June 24, 2016

June 24, 2016

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

New Catholic cemetery dedicated in Albemarle 3A

Jubilation and mercy

New principal named at St. Leo School 5A

INDEX

Contact us........................ 4A Español...............................12A Events calendar............... 4A Our Parishes............... 3-11A Scripture readings.......... 2A TV & Movies.....................13A U.S. news.........................14A Viewpoints................. 18-19A World news................ 16-17A Year of Mercy................... 2A

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Diocese celebrates two new priests ordained for the People of God

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Quo Vadis Days Over 100 young men attend diocese’s vocation discernment retreat

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St. Peter’s mission travels to Kino Border Initiative in Mexico 5A

Year of Mercy 2A

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope Francis

Christians don’t exclude, they welcome

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lanked by a group of refugees, Pope Francis appealed to Christians to care for and welcome those whom society often excludes.

“Today I’m accompanied by these young men. Many people think they would have been better off if they had stayed in their homelands, but they were suffering so much there. They are our refugees, but many people consider them excluded. Please, they are our brothers,” the pope said June 22 during his weekly general audience.

The group, holding a banner that stated “Refugees for a better future together,” caught the pope’s attention as he was making his way to the stage in St. Peter’s Square. He signaled them to come forward and instructed aides to allow them to sit in the shade on the stage.

In his main talk, the pope discussed the Gospel story of the leper who begged Jesus to heal him, saying: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

The pope noted that the leper not only asked to be “purified” in both body and heart, but also broke the law by entering the city to find Jesus in search of healing.

“Everything this man – who was considered impure – says and does is an expression of his faith!” the pope said.

“This faith is the strength that allowed him to break every convention and try to meet with Jesus and, kneeling before Him, call Him ‘Lord.’”

The leper’s plea, he continued, serves as a lesson to Christians that “when we present ourselves to Jesus, long speeches aren’t necessary” and that there is no place to feel safe other than with God and His infinite mercy.

By touching the poor and the excluded, he explained, Christians can be “purified of hypocrisy” and share concern for their condition.

“He was excluded and now he is one of us. Let us think about our own miseries, each one has their own. Let us think with sincerity. How many times we cover them with the hypocrisy of ‘good manners’! It is precisely then that you need to be alone, get on your knees in front of God and pray, ‘Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean,’” Pope Francis said.

Saying he wanted to share something personal with the crowd, the pope said that each night he recites the leper’s prayer as well as five ‘Our Fathers,’ one for every wound of Christ “because Jesus purified us with His wounds.”

“This is what I do, but you can also do it in your homes. Say, ‘Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean,’ and think about Jesus’ wounds and say an ‘Our Father’ for each one. And Jesus will always listen to us,” Pope Francis said.

St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville

St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

How to make a pilgrimage for the Year of Mercy

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uring the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy which continues until Nov. 20, the Feast of Christ the King, Pope Francis encourages everyone to make a pilgrimage – either to Rome or to one’s local cathedral or other holy site designated by the Church. A pilgrimage is a journey to a designated holy place for the purpose of veneration or, in some cases, penance.

As part of the jubilee year, each pilgrimage destination features a “Holy Door” to which pilgrims can journey. This door represents the compassion, love, mercy and consolation of God working in our lives.

Realizing that not everyone can travel to Rome for the jubilee year, Pope Francis has asked every diocese throughout the world to open their own “Doors of Mercy.” The Diocese of Charlotte has three Doors of Mercy: St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville, and St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

Those who make a pilgrimage to any of the Holy Doors may obtain a plenary indulgence – the remission of temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven. The plenary indulgence is granted to those who complete the pilgrimage and fulfill the usual conditions: receiving the sacraments of penance and Communion,

and praying for the intentions of the pope.

To complete the pilgrimage, one must cross through a Holy Door or Door of Mercy, and stop in for prayer to make a Profession of Faith and do a reflection on mercy, such as reflecting on the Jubilee Prayer of Pope Francis. It is suggested, but not required, to recite the Jubilee Prayer of Pope Francis, or one of the psalms of mercy or one of Jesus’ parables of mercy, etc.

The faithful are also encouraged by the Holy Father to practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, “to live by mercy so as to obtain the grace of complete and exhaustive forgiveness by the power of the love of the Father...”

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: View a list of nearby Doors of Mercy in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Dioceses of Raleigh, Charleston, Knoxville and Richmond At yearofmercy.rcdoc.org: Download catechetical resources on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, watch videos on the theme of mercy, and more

Just wage, social justice and care for the poor

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he Christian faithful are obliged, according to Church Law (Canon 222), to assist with the needs of the Church for worship, apostolic works, charity, and the support of ministers. They are also to promote social justice and to assist the poor using their own resources.

These are natural obligations of all people, not just Christians.

The question of social justice emerged

at the Second Vatican Council as a central theme of Christianity. No single topic has received more attention than the major concern to the Church for social justice and helping the poor in the last 100-plus years from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis.

In accord with this canon, priests and deacons are to receive compensation consistent with their obligations (Canon 281). The laity have the right to decent

remuneration to provide for their own needs and those of their families. This remuneration is to include health care, a pension and social security benefits (Canons 231 and 232).

Furthermore, Canon 1286 states that administrators are to pay employees a just and JUST WAGE, SEE page 11A

Your daily Scripture readings JUNE 26- JULY 2

Sunday: 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21, Galatians 5:1, 13-18, Luke 9:51-62; Monday (St. Cyril of Alexandria): Amos 2:6-10, 13-16, Matthew 8:18-22; Tuesday (St. Irenaeus): Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12, Matthew 8:23-27; Wednesday (Sts. Peter and Paul): Acts 12:1-11, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19; Thursday: Amos 7:1017, Matthew 9:1-8; Friday: Amos 8:4-6, 9-12, Matthew 11:28, Matthew 9:9-13; Saturday: Amos 9:11-15, John 10:27, Matthew 9:14-17

JULY 3-9

Sunday: Isaiah 66:10-14, Galatians 6:14-18, Colossians 3:15a, 16a, Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or Luke 10:1-9; Monday: Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22, Matthew 9:18-26; Tuesday: Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13, Matthew 9:32-38; Wednesday: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12, Matthew 10:1-7; Thursday: Hosea 11:1-4, 8e-9, Matthew 10:7-15; Friday: Hosea 14:2-10, Matthew 10:16-23; Saturday: Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 10:24-33

JULY 10-16

Sunday: Deuteronomy 30:10-14, Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 10:25-37; Monday (St. Benedict): Isaiah 1:10-17, Matthew 10:34-11:1; Tuesday: Isaiah 7:1-9, Matthew 11:20-24; Wednesday: Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16, Matthew 11:25-27; Thursday (St. Kateri Tekakwitha): Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19, Matthew 11:28-30; Friday (St. Bonaventure): Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8, Matthew 12:1-8; Saturday (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel): Micah 2:1-5, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Matthew 12:14-21

Our parishes

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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$13,000 reported missing from St. Joseph Vietnamese Church bank deposit Patricia L. Guilfoyle Editor

CHARLOTTE — Police are investigating the recent disappearance of more than $13,000 from St. Joseph Vietnamese Church’s weekly bank deposit.

According to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report and an internal audit by the Diocese of Charlotte, $13,463 was reported stolen from the Charlotte parish’s deposit sometime between April 3 and 5.

The missing funds will be covered by the parish’s insurance policy and will not affect the parish’s finances.

Parish and diocesan staff said they are unable to explain the loss.

The money – all cash – came only from the parish’s weekly food fundraiser April 3, not the weekend Mass offertory. The Sunday afternoon fundraiser in the parish hall draws hundreds of people after Mass each Sunday to enjoy traditional Vietnamese cuisine, bringing in anywhere from $8,000 to $17,000 in revenue.

Later on April 3, the food sales revenue was counted and placed in a tamper-evident bag as usual. The money, along with the offertory collections from four weekend Masses and a collection for the Diocese of Charlotte’s “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign, was taken

that afternoon to the night deposit box at the Wells Fargo branch where the church has an account.

On April 5 parish finance council chairman Thinh Tran, who had deposited the six bags, reviewed the deposit online. The bank reported receiving only five bags, and the sixth bag containing the $13,463 in food sales had not been deposited.

The parish immediately alerted the diocesan finance office, which launched an investigation into the missing funds.

The diocesan audit found that the parish had properly followed diocesan financial protocols in handling the money, and that the “bag containing the funds from the fundraiser … has been purposely or accidentally misdirected.”

Multiple people were involved in counting the money and preparing the deposit on April 3, the audit found.

A review of the bank’s surveillance video of the night deposit box did not provide any evidence to explain the loss.

According to the auditor’s report, Tran said he dropped the fundraiser moneybag in the night deposit box first because it was the largest, then he dropped in the remaining five bags. He told the auditor “the lever was making a ‘different’ noise than it usually does. It was like a

creaking sound.”

Wells Fargo conducted its own investigation, according to diocesan officials, and insisted that the sixth moneybag containing the $13,463 was never received.

The diocesan auditor recommended an external investigation, so Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were notified.

Father Tri Truong, pastor, informed parishioners of the missing money during all Masses June 11-12, noting that he, the parish finance council and the diocesan finance office “are all cooperating with the police to try to figure out what happened to this money.”

Father Truong said he was thankful that the parish’s insurance coverage will replace the funds if the missing moneybag is not located.

“The good news is that we have insurance coverage and in the end either this money will be found or the insurance company will reimburse us,” he said in a statement to parishioners.

He also noted, “I deeply regret having to bring this matter to your attention. Most of you know that during my five years at St. Joseph I have worked diligently to make sure that there is a clear accounting for all of our finances.

I can assure you that I will keep you informed of any new information in this matter.”

CHECK ONLINE The official list of 2016-’17 priest assignments will be posted on the Catholic News Herald’s website, www.catholicnewsherald.com, when complete. Check for breaking news alerts on Facebook.

— Catholic News Herald

Television stolen from church

New Catholic cemetery dedicated in Albemarle ALBEMARLE — A new Catholic cemetery was dedicated in Albemarle June 4 by Father Peter Fitzgibbons, pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church. Located at Stanly Gardens in Albemarle, the cemetery features a columbarium with 48 niches and 258 burial plots on either side of the columbarium, in accord with the Diocesan Policy for Cemeteries and Columbaria.

Photos provided by Lori Storms

CHARLOTTE — A flat screen television monitor was stolen from the daily Mass chapel of Our Lady of Consolation Church on Statesville Avenue in Charlotte sometime during the night of June 19-20.

Daily Mass attendees discovered the break-in when they arrived for the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Monday. The thief broke into the mostly unused building that used to house an elementary school.

The wooden door to the chapel was kicked in, damaging both the door and the knob.

The TV was used for a closedcircuit telecast of weekend Masses to overflow crowds. There was no other damage to the chapel.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating.

— David Hains, diocesan director of communication

UPcoming events 4A

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following upcoming events: June 25 – 11 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation in Extraordinary Form St. Ann Church, Charlotte

July 1 – 9:30 a.m.

Holy Mass for Duc In Altum Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, Belmont

June 27-29 Province Meeting of Bishops Savannah, Ga.

July 5 – 12:10 p.m.

Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Jacob Mlakar St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

June 30 – 6 p.m.

Holy Mass for Chartering Legatus Chapter St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte

July 6 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Joseph Church, Asheboro

July 8 – 5:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Mary Church, Greensboro

Diocesan calendar of events June 24, 2016

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

Volume 25 • Number 19

NFP Introduction and Full Course: 1-5 p.m.

Saturday, June 25, at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr., Arden. Effectiveness of modern NFP, health risks of popular contraceptives and what the Church teaches about responsible parenting. Sponsored by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. RSVP to Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, at 704-370-3230.

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

NFP CLASSES: 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, June 25, July 23 and Aug. 20 at the Hack home in Huntersville.

Contact Joe or Kathy Hack for details at 704-548-1834 or hackhouse@bellsouth.net.

Group members. For details, call the church office at 828-926-0106.

Evening Novenas: Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Church, 1505 East Kivett Dr., High Point. All are invited to pray the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Join them in praying for the needs of your families and for our hurting world. For details, call the church office at 336-883-0244.

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKENDS: July 8-10 in Columbia, S.C., and Nov. 4-6 in Atlantic Beach.

For details go to www.NCMarriageDiscovery.org or call 704-315-2144.

the following intentions: July 7, young people; Aug. 4, workers and volunteers of mercy; Sept. 1, catechists; Oct. 6, Marian Jubilee Dedicated to Mary; Nov. 3, prisoners; Dec. 1, healing of the family. Sponsored by the Cenacles of Divine Mercy.

Year of Mercy website: Keep up to date on all Jubilee Year of Mercy events, download catechetical resources on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, watch videos on the theme of mercy, and much more, at the Diocese of Charlotte’s Year of Mercy website: www. yearofmercy.rcdoc.org.

YOUNG ADULTS

PRAYER SERVICES & Groups

STAFF EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Kevin Eagan 704-370-3332, keeagan@charlottediocese.org SENIOR REPORTER: SueAnn Howell 704-370-3354, sahowell@charlottediocese.org Online reporter: Kimberly Bender 704-808-7341, kdbender@charlottediocese.org

Forty Hours Devotion: June 28-30, Immaculate Conception Church, 208 Seventh Ave., Hendersonville UKRAINIAN service FOR Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul: Tuesday, June 28, 6:30 p.m. Vespers and 7 p.m.

Typica Service with Holy Communion, St. Basil Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission, which meets in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte. A holy day of obligation for Ukrainian Greek Catholics.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING “Protecting God’s Children” workshops are intended to educate parish volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. For details, contact your parish office. To register and confirm workshop times, go to www.virtus. org. Upcoming workshops are listed here: ASHEVILLE: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, St. Lawrence Basilica (parish office building basement), 97 Haywood St.

ASHEVILLE THEOLOGY ON TAP: For Catholics in their 20s and 30s in the Asheville region. For details, check them out on Facebook, Twitter or MeetUp. CHARLOTTE AREA: Groups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s, single or married, are active in Charlotte at: St. Gabriel Church: on Facebook at “St. Gabriel Young Adult Ministry” St. John Neumann Church: call Meg VanGoethem, 815-545-2587

Ukrainian Catholic Bishop to Visit: Bishop Bohdan Danylo, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat, which includes St. Basil the Great Mission in Charlotte, will be in Charlotte on Sunday, July 3, to celebrate Divine Liturgy (Mass). At 11 a.m., he will offer Mass in English at St. Basil Mission, which meets in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 1400 Suther Road. A reception will follow in Aquinas Hall.

At 3 p.m., he will offer Mass in Ukrainian at the chapel of Charlotte Catholic High School, located at 7702 PinevilleMatthews Road. A reception will follow in the school’s cafeteria. For details, go to www.stbasil.weebly.com.

CHARLOTTE: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, or 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road

St. Patrick Cathedral: on Facebook at “St. Patrick Cathedral Frassati Fellowship-Young Adult Ministry”

GREENSBORO: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, or 6 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 11, St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road

St. Peter Church: look them up on MeetUp at www. meetup.com/St-Peters-Catholic-Young-Adult-MinistryCharlotte-NC

HUNTERSVILLE: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 9, or 10 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 13, St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road

St. Thomas Aquinas Church: online at “Aquinas’ Finest,” www.stacharlotte.com/finest

NEWS: The Catholic News Herald welcomes your news and photos. 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.

Pro-Life Rosary: 9 a.m. Saturday, July 2, at 901 North Main St. and Sunset Drive, High Point. Outdoors, rain or shine. Parking available nearby. For details, call Jim Hoyng at 336-882-9593 or Paul Klosterman at 336-8486835.

Shining Stars Adult day respite: Meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte. Shining Stars is a nonprofit adult day respite program for members of the community with early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

For details, call Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

ADVERTISING: Reach 165,000 Catholics across western North Carolina! For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Kevin Eagan at 704-370-3332 or keeagan@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.

Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat: June 24-26 in the Asheville area. Rachel’s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion.

Confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing. For details, call Jennifer Ganser at 336-209-2161.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT/CIRCULATION: Erika Robinson, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org Hispanic communications reporter: Rico De Silva, 704-370-3375, rdesilva@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News Herald is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 26 times a year.

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.

CHARLOTTE Maronite Mission: Masses are offered weekly at 12:30 p.m. Sundays, at St. Matthew South Campus, 4116 Waxhaw-Marvin Road, Waxhaw. The mission’s pastor is Father Elie Mikhael, who can be reached at 704-543-7677, ext. 1043. The Maronite Mission of Charlotte is an Eastern rite Catholic Church in full communion with the pope.

Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month, St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 37 Murphy Dr., Maggie Valley. Individual prayers over people after Mass by Charismatic Prayer

SUPPORT GROUPS

Alzheimer’s Caregiver and Family Support Group: Meets the first Monday of the month, 6:30-8 p.m., in Family Center Room 203 at St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville. Organized with the Alzheimer’s Association, the monthly meetings are for the caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s. For details, email Janet Urban at jgraceart@ yahoo.com.

Our Lady of Consolation Church: contact Denise Duliepre, 917-575-0871 Holy Spirit Church in Denver: call Nicole Lehman, 704-607-5207 GREENSBORO WAY OF CHRIST: The young adult ministry at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro: at www.stpiusxnc. com/woc, on Facebook at “wayofchrist” and Twitter @ wocgreensboro The Path at St. Mark Church in Huntersville: For Huntersville area young adults, meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Look them up on MeetUp at www.meetup.com/St-Mark-Catholic-Church-YoungAdult-Ministry.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION FRASSATI SOCIETY: For young adults aged 20-39, single or married, in the Hendersonville area. Look them up on Facebook at “ImmaculateConceptionFrassatiSociety.”

YEAR OF MERCY Divine Mercy Holy Hour: Every first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., in the Daily Mass Chapel at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

Everyone is welcome to attend and pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, venerate and be blessed by the parish’s first-class relic of St. Faustina Kowalska. Recite Divine Mercy prayers and read Scripture and excerpts from St. Faustina’s diary. Each month’s Holy Hour will be for

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

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI 5A

Photo provided by Melissa Kinsley

Georgette Schraeder (left) is retiring as principal of St. Leo School and will be succeeded by Joanne Brown (middle), announced Father Brian Cook, pastor of St. Leo Church and School (right).

Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar at St. Peter Church in Charlotte, along with three St. Peter’s parishioners, Bob Macpherson, Martha Schmitt and Dave Zablotny, made a three-day mission trip in early May to the Kino Border Initiative located at the ArizonaMexico border.

New principal named at St. Leo School Melissa Kinsley Special to the Catholic News Herald

Photos provided

by St. Peter Church

St. Peter’s mission travels to Kino Border Initiative in Mexico Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Jesuit Father John Michalowski, parochial vicar at St. Peter Church in Charlotte, along with three St. Peter’s parishioners, Bob Macpherson, Martha Schmitt and Dave Zablotny, made a three-day mission trip in early May to the Kino Border Initiative located at the Arizona-Mexico border.

The Kino Border Initiative is a binational organization that works with migrants in Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico. Sponsored in part by the Jesuit Refugee Service, its mission is to promote U.S.-Mexico border immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person.

The small group from St. Peter’s went to Nogales to experience the reality of so many displaced, deported and asylum-seeking persons – a daily reality along the border.

Father Michalowski noted, “As members of the Social Justice Committee at St. Peter Parish, we knew of the American bishops’ concern for the U.S. government policies which have been breaking up families, where one or the other of the parents is here illegally and some or all of the children were born in the U.S. and are American citizens. We were also aware that because of the stalemate in Congress, due to an unwillingness to compromise, no meaningful immigration reform has been able to be passed in years.

“What we saw and heard on both sides of the border in Nogales only confirmed what the bishops and others have been saying.”

The KBI pilgrims shared their experience with fellow parishioners June 5 at St. Peter’s Biss Hall with a presentation between Sunday Masses.

“No matter what your viewpoint is on immigration policy, the face of these migrants and their stories will make you feel heartbroken, so sad, ashamed and angry,” Schmitt said.

The first stop for the group was the KBI Comedor, a Mexican-version of a soup kitchen, in Nogales, Sonora/ Mexico.

At the Comedor, Schmitt said, she met a man who had been recently deported after living in Nashville, Tenn., for 19 years. “He left behind his wife and three daughters, two who had been born in the U.S. I asked if he planned on trying to reunite with them and he said, ‘Of course. I will go back as soon as I can and have to trust in God,’” Schmitt recounted.

The following day they visited the Kino shelter for women and children who have no place to live and are in the process of being deported. According to Schmitt, these women and their children are typically victims of domestic violence in their home countries and seek asylum in the U.S. The humble shelter typically houses eight women, who share a small kitchen and living room, bathroom and two bedrooms with bunk beds. At the time of their visit, they met a woman from Honduras with four children there.

“The children had spent a year hiding in small towns in Mexico, sleeping and eating on the streets for much of the time,” Schmitt said. The mother of the children told them that her children “felt like they were on some kind of wonderful vacation now that they were in the apartment.”

The pilgrims hope to continue raising awareness of the immigration problems, as well as make a return trip to Kino with another group.

“As a person who had the opportunity to see these faces and hear stories firsthand, I want to make sure others hear these stories so changes can be made to policies to help make the entire immigration situation more humane,” Schmitt said.

“It is not my job to question their journey, but only to know they are all God’s people on a journey, trying to do the best they can for themselves and their families.”

WINSTON-SALEM — Father Brian Cook, pastor of St. Leo Church and School, announces the retirement of Georgette Schraeder at the end of June after 19 years as principal and the selection of Joanne Brown as the new principal of St. Leo School.

Under Schraeder’s leadership, St. Leo School gained numerous school accreditations and honors including being named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. She improved curriculum continuously, including the addition of Spanish and Chinese languages and Read Naturally programs.

She expanded the school to include a 3-year-old preschool offering multi-day options for young learners and oversaw construction of the new middle school wing which included a new media center, youth room, music room, technology center and gym renovation. During her tenure, Schraeder led more than 500 St. Leo graduates who have gone on to be involved and successful members of their high schools, colleges and communities.

“I want to thank every member of the St. Leo Catholic School family for a joyful 19 years. It has been a blessing to lead the school and I will miss seeing each one of you every day. I am proud of what we accomplished together and I look forward to the continued growth and development that Mrs. Brown will bring,” Schraeder said.

Brown has a Master of Arts in educational administration and a Master of Education in special needs learners. She has extensive teaching experience at the elementary level and has enjoyed successful leadership opportunities that have enabled her to initiate program development for academic growth, lead professional development and support environments of optimum learning.

She is a woman of deep Catholic faith and is committed to the ongoing integration of Gospel values into all dimensions of St. Leo School’s curriculum.

“I have every confidence that Mrs. Brown’s extensive educational experience, superior communication skills and overall commitment to the well-being of the whole child will set her apart as a gifted servant leader among us,” Father Cook said.

“I am looking forward to joining the St. Leo Catholic School community as we continue the tradition of excellence in program development and high quality instruction,” Brown said. “I am truly blessed to join in the commitment to serve our students fostering gospel values and assuring learning for each child.”

Melissa Kinsley is the director of marketing, communications and admissions at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem.

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 OUR PARISHES

Quo Vadis Days 2016 BELMONT — More than 100 young men attended the 2016 Quo Vadis Days vocation discernment retreat, enjoying fellowship, games, prayer and Mass with priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Charlotte throughout the week-long camp held June 11-15 at Belmont Abbey College.

During Mass June 13 at Mary Help of Christians Basilica, Bishop Peter Jugis told the retreat participants, “God is the goal of your life. God is the focus of your life.” And he encouraged them, “Love to pray. Love to spend time with God.” During the closing Mass on Friday, Father Jason Barone, the diocese’s vocations promoter, told the men, “What is happening in our diocese is amazing. For those of you called, you will participate in an incredible band of Christ’s ministers. Continue to pray and look for a consistent peace in whatever Christ is calling you to. None of this works without prayer.”

At www.facebook.com/QuoVadisDays: Join the discussion and look for future news from Quo Vadis Days organizers

Photos by Lorenzo Pedro, John Cosmas and SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Photos by Travis Burton | Catholic News Herald

Religious liberty march ‘witness to freedom’ CHARLOTTE — A Religious Liberty March and Prayer Vigil was held in Charlotte to mark the opening of the U.S. bishops’ fifth annual Fortnight for Freedom June 21, the vigil of the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher. Marchers processed from the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center to Independence Square in uptown Charlotte, then to the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building, where they prayed the Litany for Religious Liberty, the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

This year’s campaign, “Witness to Freedom,” celebrates exemplary witnesses to religious freedom. Online at www.

Fortnight4Freedom.org, find USCCB resources including prayers, fact sheets, information about religious liberty, and information about the lives of Christian witness of women and men of faith, from all over the world.

The 14-day observance of the Fortnight for Freedom, which closes on Independence Day, July 4, is a call by the U.S. bishops for all Catholics in our nation to pray, learn and get involved in peaceful public action to protect the right to religious liberty, “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty.”

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

OUR PARISHESI 7A

First Holy Communions

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First Communion in Greensboro GREENSBORO — Fifty children received their first Holy Communion in May during Masses at Our Lady of Grace Church, celebrated by Father Eric Kowalski, pastor, and Father Noah Carter, parochial vicar.

Construction Manager The Diocese is currently accepting resumes for a “Construction Manager” position within the Diocesan Properties & Risk Management Department. This position will report directly to the Diocesan Director of Properties & Risk Management, and will be involved in planning for and managing the ongoing construction objectives within the Diocese.

Requirements include: • Bachelor of Science degree or greater in associated field.

• Ten years minimum related experience.

• Computer skills and knowledge of relevant software including Word, Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Project, Adobe Acrobat Pro, & PowerPoint.

• Knowledge of various project delivery methods: GMP and Lump sum competitive bidding, Negotiated GMP, and CM@R methods.

• Strong knowledge of construction management principles and procedures (CCM / PMP designation a plus) • Strong knowledge of design standards, building codes and construction materials, means and methods.

• Strong written, verbal and inter-personal skills Please submit your professional resume and salary history by July 15, 2016 to: Jeanine Russell | Catholic News Herald

First Communion at St. Francis of Assisi LENOIR — Flor Contreras, Luis Carlos Montalva Cortes, Jetlee Ever Delgado, Jennifer Flores, Kevin Flores, Antonio LaraFlores, Erika Lara-Flores, Elwin Salvador Hernandez, Johnny Pineda, Kevin Pineda, Angel Cardenas Torres, and Juan Daniel Zayas received the sacrament of first Holy Communion May 28 during Mass celebrated by Father Julio Dominguez, pastor.

Diocesan Director of Properties & Risk Management Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203 Or email to ajmorlando@charlottediocese.org.

The Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 OUR PARISHES

ACCOUNTING POSITION The Diocese of Charlotte is accepting applications for a full-time accounting position for the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools located at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Charlotte. Responsibilities include a variety of activities related to student registrations, tuition and fees billings, cash receipts, database management and other accounting related duties.

Requirements include: • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting • Minimum of three years’ accounting experience • Excellent computer skills – specifically w/Microsoft Excel and 10-key • Experience with Blackbaud software a plus.

Please send resume and salary history by July 1, 2016 to: employment@charlottediocese.org The Diocese of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Belmont Abbey College unveils new logos BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College recently unveiled new academic and athletic logos that reflect the Benedictine college’s history and unify its branding.

The redesigned marks are the result of more than a year of discussions involving dozens of Belmont Abbey College students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as the monks of Belmont Abbey, under the direction of the college’s executive team, to answer the question: “Who are we and what image do we want to project?”

“The new marks are part of an effort to build a national brand for Belmont Abbey College,” said Rolando Rivas, Belmont Abbey College’s director of marketing and communications, in a release.

“We want to inspire a new generation of young men and women to choose the Abbey.

With these fresh, cohesive marks, we feel we’re clearly communicating our history, principles and our beliefs. The consistency between the primary marks will also help us more efficiently build awareness for the college.”

The new academic logo intends to convey both the Benedictine roots of the private Catholic college west of Charlotte, as well as its tradition and history, with its founding year of 1876 clearly represented.

The logo also highlights the most recognizable architecture on the college’s campus: Mary Help of Christians Basilica.

Additionally, the new mark with its shield and custom typeface evokes the excellence and virtue the college hopes to instill in its students, echoing its mission to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so “that in all things God may be glorified.”

“While the marks definitely represent something new for the Abbey, we wanted to be clear that our tradition continues to this day,” Rivas said. “This is just a fresh take on something that’s been around for a long time.”

The new athletic mark is a redesigned Crusader with both a regal and competitive look. It has a more engaging style than the old logo, which was in profile. While having a historical origin, the new rendition also adds a level of modernity to the mascot design.

“By successfully reinvigorating and standardizing our marks – logo, font, and colors – we believe that we have achieved both our goals of enhancing our brand

identity and creating a consistent look that is more readily identifiable,” said the college’s athletic director, Stephen Miss.

Along with initiating the new marks, last year the college began a trademarks and licensing program and hired Learfield

Licensing to manage its licensees. Learfield assisted Belmont Abbey in identifying a design partner, Rickabaugh Graphics of Gahanna, Ohio, that developed both logos.

The firm was among four that responded to Belmont Abbey’s request for proposals through Learfield.

Rickabaugh has extensive experience in the collegiate market. It also has created award-winning logo designs for numerous Fortune 500 companies and celebrities, as well as pro sports brands for the NFL, NHL and NBA. The college will begin using the new logos immediately, and has plans for larger promotions when the fall semester begins.

Over the next several months, the college will update its electronic media, roll out new stationery and update logos across the campus. The college will also update its athletic uniforms and stock new apparel and other merchandise in its bookstore.

“We’re excited about it,” Rivas said.

— Catholic News Herald

Donate Your Car Make your car go the extra mile.

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June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

Augustinian friar who once served in Maggie Valley dies aged 58 Bryn Mawr, Pa. — Augustinian Father John T. Denny, 58, died June 20, 2016, at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Father Denny was pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel Church in Bryn Mawr, but for health reasons resided at St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery Health Care Center since March.

From 2007 until the Augustinian order left the Diocese of Charlotte Denny in 2011, he served as pastor at St. Margaret of Scotland Church and Living Waters Retreat Center in Maggie Valley.

A Parish Mass was celebrated at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church on June 23, and the Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova (Campus Church) June 24.

Interment was at the Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery in Conshohocken, Pa. Father Denny was born on Oct. 19, 1957, the son of the late Joseph G. Denny III and Mary Katherine (Schubert) Denny.

He was baptized at St. Laurence Church, Upper Darby, Pa., on Nov. 3, 1957, and attended St. Laurence Parish School from 1963 to 1971 and Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pa., until 1975. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston College. He entered the Augustinian order at Good Counsel Novitiate in Lawrence, Mass., in August 1980, but withdrew the following March.

He then worked for a year in a real estate office and from 1981 to 1985, taught at Monsignor Bonner High School. He reentered the order and began a second novitiate in August 1985. He professed simple vows on Aug. 2, 1986, and moved to Augustinian College, Washington, D.C. There he pursued theological studies at the Washington Theological Union, and received an M.A. in ecclesiastical history.

He professed solemn vows on May 20, 1989, and was ordained to the priesthood on Aug. 18, 1990, at Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish in Bryn Mawr by Bishop Howard

Hubbard of Albany, N.Y. He was first assigned to St. Joseph Friary in Drexel Hill and to Monsignor Bonner High School, where he served as a teacher from 1990 to 1999, as chaplain from 1990 to 1993, principal from 1993 to 1999, and school president from 1999 to 2001. In 2001 he was appointed the province’s vocation director, and a member of Fray Luis de Leon Friary on the campus of Villanova University.

From 2002 to 2007 he was adjunct professor of theology at the university and chaplain of the University Law School. In 2004 he was assigned to the Saxony Hall community in Rosemont.

On Nov. 1, 2007, he was appointed pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Church.

When the province withdrew from ministry in Maggie Valley in 2011, Father Denny was assigned as pastor of Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish. In August 2014, he was appointed prior of the community as well. For some time he suffered with ailments of the back and leg.

Due to progressive weakness he moved to the infirmary wing of the Villanova Monastery on March 24, 2016. Shortly after, it was discovered that he was suffering from cancer. He underwent a series of treatments, and on June 13 was admitted to Bryn Mawr Hospital. He died there peacefully in the early morning hours of June 20, accompanied by several friars and family members.

He was a keen gardener, and planted flower beds around the friaries where he was assigned. While at Monsignor Bonner High School, he assigned students in detention to care for these at the school. He had a good sense of humor, an infectious laugh, and a deep appreciation and dedication to his vocation as an Augustinian and a priest.

Besides his mother, he is survived by six brothers, one sister, and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers the Augustinian Community, of which Father Denny was a beloved member, wishes contributions to be made to: The Augustinian Fund, Care of Sick and Elderly, c/o Provincial Offices, P.O. Box 340, Villanova, PA 19085-0340.

— Catholic News Herald

OUR PARISHESI 9A

St. Matthew “yoU”niversity

Summer Forum 2016 – July / August Courses For details, contact Michael Burck at 704-543-7677 ext: 1020 or mburck@stmatthewcatholic.org

To register for courses online and to pay by credit card please visit: www.stmatthewcatholic.org/summerforum

D. The Church: Who are we? What are we? Why are we? When are we?

How are we? Sr. Mary Hugh Maudlin, RSM, MA Two Sessions Offered I. Mondays, July 18, July 25, August 1 & August 8 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm NLC 239/240/241 II. Wednesdays,July 20, July 27, August 3 & August 10 from 11am to 12:30pm NLC 239/240/241 $25 It’s been more than 50 years since the church considered these questions at Vatican council II. Come, re-visit and look again at the meaning of the Universal Church and of the church of St. Matthew.

Sr. Mary Hugh Maudlin is a Sister of Mercy in Belmont, has graduate degrees in mathematics from NC State and theology from St. Bonaventure, as well as a graduate certificate in liturgy from St. Joseph College and has taught at all levels.

E. Transformed in the waiting: A retreat for expectant mothers Carla D’Rozario, MA $25 (includes lunch)

Saturday, August 6 from 9:45am to 3:30pm NLC Banquet Room

Pregnant and adoptive moms-to-be are invited to gather for a day of rest and reflection to nurture your soul! The retreat draws upon Scripture, writings in Christian spirituality, poetry, music and images. The day includes opportunities for personal reflection using journaling or artwork, and for small group sharing. Whether you are new or seasoned mother, come enrich our community!

Carla D’Rozario has a master’s degree in pastoral theology from Loyola Marymount University. As a retreat guide, she especially enjoys supporting mothers and lay ministers. Her days are well-spent caring for her son, while she and her husband prepare for the birth of their next child this fall.

F. Windows into heaven: Introduction to the Byzantine Iconography

Chady Elias, MA

Saturday, August 13 from 10am to noon NLC Banquet Room $20

This course is an introduction to the Byzantine Iconography since its origins. It highlights the styles, themes and materials used to write an icon from early Christianity until the present times, with an emphasis on the process of writing and reading an icon in relation to Scripture and liturgy. At the end of the course you will understand the specificities of Christian iconography and its relationship between the Scriptures and liturgy, its symbolism, and how its written / painted.

Chady Elias earned a masters degree in sacred arts from the Univ. of the Holy Spirit – Lebanon. His artwork is found across the world in both private collections and public locations.

Currently, he is an online professor of sacred art at Holy Apostles college and Seminary in Cromwell, CT. He is also the VP and Dean of the Sacred Art Institute at Enders Island, Mystic, CT. There will be an exhibit and sale of Chady Elias’ art after all Masses on August 13 & 14

To view all seven Summer Forum course offerings go to: www.stmatthewcatholic.org/summerforum Summer Forum 2016 Registration Fill out the registration form, one per participant. Detach and enclose the per-person, per-course fee. Make checks payable to St. Matthew Catholic Church. Mail in or drop off an envelope marked Summer Forum to: St. Matthew Catholic Church, PO Box 49349, Charlotte, NC 28277 The fees are non-refundable after the class begins. Please print clearly.

Name _______________________ Parish____________________________ Address _______________________________________________________ City __________________ State _____ Zip ______________ Photo provided by Elizabeth Little, Lauren Schuler AND AL TINSON

Camp SOAR focuses on fun, fitness CHARLOTTE — The 16th annual Camp SOAR, which provides a summer camp experience for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, was held June 13-17 at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Charlotte. More than 400 volunteers, including more than 85 with ties to Charlotte Catholic High School, assisted at the camp, which served about 350 people. This year’s camp focused on physical fitness, and activities included swimming, soccer, basketball, tennis, bowling, crafts and more.

Phone _______________________ Email ____________________________ Course Selection D (I). ______ ($25)

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 10A OUR PARISHES

For the latest news 24/7: catholicnewsherald.com

are welcome! For details, contact Michael Burck, director of adult religious education, at 704543-7677, ext. 1020.

In Brief Ukrainian Catholic bishop to visit Charlotte

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CHARLOTTE — Bishop Bohdan Danylo, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Josaphat, which includes St. Basil the Great Mission in Charlotte, will be in Charlotte on Sunday, July 3, to celebrate Divine Liturgy (Mass).

At 11 a.m., he will offer Mass in English at St. Basil Mission, which meets in the chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located at 1400 Suther Road. A Danylo reception will follow in Aquinas Hall.

At 3 p.m., he will offer Mass in Ukrainian at the chapel of Charlotte Catholic High School, located at 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road. A reception will follow in the school’s cafeteria.

For more information and updates about Bishop Danylo’s visit, go to the St. Basil Mission website, www.stbasil.weebly.com.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which follows the Byzantine rite, is in full communion with the pope.

— Catholic News Herald

Denver parish honors grads DENVER — On May 15, Holy Spirit offered a baccalaureate Mass for the parish’s college and high school graduates, including: Timothy Matthew Waer (UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, entering residency at Carolinas Medical Center, pediatric medicine), Mary Ann McHenry (UNC-Charlotte, Master of Science in nursing, family nurse practitioner), Kaitlyn Michelle Luckman (North Lincoln High School, will attend UNC-Charlotte for pre-medicine), and Christopher Joseph von Dohlen (East Lincoln High School, will attend N.C. State University for engineering).

— Doreen Sugierski, correspondent

Joyces win volunteer award

Hispanic community enshrines Our Lady of Guadalupe JEFFERSON — Members of the Hispanic community at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson recently established a shrine for Our Lady of Guadalupe in the prayer garden on the church grounds.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

St. Matthew offers Summer Forum classes CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church recently announced Summer Forum, adult religious education offerings including five classes and two retreats in June, July and August.

All programs are led by experienced and well-credentialed presenters. To see a listing of the course offerings and access online registration with credit card payment, go to www.stmatthewcatholic.org/summerforum. All

CHARLOTTE — Dr. Donald and Carmel Joyce, parishioners of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte, were recently recognized by NC MedAssist for their longtime service, and the non-profit organization also renamed its annual volunteer award in their honor: the Dr. and Mrs. Donald G. Joyce Excellence in Volunteerism Award.

NC MedAssist is a non-profit pharmacy program that provides access to lifesaving prescription medications, patient support, advocacy and related services to vulnerable and uninsured North Carolina residents in all 100 counties. More than 13,000 patients were served last year and $32 million worth of prescription medications were dispensed during fiscal year 2015. The Joyces were among more than 1,465 volunteers who helped NC MedAssist this year.

A weekly volunteer since 1998, Dr. Joyce has served on NC MedAssist’s board of directors for 12 years and has helped secure more than $250,000 in funding.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter We welcome your parish’s news! Please email news items to Editor Patricia L. Guilfoyle at catholicnews@ charlottediocese.org.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

JUST WAGE FROM PAGE 2A

decent wage, and Canon 1290 requires that civil law contracts and payments be followed.

Editor’s note: This series about the rights and obligations of the Christian faithful, as set forth in canon (Church) law, has been written especially for the Catholic News Herald by

Hechtrealty.com 885 N. NC 16 Business Denver, NC 28037 Photo provided by Father John Starczewski and Georgia Taylor

‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ contest winners announced MOCKSVILLE — Drawings by three faith formation students at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mocksville recently won state honors in the Knights of Columbus’ “Keep Christ in Christmas Contest.” The drawings by Barrett Taylor (8-10 age group), Ann Meluch (11-14 age group) and Evelyn Martinez Gomez (5-7 age group) were selected first as winners at the council level by Knights of Columbus Council 12610 before also taking top honors at the state level of competition. It is rare that three winners come from one parish, noted Ron Friend, youth director of the North Carolina Knights of Columbus.

Their drawings will now go on to national competition. Pictured are (from left): Ron Friend, Ann Meluch, Father John Starczewski, Barrett Taylor and Evelyn Martinez Gomez.

OUR PARISHESI 11A

Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally. Sister Jeanne-Margaret is a distinguished authority on canon law, author of the reference guide “Canon Law for the Laity,” and frequent lecturer at universities and dioceses. A graduate of The Catholic University of America with multiple degrees including a doctorate in psychology and a licentiate of canon law (JCL), she is a psychologist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami.

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Thank you.

The Catholic News Herald recently received eight awards for its work in 2015 from the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals.

This recognition would not have been possible without the generous support of our readers, advertisers and news contributors, as well as the clergy and religious of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Thank you for supporting us in our mission to serve Christ and connect Catholics in western North Carolina.

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Sexto Congreso Mariano en Concord, Maria, Madre de la Misericordia Sergio Lopez Corresponsal

fotos por SERGIO LOPEZ | Catholic News Herald

Imágenes del Congreso Mariano (Arriba) Una familia de ascendencia filipina corona a la estatua de la Virgen María durante la conclusión de la Misa en el Sexto Congreso Mariano en el Cabarrus Arena de Concord. (Abajo, Izquierda) Manuel Capetillo comparte su testimonio con los participantes acerca de cómo el Santo Rosario cambió su vida. (Centro) El Padre Alvaro Riquelme, Párroco de la Iglesia de San Jose en Kannapolis, celebra la Misa durante el Congreso Mariano. (Derecha) El cantante de música católica, Martin Valverde durante el concierto que ofreció en la noche del Sábado para cerrar el Congreso Mariano con broche de oro.

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CONCORD — El Sábado 18 de Junio se celebró el Sexto Congreso Mariano del Rosario en el Cabarrus Arena de Concord, bajo el lema: María Madre de la misericordia.

También, como parte del evento, el 150 aniversario de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro. El congreso fue una magnífica oportunidad de evangelización contemporánea, y continuando con las celebraciones de este Santo Año de la Misericordia La Celebración comenzó con la oración de apertura por el Padre Álvaro Riquelme, parroco de la Iglesia de San Jose en Kannapolis. Despues, la celebración de una Misa de sanación que presidio el Padre José Maniyangat quien dio un gran testimonio de vida.

Manuel Capetillo (personalidad de la Televisión Mexicana durante los años 80’s y 90’s) actor y torero profesional, rezo el Santo Rosario, y después hablo un poco de como la devoción del Santo Rosario le fue ayudando en su vida y en su familia hasta convertirse en un apóstol del Rosario.

Capetillo viaja por todo Mexico y Estados Unidos para llevar este mensaje.

Al medio día comenzó la Celebración Eucarística presidida por el Reverendo Padre Álvaro Riquelme y al finalizar la liturgia una Familia de descendencia filipina corono a Nuestra Señora con una hermosa corona de Rosas blancas al final y después de la celebración dio inicio un concierto.

Martin Valverde, quien es uno de los cantantes y predicadores Católicos más conocido en América Latina como en muchos lugares de Europa, fue el encargado de cerrar el Congreso con un gran concierto de música católica,.

Valverde se dio el tiempo para decir unas cuantas palabras en portugués, debido que había una familia de Brasileños en la arena.

Valverde canto la mayoría de sus más recientes canciones, pero cuando se escuchó la canción de “El Diario de María” la gente estaba tan emotiva que se veían muy felices, más cuando al terminar el concierto con posiblemente la canción católica más conocida de los últimos tiempos, “Nadie te ama como Yo” la gente comenzó a abrazarse y a llorar de la emoción, este es un canto que pareciera salir de los mismos labios de Jesús, y por eso hubo tantas emociones y así dio por finalizado el Congreso del Rosario.

Mix

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

On TV n Sunday, June 26, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “In Concert: Church Sonatas.” Filmed at the Music and Beyond festival in Ottawa, Canada, famous pieces from Arcangelo Corelli and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are performed by the London Handel Players and the Chamber Players of Canada. n Monday, June 27, 8 p.m. (EWTN) “Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Redemptorist.”

Catholics gather to celebrate the 150th year since Pope Pius IX bestowed the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to the Redemptorists, live from the Saint Alphonsus “Rock” Church in St Louis, Mo. n Tuesday, June 28, 3:30 a.m. (EWTN) “Reviving the Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Russia.”

Various parishioners give moving accounts on how the revival of the Catholic Church in Russia has personally impacted their lives. n Tuesday, June 28, 6:30 p.m. (EWTN) “Sera: Ever Forward, Never Back – The Mystic Vineyard.”

After arriving in Mexico City, Serra and his close friend Francisco Palou are sent to the Sierra Gorda to settle the disputes at a mission between the Pame Indians and Spanish settlers.

Ultimately, this is restored within nine years. n Wednesday, June 29, 12 p.m. (EWTN) “Soleman Mass and Blessing of Pallia.” Pope Francis celebrates Mass for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul and blesses the pallia to be imposed on metropolitan archbishops in their home dioceses. Live from Rome. n Wednesday, June 29, 4:30 p.m. (EWTN) “The Holy Mass – I Was There.” A reverent animated account of a young man’s realization of the meaning of the Mass for him. n Thursday, June 30, 4 p.m. (EWTN) “Let’s Ask Fr. Levis – Confirmation.” A discussion of the importance of the sacrament of confirmation. n Saturday, July 2, 8 p.m.

(EWTN) “Maria Goretti.” St. Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints in the history of the Church, gave up her life to protect her purity. This remarkable film explores her life in the gritty detail of family poverty and harsh living conditions. n Saturday, July 2, 9:45 p.m. (EWTN) “Hound of Heaven.” A visual presentation of Francis Thompson’s famous poem. With actress Rosalind Russell. n Sunday, July 3, 1:30 p.m. (EWTN) “In Concert: Misa Flamenca (SAP).” From Zuheros, Spain, flamenco guitar master Paco Peña and members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chorus combine the flamenco tradition with musical elements from the Catholic Mass as a reflection of Spanish culture. n Sunday, July 3, 10 p.m. (EWTN) “Franciscan University Presents – Mere Christianity Is Not Enough.” Franciscan University’s professor of theology Dr. Regis Martin addresses the faith and written works of C.S. Lewis from a Catholic perspective.

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For the latest movie reviews: catholicnewsherald.com

In theaters ‘Me Before You’ Though it begins as a charming love story with a strong pro-life message, this grandscale weepie, set primarily in England, veers off course toward a climactic endorsement of behavior no one committed to scriptural values can accept. A vibrant young woman (Emilia Clarke) becomes caretaker and companion to the wheelchair-bound victim (Sam Claflin) of a motorcycle accident. Her tenderness and devotion lift his embittered spirits and they fall in love. Yet he persists in a plan to travel to Switzerland where he can “die with dignity” and no longer be a burden to society. Director Thea Sharrock’s adaptation of the 2012 novel by screenwriter Jojo Moyes ultimately puts an unmistakable seal of approval on this blatant rejection of the gift of life, making it unacceptable fare for viewers of any age. A positive view of assisted suicide, implied nonmarital sexual activity, a couple of profanities.

CNS: O (morally offensive); MPAA: PG-13

‘Central Intelligence’ A high IQ is not a prerequisite for seeing this dimwitted action comedy, directed and co-written by Rawson Marshall Thurber. Stuck in a mundane job, and with his marriage to the sweetheart (Danielle Nicolet) of his youth on the rocks, an unhappy accountant (Kevin Hart) who was once voted “most likely to succeed” is reluctant to attend his 20-year high school reunion. But a classmate (Dwayne Johnson) whose life has taken an opposite trajectory – once an overweight, bullied geek, he’s now a musclebound Adonis – manages to change the number-cruncher’s mind. As it turns out, the former wimp has a secret agenda. He’s a lethal CIA agent on a secret mission to save the world, and needs his friend’s professional prowess to unlock stolen encryption codes. Amid its mindless silliness, the film does impart a strong message about bullying that might have served adolescent viewers well. Generous servings of violence, crude language, and sex jokes, however, strictly preclude endorsement for youngsters.

Action violence and gunplay, rear male nudity, much sexual humor and innuendo, an antiCatholic slur, occasional profane and crude language.

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

‘Warcraft’ Heavy-handed video game adaptation pitting an army of murderous orcs (including Toby Kebbell) led by an evil wizard (Daniel Wu) against the inhabitants of a fantasy version of Earth. Heading the opposition to the invasion are a wise king (Dominic Cooper), a gallant knight (Travis Fimmel) and two practitioners (Ben Foster and Ben Schnetzer) of good magic, backed up by the guidance of an orc half-breed (Paula Patton) whose mistreatment at the hands of her own kind has made her anxious to thwart them.

Shifting loyalties, especially those of Kebbell’s character, whose devotion to family life makes him redeemable, keep the pot boiling. But director and co-writer Duncan Jones’ film bubbles over, in the end, and steams rapidly away. Possibly acceptable for mature teens.

Pervasive mayhem but with almost no blood,

‘Finding Dory’ This dandy animated sequel to 2003’s “Finding Nemo” sets that film’s trio of main characters on another epic journey, this one undertaken to reunite the absent-minded blue tang of the title (voice of Ellen DeGeneres) with her long-lost parents (voices of Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy). Her eventful quest, on which she’s accompanied by the father (voice of Albert Brooks) and son (voice of Hayden Rolence) duo of clownfish she befriended in the first outing, takes her to a fictional California aquarium. There she gains the help of three more pals: a curmudgeonly octopus (voice of Ed O’Neill), a beluga whale with defective sonar skills (voice of Ty Burrell) and a nearsighted whale shark (voice of Kaitlin Olson). Working with codirector Angus MacLane, writer-director Andrew Stanton conveys life lessons about family loyalty, teamwork and the proper balance between courage and caution via a script full of gentle humor and appealing personalities. But his most impressive achievement is the use to which he puts the various disabilities on display, using them to send an implicit anti-bullying and pro-life message to youthful viewers. While objectionable elements are virtually absent, the dangers lurking in the deep may be too much for small fry. Scenes of peril, a distant reference to cliches about the facts of life, equally vague bathroom humor.

CNS: A-I (general patronage); MPAA: PG

momentary gruesome violence, scenes of torment, a painful birth, a couple of sexual references.

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

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’ With a clear target audience of adolescent boys, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael take on an evil scientist bent on world domination, and sometimes discuss the importance of teamwork and what it means to be fully human. Director Dave Green and screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec remain faithful to the tropes of action pictures with ramped-up CGI animation.

Intense action sequences, cartoonish violence and a single scatological reference.

CNS: A-II (adults and adolescents); MPAA: PG-13

‘Now You See Me 2’ A trio of magicians and illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and James Franco) – their performing ensemble, the “Four Horsemen,” now rounded out by Lizzy Caplan in lieu of Isla Fisher – returns to execute a complicated, worldwide sting involving a computer circuit that can deencrypt any system into which it’s plugged.

The tricks performed by the quartet in this follow-up to the 2013 original are

deconstructed in great detail, as if director Jon M. Chu and screenwriter Ed Solomon are anxious for the audience not to miss any of their cleverness or its meaning. Though this gives an otherwise compelling, intelligent sequel the slight cast of an old Scooby-Doo cartoon, there’s no denying the brilliant choreography of the film’s climactic set piece.

Probably acceptable for older adolescents.

Mild action violence, some profane and crude language, a vulgar gesture.

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

‘The Conjuring 2’ Horror franchise follow-up drawing, once again, on the exploits of demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) has the couple traveling to London to deal with a crockery-smashing poltergeist (Bob Adrian) who’s bedeviling a woman (Frances O’Connor) and her four children (the most prominent played by Madison Wolfe).

Basing his plot on a real incident known as the Enfield Poltergeist, director and co-writer James Wan does acknowledge that prankplaying children may have been responsible for at least some of the mayhem, but not before he throws a demon nun into the mix in a failed attempt to add to the fright factor. Occult themes, a skewed presentation of Catholic faith practices, intense action sequences, some of them involving gun violence.

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

Our nation

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 14A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

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In Brief Archbishop Gomez calls law allowing physician-assisted suicide ‘unjust’ LOS ANGELES — With California now allowing doctors to prescribe lethal medications for terminally ill patients who ask for them, “we are crossing a line,” said the archbishop of Los Angeles.

With the state’s new “End of Life Options” law legalizing assisted suicide, the nation has crossed “from being a society that cares for those who are aging and sick to a society that kills those whose suffering we can no longer tolerate,” said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez.

“Our government leaders tell us that granting the right to choose a doctor-prescribed death is compassionate and will comfort the elderly and persons facing terminal and chronic illness,” he said in a statement June 8, the day before the law took effect. “Killing is not caring.”

California becomes the fifth state in the nation to legalize physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Oregon was the first state, in 1994, followed by Washington and Vermont. The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that physicians in that state may prescribe lethal drugs to the competent terminally ill.

— Catholic News Service

Bishops, others offer consolation, resolve after Orlando shootings WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bishops of dioceses which themselves fell victim to mass shootings in recent years were among the flood of Catholic leaders offering condolences and consolation to survivors and family members of the victims of the mass shooting June 12 at a gay nightclub attack in Orlando, Fla. The mass shooting – the deadliest in U.S. history –left 50 people dead, including the gunman, and more than 50 others wounded.

Bishop Gerald R. Barnes of San Bernardino, a city that suffered a mass shooting itself last year, said in a statement: “For those of us in San Bernardino, this is especially painful because we also experienced the trauma of an act of public violence in our community not so long ago, at the Inland Regional Center. “In that sense, we offer our prayers and our tears in solidarity with the victims of this attack, their loved ones, the Diocese of Orlando and the city itself. Because of the circumstances of this attack, we also make clear our condemnation of discriminatory violence against those who are gay and lesbian, and we offer our prayers to that community.”

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Conn., which takes in Newtown, where four years ago 20 children and six adults were slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School before the gunman took his own life, said in a June 14 statement that all Catholics must raise their voices against hatred. The attack in Orlando, he said, “has unmasked once again ... an evil that must spur us to rededicate ourselves to fostering a true spirit of unity and reconciliation.”

Pope Francis also offered prayers for the families of

CNS | Carlo Allegri, Reuters

Jose Louis Morales cries as he kneels June 21 at a makeshift memorial for his brother Edward Sotomayor Jr. and other victims of the Pulse night club shootings in Orlando, Fla. the victims and expressed hope that people would find ways to identify and uproot “the causes of such terrible and absurd violence.” Describing the attack as an expression of “homicidal folly and senseless hatred,” a June 12 Vatican statement said, “The terrible massacre that has taken place in Orlando, with its dreadfully

high number of innocent victims, has caused in Pope Francis, and in all of us, the deepest feelings of horror and condemnation, of pain and turmoil. Pope Francis joins the families of the victims and all of the injured in prayer and in compassion.”

— Catholic News Service

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Our world

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 16A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Pope elevates memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to feast day Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Recognizing St. Mary Magdalene’s role as the first to witness Christ’s resurrection and as a “true and authentic evangelizer,” Pope Francis raised the July 22 memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to a feast on the Church’s liturgical calendar, the Vatican announced.

A decree formalizing the decision was published by the Congregation for Divine Worship June 10 along with an article explaining its significance.

Both the decree and the article were titled “Apostolorum Apostola” (“Apostle of the Apostles”).

In the article for the Vatican newspaper, Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary of the congregation, wrote that in celebrating “an evangelist who proclaims the central joyous message of Easter,” St. Mary Magdalene’s feast day is a call for all Christians to “reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the new evangelization and the greatness of the mystery of Divine Mercy.”

“Pope Francis has taken this decision precisely in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy to highlight the relevance of this woman who showed great love for Christ and was much loved by Christ,” Archbishop Roche wrote.

While most liturgical celebrations of individual saints during the year are known formally as memorials, those classified as feasts are reserved for important events in Christian history and for saints of particular significance, such as the Twelve Apostles.

In his apostolic letter “Dies Domini” (“The Lord’s Day”), St. John Paul II explained that the “commemoration of the saints does not obscure the centrality of Christ, but on the contrary extols it,

demonstrating as it does the power of the redemption wrought by him.”

Preaching about St. Mary Magdalene, Pope Francis highlighted Christ’s mercy toward a woman who was “exploited and despised by those who believed they were righteous,” but she was loved and forgiven by Him. Her tears at Christ’s empty tomb are a reminder that “sometimes in our lives, tears are the lenses we need to see Jesus,” the pope said April 2, 2013, during Mass in his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Pope Francis also mentions her specifically in the prayer he composed for the Year of Mercy: “Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his betrayal, and assured paradise to the repentant thief.”

Archbishop Roche explained that in giving St. Mary Magdalene the honor of being the first person to see the empty tomb and the first to listen to the truth of the Resurrection, “Jesus has a special consideration and mercy for this woman, who manifests her love for Him, looking for Him in the garden with anguish and suffering.”

Drawing a comparison between Eve, who “spread death where there was life,” and St. Mary Magdalene, who “proclaimed life from the tomb, a place of death,” the archbishop said her feast day is a lesson for all Christians to trust in Christ who is “alive and risen.”

“It is right that the liturgical celebration of this woman has the same level of feast given to the celebration of the apostles in the general Roman calendar and highlights the special mission of this woman who is an example and model for every woman in the Church.”

Renew efforts to build peace, help refugees, pope says Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — Assist and accompany refugees while working to build peace in the world, Pope Francis urged on the eve of World Refugee Day. “Refugees are people like everyone, but war took away their home, work, relatives and friends,” he said in the run-up to the United Nations-sponsored day June 20.

Seeing the faces and hearing the stories of refugees should lead Christians “to renew our obligation to build peace through justice,” he said after praying the Angelus with people gathered in St. Peter’s Square June 19. “This is why we want to stand with them – to encounter them, welcome them, listen to them – in order to become together with them artisans of peace, according to God’s will,” the pope said, referring to the day’s theme, “We Stand #WithRefugees.”

The pope’s appeal followed a joint effort by the Vatican police, the Greek government and Rome’s Sant’Egidio Community to bring a group of Syrian refugees to Italy.

The Vatican police accompanied nine refugees – six adults and three children – from Athens to Rome June 16. The community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay organization, was arranging their housing.

The Syrian citizens, including two Christians, had been living in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos – the same island Pope Francis visited in April to highlight the dramatic situation of the people there. He brought three refugee families on his flight back to Rome.

Pope Francis’ appeals and concrete actions tell the world that it is feasible to

else is helping in their community.

“There are so many things to do,” he said, such as visiting refugees, helping with free meals, doing advocacy work, becoming part of a long-term coordinated effort or just helping out when time allows. “The possibilities are endless.”

“People are doing this” in spite of what some political leaders say, he said, “so it is a question of bringing it to light” and inspiring more people to help rather than be paralyzed by fear.

While many fears can be legitimate, “fear often translates into anxiety,” CNS | Nikos Arvantidis, pool via EPA which “warps our A volunteer from a humanitarian organization hugs refugee children June 13 understanding” of what during a police operation at a makeshift camp in Polykastro, Greece. is really happening and offer real help to refugees, said Jesuit Father what can be done, he said.

Becoming familiar with or getting to know Thomas Smolich, international director of “real people who share our fears,” but have Jesuit Refugee Service. experienced the difficulties of having to flee Leaders and everyday people “get a pretty their homes, the Jesuit said, helps change good model” from Pope Francis about the discussion from being centered on the Catholic and humanitarian duty of “‘What am I afraid of’ to ‘How can we build welcoming, advocating for and assisting solidarity?’” refugees, Father Smolich said.

While global estimates say more than 60 “I would encourage people, especially million people are fleeing violence, conflict on World Refugee Day, to contact the part or persecution, the best way to digest such of the Church that works with refugees,” a statistic is “to meet people one-on-one or for example, Catholic Charities in the hear them speak” so they don’t remain an United States or Jesuit Refugee Service in abstract number, the priest said.

Europe, he said, or ask and find out who

Vatican marks ‘Laudato Sí ’ anniversary with new website Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

ROME — Marking the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace launched a new website dedicated to the document and efforts around the world to put its teaching into practice.

The site – www.laudatosi.va – “witnesses not only to the impact of the encyclical, but also the creativity and generosity of the people of God everywhere in the world,” said Cardinal Peter Turkson, council president. The council celebrated the first anniversary of the document, “Laudato Sí,” June 20 with a small conference at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary in Montesanto.

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, in a video message, said that as scientists, governments, economists and concerned citizens were pushing for an international agreement to combat climate change, Pope Francis’ encyclical provided the “moral imperative to take bold action.”

Published six months before the Paris summit on climate change, she said, the pope’s document raised the issue in “the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of people who may not otherwise have considered climate in their daily lives.”

The science and economics of change to protect the environment are essential, Figueres said, but “the guidance of our moral compass” is what will make a difference.

Archimandrite Athenagoras Fasiolo, an Orthodox pastor in Treviso, presented the Italian edition of the book, “Cosmic Grace, Humble Prayer: The Ecological Vision of the Green Patriarch Bartholomew I.” Pope Francis’ encyclical and the collected environmental reflections of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, he said, show that “the Holy Spirit does not cease to work without interruption in His Church,” inspiring leaders to teach care for “all the work of God.” Jesuit Father Michael Czerny, an official at the justice and peace council, told Catholic News Service, “Laudato Sí” does not tell people what to think, but guides them through the complexities of the issue of climate change and care for creation, and calls them to reflect on their response.

“The variety and intensity of debate” within and outside the Church, he said, “is a very healthy response” because the pope wrote the encyclical to contribute to the debate and dialogue.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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In Brief Pope: Martyrs are witnesses of faith, not just genocide victims VATICAN CITY — Using the word “genocide” to describe the persecution of Christians in the Middle East risks downplaying the courage and witness of those who boldly profess faith in Jesus Christ even in the face of death, Pope Francis said. “I want to say clearly that I do not like it when people speak of a ‘genocide of Christians,’ for example in the Middle East,” the pope said, responding to questions June 18.

Calling the persecution “genocide,” he said, is using a juridical and sociological category to speak of “something which is a mystery of the faith: martyrdom.”

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Pope Francis “was not speaking about the use of the term ‘genocide’ on a political level, but on a level of faith. When applied to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, the dimension of faith is essential,” particularly when victims are murdered for not renouncing faith in Christ.

Pope Francis spent more than an hour responding to questions during an afternoon visit to Rome’s Villa Nazareth, a residence for university students and headquarters of a foundation dedicated to helping gifted students who do not have the financial resources to continue their studies. Recalling the Islamic State’s martyrdom of 21 Egyptian Christians on a Libyan beach in 2015, Pope Francis said none of them were theologians, “but they were doctors of Christian consistency; they were

witnesses of the faith.”

Pope: Too many couples do not understand marriage is for life ROME — Because most people today do not understand that sacramental marriage really is a bond that binds them to each other for life, many marriages today can be considered invalid, Pope Francis said. Raising a point he has raised before, and one also raised by nowretired Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis insisted June 16 that the validity of a marriage implies that a couple understands that sacramental marriage is a bond that truly binds them to another for their entire lives.

“We are living in a culture of the provisional,” he told participants in the Diocese of Rome’s annual pastoral conference. Answering questions after giving a prepared talk, Pope Francis told the story of a bishop who said a university graduate came to him saying he wanted to be a priest, but only for 10 years. The idea of commitments being temporary “occurs everywhere, even in priestly and religious life.

The provisional. And for this reason a large majority of sacramental marriages are null.

They say ‘yes, for my whole life,’ but they do not know what they are saying because they have a different culture,” he said.

Help laypeople help the Church and the world, pope says VATICAN CITY — The Church needs laypeople who look to the future, take risks and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, Pope Francis said.

While laypeople must be “well-formed, animated by a straightforward and clear faith” and have lives truly touched by Christ’s merciful love, they also need to be able to go out and play a major role in the life and mission of the Church, he said.

The pope met June 17 with members, consultors

and employees and their family members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which was holding its last plenary assembly June 16-18. Established

by Blessed Paul VI after the Second Vatican Council, the office was meant to encourage and support laypeople’s involvement in the life and mission of the Church.

Lay involvement was in no way meant to be a “proxy” of the hierarchy, he said, but to participate in the saving mission of the Church as baptized members.

Vatican dialogue with U.S. women religious continues, cardinal says VATICAN CITY — More than a year after the conclusion of the Vatican’s apostolic visitation of U.S. communities of women religious, the Vatican began asking more than a dozen orders to send their superiors to Rome to discuss concerns that surfaced. “We did a very positive report at the conclusion of the visitation,” a report that looked at the life of women’s congregations in the United States as a whole and was released in December 2014, said Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. But “there remained about 15 – more or less – congregations that we needed to speak with about a few points,” the cardinal said June 14.

The cardinal had attended a news conference about a new document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith looking at the relationship between the hierarchy and communities or movements that arise from “charismatic gifts. When you are speaking of religious orders, secular institutes and the order of virgins, all of this is part of the charismatic side of the Church,” he said.

More than 2,000 orders and institutes are

recognized by the Vatican as “paths of a special encounter with God,” the cardinal said, but it is the responsibility of bishops and the Church’s hierarchy to support and guide them.

Doctrinal text looks at increasing harmony among Church groups VATICAN CITY — Local bishops have an obligation to welcome new movements and communities and guide them, while the groups have an obligation to obey the local bishop and avoid the appearance of setting up a parallel Church, said a new Vatican document. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s letter to bishops around the world on “the relationship between hierarchical and charismatic gifts in the life and mission of the Church” was released June 14. The hierarchical gifts – teaching, sanctifying and governing – are those conferred with ordination. The charismatic gifts refer to those given by the Holy Spirit to groups or individuals to help them live the faith more intensely and to share the faith with others through missionary activity and acts of charity.

At a Vatican news conference, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, doctrinal congregation prefect, and Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, presented the document, which formally is titled “Iuvenescit Ecclesia” (“The Church Rejuvenates”).

Faced with the reality of aging and death, men and women always have “looked for something or someone to help them remain young,” Cardinal Muller said. “This is the same challenge that every institution that wants to last must face: remaining young with the passing of time, that is, renewing itself while remaining what it is without changing or altering” its basic identity.

— Catholic News Service

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 18A CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father John Putnam

‘My God, what a life, O priest of Jesus Christ’ T

onight (Holy Thursday) we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which celebrates the institution of the Most Holy Eucharist – Jesus present among us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and the institution of the sacred priesthood, without which the Eucharist would not be possible.

When thinking about this particular celebration, I think the Lord has been asking me to reflect on the priesthood and the Eucharist and why these two realities are inseparable.

I was only 14 years old when I had my first contact with a Catholic priest or the Catholic Church. I was searching for a deeper relationship with the Lord, and I was looking all over for it. The first time I walked into a Catholic church, though, I sensed that something was clearly different. It was a completely different experience from any of the other churches I had visited or attended. Obviously there were the external things: the statues, the altar rail, the crucifix, the votive candles. But what struck me was a deep sense of Presence, emanating from the tabernacle. The red candle and the tabernacle exuded a Presence that shook me inside. Everything in me said, “God is here.” That experience led to the beginning of my Catholic life.

The first priest I encountered was Monsignor Eugene Livelsberger. As his name indicates he was of German decent, and he could instill a healthy fear of God in just about anybody, but definitely a naïve Baptist boy from Hickory. There was something else about Monsignor, however, that I came to know.

‘We have to be Christ for others.’

While the folks who didn’t take the time to get to know him thought he was rough and autocratic, the priest I came to know and love had the heart of a true father. He loved his people, and he loved them so much that he would always tell them the truth – even when it hurt. For that he was often hurt by the people he loved, but he persevered and pressed on.

I still remember the day Monsignor Livelsberger announced his retirement. I don’t know what the situation was, but there was a particularly unpleasant altercation between him and a new parishioner from somewhere up north who thought Monsignor should do things his way. Monsignor stood his ground, of course, and whatever followed must have been very painful because he broke down in tears during the celebration of Mass and announced that he was retiring. That experience taught me a lot about that particular priest and a lot about the priesthood.

You see, we priests are neither super-human nor inhuman.

We are simply human. We laugh, we cry, we get angry, and we can be hurt. We can be stubborn, we can be humble, we can be loving, and we can be hateful. We can be all of the things everyone else can be, but in the midst of all that, we have to be something that not everyone can be. We have to be Christ for others. We have to be an “alter Christus,” another Christ.

While with that call in this world comes many blessings too countless to number, it also brings with it the reality of the cross. A reality that the world does not understand and which many simply reject. Yet that cross has to be our greatest treasure as priests, because it is only through the crucifixion that we can experience the Eucharist and the resurrection.

Recently ISIS members in Yemen broke into a compound of the Missionaries of Charity where the sisters ran a home for the aged and infirm. The terrorists killed the guards, and they killed the sisters. But they kidnapped the priest. Rather than running to hide when he heard the commotion, Father Tom Uzhunnalil, the

chaplain, ran to the chapel and consumed the reserved Blessed Sacrament so that the terrorists could not desecrate it.

What he did before being apprehended is really at the heart of what we celebrate tonight. Because we believe and know by faith that after they are consecrated at Mass at the hands of the priest, ordinary bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. Father Tom knew that his first obligation was not to try to save himself, or anyone else for that matter, but to protect His Lord and God in the Eucharist, who makes Himself weak and humble so that we, undeserving as we are, can receive Him. The Eucharist, at least in the Western or Latin Church, is entrusted to celibate priests not because we are perfect; we are certainly not. The Eucharist is entrusted to us because we can sacrifice everything for our Lord and our people, even to the point of shedding our blood.

A recently ordained priest was sharing with me recently something that one of his professors told him regarding Auschwitz. On a wall at the concentration camp, there is a hash mark record of people who died there, different nationalities, different groupings. The wall where the clergy are listed separates them by denomination, and under the section where the Catholic priests are numbered, the hash marks are quite numerous. Why? Because they were unencumbered by families or earthly concerns. They could give themselves so others might live, as St. Maximilian Kolbe did, and they could resist the Nazi propaganda because they could not be threatened with the death of their families if they failed to submit. They were celibates for the Kingdom.

Celibacy often gets a bad rap, but it is a gift that allows us to give ourselves completely – not in marriage, but in sacrifice. It’s what allows us to take the sick call at two in the morning or drop everything to go and hear someone’s confession. It is not always easy, and it is certainly not for every man. But for those who are called to make the sacrifice it is worth it, because in the mystery of it all, it is the gift that allows greater giving and greater sacrifice. And, most importantly, it is the gift that allows the one sacrifice of Christ to continue so that all might be nourished with His Body and Blood.

One of my favorite descriptions of the priesthood was written by a Dominican priest, Father Henri Lacordaire. I ask you to pray it for your priests. Pray for the priests you’ve known in the past, the priests you know now, and the priests the Lord will send you in the future. Our diocese is embarking on a wonderful adventure by beginning a college seminary this fall, and we need your prayers and your sacrifices so that we who are priests now and those who will be priests in the future will have the strength, the courage and the love to embrace the cross and follow Christ.

To live in the midst of the world Without wishing its pleasures; To be a member of each family, Yet belonging to none; To share all suffering; To penetrate all secrets; To heal all wounds; To go from men to God and offer Him their prayers; To return from God to men to bring pardon and hope; To have a heart of fire for Charity, And a heart of bronze for Chastity; To teach and to pardon, Console and bless always.

My God, what a life; and it is yours, O priest of Jesus Christ.

Father John Putnam is the pastor of St. Mark Church in Huntersville. This is excerpted from a homily he delivered March 24 for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

Sr. Constance Carolyn Veit

Heroes of religious liberty

E

ach year since 2012, Catholics in the United States have observed the Fortnight for Freedom in preparation for Independence Day on July 4th. The theme set by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference for this year’s Fortnight is “Witnesses to Freedom.” Fourteen men and women who bear witness to freedom in Christ – one for each day – have been proposed for our reflection during these two weeks. Thirteen of these figures have already passed from this world into heaven and the majority of them are martyrs. The lone “person” who is still alive? The Little Sisters of the Poor!

We Little Sisters were shocked to find ourselves on a list of freedom fighters. I began to realize the significance of this when I read a reflection on the Fortnight by Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. “Reflecting on the lives of these great men and women can show us how we might serve as witnesses to freedom today,” he wrote. “They love their country, yet this love does not surpass their love for and devotion to Christ and His Church ... By pondering the lives of these exemplary Christian witnesses, we can learn much of what it means to follow Jesus Christ in today’s challenging world. We pray that over these two weeks, the grace of God will help us to grow in wisdom, courage, and love, that we too might be faithful witnesses to freedom.”

We realize that in light of our Supreme Court case we have become a symbol of courage to many people. As the bishops’ list of witnesses for freedom demonstrates, countless Christians down through the centuries, and in our own time, have shed their blood and given their lives for the faith.

I am both humbled and embarrassed to find us listed in their company, because I truly believe that our courage is quite relative. Our suffering is of the type that Pope Francis recently called “polite persecution.” After all, we Little Sisters have not been imprisoned or had to resist to the point of shedding blood!

As I reflect back on the experiences of the past three years, I thank God for the vast cloud of witnesses who have supported us every step of this journey, beginning with our legal team at the Becket Fund, whose constant good cheer and professional expertise were heaven-sent.

We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the people around the world who offered their prayers and sacrifices for our case.

Finally, we are indebted to our foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, and to the generations of Little Sisters who have gone before us, many of whom persevered through much more trying circumstances than anything we have had to face, including religious persecution.

If we are a beacon for our contemporaries in this struggle for religious liberty, it is only because we stand on the shoulders of giants.

Sister Constance Veit is director of communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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What we know that ain’t so:

“What you think is the right road may lead to death” (Prv 14:12)

Deacon James H. Toner What we think is the right road

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am tired of the biases, bigotry and backwardness of those who aren’t bright enough to be progressive. It’s time to stop the prejudice against men marrying men or women marrying women or labeling restrooms for “males” or “females.” While we’re at it, it’s also time to let people decide if they want children, and how; and if they want to die, and how. Most of the important people in the media, education, entertainment, business, politics, and even religion agree with me.

But it’s the wrong road About three decades ago, as we began to slip into a new dark age – the culture of death – the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre prophetically wrote, “What matters at this stage is the construction of local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained through the new dark ages which are already upon us.” He went on to explain, “This time, however, the barbarians are not waiting beyond the frontiers; they have already been governing us for quite some time. And it is our lack of consciousness of this that constitutes part of our predicament.”

So often, modern secular society gets moral issues not just wrong, but inside out and upside down. The idea that men can marry men and that women can marry women is not just wrong theologically, philosophically and anatomically, it has the idea of holy matrimony utterly reversed. Instead of being a sacrament that helps to lead us to salvation, marriage has been corrupted so that it leads to hedonism. The notion that males ought to be free to use females’ restrooms and locker rooms is not only contrary to what used to be called common sense, but it represents a form of reasoning utterly at odds with what we know from biology, history and Scripture.

Oppose same-sex “marriage” or open restrooms and one will be derided as backwards, benighted or bigoted. The glitterati – the famous, wealthy and glamorous people of stage, screen and TV (and not a few politicians, educators and even religious leaders) – condescendingly tell us to be progressive and do away with “old-fashioned” Christian morals and standards. They will have nothing to do with Scripture, much less sacred Tradition or sacred Teaching,

Inside out, upside down

for these are lampooned as irrelevant.

As American scientist Leon Kass put it, “Human nature itself lies on the operating table, ready for alteration, for eugenic and psychic ‘enhancement,’ for wholesale redesign.” The barbarians, promising us paradise, lead us into a brave, new world in which the only God is the Self.

In this world, what is false may be fashionable, for there is no truth. What is evil can be good; what is degenerate can be decent; what is sinful can be saintly, for there are no immutable standards of justice or judgment, and everything depends on popularity – or, failing that, on power.

Here is the testimony of John Dewey, the famous American educator: “There is no God and there is no soul. Hence, there is no need for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is also dead Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes.”

The new barbarians, as MacIntyre told us, have already been governing us, teaching us, influencing us and entertaining us for some time. Listen to political and “The Modern Age,” commercial ads, watch almost

by Jesuit Father James all television or attend almost V. Schall (South Bend, all movies, consider the Ind.: St. Augustine’s content of so many academic Press, 2011) courses, and weigh all these in the light of the Gospel. All these contemporary neo-pagan factors and forces “instruct” us: they are the false prophets, the fraudulent teachers, the purveyors of filth (see Col 2:4, 2 Peter 2:2, Jude 4 and Rev 21:8). And they are legion.

Cardinal Raymond Burke has warned us, “Fundamental

‘Men have forgotten God – that is why all this has happened.’

Suggested Reading

to understanding the radical secularization of our culture is to understand also how much this secularization has entered into the life of the Church herself.” As confirmed Catholics, we are called upon to be Christ’s witnesses against secularization both in the Church, when necessary, and out of it.

In his allegorical poem “The Ballad of the White Horse,” G.K. Chesterton tells the story of King Alfred the Great (848-899), the Saxon king who heroically fought off a barbarian invasion and made his kingdom the nucleus of a unified England. In the closing lines of that poem, Chesterton wrote, “I have a vision. And I know/The heathen shall return. They shall not come with warships,/ They shall not waste with brands,/But books be all their eating,/And ink be on their hands.”

Their profane books say there is no God; their ink proclaims the days of new “truths”; and their barbarian codes insist that they can turn the world inside out and upside down – and build again the Tower of Babel, making right what is wrong, making good what is evil, making true what is false, as long as it brings us pleasure.

If that pleasure leads to the savagery of the deaths of the innocent or the destruction of the sacred or the dethronement of God, well, that is the price of “progress,” isn’t it? Not for nothing was MacIntyre’s book entitled “After Virtue,” for what is authentically virtuous has been turned upside down.

There is a word for all this: “bouleversement,” which means upheaval, usually violent. It means turmoil, convulsion and an inversion of things, and it suggests a forceful overthrow of what we know. What we see around us is a barbarian bouleversement, in the face of which we are left with the prayer of the Psalm with which the Latin Mass customarily begins: “Distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.” (Ps 43:1) We must remember that “a monumental struggle against the powers of darkness pervades the whole history of man.

The battle was joined from the very origins of the world and will continue until the last day, as the Lord has attested.

Caught in this conflict, man is obliged to wrestle constantly if he is to cling to what is good, nor can he achieve his own integrity without great efforts and the help of God’s grace” (“Gaudium et spes,” Vatican II’s pastoral constitution “On the Church in the Modern World,” 37).

Deacon James H. Toner serves at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

Parish spotlight

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From online story “Pope: Before you judge, take a good look in the mirror” Through press time on June 22, 8,263 visitors to www.catholicnewsherald.com have viewed a total of 18,372 pages. The top 10 headlines in June were: n ‘You are priests of the Holy Year of Mercy’...........................................................................................904 n Charlotte retreat explores how to live a virtuous life..........................................................................673 n Four seminarians ordained transitional deacons June 4 .................................................................584 n View the current print edition of the Catholic News Herald.............................................................498 n Charlotte Catholic has 30 athletic signees........................................................................................... 347 n Ukrainian Catholic bishop to visit Charlotte July 3............................................................................. 214 n $13,000 reported missing from St. Joseph Vietnamese Church bank deposit ...........................196 n Father Shaw, Deacon Shaw reflect on fatherhood and their particular vocations..................... 189 n Father Voitus reflects on his fifth anniversary of ordination............................................................ 185

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What’s cookin’ in Hickory?

HICKORY — After a recent Sunday Mass at St. Aloysius Church, a fabulous aroma drifted through the corridor from Holy Family Hall and a line began to form. This was not the normal after Mass donut regulars. In less than five minutes, the hallway was packed with hungry patrons for “La Cocina,” a fundraising event featuring authentic Mexican food. On the menu were tacos, nachos, tostados, tamales, sopes, empanadas, fruit, desserts and more. The Hispanic Youth Group, led by Edith Gonzales, organized the delicious event to raise money for a weekend spiritual retreat in May to the Valley Haven Camp and Retreat Center in Hickory. Tickets quickly sold out and the young cooks received lots of compliments.

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For information, to volunteer or K-12 Track Registration: www.GoEucharist.com

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Mark your calendar for the 12th Eucharistic Congress September 9 & 10, 2016 Charlotte Convention Center

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Be Merciful, just as your Father is Merciful 2016 Eucharistic Congress Diocese Of Charlotte

September 9 & 10 JUBILEE OF MERCY

June 24, 2016

catholicnewsherald.com charlottediocese.org

Heeding the Call ORDINATION

JUBILARIANS

WOMEN RELIGIOUS

DEACONS

VOCATIONS

Catron, McCanless Our 2016 jubilarians: ordained priests to Priests, deacons and serve the People of God women religious

Profiles of several Sisters and their ministries

Permanent deacons celebrate jubilees of ordination

Rising to serve the growing Hispanic community

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘You are priests of the Holy Year of Mercy’

During the June 18 ordination Mass at St. Mark Church, everyone knelt in prayer and chanted the Litany of the Saints as Cory Catron and David McCanless prostrated themselves before the altar. Following the litany, they arose and approached Bishop Peter Jugis, who laid his hands on their heads and prayed silently over them for the gift of the Holy Spirit to descend upon them.

Photos by SueAnn Howell and Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald

Bishop Jugis ordains Fathers Catron, McCanless SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

HUNTERSVILLE — “God has given mercy on us in His Son Jesus, and wants you to be ministers of His mercy to extend His work of salvation in the world.”

That was the advice the Diocese of Charlotte’s two newest priests, Father Cory Catron and Father David McCanless, heard from Bishop Peter Jugis as they received the sacrament of holy orders June 18. Their ordination during this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy for the Church is notable, Bishop Jugis emphasized to them: “You are priests of the Holy Year of Mercy. May the mercy of God show forth in your priestly ministry as you serve the Lord with joyful hearts.”

The two-hour Mass at St. Mark Church drew hundreds of people, including dozens of priests and deacons, women religious, Knights of Columbus and lay faithful, along with the families and friends of both men, to witness the culmination of years of study and spiritual formation to serve the People of God. Seated before the sanctuary at the start of Mass, both men were presented for ordination to the bishop by Father Christopher Gober, director of vocations for the diocese.

“Most Reverend Father, Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these, our brothers, for the responsibility of the priesthood,” Father Gober said. Upon Bishop Jugis’

Online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Check out coverage of the June 18 ordination Mass, including lots more photos and video highlights inquiry as to their worthiness, Father Gober affirmed it and Bishop Jugis accepted them for the order of the priesthood. A loud round of applause then arose from the faithful gathered for the celebration.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis noted that Jesus the High Priest established the priesthood in the Church.

“Today, with a brother’s kindness, He chooses these two men to share in His sacred ministry through the laying on of hands,” he said. “By the special grace of the Holy Spirit, they now conceive the indelible spiritual character which consecrates them and configures them to Christ.”

He asked those gathered to consider the power of the Holy Spirit who is capable of transforming the men into an “alter Christus,” another Christ. “Such a power in that Holy Spirit, so that now these two men have the power to act as Christ the Head… It’s a divine power, the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Bishop Jugis directed his comments to both of the men being ordained, reminding them of their priestly responsibilities upon receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. He explained that through the power of the Holy

Spirit they will offer the Eucharist, to make the Real Presence of Christ present. They will also have the power to absolve penitents of their sins, power to bring the healing power of Christ to the sick, and power to extend Christ’s salvific work in the world, he said.

“You are being ordained priests during the Extraordinary Holy Year, the Jubilee of Mercy,” he then told them. “You are priests of the Holy Year of Mercy.

Shepherd the faithful with the mercy of Jesus.”

He enumerated the ways that Jesus showed mercy to the People of God: He showed mercy to the sick, to the dying, to sinners in need of forgiveness, and to those who needed instruction in the ways of the kingdom of God. “Jesus showed mercy to the whole human race by suffering, dying and rising to destroy sin and death,” he said. “Bring the mercy of Jesus to the people of God through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist, which make the merciful event of the sacrifice of Calvary really present to us.”

After the homily, Bishop Jugis asked both men a series of questions to express their desire and willingness to be ordained priests and to fulfill the responsibilities that come with ordination. Then, one at a time, the men approached the bishop, placing their hands in his to signify obedience to him and to the Church.

ORDAINS, SEE page 5B

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Father Cory Catron Home parish: St. Frances of Rome Church, Sparta; originally St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Wytheville, Va. Raised in: Rural Retreat, Va. Birthday: April 22, 1988 Family: Parents, Jerry and Mia Catron; brother, Micah Catron College: Belmont Abbey College, Class of 2010 Degree: B.A. in Theology and Philosophy Pre-Theology: Pontifical College Josephinum Theology: Pontifical College Josephinum Summer assignments in the diocese: Previously at St. John the Evangelist Church, Waynesville, and Immaculate Conception Mission, Canton, in 2011; St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson, and St. Frances of Rome Mission, Sparta, in 2012; St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte, in 2014 CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?

Catron: I was raised by a librarian so reading is always a big one for me.

Since high school I have enjoyed reading theology and philosophy, which is largely why I chose to study those subjects in college. I also like modern American literature, particularly Southern literature like Flannery O’Connor; I also enjoy C.S. Lewis. I enjoy writing from time to time, usually short fiction or various contrarian essays about what’s going on in the world. I have always been fascinated by languages and so make studying and practicing them an occasional diversion. This also contributed to my studies in seminary, as I pursued a degree in Scripture. I also like the outdoors, having been involved in Scouting for many years, and so enjoy fishing, camping and hiking.

CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?

Catron: I think I had a sort of vague attraction to the priesthood while I was in high school. It was at that time I began to read my grandfather’s collection of books about Catholicism to try to learn more about my faith, especially in response to challenges I met among my peers and even my teachers. It was when I got to Belmont Abbey, though, that that vague attraction started to take shape in an even bigger way, and then going to the Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte that fall was perhaps the greatest catalyst. That procession had an effect on me that to this day is a reminder of the great peace that I have found in following the Lord and seeking His will for my life.

CNH: Who has helped you or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?

Catron: I would say that there have been a number of good people along the way these past 10 or so years that I have been discerning and in formation.

I first think of my great-uncle, Father Ted Zuber, from the Archdiocese of Newark. He celebrates 66 years of priesthood this summer, and he has been a constant source of support and encouragement (and books and wonderful articles to read, which he mails me occasionally) throughout the years. I am especially blessed that he attended the ordination to vest me, as well as concelebrate my first Mass the next day. The chalice with which I celebrated my first Mass was actually given to him by his parents in 1950 when he was ordained, and he handed it on to me a year ago.

I think also of the monks at Belmont Abbey, to whom I became close during my time in college. Their prayers, friendship, hospitality and guidance throughout the years have been of inestimable value to me. I would be remiss if I did not mention the many priests of the Diocese of Charlotte who have walked the way with me these last several years, particularly my pastor, Father James Stuhrenberg, who has been a great friend and mentor to me. It was coming to the Diocese of Charlotte that made my vocation come into focus in a big way, as I really saw for the first time priests who were united in their love of the Lord and in service to His Church, and who found such great joy in their work.

CNH: What would you like to say to young men who may have a call to the priesthood?

Catron: The biggest thing to keep in mind about discerning your vocation – no matter what it is that God calls you to – is that it will rarely just be laid out for you, made completely clear all in one go. This is because life with God is an adventure! We have to be ready to prayerfully and virtuously test things out, venture into areas that may seem difficult, explore things about ourselves that we might not have thought of, be challenged and become better for having accepted the challenge. If you feel God might be calling you to the priesthood, don’t be afraid to test that out! Even if only for a year or two, give yourself over to exploring what He might be calling you to, and realize that no matter where the road leads you, you’ll have become a better man for having tried it out, and you’ll learn things you couldn’t possibly have otherwise. And if He does invite you to serve the Church as a priest, then you’ll see just how tremendous a blessing it is.

CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a priest here in the Diocese of Charlotte?

Catron: Words do not express my excitement at finally coming home to the Diocese of Charlotte. A few years ago, I was flying into Charlotte after having been in Ohio at the seminary for several months and then taking a brief vacation to visit some friends in California. When the pilot said that we were making our approach into Charlotte, I recall becoming somewhat emotional – it hit me then that I was coming home. I still feel that way every time I cross the state line out of Virginia or Tennessee when I’ve gone there to visit family.

This place has given me so much these past few years, and now I am ready and eager to begin to give back in whatever small way I can by serving as a priest here.

Then seminarian Cory Catron carries the Blessed Sacrament in procession during the 2015 Eucharistic Congress. He recalls that it was at a previous Eucharistic Congress when he felt God calling him to a priestly vocation.

File, SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Father David McCanless Home parish: Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury Raised in: Salisbury Birthday: Sept. 22, 1985 Family: Parents, Bill and Ann McCanless; siblings, William and Kate McCanless College: Wake Forest University Degree: B.A. in Classical Studies Pre-Theology: St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia Theology: Pontifical North American College Summer assignments in the diocese: St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte; Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury; St. Mark Church, Huntersville; St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon CNH: What are some of your interests/hobbies?

McCanless: Golf, Wake Forest sports, reading history (and the Catholic News Herald!), traveling.

CNH: When did you first realize you had a vocation to the priesthood?

McCanless: I began to discern a vocation to the priesthood when I was in college.

CNH: Who has helped you or given you a good example to follow during these years of discernment and seminary?

McCanless: My pastor, Father John Putnam, and our vocations director, Father Christopher Gober, have been very supportive and helpful during these years. Many other priests in the diocese, such as Father Mark Lawlor and Father Roger Arnsparger – who hosted me at their parishes during the summer – have also been important mentors.

CNH: What would you like to say to young men who may have a call to the priesthood?

McCanless: If I may borrow a phrase from St. John Paul II, “Be not afraid!”

Pray and talk with your pastor about the decision, and trust that God will lead you along the right path.

CNH: Is there any comment you would like to share with our readers about becoming a priest here in the Diocese of Charlotte?

McCanless: I am grateful to so many people for their prayers and support over these years, and I look forward to getting to know many more in my future assignments as a priest of the diocese.

Deacon David McCanless addresses young men during the 2016 Quo Vadis Days discernment retreat at Belmont Abbey College.

Lorenzo Pedro | Catholic News Herald

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(At top) Scenes from the ordination rite at Mass June 18 – where hands play a pivotal role in praying, pledging obedience, invoking the Holy Spirit and anointing.

Bishop Peter Jugis lays his hands on the head of Father Cory Catron and Father David McCanless, invoking the Holy Spirit during the ordination rite.

(Above) Father Catron is embraced by his great-uncle, Father Ted Zuber; (at right) both priests are vested for the first time during the ordination rite; a little boy receives a blessing during Communion from Father McCanless.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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(At left) Fathers Catron and McCanless concelebrate Mass for the first time alongside Bishop Jugis and their brother priests. (Above) The newly ordained priests celebrate the Mass and bestow a blessing upon their bishop June 18.

ORDAINS FROM PAGE 2B

The Litany of Supplication followed, during which the men prostrated themselves before the altar as everyone knelt in prayer and chanted the Litany of the Saints. Then they arose and approached the bishop, who laid his hands on their heads. During this most solemn moment of the ordination rite, Bishop Jugis prayed silently over them for the gift of the Holy Spirit to descend upon them.

Dozens of priests then took their turn laying hands on the newly ordained priests, joining the bishop in invoking the Holy Spirit to come upon the two men.

Father Cory Catron was then vested by Father Thaddeus Zuber of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., his great-uncle and mentor. Father David McCanless was vested by Father Joseph Farrell, a friend and priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Va. During Communion each of the newly ordained priests was able to offer the Eucharist, which they consecrated along with Bishop Jugis and the other priests present, to their parents and families.

The Eucharist has been the guiding light for both men in discerning their vocation to the priesthood.

Father Catron, the son of Jerry and Mia Catron, graduated from Belmont Abbey College and first felt God calling him to the priesthood as a teenager. He credits attending the diocese’s annual Eucharistic Congress, and experiencing the heartfelt devotion of so many people to the Lord in the Eucharist, as a particular inspiration for him.

“We were, at first, a little surprised that Cory was considering a vocation,” his mother Mia Catron said.

“Through high school, he had shown an interest in law and possibly journalism. He started showing a real interest in his faith in high school.

“Cory did not have an intense Catholic upbringing,” she noted. “We attended Mass, but he had little strong, religious development during his early years other than that. As Cory began to show an interest in the faith, he sought counseling from his grandfather and great-uncle.

Both had strong Catholic upbringings. ‘Uncle Padre’ (his great-uncle, Father Zuber) has been a priest for over 66 years. Both were very influential in Cory’s development.”

When it was time for her son to choose a college, he selected the Benedictine-run Belmont Abbey College. “We

strongly believe that God guided him to this decision,” his mother said. “The outstanding faculty and the overall religious experience were very beneficial in his continued growth in the Catholic faith.”

“Watching Cory grow through the process and his love of God and knowledge has been a growing process for us, also,” she added. “We are extremely excited as the many years of development and education culminates in his ordination and his continued journey in God’s service. We feel very honored and blessed that God has chosen Cory.”

Parents Bill and Ann McCanless, who are parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, said they have also felt blessed that their son David has been ordained to the priesthood to serve God. Father McCanless first heard God’s call to religious life when he was at Wake Forest University. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and then went on to further formation in Rome at the Pontifical North American College.

“We are proud of his hard work and are grateful for all the prayers and encouragement he has received from the people of the diocese,” said Ann McCanless.

Beginning July 5, Father Catron will be assigned to St. Mark Church in Huntersville and Father McCanless will be assigned to St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Catron offers first Mass at Belmont Abbey BELMONT — Father Cory Catron celebrated his first Mass June 19 at Belmont Abbey’s Mary Help of Christians Basilica.

Father Catron’s family and friends, as well as seminarians from the Diocese of Charlotte and monks from Belmont Abbey, attended the priest’s Mass of Thanksgiving. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari served as homilist.

After Mass, the new priest offered blessings to people on the new kneeler he received from the Mary’s Sons apostolate.

Photos by John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald

The priests, parishioners and staff of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School offer prayerful congratulations to Father David McCanless on his ordination to the Holy Priesthood Father David McCanless

Deacon James J. Mazur on your 15th anniversary to the diaconate Ad multos annos!

Deacon James J. Mazur

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Prayerful best wishes on the occasion of your ordination to the Holy Priesthood.

Fr. A. Cory Catron, Fr. David R. McCanless

“If some of you hear the call to follow Christ more closely, to dedicate your entire heart to Him,

Father McCanless celebrates first Mass at his home parish SALISBURY — Surrounded by his family and friends, Father David McCanless offered his first Mass June 19 at his home parish of Sacred Heart Church.

Father John Putnam, former pastor, served as homilist. Other priests at the celebration included Father Jason Barone, Father Santiago Mariani, Father Mark Lawler, Father Noah Carter, Father John Eckert and Father Lucas Rossi.

Deacon Jim Mazur assisted at the Mass.

After Mass, parishioners and Father McCanless went over to Brincefield Hall to enjoy barbecue sandwiches and dessert. The new priest also offered blessings to people on the new kneeler he received from the Mary’s Sons apostolate.

like the Apostles John and Paul...

be generous, do not be afraid, ...because you have nothing to fear when the prize that you await is God Himself, for Whom, sometimes without ever knowing it, all young people are searching.”

- Saint John Paul II

Office of Vocations Diocese of Charlotte Father Christopher Gober Director of Vocations

(704) 370-3327 Photos by Bill Washington | Catholic News Herald

1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203-4003 vocationsmail@charlottediocese.org

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Catron’s chasuble features an image of the Mary, Help of Christians. His chalice was a gift from his great-uncle and mentor, Father Thaddeus Zuber from the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J. It had been given to him by his parents in 1950, when he was ordained. In an interview before his ordination, Father Catron noted, “The alb I will be wearing is constructed from lace that was on an alb which belonged to my great-uncle, a priest for 66 years, which his mother crocheted for him by hand. We’ve had it altered by attaching it to a new top piece; the linen part of the old alb was showing its age, plus there’s a significant size difference between myself and my uncle!”

Photos by SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

The faithful, led by Bishop Peter Jugis, pray for the two men about to be ordained to the priesthood during a Holy Hour June 16 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

‘Over the life of your priesthood there will be many blessings that you will bring to the people of God’

Bishop Jugis leads Holy Hour for ordinands SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

In an earlier interview, Father McCanless described the vestment he selected for his first Mass: “My vestment comes from Italy and is ivory, embroidered with images of the Four Evangelists. Because the Gospels are the source of both the Christian life and the priesthood, I thought it was appropriate imagery.”

His chalice came from Poland and features medallions of Jesus, Mary and the Four Evangelists on its base.

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis led a prayer vigil and Holy Hour June 16 at St. Patrick Cathedral for Cory Catron and David McCanless as they prepared to offer their lives as priests to the People of God. Both Deacon Catron and Deacon McCanless attended the Holy Hour with their parents and were seated near the front of the cathedral, close to where their vestments were draped over kneelers at the base of the steps of the sanctuary in anticipation of Bishop Jugis blessing them, along with their chalices, that were given to them at Saturday’s ordination.

During his homily, Bishop Jugis assured the men and their parents that their gift – their yes to the priesthood – was a blessing to the Church.

“Deacon McCanless and Deacon Catron, over the life of your priesthood there will be many blessings that you will bring to the People of God, as St. Peter the Apostle speaks to us today (1 Peter 3:8-9): ‘Return a blessing instead.’

“You will be just like a real presence, and your life as an ‘alter Christus,’ as another Christ, by your very presence among the People of God, you will be a blessing for the whole Catholic community and for all Christians as a priest of God. As a priest of the new covenant, you will be bestowing God’s grace in the celebration of the sacraments on countless numbers of people, from Saturday at your ordination until the Lord calls you to eternal life.”

And, he continued, “The blessings will just multiply and continue throughout

your lifetime. This is the way our loving Jesus, our Good Shepherd, takes care of His Church, takes care of us until the end of time.”

Their parents and families will also receive many blessings because they have given their sons in service to God and because they have supported their religious vocations, he said.

After the Holy Hour, Bishop Jugis blessed the chalices and vestments each man had selected.

Deacon Cory Catron’s vestments feature an image of the Blessed Mother as Mary Help of Christians. He explained, “My chasuble has the image of Our Lady on it called ‘Help of Christians,’ which is of course the title under which Mary is

invoked as patroness of Belmont Abbey.

My time at the Abbey in college was very important to my discernment, and my first Mass will be there, so when I found that chasuble I knew it was the one.

“The alb I will be wearing is constructed from lace that was on an alb which belonged to my great-uncle, a priest for 66 years, which his mother crocheted for him by hand. We’ve had it altered by attaching it to a new top piece; the linen part of the old alb was showing its age, plus there’s a significant size difference between myself and my uncle!”

His chalice was a gift from his greatuncle and mentor, Father Thaddeus Zuber from the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., who had received it from his parents at his ordination in 1950.

Deacon David McCanless’ vestments come from Italy. “My chalice was made in Poland, and has medallions of Jesus, Mary and the Four Evangelists on the base,” he explained. “My vestment comes from Italy and is ivory, embroidered with images of the evangelists. Because the Gospels are the source of both the Christian life and the priesthood, I thought it was appropriate imagery.”

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Support our seminarians’ education and priests’ retirement

Adopted son receives ordination gift JEFFERSON — Father James Stuhrenberg, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church, recently presented then-Deacon Cory Catron with a Mass kit. Father Catron, a native of Virginia who graduated from Belmont Abbey College, adopted the Jefferson parish and its mission, St. Frances of Rome in Sparta, as his home parish after he entered the seminary for the Diocese of Charlotte and spent the summer of 2012 serving there.

Pictured with them is Father Camilo Cárdenas, the Hispanic Ministry coordinator for the Boone Vicariate.

Photo provided by Cindy Giarrusso

(Above) Brooke Chauvron, a member of St. Bernadette Mission in Linville, prays on one of the kneelers for the two new priests as the kneelers traveled around the Diocese of Charlotte over the past year.

— Patrick Hession, correspondent

Seminarian summer assignments announced CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte announces the following 2016 summer assignments for its seminarians: n Peter Ascik (home parish St. Barnabas Church in Arden) will serve at St. Eugene Church in Asheville. n Matthew Bean (home parish St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia) will serve at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. n Brian Becker (home parish St. Matthew Church in Charlotte) will serve at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. n Christopher Bond (home parish St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte) will serve at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. n Michael Carlson (home parish St. Ann Church in Charlotte) will continue language studies in Rome, where he is enrolled at the Pontifical North American College. n Christian Cook (home parish St. Eugene Church in Asheville) will serve at St. John Neumann Church in Charlotte. n Alfonso Gamez Jr. (home parish Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville) will serve at St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte. n Jacob Mlakar (home parish St. Matthew Church in Charlotte), who just received his Bachelor of Philosophy degree at the Pontifical College Josephinum, will go to Rome for studies in July. n Miguel Sanchez (home parish St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir) will serve at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe. n Britt Taylor (home parish St. Matthew Church in Charlotte) will serve at St. Elizabeth Church in Boone. n Jonathan Torres (home parish St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte), who also just earned his Bachelor of Philosophy at the Josephinum, will serve at St. Ann Church in Charlotte.

— Catholic News Herald

(Left) A parishioner at Holy Spirit Church in Denver also prays for the two new priests.

The education of our seminarians is possible thanks to the generosity of our parishioners who give to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal and the Easter Sunday Seminary and Priests’ Continuing Education Collection, and those who contribute leadership gifts to the Seminarian Education Campaign. Your support allows these young men to focus on their priestly formation without worrying about financial obligations.

With the Priests Retirement and Benefits Collection, held the first weekend of September in the diocese, we have the opportunity to show our gratitude and celebrate the priests who have served the Church for decades.

To learn more about how you can donate to seminarians’ education efforts or support our retired priests, call diocesan Director of Development Jim Kelley at 704-370-3301. Learn more online at www.charlottediocese. org: click on Departments, then Stewardship and Development.

Doreen Sugierski | Catholic News Herald

Newly ordained receive gifts of prayer, kneelers SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — In what has become an annual tradition at ordination time, the Mary’s Sons apostolate has given each new priest a custommade prie-dieu.

The two wooden kneelers were taken to dozens of parishes and schools across the Diocese of Charlotte over the past year, so that people could offer their prayers for the new priests.

Mary’s Sons (www.Maryssons.com) was formed four years ago to promote praying for priests and to support vocations in the diocese. The apostolate is the inspiration of Jackie Gallagher and Robyn Magyar, who first met at the diocese’s Eucharistic Congress. They discovered that they both shared a love of supporting priests through prayer, and together they hoped “Mary’s Sons” could help spread this prayer effort across the diocese. Their effort is still growing, and a unique outgrowth has been what they call the “Seminarian Kneeler Prayer Pilgrimage.”

“Three years ago as a visible symbol to support devotion and love for our new priests through our prayers, and as a reminder to pray for vocations, we purchased personal prayer kneelers for our soon-to-be-ordained priests,” Magyar said.

“We began to contact parishes and ask them to host the kneelers for a certain period of time.

The response was, ‘Yes! When can we have them and how long can we keep them?’ And so it began with three Charlotte parishes and has grown into 37 locations this year.”

This year, the kneelers have been on a unique prayer pilgrimage throughout the diocese. The journey began seven months ago at St. Patrick Cathedral with a 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations and Holy Mass offered by Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

The kneelers then traveled from the cathedral to nine of the diocese’s 10 vicariates, including the new priests’ home parishes in Sylva and Salisbury as well as the parishes where they served summer assignments as seminarians.

Other destinations included the convents of religious orders, Catholic schools, Pennybyrn at Maryfield, the Eucharistic Congress last September in Charlotte, Belmont Abbey College and the annual Diocesan Youth Conference.

“People of all ages throughout the diocese knelt on the kneelers and offered prayers for the men’s holy priesthood in the settings of Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Hours, 40 Hours devotions, and at Mass,” Magyar said.

The kneelers ended their pilgrimage back at St. Patrick Cathedral June 16, during a Holy Hour for the two men.

“The Kneeler Prayer Pilgrimage could not be done without the support of our bishop, our wonderful priests and the help of parish volunteers in each vicariate, for which we are very thankful,” Magyar said.

“As our new priests begin their first year (of ministry), we want them to know how much they are cherished and supported by parishioners in the Charlotte diocese. As they pray on their kneelers, we hope that it will be a constant sign to them of the love of God through the Body of Christ. We at Mary’s Sons thank them for answering God’s call to serve His people through their vocation to the holy priesthood.”

Interested in the permanent diaconate?

Catholic men who are active in their parish and bring a certain experience of the spiritual life including apostolic zeal and a desire to increase their faith through obedience and fraternal communion, and who are at least 33 years old, married or unmarried, can inquire into becoming a permanent deacon in the diocese. Preparation for the permanent diaconate takes several years to complete, and includes completion of the twoyear Lay Ministry program. To learn more, go online to www. charlottediocese.org: click on Ministries, then on Permanent Diaconate.

Learn more about your faith through the Lay Ministry program Interested in learning more about the faith, becoming a catechist or religion teacher, or discerning the possibility of becoming a permanent deacon? The diocesan Lay Ministry Office offers a twoyear program with classes in Arden, Bryson City, Charlotte, Greensboro and Lenoir.

For details, contact Dr. Frank Villaronga at 704-370-3274 or favillaronga@charlottediocese. org.

— Catholic News Herald

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 10B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Sacerdotes Anglos de la diócesis que hablan español y tiene un ministerio Hispano activo en sus parroquias CHARLOTTE — Vean este interesante video-corto en el canal de YouTube diocesano de algunos sacerdotes Anglos de la Diócesis de Charlotte que han aprendido español y tienen vibrantes ministerios Hispanos en sus parroquias.

— Rico De Silva, Hispanic Communications Reporter

English-speaking priests minister to growing Latino population around the diocese in their own language Rico De Silva Hispanic Communications Reporter

CHARLOTTE — According to the latest diocesan statistics, nearly half of the 400,000 Catholics who live in the Diocese of Charlotte are Latinos. And that number is increasing.

To minister to this growing population, English-speaking priests across the diocese have been making a concerted effort to learn Spanish and immerse themselves in their local Latino communities so that they can better shepherd their flocks.

They have taken their lead from Bishop Peter Jugis, who has become fluent in Spanish and has made evangelization and outreach to the Hispanic community one of his four major priorities; Father Fidel Melo, the first full-time Vicar for Hispanic Ministry, who helped develop a long-term pastoral plan for serving the Latino Catholic community; and the diocese’s longtime commitment to serving Latino Catholics of all ages in everything from faith formation and RCIA classes to social services and lay leadership development.

Father Philip Scarcella, pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte since 2004 and a priest for 39 years, is one of the more experienced priests who has been adapting his ministry to this new reality for the Church in western North Carolina.

Father Scarcella taught himself Spanish by listening to audio cassettes and watching Mexican television. Soon after his arrival at the parish, Bishop Peter Jugis asked him to start offering the Mass in Spanish to minister to the growing Latino community there.

Father Scarcella says he made a commitment

More online At www.catholicnewsherald.com: English-speaking priests talk about how they are ministering to their Latino parishioners from the start to spend time with his Latino parishioners and listen to their problems, so that he could better preach and minister to their needs, as well as be able to make the Gospel relevant to their lives and struggles.

“These are immigrants without much money – without jobs, without apartments,” he explains. For example, he says, the parish council “decided that we were going to postpone building a parish center, and used a lot of the money that we had to help these people get on their feet. And I’m glad we did because one of the marvelous thing about this parish is that in 10 years, very few have left the parish.”

A priest for just seven years, Father Benjamin Roberts has honed his Spanish-speaking skills at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe since becoming pastor there in 2012. He says the Latino community has claimed him as their own.

“Eighty percent of the community at Our Lady of Lourdes is Latino, and principally Mexican,” he says. “The great gift of being the pastor of the parish is that there is an expectation that you are going to be here for a while, that you have come to dwell in the parish.”

He continues, “I remember when the bishop installed me in this church. I sensed that I was home, and this was the flock entrusted to my care, and that I was in fact also entrusted to them.”

Catholicism is an integral part of LatinoAmerican culture, but Latino Catholics in the diocese are not all the same.

Father Thomas Kessler, pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville, also notes, “The diversity that we have here is very Catholic, very universal. We do have Hispanics that have been here for years. There’s a strong Colombian community, as well as Venezuela, Peru, Central America, and, of course, Mexicans are the majority. To bring them all together and help them to realize their gifts and their values, that’s always a challenge.”

Besides learning the language and the particular cultures of their Latino parishioners, pastors say they have to understand the unique needs of their Latino families as well as the typical needs of any immigrant: educational opportunities, financial self-sufficiency, safety and security for their families.

“We often think of Latino culture as one thing.

And it’s not. It’s a quite diverse and beautiful manifestation,” says Father Roberts. “This parish is predominantly and overwhelmingly Mexican, but we have a couple people from Colombia, a few people from Argentina… So, (we are) coming to understand what is universal about our human experience, and what is particular about the experience, not only of Latinos, but of Latinos in Our Lady of Lourdes.”

This universal human experience and shared faith are what brings Latino and Anglo Catholics together, many pastors say. And being good students of people, no matter their language or culture, makes all the difference in ministry.

“Whatever your pastoral assignment is, whether Hispanic or whatever, the people will teach you how to do it best,” says Father Kessler.

And, he notes, given the growing number of young Latino Catholics, the American-born children of immigrants, they represent “the future of the Church in so many ways.”

Congratulations

May God continue to bless you with His joy and goodness.

on the 25th Anniversary of Your Ordination

CONGRATULATIONS

Rev. Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio

The Faculty, Staff and Students of Saint Pius X Catholic School greatly appreciate you!

Fr. James M. Turner, O.S.F.S. on your 35th Anniversary of Ordination.

Our Lady of the Highways Catholic Church 943 Ball Park Road Thomasville, NC 27360 (336) 475-2667

ourladyofthehighwayscatholicchurch.com

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Seminaristas hispanos se preparan para ser futuros sacerdotes César Hurtado Corresponsal

CHARLOTTE — Son tres jóvenes hispanos, todos ellos procedentes de la Diócesis de Charlotte, los que se preparan para atender el flamante seminario menor San José, que iniciará sus operaciones en la Ciudad Reina este verano, con la finalidad de preparar a las vocaciones sacerdotales que se presentan localmente.

Edgar Soberón, José Palma Torres y Kevin Martínez recibieron, de distinta manera, el llamado de Dios para ser guías de su Iglesia. Soberón en Statesville y Palma y Martínez en Asheboro, dos localidades en las que la fe de la comunidad hispana se ha extendido fuertemente, han encontrado, cada uno a su manera, la forma de responder a una demanda de amor.

Pero no solo estos tres latinos con raíces mexicanas son todas las vocaciones sacerdotales diocesanas que ha entregado la comunidad hispana en los últimos años.

Hace unos días se reunieron con otros tres seminaristas, Camilo Salas, Juan Miguel Sánchez y Alfonso Gámez, que atienden un Seminario Mayor en Columbus, Ohio, donde la diócesis de Charlotte prepara a sus vocaciones con estudios superiores, alistándolos para el servicio sacerdotal.

Para Edgar Noverón, natural de Guerrero, México, y residente en Statesville, una localidad al norte de Charlotte, encontrar su vocación fue un camino largo.

“Todos quisiéramos que el Señor nos mandara, aunque sea un mensaje de texto, donde nos dijera: ‘Hey, quiero que hagas esto’. Pero no, es algo que va creciendo en ti y, no sé, es una paz, que te llega y no se va. Y eso es lo bonito, que sabes que estás haciendo lo correcto”, añade.

José Palma Torres, veracruzano residente en Asheville, Carolina del Norte, nunca se imaginó que daría el paso para ser seminarista. “Después de vivir un tiempo muy mundano, decidí servir a Dios. Los amigos, mucha gente se ha sorprendido y siempre me cuestiona por qué o qué me pasa”, cuenta, pero el joven sintió el llamado de Dios.

“Cuando oramos y le preguntamos a Dios qué es lo que quiere para nosotros, Él siempre nos responde. Es como

levantamiento de pesas.

El inquieto espíritu de estos tres jóvenes encuentra su complemento con los otros seminaristas que atienden el Colegio Pontificio Josephinum. Con la energía propia de su edad, pero el aplomo que da la mayor experiencia, Alfonso Gámez, nacido en las montañas de Carolina del Norte y con raíces michoacanas, tenía planeado convertirse en ingeniero civil, casarse, tener hijos, “vivir el sueño americano y darle a mis padres las comodidades que se habían ganado por sus sacrificios”.

Su interés por el servicio lo inclinó luego a inclinarse por la escuela de leyes, para luego decidir ponerse al servicio de Dios.

Juan Miguel Sánchez, con 31 años y nacido en Guadalajara, Jalisco, trabajó en labores de construcción en Charleston, Carolina del Sur, donde conoció de cerca el sufrimiento y las necesidades de los inmigrantes.

Ayudar a las personas y ser agente César Hurtado | Catholic News Herald de transformación, además de la Los nuevos postulantes Edgar Noverón, Kevin Martínez y José Palma a la izquierda, acompañados invitación de un sacerdote, lo hizo de los seminaristas Juan Miguel Sánchez, Alfonso Gámez y Camilo Salas, durante una reunión en la decidir por la vocación sacerdotal. parroquia San Marcos de Huntersville.

Sánchez tuvo que regresar a la escuela para poder seguir el plan de Dios para él. “Pude entender como es la vida, cómo vive la cuando conoces a una muchacha y sabes que ella será la compañía de tu vida. En mi caso, Él me pide esto y yo tengo gente y espero que eso me ayude a poder dar un consejo en un futuro”, señaló. que hacerlo por amor a Él”.

Finalmente, para Camilo Salas Bowen, nacido en Por su parte Kevin Martínez, residente en Asheboro, Ecuador, el misterio de la Eucaristía lo hizo decidirse por proveniente de una familia de Nayarit, México, sintió el camino del sacerdocio. “Después de algunos años en que Dios le pedía “algo más que llevar una vida normal”. el Seminario, puedo decir que como hombre he crecido Después de su primera comunión fue monaguillo y hoy se bastante y siento una paz que no la puedo expresar en desempeña dentro del grupo juvenil de su parroquia. “Mis palabras, un signo, creo, de que he tomado el camino amigos verdaderos me han apoyado desde el principio y acertado, el que Dios tenía para mí”. estoy muy agradecido a Dios por haberme regalado estos — Reprinted with permission from Hola Noticias. compañeros”, asegura el joven, cuyo deporte favorito es el

12B iiJune 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com

CATHOLIC N

Celebrating our 2 Priests

5 YEARS

10 YEARS

15 YEARS

Father Joshua Voitus

Father Alejandro Ayala Father James Stuhrenberg

Father James Duc Duong Father Tien Duong Father Robert Ferris Father Kurt Fohn Father Adrian Porras Father Christopher Roux

Online At www. catholicnewsherald.com: Read more about some of these priests and the advice they have to offer.

25 YEARS

35 YEARS

Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio

Father James Byer (no photo) Father Francis Cancro (no photo) Father Carl Del Giudice Father Jose Antonio Juya Father Gnanapragasam Mariasoosai Father James Turner, OSFS

Deacons 10 YEARS

Deacon Lee T. Levenson Deacon Larry G. Lisk Deacon James L. Atkinson Deacon John A. Martino Deacon David P. Boissey Sr. Deacon Brian P. McNulty Deacon Mark S. Diener Deacon Walter J. Haarsgaard Deacon Robert T. Murphy Deacon Edward A. Konarski Jr. Deacon A. Stephen Pickett Deacon Michael L. Stout Deacon John T. Kopfle Deacon(Paul) Pee Lee Deacon Kevin B. Williams

15 YEARS

Deacon Kenneth L. Drummer Deacon Scott D. Gilfillan Deacon Pierre K’Briuh Deacon David E. King Deacon Gerard P. LaPointe Deacon Alexander Lyerly Deacon James J. Mazur Deacon Mark D. Nash Deacon Michael J. Zboyovski

30 YEARS

Deacon Patrick J. Devine Deacon Jeffery S. Evers Deacon H. Paul Herman Deacon Dario Garcia Ospina

Wom

Mission Missionary

NEWS HERALD

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.comiii

2016 Jubilarians

S

20 YEARS

g g s n s x

Father Fidel Melo

40 YEARS

50 YEARS

55 YEARS

Father John D. Hoover

Father Albert Gondek, OSFS

Father Joseph Ayathupadam Father James Cahill

20 YEARS

Deacon Lawrence P. O’Toole

men religious 25 YEARS

nary of Charity Sister Mary Flora y of Charity Sister Mary Magdela

50 YEARS

Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton

60 YEARS

Mercy Sister Marian Joseph Baird

70 YEARS

Mercy Sister Mary Bernarda Hoff

25 YEARS

Deacon Paul A. Liotard

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catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 14B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

‘I consider myself graced and blessed’

Father Byer celebrates 35 years of priestly ministry

Monsignor Marcaccio marks his 25th jubilee

SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

TAYLORSVILLE — Thirty-five years ago on Feb. 21, 1981, Father James Byer was ordained a priest of the diocese by Bishop Michael J. Begley, the first bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

A native of Ohio, Father Byer attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and learned of a need for priests for the mission Diocese of Charlotte through a friend. He has served at 10 parishes in the diocese, first at St. Gabriel Church as a parochial vicar and currently as administrator of Holy Trinity Mission in Taylorsville.

The Catholic News Herald recently asked Father Byer to describe his journey to the priesthood and his experiences over more than three decades of serving the Church: CNH: When did you first discern that you were called to the priesthood?

Father Byer: I grew up in a Catholic parish, Sts. Peter and Paul Church of the Polish heritage in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. I began serving in my home parish when I was in the sixth grade. The sister in charge of the altar boys was especially helpful and affirming in her training program. Also, my pastor was an inspiration to me, to the degree of my attributing him as the seed of my vocation to the priesthood.

CNH: What are some of your favorite assignments you have had over the past 35 years?

Father Byer: Two assignments stand out in my memory: First, as parochial vicar at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. At one point of my stay at St. Ann’s, I was given the additional assignment of living with (at the time) our retired Bishop Michael J. Begley, who lived very close by. I thought it a blessing to live with the bishop who ordained me and travel with him, as his master of ceremonies, as he celebrated confirmations in our diocese. Second, when I was in residence at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville. The people were wonderful to me and I became good friends with a few families of the parish. While at St. Philip’s, I considered myself graced and blessed.

CNH: What do you enjoy most about your priestly ministry?

Father Byer: Number one on my list is celebrating the sacraments of the Church. The sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is most special to me. The sacrament of penance offers any priest the opportunity to bond with and try to heal souls who need God’s grace and forgiveness in their lives. All sacraments are wonderful opportunities for priest and parishioner alike to unite themselves closer to God and grow together as members of the family of the Church.

CNH: What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned over the past 35 years?

Father Byer: I have learned the importance of the virtue of humility. Staying dependent upon the Lord as a fragile human being myself, so as to identify with the fragility of the people of God. I have also learned the need for forgiveness in my own life so that I can offer the forgiveness of God with a greater sensitivity to the people I have been called to serve.

CNH: What advice would you give to a man discerning a vocation to the priesthood?

Father Byer: As you grow in maturity, try to balance the idealistic aspects of your understanding of the priesthood with the realities that you face on an everyday basis. The two aspects may bring you joy or may present a challenge to you. Be faithful to and constant with your own personal prayer life. Offer your services to the people you serve with honesty, respect, forgiveness and love all throughout your priestly ministry.

Editor’s note: Monsignor Anthony J. Marcaccio celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood June 1. Born in Michigan in 1963 the youngest of four children, he grew up in Greenwood, S.C. He attended Francis Marion University and completed graduate studies at The Catholic University of America. He is a member in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and is a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. After he was ordained in 1991, Monsignor Marcaccio first served parishes in Charlotte and western North Carolina, then for five years served as priest secretary to Bishop William G. Curlin. He also served as the diocese’s vice chancellor in 2002. He has served as pastor of St. Pius X Church and School in Greensboro since 2000, and has led the parish during a time of unprecedented growth and activity. A new church was built in 2010, and later this year the parish will open a new parish center and enlarge its school.

I

was reflecting with some friends on the upcoming silver jubilee of my priestly ordination and someone asked, “What is your most satisfying accomplishment? What you built at St. Pius?” I corrected him and said, “It’s not what I’ve built, but what we’ve built together at St. Pius.”

Our conversation reminded me of the great British architect Sir Christopher Wren, who designed among many things the huge and beautiful Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul’s in London. His memorial tablet reads in Latin: “If you seek his monument, circumspice – look around.” I hope in 25 years, and then after another 25 years, someone looking for my greatest accomplishment and the legacy of my priesthood wouldn’t point to a school building, or parish center, or even a church – but would be circumspect, look around, and see a vibrant Catholic community living its faith in love.

During my pastorate here at St. Pius X we have built a lot, but it wasn’t my original intention. The buildings flow from our mission. I didn’t come to St. Pius X to build a school, but to help build future Catholic moral leaders for our society. The parish center isn’t my personal legacy, but a purpose-driven project to provide us the space for hospitality and parish-wide learning.

It will be a tool of administration for efficient and effective ministry to more and more people.

Our church, our most important building, was built big and beautiful to accommodate our growth.

And while there always are things I would have done differently, I was proud to present it to the diocese for dedication.

The most beautiful aspect of the church is when we gather for liturgies, so I suppose I would be happy to say, “There, be circumspect, look around and see this church. Look around and see these people being the Church. Look around and see this church being and bringing Christ to the community.”

One of those things I would do differently is to place a memorial inscription on the front door of our church that spoke profoundly to me when I first read it on a church door in Boston: “This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate to heaven.”

I hope that after 25 years people would think of the success of my priesthood in Jesus Christ in terms of a living legacy – not brick and mortar, not a building, not even a church door, but as someone who helped them open the Door of Mercy, that Living Door, the Gate through which the people of our parish were able to pass and develop that deep, abiding friendship with God. — Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio

Father Del Giudice reflects on 35 years of priestly ministry SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

CHARLOTTE — Growing up, Father Carl Del Giudice enjoyed a happy family life in both his native New Jersey and southern California.

A cradle Catholic whose mother was a convert to Catholicism, Father Carl (as he prefers to be called) received a Catholic school education which introduced him to both Franciscans and Carmelites during his years at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Gardena, Calif., and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Tenafly, N.J., where he was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station.

“My brother and I were raised in the faith without what I identify as cultural baggage,” Father Carl explains. “In that home our parents raised two sons, one of whom is married for 36 years and me a priest for 35 years.”

Father Carl, pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte, says he had the first inkling of a vocation when he was 10 years old, but then again, at that age he also wanted to be a Hollywood movie actor and fireman.

“It was not until I was attending university at Appalachian State University that the priesthood raised its adult head on occasion,” he recalls. “Upon graduation, I took a teaching position at Niagara University. During my tenure I went through a period of personal discernment in my professional development and future.”

At that point, he felt a strong call to the priesthood.

He sought out the vocations office of the Diocese of Charlotte. After attending seminary, he was ordained a priest of the diocese on May 30, 1981, by Bishop Michael J. Begley at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

Father Carl’s first assignment was that summer as the assistant administrator of Our Lady of the Hills Camp in Hendersonville.

“At the conclusion of the camping season, I was assigned as parochial vicar to St. Eugene Church in Asheville. Since then I have had assignments in Greensboro, WinstonSalem, Albemarle, Franklin, Highlands, Sylva, Cullowhee and Brevard.”

He served more than 30 years in the far western mountain parishes, 20 of those years in Brevard.

“The heart and beauty of the Church is born and lived in the family, but celebrated in the life of the parish,” he says. “Celebrating the rhythms of life from sacraments of initiation, marriage, healing and funerals are what make us unique. Catholicism is a very earthy religion.”

He says that over the past 35 years of priestly ministry he has learned quite a lot.

“As much as I enjoy being involved with people and their lives, I do not behold fools well,” he says.

And, he says, “Bishop Begley told us as seminarians and priests not to get in the way of the Holy Spirit.”

“Another lesson is that as a pastor (I learned) to always surround myself with people who are smarter than me.

They are to be the best catechists, bookkeeper, director of music, ministerial leaders, etc. I never surround myself with people I feel that I can control.”

His advice for men discerning a call to ministry?

“To any man considering or entertaining a vocation to the priesthood, the Holy Eucharist must be at the core of spiritual life, along with a developing prayer life. I say ‘developing,’ since a life of prayer is never static but growing and evolving. A man can find strength, solace and inspiration in prayer.”

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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‘I am grateful to God that I can do this’

Father Cahill celebrates 55 years of sharing God’s love as a priest SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

SYLVA — Parishioners in the far western region of North Carolina are familiar with Father James Cahill, 86, who after serving 11 years as pastor of St. Mary’s Church until his retirement in 2002, now travels about the Smoky Mountain vicariate filling in for pastors who need temporary assistance.

Father Cahill, a native of Philadelphia and a cradle Catholic, originally entered seminary for the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) after graduating from St. Joseph Preparatory School in 1947. He did his novitiate studies in Wernersville, Pa. During four years of his scholastic seminary years with the Jesuits, he taught French in high schools in both Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He was ordained June 17, 1961, by Cardinal Richard J. Cushing, the archbishop of Boston, in the Weston College Chapel. Cardinal Cushing was a close friend of the Kennedy family, officiating at the wedding of the late President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. Cardinal Cushing read the prayer invocation at the president’s inauguration in 1961 and celebrated his funeral Mass in Washington, D.C. in 1963.

Father Cahill recalls the day of his ordination to the priesthood 55 years ago with great fondness.

“It was wonderful,” he said. “Cardinal Cushing was superb. It was fantastic.

It took a long time (to complete the formation): 1947 to 1961. Everybody in my family attended.”

After completing his final year of studies after ordination, Father Cahill was assigned to Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C., where he served for five years.

In 1968 ill health forced him to take a leave of absence from the Jesuits.

He taught for another 12 years in public schools, and never returned to the order. In all, he served as a teacher for 21 years.

In the early 1980s, Cahill Father Cahill was hoping to return to serving the people of God. “I was looking for a place to return to active ministry,” he explained. A contact of his parish priest in Washington, D.C., suggested that he call Bishop John F. Donoghue of the Diocese of Charlotte.

“He (Bishop Donoghue) was just wonderful,” Father Cahill recalled. “I remember flying down to see him (in Charlotte) in 1981-’82 He took me all over Charlotte, talked to me; he really encouraged me. I came down in October of 1986 and I went to the Cathedral of St. Patrick for five years.”

Bishop Donoghue then asked Father Cahill to consider moving to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, to serve at St. Mary, Mother of God Parish in Sylva.

“I was there for 11 years and then reached the age of almost 73 and I retired, but I’ve been very, very busy since then,” Father Cahill said.

Besides serving at St. Mary’s, Father Cahill has helped the people of Our Lady of the Mountains Mission in Highlands and St. Jude Mission in Sapphire Valley. He has a friend drive him to the parishes that are too far from his home in Sylva.

“From the time of my retirement, I’ve helped basically every parish in the Smoky Mountain Vicariate. I’ve gotten to know so many people from Murphy, Hayesville, Bryson City, Waynesville…all over the place.”

Since retirement in 2002, he has had a lot of time to reflect on his priestly ministry, he said.

“I am thoroughly convinced that there is one reason only that I was ordained as a priest: to serve the People of God. This is from Vatican II and also from our present wonderful pope, Pope Francis. That is the job of a priest – be there for the People of God. Period.

“It is a fantastic experience. It’s remarkable, a wonderful experience. I always feel – and I’ve been doing it for 14 years now all over the place here – that every time I go to these churches, I am going to see the saints of God, and I love it!

I believe this very firmly. It is a real joy.”

He believes a pastor is to live his life as Jesus did, to serve the People of God. “I have come to appreciate that the Church is the gathering of the People of

God,” he noted. Pastors are part of the People of God – not lording over them, but accompanying them.

“I love to be with people. I love to just be able to go out and talk to people, wherever they are. To just simply talk to them, whether I know them or not. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Father Cahill encourages men who are discerning a call to the priesthood or who are newly ordained to consider that they are servants of the servants of God. “The fact is, that is what we are when we are ordained priests: we are servants of the servants of God. We are there to serve them. I am not ordained to rule, to dominate, to tell everyone what to do.

That’s not my job. It’s by living a life of the joy of the Gospel, I really do reach people.”

This approach allows for open dialogue among people, so that people listen and learn from each other, he noted.

And, he added, it is the mission of a priest to share the greatest truth of the Church, that God is love. That message is the most important thing in our entire lives, he said. “If I have that (truth) I am going to grow and grow and grow, and we’ll share it with one another. As soon as we get that, we should want to share that with everybody. That is what makes our life so worthwhile.”

About his priestly ministry, Father Cahill said, “I am grateful every day. I am grateful to God that I can do this. I haven’t had one day of boredom. I have a smile on my lips and in my heart, and I pray always that it will never go away.”

‘I never had a second thought of giving up the call’ Father Tien Duong escaped Vietnam twice to pursue the priesthood

Father Tien Duong carries the Blessed Sacrament in a Eucharistic procession for the Feast of Corpus Christi May 29, surrounded by parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin. Church members worked for hours that day to create colorful sawdust carpets (in Spanish, “tapetes de aserrín”) laid out in large, intricately chalked designs on the ground to decorate the path of the Eucharistic procession.

SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

FRANKLIN — The story of Father Tien Duong, his brother Father Duc Duong and their family is a story of survival and grace. The two priests of the Diocese of Charlotte are celebrating their 15th anniversary of ordination this year, which is a testament to their tenacity and their faith given the circumstances of their lives in fleeing Vietnam and coming to the United States.

Father Tien grew up in a family with 10 brothers and sisters (eight boys, two girls) in Saigon. The family was very faith-filled and active in their parish.

“I believed that I wanted to become a priest even before I received my first Communion,” Father Tien recalls. “I went to minor seminary as a sixth-grader in 1973.”

Just like all those who had family members involved in the armed forces of South Vietnam, their family endured a great deal of hardship after the Communists took control in Vietnam, Father Tien notes, particularly when his father was arrested and put in a labor camp or “reeducation” camp.

“I escaped by boat with my brother, now Father (James) Duc Duong, for the first time, but it was not successful and we were put in prison. The second escape occurred in 1989 with my younger brother, and we ended up at Galang refugee camp in Indonesia,” he says.

A few years later he came to the U.S. following the rest of his family, and they settled in Charlotte. Father Tien resumed his efforts to follow God’s will and become a priest. He went to Central Piedmont Community College for two years, then studied philosophy for two years at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, La., before graduating from St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa. “I was ordained by Bishop (William) Curlin with my brother (Father Duc Duong) and with Father Bob Ferris

Photo provided by Erika Diaz

and Father Kurt Font on June 2, 2001, at St. Gabriel Church, which was also my first assignment as associate pastor,” he says.

Over the past 15 years, Father Tien has served as associate pastor at St. Gabriel Church, then in-residence for a few months at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

He says he “came to the top of the mountain in Highlands at Our Lady of the Mountains for three years, and then came down to Franklin,” where he has served as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church since 2008.

“The love of people, the cold weather and the love for people in the mountain area have kept me here since,” he says.

He believes people would be surprised to know that one of the things he loves most about living in western North Carolina is the cold weather, even though he grew up in the tropical climate of South Vietnam.

About his priestly ministry, Father Tien shares, “My spiritual director at seminary and other friends asked

me, ‘If God will not choose you, what would you do?’ My answer was very simple. I never had a second thought of giving up the call.

God calls, and I will answer, and God will never turn His face away from me. He will provide!”

“I am doing God’s will, and it is not easy to fulfill His will,” he continues. “When you try to fulfill His will, certainly people will not like it as they look at it with human wisdom. And that is true for me as a

priest, as well.

“However, my big lesson that I learned when I was in the refugee camp was: Trust in God’s power and wisdom.

And another one when I studied philosophy: God will provide.

“So, no matter what others criticize or misunderstand, gossip or even slander, or the tasks I thought, ‘How can I do them?’, at that time God reminds me of these two lessons.”

He also credits his guardian angel for assistance.

Like his brother priests, Father Tien says, “the Eucharist (visiting, adoring, receiving) is the key for me today as a priest and also for those who want to discern the vocation to the priesthood. That is the key that Jesus uses to open my heart, mind and soul, and I have to let Him do so sincerely.

“I do not want to ‘do a show’ for people to see. I want to do it for Jesus, and then Jesus is the one to show it to His people.”

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 16B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

The Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Charlotte would like to share in the celebration of...

The Ordination of Our New Priests and Transitional Deacons As Well as Honoring All Priest, Deacon & Sister Jubilarians May our prayers and good wishes go with you as you continue your ministry to God’s people.

Father Voitus reflects on fifth anniversary of priesthood SYLVA — Father Joshua Voitus, pastor of St. Mary, Mother of God Church, celebrated the fifth anniversary of priestly ordination earlier this month.

Although he was born in Marietta, Ga., he was raised in Lewisville, near Winston-Salem, and says he first talked about a religious vocation when he “was very young – up to about the first grade, I believe.” Then, as he grew older, he again heard God calling him to the priesthood when he was about 19 or 20. He attended seminary for the Diocese of Charlotte at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md. Ordained in 2011, he served as parochial vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte before being appointed pastor of St. Mary, Mother of God Church in 2013.

Father Voitus recently shared with the Catholic News Herald a few insights about his vocation on the fifth anniversary of his ordination: CNH: What do you enjoy most about your priestly ministry?

Father Voitus: I, of course, very much enjoy offering the sacraments. I also enjoy preaching, although six years in (if you count the one year as a deacon), I am still a nervous wreck, even at weekday Masses. I think that might be part of why I like it. It offers sort of a rush (like a roller coaster), not to mention that it is an opportunity to proclaim the Word of God. In fact, I am fairly sure that Divine Grace is the only way I am able to preach at all. You can tell because,

Della Sue Bryson | Catholic News Herald

Parishioners at St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva threw a party June 5 to celebrate their pastor Father Joshua Voitus’ fifth anniversary of ordination.

Parishioners gave him an icon of Mary and the Infant Jesus. He is pictured with Elizabeth Dodge, the daughter of parishioners Tony and Bonny Dodge. when I try to do any kind of announcement, it is really awkward and awful.

CNH: What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned over the past five years, especially now that you are a pastor?

Father Voitus: As a priest, and especially as a new pastor (and I assume as an old pastor as well), you are going to make mistakes. The trouble is that most of the mistakes that you make won’t likely seem like mistakes when you are making them.

It seems to me that it is essential to be able to, by the grace of God and through the lens of the teaching of the Church, to look back on past errors and learn from them. If you can’t do that, then I don’t see how you could grow in ministry.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

CCDOC.ORG

The staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte offer prayerful congratulations to Fr. A. Cory Catron Fr. David R. McCanless and to our Transitional Deacons Rev. Mr. Matthew Bean Rev. Mr. Christopher Bond Rev. Mr. Brian Becker Rev. Mr. Christian Cook and finally to all of our priest, deacon & sister jubilarians …

We are privileged to work with all of you as we strengthen families, build communities and reduce poverty across the Diocese of Charlotte.

For information about anyone of our Catholic Schools visit: macs-schools.com

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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Brandon Berryhill | Catholic News Herald

Celebrating his 40th anniversary SPENCER MOUNTAIN — Father John Hoover of New Creation Monastery recently offered a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Helen Mission in celebration of the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. He was ordained on May 23, 1976. Assisting at the Mass was Deacon John Weisenhorn. Father Hoover also celebrated an anniversary Mass at Old St. Joseph Church in Mount Holly, where 40 years ago he celebrated his first Mass after ordination.

St Peter Catholic Church- The Jesuit Church in Charlotte’s Center City 704-332-2901

st petes.indd

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5/27/16

12:53 PM

Knights of Columbus Queen of the Apostles Council 11076

THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE COUNCIL

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

“IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR PRIESTS”

CONGRATULATES Father A. CORY CATRON Father DAVID R. McCANLESS On their Ordination as Priests for the Diocese of Charlotte

Congratulates Father Frank on his 35 years of service in the priesthood and thanks him for all he has done for Queen of the Apostles Parish and our council.

Special Congratulations to All the Newly Ordained Transitional Deacons and those Priests & Religious who are celebrating their continued service to the Faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte

www.kofcnc.org

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 18B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Photo provided by the Sisters of Mercy Photos by sueann howell | catholic news herald

Grateful for our women religious jubilarians CHARLOTTE — Women religious provide a tangible witness to the Gospel, and during the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Mass for the World Day of Consecrated Life earlier in 2016, jubilarians were honored for their decades of service to Jesus Christ and His Church.

In his homily for the Feb. 6 Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Peter Jugis said the mission of consecrated religious in the Church and in the world is clear: “We all know the world needs Jesus. There is no doubt about it. We just read the daily papers and look at the evening news... We see it at every moment that the world needs Jesus. Because the world needs Jesus, we know the world needs your example of your radical gift of self for the love of the Lord Jesus in order to bring Him into the world.

“That is what we are acknowledging when we praise and recognize the consecrated life. It is a radical gift of self – over and above, and different from, the other gifts of self which occur in other vocations in the Church. This is even more radical. And it is a witness that the world needs to see.”

Especially during this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, consecrated religious bring Jesus’ mercy to those most in need of it, he said. Consecrated religious also serve as an example to those with other vocations, he added. Everyone is called to holiness and conversion of heart no matter what their state in life is, he said, and to help others, “The Lord always calls holy men and women throughout the history of the Church to inspire renewal in the most difficult circumstances.”

“Your total consecration sends the message, ‘Yes, God is first.’ And that it is worth giving Him your all. It’s not only a message you give to the world by the beauty of your consecrated life, but it’s a witness that builds up the Church and inspires both clergy and the lay faithful to holiness – building up the Church in mutual love.”

Picrtured are (from left) Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton, Mercy Sister Mary Bernarda Hoff and Mercy Sister Marian Joseph Baird.

Sisters of Mercy jubilarians serve the People of God through nursing, teaching and more 70 years: Sister Mary Bernarda Hoff

Mercy Sister Mary Bernarda Hoff was born in Greensboro and was raised in the Presbyterian faith. When she was 17, she began nurse’s training at St. Leo Hospital in Greensboro. Attracted to the Daughters of Charity, who operated the hospital, she began to inquire about Catholicism and was baptized. She felt called to religious life and discussed it with her parish priest, who Hoff directed her to the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont. She entered the community in September 1946. Nursing was Sister Bernarda’s love, and over the years as a registered nurse she assumed many roles at St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville and Mercy Hospital in Charlotte. She ministered in outpatient and coronary care and was a clinical educator. In her later years at St. Joseph Hospital, she served as a chaplain and patient advocate. Sister Bernarda now lives at Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont and devotes her life to prayer and devotions.

60 years: Sister Marian Joseph Baird

Mercy Sister Marian Joseph Baird was born in Baltimore, Md., where she entered the Sisters of Mercy in September 1956.

From 1961 to 1976, Sister Marian Joseph ministered as a teacher at schools in Maryland and Georgia. Later, she taught at St. Catherine Academy in Belize, Central America, where Baird also served in parish ministry. Following that, she studied nursing at Mercy

Hospital in Baltimore and then returned to Belize as a nurse. During her years of service, she adopted a young girl, Maria, whom the Sisters of Mercy have come to know and love. Currently, Sister Marian Joseph volunteers as a tutor at Belmont Central Elementary School and also volunteers at MiraVia, a resource for pregnant women and their children.

50 years: Sister Margaret Mary Wharton

Born in San Diego, Calif., Mercy Sister Margaret Mary Wharton spent her early years on Guam and entered the Sisters of Mercy in August 1966. From 1969 to 1988, she taught in Mercy-sponsored elementary, junior high and high schools on Guam. After moving to North Carolina in 1989, she taught at St. Michael the Archangel Wharton School in Gastonia for four years. She then earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Appalachian State University in Boone. Sister Margaret Mary also attended the Kellogg Institute’s National Center for Developmental Education at Appalachian State in 2003 and completed an educational specialist degree in developmental studies in 2008. She started doctoral studies in instructional leadership while teaching math courses at Shenandoah University in Virginia.

During 2000-2003, she was active in obtaining health care for low-income people and also researched methods for teaching college math to blind students who do not read Braille. She co-wrote a college algebra textbook and had two books of games for college algebra published. Sister Margaret Mary retired from teaching in 2012 and returned to Belmont.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Deacons Christopher Bond, Christian Cook, Brian Becker and Matthew Bean bow during the diaconate ordination Mass at St. Mark Church as Bishop Peter Jugis offers his blessing on the new deacons.

‘We receive from the Lord, with joyful hearts, the gift of four new deacons for the Church’

Bishop Jugis ordains four transitional deacons SueAnn Howell Senior reporter

HUNTERSVILLE — On a glorious Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary June 4, Bishop Peter Jugis ordained four men to the transitional diaconate at St. Mark Church. Matthew Bean, Brian Becker, Christopher Bond and W. Christian Cook became the Diocese of Charlotte’s newest deacons and took another step on their journey to the priesthood.

Father Christopher Gober, diocesan director of vocations, attested to the preparedness of the four men who were called, one by one, to stand before Bishop Jugis at the steps of the altar during the election of the candidate portion of the ordination rite.

Bishop Jugis joyfully accepted each candidate on behalf of the Church, saying, “Dear brothers and sisters, we receive from the Lord, with joyful hearts today, the gift of four new deacons for the Church. They become ordained sacred ministers through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, and they enter into the official ministry of the Church.”

Bishop Jugis then spoke about the responsibilities the men will assume in their new roles as deacons.

“They will participate in the Church’s ministry of the Word, the ministry of the altar and the ministry of charity – all of these are part of the ministry of salvation that Jesus commissioned His Church to do until the end of time,” he said.

“Diaconal ministry is a ministry of service,” Bishop Jugis continued.

“Proclaiming the Gospel at Mass. Preaching at invitation of the priest. Preparing the altar for the sacrifice of the Eucharist. Distributing the Lord’s Body and Blood to the faithful. Administering baptisms. Assisting at and blessing marriages. Bringing viaticum to the dying. Conducting funeral rites. Instructing believers and unbelievers in the Church’s doctrine. Presiding over public prayer. And performing works of charity.”

“The guiding principle for the deacon’s ministry are Jesus’ own words which He used to describe Himself: ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.’

“The deacon is always thinking, ‘How can I help the bishop and the priests in their ministry?’” Bishop Jugis noted before continuing his remarks.

“Now dear sons, you are to be raised to the order of the diaconate. The sacrament of holy orders marks you with an indelible spiritual character which configures you as deacons to Christ.”

“Believe the Gospel. Believe the teaching of Christ and the teaching of the Church. Be not ashamed of the Gospel.

Teach the faith. Teach what you believe and practice it,” Bishop Jugis told the four men.

After the homily, the men stood before their bishop and publicly affirmed their intentions to serve him and the Church, making specific promises. They then lay prostrate before the altar, as Bishop Jugis knelt in prayer with them and the faithful and all those gathered sang

the Litany of Supplication, also called the Litany of the Saints.

The men then arose and one by one approached Bishop Jugis as he laid hands on their head and prayed the prayer of ordination over them, thus consecrating each man as deacon.

Each newly-ordained deacon then was vested with a stole, a sign of the deacon’s office of service, and the dalmatic, the outer garment used in the liturgy. Deacon Matthew Bean was vested by Deacon Thomas McGahey; Deacon Brian Becker was vested by Father Bill Quigley, C.I.C.M.; Deacon Christopher Bond was vested by Father James Ebright; and Deacon Christian Cook was vested by Deacon Michael Zboyovski.

The newly-vested deacons then again approached the sanctuary one by one, receiving the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Jugis and a fraternal kiss of peace to welcome them in their new role in the Church.

More than 25 priests and 24 deacons participated at the Mass and were on hand to congratulate the new deacons.

“Serve the Lord faithfully and joyfully, and He will make your ministry fruitful,” Bishop Jugis told the four men. “A whole new life opens before you beginning today: the life of an ordained minister of the Church. You will be changed by the action of the Holy Spirit. You will not leave this church in the same way you came into it.

“By your faithful service, may you be blessed to hear the Lord say to you on the last day, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’”

catholicnewsherald.com | June 24, 2016 20B CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Deacon Brian McNulty chants the Gospel during a recent Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald

Permanent deacons celebrate jubilee anniversaries

B

efore ordination each man who would be a permanent deacon offers a solemn oath of fidelity and profession of faith. Their lives change on that ordination day, as do the lives of many people whom they encounter in their ministry.

As time passes, they grow in appreciation for the loving support of their wives and families, for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of their pastor. Each day brings routine ministry activities and unexpected calls to serve.

Prison ministry, pro-life ministry, sacramental preparation, marriage nullity assistance, ministry to the homebound, nursing home and hospital visits, youth ministry, music ministry, immigration assistance, Cursillo, Knights of Columbus, baptisms, marriages, funeral rites, RCIA, altar server training, Eucharistic Adoration and even Scouting are among the ministries for deacons in the diocese, under the direction and encouragement of their pastor.

When they are ordained, there is no expectation of financial remuneration by the Church for their ministry.

Most deacons volunteer their time in ministry, although there are some deacons employed in parish staff positions or who work for the diocese.

The oath of fidelity and profession of faith that they make on their ordination day plants them securely as men obedient to authority and faithful to the truth, a secure place from which to minister to the People of God. And each year, they recommit to their promise to serve Christ and His Church during a Mass celebrated by the bishop. This year that recommitment Mass, a blessed event for encouragement and fraternal communion, will be celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis July 14 at St. Patrick Cathedral.

This year, 30 permanent deacons of the diocese are celebrating jubilee anniversaries.

Many deacons serving in the diocese moved here after having worked in ministry elsewhere, but the diocese also has two ordination classes with milestone anniversaries this year: 15 years and 10 years.

in the Airport Ministry. He and his wife Michele live in Charlotte.

Deacon Dario Garcia Ospina, 65, was ordained in Pereira, Colombia, on Nov. 30, 1986. Deacon Garcia is employed by the diocese and is assigned to Hispanic Ministry for the Hickory area. He and his wife Adiela live in Statesville.

30 years

25 years

Deacon Jeffrey S. Evers, 73, and his wife Barbara came to North Carolina in 2000. He was ordained for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., on May 3, 1986. After serving at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte for a time, he Devine Evers now serves at St. Luke Church in Mint Hill.

Deacon H. Paul Herman, 78, was ordained on June 28, 1986, for the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.

He and his wife Elizabeth moved to Charlotte in 2007, and he was assigned to St. Matthew Church. He Ospina Herman was granted formal retirement in 2012 upon reaching the age limit, but he continues serving the parish in a limited ministry.

Deacon Patrick J. Devine, 68, was ordained on Oct. 4, 1986, for the Diocese of Albany, N.Y. Although retired from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, he continues serving at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Airport

Liotard

20 years

Deacon Paul A, Liotard, 78, was ordained for the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., on May 25, 1991. He and his wife Rosemary came to North Carolina in 2006 to be near family after serving for a time in the Diocese of Scranton, Pa. He served at Holy Angels Church in Mount Airy before retiring from active ministry in 2011, and he and his wife now live in Kernersville.

Deacon Lawrence P. O’Toole, 75, was ordained for the Archdiocese of New York on June 1, 1996, by the late Cardinal John O’Connor. He has served in ministry in Charlotte since late 2010, when he was assigned to St. Gabriel Church. He and his wife Judith live in Indian Trail.

O’Toole

Deacons, SEE page 21B

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

21B

DEACONS FROM PAGE 20B

15 years

Drummer

Deacon Kenneth L. Drummer, 62, was ordained on Feb. 3, 2001, for the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. His job brought him and his wife Suzanne to North Carolina in 2011 from Orlando, Fla. He is assigned to St. James the Greater Church in Concord.

10 years

Deacon Lee T. Levenson, 71, was ordained on Sept. 10, 2006, for the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla. He and his wife Alice split their time between their home in Deep Gap and a home in Boynton Beach, Fla. When he is living in North Carolina, he serves Levenson at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jefferson.

Diocese of Charlotte 15 YEARS

When then Bishop William G. Curlin called eight men to holy orders as permanent deacons in 2001, it was only the fifth formation class in the diocese’s history. One man was ordained early because his wife was in deteriorating health, and the other seven were ordained on June 23 at St. Gabriel Church.

For Deacon Scott D. Gilfillan, 58, his first assignment after ordination by Bishop Curlin was to St. Joseph Church in Newton and to prison ministry. In 2011, he received an additional assignment by Bishop Peter Jugis as director of deacon formation after having served for several years as assistant director. He taught himself Spanish to be more effective in parish and prison ministry. He and his wife Kimberly live in Catawba.

Deacon Pierre M. K’Briuh, 78, was born in Vietnam and is a naturalized citizen. Assigned to St. Mary Church in

Photo provided by Deacon John Kopfle and Deacon Jim Bozik

Charlotte deacons tour Rome during Jubilee year ROME — Deacon John Kopfle and his wife Nancy of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Charlotte and Deacon Jim Bozik of St. Peter Parish in Charlotte traveled to Rome to attend the Deacons’ Jubilee and tour the Eternal City. The jubilee for deacons was part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. Pictured just before a special papal Mass for the deacons are Deacon Kopfle and Deacon Bozik along with three other deacons from the Diocese of Charlotte who came for the jubilee celebration: Deacon Michael Martini from St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Greensboro, Deacon Chip Wilson from Queen of the Apostles Parish in Belmont, and Deacon Mark Nash, who splits his time between Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville and Daytona Beach, Fla.

Gilfillan

K’Briuh

King

Greensboro after being ordained, he has since retired but continues to serve at the parish, especially ministering to the Montagnard community. He and his wife Anna live in Greensboro.

Deacon David E. King, 68, was first assigned to Our Lady of the Highways Church in Thomasville, with an additional ministry to Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point. With a growing ministry at

The Parish Families of St. Frances of Rome and St. Francis of Assisi congratulate Cory Catron on his Ordination to the Priesthood.

God bless you and your family.

LaPointe

Lyerly

Mazur

Maryfield, he received an assignment as permanent deacon to Maryfield in August 2007 where he continues to serves. He lives in Thomasville.

A New Hampshire native, Deacon Gerard P. LaPointe, 83, made North Carolina his home in 1986. He was ordained in his home parish of St. Margaret of Scotland in Maggie Valley on March 9, 2001, where

Nash

Zboyovski

he also served until his retirement. With encouragement from his wife Polly, he was most diligent in caring for the sick and homebound.

Deacon R. Alexander Lyerly, 72, is a native of Banner Elk, where he and his wife Brenda live. He served at St. Deacons, SEE page 22B

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DEACONS FROM PAGE 21B

Bernadette Church in Linville after ordination, but is now retired from active ministry. He is also retired as a chief district court judge for North Carolina, but his wife continues to serve as the mayor of Banner Elk. Deacon James J. Mazur, 57, serves at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. A busy medical doctor and surgeon, he was appointed after his ordination to a pro-life ministry in addition to a parish assignment. He and his wife Colleen live near the parish in Salisbury.

Deacon Mark D. Nash, 56, served at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and was a member of the parish staff until late 2013.

He is currently assigned to Immaculate Conception Parish in Hendersonville, where he lives on a seasonal basis.

He and his wife Heidi live part of the year in Daytona Beach, Fla. In 2004 he was instrumental in establishing the Monsignor Anthony Kovacic Endowment Fund for the benefit of the Permanent Diaconate program.

Deacon Michael J. Zboyovski, 64, was assigned to St. Eugene Church in Asheville and to prison ministry after he was ordained. He continues to serve in that capacity while at the same time taking on the role of regional director for the deacons in the Asheville region, an appointment by Bishop Jugis in 2007. He and his wife Janet live in Weaverville.

10 YEARS

Ten years ago on June 10, 2006, a sixth class of permanent deacons was ordained for the diocese – the first class ordained

Photo provided by Deacon John Kopfle

The diocese’s permanent deacon Class of 2006 and wives held a 10th anniversary celebration June 11. An anniversary Mass was held in the Holy Family Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul Church, with Father Mark Lawlor the celebrant. Mass was followed by a celebration dinner and reminiscing.

by Bishop Jugis. On that day, the number of deacons for the diocese dramatically increased as clergy, family and friends gathered at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte for the blessed event. Most of these deacons

Reverend Monsignor Christopher J. Schreck, Rector/President, and the faculty, staff and seminarians of the Pontifical College Josephinum send congratulations and prayerful best wishes to

Alumnus

FAther Cory CAtron Ordained to the Priesthood June 18, 2016 Ad Multos Annos!

7625 North High STreet Columbus, OHio 43235 www.pcj.edu / 1-877-725-4436

remain in active ministry in the diocese.

Deacon James L. Atkinson, 75, was assigned to Holy Spirit Church in Denver where he continues in ministry. He and his wife Penny call Mooresville home and are active with the greater diaconate community as well as parish activities.

Deacon David P. Boissey Sr., 61, serves at Good Shepherd Mission in King, where he and his wife Vickie live. For a time he was assigned to St. Benedict Church in Greensboro.

Deacon Mark S. Diener, 61, remains in ministry at his first parish appointment of St. Gabriel Church, where he was ordained with additional ministry to Engaged Encounter and Tribunal Advocacy. He and his wife Kathy live in Charlotte. In July 2012 Deacon Mark was appointed the spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement in the diocese by Bishop Jugis.

Deacon Walter J. Haarsgaard, 75, is assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point, where he and his wife Margaret are long-time members. In addition to his diaconal duties, he is the faith formation director for the parish.

Deacon Edward A. Konarski, 63, is currently assigned to St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton, with an additional assignment to prison ministry. He and his wife Cindy live in Morganton. In June 2012, Bishop Jugis appointed him to the diocesan board of Catholic Charities for a three-year term. He serves as the assistant director of formation for the Permanent Diaconate program.

Deacon John T. Kopfle, 59, is the regional director for the Charlotte area, where most of the deacons of the diocese serve in ministry. Deacon John is assigned to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte with an additional assignment to hospital ministry. He and his wife Nancy, who is a volunteer Tribunal Advocate, live in Charlotte.

Deacon (Pe Lee) Paul Lee, 51, has been in ministry to the Hmong population in the diocese since 1999. Ordained after completion of his formation, he was assigned to the Hmong community. He and his wife Shoua live in Morganton.

Deacon Larry G. Lisk, 71, is very active in prison ministry, both at Central Prison in Raleigh and assisting with the Forsyth County Jail ministry. He is assigned to St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro with additional ministry to prison ministry.

He and his wife Mary live in Greensboro.

Deacon John A. Martino, 65, serves at St. Charles Borromeo Church with additional ministry to Catholic Charities. He is active in prison ministry and has experience with Catholic Heart Work Camp. He and his wife Terri live in Morganton.

Upon ordination Deacon Brian P. McNulty, 60, was first assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte with an additional ministry to hospital ministry but is currently assigned to St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. He and his wife Michelle are the parents of Father Paul McNulty.

Deacon Robert T. Murphy, 75, serves at St. Mark Church in Huntersville. He was recently granted formal retirement upon reaching the age limit with extension of faculties. He and his wife Angeles live in Huntersville.

Deacon A. Stephen Pickett, 61, serves at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir, where he and his wife Deborah live.

Deacon Michael L. Stout, 72, remains at St. Barnabas Church, where he was assigned after being ordained. At that time he received an additional ministry to prison ministry, which he continues.

He and his wife Catherine live in Arden and they are engaged in parish activities such as sacramental preparation and homebound ministry training.

After ordination Deacon Kevin B. Williams, 58, was appointed to serve at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte. He also serves in Airport Ministry. In 2012 he completed his training by the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spirituality in association with the Franciscan University of Steubenville as a spiritual director.

Recently he was named youth minister at his parish. He and his wife Theresa live in Charlotte.

June 24, 2016 | catholicnewsherald.com catholic news heraldI

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VOCATIONS Q&A

Talk with your pastor if you hear God’s call to priesthood CHARLOTTE — Diocesan Director of Vocations, Father Christopher Gober, discusses the call to the priesthood with the Catholic News Herald: CNH: What is the process you follow with a potential seminarian when they come to you? What type of advice or guidance do you give these men?

Father Gober: When a potential candidate comes to me, I encourage him to meet regularly with his pastor.

I then spend time learning about his life experiences and exploring the reasons why he believes he is being called to the priesthood. Men who aspire to serve God’s people, strive to imitate Our Lord through daily prayer and service, who are drawn to Our Lord in the Eucharist, desire to preach the Gospel, and who wish to bring God’s mercy to the physically and spiritually poor are some of the authentic signs of a possible vocation to the priesthood. I would encourage him to reflect on these topics.

CNH: Describe types of prayer that are helpful for discernment.

Father Gober: It is important to cultivate a love for the Mass and spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, foster a true devotion to the Blessed Mother, begin to pray the Divine Office and practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

CNH: Why do you recommend spending time in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament?

Father Gober: We are fortunate to have an annual Eucharistic Congress in the Diocese of Charlotte which encourages all the faithful to come to know Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

Since the Holy Mass is the most perfect prayer a priest offers, it is important for somebody discerning a vocation to the priesthood to cultivate a great love for the Lord in the Holy Eucharist.

CNH: Are there specific books that you suggest a man discerning the priesthood should read?

Father Gober: Sacred Scripture; Father Bret Brennan’s “To Save a Thousand Souls” is a very comprehensive guide; Father Thomas Dubay’s “Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment”; and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s “The Priest is Not His Own” and “Those Mysterious Priests.”

CNH: Are there specific persons men should seek out to mentor them during the discernment period?

Father Gober: If somebody is serious about discerning a vocation to the priesthood, I would first encourage him to speak with his family and his pastor.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter

If you or someone you know is contemplating a religious vocation, check out the following general resources online. Talk with your pastor, read up on consecrated life and the various communities that exist, and contact religious communities that interest you. Many offer “come and see” days or retreats that are good opportunities to learn more and meet others who have already accepted God’s call to religious life. For young men and women, there are also summer discernment retreats offered by the Diocese of Charlotte and hosted at Belmont Abbey College: Quo Vadis Days for young men, and Duc in Altum for young women. Check them out online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations. And don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Diocesan vocations office Father Christopher Gober, Director of Vocations: 704-370-3327, vocationsmail@charlottediocese.org

General information n www.foryourvocation.org: Set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life for both men and women. They are also on Facebook and YouTube. There are resources for parents and teachers, questions to ask yourself if you feel God is calling you, see videos of the vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and much more. n www.religiouslife.com: The Institute for Religious Life’s website, with plenty of resources for both men and women interested in a vocation or those who wish to support religious life. n Not sure what religious communities are out there that might be a good fit for you? Check out: www.religiousministries.com. Search this database to find a men’s or women’s religious community, whether you wish to become a priest, nun, brother or lay missioner, or just want to find out more about living a religious life.

n www.cloisteredlife.com: Aims to bring to attention the gift of cloistered and monastic life in the Church, sponsored by the IRL.

Religious communities for men n www.cmsm.org: The Conference of Major Superiors of Men serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations of the more than 17,000 vowed religious priests and brothers of the U.S. n www.religiousbrotherhood.com: Sponsored by the IRL specifically to increase awareness of the specific charism of religious brotherhood in the U.S.

Religious communities for women n www.cmswr.org: The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) is a canonically approved organization founded in 1992, to promote religious life in the U.S. n www.lcwr.org: The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is an association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the U.S.

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