Jan. 18, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 1

January 18, 2002

January 18, 2002 Volume 11 t Number 18

Inside State March for Life in Raleigh rallies, unites

…Pages 4-5

Respect Life symbol is stolen

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Local News Death penalty activists applaud reprieve

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Deacon begins new life, defines spirituality after immigrating to United States

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Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13

“Every child has been created for greater things, to love and be loved, in the image of God.” — Mother Teresa

S e r v i n g C a t h o l i c s in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Passionate volunteer honored with 2001 Governor’s Award

By DIANNE M.A. RIGGS Correspondent ASHEVILLE — When Rick Newman arrives home after work, he never knows what he’ll find on his back porch: boxes of candy jars, clothes, puzzles, canister sets. It all comes from St. Joan of Arc church members, family, friends or volunteers. They know that the Mountain Area Hospice Foundation will be getting ready for another megasale, called “Superflea.”

Because of his work with hospice foundation, the 40-year-old Newman was one of five Buncombe County residents to receive the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service for 2001, Nancy Emerson, foundation CEO, said.

Experience prepared him and made him a natural for the needs of the hospice foundation. For 15 years, he has been assistant manager of the Asheville branch of If It’s Paper and serves on that corporation’s informal think tank for goods and merchandizing.

Newman first got deeply involved with hospice through the death of a close friend. When the hospice volunteer coordinator asked him to help out, he found himself selling Christmas ornaments at the Festival of Trees, the foundation’s main fund-raising event each year. The next year, the foundation sent him to Atlanta to purchase ornaments for the sale.

He also decorated one of the trees sold to the charity’s sponsors. He managed the festival gift shops, which have consignments with local crafters as well as others, for four years.

While he continues to decorate trees (last Christmas his tree theme was Harry Potter) and assist in other areas, his current major involvement is leading “Superfleas.”

Each of these rummage sales boasts more than an acre of “treasures”—from fine antiques to common “stuff.” These Superfleas earned more than $60,000 dollars in 2001.

Newman is a hands-on leader. He is busy with every Superflea detail, including item donation pickup, cleanup, sorting, merchandising, advertising, pricing, selling tickets, cashiering and directing Superflea volunteers.

This is a year-round undertaking, which is how Newman accrued more than 550 volunteer hours with the foundation in 2001. (That is the equivalent of three-and-a-half months of 40-hour workweeks.)

“It’s very rewarding,” he said. “You get a lot out of it. What good you do comes back triplefold, quadruplefold.”

Photo by Dianne M.A. Riggs

Newman finds his faith encourages him by emphasizing community and helping people.

Newman is not a cradle Catholic. A dying Catholic friend introduced him to Father C. Morris Boyd, then-pastor of St. Joan of Arc. Father Boyd invited him to the church and mentored him in the faith through conversations and the RCIA. “I felt drawn to Catholicism: the community, communion, homilies,” Newman said. “It’s a deep, grounded faith.” He was confirmed in 1995.

Mountain Area Hospice in Asheville serves advanced terminally ill patients in their homes and at long-term care facilities and Solace, hospice’s inpatient facility. Rather than curative care, hospice emphasizes physical, mental and spiritual well-being of patient and family. Hospice’s other prong is its foundation, which provides funding for the direct patient care.

Newman is proud of hospice’s

record: “Hospice has been in homes with two maids and in homes with dirt floors.” Perhaps that is why he is so fervently involved. He once told his father, “I’m passionate about it—that’s why I do it.” And last year, his father spent his last two weeks in hospice.

The Asheville-area native finds hospice is like family when one is involved as deeply as he is. “It’s hard work—sometimes it’s a Tylenol day,” he quipped. “But it’s not difficult.”

Newman said he has over the years, “thrown stuff and pitched fits.” He laughed. “It’s like family—you get over it.” He is so enthusiastic, that he has managed to involve his mother, brothers and sisters, as well as St. Joan of Arc church members. “Volunteering gives me energy—it’s addictive.” he said.

Newman encourages any interested person to volunteer, but especially “younger” persons, those who have not reached retirement age, even

2 The Catholic News & Herald bishop WASHINGTON (CNS) — The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 should not “harden our hearts” to immigrants, refugees and migrants, said the former chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration in messages issued for National Migration Week Jan. 6-12. Addressing parishioners, young adults and children, Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Camden, N.J., encouraged Catholics to overcome security fears and make the church a welcoming community to foreigners. The messages were posted on the Web site of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop DiMarzio was head of the migration committee when promotional materials for the weeklong observance were prepared. His successor, Miami Auxiliary Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, was elected Nov. 13.

Opus Dei founder’s life, message celebrated at Rome conference ROME (CNS) — For a Nigerian member of Opus Dei, the Rome celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the prelature’s founder is all the proof needed that he has the relevance and universal appeal of a modern saint. Dympa Ezeani of Enugu, Nigeria, was one of 1,200 people from 57 countries who gathered in Rome Jan. 8-11 to mark the birthday of Blessed Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. “There are so many people here from so many countries because of one man who had one idea, that everyone is called to holiness in their everyday lives,” Ezeani said. “The pope should hurry up and canonize him,” she added. In late December, Pope John Paul issued the decree clearing the way for the canonization of the Spanish priest, who founded Opus Dei in 1928. No date has been set for the ceremony, although it is expected sometime this year.

Vatican auction raises $16,000 to assist Afghan refugees VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican’s missionary office auctioned off donated jewelry and silver objects, raising nearly $16,000 for Afghan refugees. The centerpiece items at the Jan. 10 auction were two carved ivory tusks donated by Pope John Paul II, who received them on trips to Nigeria and India. They sold for $1,400 and $2,000. Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of

CNS photo from Reuters

Unemployed Argentines march under national flag Unemployed workers from the slums of Buenos Aires march under the national flag in the Plaza de Mayo Jan. 15. Argentine bishops called for an end to political corruption, the creation of new jobs and fine tuning of the justice system to help alleviate Argentina’s economic crisis.

Mattress company’s generosity lets the weary rest easy KANSAS CITY, Kan. (CNS) — Somewhere out there in the city a child, an elderly person, a refugee or a battered woman is at long last having a good night’s sleep, thanks to Catholic Charities and the Simmons Mattress Co. Each week a Catholic Charities truck backs up to the loading dock of the Simmons mattress manufacturing facility in Shawnee, Kan. Two men from Holy Family Furnishings, a program operated by Catholic Charities, and a group of men from Simmons quickly load the truck with mattresses. Some weeks they load as few as 10, and other weeks as many as 30. Simmons dealers have shipped the mattresses back to the factory. They have minor flaws or tears, which render them unfit for sale.

Don’t let terrorism harden hearts against immigrants, urges

Episcopal

January 18, 2002 Volume 11 • Number 18 Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Sherill Beason 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

January 18 , 2002

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Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: January 27 — 11 a.m.

Sesquicentennial Mass St. Peter, Charlotte 5 p.m.

Mass for rosary makers St. Patrick, Charlotte January 29 — 11 a.m. Mass Asheville Catholic School, Asheville January 30 — 9:40 a.m. Mass Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte February 1 — 11 a.m. Mass Sacred Heart School, Salisbury February 3 — 2 p.m.

Mass and dedication Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point

the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, said he hoped to make the auction an annual event coinciding with World Mission Sunday and dedicated to a humanitarian cause chosen by the pope. The auction, held in a 17th-century chapel at the congregation’s offices in Piazza di Spagna, drew about 50 people.

Media professionals discuss ways to evangelize American continent MIAMI (CNS) — Representatives from Catholic radio and television networks, Internet portals, newspapers and Hollywood production companies, meeting Jan. 9-12 in Miami, looked back at the days when Bishop Fulton J. Sheen aired on prime time and beat Milton Berle in the ratings.

They brainstormed about what the church can do to “take back” the culture and once again use the mass media to evangelize.

Diocesan

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catechists for the responsibility of forming faith communities, the Boone Vicariate Faith Formation will sponsor a daylong training session at St. Elizabeth Church, 259 Pilgrims Way. There will be two CRP II as well as two CRP I workshops. All catechists and other interested people are invited to learn more about faith development. For further details about the Jan. 27 registration deadline and other information, call Peg Ruble, Central Regional Faith Formation Coordinator, at (704) 391-0445.

2 CHARLOTTE — St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., will have its annual attic and bake sale today from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 523-4641.

3 CHARLOTTE — The St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will be gathering today at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Con-

“We have to change the culture,” said Father Bernard Heffernan, who worked for many years with Father Patrick Peyton’s Family Theater productions. “Somewhere along the road we gave up the culture. We all decided to take a back seat,” agreed Ben Angelotti, president of Angel Communications, which distributes the “Dr. Laura” radio program.

Welcoming Hispanics is key to keeping them Catholic, bishop says MIAMI (CNS) — The lure of fundamentalist sects is a serious problem in Latin America, and it could become a serious problem in the United States unless dioceses here “open wide the doors” to Hispanic immigrants, said Bishop Charles V. Grahmann of Dallas. The president of the New Evangelization of America was in Miami attending the group’s fourth annual meeting. In an interview with The Florida Catholic, Miami archdiocesan newspaper, he said, “Hispanics are finding comfort and a home among fundamentalist groups that speak their language and help them immediately to find a job and a place to live.”

Maryland parents, educators rally in support of state textbook aid BALTIMORE (CNS) — Debbie and Jeffery Stirn know all about the sacrifices involved in providing a Catholic education for their seven children. Jeffery Stirn works two full-time jobs to pay $30,000 in annual tuition at John Paul Regional Catholic School and Seton Keough High School in Baltimore. On top of caring for the children, his wife works as a teacher’s assistant at John Paul Regional. The parishioners of St. Gabriel in the Baltimore suburb of Woodlawn skimp and save as much as they can to make sure their children receive a high-quality education. For the Stirn family, it makes a big difference to have a $60 per-student allotment from the state to help pay for their children’s nonreligious textbooks. That’s why Debbie Stirn was among the thousands of parents who rallied Jan. 7 in support of continued funding for the textbook loan program.

Pro-lifers launch national campaign to send baby rattles to senators WASHINGTON (CNS) — A group of pro-life organizations has launched a solation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave. Those interested in learning more about the SFO and the Franciscan way of life are invited to attend. For more information please call Skyler Mood, SFO, at (704) 545-8133.

3 SALISBURY — Sacred Heart Church, 128 N. Fulton St., will be celebrating a charismatic and healing Mass today at 4 p.m. Prayer and worship with prayer teams will be available at 3 p.m., and a potluck dinner will follow the Mass. Father John Putnam, pastor, will be the celebrant. For further information, call Bill Owens at (704) 639-9837.

4 CHARLOTTE — Churches in the Charlotte area will be having their regularly scheduled cancer support group meetings for survivors, family and friends on the following days: St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., tonight and every first Monday at 7 p.m. in the ministry center library and St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., on Feb. 5 and every first Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the office

January 18, 2002

Pope baptizes 20 infants, urges parents to instill them with faith VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a ceremony that spanned the church’s generations, Pope John Paul II baptized 20 infants and urged their parents to witness the faith daily in order to instill it in their children. The 81-year-old pontiff presided over the baptismal Mass Jan. 13 in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, an annual liturgy he began years ago so that he could personally administer the sacrament to an international group of infants. This year, the group included 17 Italians, and one each from France, Spain and the United States.

They punctuated the liturgy with crying, despite their parents’ rhythmic efforts to keep them quiet.

Half of participants in pope’s Assisi peace pilgrimage to be Muslim VATICAN CITY (CNS) — More than 50 religious leaders, including about two dozen Muslims, will join Pope John Paul II in a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, Jan. 24 to pray for peace and condemn violence committed in the name of religion. At the same time, in dioceses throughout the world, Catholics will be hosting ecumenical prayer services to ask God for the gift of peace and interreligious meetings to make commitments to use faith to foster peace.

The pope is expected to be joined by Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the worldwide spiritual leader of the Orthodox, in leading the pilgrimage of religious representatives to Assisi. The pilgrimage, a two-hour train journey from the Vatican, also will include other Christian leaders, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and followers of traditional African religions, as well as the Muslims.

Miami Catholic Charities sends supplies to Cuban hurricane victims MIAMI (CNS) — Catholic Charities of Miami has sent 120,000 pounds of food and relief supplies to Cuba to help victims of Hurricane Michelle. The supplies were received by Caritas, the Cuban bishops’ welfare agency, for direct distribution to Cubans through parishes in the areas most damaged by the hurricane, said Peter Coats, in charge of relief assistance for Catholic Charities of Miami. The supplies, with a details, call Debbie Vickers at (828) 495-2039.

30 ASHEVILLE — Asheville Catholic School, 12 Culvern St., will host its annual Open House this morning from 9-11 a.m. Volunteers will answer questions and assist with tours and registration. This will be the first day of open registration for pre-K through eighth grade for the 2002-2003 school year. All are invited to visit, and registration is not required. For more information, call the school at (828) 252-7896.

February HAMLET — St. James Church, 1018 W. Hamlet Ave. (off of Hwy. 74 West), will be having its annual pit barbecue from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. today.

Attendants may choose to eat in or take out pork or chicken cooked on site with Cole slaw, baked beans and rolls.

Orders of 10 or more can be delivered. For further information, call the church office at (910) 582-0207.

2 BOONE — In an effort to prepare

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The World in

CNS photo from Reuters

Girl studies at school in Kandahar An Afghan girl concentrates on writing at a school in the southern city of Kandahar in Afghanistan Jan. 15. Afghan girls and young women are flooding back to school after being deprived of education during the Taliban rule, which crumbled in the face of U.S.-led attacks launched Oct. 7 last year. listed value of $25,000, were sent in two cargo flights, Dec. 19 and Dec. 21, Coats said.

Hurricane Michelle cut across Cuba Nov. 4, killing five people and leaving thousands homeless. Farms also were heavily damaged, with much of the harvest destroyed.

Troubled world situation is opportunity for reflection, says pope VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Reviewing the troubled world situation, Pope John Paul II said Christians contribute to peace by offering — especially to Muslims — the values of forgiveness and humility before God and neighbor. In an annual “state of the world” address to Vatican-accredited diplomats Jan. 10, the pope also said fresh global tensions at the start of 2002 had “one advantage” of forcing people to re-examine fundamental human and spiritual truths. “It makes us squarely face our responsibilities.

Everyone is forced to ask the real questions: the truth about God and the truth about man,” he said. Picking up a theme from his message for World Day of Peace 2002, the

science competition entry. Jamie Menown, Alex Ramirez, Hannah Maybier and Melissa Guevara became interested in organ donation about a year ago after one of them read about a child who received a life-saving organ transplant and discussed it with the others. They realized they knew very little about the topic. Now they can tell you that 80,000 people in the United States are on waiting lists for donated hearts, kidneys, and other organs and the number is growing by almost 10,000 a year. This school year the four girls were looking for a project to enter in a national competition for middle-school students, co-sponsored by Bayer and the National Science Foundation, that targets community problems. The girls chose to work on the availability of transplant organs for children in their area.

Zimbabwe’s bishops said they will stay out of party politics HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNS) — Zimbabwe’s bishops said they will stay out of party politics in the weeks leading to the March presidential elections. “Our church

January 23 CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., will be offering Lenten small faith-sharing groups meeting once a week during Lent beginning today to explore and reflect on the Sunday Scripture readings. Sign up begins today and will continue through Feb. 6. For details, call Sue VanderJeugdt at (704) 5418362, Ext. 38.

26 CHARLOTTE — Mercy Sisters Jeanne Marie Kienast and Therese Galligan will be presenting an all-day retreat entitled “Journey into Lent” at the St. Gabriel Church Ministry Center, 3016 Providence Rd., from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to experience prayer, meditation, relaxation, imagery and journaling throughout the day. Drinks will be provided, but lunch must be self-supplied. Call Susan Krasniewski at (704) 362-5047, Ext. 271, for registration and other information.

27 ARDEN — The St. Francis of

the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet today from 3-5 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr. Next month’s meeting will be held at the usual location at Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville. Visitors and inquirers are welcome. For more information, call Helen Gillogly, SFO, at (828) 8839645.

27 CHARLOTTE — St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., will be having its parish mission today through Jan. 30 from 7-8:30 p.m. Sun.-Wed. with a daily session following the 12:10 p.m. Mass Mon.-Wed. Conducted by Good News International, light refreshments will follow the evening sessions. Everyone is invited to attend and bring a friend.

For more information, call the church office at (704) 523-4641.

28 CHARLOTTE — A support group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s/ dementia will be held today and every fourth Monday from 10-11:30 a.m. in the St. Gabriel Church ministry

pope told the diplomats he wanted to emphasize again to the international community that killing in the name of God “is an act of blasphemy and a perversion of religion.”

Former East Timor guerrillas receive job training at Salesian center DILI, East Timor (CNS) — Cipriano Alves Amaral seems an unlikely freedom fighter. The soft-spoken, 26-year-old grew up wanting to become an electrician. Instead, he became a guerrilla, joining East Timor’s armed resistance movement four years ago.

For two years, he fought from the jungles surrounding the town of Same against Indonesia’s 24-year occupation of East Timor.

The guerrillas, known by their Portuguese acronym, Falintil, disbanded in February 2001, more than a year after the East Timorese overwhelmingly rejected Indonesian rule in a 1999 U.N.-sponsored referendum.

Now more than two years after the referendum, Amaral is learning to become an electrician. He is one of 21 former Falintil guerrillas learning to become electricians, carpenters and welders in a10-month program at the Salesian-run Don Bosco Technical Training Center in the Dili suburb of Comoro.

Northern Ireland violence reveals gap between Catholics, Protestants DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) — The violence that flared following a disturbance at a Northern Irish Catholic primary girls’ school illustrates the findings of a recently released survey that said the region is becoming more segregated and polarized. Violence at Holy Cross School, which was the scene of picketing by Protestants last fall, flared Jan. 9 when parents of students were pushed and spat at by Protestant residents.

Hundreds of Protestant and Catholic rioters remained on the streets of North Belfast into the evening. Administrators closed the school, evacuating students from a rear exit. “We are back to square one, in fact, it’s worse than that,” said Father Aidan Troy, chairman of the governors of Holy Cross School. “It will be very, very hard to come back from this, but we will have to try.”

Children educate adults about organ donation KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CNS) — What began as curiosity about organ donation by four eighth-grade girls at St. Therese School in Kansas City has turned into a community education project and a national center, 3016 Providence Rd. With advanced notification, activities for the memory-impaired can be provided. For more information about the support group or the Shining Stars Adult Day Respite Program for the memory-impaired, call Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135.

28 CHARLOTTE — The Light Weigh is a 12-week Catholic, spiritual growth, weight-loss program designed to help deepen one’s relationship with Jesus while learning to eat desirable foods in moderation. An orientation will be offered tonight at 7 p.m. in the St. Vincent de Paul Church faith formation wing of the parish center, 6828 Old Reid Rd. For questions, call Karen Acken at (704) 543-5497 28 NEWTON — The Little Flowers Catholic Girls’ Group is for all Catholic girls ages five and up. The group will be meeting at St. Joseph Church, 720 West 13th St., at 4 p.m. in the Holy Family Hall. For more

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Jesuit priests concerned over U.S. treatment of Afghan prisoners

By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While legitimately fighting terrorism, the United States must guarantee respect for human rights, even for suspected terrorists, two Jesuits told Vatican Radio.

In separate interviews, Italian Cardinal Roberto Tucci, a Jesuit and former director of the radio, and Jesuit Father Pasquale Borgomeo, the radio’s current director, said one of the most worrying aspects of the continuing war on terrorism was the U.S. treatment of prisoners captured in Afghanistan.

The U.S. government defined them as “unlawful combatants” rather than as prisoners of war with specific rights under international law and began transferring them Jan. 10 to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The fact that the men were transferred wearing shackles and hoods, that they were being held temporarily in shelters with chain-link fence walls and that they might face military tribunals raised the concern of several human rights groups.

In a Jan. 16 interview with One-OFive Live, a Vatican Radio channel, Cardinal Tucci said that if the Guantanamo Bay prisoners were going to be tried, they had a right to legal counsel, a right Amnesty International claims is being denied.

“I wouldn’t want democratic countries to forget the principles which they rightly believe to be better than those followed in other countries. This is a danger at this moment,” the cardinal said.

“In addition, we see a kind of militarization of justice with this transport of Taliban prisoners to Guantanamo,” he said.

While the priest praised the U.S. government for its diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between India and Pakistan, he said there is “inertia” in its reaction to the ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine.

What is needed, Father Borgomeo said, “is a wider view, a more strategic view that would serve in the struggle to build peace.”

Around the

January 18 , 2002

Prayer breakfast for life brings early morning message of life,

By Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay Correspondent RALEIGH — Parishioners from the Diocese of Charlotte came to the Brownstone Hotel Jan. 12 at for the third annual Prayer Breakfast for Life.

They were there to strengthen and consolidate their beliefs with people from other dioceses who want to reverse Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized most abortions.

Among those present was Constance Russo from St. Paul the Apostle in Greensboro. Russo is concerned about people like her friend whose boyfriend and a doctor forced her to have an abortion. How can it be a choice, Russo wanted to know, when, despite her protests, this woman was sedated the third time her boyfriend took her to the clinic so the abortion could be performed?

“We are on a crusade of life,” said Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of Raleigh.

“Who would have thought that this country would have put human life at risk? We must change. Let us not abandon our youth. Now is the time to inspire them to be witnesses to life and love in this world full of hate. Confirm life as a gift from God, a gift to be protected and kept safe.”

The ensemble from the St. Thomas More Contemporary Choir sang, with many of the attendees joining in.

Judith L. Hunt from Prayer Partners for Life explained how Prayer Partners was formed two years ago during the first Breakfast for Life. She said that people must be instruments of God through prayer: “Our battle cry is, ‘If God is for us, who can be against?’’

Nancy J.R. Wells, mistress of ceremonies, introduced the guest speaker, Camille De Blasi, director of the Center for Life Principles and of Program Development for the Human Life of Washington Education Foundation.

De Blasi said that the chief mistake most people make is that they look at pro-life as the end. Actually, she said, life, which is the first gift from God, is the means to a greater end—life is the ultimate means to love.

De Blasi explained the stages of love: simple affection; filial love; romantic love; and finally agape, the unconditional love that requires self-sacrifice and motivates people to want to love others because they are children of God. Participants in abortion, she said, are stuck in the first three stages of love, without the love of God, so they never realize that agape brings people to something more beautiful awaiting.

De Blasi described the four levels of happiness: physical pleasure; ego highs; human love, mercy and compassion; and faith with divine love, mercy and compassion. Whatever the level, true happiness is lost without love, mercy, compassion and faith. Therefore, each person must ask two questions: “How much have I contributed to life?” and “How much faith do I have?”

Regarding euthanasia, De Blasi said that those who are suffering need to know that their suffering has purpose, and that they are capable of doing what Jesus did on the cross. The key for others is to be with dying patients, to listen and empathize with them, but to never leave God out of the picture.

Photo By Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay

January 18, 2002

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Right to Life march in Raleigh demonstrates

By Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay Correspondent RALEIGH — More than 300 prolife supporters from Charlotte, Greensboro, Eden and other areas throughout the Charlotte diocese gathered Jan. 12 at the Children’s Garden at the corner of Wilmington and Lane streets.

Nancy Lischwe and Betty Wickham had constructed a Christmas-tree-shaped “life tree” of gloves and booties tied with fishing line. The two women had spread the word across the United States that they wanted to erect a memorial to the 4,000 victims lost to abortion each day in America.

The response to this memorial was immediate. Gloves and booties came from church groups, youth groups and women who have had abortions and wanted their stories told. Many had included notes about their abortions and why they wanted them memorialized. All the remembrances were included on the life tree.

Bill Eastwood from St. Benedict’s parish in Greensboro represented Knights of Columbus Council 939.

He carried a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the preborn.

The Knights’ Supreme Council in New Haven, Conn., gave the picture to the North Carolina Knights so that it could be honored throughout the area.

Rev. Walter Lacy, pastor of the Praise Assembly Worship Center in New Bern gave the invocation. “We repent for our nation trying to take the place of God,” he said. He asked everyone to pray that the North Carolina Legislature and the U.S. Congress will change the policy that promotes the abortion movement. Rev. Lacey stressed the importance of understanding that, “We represent God’s love and peace.

Therefore, as pro-life Christians, we must share that love with friendliness and smiles.”

Lorretta Thompson, vice president of North Carolina Right to Life,

said that in the last 29 years, the United States has lost an entire generation to the holocaust of abortion. Then she presented Rob Murphy, the founder and executive director of Goal Ministries.

Murphy showed the crowd a pine cone and asked what it they saw. For many, he said, it was something for a mower to run over, but those with vision see it as a forest. He compared the pine cone to those who see human life as something to be destroyed. They don’t understand the incredible treasure that God sees within the womb as life is created.

Abortion, Murphy said, is a symptom of an even greater problem: the lack of hope. There is always hope, he said, as long as people are alive, as long as they refuse to look at what “pop culture” says.

When he was 13, Murphy learned that his father was not his biological father. He was the product of the rape of his mother, who was 18 at the time.

At that point, Murphy’s life didn’t make sense to him. Despairing, he searched for the true meaning to life.

“Praise God,” he said, “life is a gift no matter how it happened. I am created by God; therefore, I matter Life matters. It’s a joy to be here.”

This pro-life movement, Murphy said, is about human beings defending human beings—defending life. He compared slavery to abortion, saying that the culture of death wants to control people and families, thus enslaving the spirit. It is a battle that can only be won through kindness, compassion and love.

Led by the Knights of Columbus, the group marched around the state capitol and moved on to Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Dan Gallagher of St. Vincent de Paul in Charlotte said that, although the rally was an encouraging event

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Replenish the spirit

By Sister Therese Galligan, RSM Special to the Catholic News & herald BELMONT—Being involved in a ministry of consolation, or bereavement ministry, is not for everyone.

Like every ministry, it is a special call — in this instance, to be present to those who suffer the loss of a loved one in death and to walk with those persons left behind, as they move through the various stages of grief. Because of the emotional involvement, it is important for bereavement ministers to take time to renew themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. Yet, until Jan. 12, few opportunities for this type of renewal existed.

On that day over 90 participants representing 22 parishes, congregations, assisted living and skilled care institutions, synagogues, and other non-profit facilities, met at Curtin Hall in Mercy Administration Center for a unique day designed to pamper, to rekindle the creative spark that first brought them to bereavement ministry.

Mercy Sister Mary Rosalind Picôt, president of the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of North Carolina, welcomed the attendees and presented a brief history of the Sisters of Mercy as well as the ministries they sponsor, one of which is “From Grief to Healing, A Ministry of Bereavement.”

Mercy Sister Therese Galligan, director of the ministry, facilitated the daylong program of renewal and refreshment, using several videos to allow the group to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and to renew one’s vision and gifts of creativity.

Even opening prayer was creative as Gaye Dimmick, a professional mime artist, brought the story of creation to life for the group.

Using quiet time to journal as well as time to interact with one another, participants shared ideas on how to renew one’s own creativity and how that impacts their ministry.

As a reminder of the importance of self-care, Helen Gassen, a Tai Chi instructor, demonstrated and involved participants in simple ways of renewing both body and spirit.

“This has been a wonderful, wonderful gift,” said Rebecca Mullaney of Church of Redeemer Episcopal Church in Shelby.

“Post 9-11 it’s more important than ever for us to remember to concentrate on celebrating what’s right with the world,” said Pat Brown of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte.

Following a lunch provided by a downtown Belmont restaurant, “Cherubs,” a ministry of hospitality and food service which provides adults with mental retardation vocational training, it was time for further enrichment.

Singer, humorist, storyteller and folk-theologian, Ed Kilbourne of Rock Hill, S.C., used his special brand of wit and wisdom woven together with religious underpinnings to shoreup attendees’ spiritual infrastructure.

“I’m filled with amazement at the Sisters of Mercy and their many ministries. I feel privileged to be part of this group. It’s personally inspiring,” said Corine Bockenek of Temple Beth El in Charlotte.

In reflecting on the day, Sister Therese said, “We rely on our faith to comfort others, our words to console, our thoughts to soothe, our deeds to reassure and our God to hea, yet, we also know that as individuals we need to help replenish ourselves if we plan to continue to be of service to those grieving.”

On a day when most didn’t expect it, bereavement ministers received a “belated” Christmas gift. These individuals who unselfishly give of themselves, sharing their gifts of consolation with the grieving, were suddenly on the receiving end. They were presented with gifts of joy, creativity, laughter and thought-provoking presentations — all because of an anonymous donor who cared.

Sister Therese serves as director of “From Grief to Healing: A Ministry of Bereavement.” She maintains offices at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte. Sister Therese, a registered nurse with a master’s degree, is also a certified massage therapist, therapeutic touch practitioner and a certified grief facilitator. She also has extensive experience with hospice, bereavement training and bereavement support groups.

6 The Catholic News & Herald Food pantries reap rewards from Franciscan’s harvest DETROIT (CNS) — A Franciscan brother’s dream of turning urban wastelands into gardens of plenty to feed the needy has yielded a bountiful harvest for food pantries in the Detroit area. Capuchin Franciscan Brother Rick Samyn first came up with the idea of farming three plots of land near the Capuchin Soup Kitchen several years ago but did not acquire use of the land owned by Gleaner’s Food Bank until this past summer. In the two-thirds acre are rows of cabbage, kale, tomatoes, beets and beans. Another patch is an herb garden filled with basil, dill and parsley. Brother Samyn wants to work with young people in programs focusing on farming.

Pope says Blessed Escriva preached message in way world needs to hear VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Gospel message that all the baptized are called to Christian perfection was preached by the founder of Opus Dei in a way the world needs to hear, Pope John Paul II said.

“Blessed Josemaria Escriva placed at the center of his preaching the truth that all the baptized are called to the fullness of charity and that the most immediate way to reach this common goal is found in daily normality,” the pope said. Pope John Paul met Jan. 12 with participants in an international congress marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Escriva de Balaguer, founder of the personal prelature Opus Dei. EWTN asks prayers for recovery of hospitalized Mother Angelica BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CNS) — People interested in praying for the recovery of hospitalized Mother Angelica, founder of Eternal Word Television Network, can use the EWTN Web site to register their spiritual offerings, the network announced. The announcement also asked that people offer their rosaries, novenas, Masses, Communions, Holy Hours and individual prayers for the intercession of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, a 19th-century Redemptor-

People in the ist priest who worked in the United States.

Mother Angelica was operated on Dec. 24 to remove a blood clot from her brain after suffering a second stroke in less than four months. The Jan. 11 announcement said the 78-year old Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, was still in intensive care and that doctors listed her condition as fair.

Pope OKs election of three Ukrainian bishops, including one from U.S. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II has given his assent to the election of three new bishops for the Ukrainian Catholic Church, including a U.S.-born priest who had been working at the Vatican Embassy to Ukraine. Studite Father Hlib Lonchyn, 47, was born in Steubenville, Ohio, and educated at a Ukrainian school in Hamtramck, Mich., before moving to Rome for theology studies. Bishop-elect Lonchyn was elected an auxiliary bishop of Lviv by members of the Ukrainian bishops’ synod; the pope approved the election Jan. 11.

Brownie Girl Scout honored for saving another child from choking SAN ANTONIO (CNS) — When 3-year-old Gabriella Romo choked on some candy last October while visiting St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Antonio, 8-year-old Melanie Lozano knew just what to do. She immediately and successfully administered the Heimlich maneuver. “I learned it in the Girl Scouts,” she said nonchalantly when asked about her quick actions. Following morning Mass at St. Matthew Church Dec. 21, Kathy Grantham, executive director of the Girl Scouts of the San Antonio Area, presented Melanie with the Girl Scout Medal of Honor for saving the life of little Gabriella. Melanie is a member of Brownie Girl Scout Troop 576.

January 18 , 2002

CNS photo from Catholic Press Photo

Pope John Paul II responds to baby at Vatican baptism Pope John Paul II smiles at a baby during an annual baptism liturgy in the Sistine Chapel Jan. 13. The pontiff baptized 20 infants from Italy, France, Spain and the United States.

January 18, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 7

From the

Respect Life symbols stolen from Charlotte

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — Father Mark Lamprich, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church, was walking his dog Jan. 13 as he does every morning, when he noticed something out of place. Forty-two white wooden crosses that had been planted in the ground in front of the church were missing. Two additional crosses awaiting a whitewash had not been placed in the display at the time.

The 44 crosses served as reminders of the 4,400 abortions performed every day in the U.S.; each cross represents 100 of the aborted. The sign accompanying the crosses shows those statistics along with toll-free numbers for pregnancy help and post-abortion healing, said Diane Hoefling, St. Vincent Respect Life coordinator for 15 years. Some Protestant churches also display crosses and signs.

Every January for the past seven years, the roadside display has been erected in the church’s front yard as a reminder of the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22, 1973, to legalize abortion in the United States. Members of the Respect Life ministry at St. Vincent coordinate the effort each year with the help of the Knights of Columbus and other parishioners.

The printed sign remains standing in the front yard of the church, but the location of the crosses remains a mystery. They are believed to have been stolen during the night of Jan. 12 or the morning of Jan. 13.

The police were called, but there are no

Photo by Joann S. Keane

A billboard-type notice with abortion statistics is all that remains after people stole 42 crosses that were part of the St. Vincent de Paul Church Respect Life’s educational efforts. suspects, no witnesses and no trace of the crosses.

“There was no vandalism and no apparent attempts to remove the sign,” Father Lamprich said. “It is pretty surprising that the crosses were taken, and nothing was done to the sign.”

He said that the area around the display is well lit, and he does not believe that this was a youthful caper. “It would have taken much effort to pull up all of the crosses because it took a lot of effort to put them in the ground. They are 3- by 4-foot wooden crosses, so it doesn’t seem like a spur-of-

the-moment prank. We had a vandalism incident in October 2001, but we assumed that it might have been kids.”

Last fall, the Respect Life banner displaying a disabled person, an elderly person and a mother and child that hung in the front of the church was slashed. It was stolen after being taped and hanged again. Father Lamprich believes that the cross incident was more carefully planned.

“Apparently, it was someone driving by the church who doesn’t want to be reminded of the issue or someone

expressing his or her anger,” he said.

“They are trying in some way to make a statement in favor of abortion. By removing the crosses and our receiving so much coverage, they have done the exact opposite of what they intended to do. The display has touched a much wider audience. This has given the church a greater opportunity and vehicle to talk about this issue.”

Hoefling speculates that the people involved may have made an abortion decision in the past: “I have feelings of sorrow for whoever would feel that desperate to steal crosses off of church property. There is a lot of anger in people who are pro-choice, and I truly believe that many of them have been involved in an abortion situation.

I think that underneath it, they know that it is the truth.

“The irony of the theft is that those who argue for abortion frequently use the argument of freedom of choice, yet in taking those crosses, they took away our freedom of speech.”

A parishioner has volunteered to reconstruct the crosses to replace the stolen ones. The display at St. Vincent is based on a project that originated in Washington, D.C., in front of the Washington Monument in the late 80s and early 90s entitled “Cemetery of Innocents.”

Contact Staff Writer Aloha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

In the

Coffee —

Fair Trade brand coffee helps Third World growers in Latin

By Irene Voth Catholic News Service ANNANDALE, Minn. (CNS) — While Clare’s Well is best known for its waters of wisdom, recent guests at the Franciscan spirituality farm also have been partaking of another refreshment offered there: “Fair Trade” coffee.

“It’s the only coffee that we are purchasing at the present,” said Sister Jan Kilian, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls and one of the directors of Clare’s Well. The facility offers space and hospitality for private retreats southwest of Annandale, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Coffee with the Fair Trade label is purchased at a fair price from Latin American cooperatives made up of small, family-run farms. Even though coffee’s world market price has fluctuated between 35 and 45 cents per pound in recent years, Fair Trade coffee growers are paid a minimum of $1.26 per pound.

The coffee is labeled Fair Trade by TransFair USA, based in Oakland, Calif.

It is the only third-party certification

agency for fair-trade practices in the United States.

According to TransFair USA, the profit reaped by farmers makes it possible for them to afford improved housing and health care for their families, to keep their children in school or buy a mule to carry sacks of coffee beans to market.

Fair Trade coffee is typically grown in the shade of a taller forest canopy.

This preserves the native trees, which hold the soil in place while providing habitat for tropical wildlife and migratory songbirds.

While the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers is discouraged in all Fair Trade cooperatives, Fair Trade coffee that is certified organic — approximately 80 percent of the total — nets the farmers an additional 15 cents per pound.

All of this results in retail prices substantially higher than familiar coffee brands such as Folgers or Maxwell House that retail at approximately $2.60 per pound.

Nevertheless, “we will continue to buy it,” Sister Kilian told the St. Cloud Visitor, newspaper of the neighboring

St. Cloud Diocese.

She added that a number of people have commented on how good the coffee is and have purchased some to take home with them — despite the $10 per pound price tag typical of gourmet coffees.

While caring for the environment and paying just wages are both in line with the church’s teachings and Franciscan beliefs about social justice, serving Fair Trade coffee is also one way of showing support for the many years of service the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls have given to the poor in Latin America, Sister Kilian said.

Nine Latin American countries have benefited from the sisters’ presence since their efforts began there in 1960.

January 18 , 2002

Sister Kilian said serving Fair Trade coffee also helps out a neighbor. A mother/daughter-owned coffee shop in Annandale called In Hot Water, is the Fair Trade coffee source for Clare’s Well.

Patti Van Dorp and Amy Sparks of In Hot Water serve predominately Fair Trade coffee in their shop and sell their own exclusive Fair Trade blend — also called In Hot Water — which they obtain from a coffee roaster in Minneapolis.

“We try to get as much (Fair Trade coffee) as we can,” Sparks said, adding that “it feels good” to be selling coffee that has been raised in an environmentally friendly manner and purchased for a fair price.

Four of the six blends served at In Hot Water are Fair Trade, and the espresso blend — which is the basis for mochas, lattes and cappuccinos, etc.

— is 100 percent organic.

“It’s important to be community role models,” Sparks said.

January 18, 2002

Around the Di-

Crafts create friendships,

By Dianne M.A. Riggs Correspondent SWANNANOA — Almost everyone has a secret desire to use his or her hands to create something beautiful, useful—something that will please another. But most never carry that wish to fulfillment.

Mary Wilke, a long-time crafter, did not know many people at St. Margaret Mary Church in 1996. Were there other women who liked to crochet, knit, découpage, sew, paint and work at other crafts? Sending a feeler out in a church bulletin blurb, she was delighted and surprised when a number of women immediately signed on.

Thus, Heart and Hand Crafters was born.

The group arranged to have its first business meeting in the church social hall in February 1997, but when members arrived, they found maintenance work going on in the hall. So, Jacqueline Gunn chaired the meeting in a car in the church parking lot.

Heart and Hand members borrowed $50 from the St. Margaret Mary Women’s Group and began making Advent calendars to sell at a fair the following fall.

They have used the proceeds of their craft fairs to benefit not only their own congregation, but also the Asheville Catholic School scholarship fund and Catholic Social Services. They have completed other helpful projects, as well,

including knitting caps for hospitalized premature babies. One of their current projects is making “fidget aprons” for Alzheimer patients. The crafters attach small objects, such as dolls and zippers, to the aprons, which the patients wear.

They can play with the items but can’t put them in their mouths.

None of the members questioned remembers how the group’s name came about. But, Terrie Blaser said, “We work with our hands and from the heart. We love to do it and love to do it for the church and others.” Yolanda Smith said she especially enjoys seeing someone buy what she has made that could provide enjoyment.

Over the years they have created an enormous number of different craft items for their October fairs: small decorative sleds, quillows (lap quilts that stuff into

their own pillows), Christmas tree ornaments, découpaged medallions bearing the church’s picture, hand-painted mailboxes, preserves, notepaper holders, sweaters, ponchos, drummer boy decorations, and so forth. At their last fair, they made more than $3,500 for special church projects.

Where do they get all of these ideas?

“Craft magazines, people’s relatives, other craft shows,” Smith said, adding that they are always on the lookout for hard to find things that will sell.

“To me, it’s wonderful what we have achieved (in terms of raising money), but it’s the fellowship that is most important,” Mildred Vaillancourt said. The others concur. “Now we are like sisters,” Connie Blalock said.

The group is open to anyone interested in crafts, Christian fellowship and service.

For more information or to learn about

The Catholic News & Herald 9

In brief…

Ecumenical choir to perform for public CHARLOTTE — The New Vi-

brations, an ecumenical choir with youth from area churches including St. Matthew, St. Luke and St. Vincent de Paul churches, will begin its concert season Feb. 3 at Idlewild Presbyterian Church, 7619 Idlewild Rd., with concerts at 5 and 7:30 p.m. All are invited to listen and experience the musical celebration. For further information, call Donna Shenoha at (704) 339-2118.

Monthly charismatic Mass toCLEMMONS be held—inFather Triad Adrian

Porras will be celebrating a charismatic Mass at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., on Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The sacrament of reconciliation will be given at 7 p.m., and the laying on of hands will take place after Mass.

The next Mass will be celebrated on Mar. 4. For more information, call the church office at (336) 778-0600 or Jim Passero at (336) 998-7503.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Book series addresses physical, Reviewed by Sister Mona Castelazo, CSJ Catholic News Service The “God Knows” series offers books to be read slowly, pondered, perhaps kept at a bedside table. The series addresses the fact that we cannot control what happens to us in life, but that we can become conscious of our attitudes and discover life-giving ways to respond to stress, physicality and loss.

GOD KNOWS YOU’D LIKE A NEW BODY: 12 WAYS TO BEFRIEND THE ONE YOU’VE GOT, by Carl Koch and Joyce Heil. Sorin Books, Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2001). 158 pp., $11.95.

GOD KNOWS YOU’RE STRESSED: SIMPLE WAYS TO RESTORE YOUR BALANCE, by Anne Bryan Smollin.

Sorin Books, Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2001). 158 pp., $11.95.

GOD KNOWS YOU’RE GRIEVING: THINGS TO DO TO HELP YOU THROUGH,

by Joan Guntzelman. Sorin Books, Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2001).

156 pp., $11.95.

In “God Knows You’re Stressed: Simple Ways to Restore Your Balance,” Anne Bryan Smollin begins with the bad news about the physical effects of stress.

But the good news is that, although we cannot eliminate stress in our fast-paced world, we can choose our reactions — the true causes of personal stress.

Both an educator and a therapist, Smollin gives us original suggestions: “Decide to be imperfect,” “Have fun,” “Just say no,” “Avoid crazymakers.”

Smollin insists that we need healthy boundaries in order to realize our deepest desires and dreams. A helpful question to ask is: “Why am I doing this?”

Connecting with kindred spirits, surrounding ourselves with positive people, and befriending our bodies with nourishing exercise, rest and relaxation all help us to deal with tension and worry. Smollin discourages negative self-talk and the carrying of “negative baggages” from our past, practices by which we sabotage ourselves.

“God Knows You’d Like a New

January 18 , 2002

Read-

Body,” by Carl Koch and Joyce Heil, suggests that we be reintroduced to our own bodies. They write, “It seems as if many of us either become obsessed with our inadequacy so that our body becomes an enemy, or we become like distant relatives who seldom visit with our body.”

We do not choose our individual physical characteristics, but need to learn to accept them. One way of acceptance is to pay attention to how we feel and what our body tells us; another is to take time daily to catch our breath. As Thich Nhat Hanh, who saw a connection between breathing and consciousness, writes: “Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”

The authors state that discontent with our body image comes from “megabytes of data” from events, relationships, advertising, movies and fads. The book suggests that we fully accept our bodies, truly valuing the gift of bodily life.

Interestingly enough, Koch and Heil point out that learning develops new connections in the brain and creativity improves our general health. “Our body might slow down, but a vital brain makes life vital.

Vital people, no matter how short and stout or tall and thin, radiate that vitality to all around them.”

Joan Guntzelman, in “God Knows You’re Grieving,” shows how loss either brings us diminishment or new life, depending on how wholeheartedly we undergo the grieving experience.

As individuals we must each find what helps us to move through grief to healing and integration. This book offers hope through proposing realistic ways to grow spiritually through the process of “leaving and arriving.”

Guntzelman presents stories of loss that include not only the death of a loved one, but changes in jobs, living arrangements, illness, and accidents. She suggests that everyday choices lead to either stagnation or growth and provide us with the opportunity to develop positive attitudes which will help us in time of crisis.

Sister Mona has taught English and literature for many years in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, most recently at Mt. St. Mary’s College. She is also a certified spiritual director.

Word to Life

Sunday Scripture Readings: Jan. 20, 2002 Cycle A Readings: January 20, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 1) Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 Psalm 40:2, 4ab, 7-10 2) 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 3) Gospel: John 1:29-34

By Jeff Hensley Catholic News Service I had been waiting for the guy I was to interview for about 25 minutes in the offices of the college newspaper on the University of North Texas campus. I was a student reporter, and he was late. Not just a little bit late, but very late. But I needed the interview so I could write about him.

His name was Ron Chafetz, and he referred to himself as a “completed Jew.” He was, in fact, a strong Christian who had formerly been a Jew, but clung to the cultural roots of his faith, making him, again, by his own description, a “Messianic Jew.” When he finally arrived, there was a special glow about him — not literally, of course. But wherever he went in the newspaper offices, somehow other people would begin talking about their faith or lack thereof. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. And he was late to the interview for the same

reason: People kept offering him opportunities to witness to his faith in Jesus Christ, come in the flesh to demonstrate the Father’s love.

Ron was a young man afire with divine love, and everyone he ran into could see it.

Today’s Gospel talks about the visible mark of God’s approval on Jesus as he came up from the waters of baptism: a dove descending on him. John the Baptizer knew from this that he was God’s chosen one. It was dramatic.

From seeing God’s favor on my friend Ron, for so he became after just a brief encounter, I can have some vague idea of the great drawing power, the great sense of an anointing giving special favor, that Jesus must have possessed as he began his ministry proclaiming the good news that God’s kingdom had come to earth.

Don’t we all wish that others could see the Father’s favor and love in us in that way? Perhaps if we love and pray with the fervor of people like Ron — and hunger to show God’s love to others — they will.

QUESTION: Since we become more like those we spend time with, have you considered spending more time with God in prayer and reading Scripture?

Weekly Scripture Scripture for the week of Jan. 20 - Jan. 26 Sunday (Second Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, 1 Corinthians 1:13, John 1:29-34; Monday (St. Agnes), 1 Samuel 15:16-23, Mark 2:18-22; Tuesday (St. Vincent), 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Mark 2:23-28; Wednesday, 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, Mark 3:1-6; Thursday (St. Francis de Sales), 1 Samuel 18:6-8, 19:1-7, Mark 3:7-12; Friday (The Conversion of Paul), Acts 22:3-16, Mark 16:15-18; Saturday (Timothy and Titus), Titus 1:1-5, Mark 3:20-21 Scripture for the week of Jan. 27 - Feb. 2 Sunday (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 8:23—9:3, 1 Corinthians 1:113, 17, Matthew 4:12-23; Monday (St. Thomas Aquinas), 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Mark 3:22-30; Tuesday, 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19, Mark 3:31-35; Wednesday, 2 Samuel 7:4-17, Mark 4:1-20; Thursday (St. John Bosco), 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 2429, Mark 4:21-25; Friday, 2 Samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17, Mark 4:26-43; Saturday (Presentation of the Lord), Malachai 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40

January 18, 2002

Media Notebook

Entertain-

Picking the 10 best movies of

By Anne Navarro Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) — It’s been an interesting year for the movie industry. Back in May and June when the writers’ and actors’ guilds were threatening to strike, studios were scrambling to fix a schedule that wouldn’t leave them without films to release if the strikes went through. Then after Sept.

11, Hollywood once again reshuffled release dates as industry executives attempted to put their fingers on the pulse of America to figure out what audiences wanted to see during a national crisis. However, in terms of quality, it was an underwhelming year.

A few standouts made it onto the Office for Film and Broadcasting’s list of the top 10 movies of 2001.

The exquisite documentary, “The Face: Jesus in Art,” explores artistic representations of Christ through the ages and around the world, detailing how art attempts to comprehend and touch the divine by depicting the human Jesus. Visually stunning and further enhanced by remarkable special effects, a glorious music track and insightful narration, director Craig MacGowan’s superb film allows the viewer to experience both great art and spiritual uplift.

In the absorbing biography “A Beautiful Mind,” director Ron Howard presents a very human story of brilliance, insanity and marital love. Russell Crowe stars as John Forbes Nash Jr., a highly eccentric and gifted mathematician whose mind was overtaken by schizophrenia, but with the help of his devoted wife, played by Jennifer Connelly, he conquered the disease and came back to win the Nobel Prize. Crowe’s honest performance elevates the film from a mere character study to a tale about a singular man — heart, mind and soul.

Two foreign films — the delightful Australian comedy “The Dish” and the disturbing Swedish drama “Faithless” — couldn’t be less alike. With humor and awe, “The Dish” relates the story of a small team of engineers, led by a fatherly Sam Neill, in charge of a local satellite dish whose efforts were key in transmitting the now-familiar pictures and sounds from the historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

In “Faithless,” Liv Ullmann directs from Ingmar Bergman’s semi-autobiographical screenplay about a happily married woman who impetuously enters into an affair with her husband’s friend, irreparably damaging not only her marriage, but her 9-year-old daughter as well. Though difficult to watch, the film’s remorseful tone

exposes the destructive effects of thoughtless sexual misbehavior and the results of living a selfish life void of morality.

A lighter cup of tea is the splendid murder mystery “Gosford Park.” The airy yet biting study of the English class system is a classy ensemble production, set in 1930s England during a weekend hunting party. It employs director Robert Altman’s roving, inquisitive style with acumen and flair.

Exploring death and love in an altogether different way is the touching Chinese film “The Road Home,” in which a modern-day businessman returns to his remote village for his father’s funeral and recalls the tender story of his parents’ courtship. The lovely drama juxtaposes brilliant hues representing the freshness of youth and love from the past with black-and-white for the monochromatic, sorrowful present.

Visually alluring with magnificent effects and location shots, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” hurls J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic struggle of good versus evil onto the screen with fantastic results. Director Peter Jackson’s adventure tale set in the mythical realm of Middle-earth allows the Gospel values written by the devoutly Catholic Tolkien to come through. The main character’s heroic struggle to resist the temptation to succumb to the ring’s evil powers is akin to the carrying of the cross, the supreme act of selflessness.

“Monsters, Inc.” is a delightful animated comedy about a furry, spotted beast and his green, one-eyed friend who gather the screams of young children to power their monster world and accidentally transport a little girl back to their realm. The animation is superb and the story is imaginative.

In “Shrek,” a cynical ogre and his smart-alecky donkey agree to save the princess bride of a nasty lord in exchange for the return of the ogre’s swamp home.

The sweet story of self-acceptance reaches new levels of excellence in its animation, and a fine cast of voices (including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and John Lithgow) further bolsters the film’s appeal. And audiences seem to have agreed on the excellence of both films as each garnered more than $200 million at the box office.

Last to be mentioned but certainly not least is “Spy Kids,” a terrific fantasy-action flick in which two children become spies to save their former-spy

parents and the world from a mad genius. Not only does the film synthesize a winning adventure story and cool special effects, it touts loving family ties as worthwhile and necessary for a happy life.

In 2002, it is likely that moviegoers will see more flag-waving films that stir a renewed patriotic fervor.

But let’s hope there will also be more

The Catholic News & Herald 11

thoughtful and faith-minded movies of high quality which consider the important spiritual aspects of life

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

January 18 , 2002

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Daily prayer, desire for God as necessary as breathing, pope says B John Norton y

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II called daily prayer as necessary as breathing and said it should be fueled by an unquenchable desire for God. Illustrating his message at his weekly general audience Jan. 16, the pope drew on the Psalms’ famous image of a deer longing for running water.

“The thirsty deer is, in fact, the symbol of the praying (person) who inclines with whole body and spirit toward the Lord, perceived as far away and at the same time necessary,” he said.

“The search for God on the part of man is an undertaking that is never finished because new progresses are always possible and necessary,” he said.

The pope called the Bible text, Psalm 42, a “true jewel of faith and poetry.” The reflection continued a series of talks on the Liturgy of the Hours, daily prayers based on the Psalms.

Desire for God lies at the heart of all prayer, the pope said.

“It is not for nothing that there is a long tradition that describes prayer as ‘breathing’: It is basic, necessary (and) fundamental like the life breath,” he said.

He said Origen, a third-century theologian, compared the life of prayer to a journey in the desert.

“Each day,” the pope said, “we must strike our tents in order to move on toward new horizons in our efforts to know God and to live in his presence.”

Pope says he’s looking forward to World Youth Day in Toronto VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II said he was looking forward to World Youth Day in July and said he hoped the celebrations in Toronto would match the enthusiasm of the last youth encounter in Rome. The pope made his remarks at a Sunday blessing at the Vatican Jan. 13, as he sent greetings to a planning session of bishops and lay leaders meeting in Canada. “I hope the world youth event in Canada renews the magnificent experience in Rome during the year 2000,” he said. “I am eager to meet you once again in great numbers,” he said. The pontiff urged young people to prepare for this year’s encounter through formation programs being offered by local dioceses around the world. In this way they can take an active role in the church and help spread the Gospel, he said.

The story of a girl and an abortion that wasn’t A long time ago there was a girl — around your age if you’re a young reader of this column, maybe a few years older, maybe a bit younger. How she thought and what she did is the issue here, and in those respects she probably wasn’t much different from you, no matter what stage of young adulthood you’re swimming in right how.

She was confused about some things and sure about others. Both were equally dangerous positions, because way too often her certainty was completely off-base, and she’d have been a lot better off if she’d just admitted the stuff she was confused about to people who could set her straight.

But she didn’t, and on the way to a college degree and eventual real adulthood, something happened: That girl got pregnant.

What’s more, she was pregnant by a person whom she gradually was starting to admit she really didn’t care for, and had been involved with for all of the wrong reasons and none of the right ones.

Her plan had been to break it off. But then carelessness and weakness kicked in, and there she was pregnant.

These were the days before home-pregnancy tests, and furthermore these were the days in which, if you didn’t want to go to a doctor, or couldn’t, the only places that offered cheap or even free pregnancy tests were places called “women’s clinics.” Better known as “abortion clinics.”

It was in one of those places that she got the news. She was confused when the warm, kindly sounding male counselor told her that her test had been “positive,” because at that point, of course, a positive result would have been one telling her she wasn’t Catholic, unmarried and pregnant.

But, as we all know, that’s not what the kindly sounding counselor meant.

She was aghast, ashamed and most of all petrified at the prospect of telling her parents.

For about a week, this girl, who had marched in a prolife protest in front of that very clinic when she was in high school a few years earlier, contemplated the prospect of abortion.

It’s not unusual, you know. Any worker at a crisis preg-

Looking Around Father William J. Byron, SJ CNS Columnist

adopt them as personal leadership characteristics. Don’t bet, however, that they will appear in the next “Jesus as CEO” book.

Decades ago Dwight D. Eisenhower explained that, “the president does not lead by hitting people over the head. Any damn fool can do that.... Leadership is by persuasion, education and patience. It is long, slow, tough work.”

Eisenhower also defined leadership as “the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” If Ike possessed the “sensor” that Goffee and Jones say belongs in today’s leadership tool kit, he would make that “he or ‘she’ wants to do it.” But aside from that, not much else in leadership literature seems all that new.

Why should knees knock when a leader is asked, “Why should anyone be led by you?” If the so-called leader has specialized in unavailability, unaccountability and presumed invulnerability, the question could be quite discomfiting. And any leader who doesn’t see leadership as “long, slow, tough work” will surely be stopped or stunned by the question.

Those in leadership positions should be wise enough to ask themselves why they are there. And those who constitute the followership can exercise their own quiet leadership by raising that question ever so gently whenever the opportunity occurs.

Coming Of Age Amy Welborn CNS Columnist

nancy center can tell you as much. We can vocalize pro-life sentiments all we want, but when it hits us at home there is a terrible temptation to step back, wash our hands and declare: “Well, yes, I believe abortion is wrong. But I can’t live by it right now. Later I will, I promise. For the rest of my life. But not now.”

It was a week until she realized that the reality of a helpless human being, who hadn’t asked to be conceived, being killed at her request, paid for with cold, hard cash from her hand to their bloody ones, would echo in her conscience until the day she died.

Finally, mercifully, on an unexpectedly long bus ride, grace intervened and gave her the strength to do what she didn’t think she could: tell her parents, be embraced by them, finish school and give birth.

I was that girl, and my son is 19 now. Maybe a little older than you. Maybe a bit younger. But he lives and breathes, laughs, works and loves life.

Pray for the pregnant girls out there. Support them.

Don’t judge them. Embrace them in acceptance and love.

You never know. You might just save a life. Or maybe even two.

What a leader is One way to stop a business leader or any other kind of leader in his or her tracks, say consultants Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones, is to ask, “Why should anyone be led by you?”

That question is the title of an article these observers wrote for the Harvard Business Review last fall.

“Without fail,” say the authors, “the response is a sudden, stunned hush. All you can hear are knees knocking.”

The question is a good one to put to anyone in a leadership position. How would a high school principal answer, or an elected official, a military officer, a cardinal, bishop or pastor? How about the “head of a household,” a teacher, a coach? The reply has to be something more substantial than, “I’ve been assigned,” or “I won the election,” or “I own the business.”

Leadership implies voluntary “followership.” If you’re the leader, why should I follow?

Goffee and Jones give a backward glance through history and acknowledge that there have been widely accepted leadership traits and styles. But the traits and styles change over time. Today, they argue, the times call for leadership that displays the following four qualities: Leaders should let their weaknesses be known. By exposing a measure of vulnerability, they make themselves approachable and show themselves to be human.

Inspirational leaders trust their intuitive ability to set the course and decide when the timing is right.

They display “tough empathy,” meaning that they empathize realistically with people and also care “intensely” about the work employees do.

They capitalize on what sets them apart, on what is unique about themselves.

These leadership qualities are right for our times because leadership today, say these authors, has to adapt to “endless contingencies” while making decisions suited to a particular situation. Leaders have to be “good situation sensors [able to] collect and interpret soft data.”

I was impressed about 20 years ago when I heard Dennis Goulet of the University of Notre Dame remark that to be effective, a leader had to be “available, accountable and vulnerable.” I thought then and continue to believe these three qualities are completely Christian in orientation and uncommonly valuable for anyone courageous enough to

January 18, 2002

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle Msgr. Jim Lisante Guest Columnist

The foundation, instituted in 1995 with the goal of reversing the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land, has provided housing, jobs, medical services and scholarships to the dwindling Christian population. Its founder and president is Franciscan Father Peter F. Vasko, a native New Yorker who has lived in Jerusalem since 1981.

“We’ve had a barrage of people calling” about the government’s raid, Father Vasko told Catholic News Service in mid-December. “If they get us mixed up, that doesn’t do any good for the Palestinian Christians.” Damage control is going forward, full speed ahead. Some news organizations, alerted to the potential for danger caused by the inadvertent mix-up, have been extremely cooperative in trying to right the wrong.

After all, a clarification statement noting that the object of the government’s attention was not the Holy Land Foundation but the “Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development” shouldn’t be too much to ask. But some still hadn’t been heard from as of this writing — no retraction, no correction, no effort to clear the air.

I don’t know if the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development is guilty as charged. I do know that the other organization, the Holy Land Foundation, has done a lot of good in six short years. That accomplishment seems now to be in danger. The lesson is obvious. Make every effort to get the facts straight to begin with. And if something goes wrong, even if it was unintentional, own up to it. It’s the right thing to do. used by the priest. The rest may be anywhere on the altar or nearby, as long as the priest intends to consecrate them at that Mass.

When consecrated bread, the eucharistic body of Christ, is left over at Mass, what remains is placed in the tabernacle for distribution to the sick or for people receiving Communion at a later Mass. That is what you have seen when hosts are brought from the tabernacle for Communion.

It is liturgically appropriate, whenever possible, for people to receive Communion with hosts consecrated at that particular Mass. When that is not feasible, hosts consecrated at a previous Mass are brought from the tabernacle and distributed.

Children and ecumenial marriages Q. In a recent column about preparations for a mixed marriage, the questioner claimed the Catholic party had to promise to raise the children Catholic. You responded that this is not true. The non-Catholic promises nothing in this regard, you said, while the Catholic promises “to do all in my power to share my faith with our children by having them baptized and raised as Catholics.”

I don’t see the difference. Those two promises look the same to me. (New York) A. In practice, there may not be much difference.

In either case, the Catholic in fact promises to do the best he or she can to assure for their children the benefits of Catholic spiritual life and sacraments.

Formerly, the Catholic promise was explicitly to raise the children Catholic. The wording the church uses today, which I quoted and you repeat, recognizes more honestly the fact that in some marriages the best efforts of Catholic spouses simply fail, through no fault of their own. Circumstances beyond their control make raising their children Catholic impossible.

On the principle that it is not psychologically or spiritually wise to demand promises that may be impossible to keep, the church today says in effect: Do all you can to help your children share your Catholic faith. If that doesn’t work, you and they will be missing something, but you have not failed your promise.

Owning up to errors Old-timers in the newspaper business will recall a more colorful era in news-gathering, when the competition was dog-eat-dog and deadlines seemed to be a little more important than the facts. “Never let the truth interfere with a good story” was the way one wag put it, and even if no one would admit to following that directive to the letter, editors didn’t appear to mind too much if a young reporter fudged the facts — as long as a bright and compelling story emerged from the mix.

We kid about those times today, to be sure; journalists tend to be much more serious about their craft. But beyond the kidding lies a basic truth: in telling a story, nothing is more important than getting the facts straight. That’s true whether the storyteller is a reporter working for a major publication or broadcast outlet, or one neighbor telling another something about the fellow across the street. Messing up the facts, even inadvertently, can sometimes have disastrous results.

Early in December, federal agents conducted a welpublicized raid on offices of what was described as the “Holy Land Foundation,” on the grounds that the organization was really a front for Hamas, the extremist Palestinian group. The Texas-based “Holy Land Foundation” promptly denied the accusation. I’m putting “Holy Land Foundation” in quotation marks for a reason. The full name of the organization that federal authorities raided on Dec. 4 and 5 is the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, with headquarters in Richardson, Texas. But there is another Holy Land Foundation. It is a Catholic-operated charity, headed by a Franciscan priest, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem. It is entirely unrelated to the organization that was the target of U.S. government agents. But you can just imagine what confusion resulted from the announcement of the raid, and what chaos has come into the life of the Church-related Holy Land Foundation as a result. Of course it was an unintentional mistake; that’s obvious. But it’s just as obvious that the Holy Land Foundation is hurting.

As the Holy Land Foundation will tell you, the ones hurting most of all are the people in need who benefit from the funds the organization raises.

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

The consecration of the communion bread and wine Q. In my parish I never notice hosts being consecrated at Mass. They are always brought from the tabernacle or they are in containers that remain at the edge of the altar until Communion time.

Also, when we have Communion under both species, part of the wine is poured into the chalice at the Offertory; the rest is left in the glass container until Communion time.

Has the wine left in the glass bottle actually been consecrated? (Massachusetts) A. Apart from the question about the tabernacle, lots of Catholics have the same concern as you about which hosts and wine are consecrated at Mass. Some people, including some deacons and priests, if one is to judge by their actions, seem to be under the impression that all bread and wine to be consecrated must be on, or at least touch, the corporal (the small square cloth on the altar during Mass).

That is not precisely true. The determining factor is not where the elements are, but the intention of the priest presider about which wine or bread to consecrate.

For example, at liturgies attended by hundreds or thousands of people, it is not appropriate that the altar be cluttered with dozens of ciboria containing the hosts. These containers may be placed on tables away from the altar.

Regardless of where they are, on or off the altar, they are consecrated if the presiding priest intends to consecrate them.

The same is true for the wine. Some should be in the chalice

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Family Reflections Andrew & Terri Lyke Guest Columnists Viewing marriage as a vocation What do think of the idea of marriage as a vocation? Perhaps it’s easier to think of the priesthood and religious life as vocations. But, what about marriage?

Is it a holy way of life with God or just a private relationship between two people?

The word vocation is from the Latin vocatio, which means summons, from vocare, which means to call, and from vox which means voice. The MerriamWebster Collegiate Dictionary defines vocation as “a: a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially: a divine call to the religious life; b: an entry into the priesthood or a religious order.”

Though we may think of marriage as response to a private love between a woman and man, it is a divine call to a holy life. Just as in consecrated life in the Church, discerning marriage is a lifelong process of listen for God’s summons, responding to God’s call, and hearing God’s voice.

That call begins with a whisper from the hearta falling in love that captures a couple’s attention.

Though it feels like a welling up within, it is calling outside themselves to be a gift to another person. The calling is particular and clear.

As the couple continues to discern their vocation through the years, the call becomes broader. It is heard in family life with children. The couple’s purpose and the depth of their love multiply, and their call amplifies.

Concurrently, the couple’s life in the community that recognizes their goodness broadens the call even more. Their marriage is part of a public institution that serves society and orders it’s basic cell-the family.

What began as whisper from two hearts grows into rallying cry from a multitude. And in the din of diapers, mortgages, tuition payments, mid-life, empty nests, grandparenting, retirement, and death, we hear God’s voice calling us, directing us and leading us home to God. This happens when the couple recognizes God’s voice in their ordinary setting of married life.

Working against this understanding of marriage as a vocation is the contemporary notion of marriage as a private relationship between two people. Instead of hearing God’s voice in the whisper from the heart, the couple hears the voice of their own infatuation and desire. The wedding is the apex of their experience instead of a threshold to a sacramental life with God. Instead of hearing God’s voice in the din of ordinary family life, the couple gets lost in disillusionment and chaos. No wonder so many marriages fail.

Perhaps the best thing we can do for modern marriages is to help them recognize that their marriage is more than the two of them. It is a calling from God and a holy way of life-a vocation.

Questions for Reflection • How have you experienced marriage as more than just two people?

• How do you hear God’s call to marriage in family live? in community?

• If you were to end your marriage, who would be affected?

• How do you experience marriage as holy?

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

Dominican cardinal proposes Catholic TV network for the Americas MIAMI (CNS) — The cardinal-

archbishop of Santo Domingo has a dream: to create a Catholic television network that will span all of America, from Alaska to Argentina. It already exists in the Dominican Republic, “and I think conditions are right for the international project to start taking shape,” Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez told The Florida Catholic, Miami archdiocesan newspaper, in an interview. Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez was in Miami attending the fourth annual meeting of the New Evangelization of America, a group which he chairs. In a wide-ranging conversation, he spoke of the Latin American church’s struggle with fundamentalist sects, of the relationship between North and South America, and of the need for greater cooperation among Catholic media organizations in the entire American continent.

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Caregiver: Seeking dependable caregiver to assist elderly with non-medical care in their homes. Parttime and full-time. Top hourly fees. VISITING ANGELS. (704) 442-8881 Coordinator of Youth Ministry: Large vibrant parish seeks energetic, creative Coordinator of Youth Ministry. Successful candidate will plan and implement spiritual growth, catechetical development and social involvement of grades 6-12, will show enthusiastic dedication to meeting the needs of young Christians and will exhibit honest delight in their presence. Ideal candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to liturgical formation of youth. Candidate must be Catholic in good standing with church, with education (minimum, bachelor’s degree) and several years experience appropriate for youth ministry. Supportive staff.

Full-time position, starting July 2002. Send resume by March 1 to Search Committee, St. Bridget’s Parish, 6006 Three Chopt Rd., Richmond, VA 23226, or email sellers@stbridgets.org.

In the

North Carolina Catholics pray for a church after being moved from a bowling alley to a local gym

ROBBINS, N.C.— Blessed Juan Diego Parish, in Moore County in the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C., is struggling to find a home in one of the most impoverished counties in North Carolina.

More than 65 hardworking but very poor families, mostly Hispanic, call Blessed Juan Diego Parish home.

Home — once in a dilapidated building, then the basement of a bowling alley — now rests in the gym of the local elementary school. It’s the only Hispanic Catholic presence for many miles. This stable community of more than 240 Mass-goers depends on work in the fields, in a chicken processing plant, for a local landscaper, and in a furniture factory. They are not migrant workers, but not one is paid above minimum wage.

The mission parish of Blessed Juan Diego began 10 years ago in the town of Robbins with only 15 families attending. Now, with the dedication of area religious, the parish is booming. But no facilities outside of those obtained by the Sunday gymnasium rental means no on-site CCD classes, RCIA preparation, confessions, daily Masses or counseling.

Parishioners have outgrown the gym, and a warehouse rental is less than attractive. They are praying for a church of their own with the dream of constructing an all-purpose, multifunction building that will serve as a church, parish hall, kitchen, and edu-

Music Director: Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro is seeking a full-time director to be responsible for all music activity in a church with over 2,300 families. Applicants must be fully competent in both organ and piano, and experienced in directing both adult and children’s choirs. If you meet these requirements, please send your resume and salary requirements to: Music Ministry, Our Lady of Grace Church, 201 S. Chapman Street, Greensboro, NC 27403.

Principal: Experienced principal for St. Anthony’s Catholic School in Southern Pines, NC, to open Fall 2002. K-3. Minimum MA/MS. Expected to build curriculum faithful to the magisterium of Catholic Church. Salary based on experience.

Please send resume to: St. Anthony Catholic School Principal Search, P.O. Box 602, Carthage, NC 28327.

Teachers: Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, located in Fairburn, Georgia, is seeking teachers in all disciplines for the 2002-2003 school year. Mercy offers an excellent teaching environment and well as competitive salary and benefits.

Interested individuals should send resume and cover letter to: John Cobis, Our Lady of Mercy High School, 861 Highway 279, Fairburn, GA 30213.

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Rates: $.50/word per issue ($10 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: Ads will billed. For information, call (704) 370-3332.

cation center — and they want to be in by Easter.

They’ve already purchased land for the church and have raised $100,000 through sponsoring fundraisers in the community. The parishioners have also contributed extra money to a special building fund, and the financial pool is astounding when considering the minimum wages of parishioners.

“I’d like to offer them a special gift of $100,000 to help build their church,”

January 18 , 2002

says Bishop William Houck, president of Catholic Extension, the largest supporter of Catholic missionary work in America. “If we don’t help them, they may never have enough money to build a proper house of worship.

It could be decades before they have their own church — years with no place to hold CCD classes, weddings, funerals and baptisms.”

January 18, 2002

Death penalty activists applaud reprieve

By Joann S. Keane Editor RALEIGH — On Jan 12, Gov. Mike Easley commuted the death sentence of a convicted murder.

“We hoped, acted and prayed for clemency for Charlie Mason Alston Jr., and today he is alive,” said Stephen Dear, executive director of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty. “North Carolinians are growing increasingly concerned about the practice of the death penalty in their names.”

“After long and careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances of this case in its entirety, I conclude that the appropriate sentence for the defendant is life in prison without parole,” Easley said.

It was the second time a reprieve has been granted by the Catholic governor. And while death penalty opponents applaud the action, they point to the five executions carried out under Easley during 2001, his first year as governor of the state of North Carolina.

North Carolina, one of 38 states with the death penalty, is high on the list of those states in number of executions.

Last year, 18 executions were carried out in Oklahoma; 17 in Texas; seven in Missouri; five in North Carolina.

“This case shows that our death penalty system is broken and why we need a moratorium on executions,” said Marshall Dayan, president of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty. “The North Carolina Supreme Court has lost its moral and legal compass. We respect the governor for his understanding of his constitutional authority to exercise clemency.”

Clemency is rare in this country, Dear said. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, only 49 people in the United States have been granted clemency since 1977. During that time, 751 people have been executed, and 3,709 remain on death row.

On Oct. 2, 2001, Easley first commuted a death sentence. At that time he said, “I am satisfied that the prosecutors and judges acted fairly and professionally in this case. However, as governor, my review of this matter in its totality causes me to conclude that the appropriate sentence for the defendant is life without parole.”

The governor’s decision made Robert Bacon one of only three North Carolina death row inmates in the past 25 years to have his sentence reduced to life in prison.

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is an interfaith group dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty through the mobilization and education of the religious community of North Carolina. People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is a special project of the North Carolina Council of Churches. For more information, call 919-933-7567 or visit the website: pfadp.org.

Around the Dicanonizations except for those who have universal appeal,” the University of Notre Dame theology professor told reporters in Rome Jan. 11. The priest criticized plans to canonize the founder of Opus Dei, Blessed Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer; Italian Capuchin Blessed Padre Pio, a noted confessor whose body was marked with the signs of the crucifixion; and Blessed Juan Diego, the Mexican Indian who saw Our Lady of Guadalupe. The popularity of each within one country or one Catholic movement is not enough of a reason to canonize them, he said.

InBrief…

Teens use innovative approach

to explain the rosary MADISON, N.J. (CNS) — In short, action-packed workshop sessions, a Catholic teen group called “The Holy Bandits” explains the rosary to religious education students in the Paterson Diocese. The group, from Bayley-Ellard Catholic High School in Madison, use skits, songs, prayers, activities and videos in their rosary education outreach. They tell stories that reveal the power of the rosary and urge students to daily pray a decade of the rosary to promote

The Catholic News & Herald 15

peace. “It’s older teens talking to younger teens, which seems more meaningful to the younger kids,” said Sister Anne McKeon, a member of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart and pastoral associate at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Whippany.

U.S. priest calls for new sainthood process to identify true holiness ROME (CNS) — Father Richard P. McBrien, author of a recent book on saints, called for a moratorium on canonizations until a process could be devised to identify models of holiness more relevant to the lives of most Catholics. “Put a halt on

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

Deacon begins new life, defines spirituality after immigrating to U.S. was a means to an end of one phase of

By ALESHA M. PRICE his life.

Staff Writer “When I was growing up, there were CHARLOTTE — With the dust few big changes in my life. I wanted to stirring around his feet while following his travel to the United States for a better life, mother, Rafael Torres and six of his siband I wanted to see the world,” Rev. Mr. lings walked a couple of miles to their local Torres said. “I wanted to learn different Catholic church on Sunday mornings. His perspectives and wanted a change.” mother was the religious head of her brood He was shipped of 12, and the Torres to Fort Jackson, S.C., children were heavily for basic training and involved in church acthen to Georgia and tivities.

Virginia. He stepped “She was the role into a world that was model for all of us, and comparable to his isshe would show her land home in many Christianity to us and to ways. “Puerto Rico the neighborhood,” said is very similar to the Rev. Mr. Torres, who States. We had evserved as an altar boy erything that other and was the president of cities had — JC Penhis church club as a teen. ney, Sears and other “My mother was always stores. They taught helping people.”

English in school, but The family lived I didn’t know much in the midst of poverty. of the language. I priHowever, with a father marily spoke Spanish who worked two jobs Rev. Mr. Rafael Torres and practiced English and a mother who alwhen I went to the ways cared for them, service.” his childhood in his naGreenland was his next stop, and tive Puerto Rico is filled with many happy the young man who had grown up in a memories. “I played a lot, and I didn’t work tropical climate had his first exposure to when I was younger. There were no places extremely cold temperatures. to work like there are in the States.”

“It was ugly,” he joked. “I remember Traveling by bus over 50 miles to that the Beach Boys were popular, and attend classes at a vocational high school James Brown was singing, ‘I feel good,’ occupied much of his teen years. When but I didn’t. There were three straight he was 15, his life changed. After a promonths of daylight with 12-hour shifts, longed illness, his mother, his largest inand it was freezing.” fluence, died. “It was sad because I loved After returning back to Virginia, my mom, and I missed her,” he said. “My he received his orders to go to Vietnam sisters took over, and one of them quit in 1965. He unloaded supplies from college to take care of us. We overcame the ships in the tense environment, any obstacles because of our family supbut he was following in his brothers’ port; we were always a united family.” footsteps — three of them had been After graduating in 1963, he began shipped to Vietnam and returned safeworking in printing and distribution ly. Like his brothers, he also returned for a Catholic and a secular newspaper. from war unharmed and went back to With seven of his eight brothers in the Puerto Rico after being discharged in service, it was inevitable for Torres to 1966. He was excited to see his family join the Army in 1964. He says that it and wife-to-be, Gladys.

He and Gladys had met in church when they were teens. They lived in the same neighborhood, and Torres would flirt with her. She shunned his advances until she began developing feelings for her persistent suitor. Under the watchful eye of the Torres clan, she had waited for him to return home from war.

Torres began working as an operator in a petroleum refinery company and later worked his way up to a supervisory position. “I didn’t see the need for further study in school. I was making good money in the refinery, but I didn’t know then that I would need more education later on,” said Rev. Mr. Torres wistfully.

He and Gladys wed in 1968 and settled in a new home in a nearby town.

“She took care of the kids and the house, and she was proud of that. I regret not allowing her to attend college because she is much smarter than I am.”

The life that they had built for themselves unraveled when he was laid off in 1982. “Without hesitation, we moved to the States,” Rev. Mr. Torres said. “I wanted to come back to the States because I saw that I could raise my family here, and I had other siblings in the U.S.” He came alone to a country he had not inhabited in almost 20 years. During this scouting expedition, he lived with his brothers in Texas. Unable to find work, he moved to Charlotte with his brother who was working for the FBI. After securing a position with Duke Power, he returned to Puerto Rico to bring his family to the country. Unfortunately, the company had begun massive layoffs, and there was no job waiting for him when he returned.

Through an acquaintance from Cursillo, his brother was able to secure Torres a position as a control operator in the processing department at an oil refinery.

Torres’ prayers had been answered.

Prayer had become the Torres

January 18 , 2002

family focus. They had been attending Mass at St. John Neumann Church when they heard about the Spanish Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral. That was when he met Sister Pilar Dalmau, the former diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry. She told him about the Hispanic Center, but it would be several years before Torres would become heavily involved with the center.

By 1990, he had become a fixture around the Hispanic Center, serving in various ministries. This was also the year that his life changed. He made his Cursillo, and his world opened up: “I had a personal encounter with Jesus.

Everything started there with Cursillo, and that was the spark that led me to see that we can live better lives when we live with Jesus.”

Torres and several others started working toward lay ministry certification, and Sister Pilar told Torres about the permanent diaconate. Even though he knew nothing about the ordained ministry, he felt the need to become a permanent deacon.

“When I made Cursillo, I knew more people needed to know Jesus in order to change. There were so many people to be helped, and the only way to be more involved was the diaconate,” said Rev. Mr. Torres, ordained in 1995.

Since then, the deacon, who serves at the Hispanic Center, has enjoyed building relationships with the Hispanic community. The grandfather of four baptizes nearly 20 children every week and performs several wakes, weddings and blessings. “I do as much as I can in the community,” he said, “because I am ordained to serve.”

Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.