April 15, 2011 by Catholic News Herald

April 15, 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

Witnesses to God’s love Hundreds of youth attend 2011 Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage at Belmont Abbey College, 10-11

St. Helen Mission

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

This small church in Spencer Mountain welcomes everyone,

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HOLY WEEK APPROACHES The rituals and ceremonies celebrate Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, His Passion, Death and Resurrection,

Father Matthew Buettner and Father Patrick Winslow: “A servant is not greater than his master,”

Oct. 22 set as beloved pope’s feast day Anniversary of start of his papacy to be Blessed John Paul II’s feast,

Calendar 4 Diocese 3-8

FAITH 2

mix 14-15 nation & World 16-17 Schools 12-13

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

Our faith

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

HOLY WEEK: April 17-23 H

Good Friday

oly Week is the week which precedes the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. From the Church’s earliest times, the week has been filled with commemorations of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His Passion, death and Resurrection.

This is the day of Christ’s Passion, death and burial, now primarily celebrated by a service combining a number of features. First are the reading of three sets of lessons followed by “bidding prayers.” Secondly, there is the Adoration of the Cross. The dramatic unveiling and adoration of the Cross, introduced into the Latin Liturgy in the seventh or eighth century, originated in the Church in Jerusalem, where a relic of the True Cross was venerated. In the “Peregrinatio Sylviæ,” (written from 378 to 394), that early ceremony is described: “Then a chair is placed for the Bishop in Golgotha behind the Cross ... a table covered with a linen cloth is placed before him; the Deacons stand around the table, and a silver-gilt casket is brought in which is the wood of the holy Cross. The casket is opened and (the wood) is taken out, and both the wood of the Cross and the Title are placed upon the table. Now, when it has been put upon the table, the Bishop, as he sits, holds the extremities of the sacred wood firmly in his hands, while the Deacons who stand around guard it. It is guarded thus because the custom is that the people, both faithful and catechumens, come one by one and, bowing down at the table, kiss the sacred wood and pass on.”

Palm Sunday The sixth and last Sunday of Lent and beginning of Holy Week commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The main ceremonies are the benediction of the palms, the procession, the Mass and the singing of the Passion. The blessing of palms and the Palm Sunday procession date back to the earliest Church in Jerusalem. Palm branches have always been symbols of joy and victory, and in Christianity, as a sign of victory over the flesh and the world according to Psalm 91:13, “Justus ut palma florebit.” The blessed palms are taken home by the faithful and used as a sacramental. Blessed palms are also burned to make ashes for the next year’s Ash Wednesday. Every great feast was in some way a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and was called “Pascha.” “Pascha” really comes from a Hebrew word meaning “passage” (of the destroying angel at Passover), but the Greeks took it to be identical with “paschein” (“to suffer”). From the custom of also blessing flowers and entwining them among the palms arose the term “Dominica Florida,” or “Flower Sunday.” One notable bit of trivia: Related terms are “Pascha floridum,” or “Pascua florida” in Spanish – and it was from this Spanish term for Palm Sunday that Florida received its name on that day in 1512. The Gospel of the Passion is also read during the Palm Sunday Mass. As on Good Friday, and on the Tuesday and the Wednesday of Holy Week, the Passion is sung by three deacons who impersonate respectively the Evangelist (“Chronista”), Jesus, and the other speakers (“Synagoga”). This division of the Passion among three characters is very ancient, and it is even indicated by rubrical notes in early manuscripts of the Gospel.

Holy Saturday

Holy (Maundy) Thursday

“Christ Carrying the Cross” (circa 1580s) by El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) who lived from 1541 to 1614.

The oldest of the Holy Week observances, this day commemorates the institution of the Eucharist. Holy Thursday consists of a succession of joyful ceremonies: reconciliation of penitents, consecration of the holy oils (the “Missa chrismalis,” or “Chrism Mass”), washing of the feet (“pedilavium”), and commemoration of the Blessed Eucharist. “Maundy” derives from “Mandatum” (the first word of the Office of the Washing of the Feet). This marks the central rite of the day. (Note: to learn more about the foot-washing ritual, see page 19.) On that day Mass and Communion typically followed the evening meal. In the early Church in Rome, everything was carried on in daylight, whereas in Africa on Holy Thursday the Eucharist

was celebrated after the evening meal, in view of more exact conformity with the circumstances of the Last Supper. This early tradition survives to the present time in that the clergy do not offer Mass privately but are directed to Communicate together at the public Mass, like guests at one table. Also on Holy Thursday the ringing of bells ceases until the Easter Vigil, the altar is stripped, and candles remain unlit – outwardly demonstrating the sense of the Church’s bereavement during the time of Christ’s Passion and burial. The observance of silence during these three days dates at least from the eighth century, and in Anglo-Saxon times they were known as “the still days.”

Holy Saturday is also known as Great (or Grand) Saturday, the Angelic Night, and the Easter Vigil. It is not like Maundy Thursday, a day of joy, but one of joy and sadness intermingled; it is the close of the penitential season of Lent, and the beginning of paschal time, which is one of rejoicing. Its essential feature is the baptism of the catechumens, who have been preparing during Lent to enter the Church. The Easter Vigil opens with the blessing of the paschal fire and the lighting of lamps and the paschal candle. St. Cyril of Jerusalem said this night was as bright as day, and Emperor Constantine in Rome added unprecedented splendor with a profusion of lamps and enormous torches, so that not only churches, but houses, streets and squares were ablaze with light symbolic of the Risen Christ. The Holy Saturday ceremony has lost much of the significance it enjoyed in the early Christian centuries, owing to the irresistible tendency to celebrate it earlier in the evening. Originally it was held only in the late hours of Saturday and barely ending before midnight. To this day, however, the brevity of the Easter Mass preserves a memorial of the fatigue of that “watch-night” that ended the austerities of Lent. Finally, the Vigil Mass, with its joyous “Gloria,” at which the bells are again rung, the uncovering of the veiled statues and pictures, and the triumphant “Alleluias,” which mark nearly every step of the liturgy, proclaim the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. — Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, online at newadvent.org

Your daily Scripture readings SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 17 - APRIL 23

Sunday (Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion), Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14-27:66; Monday, Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11; Tuesday, Isaiah 49:1-6, John 13:21-33, 3638; Wednesday, Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25; Thursday (Holy Thursday), Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15; Friday (Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion), Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42; Saturday (Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil), Exodus 14:15-15:1, Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18, Romans 6:3-11, Matthew 28:1-10

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 24 - APRIL 30

Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord), Acts 10:34, 37-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-9; Monday, Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday, Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday, Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday, Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday, Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday, Acts 4:1321, Mark 16:9-15

Our parishes

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

In Brief Living ‘Way of the Cross’ planned at St. John Neumann CHARLOTTE — St. John Neumann Church will present a living “Way of the Cross” at 7 p.m. on Good Friday, April 22. Reflecting the universal nature of the salvation promised by Our Lord to those who embrace His Cross, the devotion will be in multiple languages and involve participation from the parish’s many cultural groups. All are encouraged and welcome to participate, including those of any denomination or faith tradition. For details, call the parish office at 704-536-6520. — Al Tinson

Living Passion play planned THOMASVILLE — Our Lady of the Highways in Thomasville will present a Passion play on Good Friday, April 22, starting at 4 p.m. For details, contact Delfina Paniagua at 336-8052898 or delfina.p.paniagua@bankofamerica. com.

Madrid set to speak at Colo. men’s conference Patrick Madrid, publisher of Envoy magazine, widely published author of apologetics books and director of the Envoy Institute at Belmont Abbey College, is one of an all-star roster of speakers at the third annual Rocky Mountain Catholic Men’s Conference May 7 in Colorado Springs, cosponsored by the dioceses of Colorado Springs and Pueblo and the Archdiocese of Denver. Madrid will join Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa, EWTN host and Biblical scholar; Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Benedict Groeschel, internationally known lecturer and retreat master; and Father Larry Richards, founder and president of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation Madrid and author of “Be A Man.” The theme “Aspire, Achieve, Become a Man of God” was chosen for the conference because it reflects a desire for men to grow in their spiritual lives and have a greater impact on their families and on the world, said Christian Meert, Colorado Springs diocesan codirector of Marriage and Family Life. “I love going to these and when I get a chance to speak at one, even better,” Madrid said in a recent Catholic Radio Network interview, speaking about the growing men’s conference movement in America. “I very much value what is accomplished for men at these conferences.” — Catholic News Agency

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Shrine to St. Joseph erected in Franklin Elizabeth Guertin Special to the Catholic News Herald

FRANKLIN —More than 70 parishioners gathered at the newly completed St. Joseph shrine on the saint’s feast day March 19 for a Mass and dedication at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin. The shrine is the result of many hours of labor donated by parishioners and local businesses. The white statue of St. Joseph with the child Jesus is housed in a cedar timber frame designed by Marty Mahrt. Stones engraved with the names of the parish’s past priests and the current priest, Father Tien Duong, are encased in the stonework of the shrine. Stones purchased by parishioners in memory of or in honor of fathers and their children are engraved with their names and joined together to form the two pathways that lead to the entrances of the shrine. A handmade wooden sign, by parishioner Ron Brahmer graces the front entrance of the shrine, reads, “St. Joseph, pray for us.” The project was spearheaded by parishioner Julie Tastinger. “Since fathers are the livelihood of our faith, we wanted to have a place where we could honor our fathers as well as the greatest father on earth, St. Joseph. The stones make a subtle but powerful statement that our parish is a large family as well as a part of the larger family of God,” Tastinger said. Father Duong celebrated the Mass with parishioners who had gathered to honor St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus. During his homily, Father Duong emphasized that the readings focused on fathers and the inheritance they leave for their children. “Whether your children are young or are grown, you can show them how to have faith in God and to trust him, even when you do not fully understand where he is leading you,” Father Duong said. The pastor emphasized that we must all give God this same kind of trust and that prayers should be the foundation of our lives, helping our families turn to God in their joys, as well as in times of trouble. “Like St. Joseph, fathers can model their faith in God through their daily actions, showing by example what it means to be followers of

photo provided by Elizabeth Guertin

Father Tien Duong sprinkles holy water during the blessing of a new shrine to St. Joseph at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin. Jesus,” Father Duong said. In concluding the dedication of the shrine, Father Duong encouraged parishioners to use the shrine as a place to honor St. Joseph. “Today is the perfect day for us to be here – first to honor St. Joseph and to say thanks to God through him, and secondly to dedicate this place. It is my hope that this shrine will be a place for everyone to come for meditation or just to let your mind relax in the presence of St. Joseph, striving to be holy and faithful to God,” Father Duong said.

REJOICE AND GIVE THANKS

Easter Sunday collection benefits men called to priesthood SueAnn Howell Staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Easter Sunday, the blessed Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, is a day of rejoicing for Christians for the gift of salvation and eternal life. We thank God for Christ’s resurrection and His tangible presence in our lives in the gift of the Eucharist, blessed and broken in the hands of our priests. Each year on Easter Sunday, the faithful in the Diocese of Charlotte have an opportunity to express our thanks and support for our priests and seminarians, by contributing generously to the second collection taken up specifically to fund the Seminary and

Priests’ Continuing Education programs. Thirteen men from the diocese are currently studying for the priesthood in four seminaries, and they are relying on these funds to pursue their vocation. Deacon Joshua Voitus, who is completing his studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., is set to be ordained to the holy priesthood this June. “The financial support allows us to take the time we need to study, pray and grow in our relationship with Christ without needing to worry about things like housing or tuition. Without the generosity of the people of the diocese, we would be unable to do what we are doing and to return the diocese to serve the Lord and His Church,” Deacon Voitus

said. Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, highlights additional ways the funds are used to help the diocese’s priests throughout the year: “The diocese also sponsors workshops and programs to help keep our priests informed of developments in theology and pastoral practices, thereby enabling them to better serve the faithful.” “It is through your generosity that we are able to meet the escalating cost of education today,” Monsignor West added. “Please be assured of our gratitude for your generous response to the Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education Collection to be taken Easter weekend, April 23-24.”

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 OUR PARISHES

Diocesan calendar BELMONT queen of the apostles CHURCH, 503 n. main st.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events over the next week: April 19 – 10 a.m. Chrism Mass St Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 21 – 7 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte April 22 – 10 a.m. Blessing of the Stations of the Cross St. Joseph Vietnamese Church, Charlotte April 22 – 3 p.m. Celebration of the Lord’s Passion St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, 316 MAIN ST. — Lenten Reconciliation Service, noon April 16

This week’s spotlight: Holy Week Services at St. Basil Eastern Catholic Mission

CHARLOTTE

april 22: Good Friday Matins, 10 a.m. Vespers, 5 p.m.

— Community Seder, Family Life Center, 7:15 p.m. April 18. Reservation required to 704-825-9600.

BRYSON CITY

diocesan pastoral center, 1123 s. church st. — Natural Family Planning Introduction and Full Course, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 21. RSVP required to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN at cssnfp@charlottediocese.org or 704-3703230. OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH, 4207 SHAMROCK DR. — Lenten Reconciliation Service, 3;30-5 p.m. April 16 OUR LADY OF consolation CHURCH, 2301 statesville ave.

The April 1 story, “Jefferson artists release Christian CD,” referred readers to digstation.com and cdbaby.com to obtain copies of “Sung From The Heart” by Jefferson resident Patrick J. Hession. Hession clarifies that to access the CD at either Web site, it is necessary to key in his full name, including middle initial, in the search field.

st. ANN church, 3635 PARK Road

— “The Catholicism Project,” a documentary by Father Robert Barron of Word on Fire Ministry. 6 p.m. May 14. Reservation required to Mike Femenella at 704-321-2879 or online at wordonfire.org/the-catholicism-project/finda-screening.aspx. st. GABRIEL church, 3016 Providence Road — “The Way of the Cross: In the Beginning was the Word,” presented by the Immaculate Heart Central Mystery Players from Watertown, N.Y., 8 p.m. April 17. — Cameron Carpenter (organist) in Concert, 7:30 p.m. May 16 st. john neumann church, 8451 idlewild road — Live Way of the Cross (outdoors, weather permitting), 7 p.m. April 22. Contact parish office at 704-536-6520. ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 Ballantyne Commons pkwy. — Mass in Polish, 3 p.m. April 17. Reconciliation available at 2 p.m. Contact Elizabeth Spytkowski at 704-948-1678.

April 15, 2011 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

HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, 537 N. HWY. 16 — Cancer Support Group, Parish Activity Center, 2-3 p.m. first Thursdays

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

Visit: stbasil.weebly.com Note: St. Basil meets at the Charlotte Catholic High School Chapel, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road in Charlotte

— Divine Mercy Celebration in Honor of the Beatification of Pope John Paul II, 3 p.m. May 1 — “St. Joseph Didn’t Have a Blackberry,” New Life Center Banquet Room, 7-9 p.m. May 16. How do today’s Catholic men balance marriage, kids and jobs and still make time for God? Registration required to Michael Burck at mburck@stmatthewcatholic.org or 704-541-8362 ext. 4. ST. pATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 DILWORTH ROAD E. — Solemn Vespers and Reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary: “The Taking Down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross and His Burial,” with a reflection by Father Christopher Roux 6 p.m. April 17. — 70th Semi-Annual Rosary Rally, 3 p.m. May 22. Children ages 7-17 may participate by calling Tina Witt at 704846-7361. — Eucharistic Adoration, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays ST. peter CHURCH, 507 s. tryon st.

HUNTERSVILLE st. mark church, 14740 STUMPTOWN ROAD — “The Way of the Cross: In the Beginning was the Word,” presented by the Immaculate Heart Central Mystery Players from Watertown, N.Y., 8 p.m. April 16.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 old reid road

EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Denise Onativia 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

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

ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cindi Feerick 704-370-3332, ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org

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.

STAFF WRITER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org HISPANIC COMMUNICATIONS: Carlos Castañeda 704-370-3375, cmcastaneda@charlottediocese.org

SYLVA ST. MARY, MOTHER OF GOD church, 22 BARTLETT ST. — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, communal prayer, and song on Divine Mercy Sunday, 3-4 p.m. May 1 — Bereavement Support Group, 6:30-8 p.m. Mondays through April 18. Contact Colleen Hayes at chayes06@gmail.com or 828-586-0217.

THOMASVILLE OUR LADY OF THE HIGHWAYS CHURCH, 943 BALL PARK ROAD — “The Passion of Jesus,” presented by the Hispanic Ministry, 4 p.m. April 22

WINSTON-SALEM st. benedict the MOOR CHURCH, 1625 E. 12th St. — “Refilling the Cup of Life,” Franciscan Center, 9 a.m.2 p.m. April 16

— Lenten Retreat Closing Session, Biss Hall, 8:30 a.m. April 16. Contact parish office at 704-332-2901.

— The Called and Gifted Workshop: Discover God’s Call for

Volume 20 • Number 20

DENVER

— Lenten Reconciliation Service, 7 p.m. April 18 — Learn About Contemplative Prayer, with speaker Jim Morgan, 7 p.m. April 27

Editor’s note

april 23: Jerusalem Matins, 10 a.m. Great Vespers for Pascha (Easter), 4 p.m. Typica Service for Pascha, 5 p.m.

Your Life, 7-9 p.m. May 13 and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. May 14. Bring your own lunch. Registration required to Andrea Vallandingham at andrea-vall@carolina.rr.com or Pat Rosa at pafrosa@bellsouth.net.

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

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.

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Myanmar peoples attend special Mass

In Brief

— Katie Herzing

Secular Carmelites make promises

KERNERSVILLE — A national pro-life youth group, Students for Life of America, recently named Triad Students for Life its “Group of the Month” in recognition for outstanding outreach and work for the pro-life movement. Triad Students for Life participates in various national programs such as the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Its members host well-known political, educational and religious speakers at monthly meetings, including Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte. The group is also involved with fund raising. To learn more, go to triadstudentsforlife.webs.com. — Annette Tenny

A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS

SueAnn Howell Staff writer

HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church middle school students presented “The Road to Calvary,” a live dramatization of the Stations of the Cross, April 8. Over the course of the evening, participants spent a short time with Jesus Christ on His journey of suffering and ultimately His death on the Cross. Pictured are: (front row, from left) Kendal Bailey, Katie Russell and Olivia Dell; (back row, from left) Ian Reilly, Paul Nikstenas, Liam Reilly and Jackson Masterton.

Triad group gets accolades

Book discussion addresses attitudes then and now

Students dramatize the Passion

ARDEN — Two Secular Discalced Carmelites have made promises of poverty, chastity and obedience to their superiors in the Flower of Carmel OCDS Community, Arden, and of their Order. Mary Ann Poli made her definitive promises and Sheryl M. Peyton made her temporary promises in a ceremony March 12 during a Mass celebrated by Father Anthony Haglof, OCD, at The Snail’s Pace Retreat House in Saluda. Their promises were received on behalf of the community by Elizabeth Pantas, OCDS, the community’s director of formation. For Poli, the taking of her life-long promises was the culmination of an eight-year period of formation in Discalced Carmelite spirituality, discernment regarding her vocation to a Carmelite way of life, and prayer. She serves as the youth minister at St. Barnabas Church in Arden. Peyton now enters a further three-year period of formation, prayer and discernment concerning her vocation to Carmel and in preparation for making her definitive promises. She has already spent three years in the community’s formation program. She serves as the director of religious education for St. Barnabas Church in Arden.

OUR PARISHESI

Patricia Guilfoyle | catholic news herald

Hungering for the Eucharist About 200 members of the Burmese, Chin and Karenni communities from Charlotte and Winston-Salem gathered at St. Joseph Church in Kannapolis April 10 to attend their monthly Mass, celebrated in both English and the Burmese language by Redemptorist Father Vang Cong Tran of St. James the Greater Church in Concord. The once-monthly Mass is designed to affirm the Myanmar peoples in the celebration of their faith in their own culture and language. Some of them just arrived in the U.S. as recently as two months ago. Many of the recent refugees attend other Christian churches close to home, but “they hunger for the Eucharist,” Father Tran noted. They often lack transportation and don’t speak much English – making it difficult for them to practice their Catholic faith in this new country that has welcomed them. During Mass, Father Tran told the people that Christ loves them and shares in their suffering, and he urged them to love one another and to share their faith. “It’s a blessing to see them attend Mass in their own language,” he said afterwards, adding that a lot needs to be done to catechize the young people and help the faithful to receive the sacraments. The Mass was followed by a dinner at St. James Church that showcased Myanmar music and Vietnamese food, with donations benefitting Father Tran’s upcoming mission to the Montagnard people in Vietnam. The Viet Toc Foundation welcomes donations to provide spiritual, educational and medical assistance to the Montagnards. For more information about how you can help the Myanmar community, call Father Tran at the St. James parish office at 704-720-0600.

St. Vincent youth ‘Fast for the Poor’ More than 35 youth group members of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte participated in a “Fast for the Poor” retreat March 25-26. The youth fasted from noon on Friday until after the 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday. The retreat included Eucharistic Adoration, confession, spiritual reflections, journal writing, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, and assisting the Missionaries of the Poor in Monroe. The youth enjoyed a post-fast feast that was “catered” by their parents.

Photo provided by Ruben Tamayo

CHARLOTTE — The Social Justice Ministry at St. Peter Church in Charlotte hosted a discussion on the book “From Every End of this Earth,” April 10. The book, written by bestselling author, journalist and political analyst Steven Roberts, tells the story of 13 immigrant families who came to America for a variety of reasons, and examines what it means to be an immigrant today. More than 40 people attended the book discussion at the parish, three of whom are immigrants themselves. Parishioner Frances D’Amato organized the event and led the discussion. “The book was chosen because it made for a good follow-up to this year’s Kennedy Lecture that focused on immigration,” said Bob Cook, cocoordinator of the Social Justice Ministry at the parish. “From Every End of this Earth” profiles immigrants from China and Afghanistan, Mexico and Sierra Leone who have journeyed to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream. It focuses how in some ways, the experience has never changed – all newcomers feel the pain of separation. In other ways, it has changed drastically – families maintain strong business ties to their home countries and speak daily with their relatives on cell phones. The discussion is one of many programs offered at St. Peter Church. For more information about the Social Justice Ministry, go to stpeterscatholic.org/ social_justice_com.

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 OUR PARISHES

St. Helen in the spotlight St. Helen Mission was featured in the Fall 2010 issue of “The Catholic Extension Photo Issue: Our Journey Across America.” See the full article online at catholicextension.org/ site/files/667/83085/ 301944/508269/ EXTENSIONmagazine_ Fall2010. The Catholic Extension has supported mission dioceses across the U.S. since 1905. The Catholic Extension has distributed nearly $500 million to communities across America throughout its history. Learn more about how you can help support their efforts by going online to catholicextension.org.

ST. HELEN MISSION

A small Christopher Lux n Intern

‘Down-home people’ Sallie Rollinson grew up Methodist. She recalls seeing nuns as a child, “but I didn’t know who they were or where they were from.” Raising five children on her own was difficult, and, she says, “I got away from the church. You got to have a car and money to get all your kids dressed on Sunday.” Then, 44 years ago, a neighbor offered to give her a ride to a nearby Catholic church. Although she was not Catholic, Rollinson took advantage of the opportunity to attend the Sunday service. She crammed her family into her neighbor’s car and rode to a small historically black Catholic church in Spencer Mountain, a small town near Gastonia. At St. Helen Mission, she was welcomed by a congregation of “down-home people filled with the Spirit” and a caring priest from Belmont Abbey. Father Matthew McSorley served at St. Helen on and off for more than 40 years before retiring in 1991. Rollinson says the priest played a vital role in her continuing to attend St. Helen. She praises him as “one of the greatest priest I ever met.” When she went to her first Mass, she found that “everyone in the church was welcoming when I came. Father Matthew followed up on it and came out to my house to visit me and my kids. “He was good to the whole congregation and treated us like we were white; people are people, just different colors.”

‘Brothers and sisters’

This photo depicts some of the members of St. Helen Mission around the year 1918, not long after the church was built by the monks of Belmont Abbey.

belmont Abbey Archives

The African American Affairs Ministry of the Diocese of Charlotte lists St. Helen Mission as a “black parish.” It is one of only three historically black churches in the diocese; the other two are Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte and St. Benedict the Moor in Winston-Salem. What makes St. Helen unique is its history. Rollinson sums up the racial history of the church: “It was white, then it was black, now it’s mixed.” But, she says, the church’s spirit has remained the same: “I don’t think it changed anything. The only thing different is that now I have brothers and sisters who are black and white.” St. Helen was built in 1914 from a design by Michael McInerney, a priest and architect of Belmont Abbey. The monastery’s intention was to accommodate the handful of Catholic families in Spencer Mountain, building a church to welcome all people – despite

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

OUR PARISHESI

church to welcome everyone ‘Come on!” says St. Helen parishioner Sallie Rollinson. “We’re all one big happy family.” the rampant racial segregation of the day. Segregation did not escape the small church community over the years, but descendants of those original families continue to keep the parish alive and welcoming to all. Monsignor Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the Charlotte diocese, celebrates Mass at St. Helen most Sunday mornings. He points out, “It was never meant to be a ‘black church’ or a ‘white church.’ It has always been open to everyone.” Abbot Leo Haid, the first abbot of Belmont Abbey, built the church with no segregation policy. He intended to serve a particular area, not race. However, after St. Helen was dedicated Oct. 4, 1914, it proved to be, in terms of attendance, a mission primarily used by white people.

their children baptized.” A father of 24 children, he was so enthusiastic about his new-found faith that many of his friends and neighbors entered the Church as well. His conversion is said to have brought hundreds of friends, neighbors and family members into the Church. After being baptized by a Belmont Abbey priest and brought into the Catholic faith, Robert Gardin wanted to attend St. Helen. However, the white church members apparently would not allow black people to worship with them. As a result, he and other black Catholics celebrated Mass in a small building nearby. Every Sunday, two Masses were said at Spencer Mountain – one for the white people and another for the black people in the small building down the hill near a creek.

Catholic dreams

‘The white people left’

St. Helen, though small, is set apart from other churches in that it played a vital role in bringing hundreds of Carolinians to the Church. Furthermore, it might be one of the few Catholic churches that was populated by the children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews and neighbors of one man. In 1917, Robert Gardin, who was then a Baptist, had a dream in which St. Peter told him he belonged in the Catholic faith. In a 1988 Gaston Gazette article, Clara Gardin, Robert’s sister-in-law, recalled Robert’s dream: He dreamed he was standing at the gate of heaven. “St. Peter was sitting in this big black chair,” she said. “He told Uncle Robert he couldn’t get by, that he was in the wrong place. He just told him that the Catholic Church was the one he was supposed to be in.” Robert Gardin woke up and told his family that he wanted to be Catholic. Clara Gardin said, “His mother wanted to be a Catholic right away, but his father was kind of hard toward the idea. But eight of his brothers and sisters became Catholics, and they had

The black chapel near the creek flooded frequently after heavy rains. So, the Abbey priest, Father Melchoir Reichert, in accordance with Abbot Haid’s absence of a segregation policy, invited the black people into the dry church on the hill. Anna Bell Gardin, who is now the oldest member of St. Helen, married into both the Gardin family and into Catholicism. When she married her husband, Edward Gardin, at 19, she was told the story about how the mission became an all-black church. “They used to have two churches and two priests would come,” she said. “They had the church up top and a building down below.” Then, when Father Reichert attempted to integrate the races, “the white people left.” From then on, St. Helen remained a predominantly black church.

Continuing of the mission Except for the period from 1926 to 1934, when St. Helen was a weekend assignment, there was a regular ministerial presence at the church. Priests from the Abbey continued

Photo courtesy of The Catholic Extension

Sallie Rollinson first entered St. Helen Church 41 years ago as a mother who was raising five children on her own and facing difficult times. A Protestant at the time, she walked into the doors of the church and felt the presence of God. Today, she considers the Catholic faith and the parishioners of St. Helen her family. to staff the church after Gaston County was absorbed into the Diocese of Raleigh in 1960 and into the Diocese of Charlotte when it was carved out of the Raleigh diocese in 1972. The parish has been a mission of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont and St. Michael Church in Gastonia. St. Helen is now led by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars, who also staff Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte. Deacon Guy Piché, the diocesan director of properties, has served as the mission’s permanent deacon since 2002. Deacon Piché attended St. Helen as a parishioner before being appointed its permanent deacon. Rollinson recalls, “He came to Mass here a whole year before we knew he was a deacon.” When he was appointed, the congregation was especially thrilled to learn that Deacon Piché’s wife is an organist who was willing to play music at Mass. Deacon Piché now assists Monsignor West at Sunday Mass and also tends to the needs of the church.

‘One big happy family’ St. Helen is among the smallest missions in the Diocese of Charlotte, with only about 35 registered families. Today, it is even smaller than it once was because, Anna Bell Gardin says, “some of them don’t come like they used to. Some have moved away and some started attending other churches in the diocese.” Rollinson too, understands that a lot of the members “just moved on – even my children moved on.” Both women of St. Helen Mission appreciate the “good crowd we have now,” but they hope more Catholics will “come home.” They and the other members of St. Helen Mission are ready to welcome more people, black or white: “Come on!” Rollinson says. “We’re all one big happy family.”

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 OUR PARISHES

PROFILE OF LIFE 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.

Local activist is now international educator Annette Tenny CorRespondent

WINSTON-SALEM — Though she laughs at the suggestion, Winston-Salem psychiatrist Dr. Martha Shuping is in the “big leagues” when it comes to the pro-life movement. From abstinence to abortion recovery, from parish coordinator to researcher and published author, she has been involved in nearly every aspect of the cause. She maintains her private practice, but her research, clinical experience and desire to educate has propelled her to a national audience.

Throughout the 1980s, Shuping worked for Birthright of Winston-Salem, a local chapter of Birthright International, the Canadabased crisis pregnancy organization, first as its assistant director and later as director. In the 1990s she brought psychologist Dr. Theresa Burke to the Diocese of Charlotte to conduct training workshops for priests and professional counselors. Burke is the founder of Rachel’s Vineyard, which organizes retreats designed to assist those seeking healing after abortion. In conjunction with the Diocese of Charlotte Respect Life Office, Shuping piloted the first local Rachel’s Vineyard retreat, then went on to manage and direct

training for the retreats in both North and South Carolina over the next 10 years. In 2001 Shuping began publishing research about the serious mental health issues that women face after having an abortion. She also co-wrote the selfShuping help book, “The Four Steps to Healing,” for women struggling with post-abortion recovery, and she began traveling to Ireland, England and Taiwan to establish Rachel’s Vineyard retreat teams. In 2005 Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, invited her to talk at the United Nations. C-FAM works with activists, academia, diplomats and others involved with reproductive public policy on an international level. Ruse wanted to organize a group of educators and researchers to build awareness about pro-abortion activities at the UN – people who could educate and inform UN delegates and others about the serious mental and physical health issues women face after abortion.

Since then, Shuping has been forefront of spreading awareness and encouraging more research about the mental health issues women face after abortion, including clinical depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Last month, Shuping attended the UN’s 55th annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. During this twoweek conference, she helped organize three workshops, two of which were co-organized with the Family Research Council. A fiveminute video from the conference can be found in the Favorites section of the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube Channel. The video, Shuping said, “includes some very short clips from the workshops, plus snippets from interviews with myself and some of the other speakers.” Shuping said that she would like to broaden her work in the future. She is working on a music video to encourage abstinence, as well as a film project dealing with the emotional aftermath of abortion. “I think the arts have a capability to reach places with people where logic and research may not necessarily connect,” Shuping said. Learn more about Shuping’s pro-life educational activities at rachelnetwork.org.

Photo provided by Georgianna Penn

Prayer warriors for life Shawn Carney (second from left), this year’s director for the national 40 Days for Life campaign, visited Winston-Salem April 5 and participated in a sidewalk vigil outside a local abortion facility as part of the 40 Days for Life spring campaign. Carney is executive director of the Coalition for Life and executive producer and host of the EWTN series “Being HUMAN.” The campaign continues until April 17. To learn more or participate throughout the Diocese of Charlotte, go online to 40daysforlife.org.

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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Father Matthew Buettner

We must prepare ourselves for Mass ‘Dignum et iustum est’

n a homily given by Pope John Paul II just months before his death, the Holy Father designated the time between Oct. 17, 2004, and Oct. 29, 2005, as “The Year of the Eucharist.” During that year, we commemorated and devoted ourselves more faithfully to Our Lord, who is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. We benefit greatly by contemplating the tremendous mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the gift of the Holy Eucharist. In doing so, we are not about to explain away the mystery that has physically, spiritually and intellectually nourished the Church for 2,000 years. Our task is to discover, or rather, to rediscover the fruits of our redemption purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf and expressed most profoundly in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In these reflections, we are going to penetrate more deeply into the mystery of the Sacrifice of the Mass and the sacrament of the altar. Why do we go to Mass? We go to Mass because God obliges us, commands us, and even demands our presence at Mass each week. He is the benevolent King who imposes a weekly summons on His subjects to enter His holy court. Recall that for thousands of years, ever since God led the Israelites, His people, from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land, He has commanded His chosen people to “keep holy the Sabbath.” For the Jews, this meant the strict observance of rest from labor. Man is to imitate God, His Creator, who rested from the six days of work on the seventh day. And on this Sabbath day (“Sabbath” literally means “seventh”), man is to recall the goodness of God in delivering His people from slavery, to remember God’s covenant with His people, and to praise, worship and adore God. And for Christians, we recall the fulfillment of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ, who releases man from the spiritual bondage of sin and death. Man is still obliged by God to “keep holy the Sabbath” even though the Sabbath for Christians is not marked on Saturday, the seventh day, but Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection – the first day of the new creation, the “eighth day.” So essential is keeping “holy the Sabbath day” that the first precept of the Church is to “attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.” Failure to do so without a good mitigating reason is considered grave matter and can separate us from God. So why does God oblige us to attend Mass? Ultimately, there are two reasons. First, “dignum et iustum est”: “It is right and just.” The Mass teaches us the ultimate reason for attending the Mass is that God deserves it. All that we are and all that we have been given is a gratuitous gift from God. We cannot earn His love; we cannot merit His grace; we cannot purchase life without end. All is a divine gift. Therefore, we are fundamentally in debt to God. And since God creates us for Himself, to honor Him, to adore Him, and

to serve Him alone, we are bound by the duty of justice to offer Him the greatest sacrifice of praise that is humanly possible. Justice demands that God, who is perfect, receive a perfect sacrifice of praise. But man, estranged from God since the original sin of Adam and Eve, is essentially incapable of offering a perfect sacrifice; that is, until God became man and offered Himself on our behalf. We not only render to God the praise He is due at Mass, but we do so principally through Jesus Christ, the High Priest. At Mass, we unite ourselves with the worship of the Son unto the Father in the Holy Spirit. By recalling the events of Christ’s Passion, death and Resurrection, we are truly present at Calvary, present when Christ offered the one perfect sacrifice of His Body and Blood to the Father and then offered the fruits of His sacrifice to you and me. Christ’s sacrifice is the perfect expression of divine justice and divine mercy. And in recalling these same events day after day, week after week, year after year, we approach our goal – eternal salvation.

‘According to the mode of the receiver’ By participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we hope to attain the two-fold purpose or goal of the Mass: 1) to give glory to God by praising, adoring and worshipping the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit, and 2) receiving the fruits of Christ’s Passion, death and Resurrection in Holy Communion. In short, we come to Mass prepared to give and to receive: the two reciprocal parts of any relationship of love. And like any relationship, our relationship with God, expressed so fully and completely through the Mass, requires time, effort, dedication and preparation. Throughout the Middle Ages, there was a common philosophical principle chiefly articulated by Scholasticism: “What is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.” What does this mean? Suppose there are two identical windows in the same room. One of them is dusty and dirty. The other window is clean and clear. Given that the sun is shining outside, which window will allow more light to pass through and brighten the room? This example demonstrates the principle that “what is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.” In this case, there is an objective reality: the light of the sun. The sun passes through the receiver differently, depending upon the receptivity or disposition of the receiver. Similarly, there is an objective reality, an objective truth in the Mass, that by divine power, through the instrumentation of the priest acting “in persona Christi” (“in the person of Christ”), bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. This truth does not depend upon individual belief, just as the fact that the sky is blue is independent of individual belief. However, the graces we receive from this sacrament depend upon our readiness to receive them. We receive grace to the extent that we are prepared to receive.

Learn more This is part 15 of a year-long series featuring the revised translation of the Third Missal. For more resources, check out the U.S. bishops’ extensive material online at usccb.org/romanmissal. Grace is not magic. Grace is not automatic. Assisting at the Holy Mass is not at all like using a vending machine: We show up, put a little money in the collection, and receive Holy Communion and grace. No. This is not the kind of giving and receiving characteristic of loving relationships. Since the graces we receive depend upon our receptivity, our disposition, our readiness, how should we prepare for Mass? First, we must be in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion. That does not mean that we have to be perfect. But we must not be conscious of any mortal sins. If a person is conscious of committing mortal sins, he must first go to the sacrament of reconciliation before he can enjoy the graces of Holy Communion. If he receives Holy Communion conscious of mortal sins, he commits a further sin of sacrilege. And so, as St. Paul states in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” On the other hand, if we receive worthily, in a state of grace, along with the Body and Blood of Christ, we also receive immense graces, numerous blessings – we receive the gift of our redemption. The light of God’s grace can only penetrate into the soul insofar as the soul is purified. Besides approaching the sacred mysteries in a state of grace, we can also prepare for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with prayer. Prayer establishes the ongoing communication that we need to give and receive during the Mass. The holy exchange of gifts in the Mass is accomplished through the exercise of prayer, through speaking to God and listening to Him. And so, this requires us to arrive early, with adequate time to prepare our souls for the Mass. To arrive at our two-fold goal of giving God due worship and receiving the gift of our redemption, we must prepare our souls adequately to receive His grace, which is not magic or automatic. “What is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.” We must develop our ear for the beautiful rhythm and harmony of prayer, which is often punctuated by periods of silence; we must keep the window of our soul clean to allow divine love and grace to transform us with our cooperation. Next week, we will continue our foundational material on the Mass by considering the Mass as a sacred ritual. Father Matthew Buettner is the pastor of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton. This is excerpted from “Understanding the Mystery of the Mass – Revisited,” available for purchase online at tedeumfoundation.org. Proceeds will go toward the purchase of land for a future seminary in the Diocese of Charlotte.

iiiApril 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

FROM TH

2011 BISHOP’S YOUTH

Bishop urges: Be wit Youth must know, live their faith SueAnn Howell Staff writer

BELMONT — Addressing the “spirit of the world” and the need for a new evangelization among Catholic youth were key themes at the seventh annual Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage held April 9 at Belmont Abbey College. More than 400 teens from around the diocese in grades 6-12 gathered under sunny skies to help grow in their faith. Organized by the students of Belmont Abbey College, the event is tied to the Eucharistic Congress held each fall. Russel Hoyt was the MC again this year, providing amusing anecdotes as well as personal stories. Youth were treated to praise and worship music performed by Belmont Abbey College students and alumni throughout the day. Speakers for the sessions for middle school and high school youth included Adam Trufant (a 2010 graduate of the college), Christina Condit (a speaker on the beauty of saving sex for marriage) and David Dawson (a youth minister from Louisiana). Legionaries of Christ Father Richard Sutter, a Belmont Abbey College graduate, spoke about the interior life during his keynote address. Jim Burnham, who has co-authored the popular EWTN programs “Beginning Apologetics” and “Christian Fatherhood,” was another keynote speaker. At Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, youth were able to worship alongside Bishop Peter J. Jugis. During his homily, Bishop Jugis used an excerpt from a homily by Pope John Paul II from World Youth Day 2002. He encouraged the teens to combat modern relativism, entreating them, “The Lord is calling you to choose between two voices competing for your souls... . You are living in a world that desperately needs to be touched and healed by the beauty of Christ’s love. It needs witnesses to that love. It needs you,” he said. Joining Bishop Jugis were Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey; Dr. William Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College; and many of the Abbey’s monks. Priests and religious were also there to share information about religious vocations.

‘A great end to a long week of classes’ Christopher Lux Intern

BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College students attended College and Young Adult Night April 8 – for the first time, an official part of the Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage. Patrick Jacobeen, who organized the pilgrimage in coordination with the Diocese of Charlotte, said the plan was to “have a relaxing evening of Mass, Adoration, confession and music.” Students participated in a similar event last year. This year, “we made it official, gave it an itinerary and invited students from other schools,” he said. Students came from other colleges, including Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After Mass, the youth had a fish fry and music. Then they joined the Belmont Abbey monks for vespers. David Dawson, a Louisiana youth minister, gave the keynote address, speaking about the necessity of having an intimate relationship with God. The youth then concluded the evening with Adoration. Abbot Placid Solari and Father Richard Sutter, a Belmont Abbey College graduate, heard confessions. Corinne Riley, a Belmont Abbey College student, was thrilled “to see not only fellow students, but also students from other colleges coming together to eat good food, listen to great music, and then adore in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It was a great end to a long week of classes.”

(From top left, clockwise) Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses the youth after the Lenten Youth Pilgrimage Mass; a teen participates in one of the games played during the retreat; students from Belmont Abbey College serve as torch acolytes during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction; a Redemptorist priest speaks to some teens about the vocation to the priesthood; Dominican Sister Gloria Camitan hands out information about her order during the retreat; Belmont Abbey College graduate Adam Trufant plays the guitar alongside Patrick Jacobeen as they entertain the youth on April 9.

PHOTOS BY SUEANN H

more ONLINE: Read Bishop Peter J. Jugis’ h

HE COVER

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnewsiii

LENTEN PILGRIMAGE

tnesses to God’s love

HOWELL, RUBEN TAMAYO and KATE DRINKWATER

homily to the teens at the Youth Lenten Pilgrimage and see more photos online at charlottediocese.org/interactive.

Abbey student leads annual pilgrimage Morgan Castillo Correspondent

(From top to bottom) Bishop Peter J. Jugis elevates the Eucharist at Mass; Belmont Abbey College students and visitors pray during Holy Communion.

BELMONT — This year’s annual Bishop’s Lenten Youth Pilgrimage was led by Belmont Abbey College senior Patrick Jacobeen of Fairfax, Va. Jacobeen is one busy student. He is in the Hintemeyer Catholic Leadership program, a member of the Honors Institute, on the residence life staff and also works in the admissions office. He came to Belmont Abbey College because he wanted to study theology. He said he would like to go into ministry, because “I think that’s where I can best use my talents, and that’s where I’m called to work, at least for now.” He would eventually like to “teach or do some sort of work in the Church,” he said. The pilgrimage was the Hintemeyer project for Abbey graduate Adam Trufant in 2010, and Jacobeen, who assisted last year, was asked to lead it this year. “It’s pretty extensive, it’s a ton of work, but it’s all been worth it and I enjoy doing work like this – knowing that it’s for a bunch of kids to have an awesome experience,” Jacobeen said. The job of organizing the retreat involves finding speakers and stages for the day, coordinating the entire event with the Diocese of Charlotte, making arrangements for food for some 400 students and 40 volunteers plus other guests and religious, and managing the project’s budget. Of course, Jacobeen did not work alone. Students Rebekah Weber and Jake Coffman were his official seconds-in-command, although many other students assisted. Jacobeen said his hope for the Lenten Pilgrimage was to “give kids an experience of the fullness of the Catholic faith – as much as we can give them in one day.”

Our schools

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

3 schools sweep ‘Battle of the Books’ regional competition CONCORD — Three diocesan schools swept first, second and third place in the Region 9 “Battle of the Books” reading competition in Concord April 6, competing against other private, parochial and independent schools. Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro won first place and continues on to the state competition in Greensboro May 3 – with the chance to win its third state title in four years. Asheville Catholic School won second place, and St. Pius X School won third place. OLG’s team is coached by Lisa Saintsing and Doris Melson. Team members are: Caleb Carmichael, Sean Farley, Emily Gentry, James Hall, Natalie Hamlet, Maddie Heyn, Lily Hiser, Natalie Kolosieke, Marie Lawson, Brendan Malone, Richard Pincus and Riley Silknitter. Asheville Catholic’s team is coached by Shonra McManus, Lee Anne Mangone and Tricia Cole. Team members are: Lana Camille, Melissa Cavagnini, Claire Cole, Milly Etheridge, Kurt Hill, Hailey Judson, Jake Lambrecht, Annalise Mangone, Elizabeth Mangone, David Mathews and Sarah Michalets. St. Pius X’s team is coached by Christina Foley and Christine Conrad. Team members are: Caity Burnham, Jonathan Conrad, Haley LaJeunesse, Julia Miller, Cassidy Shaw and Freeman Slaughter.

Photo provided by Pat Burr

Learning about safety Officer Amy Hawkins of the Gastonia Police Department spoke to an enthusiastic group of pre-kindergarten students at St. Michael School in Gastonia recently about ways to keep themselves safe from strangers. The children had fun listening to her and especially practicing the safety skills she taught.

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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In Brief Pinder wins state geography bee Alex Pinder, a sixth-grader at St. Leo School in WinstonSalem, won the N.C. State Geography Bee competition in Charlotte April 1. Pinder will represent the school and the state in the Washington, D. C., competition on May 23. Also competing in the state competition Pinder were Daniel Runkle, an eighth-grader at Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte, and John Roselli, a fifth-grader from

St. Gabriel School in Charlotte. — Donna Birkel

IHM plans open house HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School will have a floating Open House from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, at 605 Barbee Ave., High Point, to give tours for grades K-8. The new school is projected to open in fall of 2012. Interested parents are welcome to tour the current school and learn more about its future location. People of all faiths are invited to attend. For details, call the school at 336-8872613.

Air rates guaranteed until May 15th only! Call now!

Photo provided by Karen L. Hornfeck

Celebrating diversity Students in kindergarten through third grade at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro recently went on a “trip” around the world during the annual Multicultural Day. Students visited Egypt, Canada, England and Japan during the day-long festival. During their travels, students tasted food from each country, learned about native culture and history, and created art related to each country. Second-grade students Emily Silva and Emma Myers are shown wearing Japanese kimonos during their visit to “Japan.”

Mix 14

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

On TV

In theaters

‘Hanna’ Espionage thriller in which Saoirse Ronan plays the titular teen, a child bred to kill. Raised in isolation by her father (Eric Bana), who trains her to use violence as instinctively as a wild animal, she’s pursued by the CIA agent (Cate Blanchett), who alone knows her family’s dark secrets. The moral murkiness of story lines instrumental to the wrap-up, and references to genetic manipulation and abortion, restrict the film’s appropriate audience to religiously and ethically well-grounded adults. Mature themes, gun and martial-arts violence, fleeting crude language. CNS: L (limited adult audience), MPAA: PG-13

‘Arthur’ The utterly frivolous, merrily alcoholic heir (Russell Brand) to a billion-dollar corporate fortune is threatened with disinheritance unless he marries a domineering executive (Jennifer Garner) who plans to curb his wayward lifestyle. Fleeting, nongraphic bedroom scene, obscured nude image, frequent sexual references, profanity. CNS: A-III (adults), MPAA: PG-13

‘Your Highness’ This sophomoric send-up of medieval swashbucklers follows the quest of a gallant prince (James Franco) to rescue his bride-to-be (Zooey Deschanel) from the clutches of the evil wizard (Justin Theroux) who kidnapped her, an adventure which affords his ne’er-do-well younger brother (Danny McBride) a shot at bettering himself. Strong sexual content and full nudity. CNS: O (morally offensive), MPAA: R

n Sunday, April 17, 3:30-5:30 a.m and 8-10 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday From Rome.” Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the liturgy of Palm Sunday, followed by the Angelus, live from Vatican City.

Telescopes belonging to Italian scientist Galileo Galilei are displayed at the Galileo Museum in Florence in June last year. U.S. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, an astronomer with the Vatican Observatory, helped kick off the academy’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the first public demonstration of Galileo’s telescope.

n Sunday, April 17, noon-2 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of Palm Sunday (Live).” Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, is scheduled to serve as celebrant and homilist at this liturgy broadcast live from Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. n Thursday, April 21, 11:30 a.m.2 p.m. (EWTN) “Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper From Rome.” Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, live from the Eternal City’s Basilica of St. John Lateran.

CNS | Alessia Pierdomenico, Reuters

Academy in Rome celebrates historic stargazing by Galileo Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

ROME — Top Renaissance scientists and scholars gathered on a grassy hill overlooking Rome one starry spring night 400 years ago to gaze into a unique innovation by Galileo Galilei: the telescope. “This was really an exciting event. This was the first time that Galileo showed off his telescope in public to the educated people of Rome, which was the center of culture in Italy at that time,” said Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, Vatican astronomer, as he stood on the same knoll. The original gathering April 14, 1611, was sponsored by the world’s oldest scientific academy – the National Academy of Lincei – of which Galileo was a member. Today, the hill is part of the American Academy in Rome, which wanted to celebrate its connection to Galileo with events including an April 7

Scholars gathered on a grassy knoll April 14, 1611, to celebrate the invention of what they termed the “telescope” – the first time this word was used to refer to the device Galileo had started using to study the heavens.

discussion of faith and science with Brother Consolmagno. Christopher Celenza, the director of the American Academy, said Renaissance scholars “gathered here to celebrate Galileo and the invention of what they termed at this meeting, the telescope. It was the first time the word telescope was used” to refer to the device Galileo had perfected in 1609 and started using to study the heavens. Those gathered on the Janiculum hill included Jesuit scholars, including Jesuit Father Christopher Clavius, who helped devise the Gregorian calendar 40 years earlier. Celenza said a 17th-century newsletter archived at the Vatican Library reported what had happened that night: The men looked through Galileo’s leather telescope, trying to see what he had reported: a number of celestial bodies circling Jupiter. Brother Consolmagno said the unveiling of the telescope was so significant because “this is the first time that science is done with an instrument. It’s not something that just any philosopher could look at. You had to have the right tool to be able to be able to see it,” because one’s own eyes were no longer enough. People often don’t realize that Galileo was in very good standing with the Church and with many Church leaders for decades before his trial in 1633, he said. Just a few weeks after he demonstrated his telescope on the Roman hillside, Galileo was “feted at the Roman College by the Jesuits, who were really impressed with the work he had done. At this point, he had burst onto the GALILEO, SEE page 15

n Thursday, April 21, 5:308 p.m. (EWTN) “Choral Meditations and Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper.” The liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, and choral meditations, broadcast live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. n Friday, April 22, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion From Rome (Live).” Pope Benedict presides over this commemoration of the Passion, broadcast from Vatican City. n Saturday, April 23, 3-6 p.m. (EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass From Rome (Live).” Pope Benedict celebrates the Easter Vigil Mass live from Vatican City. The liturgy will be rerun Sunday, April 24, midnight-3 a.m. n Saturday, April 23, 8-10:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Easter Vigil Mass From Washington, D.C. (Live).” The Easter Vigil liturgy, as celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

YOUCAT provides fresh, ‘young’ look at the Catholic Catechism SAN FRANCISCO — YOUCAT, short for “Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church,” was officially released this week by the Vatican. YOUCAT, which includes a foreword from Pope Benedict XVI, will be distributed at this year’s World Youth Day, the biannual event that draws millions of young Catholics from around the world. World Youth Day 2011 is set for Aug. 16-21 in Madrid. Ignatius Press of San Francisco is publishing the English version of YOUCAT. A copy of it will be included in each World Youth Day pilgrim’s backpack.

YOUCAT adapts the content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to a format intended to engage young people and young adults. It explains Catholic doctrine, the sacraments, how to live a moral life, and how to pray. It is an accessible and contemporary expression of the faith, and it is keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The book features questions and answers, commentary, photos and illustrations, summary definitions of key terms, Bible citations and quotes from the saints. “You need to know what you believe,” the pope wrote in the foreword. “Yes ... you need to be more deeply rooted in the faith than the generation of your parents so that you can engage the challenges and temptations of this time with strength and determination.”

GALILEO

find him guilty of heresy, however, “so they changed the verdict at the last minute to found guilty of vehement suspicion of heresy,” Brother Consolmagno said. “All of which makes me suspect that the trial was a political setup that had nothing to do with philosophy.” “The Spanish ambassador to the Holy See had accused Pope Urban VIII in public of being a closet Protestant because he wasn’t vigorously enough supporting the Spanish” side in their fight against the so-called Protestant side, he said. Punishing Consolmagno Galileo was a way to “pay off some people who were mad at Galileo anyway; to send a message to the Medici (the ruling family of Tuscany) to stay out of the war; and to show the Spanish that ‘look, I really am not a closet Protestant.’” Galileo’s reputation was restored in 1992 by a special Vatican commission established by Pope John Paul II.

FROM PAGE 14

scene as one of the great intellectual lights of the 17th century,” Brother Consolmagno said. “Even at his biggest point of trouble, Galileo was always a faithful son of the Church – his two daughters were nuns – and he was friends with many of the people of Rome, including future popes.” The real reason that Galileo was eventually brought before the Inquisition and found guilty of suspected heresy is still a mystery, he said. Galileo for years managed to evade any problems for maintaining that the earth revolves around the sun. He received permission, including from the pope’s personal censor, to publish his book, “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.” He was willing to make corrections to the text, but the inquisitors would not allow it. They were unable to

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Our nation

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

New abuse allegations down slightly in 2010 Costs now total $2.7 billion since 2004

U.S. CHURCH COSTS related to clergy sexual abuse

Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

$700

in millions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. dioceses and religious orders received 505 new credible allegations of child sex abuse by clergy in 2010, a slight decrease from the previous year and a significant drop from the 1,092 new allegations reported in 2004, when the numbers began being tallied, according to a report released April 11 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The annual report was prepared for the USCCB by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University from survey responses submitted by all but one of the 195 U.S. dioceses and eparchies (Eastern Catholic dioceses) and 156 of the 218 religious orders that belong to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Only seven of the new allegations involved children under the age of 18 in 2010, with two-thirds of the new allegations having occurred or begun between 1960 and 1984, the report said. “The number of alleged offenders increased by one-fifth, from 286 alleged offenders reported in 2009 to 345 alleged offenders reported in 2010,” CARA said. Almost 60 percent of those offenders had been identified in earlier allegations and three-quarters of the offenders are now dead or laicized, the report said. The CARA report was released in conjunction with the annual audit to review compliance by the nation’s dioceses with the U.S. bishops’ 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” CARA placed the costs associated with child sex abuse at $123.7 million for U.S. dioceses and eparchies and $25.9 million for religious orders in 2010, bringing to nearly $2.7 billion the amount spent by the U.S. Church to address clergy sex abuse since 2004. More than half of the spending in 2010 – $70 million from dioceses and eparchies and $18 million from religious orders – was for settlement of abuse claims. The second-largest category of expenditures was for attorneys’ fees; dioceses and eparchies spent $33.9 million on lawyers in 2010, while religious orders spent $4.8 million. Nearly $10 million was paid out for the support of offenders in dioceses and eparchies, while religious orders spent about $1.8 million to support offenders in 2010, according to CARA. The cost of therapy for victims was $6.4 million for dioceses and eparchies and about $540,000 for religious orders. In addition, dioceses and eparchies spent at least $20.9 million and religious orders about $1.6 million “for child protection efforts such

Abuse audits find most dioceses in compliance

TOTAL DIOCESES RELIGIOUS ORDERS

$615.2

$600

$445.7

$500 $400 $300 $200

$116.5

$100 $0

$149.6 $123.7 $25.9

$21.3 ‘04

‘05

‘06

‘07

‘08

‘09

‘10

Where the 149.6 million paid out in 2010 went:

settlements

59%

26% attorney fees 8% offender support 5% victim therapy 2% other

Source: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

as safe environment coordinators, training programs and background checks” in 2010, CARA reported. The dioceses and eparchies reported that approximately 28 percent of their 2010 expenditures as the result of allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were covered by insurance. For religious orders, only 4 percent of the costs were covered by insurance. The CARA survey also found that a growing number of allegations of child sex abuse have been unsubstantiated or determined to be false. Among dioceses and eparchies, 17 percent of the new allegations in 2010 were unsubstantiated or false, compared to 11 percent in 2006 and 7 percent in 2007. The percentage of allegations against religious-order priests that have been unsubstantiated or determined to be false has remained relatively steady at around 10 percent since 2006.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Most U.S. dioceses are in compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” but annual audits are uncovering problem areas and reports of boundary violations short of abuse, such as inappropriate hugging. The Diocese of Charlotte was found to be in compliance with the charter, the diocese reported. An audit report released April 11 and covering the period from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, showed that “management letters” had been issued to 55 of the 188 dioceses or eparchies participating in the annual compliance assessments by the Gavin Group. Those letters “offered guidance for performance improvement or highlighted potential problem areas,” said William A. Gavin, president of the Gavin Group, in a letter to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Diane Knight, who chairs the National Review Board. The issues cited, “though not at a level to categorize the diocese/ eparchy as noncompliant in a particular area, were identified as possibly doing so if not sufficiently addressed,” said an introduction to the audit summary, released in conjunction with a report by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate on abuse-related statistics and costs in 2010. — Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Catholic News Service

In Brief Va. bans abortion coverage RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia will bar abortion coverage from being offered by private insurance companies through new state-run health insurance exchanges, mandated by the federal health-reform law passed last year by Congress. State lawmakers had already passed legislation creating the exchanges, but Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Catholic, exercised his right to offer an amendment. It prohibits abortion on demand but permits abortion in the cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered. Other states banning abortion coverage on state health insurance exchanges are Arizona, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. — Catholic News Service

Our world

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

Oct. 22 feast day set for Blessed John Paul II Date is anniversary of the start of his papacy in 1978 Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The feast day of Blessed John Paul II will be marked Oct. 22 each year in Rome and the dioceses of Poland. When the Vatican made the announcement April 11, it also said Catholics throughout the world will have a year to celebrate a Mass in thanksgiving for his beatification. While thanksgiving Masses for a beatification – like the observance of a feast day – usually are limited to places where the person lived or worked, “the exceptional character of the beatification of the Venerable John Paul II, recognized by the entire Catholic Church spread throughout the world,” led to a general permission for the thanksgiving Mass, said a decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The decree included information about the thanksgiving Mass, Pope John Paul’s feast day, annual Masses in his honor and naming churches after him. A local bishop or the superior general of a religious order is free to choose the day or dates as well as the place or places for the thanksgiving Mass, as long as the Masses are celebrated before May 1, 2012. In the Diocese of Rome, where Pope John Paul served as bishop, and in all the dioceses of his native Poland, his feast day is to be inserted automatically into the annual

calendar, the decree said. Oct. 22 was chosen as the day to remember him because it is the anniversary of the liturgical inauguration of his papacy in 1978. Outside Rome and Poland, bishops will have to file a formal request with the Vatican to get permission to mark the feast day, the decree said. The local-only celebration of a blessed’s feast is one of the most noticeable differences between being beatified and being canonized, which makes universal public liturgical veneration possible. The only places where parishes and churches can Pope John Paul II be named after Blessed John Paul without special Vatican permission are in the Diocese of Rome and the dioceses of Poland or other places that have obtained specific Vatican look permission to insert Pope for Full John Paul’s Oct. 22 feast in coverage their liturgical calendar, about the the decree said. beatification The opening prayer – of Pope John formally the “collect” – for Paul II May 1. the Mass is: “O God, who are rich in mercy and who willed that the Blessed John Paul II should preside as pope over Your universal Church, grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching, we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ, the sole Redeemer of mankind. Who lives and reigns.”

Next week

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In Brief Pakistani archbishop calls for U.S. pastor’s arrest LONDON — The president of the Pakistani bishops’ conference has called for the arrest of a U.S. Protestant pastor whose decision to burn the Islamic sacred book has caused fury in the Muslim world and the deaths of more than 20 people. Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, conference president, said the U.S. government should seek to diffuse mounting tensions by detaining the Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center Church in Gainesville, Fla., who oversaw the burning of the Quran by the Rev. Wayne Sapp, his assistant. In an April 6 statement, U.S. Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami joined the Pakistani archbishop, religious leaders around the world and other Church leaders in Florida and elsewhere in deploring the book burning, calling it “reprehensible.” Archbishop Saldanha said in an April 4 interview: “In view of the effects his actions have had all over the world, he should be controlled and understand the harm that has been done.”

Chilean bishops publicly seek forgiveness for clergy abuse SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile’s bishops publicly asked forgiveness for clergy sexual abuse and pledged to handle such cases differently in the future. In a statement issued April 8, after its annual plenary assembly, the Chilean bishops’ conference said it had not “always reacted quickly and efficiently to accusations” of sexual abuse. The bishops said they were revising their

procedures for handling abuse cases and pledged to establish a commission to “guide and direct our policies for prevention of sexual abuse and assistance to victims.” Those policies will include psychological and spiritual counseling for victims and a prevention program to train Church workers to recognize and respond to signs of abuse in children and youth and “create safe and healthy environments.” — Catholic News Service

First Irish civil partnerships OK’d DUBLIN — Ireland has entered into new territory by recognizing civil partnerships for homosexuals, a move which has prompted more calls to recognize “gay marriage.” The Catholic bishops have said the partnerships undermine marriage and the family. A law creating civil partnerships for homosexuals came into effect in Ireland on Jan. 1. Six partnerships were registered after the parties sought court exemptions from a three-month waiting period. The first two people registered April 5.

Vietnamese Catholics beaten, arrested HANOI — Vietnamese officials arrested and beat a group of at least 29 Catholics for attempting to peacefully attend a trial of prominent lawyer and human rights activist Cu Huy Ha Vu on April 4, a well-known Vietnamese legal scholar and human rights campaigner. Eyewitnesses told VietCatholic News that shortly before the arrests, the Catholics were closely followed by police. Bystanders who tried to help were repeatedly beaten and forced to let go of the victims. — Catholic News Agency

ViewPoints

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Letters to the editor

Come away, and become a mother and grandmother Mother Dolores Marie

Spiritual warfare: Our secret weapon Editor’s note: This is the last commentary in a five-part series about spiritual warfare and our call to holiness.

n the past four weeks, we have discussed the strategies that can be utilized in our daily lives to respond to our call to holiness. We have learned how to gauge the battle, what weapons are available, and the means that can be used to avoid ambush. Our Lord is now enlisting. He is looking for a few good men and women. He is calling together His hand-picked troops. The battle lines have been drawn and we must now choose sides. To have the clarity of mind to make the right choice and the ability to remain strong in that choice, we need the strength of God. There is one principal source of that strength, one supplier: Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Before Jesus approached the hill of Calvary to offer His supreme sacrifice, He unveiled this secret weapon in the intimate company of a few good men. Those chosen few were to later convey this gift of His Body and Blood to the rest of the world, yet it still remains shrouded in mystery. Why? Perhaps because few have unpacked the reality of this mystery and come to the deep realization that hidden in every humble tabernacle throughout the entire world, God is truly present. It was love that compelled Our Blessed Lord to remain with us, but in many places, in many hearts, this gift of His love is taken for granted. Again: God is present in every single tabernacle where a validly consecrated Host is reserved. If God is there, how often is He sought out? In our tabernacles dwells the very waRFARE, SEE page 20

Editor’s note: This letter comes from Helen Gordon of Asheville, who was recently featured in our “Profile of Life” series during the 40 Days for Life campaign. A sidewalk counselor and pro-life activist, Gordon shares this recent incident to help readers appreciate the impact of prayer and witness on saving the lives of the unborn. One recent Friday finds John (a valiant retiree finishing his first year on the sidewalk) and I, once again, standing watch on the sidewalk in front of Femcare. The first two hours pass quietly. John holds his “Let Your Baby Live, We Will Help” sign. I thumb my rosary. We chat. There are many enthusiastic waves and nods and smiles from passersby this morning. Then the rush begins. Cars start pouring in for the 11 a.m. surgical abortion appointments. One pretty young woman pulls up the driveway in an expensive late-model car. She emerges alone to join the two escorts and other people who have come to put their tiny sons and daughters to death. I am speaking over the microphone: reminding them that they are mothers and fathers with precious babies alive and growing, God’s babies; offering help whatever their need; begging them not to give up on themselves and their babies and be consigned to lives of sorrow; talking and pleading and hoping my words fly on the wings of the Holy Spirit. The young woman covers her ears, shaking her head back and forth, and turns on her heel to seek refuge in her car. John thinks she can still hear inside her car and entreats me to keep talking. He stands in her line of sight, holding our large picture of an 8-weekold baby. I continue speaking to her, to the others still assembled on the porch entering this place of death. I ask John, “What is our girl in the car doing?” “She is collapsed over the steering wheel. Now, she is wiping her eyes,” he replies. There is a lull in the arrivals and I go to the spot where the young woman can see me motioning for her to come over. And then she turns on her car’s engine, backs up and stops at the foot of the steps. The escorts approach.

I beg God to keep her moving away from this place that kills lives and souls. And she does. Her window is open and she sobs almost uncontrollably as she slowly drives down the driveway. I reach in to touch her, hold her and lead her to park next to the sidewalk where we keep vigil. Through her sobs, she tells a familiar story: “My daddy is so mad. He threw me out. He doesn’t want to see me anymore. He won’t help me with college anymore. My family is ashamed of me. They said they are not for abortion, but now they want me to have one.” All the signs of a loving Christian family are there underneath her anguish. This family “explosion” took place two days ago, she said. I tell her that anger and panic can kill a tiny baby and the heart of her family. What is needed is time – time for the anger and hurt to subside, time to remember what they already know. A poor choice was made by this beautiful girl, but taking the life of her innocent son or daughter will not repair her moment of weakness. Face reality. Adjust plans. Knowing that God’s love and her family’s love are stronger than her weakness and their’s will bring great blessing. These are the things of which we speak. She is ready to call home. I walk down the sidewalk praying for God to bind this daughter and father together. It is a long five minutes of prayer. She motions me back to the side of her car. She weeps, but with a broad smile. “He said to come home! Thank you. Thank you for taking me away from this place.” We embrace. They will forever be a blessing to me – a daughter, a grandchild – never to be seen again, but treasured always. Meanwhile, John has been vigilant at his post with his sign. He approaches as the young woman drives away. I recount our miracle. He is overjoyed – it was a real turn-away! He plans to celebrate tonight at home. I shall celebrate as well, but with a divided heart. During the time I was faceto-face with our young mother-to-be, cars continued to arrive with other women for their appointments with death. There was no one to call out, to plead, to be mother or grandmother or sister to them. Helen Gordon is a member of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.

Consider adopting from animal shelters As an animal rescuer for 13 years in Lincoln County, I found the feature “Seeing God Dogs” in the April 1 Catholic News Herald very enlightening and warming. I was so pleased to see it given the attention it was, as I spend countless hours helping dogs and cats that are homeless, starving and in need of homes from our local animal shelter. As you may know, hundreds are euthanized in our shelter alone each month despite our efforts. I was especially pleased to read that Father Bill Evans, Father Brian Cook and Father Adrian Porras adopted their animals that were either homeless, hurt or from a shelter. Breeders do account for dogs that end up in kill shelters. With so many animals in need of a home, buying or getting a dog from a breeder does not help with controlling our out-of-control pet overpopulation. I would encourage every priest to consider adopting a homeless pet from a local kill shelter rather than buying or accepting one from a breeder. It would be an act of mercy that would save a life, since life should be precious to anyone regardless if it is canine, feline or human. Debra Tobin is a member of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton.

Former Q&A column was useful I was saddened to see the recent news item that Father John Dietzen, the Catholic News Service columnist, had died. His Q&A column used to be published in the Catholic News Herald. I hope that the Catholic News Herald is actively seeking another Q&A column to run regularly. Sometimes, when we’re busy, we don’t get a chance to read the paper before the next edition arrives. When we could expect to see Father Dietzen’s column, I think we made an extra effort at least to open the paper and read his column. And, I think, then we can’t help but see and probably read some of the other great information that the paper contains. Tom Voignier is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Winston-Salem.

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

April 15, 2011 | charlottediocese.org/catholicnews

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HOLY THURSDAY Lennie Cox

Shine “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

’m a West Texas girl. I grew up loving big hair and bling and I still love any clothing and jewelry that sparkles. (You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texan out of the girl.) But the farther away from Texas I get, the older I become, the more responsibilities I have, I wonder: What do I want to do when I grow up? As a 40-something mom with two kids and a husband, I’m busy doing mom things and wife things. They’re things I love, but when I turn on the TV the people running the world, saving the world, and those reporting on the people running the world and saving the world seem to be getting younger. What have I done? What am I doing? Is it important? Then I am reminded of what the Lord said to Ahaz in the book of Isaiah: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” As I contemplate my value and attempt to discover my path through prayer, images I cherish come to mind. One is a West Texas sunset. West Texas is hot, the land is flat, and the wind is dry. But the sunsets are spectacular! The sun burns as bright as embers, sparking colors of red, amber, gold and fuchsia across miles of open sky. And it’s a modest, barren land that provides the perfect stage for this brilliant setting to every day. The second is a beautiful little church. This little church was built long ago in a town that, like many, began to evolve into a modern city. There was a concern that massive buildings would be erected, ultimately hiding the little church from sight. One building in particular went up directly in front of this little church. It was tall and modern, its structure encased in countless squares of glass. It was stunning – because each and every piece of glass was actually a mirror that reflected the little church’s image. The Lord’s message to me is clear. Like the modest land and the mirrored building, you and I were created in perfect design. We have been made to use what we know, what we love, and who we are to glorify the Lord. Through His glory, the Lord’s splendor will radiate from within us, drawing others to Him, and that’s important! So break out your bling, and shine.

Lennie Cox is a member of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

‘A servant is not greater than his master’ words are used to distinguish between the specific male sex (“vir”) “Jesus…rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. and mankind in general (“homo”). The Latin rubric clears up any Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe confusion in the English by stating that “viri selecti” (“The men them with the towel with which he was girded” (John 13:3-5). who have been chosen...”). The ritual actually specifies males. This ancient gesture dates back to the first centuries of the n the evening of Holy Thursday, three themes converge: Church and is noted by the Fathers of the Church and councils the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the institution of the alike. By the 14th century, it becomes established in the Holy priesthood, and the Lord’s command that his disciples imitate Thursday liturgy in the Latin Church as a sign of priestly humility His selfless charity. Each are highlighted liturgically in the Mass of in imitation of Christ. the Lord’s Supper. Having clarified the The special inserts in the liturgical instruction, we may Eucharistic Prayer and the still wonder, “Why would second reading from St. Paul only males be selected for the emphasize the institution ritual on Holy Thursday?” of the Holy Eucharist. The Some might argue that if Gospel proclaimed at the Our Lord in the Gospel Holy Mass recounts the commanded His Apostles to moment in that evening follow His example to go forth when Our Lord divested and wash feet, presumably Himself of His garments and He meant those of both assumed the role of servant, men and women. Surely, representing selfless charity. the instruction must be in Finally, the liturgical gesture error if it represents pastoral of the Washing of the Feet solicitude and charity. (“pedilavium”) emphasizes This objection, although that which will be required charitably conceived, of those He ordains to the misunderstands the point of ministerial priesthood. this unique liturgical gesture There is little dispute of the Washing of the Feet. over two of these three As noted above, each of themes. Yet, to this day in the three themes of Holy parishes throughout the Thursday is uniquely world, the Washing of the highlighted in the liturgy. Feet takes on a variety of The Washing of the Feet is expressions: a select group a gesture that represents of men and women approach the pastoral charity and to have their feet washed; humility required by the or only men are chosen to ordained priesthood received come forward to have their by the Apostles and their feet washed; or everyone successors. washes the hands of the As Pope Benedict XVI noted person sitting near them; in his new book, “Jesus of or parishioners lead one Nazareth: Holy Week: From another to foot-washing the Entrance into Jerusalem stations set up throughout to the Resurrection,” this the Church to wash one ‘The washing of feet during Mass on Holy Thursday is a reminder primarily to gesture is in imitation of another’s feet. the priest that he acts in the person of Christ and must serve God’s people in Jesus, Who “divests Himself Since the liturgical reforms humility. The focus is on the priest, not the congregation. The priest acts in of His divine splendor; He, as of the Second Vatican Council the role of Jesus, the 12 men act in the role of the Apostles. When the priest it were, kneels down before us; were implemented, many of washes the feet of the 12 men, he sees himself through the eyes of Christ. He washes and dries our soiled us have witnessed a veritable He is challenged to remember that just as Jesus washed his feet, so must he feet, in order to make us fit to potpourri of liturgical wash the feet of others. Renewed by this ritual, the priest returns to his role sit at table for God’s wedding innovation and expression. as pastor of the congregation and “washes their feet” by offering the Holy feast.” This is the beautiful In the end, however, we Sacrifice of the Mass and living his life in service to his congregation.’ lesson communicated by the can be left confused and wondering: “What lesson — Catholics United for the Faith simple gesture of a parish priest, “in persona Christi were we supposed to learn by capitis,” divesting himself of the ritual?” This uncertainty his chasuble and washing the then evokes another question, feet of males chosen to represent the Apostles. “What does the ritual actually specify?” The former question is As the Holy Thursday Gospel recalls, “A servant is not greater actually answered by the latter. than his master.” A servant, rather, follows the example of his The instruction printed in the Roman Missal simply states, Master. On Holy Thursday, we humbly re-present what He has done “The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers to chairs for us and accept the beautiful gift of the ordained priesthood given prepared in a suitable place. Then the priest (removing his chasuble to the whole Church. For this reason, we embrace the Washing of if necessary) goes to each man. With the help of the ministers, he the Feet as it is intended by Christ and His Church with all of its pours water over each one’s feet and dries them.” The ritual states theological meaning and liturgical solemnity. As Christ has done for that “men” are chosen. Could this use of the word “men” include us, so we, as His ordained priests, “go and do likewise.” women as well? The English language uses “man” in both a specific and general Father Matthew Buettner is pastor of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, and sense. For example, a “Men’s Room” is for men only, but a manFather Patrick Winslow is pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon. eating tiger would eat both men and women. In Latin, two distinct

charlottediocese.org/catholicnews | April 15, 2011 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

WARFARE FROM PAGE 18

same Jesus who made the Holy Land holy; the same God who created the universe out of nothing. Here we find Jesus who healed and taught and forgave and whose delight was mingling with sinners to draw them to Himself. This is Jesus whose body withstood the demonic fury of those who scourged Him and wrenched His body to fit on the Cross. Further, this is Jesus, resurrected from the dead and now in glory. Is He any less powerful now than when He walked the dusty roads of Galilee? With great longing, He waits for us in the solitude of the tabernacle. And yet, it is not for His own consolation that Jesus remains hidden in the Sacred Host, but rather to pour out His consolation and strength upon us. Truly, it is a powerful weapon that heals and strengthens, for His love is transformative. “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.” (1 Kings 19:7) In “The Lord of the Rings,” “lembas” bread was compact yet potent food, specially made to give extraordinary strength for a journey. The recipe for this bread was a closely-guarded secret, handed down to a chosen few. Partaking of this special food, the heroes were able to accomplish their mission. Our sojourn here on earth requires a unique kind of stamina if we are to stay the course and reach our eternal goal. We have a gauntlet to run but we need not fear, because we have been given the Bread of Angels, of which Our Lord says: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” In Jesus, we receive sustenance sufficient to make us live forever! His love for us is so great that He will not leave us on our sojourn alone, but will accompany us every step of the way. As we push on toward our heavenly home, He remains with us. He will fight our battles with us and for us. Pope St. Pius X said, “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven. There are others: innocence, but that is for little children; penance, but we are afraid of it; generous endurance for the trials of life, but when they come we weep and ask to be spared. The surest, easiest, shortest way is the Eucharist.” As we navigate through the pathways of our life here on earth, our hearts should be filled with gratitude to God for the many means He has given us to help us reach our destination. We have no excuse for losing our way, for the teachings of the Church provide the most accurate GPS we could ask for. In the bounty of our Church we find every help we need to make our way securely through this life. Most especially, we find this in intimate communion with Our Lord. Each time we receive Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament, He strengthens us for the journey, until at last we will see Him Face to face. Mother Dolores Marie leads the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration at St. Joseph Monastery in Charlotte. Subscribe to their newsletter and learn more about the Poor Clares online at stjosephmonastery.com.