Feb. 11, 2011

February 11, 2011

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org S E RV I N G C H R I ST A N D C O N N EC T I N G C AT H O L I C S I N W E ST E R N N O R T H C A R O L I N A

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

“Then slowly opening her hands and leaning towards me, she said to me in a voice vibrating with emotion, ‘I am The Immaculate Conception.’” — St. Bernadette Pope Benedict XVI

Defend doctrine, but don’t attack others

E

ven in the midst of the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, St. Peter Canisius knew how to defend Catholic doctrine without launching personal attacks on those who disagreed, Pope Benedict XVI said.

St. Peter, a 15th-century Jesuit sent on mission to Germany, knew how to “harmoniously combine fidelity to dogmatic principles with the respect due to each person,” the pope said Feb. 9 at his general audience.

The pope was beginning a series of audience talks about “doctors of the church,” theologians and saints who made important contributions to Catholic understanding of theology.

In St. Peter Canisius’ own time, more than 200 editions of his catechisms were published, the pope said.

The saint, born in Holland, insisted there was a difference between willfully turning away from the faith and “the loss of faith that was not a person’s fault under the circumstances, and he declared to Rome that the majority of Germans who passed to Protestantism were without fault. In a historical period marked by strong confessional tensions, he avoided – and this is something extraordinary – he avoided giving into disrespect and angry rhetoric. This was rare at that time of disputes between Christians.”

In fact, St. Peter Canisius recognized that the Church needed to be renewed and revitalized, and that such a process had to be built on solid education in the faith and in understanding the Scriptures, which is why his catechisms relied so heavily on the Bible.

The saint’s life, he said, teaches Catholics today that “the Christian life does not grow except with participation in the liturgy, particularly the holy Mass on Sundays, and with daily personal prayer. In the midst of the thousands of activities and multiple stimuli that surround us, it is necessary each day to find moments for reflection to listen to and speak to the Lord.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day: Feb. 11 In 1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl.

She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, asked that a chapel be built on the site of the vision, and told the girl to drink from a fountain in the grotto.

No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. The water from this still flowing spring has shown remarkable healing power, though it contains no curative property that science can identify.

The Virgin appeared 18 times to the little peasant who would latter become St. Bernadette, but the most important apparition was the 16th: On the evening on March 24th, Bernadette told her parents of the feeling she had that she was being called to the Grotto once more by an interior impulse – she intended to return there in the morning.

It had been more than two weeks since the Lady had visited her. How long that night was – try as she might, the child was unable to sleep.

As soon as the first light dawned, she rose and quickly dressed.

Bernadette arrived at the grotto at 5 a.m. with a blessed candle in her hand. Her parents were with her. Even before she reached the rock, she could see the wondrous light filling the niche, in which stood her beautiful Lady.

Bernadette herself describes the conversation and events which followed this moment: “Whilst I was praying, the thought of asking her name came to my mind with such persistence that I could think of nothing else. I feared to be presumptuous in repeating a question She had always refused to answer and yet something compelled me to speak. At last, under an irresistible impulsion, the words fell from my mouth and I begged the Lady to tell me who she was.

“The Lady did as she had always done before; she bowed her head and smiled, but she did not reply.

“I cannot say why, but I felt myself bolder and asked her again to graciously tell me her name; however, she only smiled and bowed as before, still remaining silent.

“Then once more, for the third time, clasping my hands and confessing myself to be unworthy of the great favor I was asking of her, I again made my request.

“The Lady was standing above the rose bush, in a position very similar to that shown on the Miraculous Medal. At my third request, her face became very serious and she seemed to bow down in an attitude of humility. Then she joined her hands and raised them to her breast. She looked up to Heaven.

“Then slowly opening her hands and leaning towards me, she said to me in a voice vibrating with emotion, ‘I am The Immaculate Conception.’

“She smiled again, spoke no more, and disappeared smiling.”

In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the

— Marypages.com

apparitions and authorized the devotion of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907.

— Catholic News Agency

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 13 - FEB. 19

Sunday, Sirach 15:15-20, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, Matthew 5:17-37; Monday (Sts. Cyril and Methodius), Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday, Genesis 6:5-8, 7:1-5, 10, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday, Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22, Mark 8:2226; Thursday, Genesis 9:1-13, Mark 8:27-33; Friday, Genesis 11:1-9, Mark 8:349:1, Saturday, Hebrews 11:1-7, Mark 9:2-13

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 20 - FEB. 26

Sunday, Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18, 1 Corinthians 3:16-23, Matthew 5:38-48; Monday (St. Peter Damian), Sirach 1:1-10, Mark 9:14-29; Tuesday, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Matthew 16:13-19; Wednesday (St. Polycarp), Sirach 4:11-19, Mark 9:3840; Thursday, Sirach 5:1-8, Mark 9:41-50; Friday, Sirach 6:5-17, Mark 10:1-12; Saturday, Sirach 17:1-15, Mark 10:13-16

Our parishes Man on a mission

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief Join the first diocesan Catholic men’s conference CHARLOTTE — Join other men from the Diocese of Charlotte for the first Catholic Men’s Conference from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Charlotte Catholic High School.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will celebrate Mass, and a dynamic line-up of speakers is scheduled, including Father Larry Richards, author of “Be a Man!”, and Fred Beretta, survivor of the Hudson River plane crash and author of “My Miracle on the Hudson.” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus has endorsed the conference, which is inspired by the Knights’ “Fathers for Good” campaign.

To register, go to the conference’s Web site at cltcmc.org. For inquiries, contact Dan Trapini at 678-689-4891 or daniel_trapini@bellsouth.net.

Mountaintop removal workshop set for Feb. 17 CHARLOTTE — St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, will host the workshop “Mountaintop Removal: Cheap Energy at a High Price” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Presenter Father John Rausch, a Glenmary priest from Kentucky who directs the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, will discuss the environmental and social impacts of mountaintop coal removal.

RSVP by e-mail to mtntopcoalremoval@gmail. com or call 704-616-4469.

CNH welcomes intern Christopher Lux has joined the Catholic News Herald as an intern from Belmont Abbey College for this semester.

He completed a bachelor’s degree in theology in 2006.

His interest in literature and writing led him back to school, and he is currently pursuing a degree in English.

He and his wife Elizabeth, both from Alabama, now live in Cramerton with their Lux 1-year-old son.

CSS awarded $35,000 The United Way of Central Carolinas Critical Needs Fund has awarded $35,000 to Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte to help provide emergency food, supplies, grocery vouchers and housing assistance to needy residents in western North Carolina.

Sharon Davis, director for the Charlotte Regional Office of Catholic Social Services commented on the much-needed award, “Over the past year Catholic Social Services has experienced a 100 percent increase in the number of families in crisis who request emergency food or financial assistance. This grant will enable us to further meet our mission of serving the poor as the love of Christ compels us.”

catholic news heraldI

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Project2Heal founder hopes to heal the world, one puppy at a time SueAnn Howell Staff Writer

WAXHAW — Surviving two near-death experiences in a lifetime gives you a unique perspective on life and on healing. Charlie Petrizzo knows this all too well. A devout Catholic, he survived being hit by a car when he was 5 and being electrocuted when he was 16. Now he is using his experiences with suffering to help children cope with physical, emotional and mental illness.

Petrizzo stepped off the corporate ladder of a successful financial career to follow his purpose: a labor of love and healing called Project2Heal. His foundation trains and provides, for free, Labrador retrievers to serve as companions and service dogs for children with special needs.

Dogs were an integral part of Petrizzo’s recovery after both his accidents, so it seemed a natural extension of the life lessons he has learned to reach out to children in need in this way.

“I know dogs cannot heal physical disabilities, but they can bring joy and love and can transform a difficult situation,” Petrizzo says.

He and his wife Sandy, along with their two daughters, Melissa and Kristen, operate the Project2Heal Foundation on their threeacre property in Waxhaw. A kennel and five fenced exercise/training areas give the Labs ample room to run, play, swim and train in what has been set up as a “dogutopia.”

Petrizzo applies his firsthand knowledge of canine therapy to prepare the puppies for their new homes and owners. The dogs he selects to breed are chosen for their gentleness and intelligence to provide a smart, well-behaved, loving and helpful companion for each child.

“I can train a dog to do anything,” he says.

He has sent trained puppies all over the country to help children living with maladies such as autism, cancer and Downs Syndrome.

Through Project2Heal, Petrizzo also shares his clarity on the healing process in his “Six Lessons of Healing.” The six lessons are: Know when you’re helpless; Let people love you back to health; Believe you will heal; Celebrate; Accept the gift; and Give away the gift. Each lesson provides insight and encouragement to help people

photo by lisa shaw | concentric

Charlie Petrizzo, who survived two near-death experiences in his childhood, is pictured with one of his Labrador retrievers at his home in Waxhaw. Petrizzo is the founder of the Project2Heal Foundation, which breeds and trains Labs to be companions and service dogs for children with special needs. recover or cope with their illness. He is in the process of writing a book about his experiences that led to the development of these lessons.

Petrizzo is also in the process of expanding the non-profit Project2Heal Foundation to provide assistance to more children around the U.S. He is gathering like-minded people to serve on the foundation’s board. He has also filed for 501c3 status which will allow donors to receive a tax deduction for their contributions. He also dreams of finding more volunteers to help train the puppies.

He also hopes to buy more land and one day find a Catholic religious order to take over the foundation when he retires, so that his legacy of hope and healing can continue.

“My gift is helping the dogs and the children achieve the potential of their gifts,” Petrizzo says.

For details about the Project2Heal Foundation and Petrizzo’s “Six Lessons of Healing,” go to project2heal.org or email charlie@project2heal.com.

sueann howell | catholic news herald

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar ASHEVILLE ST. EUGENE CHURCH, 72 culvern st.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next week: Feb. 11 – 7 p.m.

Mass for Youth 2000 Retreat St. Mark Church, Huntersville Feb. 15 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Charlotte Feb. 16 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Charlotte Feb. 18 – 10 a.m.

Finance Council meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

— Healing Prayer, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Feb. 13 and 27

CHARLOTTE new creation monastery, 1309 Duncan gardens dr.

— Christ’s Sacred Mysteries: Contemplating Basic Christian Beliefs and the Sacraments, 9 a.m. Feb. 27, March 6 and 13. RSVP to Father John Vianney Hoover at 704-344-0934. our lady of the assumption church, 4207 SHAMROCK DR. — Volando a La Luz Del Sol Que es Jesucristo: El Evangelio Según San Juan, 7:30 p.m. 15 y 22 de febrero ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 park road — Pro-Life Mass, 9 a.m. Feb. 26

This week’s spotlight: Come and See Weekend with the Franciscans Registration required by March 11 to vocation@hnp.org or 800-677-7788. st. francis of assisi church, 11401 Leesville Road, Raleigh, March 18-20, sponsored by the Franciscan Vocation Ministry, Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, for men 21 to 40 years of age discerning a call to the Franciscan way of life.

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 Providence Road — “It’s All About Marketing,” presented by St. Gabriel In Transition (SGIT), for those who are, or may soon be, facing a job layoff or employment transition, Ministry Center, 7-9 p.m. Feb. 17. RSVP to Karen Ganzert at kganzert@bellsouth.net. st. luke church, 13700 lawyers road — Anointing of the Sick, sponsored by the HOPE Committee, 10 a.m. Feb. 19. Contact Mary Adams at 704-545-1224 or Virginia Horne at 704-823-0846.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY. — Roman Missal Revision Workshop, 9:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12.

Contact Michael Burck at mburck@stmatthewcatholic. org or 704-541-8362, ext. 4.

charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

GREENSBORO our lady of grace church, 2205 W. market St. — “Straight Talk ...For Men,” Our Lady’s Cottage, 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 21, March 21, April 18 and May 16. Contact John Endredy at jendredy@gmail.com or 336-202-9635.

ST. PIUS X church, 2210 N. ELM ST. — Seasons of Hope: A Support Group for the Bereaved, 1:45-4 p.m. March 6-April 10. Register no later than Feb. 27 at 336-272-4681.

HIGH POINT immaculate heart of mary CHURCH, 4145 johnson st.

— Spanish Classes for Beginners and Advanced, 7-8:30 p.m.

Feb. 17, will continue for eight weeks. Contact Dr. Kwan at hinglkwan@gmail.com or Nancy at 336-884-0522.

HUNTERSVILLE st. peter church, 507 s. tryon st.

— “Men’s Retreat: No Longer Servants, But Friends!,” Benedict Hall, 8:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12. RSVP to 704-3322901.

— Jesuit Heritage Series, Biss Hall, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 — “Mountaintop Removal: Cheap Energy at a High Price,” Biss Hall, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17. RSVP to mtntopcoalremoval@ gmail.com or Bob Cook at 704-616-4469. st. thomas aquinas church, 1400 suther road

ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD — Class: Certain Classy Moms of Biblical Renown, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 16 and 23 — Active Older Adults Exercise, Parish Hall, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. This is a total body exercise class.

SHELBY st. mary church, 818 MCGOWAN ROAD — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 26. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-3703230.

— Taizé Prayer Service, 7 p.m. Feb. 15 — Growing in Relationship with God, NLC Room 132/125 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 15 or NLC Room 206, 9:45-11 a.m. Feb. 17.

Childcare available on Feb. 17 by calling 704-543-7677 ext. 1011. Registration required no later than Feb. 14 to Eileen Crusan at 704-543-7677 ext. 1179.

— Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 19. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-370-3230.

— Annulment Workshop, 7 p.m. Feb. 22

— “Back to Basics Catholicism 101: The Church,” presented

by Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin, NLC Room 203, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Feb. 16 and March 2 — Teaching Children With Autism, presented by Special Religious Development Program (SPRED), NLC Banquet Room, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 26. RSVP to Jan Clemens at 704-246-7102.

February 11, 2011 Volume 20 • Number 11

1123 S. Church St. Charlotte, N.C. 28203-4003 catholicnews@charlottediocese.org 704-370-3333 PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cindi Feerick 704-370-3332, ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

STATESVILLE ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE CHURCH, 525 CAMDEN DR. — International Dinner, sponsored by Catholic Daughters, 3 p.m. Feb. 13. Please bring an ethnic dish. Contact Audrey Bollero at 704-878-9699.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 OLD REID ROAD — Catholics Returning Home Program, Faith Formation Center, 7:30-9 p.m. Feb. 14 and 21, and March 1 and 7.

Register at 704-554-7088.

CONCORD

Is your PARISH OR SCHOOL hosting a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Calendar is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3282.

HOLLAND FAMILY PRACTICE, 1028 Lee Ann Dr. Suite 100 — Natural Family Planning Introduction, 7 p.m. Feb. 16.

RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 35 times a year.

NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photographs for publication in our print and online PDF editions.

Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org. All submitted items become the property of the Catholic News Herald and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

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February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

OUR PARISHESI

Father McCaffrey, priest for 52 years, dies Father Gerald T. McCaffrey, OFM, 79, a professed Franciscan Friar for 58 years and a priest for 52 years, died Jan. 31, 2011, at St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 4, 2011, at St. Anthony Church in Butler.

Interment was at St. Bonaventure Cemetery in Allegany, N.Y. He was born Aug. 7, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Bernard and Margaret (Conklin) McCaffrey.

He was received into the Order of Friars Minor in Holy Name Province, receiving the name Gerald Thomas, at St. Bonaventure Church in Paterson, N.J., in 1951. On Aug. 16, 1955, he professed his solemn vows as a Franciscan at Christ the King Seminary in Allegany, N.Y. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 25, 1958.

He served as a mathematics teacher in two high schools and then returned to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, as a professor of mathematics. Over the next quarter century, he served in the positions of vice president for student affairs, athletic department chaplain and moderator of athletics. In 1994, he joined the staff of St. Anthony Shrine in Boston as pastoral associate, ministering there for the next eight years. He retired from active ministry in 2004.

In 2009 he was inducted into St. Bonaventure University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

He is survived by three sisters, Mary Brennan of Charlotte, Margaret A. Tuttle of Utica, N.Y., and Kathleen Friedman of Sharon, Conn.

Clarification Last week’s special pull-out section about the 2011 Diocesan Support Appeal campaign contained two errors. The DSA partly funds Youth Ministry through diocesan staff and in-service training; it does not fund parish-level youth ministries. Also, the Catholic Social Services Marriage Preparation program, not the classes themselves, is partly funded by the DSA.

Erin Brethauer | Asheville Citizen-Times

Sister Maria Goretti Weldon can often be found in the waiting rooms or clinics of one of the five Sisters of Mercy urgent care centers in western North Carolina, where she comforts those seeking health care. “We try, in a caring way, to let people know, even though some days are very busy, that that patient in front of me right now is the most important person around.”

Providing health care with dignity and respect Sisters of Mercy mark 110 years in western North Carolina JASON SANDFORD Asheville Citizen-Times

ASHEVILLE — When Margaret Mary Weldon responded to her calling to join a religious order, she took a new name and vowed to live a life of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The Sisters of Mercy also required Sister Maria Goretti Weldon to take one additional vow – that of service to the poor, sick and uneducated. It’s that vow that continues to guide the work of Weldon, who this year marked her 60th anniversary with the Sisters of Mercy.

As the director of mission and values for Sisters of Mercy Services Corp. in Asheville, she’s most at home in the waiting rooms and clinics of the five urgent care centers the notfor-profit, faith-based health care organization operates in western North Carolina.

“What I tend to do, especially when the centers are busy, is to linger in the waiting room and talk to the patients and let them know ... we haven’t forgotten them and we’ll get to them as soon as possible,” Weldon said during a recent interview at the organization’s corporate

headquarters on Patton Avenue, where one of its urgent care centers is also located.

“Even when they’re back in the clinical area, if the curtain is open I can stick my head in and let them know why the doctor hasn’t been able to get to them yet,” Weldon said.

Weldon’s is the caring face of a unique health care organization with a remarkable 110-year track record in western North Carolina. From the establishment of tuberculosis sanitariums to the founding of St. Joseph’s Hospital to the current urgent care centers, Sisters of Mercy Services has always served the needy.

“We want to put forth that we are different, that we do have a mission. We’re not just wanting to be in a competitive business,” Weldon said. “The care of the person is what we care about, the whole person.”

Sisters of Mercy mark 110 years in western N.C. Three Sisters of Mercy opened an 18-bed tuberculosis sanitarium in November 1900. Over the next 98 years, the ministry grew to encompass the 330-bed St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Over the past 25 years, non-profit Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care has served more than 1 million patients and continues as a leader in providing acute treatment for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries through a network of five facilities in western North Carolina. Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care also provides on-site occupational medicine services to business and industry, and is the only urgent care in the region certified by the Urgent Care Association of America.

Grounded in the Church

Besides providing a costeffective alternative for the treatment of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care also seeks to expand access to health care services to the economically poor and disadvantaged people within our community.

Weldon, the youngest of eight children, and her family moved from Pennsylvania to Shelby

Last year alone, their facilities served more than 53,600 outpatients.

WELDON, SEE page 14

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Father Brandon H. Jones

Missal Moments offered online David Hains Director of Communication

Missal Moments, a series of short videos about the upcoming changes to the Mass, makes its online debut this week.

Missal Moments is produced by the Diocese of Charlotte to educate the faithful about the changes that are scheduled to take place on Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent. The decision to create the monthly videos was made after an Internet search showed that short educational videos on this topic could not be found.

Father Brandon H. Jones, parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville, hosts the three- to five-minute videos set in a church.

Each video explains a wording change in the Mass that will take place and puts it into historical context.

The first Missal Moment focuses on one of the most noticeable modifications – the change in the response “And also with you,” to “And with your spirit.” Jones explains that the new response is actually closer to the Latin that was used by the Church for centuries. He also stressed that it “is not a secular greeting like ‘good morning.’ It is, rather, a solemn liturgical act.”

He goes on to quote Church doctors from the Middle Ages who wrote about the value of the original expression. St. Peter Damien described the word “Spirit” in the response explaining, “that almighty God may be with your soul, so that it may be able to pray worthily for our salvation.”

The video is available on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel and also on the Web site missalmoment.com.

I

‘And with your Spirit’

n Advent of 2011, the way we worship in the English-speaking world will change.

After years of painstaking work, a new English translation of the Roman Missal, the book containing the texts used for the celebration of Mass, has been approved and will be implemented on Nov. 27.

We hear from St. Paul in Galatians 6:18: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

This dialogue – “The Lord be with you” and “And with your spirit” – is not a secular greeting like “good morning.” It is, rather, a solemn liturgical act, a prayer that those to whom it is addressed will be prepared to receive the graces which flow from the sacred Liturgy.

The new response to “The Lord be with you” will be “And with your spirit.” That’s a big change. It comes directly from the Latin “Et cum spiritu tuo.”

Most of the modern vernacular languages have already been using this more accurate translation for 40 years.

So, what is the meaning of this change for you?

When St. Paul uses the word “spirit,” he is using a Greek word with a very specific meaning. He uses it just as it was used in the Old Testament. “Spirit,” pneuma, means the superior part of a person, which comes directly under God’s influence.

St. Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church writing in the 11th century, explained it this way: (the response expresses the prayer) “that almighty God may be with your soul, so that it may be able to pray worthily for our salvation.

“And it is noteworthy that the Church does not say ‘with you,’ but ‘with your spirit,’ in order to make clear that everything which is celebrated in the

Learn more This is part 6 of a year-long series featuring the revised translation of the Third Missal. Our series will be compiled online at catholicnewsherald.com.

For even more resources, check out the U.S. bishops’ extensive material online at usccb.org/romanmissal.

services of the Church is to be considered as coming about in a spiritual manner... .”

St. John Chrysostom writes: “And with your spirit: By this response you recall that the one who is there does nothing of himself, nor are the bountiful gifts that are placed before you of human origin; rather, it is the grace of the Spirit, present in and hovering over all things, that prepares the mystical sacrifice. For even though it is a man who is present, it is God who works through him. Indeed do not fix your attention on the nature which is seen, but rather consider the grace which is unseen.”

The revised translation will take time to learn and live! A whole new world, the ancient treasure of our Liturgy, is about to be opened up for the first time to the English-speaking world.

The revised translation of the Roman Missal will assist the Church in encountering and living the Eucharistic mystery.

FATHER Brandon H. Jones is parochial vicar at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. This is a transcript of the first in a monthly video series about the revised translation of the Roman Missal.

‘The revised translation will take time to learn and live!

A whole new world, the ancient treasure of our Liturgy, is about to be opened up for the first time to the English-speaking world.’

Vox Clara, advising Vatican on English liturgy texts, gets new members Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — With the revised English translation of the Roman Missal “substantially complete,” a committee that advises the Vatican on English translations has added five new members, including two Americans.

The new members of the Vox Clara Committee, established by the Vatican in 2001, included Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix, and Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., former chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship.

Other new members of the international committee, which met Feb. 2-3 at the Vatican, were Irish Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam; Auxiliary Bishop David McGough of Birmingham, England; and Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong.

A press release about the meeting was posted on the blog of Vox Clara member Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa, Ontario.

According to the press release, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, chairman of Vox Clara, said that “with the work of the translation of the Roman Missal substantially complete, initiatives should continue around the English-speaking world for its effective reception.” The Roman Missal is the book of prayers used in worship in the Latin-rite Church; the third edition of the Missal was published in Latin in 2002.

Marist Father Anthony Ward, an official at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said the remark implying some work remained to be completed did not refer to the Mass texts common to all Catholics, but simply to the approval of special adaptations requested by individual bishops’ conferences and to prayers for a nation’s special occasions. An example of a prayer for a special occasion would be Thanksgiving Mass prayers in the U.S. National bishops’ conferences have different timetables for readying their priests and people to use the revised translation and have set different dates for beginning to use the text. The U.S. bishops have announced that use of the revised Missal will begin the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27.

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

OUR PARISHESI

Changes coming Rev. Msgr. James P. Moroney

Revised translation’s approach is pastoral Kevin Aldrich Special to the Catholic News Herald

This is the second part of a recent interview with Rev. Monsignor James P. Moroney, one of the foremost authorities on the new English translation of the revised Roman Missal. Monsignor Moroney was executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for the Liturgy from 1996 to 2007. He also serves as executive secretary to the Vox Clara committee, which advises the Holy See about its confirmation of the texts which have been approved by the bishops: Q: Can you explain how the new translation may help us better understand the proper role of the priest and the laity in the Mass?

A: The prior translations were developed at a time when the role of the laity was often seen in contrast to the role of the priest. A more proper balance is achieved in the present translations with the accurate rendering of language referring both to the role of the priest and the sacrifice he is called to offer. The priest is the one presiding and acting in the person of Christ, possessing within the Church the power of Holy Orders, to offer sacrifice in the person of Christ.

Q: What do you think about the criticism that the new translation is not “pastoral”?

A: What do people mean by “pastoral”? I prefer the definition offered to us by the Good Shepherd: A good shepherd knows his sheep, seeks them out when they are lost, carries them home, and protects them from the wolf and the false shepherds.

This translation seeks to give the faithful access to the true meaning of the prayers of the Church, to attract them with their beauty and their truth, and to preserve the Church from imprecisions or unfortunate amplifications in previous attempts. I would suggest that such an approach is eminently pastoral.

Q: What is your greatest personal hope for the new English translation of the new Roman Missal?

A: The defining ecclesial event of our lifetime was the convening of the Second Vatican Council. In many respects, our ministry is constantly defined and judged against the vision articulated by the Council Fathers. It is my prayer that this more accurate, more beautiful and more proclaimable translation of the Missale Romanum will foster that full, conscious and active participation in the Sacred Liturgy which was the prime goal of the conciliar liturgical renewal.

Some changes in wording at Mass that will come with the revised Roman Missal in English at Advent 2011 Part of Mass

Present Wording

Revised Wording

People’s response at the Greeting, Preface Dialogue, Sign of Peace and Concluding Rites

And also with you.

And with your spirit.

...I have sinned through my own fault...

...I have greatly sinned... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault...

Gloria

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory...

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. ...

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen... ...one in being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. ...

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. ... ...consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made. ...

Sanctus

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. ...

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. ...

Mystery of Faith (Memorial Acclamation, form A)

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

Penitential Act (form A)

Workshops planned St. Matthew Catholic Church will offer a series of workshops on adult faith formation using the U.S. bishops’ materials on the revised Missal. The workshops will be held: 9:30 a.m.-noon Feb. 12, and 7-9:30 p.m. March 15. Contact Michael Burck at mburck@stmatthewcatholic.org or 704-5418362, ext. 4.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Love & Faith

St. Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and in the spirit of this holiday, we offer these inspiring stories of faith and love from around our diocese. Do you have your own story to tell, or know of a couple in your parish who epitomizes Christian love and marriage? E-mail us at catholicnews@charlottediocese.org, and we’ll feature more stories in upcoming editions of the Catholic News Herald.

— Patricia Guilfoyle, editor

Chris and Natalie Catterson of Waynesville first met when they were 7, in the same first Communion class at St. Camillus Church in New Castle, Penn. Little did they know then that they would fall in love as they grew up together. They were married 19 years later in the same church.

Photos provided by Paul Viau

Love at first Communion: A story of faith, friendship and family Paul Viau Correspondent

WAYNESVILLE — When 7-year-olds Natalie Janovick and Chris Catterson celebrated first Communion together in 1980, they had no idea they would become good friends, no idea that faith would strengthen that friendship, and certainly no idea that one day they would fall in love and become husband and wife.

Growing up in New Castle, Pa., the only things Natalie and Chris had in common at the time were: (1) they were in the same kindergarten class, (2) both were Roman Catholics, and (3) they both happened to celebrate first Communion together.

Their priest, Father George T. Leech, could not have imagined that 19 years later he would be pronouncing them man and wife.

They attended the same elementary school, junior high and high school, and they got to know each other in Sunday School. In their junior year of high school Natalie sat behind Chris in English and trigonometry.

Their friendship got closer, but neither was into the dating scene. The only exception was when Natalie heard that Chris was thinking of asking her to the prom. Natalie let it be known “that would be OK,” so Chris asked, and they went to the prom “as friends.”

After high school graduation, Natalie attended Clarion University. Chris went to Penn State. In the summer, Chris worked at Giant Eagle grocery store as a bag boy; Natalie worked at Wendy’s. The two remained friends.

Natalie admits, “I made excuses to go to the grocery store.”

Chris often went to lunch at Wendy’s.

Something was happening.

“I was always attracted to her,” Chris recalls. But both were dating other people.

Finally, the summer between their junior and senior years of college, Chris and Natalie went on their first real date: a movie. Then there was a second date to a Pittsburgh Penguins game.

It wasn’t long before they fell in love.

Their love was tested when Chris went off to medical school and Natalie took a job teaching kindergarten in Virginia. They were separated, living nearly five hours apart, but they remained loyal.

“We saw each other every other week,” Natalie says proudly.

One of those times they went to Disney’s Epcot Center, and Chris proposed in the France area.

With the full support of their families,

Chris and Natalie were married at St. Camillus Church on June 12, 1999 – the very church where they celebrated first Communion, and the church where both their families attended – in a ceremony that celebrated the faith that had nurtured their love all those years.

Chris went on to become an orthopedic surgeon, and he now heads the sports medicine program at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde.

Along the way, Natalie has taught elementary students in four different states. But now she has her own, full-time class of two – children, that is – Conner, 4, and Cate, 20 months.

The couple keeps the sacrament of marriage strong, attending Mass and receiving Communion at St. John the Evangelist Church in Waynesville.

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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Jerry and Karen Hickerson converted to Catholicism after first encountering the Church through an adoption agency, from which they had adopted two of their four children. Pictured from left are daughter Shannon Mapp, Jerry Hickerson, son Darren Hickerson, Karen Hickerson, son Brian Hickerson, daughter Heather Langdon, son-in-law Greg Langdon, daughterin-law Christy Hickerson, and daughter-in-law Annie Hickerson.

Cindia G. Leonard | Catholic News Herald

Mike and Bev Mills

Adoptions lead couple to adopt Catholic faith Cindia G. Leonard Correspondent

WINSTON-SALEM — Karen and Jerry Hickerson of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem have enjoyed a long and fruitful life together.

Married for 46 years, they have had four children, two of whom were adopted, and they profess they couldn’t have done it without their faith.

The couple met when they were both students at Kent State University.

Jerry was a member of the Wesley Foundation, a United Methodist campus ministry, and Karen was attending an open house held by the ministry.

“I liked her,” Jerry says. “She was cute.”

On their first date they went to church together. That was the first time she had ever heard Jerry sing, and she was just mesmerized.

“We did a lot of church,” Karen says.

At that time both were devout Protestants. They were married July 25, 1964.

Before they even decided to start their family, the Hickersons knew they wanted to adopt.

“Zero population growth was a very big deal,” Karen says. “This (adoption) was the way to still have the family I wanted.”

They were inspired after seeing a newspaper article about bi-racial adoptions, and they knew that adopting children from other races would be in their future. At the time, orphanages couldn’t find families who wanted to adopt children of mixed races.

“I wanted a baby that needed a home,” Karen says.

The Hickersons had two biological children – a daughter, Heather, and a son, Darren – before the circumstances were right for them to adopt. Jerry and Karen ran a shelter home for boys who

couldn’t be placed quickly enough into foster care. Jerry was still a student but had enough income to support his growing family. The time was right to adopt.

The Hickersons decided to adopt through a Catholic Service League.

After paying a $50 agency fee and waiting six weeks through their home study, their 5-month-old son Brian finally arrived.

“I remember Darren saying, ‘He can be our Christmas present,’” Karen says.

One year later, a social worker was performing her final home visit with Brian. She told Karen that another baby was in jeopardy and needed to be adopted.

“She started telling me about Shannon. She was only 4 months old and they had to find her a home right away,” Karen says.

Because Shannon’s foster parents weren’t able to take her with them on a vacation, she would either have to be adopted or go to a group home for babies. The agency was afraid that so much moving around would hurt Shannon’s development.

Two weeks later, the Hickersons received their baby girl.

“She was so perfect for our family,” Karen says. “I just knew that God was going to give me my baby girl.”

The Hickersons always remembered their experience with the Church through the Catholic Service League, and they were impressed with the way they had been treated by the people at the adoption agency and in the Church.

Many years later, Karen and Jerry decided to convert to Catholicism.

Karen says that after years of searching for the right church, she finally found what she had been looking for: “The revelations of God are endless in the Catholic Church. It was like we ourselves were adopted by the Catholic Church.”

Deacon Paul Liotard and his wife Rosemary

Love grows where faith goes Doreen Sugierski Correspondent

DENVER — By sharing their faith, one couple from Holy Spirit Church in Denver has strengthened their love.

Mike and Bev Mills have brought more than 400 people from a variety of religions and backgrounds into the Catholic faith.

They currently lead the RCIA program at Holy Spirit as well as other adult education programs, such as “Why Catholic?”

Bev was a cradle-Catholic who drifted away until the death of her mother brought her back to fully practicing her Catholic faith.

Mike was a baptized Lutheran who did not have any formal religious practices as a child, declared himself an atheist in middle school, and became an agnostic in college.

He started attending Mass with his wife Bev to support her, and soon he found that he had many questions about the faith, the Mass and its rituals. He entered RCIA to get some answers and found that the faith “just felt right,” he says. He began to understand what Christianity was about, seeing the faith of other people and how they were able to express it. That was 24 years ago.

Since then, Mike has earned a masters degree in theology, studying in the seminary beside men called to the priesthood. “Seeing faith through the eyes of others allowed me to see what it really was,” he says. This has allowed him to fully understand the Church’s point of view and provide the right foundation to candidates and catechumens.

Bev says she feels that their deep LOVE, SEE page 20

The secret to 50 years of marriage?

Faith!

Peggy Bowes Correspondent

MOUNT AIRY — More than 50 years ago, Deacon Paul Liotard (currently at Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy) had just returned to his hometown of Paterson, N.J., after a tour with the U.S. Marines. He found a job at St. Joseph Hospital, not realizing his life would change dramatically after an elevator ride with an attractive young nurse’s aide named Rosemary. He asked her to go with him to a movie, and a year later, on Nov. 28, 1959, they were married at St. Michael Church.

Paul and Rosemary raised their two children in New Jersey where Paul studied to become a deacon. After their children grew up, Rosemary acquiesced to Paul’s lifelong dream to retire to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. When their children moved to North Carolina, it was Paul’s turn to graciously compromise to Rosemary’s desire to live closer to their family. The couple now live in King.

Compromise is one of the secrets to their 51 years of wedded bliss, along with love, communication and living within their means.

And Rosemary stresses the importance of their faith. “God is first in our marriage. We ask for forgiveness and we say we’re sorry. We find out what the problem is and iron it out.”

Deacon Paul adds, “God brought us together and keeps us together in spite of everything.

I see God in everything – in work, in SECRET, SEE page 20

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iiiFebruary 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

FROM TH

Catholic Schoo

Snapshots from around the Diocese of Cha

Catholic schools save states money Contributing to civic life is seen by some as a hallmark of Catholic schools, but others note another benefit the schools provide to the wider community – what they save states in public education dollars.

In the Diocese of Charlotte, that amount is about $65.4 million annually. The savings come because every student who does not attend a public school equals $8,500 that the State of North Carolina does not need to send to a public school district.

About 7,700 students are enrolled in 18 Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte.

Some estimate that the total amount that Catholic schools save states nationally is more than $26 billion annually.

Families who send their children to Catholic schools still pay their taxes to support public education, besides paying tuition and helping create hundreds of jobs.

“We are proud that we can provide a solid Catholic education within the diocese which includes service projects for community organizations and individuals,” said Linda Cherry, superintendant of schools of the Diocese of Charlotte. “We acknowledge the parents who put the tuition costs at the top of their priority lists. Having the children in our Catholic schools eases the financial burden of the public schools through less pupil costs.”

Each year the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops jointly sponsor Catholic Schools Week to draw attention to their contributions. This year’s observance, Jan. 30-Feb. 5, had as its theme “Catholic Schools: A+ for America.”

“Historically, Catholic schools are known for their high level of academic achievement, moral values and high graduation rates,” said Karen Ristau, NCEA president.

— Catholic News Service and SueAnn Howell

Photo provided by Barbara Markun and Gary Gelo

Students of Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro proclaim Catholic Schools Week and the A+ value of a Catholic education. Middle school students formed the A+ and lower school students formed the “OLG.” Principal Gary Gelo, who is pictured with Superintendent Linda Cherry at the top of the “L,” said it was a fun, if a bit chilly, way to start the week of celebrations.

Photo provided by Paula Cancro Photo provided by Leila Goddard

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, right, kicked off Catholic Schools Week at Our Lady of Mercy School Jan. 31.

Pictured from left are diocesan Superintendent Linda Cherry, Conventual Franciscan Friar Bill Robinson (pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church), St. Joseph Sister Geri Rogers (principal), students Kylie Ogburn and Erin O’Rourke, and Joines. During his visit, the mayor learned about the Blue Ribbon of Excellence in Education Award, which was given to the school in 2010, and its extensive community outreach program, the Helping Hands of Mercy.

Our Lady of Mercy School volunteer David Bowe is pictured with preschoolers and the paper kite they made in preparation for an “Arts of Asia” arts gala recently, as a part of Catholic Schools Week. Bowe has volunteered his time and donated materials for projects at the WinstonSalem school for the past three years.

HE COVER

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnewsiii

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ols Week 2011

arlotte in honor of Catholic Schools Week

Photo provided by Karen L. Hornfeck

As part of Our Lady of Grace School’s celebration of Catholic Schools Week in Greensboro, student collected dimes to donate to Operation Smile, an international medical organization that provides reconstructive surgery for children and adults born with a cleft lip or cleft palate.

Students Emily Elder and Emily Silva (pictured) held a lemonade stand, raising $18. At the end of the week, students donated a total of $762 to Operation Smile.

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Before a standing-room-only crowd in Charlotte, teams of students at Holy Trinity Middle School from each grade took to the court to face off against a faculty squad during the annual faculty/student basketball game. The students won 63-45.

Photo provided by Peggy Brookhouse

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Peter J. Jugis celebrated Mass at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury Feb. 3 during Catholic Schools Week, as well as at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville Jan. 31. Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz also addressed students during a morning assembly on a visit to Sacred Heart School Jan. 31.

On Feb. 3, St. Patrick School first- and third-grade classes participated in a Catholic Schools Week service project by stuffing 250 goody bags for physically and mentally challenged students at the Metro School in Charlotte. St. Patrick students also collected more than 1,000 classroom snacks for the goody bags.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 OUR PARISHES

sueann howell | catholic news herald

Students at St. Ann School in Charlotte were treated to a traditional Chinese Lion Dance in honor of the Lunar New Year performed by members of the Kong Hoi Kung Fu Association from Mint Hill Feb. 2. The group also performed routines called “forms� for the students, demonstrating the martial art of kung fu, during Catholic Schools Week.

Photo provided by Allana-Rae Ramkissoon Photo provided by Jean Navarro

Students and faculty at St. Pius X School in Greensboro showed their thanks to parents during Catholic Schools Week. The students wore signs expressing their gratitude, and they distributed donuts to drivers during the morning drop-off Feb. 1.

Our Lady of Assumption School in Charlotte held a poster competition for Catholic Schools Week. Pictured are winners (from left) Rosa Linda Huezo-Diaz, Jordan Parillo, Tommy Barsanti, Kennedy Wooten and Mikhayla Domingo. During the week, students also collected loose change, raising more than $300 for a local charity.

St. Mark School kindergartners Charlie Fox and Will DeSena carry banners during the procession at an all-school Mass on Faith Appreciation Day during Catholic Schools Week in Huntersville.

Students also heard talks by clergy about the teachings of the Church and had the opportunity to interact in a fun and prayerful way with the clergy.

Photo provided by Sherry Akins and Janis Boone

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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Asheville Catholic School honored non-profit organizations during Catholic Schools Week. Pictured is Mercy Sister M. Anita Sheerin, who is in charge of Homebound Ministry for St. Eugene Church in Asheville. The student is kindergartner Phillip Lopez.

All of the students in kindergarten write cards to homebound parishioners.

Photo provided by Debbie Mowrey

Photo provided by Debbie Mowrey

Like many Catholic schools around the diocese, Asheville Catholic School was visited by the town’s mayor during Catholic Schools Week. Mayor Terry Bellamy presented the student body with a proclamation in honor of the week.

Also pictured are Principal Donna Gilson and Boy Scouts Jake Cogburn, Zach Condon and Charlie Schilling.

Photo provided by Pat Burr Photo provided by Donna Birkel

Students at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem participated in a Living Rosary Feb. 1 as part of Catholic Schools Week.

Pre-kindergarten student Noah Comer at St. Michael School in Gastonia was entertained and mystified by a local magician and his rabbit during the Catholic Schools Week celebration at the school Feb. 3.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘We’re here to treat (people) as though they’re a person of Jesus Christ... .’

— Sister Maria Goretti Weldon

WELDON FROM PAGE 5

when she was 5. With parents firmly rooted in the faith, Weldon and her family joined a church about half an hour away in Gastonia.

Her parents eventually asked a priest from Belmont Abbey in Belmont to say Mass in their home.

“Now there’s a thriving parish in Shelby,” said Weldon, who is now a member of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.

It was that religious grounding that eventually drew Weldon to join the Sisters of Mercy. She made her profession of vows in 1951. Since then, she’s held a number of different administrative and ministerial positions.

Weldon worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1997 before it merged with and was sold to Mission Hospitals, then returned to Asheville in 1999 to continue the Sisters of Mercy’s work.

Today, Weldon is an advocate for the group’s mission and values, a staff and patient chaplain and director of volunteers.

“Sister Maria Goretti has really been kind of a mentor and guide to me since I’ve been here,” said Tim Johnston, CEO of Sisters of Mercy.

Johnston was familiar with the Sisters of Mercy as an administrator with St. Joseph’s Hospital beginning in 1987.

Johnston stayed with the hospital through the merger, when he went on staff at Mission. He joined Sisters of Mercy again in late 2005.

“Those were formative years. When I had the opportunity to come back and work with them and help assure that this mission continues, I thought it was a worthwhile thing to do with this part of my life,” he said.

“Sister Maria Goretti was the first person I talked to.”

Dignity and respect Weldon is hesitant to weigh in on debates about what ails America’s health care system in general, or about the specifics of health care reform.

Sisters of Mercy does aim for systemic change, though, and Weldon said the group will speak up when it feels needed.

“It’s just very challenging times, and I support and appreciate the efforts being made to make health care more available to more people,” Weldon said. “And Sisters of Mercy in general supports that, but realizes there’s a lot more to be done that hopefully will evolve over some years.”

Meanwhile, Weldon said, she’s focused on the Sisters of Mercy’s mission of compassion and service.

“We try, in a caring way, to let people know, even though some days are very busy, that that patient in front of me right now is the most important person around,” Weldon said.

“That’s what we want to demonstrate to people who come to us – that they’re not just another patient coming in with a laceration or a broken bone or whatever – but that we’re here to treat them as though they’re a person of Jesus Christ and they’re entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.”

CELEBRATING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In theaters

Developers of new app say it could bring Catholics back to confession Diane Freeby Catholic News Service

‘127 Hours’ This fact-based survival yarn about a self-centered, negligent mountain climber (James Franco) who becomes trapped in an isolated Utah canyon, with an 800-pound boulder crushing his right arm, is as straight up about moral consequences as any Sunday school lesson. Intelligently made and exciting, if also, at times, difficult to watch, director Danny Boyle’s drama – adapted from Aron Ralston’s 2004 memoir “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” – is unflinching in its portrayal of the devastating, yet personally transformative results of its central character’s irresponsible behavior.

A harrowing scene of amputation, a nonmarital situation, fleeting crude language.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: R

‘The Mechanic’ This violence-fueled remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson thriller focuses on the relationship between a crack assassin-for-hire (Jason Statham) and the ne’er-do-well son (Ben Foster) of his murdered mentor (Donald Sutherland), whom he takes on as an apprentice. But the methodical killer’s new protege proves to be a careless, vengeancehungry loose cannon. Though director Simon West pulls off some clever plot turns, they too often result in blood-spattered scenes of mayhem. Excessive gory violence, some of it sadistic; strong sexual content, including graphic scenes of prostitution, lesbian-themed pornography and nongraphic male homosexual activity; nudity; profanity; rough and crude language.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

‘The Roommate’ Bottom-of-the-class campus theaters, SEE page 20

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Can modern technology help strengthen our faith? Some techno-savvy Catholics from South Bend think so.

In his message for the 2011 World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI said it’s not enough to just “proclaim the Gospel through the new media,” but one must also “witness consistently.” The developers of “Confession: A Roman Catholic App” for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch think their product helps people do both.

Brothers Patrick and Chip Leinen and their friend Ryan Kreager said feedback has been positive. The app, reportedly the only one with an imprimatur, is designed to help people make a better confession.

Given in this case by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, an imprimatur is an official declaration by a Church authority that a book or other printed work may be published. It declares the published work contains nothing offensive to Catholic teaching on faith and morals.

“The app is really built for two kinds of people,” Kreager explained. “For Catholics who go to confession regularly, it gives the user information. They enter their name, age, their sex, their vocation and their last confession date, and it generates an examination of conscience based on that information.”

Centered on the Ten Commandments, the examination would be different for a young mother than for a teenage boy, for example. The examinations were provided by two different priests, the app developers said.

In addition to helping Catholics who already make use of the sacrament of reconciliation, Kreager said the confession app is helping another group of people.

“It’s also for people who’ve been away from the Church and want the opportunity to go to confession,” he told Today’s Catholic, newspaper of the Fort WayneSouth Bend Diocese. “You go to the examination of conscience and it literally walks you through, step by step, your confessions as you’re in the confessional.”

Patrick Leinen said that during testing, a man who hadn’t been to confession in 20 years used the app and made his way back to the sacrament.

“Just the fact that someone had used the app like that, even before it was released to Apple. ... That’s the coolest thing in the world!” he said.

Serving as a kind of digital notebook designed to help people remember the various prayers as well as to list the sins they want to confess, the confession app provides several versions of the act of contrition, including one in Latin.

Melanie Williams, a 17-year-old junior at Marian High School in Mishawaka, said going to confession is an important part of her life. A fan of technology, she appreciates the customized examination of conscience.

“It makes me evaluate my personal situation in life,” she said, noting how easy it is for her to understand and remember the sins she wants to confess. “My favorite part is definitely the inspirational quote that pops up after you have gone to confession. Each time, I

Mix

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On TV n Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. (EWTN) “O Divino Nino Jesus.” Recorded in the Presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration dedicate this program to the Divine Child Jesus. This beautiful compilation includes hymns in honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament such as: “Adoro Te,” “O Sacrament Most Holy,” “Ave Verum” and others. n Sunday, Feb. 13, 10 p.m.12:30 a.m. (TCM) “Going My Way” (1944). Bing Crosby ambles amiably through the role of Father O’Malley, the crooning curate sent to assist the aging, crotchety pastor (Barry Fitzgerald) of a poor parish in need of change. CNS: A-I (general patronage), MPAA: not rated. n Monday, Feb. 14, 8-11 p.m. (AMC) “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994). Gritty prison drama begins in 1946 when a quiet banker (Tim Robbins) is wrongly convicted of murder, then spends the next two decades inside a brutal and corruptly run penitentiary where he has positive effects on the hapless inmates, especially another lifer (Morgan Freeman), before his unexpected departure.

Some graphic prison violence and suicides, crude sexual innuendo, brief nudity and much rough language. CNS: L (limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling), MPAA: R.

feel like it really tells me what I really need to hear at that moment. It is a great motivational tool after a good confession!”

Besides customizing each user’s list, everything is password-protected for privacy.

“Once you go to confession, all that information is wiped out,” said Kreager. “All it’s going to remember is personal data like your name, age and date of last confession.”

The three developers of the confession app named their company Littleiapps. Little “i” as in “I must decrease and He must increase,” explained Chip Leinen. They say they hope to create more Catholic apps in the future.

“I think it has the potential to bring many teens back to the faith and confession,” said Williams, adding that she knows kids who haven’t been to confession in years for various reasons. “I think this app will be a wonderful helper for teens to encourage them to go to confession. They won’t have the excuse that they don’t know how to go to confession anymore!”

n Wednesday, Feb. 16, 10-11 p.m. (EWTN) “No Price Too High.” This special recounts the conversion story of a Protestant minister who brought his congregation with him into the Catholic Church. n Friday, Feb. 18, 10 p.m.

(EWTN) “Ukraine: Emerging from the Catacombs.” Mark Riedemann interviews Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the major archbishop of the Greek Catholic Church in Kiev, Ukraine, about the history of the Greek Catholic Church and its key role as a mediator in Ukraine. Re-aired 2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19.

Our nation

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishops: New civil union law could harm religious freedom CHICAGO — Illinois’ new law legalizing civil unions and giving them the same status as marriages in the state has the “potential for a serious conflict with religious liberty,” according to the state’s Catholic bishops. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the legislation into law Jan. 31, making Illinois the sixth state to permit same-sex marriage. The others are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act is instead likely to “offer little protection in the context of litigation religious institutions may soon encounter in relation to charitable services, adoption and foster care,” said the Illinois Catholic Conference’s statement, issued after the Senate passed the legislation Jan. 13.

Ohio bishops urge end to death penalty

Sophomore Alaynna McCormick of Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville, Tenn., speaks at an information session for parents Jan. 27 at Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville.

Alaynna’s objections to a Parenthood presentation in her public high school classroom last fall has led to a campaign to remove the organization from a list of approved speakers for public schools.

Catholic News Service

Bishop urges Catholic colleges to renew mission WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an address to Catholic college and university presidents Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C., Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., praised them for making “Christ’s mission come alive and flourish” and challenged them to renew and strengthen their mission using guidelines established by the 1990 Vatican document on Catholic higher education. The bishop noted in his keynote address during the Jan. 29-31 annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities that much has changed since Pope John Paul II issued “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” (“From the Heart of the Church”) 20 years ago.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Dan McWilliams, The East Tennessee Catholic

Planned Parenthood program in public school draws Catholic-led protest Dan McWilliams Catholic News Service

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A young parishioner in the Diocese of Knoxville who was upset over a Planned Parenthood presentation in her public high school classroom last fall said she never dreamed the issue would grow as it has.

Sophomore Alaynna McCormick, who attends Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville, and her mother, Kym, were among the speakers at a recent information session for parents at Sacred Heart Cathedral School that drew an audience of nearly 200 and considerable media coverage. Those in the audience included Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre.

Alaynna, a member of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, said the presentation in her lifetime-wellness class at Hardin Valley in October was supposed to be about abstinence, but the subject never came up. Later, the student and her mother saw the graphic material posted on the “Info for Teens” portion of the Planned Parenthood Web site; the site address was given to students in the presentation. The material includes detailed descriptions of

the male and female body, reproduction and pregnancy.

That prompted Kym McCormick to launch a campaign to remove Planned Parenthood from the list of approved speakers for Knox County Schools.

Nationally, Planned Parenthood partners with many public school systems to provide sex education materials for the classroom.

Kym McCormick told the Sacred Heart audience of her frustrations in dealing with school officials, especially over the fact that no consent form was provided to parents regarding the Planned Parenthood visit. Such forms are normally provided for anything with the remotest possibility of inappropriate content, even the showing of “G-rated movies,” she said.

Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville has written to McIntyre expressing his concerns over the Planned Parenthood curriculum.

Many of those attending the meeting signed a petition to “remove Planned Parenthood from our schools.”

McIntyre said he will review the materials “in conjunction with the Knox County Health Department, with the state of Tennessee Department of Education and some health-education professors.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s 10 Catholic bishops have joined in urging state legislators to debate and ultimately abolish the death penalty.

“Just punishment can occur without resorting to the death penalty,” the bishops said in a Feb. 4 statement, speaking at the Catholic Conference of Ohio. “Our Church teachings consider the death penalty to be wrong in almost all cases.”

The bishops said that although murder “rightly evokes moral outrage and a call for justice,” it also requires “spiritual healing and caring support for all those impacted by such a tragedy.”

“Just punishment – punishment that reflects the seriousness of the offense, seeks restoration for the offense and protects society – is a foundational moral principle within our justice system,” they added.

The bishops’ call followed comments by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer and by Terry Collins, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections that the time has come for a debate about use of the death penalty in the state.

Pfeifer, who was a state senator and helped write the death penalty law as chairman of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee in 1981, said the law has not functioned as intended because an option for life in prison without parole was wrongly excluded from the original legislation.

There are currently 157 prisoners on death row in Ohio, with an execution scheduled for each of the next seven months, beginning Feb. 17.

The Ohio bishops called life imprisonment “an effective alternative” to the death penalty and said it “respects the moral view that all life, even that of the worst offender, has value and dignity.”

Those signing the statement against the death penalty included Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinnati; the heads of five Latin-rite and three Eastern-rite dioceses; and Auxiliary Bishop Roger W. Gries of Cleveland.

In Illinois, where no executions have taken place since 1999, Gov. Pat Quinn is considering a bill to repeal the death penalty and reallocate funds remaining in the state’s Capital Litigation Trust Fund to pay for services on behalf of murder victims and law enforcement.

If Quinn signs the repeal legislation, Illinois would become the 16th state to ban capital punishment, leaving the fewest states with the death penalty since 1978.

Our world

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief

CNS | Amr Abd allah Dalsh, Reuters

Egyptian Christians protest outside an Orthodox church in Cairo Jan. 2. Angry protesters battled police as they demanded more protection following a New Year’s Day bombing at a Coptic Orthodox Church that killed about two dozen people. The church bombing came less than a month before the country erupted in civil protest against the Egyptian government. Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly prayed for a peaceful outcome of the political unrest in Egypt, and the Vatican spokesman said he hoped changes in the region would lead to greater religious freedom.

It was Pope Benedict’s first comment on nearly two weeks of protest demonstrations that have shaken Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year hold on power.

Pope: Treat the ill humanely, as whole persons

Vatican plans pastoral guidelines on AIDS care

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI urged health workers to look beyond the illnesses afflicting people in their care and see the individual who is suffering and deserving of humane attention and good medical treatment.

Speaking to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Angelus prayer Feb. 6, Pope Benedict reminded the faithful of the upcoming World Day of the Sick and called on Church leaders and Catholic laity to pray for the ill. “I exhort all health care workers to look at the sick person and see not only a fragile body, but above all a person, who deserves solidarity and adequate and competent treatment,” he said, calling for the efforts of all to spread “the culture of life” and to “make the value of the human person central, in every circumstance.”

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican will host international scientists at an AIDS conference May 28, an encounter Church officials hope will help clarify Pope Benedict XVI’s recent comments on condom use in AIDS prevention, a Vatican official said. The Vatican then plans to publish a handbook of pastoral guidelines for Catholic health care workers on AIDS care and prevention.

The Vatican conference and subsequent guidelines will take a global approach to the AIDS question and not focus on condom use, in spite of recent debate over the pope’s remarks in his book “Light of the World.”

— Catholic News Service

catholic news heraldI

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ViewPoints

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letters to the editor

Sense of excitement not apparent for revisions to Mass texts I have been reading the recent articles in the Catholic News Herald about the coming changes to the English translation of the Mass, and I would like to point out a few things that trouble me. For one thing, the authors keep using words like “more formal” and “caretakers.”

First of all, are we not participating in the celebration of the Eucharist? Isn’t that something to get excited about?

During the past 40 years or so, I have felt a much deeper connection to the Sacrifice than what I experienced before the change to the vernacular. (Yes, I am that old.) I can vividly remember how we waited for the changes to the Missal while I was in college, and how we were constantly asking the priests at the University of Illinois Newman Center, “When is the new Missal going to get here?” There was a sense of excitement and anticipation that I don’t see for these “revisions.”

I would like our clergy to ponder a saying of one of my favorite popes, Blessed John XXIII: “We are not on earth to guard a museum, but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life.”

By the numbers

CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT Christians in Egypt

Christian believers are the minority in the Arab republic. believers are the minority in the Arab republic. The The Christian largest group of Christians belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church.

CNS | Emily Thompson

largest group of Christians belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church.

COPTIC CHRISTIAN: 9% Coptic Orthodox Church

7.5 million

Coptic Catholic Church

200,000

}

SUNNI MUSLIM 90% OTHER CHRISTIAN 1%

Coptic Christians are the ancestors of Egyptians who resisted the Arab conquest of 640.

Jerry Galiger is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem.

Let’s be pro-life for all life Concerning the pro-life movement, I feel that a certain segment of our population has been neglected – those who look and act differently than most of the general population.

I am a volunteer at North Carolina Baptist Hospital, so I see a lot of people every day.

One individual stands out because he looks and acts differently than most people. Even his speech is difficult to understand, and when he speaks, I can hardly hear him. I also notice that people avoid him because of his looks and actions. He seems to be ostracized by the public.

As I was thinking about this man and the situation he is in, I realized that his life is just as important as an unborn infant.

I am pro-life, and I wonder if the prolife movement considers the plight of the marginalized of our society who appear “different” in their appearance and behavior.

When we talk about the unborn and how precious life is for them, we need to remember the importance of including everyone, especially the marginalized among us.

Robin C. Ach is a member of St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem.

St. Mark the Evangelist is considered the father of Christianity in Egypt. According to legend, he was martyred in Alexandria in 68 AD. Sources: Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, 2010 World Almanac, 2010 Catholic Almanac ©2011 CNS

Letters policy

The Catholic News Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification.

Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or petitions.

Items submitted to the Catholic News Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

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

E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

February 11, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

The Poor Clares

A

forth some part of God’s nature, of His glory.

The ocean calls to mind His great majesty; a rose, His beauty.

It makes sense that this would be true in the highest form of visible creation as well – the human being. As male and female, different aspects of God’s nature are brought to the forefront to glorify in a particular way His own Being.

As human beings, all of us have been given a three-fold mission. We have been called to know, love and serve God in this life, and in return for accomplishing this mission, we are promised the reward of being happy with Him forever in the next life. On the natural plane, the Book of Genesis records that God commands, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over it.”

He is speaking here to both Adam and Eve. The call is the same for every human being, but the response is not the same. We have been given the same gifts to fulfill our mission, but the gifts have not been given in the same way or in the same amount.

If God desired it, He could have packed every thing into one kind of human being, but the image would still have been incomplete. Why? Because God is a communion of Persons. God is Love, and there must be at least two persons for love to exist. It is reciprocal and cannot exist in isolation. And so we are two, male and female, complementary and called to communion in our Creator.

It is these two ways of being human, taken together, that completes the likeness to our Maker. It takes the strengths and weaknesses of both to recreate without distortion the Divine Image.

A true knowledge and deeper understanding of our unique vocation, either as man or woman, will open our minds and hearts to fully embrace God’s call to us and respond to it, using the gifts He has given us.

SISTER Marie ThÉRÈse of the Divine Child Jesus is professed with the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. This is part of a monthly commentary by the Poor Clares to focus on topics of faith and to address questions about religious life. Learn more about the community and subscribe to their newsletter by going online to stjosephmonastery.com.

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Father Roger K. Arnsparger

The call to be human t the moment of our conception, we are given a specific call from God. The word “vocation” makes one instantly think of priesthood or religious life, or a particular ministry of some sort. But our most basic vocation is written right into our DNA – the call to be human, as either a man or a woman.

Our culture likes to bombard us with what it says is the essence of true masculinity or femininity. It would like us to believe that our gender defines us only sexually, or that gender is purely up to one’s own preference.

Our culture also focuses on the equality of the sexes – an important notion, but one that tends to downplay the vast differences between the two. Equal, yes, but not equivalent.

Until recently, I did not realize that God’s call to be male or female was so fundamentally at the core of every part of life, not just the biological. The book “Woman” by Edith Stein really opened my eyes.

Edith Stein was a Jewish philosopher who converted to the Catholic faith and then became a Carmelite nun, known as Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was eventually captured and killed in the concentration camp of Auschwitz during World War II. After her conversion to the Catholic faith, Stein devoted much of her time to writing and giving lectures on the separate vocations of man and woman according to nature and grace, and on many aspects concerning womanhood. Her thoughts have been gathered into the one-volume work, “Woman,” but her background in philosophy and phenomenology can make it difficult to read. However, I think her message perfectly complements the currently popular “Theology of the Body” of Pope John Paul II and answers a pressing question for today’s world: “What does it mean to be a man or a woman?”

Stein begins her teachings as the Bible begins – with Genesis: “God created man in His Image, male and female He created them.”(Gen. 1:27) This passage shows that our first and deepest call from God is to reflect His Image in one of these two ways of being human. Each part of creation shows

catholic news heraldI

Catholic Schools: A+ for America

F

aith, tradition and academic excellence: these are the hallmarks of Catholic schools. Catholic schools are truly an “A+ for America,” for America has been greatly blessed with the presence and contribution of Catholic schools.

The purpose of Catholic education is to invite a person to an intentional faith in the person of Jesus Christ, and so to a relationship of intimate communion with Him. That faith is reasonable and it has content.

Through the discipline of academic excellence, faith and tradition can be understood, articulated and lived with reason. Having encountered God’s revelation and being amazed at it, a person is impelled to engage that truth.

It is in this profound exercise that the understanding of the “what” and the “why” of life is deepened. This intellectual exercise leads to enjoying life because a person has the tools to live in accord with right reason. Catholic schools provide the setting for engaging truth and enjoying its practical consequences.

Catholic schools equip students with the ability to respond to St. Peter’s charge: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear... .” (1 Peter 3:15, 16) Equipped with the ability to understand and witness to Christian hope, students are able to join in the evangelizing mission of the Church. This is the reason for making great efforts to provide Catholic schools.

Catholic schools are specifically an “A+ for America” because they enrich the nation by helping parents in the formation of noble, reasoned citizens.

Catholic schools offer students the

blueprint to live with right reason. With right reason a person can think critically, believe sincerely and serve responsibly.

These qualities are necessary for a noble, reasoned citizenship.

Students in Catholic schools are challenged “to be the country’s good servant, but God’s first,” to paraphrase St. Thomas More.

Since the time when the first Spanish missionaries came to the shores of what is now the United States, the Catholic Church has offered, with great sacrifice and love, the patrimony of Catholic schools to help students live with right reason.

Faith, tradition and academic excellence lead Catholics to study the physical and the metaphysical so that they can understand the “what” and the “why” of the world in which they live. This is the reason why Catholics provide schools; they are integral to the “what” and the “why” of living and proclaiming the Gospel.

America has benefited from the great Catholic intellectual tradition of our schools. This patrimony of intellectual rigor and of academic excellence has enriched the entire history and culture of the U.S. Catholics in America have sacrificed greatly with their finances, labor and time to provide for the Catholic schools system, and they have been good stewards of God’s blessings. We are all grateful for the heroic efforts of our Catholic people, parishioners, parents, teachers and administrators who have provided and served so well in our Catholic school apostolate.

Father Roger K. Arnsparger is the vicar of education for the Diocese of Charlotte and pastor of St. Michael Church in Gastonia.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | February 11, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

THEATERS

LOVE

SECRET

FROM PAGE 15

FROM PAGE 9

FROM PAGE 9

horror flick about an Iowa-bred University of Los Angeles freshman (Minka Kelly) whose obsessive roommate (Leighton Meester) secretly makes life difficult – and ultimately dangerous – for anyone who seems likely to come between them.

CNS: L (limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling), MPAA: PG-13

‘Sanctum’ Shallow, morbid and profane action entry about a disastrous cave-diving expedition in the South Pacific led by a seasoned explorer (Richard Roxburgh) and including his teenage son (Rhys Wakefield) and the billionaire (Ioan Gruffudd) financing the operation.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

commitment to the Catholic faith has had a tremendous impact on their own relationship.

“In the early part of our marriage we were more critical of each other. Coming back to church made us realize we really were a team. We see and support the positive in each other,” she says. And their shared ministry provides them greater involvement with each other and others in their community.

Although they have been married for 40 years, they just recently celebrated an anniversary they consider just as important. That second anniversary is Jan. 15 – two years from the day Bev stepped off the wing of U.S. Airways flight 1549 and out of the icy waters of the Hudson River.

marriage, in being a deacon, in preaching and talking with other people. He’s there and He wants you to do what He’d like you to do. He won’t force you, but if you accept His help, it’s the best thing you can do.”

The couple’s deep and lasting love is evident. They listen respectfully to each other and don’t interrupt. They proudly display photos of their wedding day, their children and grandchildren and their recent 50-year anniversary celebration

at Holy Angels. Paul and Rosemary have renewed their vows every five years at Mass, yet another sign that they view their marriage as a covenant with each other and with God. Deacon Paul acknowledges that marriage can be difficult at times. “It’s give and take, ups and downs. You can get through it if you love each other, if you love God. If you allow God to help you, it’s simple, but it’s hard to follow!”

Rosemary chimes in, “Marriage is a wonderful thing. If you ask God to help you every day, He will!”

Deacon Paul smiles affectionately at his wife, adding, “It doesn’t hurt that I married the most beautiful woman in the world.”