March 4, 2011

March 4, 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

At the feet of Jesus Campaign of prayer and silent witness begins March 9, 3 New high school gets green light

The practice of Adoration is growing across the diocese, 9-11 ALSO INSIDE: Why one local woman makes a Holy Hour each week, 10 List of parishes where Adoration is available, 11

Christ the King High School to open in August,

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FUNDED by the parishioners of the diocese of charlotte THANK YOU!

By His saving grace Season of Lent begins March 9

INSIDE: Pope Benedict XVI’s Lenten message, 2 Ash Wednesday and what it signifies, 2 and 3 Starting this week, Lenten recipe ideas from readers, 18 Columnist Peggy Bowes: Lent through the eyes of the Suffering Servant, 18 Calendar 4 Diocese 3-11

FAITH 2

mix 14

nation & World 15-16 Schools 12-13

Viewpoints 18-19

Call us: 704-370-3333 E-mail us: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

Our faith

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Ash Wednesday March 9

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope says Lent is time to renounce selfishness

L

ent is a time for self-examination and to let go of all traces of selfishness, which is the root of violence, Pope Benedict XVI said in his annual message for Lent.

“The greed of possession leads to violence, exploitation and death,” which is why during Lent the Church encourages almsgiving, “which is the capacity to share,” the pope said. Lent 2011 begins March 9 for Latin-rite Catholics.

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which promotes Catholic charitable giving, said when the pope’s message was released, “Intense misery leads to economic and political instability, creating a vacuum for conflict and unrest that produce a vicious circle of deepening hardship, especially for the most vulnerable.”

The cardinal said the pope’s message underscores the fact that “the encounter with Christ in His Word and the sacraments manifests itself in concrete works of mercy.”

The theme of the pope’s message was taken from the Letter to the Colossians: “You were buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him.” Pope Benedict said Lent is a special time for people either to prepare for baptism or to strengthen the commitment to following Christ originally made at baptism. “The fact that in most cases baptism is received in infancy highlights how it is a gift of God: No one earns eternal life through his or her own efforts.”

In his message, the pope took the year’s Lenten Sunday Gospels and used them to draw lessons he said would be helpful in making the Lenten journey toward Christian conversion.

The Gospel account of Jesus’ victory over temptation in the desert “is an invitation to become aware of our own fragility in order to accept the grace that frees from sin and infuses new strength,” he said.

The story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well is a reminder that all people, like the woman, desire the “water” of eternal life, he said. Only the water offered by Jesus “can irrigate the deserts of our restless and unsatisfied soul until it ‘finds rest in God,’” as St. Augustine said.

The Gospel account of Jesus healing the man born blind “is a sign that Christ wants not only to give us sight, but also to open our interior vision so that our faith may become ever deeper and we may recognize Him as our only Savior,” the pope said.

The story of the raising of Lazarus, read on the fifth Sunday of Lent, reminds Christians that their destiny is eternal life with God, who “created men and women for resurrection and life,” he said.

The Lenten process of conversion, he said, is designed “to free our hearts every day from the burden of material things, from a self-centered relationship with the ‘world’ that impoverishes us and prevents us from being available and open to God and our neighbor.” Through fasting, almsgiving and prayer, the pope noted, “Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way.” Fasting helps people overcome selfishness and self-centeredness; almsgiving is a reminder of the sharing that should mark each day of a Christian’s life; and time dedicated to prayer is a reminder that time belongs to God and His desire is for people to spend eternity with Him.

Christopher Lux Intern

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent. It is a day of fast and abstinence, though it is not a holy day of obligation. During the Ash Wednesday Mass, ashes are marked on the foreheads of the faithful with the Sign of the Cross. The ashes are a symbol of penance and remind us that we are creatures of the earth and mortal beings: “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).

Today, the priest marks the foreheads of the faithful with the ashes while saying, “Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return,” or “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”

During earlier observances of Lent, the season began on Quadragesima Sunday, the sixth Sunday before Easter. But because no fast was kept on Sundays, the penitential CNS | Paul Haring season consisted of only 36 days Cardinal Jozef Tomko sprinkles ashes on the head of Pope Benedict XVI during Ash Wednesday of fasting. So that the faithful may Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome Feb. 17, 2010. This penitential custom has imitate Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in changed little over the history of the Church, although in earlier times ashes were sprinkled the desert, four days were added. To on the heads of clerics and men, while women had the Sign of the Cross made with ashes on add these four days, Pope St. Gregory their foreheads. Now in the U.S. church, most everyone receives ashes on their foreheads. the Great moved the start of Lent to the Wednesday before Quadragesima sins. In the ancient Church, penitents expressed their Sunday.

The ashes, which help us to develop a spirit of humility humiliation by appearing in sackcloth and ashes. On Ash Wednesday they were presented to the bishop, and sacrifice, are made from the blessed palms used clothed in sackcloth and barefooted. After the seven in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. penitential psalms were sung, the bishop laid his hands The ashes are blessed with holy water. While the ashes on them, sprinkled them with holy water, and poured symbolize penance and contrition, “they are also a ashes upon their heads, declaring “that as Adam was reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who cast out of paradise, so they, for their sins, were cast call on Him with repentant hearts,” states Catholic.org. out of the Church. Then the inferior ministers expelled The customary use of ashes as a sign of repentance is them out of the doors of the church. In the end of Lent, seen in the Books of Jeremiah, Daniel and Jonah of the on the Thursday before Easter, they were presented Old Testament. In the Book of Judith, acts of repentance for reconciliation,” according to the “Cyclopaedia of involved ashes being put on people’s heads: “All the Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature” by Israelites in Jerusalem, including women and children, John McClintock. lay prostrate in front of the Temple, and with ashes on their heads stretched out their hands before the Lord” — Sources: “Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical (Judith 4:1). literature,” by John McClintock, and catholic.org The practice within the Church originated from a custom involving those who had committed serious

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 6 - MARCH 12

Sunday, Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, 32, Romans 3:21-25, 28, Matthew 7:21-27; Monday (Sts. Perpetua and Felicity), Tobit 1:3, 2:1-8, Mark 12:1-12; Tuesday (St. John of God), Tobit 2:9-14, Mark 12:13-17; Wednesday (Ash Wednesday), Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, Thursday, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 9:22-25; Friday, Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 9:14-15; Saturday, Isaiah 58:9-14, Luke 5:27-32

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 13 - MARCH 19

Sunday (First Sunday of Lent), Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11; Monday, Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Matthew 25:31-46; Tuesday, Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:7-15; Wednesday, Jonah 3:1-10, Luke 11:29-32; Thursday (St. Patrick), Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 or 4:17 (Esther’s prayer), Matthew 7:7-12; Friday (St. Cyril of Jerusalem), Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26; Saturday (St. Joseph), 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Our parishes

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

40 Days for Life campaign begins March 9 Two cities in Diocese of Charlotte to participate SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — The largest ever international campaign to give peaceful witness to the right to life for the unborn, 40 Days for Life, is set to begin March 9.

The campaign starts on Ash Wednesday this year and will run through April 17.

During the 40 Days for Life campaign, each participating city holds a peaceful, prayerful vigil outside a local abortion clinic. Vigil participants are also requested to fast and to pray for the end to abortion.

A total of 247 cities in the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Georgia, Armenia and Belize will participate in the 40-day vigil. More than 337 cities have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns since 2007.

Two cities in the Diocese of Charlotte, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, will participate again this year.

“This grassroots effort sweeping the

world is changing hearts and minds about abortion through love and compassion and perseverance in peaceful prayerful presence and fasting,” says Andrea Hines, co–coordinator of the Charlotte vigils.

“The tide is turning in favor of the sanctity of life. It needs each person’s participation.”

Vigils will be conducted at: n A Preferred Women’s Health Center, 3220 Latrobe Dr., Charlotte. Vigil hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, go to 40daysforlife.com/ charlotte or e-mail 40daysforlifecharlotte@ gmail.com. n Forsyth Women’s Center/Planned Parenthood, 3000 Maplewood Avenue (on the public sidewalk directly across the street from this address), WinstonSalem. Vigil hours will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, go to 40daysforlife.com/winston-salem or e-mail ws40daysforlife@gmail.com.

40 Days for Life by the numbers • More than 400,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion.

• More than 13,000 church congregations – of many faiths, not just Catholic – have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns.

• Reports document 3,599 lives that have been spared from abortion – and those are just the ones we know about.

• 43 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry.

• Nine abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns.

• Hundreds of women and men have been spared from abortion’s tragic effects, including a lifetime of regrets.

• More than 1,200 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs from coast to coast, and overseas.

• Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to seek post-abortion healing and recovery.

During 40 Days for Life, the Catholic News Herald is featuring people across our diocese involved in the pro-life movement who serve as examples for what we can all do to help protect the rights of the unborn:

‘You don’t have to choose abortion’ CHARLOTTE — Debbie Capen is assistant director of Room at the Inn, an organization that provides free residential and outreach services to women and their children. Her work for Room at the Inn reflects her desire to offer alternatives for women with unplanned pregnancies.

Her involvement in the pro-life movement is motivated by her desire to “help people understand the reality of abortion, that it’s not just about choice,

it’s a life-changing decision,” she says.

“I first started getting involved because I wanted to help other people avoid the same mistake I made in having an abortion.

Culturally, there is a silence about the issue of unplanned pregnancies, so that when I was facing my own unplanned pregnancy, I felt pressured to keep it hidden. I want to help women know that you don’t have to choose abortion.”

She began looking for a way to get involved in the pro-life movement in 2001.

ABORTION, SEE page 20

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Lent begins March 9 with Ash Wednesday

• 1,085 campaigns have taken place in 337 cities.

PROFILE OF LIFE

Christopher Lux Intern

catholic news heraldI

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Debbie Capen stands with Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life before the start of the Charlotte March for Life in January.

Christopher Lux Intern

Ash Wednesday is March 9. It marks the start of Lent, and it is a day of fasting and abstaining from meat.

Throughout the Lenten season, all Catholics aged 18 to 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. To “fast” is to eat only one full meal a day.

Small amounts of food, not equaling another full meal, are permitted.

People who are sick may be excused from fasting. For more about fasting, visit Americancatholic.org.

During the Ash Wednesday Mass, ashes are marked on the foreheads of the faithful with the Sign of the Cross. The ashes, which help develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice, are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are blessed with holy water.

While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they also remind us of God’s mercy.

According to canon law, ashes are sacramentals – forms of popular piety designed to enrich Christian life – and can be received by anyone, including non-Catholics.

Most parishes around the diocese will have Ash Wednesday Masses and the distribution of ashes.

Contact your parish office or visit your parish’s Web site for Mass times.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar ARDEN

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the Next week: March 6 – 10 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Church, Lenoir

ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, 109 Crescent Hill Road — Women’s Lenten Program, “The Book of Judith: The Courage to Rise to the Occasion.” Teen and Spanish tracks available, 9 a.m.-1:45 p.m. March 26. RSVP by March 23 to Marcia Torres at johnandmarciatorres@yahoo.com or 828-697-1235.

BELMONT queen of the apostles church, 503 n. main st.

— Women’s Bible Study, 9:30-11 a.m. or 7:30-9 p.m. weekly March 9-26. Contact Kelly Munsee at qoaformation@aol. com or 704-825-9600.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 Ballantyne Commons pkwy.

— Back to Basics Catholicism 101: The Sacraments, NLC Room 203, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. March 9, 23 and 30 — Roman Missal Revision Workshop, 7-8:30 p.m. March 15.

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

— Welcome Home for Returning Catholics, welcoming Catholics who have been away from the Church, program offers a one-on-one companion to walk with the returning individual as they journey the path to full communion with the body of Christ. Contact Julie Jahn at urblessed@carolina.rr.com or 704-560-9202.

ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 Dilworth Road E.

March 8 – 11 a.m.

Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

CHARLOTTE CAMPUS MINISTRY, 9408 SANDBURG ROAD — Fellowship and shared faith, food and fun for collegeage students, 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Contact Peg at cccmpeg@aol.com. Visit sco.uncc.edu/catholic. new creation monastery, 1309 Duncan gardens dr.

— Christ’s Sacred Mysteries: Contemplating Basic Christian Beliefs and the Sacraments, 9 a.m. March 6 and 13. RSVP to Father John Vianney Hoover at 704-344-0934.

ST. BASIL EASTERN CATHOLIC MISSION, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL, 7702 Pineville matthews road — Forgiveness Vespers, 5 p.m. March 6. Visit stbasil.weebly. com. st. GABRIEL church, 3016 Providence Road — “From Vengeance to Forgiveness,” speaker discusses how she was able to overcome the violent loss of her child, Ministry Center, 6:30 p.m. March 16. Child care available by reservation to Susan Krasniewski at 704362-5047 ext. 210.

— Seminar: Legal and End-of-Life Issues, Ministry Center Room C, 10 a.m.-noon March 17, 24, 31 and April 7. Contact Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

— Shining Stars Adult Day Respite for those with early to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

— Shining Stars Adult Day Respite Caregivers Support Group, Ministry Center Room E, 10-11:30 a.m. last Monday of each month. Contact Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253. st. john neumann church, 8451 Idlewild Road — Lenten Series: “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” 7:30 p.m. March 16 for six weeks. Contact parish office at 704-535-4197.

March 4, 2011 Volume 20 • Number 14

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

— “Fertile Ground for God’s Work,” Family Life Center, sponsored by Catholics United for the Faith, with speakers Father Christopher Roux and Billie Mobley, 7 p.m. March 10. Contact Elizabeth Keating at ewkeating4@ aol.com.

ST. mary church, 812 duke st.

— Church Women United prayer breakfast, 9:30 a.m.-noon March 5 ST. PIUS X CHURCH, 2210 N. ELM ST. — Mardi Gras Celebration, Kloster Center, 6-8 p.m. March 8.

Bring a covered dish enough for your family and another family.

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

— Catholics Come Home, 7 p.m. March 10, will meet for six weeks. Register with Jan Hitch at 336-884-5097 or the church office at 336-869-7739.

MOUNT HOLLY st. JOSEPH church, MOUNTAIN ISLAND HWY. (ROUTE 273) AND SANDY FORD ROAD — St. Patrick’s Day Mass, 11:30 a.m. March 17

ST. peter CHURCH, 507 s. tryon st.

— Jewish Catholic Dialogue Group- “Life Cycles: How Each Faith Celebrates,” 5 p.m. March 13. Contact Ann Weber at 704-364-9850 or Gail Breen at 704-552-1495.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH, 1400 Suther road — S.T.A. Café Mardi Gras Celebration, Aquinas Hall, 7 p.m.

March 8. Child care available. To reserve a table of six or more, call 704-549-1607.

RALEIGH st. francis of assisi church, 11401 LEESVILLE ROAD — Come and See Weekend with the Franciscans, March 18-20, sponsored by the Franciscan Vocation Ministry, Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, for men, aged 21 to 40 discerning a call to the Franciscan way of life.

Registration required by March 11 to vocation@hnp.org or 800-677-7788.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 OLD REID ROAD — Catholics Returning Home Program, Faith Formation Center, 7:30-9 p.m. March 7. Register at 704-554-7088.

— Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group (CCWG) Reflection, with Father Patrick Toole, 10 a.m. March 7. Membership not required to attend. Contact Linda Granzow at jlgranzow@windstream.net or 704-847-7872.

— The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Meeting, 7 p.m. third Wednesday of each month. They welcome Irish-Catholic women who are interested in sharing their Catholic faith, Christian charity and the traditions of the Irish people. Contact Mary Herbert at mherbert@ carolina.rr.com or 704-231-9546.

GREENSBORO our lady of grace CHURCH, 2205 w. market st.

— Defending the Faith Conference, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 12, apologetics conference presented by Gus Lloyd, Catholic evangelist and morning show host. Bring a bible and a bag lunch. Contact Mike Gnaster at mgnaster1@yahoo.com

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.

WINSTON-SALEM holy family church, 4820 kiNnamon road — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 5. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-3703230. st. benedict the MOOR CHURCH, 1625 E. 12th St. — “Cup of Life and Love,” Franciscan Center, retreat for couples, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. March 19 — “I Am Somebody,” Franciscan Center, retreat for youth aged 12-18, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 9 — “Refilling the Cup of Life,” Franciscan Cener, bring your favorite mug, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 16

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 704-370-3382.

ADVERTISING: For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Cindi Feerick at 704-370-3332 or ckfeerick@ charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $15 per year for all registered parishioners of the Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all others.

POSTMASTER: Periodicals class postage (USPC 007-393) paid at Charlotte, N.C. Send address corrections to the Catholic News Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203.

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Adult education seminar under way CHARLOTTE — New Creation Monastery, 1309 Duncan Gardens Drive, Charlotte, will host a free adult education seminar entitled “Christ’s Sacred Mysteries: Contemplating Basic Christian Beliefs and the Sacraments,” starting at 9 a.m. March 6 and 13. RSVP to Father John Vianney Hoover at 704-3440934.

Bone marrow drive planned CHARLOTTE — A bone marrow drive will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 5, in an effort to find a match for 6-year-old Jordan Jemsek, who is suffering from leukemia. Donors must be aged 18-55, and donations for the lab processing fees will be accepted. For details, go online to firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ jordanjemsek/dkms-Americas.

David Hains DIOCESAN Director of Communication

Tim Faragher | Catholic News Herald

The University of South Carolina Concert Choir will sing at the above venues in Italy March 3-14.

MAGGIE VALLEY — Father William Morgan, administrator of St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Maggie Valley, blessed 25 couples present at the Knights of Columbus Council 12478 Valentine’s Day dinner Feb. 12 at the parish hall. The meal was prepared by the Knights, Paul Viau of Waynesville and Stan Naplen of Maggie Valley.

— Paul and Carol Viau

Go ‘From vengeance to forgiveness’ CHARLOTTE — A free presentation for adults by a Catholic woman whose 7-yearold daughter was kidnapped and killed by a serial killer will be held Wednesday, March 16, at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. In “From Vengeance To Forgiveness,” Marietta Jaeger-Lane will discuss how she was able to overcome the violent loss of her child and ultimately find healing and peace.

Marietta Jaeger-Lane’s 7-year-old daughter Susie was abducted during a family camping trip. For more than a year, the family knew nothing of her whereabouts.

Finally, a man came forward and confessed to kidnapping and killing Susie, as well as several others. Jaeger-Lane overcame her anger by praying and honoring her daughter’s memory. Today, she travels the country speaking against the death penalty.

Free childcare is available. Contact Susan Krasniewski at 704-362-5047, ext. 210, to reserve your space at this free program.

Details are available at stgabrielchurch.org.

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New accounting software coming for parishes and schools

In Brief

Valentine’s blessing given

OUR PARISHESI

The realization of a dream SJN music director to sing at the Vatican March 13 SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Singing in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome has been a lifelong dream for Peppie Calvar. A skilled musician as well as a talented vocalist, he has spent his life surrounded by the music of his Catholic faith.

“I grew up in Diocese of Charlotte, singing in the choir at St. Matthew Church under Kathy (Bartlett),” Calvar says.

After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, Calvar now works as music director at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte for pastor Father Patrick Hoare, who was his youth minister at St. Matthew Church years ago.

“In 2000 I was asked by my high school choral director at Providence High School, Terry Setzer, to compose a setting of the ‘Ave Maria’ because they were going to take a trip to the Vatican to sing,” Calvar says.

“I was already graduated from there, but they were going to take me with them to have a piece I wrote for the pope to premiere at an audience for him. When Sept. 11 happened, it canceled the trip so I wasn’t able to go.”

Calvar will finally realize his dream thanks to his pursuit of a doctorate in choral conducting at the University of South Carolina.

On March 3, he will travel to Italy on a 10day tour with the 45-voice USC Concert Choir

under the direction of Dr. Larry Wyatt, singing in six of Italy’s most wellknown churches and basilicas along with other destinations.

“Peppie’s experience in the Catholic liturgy has made him extremely helpful to us in programming the Calvar repertoire for this very important part of the liturgical year,” Wyatt says.

“I know Peppie and his wife Narja have been thrilled to have the opportunity to share in the experience of singing at St. Peter’s Basilica with us, and we in the choral department are very happy to share in their joy.”

On March 13, the first Sunday of Lent, years of rehearsals and performances will finally give way to the realization of a dream, as Calvar sings a solo during the High Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It’s absolutely a dream come true. There are not adequate words to express it,” Calvar says.

“It is like Divine Providence.”

To follow Calvar and the USC Concert Choir on their journey through Italy, go to their blog at http://usc-incantatotour.blogspot.com.

To see a previously-taped performance, go to youtube.com/watch?v=0x7EMl2-nso.

With an eye on stewardship, all parishes and schools in the diocese will soon have a common accounting system.

Stewardship is defined, in part, as the responsible management of our God-given resources of time, talent and treasure.

A task force made up of parish and school representatives has selected the Web-based software ParishSoft to provide a range of accounting services that will simplify some processes and better protect parish and school accounts from fraud.

According to Bill Weldon, diocesan chief financial officer, the process and the new system have several advantages.

“We came together without any preconceived ideas about accounting software providers.

Our parish and school staff considered which systems are the most user friendly while providing the best internal controls, and which would help us realign our reporting to mirror the activities of the Church in ways that secular accounting systems cannot,” Weldon said.

Among other things, the new accounting system features multiple password levels that would allow, for example, a parish finance council member to have an appropriate but different level of access than a business manager or a pastor.

After training during the spring, all 91 parishes and missions and all 18 diocesan schools will be using the new software by July.

The startup cost of $42,000 is being paid with diocesan funds.

Parishes and the diocese will both pay annual licensing fees.

Parish fees will average $296 per year and are based on the number of registered families.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Photo provided by Al Tinson

St. John Neumann’s pastor honored by Scouts Father Pat Hoare, pastor of St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte, was recently presented with a stole displaying the 100th Anniversary of Scouting editions of all Cub Scout and Boy Scout rank patches. Father Hoare was honored for his strong support of Pack 12 and Troop 12, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 7343.

St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte is looking for additional adult leaders to work with its Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop. Opportunities are available for men and women to work with boys in first through 12th grades. Contact Mark Wahl at 704-846-5287, John Silvestri at 704-844-6720, or call the church office at 704-536-6520.

photo provided by Ann Kilkelly and Diane Bullard

‘Partners in Hope’ Catholic Social Services honored the members of the Raising the Bar Club of Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville as well as the school’s peer ministers at the eighth annual Partners in Hope fundraiser held in Winston-Salem Feb. 19. They were honored for their ongoing support to Catholic Social Services’ food pantry and outreach efforts. Both groups organize food drives that supply the pantry with food that lasts for a couple of months. The school conducts two food collections each year, and the amount of food that is delivered is incredible – one year it took a school bus to deliver all of the food.

The students also promote involvement with Catholic Social Services by encouraging students to organize their own food drives as well as other service projects that support the ministry, such as making rosaries and pro-life greeting cards in English and Spanish.

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

catholic news heraldI

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Louie Verrecchio

The Gloria – acclaiming our worship and praise of God “ Learn more Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth” in the revised translation becomes: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.”

This “new” wording represents a return to the Scriptural roots of the text (Luke 2:14) and the angels’ announcement of the Savior’s birth. The question some will ask is whether the Lord offers tidings of peace to all people or only just to those of good will?

God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, does indeed invite all people to receive the gift of peace, but not the “don’tworry-be-happy” variety that the world desires apart from divine law. The Council Fathers defined true peace in “Gaudium et Spes,” saying: “Earthly peace results from the peace of Christ which radiates from God the Father... for by His Cross the incarnate Son, the Prince of Peace, reconciled all men with God... restoring all men to the unity of one people and one body” (GS 78).

The peace offered by the Savior, in other words, is directly related to “reconciliation” – that is, the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, it is no coincidence that we recall the angels’ announcement immediately after our prayers for forgiveness (during the Penitential Act) and the priestly prayer of absolution (after the Kyrie) which followed.

You see, to be among the people of good will we must first recognize, and have true contrition for, our sinfulness because it is only in the forgiveness of sin that true peace – the peace of Christ – can exist.

We formerly continued praying, “Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.”

The new text reads, “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.”

This faithful translation adds the words “adore, bless and glorify.” Though “worship” is no longer said, the entire acclamation clearly is an act of worship – a rather substantial one at that. And why shouldn’t it be?

We just acknowledged our sins before God and one another. We just tasted the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness and the peace that comes with it, a gift freely given by God to

poor sinners who but seek His healing love.

If this doesn’t merit an abundant outpouring of praise and thanksgiving, nothing does!

“We glorify You, we bless You... .” How do we mere mortals glorify and bless God? Psalm 40 tells us, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice. O glorify the Lord with me; and let us extol His name together.”

To bless and to glorify God is to sing His praises, to magnify Him among the peoples, and to tell all the lands of His greatness.

“We adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks...” And why do we do so? “For Your great glory.”

There is but one small change to the text here: the addition of the word “great.” Who can argue with its fittingness? Scripture itself describes the Lord’s glory as “great” numerous times. Sirach, for example, says, “The Lord hath wrought great glory through his magnificence from the beginning... .” (Sir. 44:2).

So even though our outpouring of praise and thanksgiving is a fitting response to the great gifts that the Lord has just given to us in the Mass, it’s important for us to acknowledge that God is more than just a collection of gifts; rather, His gifts reveal to us who He is from the beginning.

As Sirach tells us, a God of great glory is who God is from all eternity – that’s right, even before you and I came along to receive His gifts! And so when we say, “We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory,” we do so because our God is an awesome God whose greatness exceeds our comprehension. He is so great that our lips cannot even begin to keep pace with the groanings of the Spirit who cries out on our behalf. He is worthy of every outpouring we can muster simply because of who He is: a God of great and eternal glory.

We then continue in the Gloria to pray, “Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.”

Our outpouring continues here in words very similar to the old translation, but notice how the exclamation “O God” seems to well up almost spontaneously. It’s as though our hearts really are about to explode in thanksgiving and praise to the point where

we can’t help but cry out almost without effort or forethought, “O God!” We are awestruck in the Lord’s presence, fittingly so, and the corrected translation seems to express this more passionately than before.

We have addressed the Father in the Gloria, so now let us turn our attention to the Son. In the revised translation we will pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us... .”

Notice that we now speak of Jesus as both only begotten Son and Son of the Father.

This may seem redundant, but it’s really meant to affirm a great mystery of the Blessed Trinity. For one, to be begotten of God indicates that Jesus is of the very same divine essence as the Father, and that He is co-eternal with God. Furthermore, Jesus is indeed “Son of the Father” as we are used to saying, but then again, I am the son of my father, too. Unlike me, however, Jesus is not born of His Father; rather, He is begotten. This is important!

You see, to be born is to have a beginning. In reality, however, neither does the Son nor the Fatherhood of God have a beginning.

And why is it so important for us to express this Trinitarian doctrine at this point?

In calling upon Jesus as both the only begotten Son and Son of the Father, we are expressing a keener awareness of why we just addressed God as almighty Father in the first portion of the Gloria. We addressed God as almighty Father in the outpouring of praise that preceded the words that we now address to the Son because God has always been Father – yes, even before He created us!

From here the only other change in the text is an additional plea for mercy. In the revised translation, the plea connects to the phrase “You are seated at the right hand of the Father,” the place from which our Lord will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

The Announcement of the Gospel One of the final changes to be approved concerns our response to the announcement of the Gospel reading, after the priest or

This is part 9 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.

deacon proclaims, “A reading from the holy Gospel according to N.” The people will now reply, “Glory to you, O Lord” while making the threefold sign of the Cross on head, lips and heart. This is a minor change in the scope of things, certainly; in fact, many people have always said “O Lord” and not simply “Lord,” as it appears in the current Missal.

The addition of the acclamation “O,” though small, is a linguistic device that effectively lends emphasis to our response and it is one that is employed rather frequently throughout Sacred Scripture. In the Douay Rheims Bible (a faithful English translation of the Latin Vulgate), for example, the expression “O Lord” appears nearly 500 times!

Louie Verrecchio is a Catholic speaker and Catholic News Agency columnist. For more information, go to harvestingthefruit.com. This series is excerpted from the book “And with Your Spirit – Recovering a sense of the sacred in the English translation of the Roman Missal – 3rd Edition.”

Workshops planned St. Matthew Church in Charlotte is offering a series of workshops on adult faith formation using the U.S. bishops’ materials on the revised Missal. The next workshop will be held 7-9:30 p.m. March 15. Contact Michael Burck at mburck@stmatthewcatholic.org or 704-541-8362, ext. 4.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Deacon Manning passes away Deacon Franklin Louis Manning Sr. of High Point passed away at the age of 90 on Feb. 13, 2011, at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living Facility in Winston-Salem, where he resided since 2003.

He was born March 1, 1920, in Gaffney, S.C., the son of Marie Manning and David Williams. After the death of their mother Franklin, his brother William H. Manning (now deceased) and sister Lucille Manning (now deceased) were cared for by their maternal grandfather, Giles Manning, and their maternal aunt, Hattie Roberts, and her husband Fulton.

Deacon Manning enlisted in the U.S. Army in April of 1941, where he served in the 555 Parachute Infantry Battalion, also known as the “Triple Nickels,� and later he served in the 82nd Airborne Division. His combat tours included World War II and the Korean War. He earned the American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two bronze service stars, among other decorations and awards. He retired in 1971 as a chief warrant officer.

After his retirement, he was active as a deacon at Christ the King Church in High Point and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the first class of permanent deacons in the Diocese of Charlotte, in 1983.

Manning Deacon Manning married Annie Mae Chavis of High Point on Nov. 15, 1949. They were married 33 years before she passed away June 13, 1982.

They had six children together.

In addition to his parents, wife, brother and sister, he was preceded in death by two sons, Franklin L. Manning Jr. and Carl C. Manning.

He is survived by daughters, Daphne W. McAdoo, Deborah P. Manning and Ann Marie Manning; son John L. Manning; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Feb. 17, 2011, at Christ the King Church with Bishop Peter J. Jugis officiating. Burial followed at Carolina Biblical Gardens Cemetery.

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March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

FROM THE COVERI

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Adoring the Real Presence Catholics spend hours at the feet of Jesus SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — For more than 17 years Bill Rusciolelli has had a standing appointment with the Lord on Friday night at 9 p.m. in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. He is a lieutenant colonel now in the U.S. Marine Reserves, husband and father of eight young children, who began his commitment to prayer and worship in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament even before he met his wife.

“Within about a month of starting Adoration, I met my bride-to-be at Adoration. About eight months after that, we were married and on our way to building our family,” Rusciolelli says.

“I can’t quite remember why I originally signed up, but I think I quickly realized that having a least one quiet hour a week was a great way to slow down and to get away from the busyness of life. Soon after that, I realized that not only could I get something out of Adoration for myself, but that I also could give something back. I think that’s one reason that I’ve stuck with it for all of these years – it’s really an easy and enjoyable opportunity to give just a little back to the Lord.”

When he was deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to March 2008, he relied on family, friends and other volunteers at St. Gabriel to cover his Holy Hour.

“There have been many hours (over the past 17 years) where my mind was preoccupied or where I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, but I was still in the presence of Jesus and was able to offer a small part of my life to Him.” The Church explains Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament as spending time before the Lord as He is exposed in a monstrance on an altar.

Each adorer is encouraged to spend time in silent prayer, reading Scripture or spiritual works of the saints of the Church, praying Catholic prayers, the rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or simply meditating on His Passion or Divine Presence in the Eucharist.

Pope Benedict XVI speaks eloquently of the importance of Adoration in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation

Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is available online 24/7 at savior.org.

“Sacramentum Caritatis” written in 2007: “In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent Adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of Adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering.”

For decades now, Catholic churches across the Diocese of Charlotte have offered Adoration in the parishes so that the faithful can spend time in prayer before the Lord.

More than 43 parishes in the diocese now offer regular hours of Adoration.

St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and Pennybyrn at Maryfield senior living community in High Point have the diocese’s only Perpetual Adoration Chapels, staffed by volunteer adorers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. St. Joseph Adoration Chapel at Belmont Abbey has extended daily hours as well. Adorers come from every walk of life, every age and nationality. They spend a few moments, and sometimes hours. It is a testament to the universality of the teachings of Christ and the Church that all are welcome to come to Him. For the past six years Scott Bruno has volunteered for the 5 a.m. Saturday hour at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Bruno, a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Charlotte, is also a husband and father.

He encourages other men to join him and now there are anywhere from five to 14 men with him every week for Adoration and then breakfast.

“Adoration is one easy way to focus on keeping God first in our lives,” Bruno says.

“It helps us to check our priorities and make sure we are living out our vocations to the fullest in accordance with God’s will for us.

Spending this precious time with Our Lord will change your life. How can we possibly do His will if we do not agree to spend time with Him or try to learn who He is or learn how to love Him? God provides all that and much, much more, if we will take the first step and just spend time with Him!” Says veteran adorer Rusciolelli, “I don’t often stop to think about how one hour a week with Our Lord really impacts my life, but I’d say that in the back of my mind, I know that one hour gives strength for the other 167.”

What does the Church teach?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all sacraments tend.” In the Eucharist, “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” “This presence is called ‘real’ – by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.”

John Bunyea | Catholic News Herald

A parishioner at Holy Cross Church in Kernersville kneels in adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

— CCC 1374

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iiiMarch 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Grace Narus

“

Come let us adore Him

Come let us adore Him” is not something we do just once a year at Christmas. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the practice of adoring the Most Blessed Sacrament suspended in a monstrance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Perpetual Adoration requires dedicating oneself to an hour or more on a regular basis according to one’s schedule, known as making a “Holy Hour.”

The inspiration for a Holy Hour is from Matthew 26:40: During the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter, “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?”

Encouraged by Pope John Paul II to bring about more vocations, many dioceses around the world have instituted Perpetual Adoration. Bishop John F. Donoghue established two Perpetual Adoration chapels in our diocese in 1993, covering the western half of North Carolina with nonstop prayer: at Maryfield Assisted Living in High Point, and at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. That’s 18 years of Perpetual Adoration in our diocese!

When I lived in Winston-Salem, making a trip to the chapel in High Point was too far, but when I moved to Charlotte in 1996, St. Gabriel was close to my new home. I began by making periodic visits without a regular schedule. (I think many Catholics have this habit.) When I was leaving the chapel one day, a woman came up to me and said, “The Holy Spirit told me you are to take an Adoration hour.” I realized she and the Holy Spirit were right. I chose to share an hour convenient to my schedule with another busy mom.

Initially, it was a struggle. I thought of all the other things I had to do, then wished I didn’t have to sit there for an entire hour.

Sometimes I forgot to go. But going to Adoration was like a workout, only on a spiritual level. The consistent schedule and persistent practice made me look forward to going.

I imagined Adoration as sitting in a room with my dad, who died 10 years ago. He was a wise physician, and when he was alive and I would complain or ask him questions, he would give me such peace with his advice. Eventually, this is how I felt leaving Adoration: Jesus was ordering my week and my life’s priorities. I developed a closer personal relationship with Him. I came into a fuller understanding of what was happening in Perpetual Adoration.

Sometimes I committed to prolonged Adoration. During basketball season in 2005, my son had practice across the street

from St. Gabriel Church two nights a week for an hour and a half, so I would pray until his practices ended.

Commitment to Perpetual Adoration is not a lifetime “sentence.” Sharing an hour with someone else is how it is structured so that you don’t feel burdened. If you aren’t able to go because of illness or vacation, the other person is there. I had an hour from 1996 to 2000. Then I took time off, and in 2006 I resumed my commitment to Adoration one day each week.

Reflecting about my Adoration experience, I think nothing has been so difficult as losing the woman who has shared the Adoration hour with me for four years. My Adoration partner Irene Jerome died unexpectedly Feb. 7 of an aneurism at 62. She had been making a Holy Hour since Perpetual Adoration began at St. Gabriel 17 years ago. When I came for Adoration following her death, I felt that she was still sitting there, holding her rosary and devotional books. I imagined what it would be like for her now that she was adoring God in heaven. Here is what I felt she would say to me if she could: “When I met Jesus, He showed me how all the prayers I said in Adoration were answered. I also got to see how prayers were answered that I didn’t know God was answering. God used many prayers and sufferings for others in the world struggling with illnesses and diseases. He used prayers for conversion for both the living and the dying. God was so happy to have me honor His Son in Adoration, He withheld many opportunities for wars and missile attacks. Then Jesus showed me how Adoration changed me. Perpetual Adoration made me more patient, prayerful and able to trust that He would take care of everything. It made me a better neighbor, friend, mother and wife.

Perpetual Adoration brought me closer to Him. I was not a stranger when I met Jesus face to face, even though I had no idea that morning would be the day. Jesus recognized me because we had spent time together.”

As Lent approaches, my prayer is for more people to commit to a Holy Hour in Perpetual Adoration. Answer the call, like I did in 1996. Come let us adore Him year ’round. Let us embrace Perpetual Adoration fully, for our Church and our world need us to do Perpetual Adoration more than ever.

Grace Narus is a member of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.

FROM TH

“There have been many hours where my mind was preoccupied or where I just couldn’t keep my eyes open, but I was still in the presence of Jesus and was able to offer a small part of my life to Him.” — Bill Rusciolelli

Perpetual Adoration volunteer of 17 years

Holly and Eric Kennedy (left), parishioners at St. Mark

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

St. Joseph Chapel on the campus of Belmont Abbey College

Parishioners at Holy Spirit Church in Denver gather fo

HE COVER

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnewsiii

BELMONT ABBEY COLLEGE, 100 BELMONT-MT. HOLLY ROAD, BELMONT, 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily GOOD SHEPHERD MISSION, 105 GOOD SHEPHERD DRIVE, KING, 6 p.m. every Friday.

HOLY CROSS CHURCH, 616 S. CHERRY ST., KERNERSVILLE, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. most Fridays.

HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4820 KINNAMON ROAD, WINSTON-SALEM, Curlin Center, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays. our lady of guadalupe church, 6212 TUCKASEEGEE ROAD, CHARLOTTE, 10 p.m.-6 a.m. first Saturdays.

OUR LADY OF THE HIGHWAYS CHURCH, 943 BALL PARK ROAD, THOMASVILLE, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. first Fridays.

OUR LADY OF THE MOUNTAINS MISSION, 315 N. 5TH ST., HIGHLANDS, following 9 a.m. Mass-11 a.m. first Fridays.

SACRED HEART CHURCH, 375 LUMEN CHRISTI LANE, SALISBURY, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. first Fridays. Holy Hour for vocations, 7-8 p.m. Thursdays.

ST. ALOYSIUS CHURCH, 921 SECOND ST. N.E., HICKORY, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. first Fridays.

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 PARK ROAD, CHARLOTTE, Holy Hour 6 p.m. Wednesdays and after 4:30 p.m. Mass fourth Saturdays.

ST. BERNADETTE MISSION, STATE HWY. 105, LINVILLE, after 11 a.m. Mass first Fridays.

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH, 728 W. UNION ST., MORGANTON, 6:30 p.m. Fridays.

ST. DOROTHY CHURCH, 148 ST. DOROTHY’S LANE, LINCOLNTON, 6-7 p.m. Thursdays and 7 p.m.-7 a.m. first Fridays.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, 299 MAPLE ST., FRANKLIN, 8:30 a.m. first Fridays, 8:45 a.m. Saturdays and following 9 a.m. Mass-3 p.m. all other Fridays.

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH, 862 YADKINVILLE ROAD, MOCKSVILLE, following noon Mass-1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.-7 a.m. first Saturdays. sueann howell | catholic news herald

k Church in Huntersville, spend time in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte Feb. 25.

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 PROVIDENCE ROAD, CHARLOTTE, Perpetual Adoration ST. JAMES THE GREATER CHURCH, 1018 W. HAMLET AVE., HAMLET, 9:30-10:30 a.m. first Fridays.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH, 234 CHURCH ST., WAYNESVILLE, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. first Fridays.

ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, 720 W. 13TH ST., NEWTON, following 12:10 p.m. Mass first Fridays-7 a.m.

ST. LUKE CHURCH, 13700 LAWYERS ROAD, CHARLOTTE, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. first Fridays.

ST. MARK CHURCH, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD, HUNTERSVILLE, 7:45 a.m first Fridays-8:45 a.m. Saturday.

ST. MARY CHURCH, 818 MCGOWAN ROAD, SHELBY, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. first Fridays, 7-8 p.m. Sundays and 8:30-9:30 a.m. all other Fridays. st. mary, mother of god, church, SYLVA, following 9 a.m. Mass Fridays ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 BALLANTYNE COMMONS PKWY., CHARLOTTE, following 9 a.m. Mass Fridays-9 a.m. Saturday.

ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 DILWORTH ROAD E., CHARLOTTE, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays. st. pius x church, 2210 N. ELM ST., GREENSBORO, following 5:15 p.m. Mass first Fridays ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 OLD REID ROAD, CHARLOTTE, 9:30-10:30 a.m. first Fridays.

Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

or Adoration.

Father John Putnam, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, places the Blessed Sacrament on the altar at the start of Adoration last week.

Note: This is only a partial list – for additional information, contact your parish’s office.

11

Our schools

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

New high school for northern Charlotte announced David Hains Diocesan Director of Communication

A group of parents in the area north of Charlotte have succeeded in planting a seed for a new Catholic high school. Christ the King Catholic High School will open in August of the 2011-2012 academic year.

In addition to the parents’ effort, planning for the school by the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools long-range planning committee has been under way for 18 months. An enrollment drive to sign up ninth-grade students began last fall.

The high school, which would be the second for the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools system, was proposed to serve the growing number of Catholic families who live north of Charlotte. 18 other Catholic schools serve students throughout the diocese.

Although the enrollment of 55 ninthgraders is below the targeted goal of 100, the decision was made to proceed with the school. The academic and extracurricular program of the school will be designed to accommodate this smaller student body.

Diocesan project developer Dan Dolan said that with so many families already committed to a Catholic high school

education, it would be difficult to wait for another year to open a new school.

“The flexibility of Bishop Peter Jugis and diocesan officials should be applauded for making this decision rather than holding fast to an arbitrary number,” Dolan said.

The school will begin with a ninth and a 10th grade. Additional grades will be added in 2012 and 2013 so that the initial class of sophomores will be the first graduating class in 2014.

The school will be located in a temporary setting until a decision regarding the permanent location is finalized. According to Father Roger Arnsparger, diocesan vicar for education, “Whatever the location, the school will provide for appropriate instruction and sacramental celebrations such as Mass.”

The most likely permanent location for the new high school is in the vicinity of Poplar Tent Road and Highway 73, north of Charlotte.

Christ the King High School will serve students in Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Iredell, Cabarrus, Catawba and Rowan counties.

Parents who are interested in enrolling students in the school should call the MACS Admissions office at 704-370-3273.

Photo provided by Robin Fisher

Sacred Heart chooses Geography Bee winner About half the people in South America live in which country? Brazil. This is an example of the questions Sacred Heart School students in Salisbury were asked as part of their first Geography Bee Jan. 7. All students in grades 4 to 8 participated, with two finalists from each class. Class winners then met for the final round. Eighth grader Arnold Yu won first place and will represent Sacred Heart School in the regional competition. Class finalists pictured with Father Benjamin Roberts are: (fourth grade) James Metz and Sydney Edwards, (fifth grade) Mary McCullough and Elly Burks, (sixth grade) Will Casmus and Joseph Harrison, (seventh grade) Katlyn Glover and Reilly Gokey, and (eighth grade) Arnold Yu and Chandler Blackwell.

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief

Inter Faith Basketball League championship game Feb. 12 against St. Patrick School of Charlotte, 22-16. The team also held the first-place record for the season. Players are: Katheryn Peterson, Amanda Wilson, Abbey Kreidler, Callie Wiese, Ally Braccia, Colby Alvino, Morgan Gruender, Madison Reese, Elise George and Shannon Foster. Coaches are Mike Wiese and John Reese.

St. Gabriel’s sixth-grade girls team also won the IFBL championship, ending their season with a perfect 11-0 record. Players are: Savannah Clawson, Abby Stapleton, Kendall Quigley, Charlotte Ruesch, Kathryn Hintze, Ellie Scanlon, Kelsie Roper, Mallory Gruender, Ann Carmen Thomas and Kate Mulligan. Coaches are John Hintze and Christine Roper.

— Tina Alvino and Loretta Hintze

Peterson earns music award

Run for the shamrocks

GREENSBORO — Laura Peterson, a graduate of Our Lady of Grace School, was presented with a third-place award in music, division II, from the Catholic Daughters of America National Education competition. Peterson placed first in the music competition on both the regional and state levels, then advanced to compete on a national level with students from across the country. There, she won third place. The CDA National Convention was held in Buffalo, N.Y., in July 2010. Shown with Peterson are Our Lady of Grace School Principal Gary Gelo, and local CDA representative Liz Grabasky.

— Karen L. Hornfeck

St. Gabriel students are victorious CHARLOTTE — The eighth-grade girls basketball team at St. Gabriel School in Charlotte won the

ASHEVILLE — Take to the North Asheville streets Saturday, March 12, for the Fifth Annual Asheville Shamrock Run to raise money for Asheville Catholic School. The 1K fun run will begin at 8:55 a.m., followed by the start of the 10K/5K at 9:10 a.m. Register online in advance at runsignup.com/Race/NC/ Asheville/5thAnnualShamrockRun, or on the day of the race, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

For the first time in the race’s history, ACS had a contest to create the race logo. The contest spurred great enthusiasm and artistic talent. In addition, there is an Ambassador program for each classroom, in which each logo winner or committee members’ children are promoting good health with race facts each Friday.

Don’t forget to cheer on Father Ed Sheridan, pastor of St. Eugene Church, as he takes part in the race again this year, at the youthful age of 73!

— Linda Schilling

catholic news heraldI

13

Mix 14

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

In theaters

Emilio Estevez directs his father, Martin Sheen, along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain while filming “The Way.” The film will premier at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 10.

‘Of Gods and Men’ Using the tools of the monastic life itself, director Xavier Beauvois finds a path to the heart of the Gospel through simplicity, a compassionate sense of brotherhood and an atmosphere of prayer enriched by sacred music and potent silence.

The result, a profound meditation on the cost of discipleship, is a viewing experience from which every adult as well as many mature teens can expect to profit. In French. Subtitles.

Brief gory violence, some unsettling images and rough language.

CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘Hall Pass’ Directors and co-writers Peter and Bobby Farrelly take a low-road journey through contemporary marital mores as two sex-obsessed suburban husbands (Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis) are given permission by their exasperated mates (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) to ignore their wedding vows for a week. The relentlessly vulgar bedroom banter is interspersed, on occasion, by repellant sight gags.

Strong sexual content including adultery, a homosexual rape, masturbation, full nudity and pervasive coarse dialogue, drug use, graphic scatological humor, much rough and crude language.

CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

CNS | David Alexanian, courtesy ‘The Way’

‘Providence’ at hand during movie filming, says writer-director Estevez Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “I’ve stopped using the word coincidence” to describe how the upcoming film “The Way” got made, said its writer-director-producer, Emilio Estevez.

“It was providence. ... It was the divine.”

“The Way,” which stars Estevez’s father, Martin Sheen, tells the story of four Westerners walking the 500-mile pilgrimage route from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Sheen, who joked during a Feb. 18 interview with CNS that “I did my own walking” in the movie without a stunt double’s help, recalled the first time he tried to make the pilgrimage himself.

“It was in 2003, and we were between seasons filming ‘The West Wing,’” Sheen recalled. “I really wanted to make ‘the way,’ but we really didn’t have enough time. So I did what every good American did: I rented a Mercedes and drove the route,” he laughed.

But it was in Burgos, Spain, on that vehicular trek that Estevez’s son Taylor met the woman who would become his wife. “That was the first miracle,” Sheen said, adding he urged his own son to write a documentary or drama about the pilgrimage.

Estevez, sitting next to his father, recounted other occurrences he attributed to divine providence.

For one thing, he was able to conduct his filming in 2010 – not in 2011, as Spanish officials had expected.

When Spaniards saw his tight, 40-day shooting schedule – “40 days, the normal time it would take a pilgrim to walk from St.-Jean (France) to Santiago,” Estevez said – they told him, “It rains every day. Your 40 days will become 60.”

Instead, “it rained two days,” Estevez said. “And both days we were scheduled to shoot interiors.”

Estevez also received permission from officials to film inside the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. “We didn’t get it until 48 hours before we arrived” at the city that concludes the pilgrimage, he said, adding that his was the

first dramatic film to have received permission.

In the film, Sheen plays a doctor estranged from his son (Estevez). When he learns that his son has perished in a storm in the Pyrenees on the first day of his pilgrimage, Sheen makes the impulsive decision to cremate his son’s remains and go on the pilgrimage himself, carrying his son’s remains with him.

Along the way, the doctor meets a carefree Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen) who says he’s making the pilgrimage to lose a few pounds, but gorges himself at nearly every opportunity; a bitter Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) who says she’ll quit smoking once she’s completed the journey; and an Irish writer (James Nesbitt) with writer’s block.

After a Feb. 18 screening of “The Way” at Georgetown University, Sheen told the audience during a question-andanswer session that the story structure is similar to that of “The Wizard of Oz,” with Sheen’s character as Dorothy, Dutchman Joost as the Cowardly Lion, Canadian Sarah as the Tin Man and Irishman Jack as the Scarecrow.

And therein lay another miracle during the film shoot.

While looking for sites in the Spanish countryside to introduce the Jack character, Estevez found a field with baled hay – a perfect tie between Jack and the Scarecrow.

“The Way” is more than just a movie to Estevez and Sheen.

It was a chance for them to work together. Estevez called his father’s acting in the film “the performance of a lifetime.”

For his part, Sheen said the expected father-son roles were reversed in filming. “That’s what the film is about,” he added, “how the father is led by the son, because of the journey of the boy.”

The movie is also an homage to Sheen’s father and Estevez’s grandfather, Francisco Estevez, to whom the film is dedicated. The elder Estevez was born in the Galicia region of Spain. Sheen said that when growing up in Dayton, Ohio, he heard his father speak often of the pilgrimage route, commonly known to Spanish speakers as “El Camino,” which fueled his desire to make the pilgrimage himself.

“The Way” opens April 15 in England, Ireland and Malta.

On TV n Sunday, March 6, 10 p.m., Tuesday, March 8, 1 p.m. and Thursday, March 10, 5 a.m.

Franciscan University Presents: When a Family Member Leaves the Church. When family members or friends leave the Catholic Church, it can be difficult to know what to say or do to encourage them to return. Exploring why people leave and return to the Catholic faith can help us focus our prayer this Lent and give us new ways to reach out to the inactive Catholics in our lives and welcome them home. Franciscan University Presents host Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, will lead the discussion on this challenging topic with special guest Catholic evangelist Tom Peterson and panelists Dr. Regis Martin and Dr. Scott Hahn of Franciscan University’s Theology Department. n Wednesday, March 9, 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. “Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes From Rome,” Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass from the Basilicas of St. Anselm and St. Sabina, marking the beginning of Lent. n Wednesday, March 9, 10 p.m., Friday, March 11, 1 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, 5 a.m. Fatima, Our Hope, documentary about the events of Fatima and their impact on the world. A history of the Fatima apparitions, along with a brief history of that area in Portugal, is presented, in addition to the global spiritual response to Fatima, along with Pope John Paul II’s visit there in 1982.

Our nation

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Arizona to debate new set of immigration bills

Pro-lifers hail passage of abortion clinic regulations RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Senate passed a measure Feb. 24 requiring the state to regulate abortion clinics as hospitals rather than as physicians’ offices, a bill long sought by pro-life supporters. In a statement, the Virginia Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops on policy concerns, called it a “common-sense, long-overdue measure” that has been “a top priority of the Virginia Catholic Conference and its pro-life allies.”

Archbishop Gomez takes over as Cardinal Mahony retires LOS ANGELES — More than 6,000 people assembled for two Masses Feb. 27 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to welcome Archbishop Jose H. Gomez as the new leader of the church of Los Angeles, succeeding the retiring Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

Archbishop Gomez was named last spring by Pope Benedict XVI as coadjutor archbishop for Los Angeles. He had served five years as archbishop of San Antonio, and was previously an auxiliary bishop of Denver.

— Catholic News Service

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Maryland Catholics urged to keep up fight against same-sex ‘marriage’

In Brief

PHOENIX — Arizona’s legislature will debate bills that question birthright citizenship, make hospitals check legal status of patients and require schools to keep tabs on students who are in the U.S. illegally. A committee passed two Senate bills Feb. 22 that sponsors hope would force the Supreme Court to rule on a challenge to the 14th Amendment’s guarantee that all children born in the U.S. are citizens. The committee also passed a bill requiring hospitals to verify a patient’s legal status before admitting them for non-emergency care. If the patient does not meet requirements of legal status, the hospital must report the person to the local federal immigration office. It also passed a bill that: requires anyone applying for a federal public benefit to show proof of legal status, makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to drive in the state, forces parents to show proof of legal residency to enroll children in public or private schools.

Arizona’s bishops have expressed concern about the proposed legislation.

“We strongly believe that these bills, if enacted, would only create more problems for innocent and vulnerable populations in Arizona while creating a distraction from meaningful immigration reform,” the state’s bishops conference said.

catholic news heraldI

Catholic News Service

CNS | Darren Hauck, Reuters

Protesters continue to occupy the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., Feb. 25. The Wisconsin state Assembly Feb. 24 passed a Republican plan to curb public sector union power, but the measure was stalled in the Senate because Democrats left Wisconsin to prevent a quorum from being called, delaying consideration of the bill in that chamber.

Wisconsin bishops praised for ‘clear statement’ on worker rights Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development gave his support Feb. 24 to views on the rights of workers caught in the midst of Wisconsin’s budget battle earlier articulated by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki on behalf of the state’s bishops.

“I write to express support for and solidarity with your clear statement,” said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., the committee chairman, in a letter to Archbishop Listecki.

“You and our brother bishops in Wisconsin are offering a timely reminder of what the Church teaches on the rights and duties of workers, including the right to form and belong to unions and other associations, and the obligation to address difficult problems with respect for the rights and needs of all,” Bishop Blaire said.

The Catholic Labor Network released a letter it sent to Wisconsin lawmakers echoing the same viewpoints. And in

a column for his diocesan newspaper, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison called for civility in the debate, urging common ground be reached on what is fair for both sides.

Large daily protests have inundated Madison, Wisconsin’s capital city, and its government and legislative offices since a budget-balancing proposal was issued earlier in February by new Gov. Scott Walker. The bill would force state employees to pay half of their pension costs and 12.6 percent of their health care coverage, moves that Walker expects will save the state $30 million in the short term and up to $300 million over the next two years. In exchange for the savings, Walker promised no layoffs or furloughs -- but threatened to lay off 6,000 workers if the bills failed to pass.

But state workers, many of whom belong to unions, contend the bill is a pretext to decimating union rights.

The state Assembly passed Walker’s bill Feb. 24. It was stalled in the state Senate, because Democrats left Wisconsin to prevent consideration of the bill.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The bishops of Maryland Feb. 28 asked Catholics in their dioceses to keep up the fight against same-sex marriage in their state, saying, “We must not allow our Legislature to redefine marriage.”

“The word marriage describes the commitment of a man and a woman to come together for life with the possibility of generating and educating children,” the bishops said in a statement. “This is not to say that some people over the ages have not come together in a variety of ways, physical, financial and social. But these various unions have always had other names because they are not marriage.”

The statement was signed by Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, D.C., Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien of Baltimore and Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Del. The Washington archdiocese and the Wilmington diocese include parishes in Maryland.

The three Church leaders commended “the thousands of Maryland Catholics who have raised their voices in recent weeks in support of our society’s foundational institution – the union of one man and one woman in marriage.”

“In addition to their thousands of e-mails, phone calls and visits to legislators, over 500 Catholics came out last week (Feb. 21) to visit legislators for the Maryland Catholic Conference’s Lobby Night. Your efforts must not abate. The time for continued and urgent action is now.”

The bishops criticized the “haste with which this measure is moving through the legislative process,” calling it “unprecedented.”

The state Senate passed the same-sex marriage bill Feb. 24 in a 25-21 vote. A state House committee began a hearing on the measure Feb. 25, with a vote by the full House expected to follow quickly. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has promised to sign it into law.

The bishops said the bill’s passage “by a slim majority of senators” was “regrettable.”

But the debate is “not over,” they said.

Meanwhile, Hawaii Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed same-sex civil unions into law Feb. 23, a week after the bill passed the state legislature, calling it a “triumph for everyone.”

Civil unions will be legal beginning Jan. 1, 2012. The Hawaii Catholic Conference said it was disappointed with lawmakers’ support for the measure and the governor’s endorsement.

Our world

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pilgrims flock to Medjugorje while Vatican studies alleged apparitions

In Brief Pope names new Syrian bishops VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI approved the elections of bishops for the Syrian Catholic Church, including new archbishops for Baghdad and Mosul in Iraq.

The appointments come after increasing violence against Catholic personnel and institutions in Iraq. Named as Syrian-rite archbishop of Baghdad was Father Yousif Mansoor, 59, an Iraqi-born priest now serving in Ontario. Named as Syrian-rite archbishop of Mosul was Iraqi Father Boutros Moshe, 67.

Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

Pope meets with Kurdish leader about Iraqi Christians VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI met privately Feb. 23 with the president of Iraqi Kurdistan to discuss the plight of the Christian minority in Iraq. Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, told the pope his administration would continue to support the thousands of Christians who have relocated there following sectarian violence in the rest of the country.

— Catholic News Service

CNS | Paul Haring

Pilgrims pray around a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Feb. 26. The site is where six village children first claimed to see Mary in June 1981. A Vatican-appointed commission is studying the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje.

MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina — A Vatican-appointed commission is studying the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, but pilgrims keep arriving in the small town. As the 30th anniversary of the alleged apparitions approaches, the town is experiencing a building boom with new hostels, restaurants and shops that cater to pilgrims.

The 11 Franciscan friars assigned to the town’s convent and its sole parish – St. James – are assisted by visiting priests in ministering to the pilgrims and the town’s 3,500 residents, who pack the church even in the winter when pilgrim buses are few and far between. A few hotels and dozens and dozens of family-run hostels offer more than 10,000 beds for pilgrims.

Individuals and members of organized

groups climb the craggy Apparition Hill where six village children said they first saw Mary in June 1981. The pilgrims pray the rosary as they trudge up the hill, careful not to twist their ankles on the slices of rock jutting out of the hillside.

Most of the Medjugorje “seers” have said the apparitions have continued every day for years. Three say they still have visions each day, while the other three see Mary only once a year now. All six are now married and have children.

For years the local bishop, Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno, has said he believes nothing supernatural is happening in Medjugorje.

While the Vatican has said dioceses should not organize official pilgrimages to Medjugorje, it has said Catholics are free to visit the town and pray there, and that the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno and the Franciscans should organize pastoral care for them.

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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ViewPoints

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘From Thy bounty’ Peggy Bowes

Lent through the eyes of the Suffering Servant

Share your favorite Lenten recipes with fellow readers! E-mail the Catholic News Herald your recipe and, if you like, a photo and a brief explanation of why the dish is so meaningful to you. Send your recipe to: catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org.

— Patricia Guilfoyle, editor

I

pass the bathroom mirror in my home and automatically glance at my reflection, once again stopping to stare in fascinated horror. My eyes are red and puffy, surrounded by raccoon-like purple bruises. My nose is bandaged and swollen, recently broken after I unexpectedly fainted and fell flat on my face. Surgery has repaired the damage, but it will be weeks until my appearance returns to normal. As I reluctantly leave the house to run some necessary errands, I grab a baseball cap, pulling it low over my eyes to avoid the shocked stares of strangers. This injury has certainly been a good lesson in humility!

In the car, I pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, and something compels me to meditate on the Holy Face of Jesus. I reflect on Jesus’ appearance during His suffering and Passion and suddenly realize that His face might have looked a bit like mine. The scourging and beatings He endured certainly resulted in swelling and dark bruises. In fact, the prophet Isaiah foretold that the Suffering Servant would cause men to look away as he passed: “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance… and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not… Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 52:14, 53: 3, 10).

I pondered this revelation, wondering how I could use my temporarily altered appearance as an aid to grow spiritually.

I certainly don’t expect strangers who stare at my broken nose to suddenly see the face of Christ, but I can look at others as if through the swollen and bruised eyes of the Savior. Jesus did not judge or condemn a single person He encountered on His long trek to Calvary. On the contrary, He begged, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

I don’t think it is a coincidence that my healing and recovery will occur during Lent, and I ask you to join me in setting a Lenten goal to view through the eyes of Jesus everyone we encounter. Smile at the annoying woman talking too loudly on her cell phone. Say a quick prayer for the rude driver who cuts you off. Put down your newspaper and listen attentively to your child’s rambling account of his day at school. We often do little things for Lent like give up chocolate or beer or some other temporary thing – small sacrifices that don’t really change our hearts and minds. This year try something truly challenging by practicing each day to become more Christ-like. Read the Gospels and reflect on the words and wisdom that Jesus taught, then imitate His virtues.

My hope and prayer is that by Easter, we can all look in the mirror and echo the words of St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

Peggy Bowes is a member of Holy Angels Church in Mt. Airy and the author of “The Rosary Workout” (rosaryworkout.com).

Mushroom Stroganoff

Riz National

Senegalese Stew

This is a popular dish from Haiti.

Distributed by Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl, it enables us to appreciate the culture of others who don’t have as much as we enjoy here in America.

This stew, based on a recipe from Senegal, is from Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl.

1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 tbsp. oil 1 cup rice, uncooked 2 cans kidney beans, drained 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. oregano 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 2 1/2 cups water Preheat oven to 350°F. Fry onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until tender. In a separate bowl, combine and mix all remaining ingredients. Add the onion mixture to the bowl and stir well.

Pour mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish. Cover and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about an hour. Stir before serving.

Makes 4-5 servings.

1/4 cup oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 4 tbsp. tomato paste 4 cups water 1 vegetable bouillon cube 1/2 cup blackeyed peas (pre-soaked) 2 carrots, chopped 1 sweet potato, chopped 1/4 tsp. hot pepper 1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked) Fry garlic and onions in oil until tender.

Add tomato paste and mix thoroughly.

Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil.

Add bouillon cube, black-eyed peas, carrots, sweet potato and hot pepper.

Boil until peas are tender. Add rice and boil 10 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Do not stir until the very end.

Makes 4-5 servings.

10 oz. uncooked spinach fettuccine 2 tbsp. butter 32 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms 2 medium onions, chopped 1 small red pepper, finely chopped 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 cups vegetable broth 4 tbsp. tomato paste 1 cup sour cream 1 envelope onion soup mix Melt butter in large saucepan until sizzling. Add mushrooms, onion, red pepper and garlic.

Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are tender. Stir flour, onion soup mix and pepper into mushroom mixture. Stir in vegetable broth and tomato paste. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Keep warm.

Stir sour cream into mushroom mixture. Continue cooking until mixture is heated through, but do not boil.

Serve mushroom mixture over home-cooked noodles.

Makes 4-6 servings.

— Carol Cerar of Charlotte, who received this recipe from a friend and has found it to be hugely popular during Lent. “This is absolutely the best. You don’t miss the meat in this recipe at all,” she says.

March 4, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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Letter to the editor

Rico De Silva

“

A man for all seasons

Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man...’” (2 Sam 12:7) This was not exactly an exultation of King David’s manhood – that’s how the prophet Nathan rebuked David in the Old Testament for setting up Uriah the Hittite to be killed in battle. David could then take Uriah’s wife Bathsheba as his wife. David had committed adultery with her, resulting in her pregnancy.

I attended the first Catholic men’s conference at Charlotte Catholic High School a couple of weeks ago. And although I hadn’t been unfaithful to my wife or ordered another man’s hit, the Holy Spirit called me out at the conference for not having been the man I thought I was.

Before attending the conference, I was convinced that I was a man of prayer, a loving husband and father. Well, the keynote speaker, Father Larry Richards of the Diocese of Erie, Pa., showed me that I had been suffering from an acute case of selfdeception. My prayer life had been filled with selfinterest, and I had constantly placed myself before God and my family.

His message was overdue for a lot of us present, and I wish every Catholic man in the Diocese of Charlotte had attended that conference.

The Charlotte At one point, Father Catholic men’s Larry asked us if we would conference lay down our lives for our Feb. 19 drew upon wives and families and the Knights of take a bullet for them if an Columbus program intruder were to invade “Fathers for our homes. We all said yes.

Good.” To learn His response was, “Well, more, go online to the world, the flesh and the fathersforgood.org. devil want to get to your And, video from the wife and kill your family. conference will be And you have to tell them, posted online soon ‘You have to get through at cltcmc.org. me to get to them.’”

That did it for me. I came to see that a real man prays and loves. A real man builds his day on God and arms himself for battle with the shield of God’s grace in the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist, in that order. A real man picks up the sword of the Word of God by reading and meditating on the Scriptures daily. A real man loves by laying down his life for others in service, and he places God first, others second and himself last. A real man strives to become a saint by dying to himself and embracing his cross on a daily basis. That’s the kind of man Father Larry preached about during the conference, and that’s the kind of man I pray to become.

There’s a real battlefield out there for men, and it’s time for us to step up spiritually and become relevant in our Catholic households and in society again. Not by lording it over, but by us becoming servant-leaders.

God expects us to be “the man” – the man our wives and families deserve.

For more

Rico De Silva is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.

Men called to emulate the amount of effort that women laity give As one of the organizers of the first Charlotte Catholic men’s conference, several men have been approaching me wanting to share with the world their profound spiritual experience at the event and how it moved them into deeper relationships with Christ. The big story of the conference, in my opinion, was the sacraments. Men became aware of their sinfulness, and in many cases waited in line more than one hour to make heartfelt confessions. Six-hundred and fifty men fervently sang in praise together, actively participated in Mass, and knelt before our Lord in Adoration. Testimonials have been pouring in about men who have re-committed themselves to Christ, begun to read the Bible, begun to pray daily, and have written love letters to their spouses as Father Larry Richards encouraged them to do. Women are also praising the conference as they have seen marked changes in their husbands. The Holy Spirit was truly present that day!

In my humble opinion, all the speakers, organizers and participants highly celebrated the enthusiastic involvement of women in our Church as an example to men. Father Richards’ message was a wake-up call to men to emulate the amount of passion and spirituality that our women laity give to our Church and the spiritual needs of our families. And with men and women being equal in dignity and different in roles, our Church is suffering from the absence of men laity responding to the calling God has given them as husbands, fathers and spiritual leaders called to die for their families as Christ died for the Church.

The fruits of the challenge given to men at the conference continue to manifest as we see growing evidence of men responding to that challenge. My prayer for the second annual men’s conference is that more than 1,000 men come to the conference and come to know Christ in a deeper way. We will continue to work in solidarity with the women to encourage the men on their spiritual journeys. As a core team, we will continue to entrust all our efforts to the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of the Church. The conference was recorded and will soon be available in its entirety. We invite all to get a copy!

Dan Trapini is a member of the Charlotte Catholic men’s conference core team.

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

Patricia Guilfoyle

Men’s conference should encourage us all to do more in our parishes

T

he Feb. 25 cover article “Confronted by faith: First Catholic men’s conference calls men to lead” has prompted strong reactions from a few readers, and I would like to summarize the feedback and respond.

No one disputes the fact that the men’s conference was a good opportunity for the men of the diocese to gather and examine how to deepen or reawaken their spirituality.

Father Larry Richards of Erie, Pa., author of “Be a Man!” and other very popular books, was invited to the diocese to take part in this first-ever conference geared exclusively for men. As any good inspirational speaker does, Father Richards encouraged, cajoled, berated and joked with men to get across the message that they must take on more active roles in their families and parishes.

Father Richards also noted the “feminization of the Church,” a loaded term which describes the result of several changes in the Church over the past 40 years: expanded responsibilities for the laity created by Vatican II; higher numbers of women in lay ministry leadership; an unprecedented reliance on women to manage daily parish operations and lead increasingly professionalized social service agencies; declining numbers of clergy and men religious; and the dwindling popularity of men’s social organizations among younger men.

What I’ve heard from readers is that the conference or our coverage appeared to attack the role of women in the Church. A main point of the conference was about men becoming the spiritual leaders God has called them to be.

Women have taken on greater roles in the Church than ever before, and that’s an incredibly important and timely gift of Vatican II. But it’s also true that in many parishes, men have sat back, reluctant or disinterested in parish life.

As Dan Trapini, one of the conference organizers, emphasizes, the men’s conference was designed to inspire men in Charlotte to do more.

“Men have a great responsibility to be the spiritual heads of their families and to provide for and protect their wives and children. With the culture of death so rampant in our society and so many attacks on the family, this is such an important and difficult job today,” he wrote in an e-mail describing the reasons for this conference. “Men also have spiritual needs and struggles that are very different from women, and our Church often has few ministries that directly address men.”

The conference did not intend to ignite a battle of the sexes, and there is no dispute over who runs the Church or who should run the Church. It is God’s Church. We can all do more to serve God, and the men’s conference was a good first step in inspiring – and provoking – men to answer God’s call. I hope this conference, and the discussion sparked from it, encourage us all to take a close look at what we do in our own parishes. We should all ask, “What more can I do for You, Lord?”

Patricia Guilfoyle is editor of the Catholic News Herald.

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charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | March 4, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ABORTION FROM PAGE 3

“I didn’t know where to start,” she recalls, “so I prayed and asked people I knew at the church.”

She then became active with the Respect Life Committee at her parish, “which is a great opportunity for parishioners to get involved.”

Her work with the Respect Life Committee led her to a fund-raising banquet for Room at the Inn. At the banquet, she says, “I was excited to see that there were so many people who care about the pro-life issue.” She listened as the banquet’s keynote speaker “challenged the audience to simply take a step into the pro-life movement, letting God take care of the rest.” Afterwards, she told her table host that she felt God was calling her to do more. Her table host mentioned that the Charlotte Right to Life was looking for someone to head up the committee and asked her if she would be interested.

Capen took on the responsibility and while she was with Charlotte Right to Life, the organization conducted billboard pro-life campaigns, started

the “Life is Sweet” event (a fund-raiser for Charlotte Right to Life), and focused on teaching people more about the pro-life cause. She also served on a committee for 40 Days for Life.

Capen admits to the difficulties of being active in the pro-life movement while working and raising a family. However, she has found it “encouraging being around so many nice people who are active in an arena where there’s nothing in it for them. It’s a completely selfless act to advocate for the unborn.” For example, she points out, “if you’re active in making sandwiches for the homeless, you get immediate gratification in helping the person. But pro-life efforts don’t always produce results right away, if at all.”

Yet advocating for the unborn is fulfilling, she says, and the “great thing is that people can get involved as much or as little as they want: by helping out pro-life organizations like Room at the Inn and 40 Days for Life, or even just putting a bumper sticker on your car and not being afraid to be a light in a culture of death. Let people know that you are pro-life, work as missionaries right here in our own area for something that we know is important, and pray. These are things that everyone can do.”

In Brief Your old furniture could help a new family CHARLOTTE — The Refugee Resettlement Office of Catholic Social Services is in critical need of couches, loveseats, chairs, end tables and coffee tables, dining tables, and lamps to furnish apartments for arriving refugees.

The economic downturn has hurt their usual rate of donations, and they would appreciate any assistance. Call Mary Jane Bruton at 704-370-3283 and leave a message listing the items to donate, your complete address and telephone number, or e-mail the same information to maryjane.bruton@gmail.com. Pickup is available for large items.

‘Fertile ground for God’s work’ CHARLOTTE — Start off the Lenten

season with a special program about growing your faith, featuring Father Christopher Roux, rector of St. Patrick Cathedral, and Billie Mobley, founder of the Te Deum Foundation, on Thursday, March 10. Sponsored by Catholics United for the Faith, the program will begin at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Family Life Center, followed by a Q&A session. Light refreshments will be served. For details, contact Elizabeth Keating at ewkeating4@aol.com, Mary Sample at marysample5@aol.com, or call 704-341-9292.

Eagle Scout rank earned GREENSBORO — Craig Alley, a student at Western Guilford High School and a member of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro, earned his Eagle Scout rank on Dec. 14. A reception in his honor will be held this month.

We welcome your parish’s news. E-mail items to Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at plguilfoyle@ charlottediocese.org.