders in the Holy Land are urging Christians to return on pilgrimage to the region now that a ceasefire has been established between Israel and Hamas.

In a video, the Latin patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the custos of the Holy Land, Franciscan Father Francesco Patton, walk through Jerusalem, talking to pilgrims and shopkeepers who have endured streets emptied of tourists since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent 15-month war. The area is safe, the Church leaders stressed. Father Patton emphasized the spiritual importance of visiting holy sites. Cardinal Pizzaballa called the ceasefire a “turning point” for the Holy Land, thanking churches worldwide for their support during the challenging year.

Father Gabriel Romanelli from Gaza City’s Holy Family Parish expressed hope for lasting peace, despite the ongoing challenges. He said his parishioners started to check on their houses and some discovered that they have been completely destroyed while others have not yet even been able to recognize where their old neighborhoods are located.

— Catholic News Service and OSV News

SPELLING BEE

for the bee at Our Lady of Grace. After he won that, he only had a little over a week to learn the 41-page list of possible words for the diocesan competition.

His victory on Thursday isn’t the end of Ben’s spelling journey. His win earned him the chance to participate in an upcoming spelling bee sponsored by the Carolina Panthers.

Two online competitions will be held –one in North Carolina, the other in South Carolina – and the victors of each will meet in a head-to-head championship in Charlotte. The winner of that bee will earn a trip to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in late May.

The spelling bee was a chance for

we’ll receive. Instead, it means that we pray with trust in the Father who listens to our prayers, confident that He wants what’s best for us; He knows what’s best for us; and He’s able to give us what’s best for us. Our prayers should always ask for God’s will.

Q. How do I find the right words to pray?

A. God listens even when we’re not sure what to say. Catholics often pray using composed prayers. It’s called formal prayer, because it has a set “form,” rather than being spontaneous.

Jesus gave us a formal prayer when He taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:912). He and His apostles used formal prayers in worship, often from the Psalms, because this was the ancient custom of the Jewish people. The Church has followed their example in the Mass and in other settings. When Catholics pray using the words given us in Scripture and tradition, we are guided by these formal prayers as we search for words to express ourselves to God.

When we make these common prayers our own, we find ourselves praying in unity with the whole Church. We become part of a timeless, global community of prayer, a sign that we all belong to “the household of God” (Eph 2:19).

An easy way to remember the different kinds of prayer is ACTS: A= Adoration; C= Contrition; T = Thanksgiving; and S = Supplication.

the competitors to be in the spotlight, according to Assistant Superintendent Allana-Rae Ramkissoon.

“This gives students with a special talent for spelling and memory a chance to shine, and it also shows off the academic excellence we have in our schools,” she said.

Other participants in the diocesan bee were Azlan Bell from Sacred Heart School, Mason Bokor of St. Gabriel School, Amelia Dorville from Our Lady of Mercy School, Stephanie Ford of St. Mark School, Frank Gareis of St. Michael School, Aiden Hower from St. Pius X School, Shiloh Kangauka of Our Lady of the Assumption School, Hailey Maciaszek of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Trung Nguyen from Holy Trinity Middle School, Pete Stewart from St. Patrick School and Alexandra Weiderman from St. Matthew School.

Q. How do I know when God is talking?

A. First, it’s important to give Him time to talk, a few quiet moments when you’re listening for him. On those occasions you may have thoughts or impressions come into your mind from God: a word of comfort, a solution to a problem, a prompting to take a particular action. There are other ways to listen to God as well. Reading Scripture or spiritual books may allow Him to speak to you through the printed word. God may speak through others who say that you came to mind during their own prayer time. Sometimes God simply answers you through situations. If you think God is saying something that puzzles or disturbs you, it’s a good idea to talk it over with a priest or another trusted friend.

Q. When should I pray?

A. We can pray anytime, of course, since God is always listening. Many Catholics even say little “mini-prayers” throughout the day as they go about their business, such as “Thank you, Lord,” or “Jesus, help me.” But over the centuries believers have also developed habits of praying at certain hours because they found it helped them to recognize God and seek His will at important junctures of the day.

Many people, for example, dedicate the day to God as soon as they wake up. Asking God’s blessing is an important way to begin meals and recognize our dependence on His provision. At bedtime, many Catholics review the day as it closes, examine their consciences, and say a prayer of confession and contrition.

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Please pray for the following deacons who died during the month of January:

Dennis O'Madigan 1/31/2016

Rudolph Josephn Triana 1/23/2022

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convencimiento que aportará mucho a la vida espiritual de la parroquia.

El Diácono Aquino, soporte espiritual de los movimientos apostólicos en español de la vicaría, es también un ancla en la que se apoya el ministerio Emaús y ha venido brindando soporte y capacitación a sus miembros.

¿QUÉ ES EMAÚS?

En 1978, Myrna Gallagher, directora de Educación Religiosa de la Parroquia San Luis en Miami, junto a un equipo de cinco mujeres, organizó un retiro en el que los participantes abrieran su corazón, reflexionaran, oraran y experimentaran la verdad que Jesucristo resucitado camina a nuestro lado, inspirándose en el Evangelio de San Lucas, 24: 13-35. El éxito fue inmediato y se extendió a

todo el país. Con los años, llegó a países de Sudamérica como Perú y Argentina, donde el entonces Arzobispo de Buenos Aires, hoy Papa Francisco, los acogió con entusiasmo. A España llegaron en 2009 y su expansión, según medios locales, está siendo muy rápida.

El primer encuentro en la zona de Las Carolinas se llevó a cabo en idioma inglés, con ayuda de hermanos de Miami, en abril de 2007 en San Felipe Neri, una parroquia en Rock Hill, Carolina del Sur. Posteriormente, en 2010, gracias a la aceptación del Padre Frank O’Rourke, entonces párroco de la Iglesia San Gabriel, se estableció en esa parroquia, desde donde se extendió hacia Carolina del Sur, otras iglesias de la Diócesis de Charlotte e inclusive a Mobile, Alabama. Paralelamente, en otras áreas de la diócesis, se desarrolla un movimiento similar, con el mismo origen, pero algunas variantes, que es conocido como La Familia Emaús.

EMAÚS

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 18

ViewPoints

Michael R. Heinlein

‘We can go to Mass closer to the saint!’

One of the enduring memories from a recent family pilgrimage to Italy occurred early one morning when my two oldest children, ages 7 and 5, accompanied me to morning Mass at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi. While we arrived a little early for the once-a-month English Mass scheduled there, we could see there wouldn’t be a seat.

But as we neared the altar at the tomb, it became clear that pews to the side were empty. Our daughter exclaimed, “We can go to Mass closer to the saint!”

‘Going to Mass closer to the saints means embracing the trials and troubles of daily life, as they come and in whatever form they come.’

I thought about that line often during Mass that morning and have continued to think about it ever since. Going to Mass closer to the saints is something that ought to be part of our collective effort to worship God in spirit and truth, to embrace the call to holiness.

We Catholics profess to believe in the communion of saints. It’s a concept that can be, at times, difficult to wrap our heads around. What exactly do we believe about it? And how does that belief shape our faith lives?

STRUGGLES OF THE SAINTS

Those same children, God love them, can at times make attending Mass seem more like a blur. They’re distracted. They’re antsy. They have questions. At times, I think about the experience of the saints at Mass and fear mine is all too different. But that early morning in Assisi has challenged and renewed my thinking on this. Parenthood has its challenges, of course. But, as those devoted to them know, challenges were the daily bread of so many saints. Going to Mass closer to the saints means embracing the trials and troubles

of daily life, as they come and in whatever form they come.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church neatly describes this reality as such: “In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of His Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those of Christ and with His total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with His offering” (1368).

Having a unique fascination and curiosity about the saints, I began thinking about the struggles saints encountered, how they sacrificed and learned how to make their sufferings life-giving. Of how Mary bore untold sorrow in her heart as she saw her son suffer and die on the cross. Of how St. Paul experienced every kind of suffering in order to share the Gospel in foreign lands.

Of how St. Marguerite Bourgeoys faced an onslaught of mosquitoes, wars, plagues and wildfires as a missionary on the Canadian frontier. Of how St. Theodora Guerin faced excommunication in the Indiana plains because she wouldn’t go along with the whims of a power-hungry bishop protected by the Church’s law.

Of how reformer St. Francis of Assisi fittingly bore the wounds of Christ in tandem with his work to make the Bride of Christ worthy of her name.

THE ANSWER TO OUR SEARCHING

As I’ve thought about all these unique sacrifices and sufferings, and more, I think of what propelled them, grounded them and enabled them to make sense of it all. Truly in the Eucharist, as the saints came to know, we find the answer to our searching, the satisfaction to our yearning, the meaning of it all.

“We can go to Mass closer to the saint!” We must go to Mass closer to the saints. Truly through their witness and example, and by the help of their prayers, we can enter more deeply into the Eucharistic mystery, therein finding a pattern for living that allows us to join our sacrifices to Christ’s.

In the communion of saints, we can find friends for the journey of holiness – a journey that entails carrying Christ’s cross, knowing our doing so bears purpose and brings life. And the Eucharist is the linchpin that holds this mystery together.

MICHAEL R. HEINLEIN is author of “Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I.” and a promised member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators.

Greg Erlandson

Did you hear the one about the laughing pope?

Pope Francis has made it abundantly clear over the years that he is no fan of “sourpuss” Catholics, whom he calls “querulous and disillusioned pessimists” (“Joy of the Gospel,” 85). On this subject, he echoes Jesus’ own condemnation of sourpuss religious leaders who make a big show of their fasting and religious piety. “Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Mt

news, you denounce abuses of power, you give voice to forgotten situations, you highlight abuses, you point out inappropriate behavior.”

A LAUGH BEFORE BEDTIME

Comedy can sting a little, but these days the rage can overwhelm the laughs. Late-night comedians, once the refuge of tired folk just before turning in, now often have a bitter edge. Scorn is a poor substitute for good humor, and it likely leaves the listener more agitated than prepared for a good night’s sleep.

6:16), was Jesus’ curt commentary.

But Pope Francis has taken it one step further, endorsing humor as not just compatible with, but perhaps essential for faith.

In a column in the New York Times, itself excerpted from a forthcoming book, Pope Francis wrote: “Those who give up their own humanity give up everything, and … when it becomes hard to cry seriously or to laugh passionately, then we really are on the downhill slope. We become anesthetized, and anesthetized adults do nothing good for themselves, nor for society, nor for the Church.”

THE BEST MEDICINE

Francis’ essay tells jokes made by two saints (Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II), as well as jokes often told about Jesuits (his own religious order before he became pope). It should come as no surprise that Francis, who loves folksy sayings, would believe that at times laughter is the best medicine.

Several months ago, he invited comedians from the United States and other countries to join him at the Vatican. He praised them “for getting people to ‘think critically by making them laugh and smile.’”

Comedians play an important role, the pope told them. “In the midst of so much gloomy

Perhaps we all need a dose of comedians like Nate Bargatze or Jim Gaffigan, who show us ways first of all to laugh at ourselves. There are many serious issues deserving of our full attention. But laughter is a balm for the soul, and it is a very Catholic recognition that we do know there is a happy ending.

I had the good fortune to have a father who loved practical jokes, the wit of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the edgy humor of Tom Lehrer. I grew up reading the comic pages as well as sports and news, a practice I maintain to this day. Bedtime is not the time to read about crises and scoundrels. Bedtime is when I catch up on “Pearls Before Swine” and “Zits,” guaranteeing at least a smile before I sleep. Not every saint is a barrel of laughs (looking at you, St. Jerome), but Francis is reminding us that when we take ourselves too seriously, we become less effective, less a witness for the joy of the Gospel.

It is Francis who reminded the comedians he met with that one of our most famous martyrs, St. Thomas More, wrote a prayer for good humor. It may do us all a bit of good to recite its last lines before bed tonight: Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I.’

Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.

GREG ERLANDSON is an award-winning Catholic publisher, editor and journalist and a columnist for OSV News.

CATHOLIC NEW SERVICE

Pope Francis laughs with visitors after his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican June 28, 2023.

The witness of a consecrated life

Recently, the diary of a young North Korean soldier killed in Ukraine came to light. What attracted most commentary was the revelation that he and his unfortunate colleagues were being used, essentially, as bait for the deadly drones that hover over the battlefields of that beleaguered country. What I found even more desperately sad, however, was a more personal truth that was laid bare in the pages of that diary.

Explaining why he was committed to fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, he

‘When we see someone who lives as though only God finally matters, we tend to get it.’

said, “I put on the military uniform of the revolution for the sake of protecting the Supreme Commander,” and “I will unconditionally carry out the orders of the Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un, even if it costs me my life.”

I want to be perfectly clear that I have nothing whatsoever against honest patriotism or passionate love of one’s own country, and I’m certainly not questioning this young soldier’s sincerity. But what I find tragic is the narrowing of his heart’s desire, for the young soldier expresses a loyalty, not so much to his country, as to “the leader.” And the leader in question, we know, is a petty, violent, mean-spirited dictator. Again, I’m not casting blame on the soldier himself. He came of age in a dramatically closed society, and he had been propagandized from his youngest days that the supreme value was none other than Kim Jong Un. But to me it is just devastating to think that all his idealism, intelligence, energy and emotion were ordered to such a pathetic end.

CONFLICTED HEARTS

Now this is but an extreme case of a spiritual problem that is truly universal in scope. It is a basic conviction of the Bible that every human being, made in the image and likeness of God, possesses a heart that is oriented toward God, so that, as the Psalmist has it, “only in God will my soul be at rest.” To be sure, the fall has obscured and compromised that desire, but it remains, sometimes unformed, yet present and operative within each person. In some ways, the drama that defines every human life is the tension played out within the conflicted heart, when what is properly ordered to the supreme good devolves into being ordered to some lesser value. As St. Augustine put it with admirable economy of expression, we sinners have “substituted a creature for the

Creator.”

So, we seek the deepest satisfaction in wealth, in power, in politics, in our human relationships, in our families, indeed in our countries. But these things are, at best, relative goods and not the supreme good, and hence in the measure that we place them at the center of our concern, we make of them idols, false gods, golden calves.

The prophet Jeremiah understood this truth in his bones. In the 17th chapter of his book, he says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the wasteland … that stands in lava beds in the wilderness, a land salty and uninhabited.”

The heart that is directed to the superficial goods of the world is like a tree with shallow roots in the desert. On the other hand, the one whose heart is ordered to the Lord, Jeremiah insists, is like “a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream … in the year of drought, it shows no distress, but still produces fruit.”

FINDING JOY

One might be tempted to say that these are elementary spiritual truths – and they are – but they are forgotten all the time. Though the Bible and much of the literature of the world are filled with the reminder that nothing in the finite world satisfies the aching of the heart, every generation comes to believe the lie. Though it has never worked, we somehow convince ourselves that this time around, if we just get enough of the world’s goods, we will find joy.

Sermons, exhortations, indeed articles like this one, can provide a service to some degree, but the most powerful argument against idolatry is the witness of a life.

When we see someone who lives as though only God finally matters, we tend to get it. And this is one of the principal reasons the Church has, from the beginning, encouraged the consecrated life, by which I mean a life marked by poverty, chastity and obedience, a life that makes sense only if God exists.

This is why it has held up St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Edith Stein, and so many others who have heroically embraced poverty, chastity and obedience out of total dedication to Christ.

In February, other bishops and I will celebrate Masses for those in consecrated life. Part of the purpose of this Mass is to thank these good people for their dedication, but a deeper purpose is to shine a light on them so that the world can see them more clearly. They are like trees whose roots go deep, deep into the ground, reaching all the way to the waters that bubble up to eternal life. And there are so many, languishing in the sadness of various forms of idolatry, who need to see that such a life as theirs is possible.

BISHOP

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ROBERT BARRON is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and bishop of the Diocese of WinonaRochester, Minnesota.

Bishop Robert Barron

Thank You

Your contributions of time, prayer, and financial support to the 2024 Diocesan Support Appeal made a significant impact throughout our local church and beyond.

Thanks to you, we met our goal, and more importantly, your generosity helped improve the lives of countless people through our hard-working diocesan ministries. You helped children grow closer to Christ, supported families laying loved ones to rest, championed pro-life initiatives, and offered aid to the homeless. Your support helped grow our church, minister to those in need, and strengthen the faith of our brothers and sisters. Your gift is a profound way of serving Jesus and participating as “One Body in Christ,” the theme we celebrated in 2024.

As your new bishop, I am grateful for the warm welcome you have shown me and for your generosity with your blessings from God. Because of caring people like you, we are able to carry out the mission of the Gospel. Together, let us continue to build Godʼs Kingdom on earth and shine Christʼs love to all those we meet.

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones.

Peace,

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