Feb. 12, 2010

February 12, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives The Human Side: How do we grow in prayer this Lent?; Lent is all about becoming saints

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI February 12, 2010

Conversion breaks bonds of selfishness, pope says in Lenten message VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Conversion to Christ gives people the strength to break the bonds of selfishness and work for justice in the world, Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for Lent 2010.

“The Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies where all receive what is necessary to live according to the dignity proper to the human person and where justice is enlivened by love,” the pope said in the message released Feb. 4 at the Vatican.

Latin-rite Catholics begin Lent Feb. 17 while most Eastern-rite Catholics begin the penitential season Feb. 15.

The theme of the pope’s message was, “The Justice of God Has Been Manifested through Faith in Jesus Christ.”

T h e c o m m o n understanding of “justice,” he said, is to give each person his or her due.

But because people are created in God’s image, they not only need food, water, shelter and jobs; they need God and they need love, he said.

The greatest sign of God’s love is the gift of salvation in Christ. When people accept that gift, the pope said, they recognize that they are dependent on God. “Conversion to Christ, See LENT, page 6

More inside

Lent starts on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Do you know the rules for fasting and abstinence?

See page 14.

| Pages 14-15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

vOLUME 19

no. 13

“We have a responsibility to reach out to our brothers and sisters as part of our faith.”

—CSS employment specialist Linda Campbell

‘Hope for a better life’ Catholic Social Services helps refugees from all over the world start anew in our diocese

SUEANN HOWELL Special to The Catholic News & Herald CHARLOTTE — Mat Kar Sin received a remarkable gift for his 21st birthday this year: his freedom.

Sin, a Burmese refugee, waited 15 years to escape the abject poverty of a refugee camp in Thailand.

Sin, his wife Sai Na and 19-month-old son Da Ra are the newest arrivals receiving See HOPE, page 8

Photo by sueann howell

Mat Kar Sin, a Burmese refugee newly arrived from a refugee camp in Thailand, and his son Day Ra are adjusting to their new lives in Charlotte. The family is one of several hundred helped by Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Resettlement Office each year.

Also inside This week’s Year for Priests profile features Father Tien Duong, himself a refugee from Vietnam. See page 4.

‘Operation Rice Bowl’ starts Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17 Program raises awareness of hunger, poverty FROM STAFF REPORTS The Catholic News & Herald This Lenten season, millions of Catholics in the U.S. — including 45 parishes and four schools here in the Diocese of Charlotte – will participate in “Operation Rice Bowl,” Catholic Relief Services’

annual Lenten program that starts Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Parishes and schools from more than 12,000 communities nationwide will use symbolic rice bowls as the focal point for their prayer, fasting, learning and giving.

Rice bowl kits will also be See BOWL, page 6

In the News

Culture Watch

Update on diocesan Haiti relief efforts; Haitian parish aids earthquake victims

N.C. Bishops oppose textbook wording on Roe v. Wade

| Page 12

| Page 11

February 12, 2010

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

Current and upcoming topics from around the world to your own backyard

Church committed to protecting children and family, pope says child, the pope acknowledged that VAT I C A N C I T Y ( C N S ) — some priests have violated children, T h e C h u r c h c o n tin u es to b e a “a behavior which the church does not leading promoter of the rights of and will not hesitate to deplore and children and of their well being condemn.” and education, Pope Benedict The U.N. Convention on the XVI said, despite the deplorable Rights of the Child says the family is behavior of a few priests.

“The harsh words of Jesus against those who V i e w th e D i o c e s e o f C ha r l o tt e ’ s would scandalize one of p o l i cy a b o u t s af e e nv i r o n m e nt s at the little ones requires the charlottediocese.org/protectinggodschildren. commitment of all to never lower the level of respect and the natural environment for a child’s love” for children, the pope said Feb. growth and well being, the pope said.

8 during a meeting with the Pontifical Children “want to be loved Council for the Family. by a mother and a father who The council was holding its love each other, and they need to plenary meeting, which was to live and grow with both parents include a study day on the status of because the maternal and paternal upholding the rights of children as figures are complementary in the well as the beginning of work on education of children and in the guidelines for marriage preparation. construction of their personality Before turning to the importance and identity,” he said. of a united family in the life of a

cns photo by Patrick

J. Carroll, The Catholic Spirit

A portrait of Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini is displayed at St. Francis Cathedral in Metuchen, N.J., during a ceremony opening her cause for sainthood Jan. 31. The Venezuelan mystic, who died in New Jersey, became known after Mary reportedly appeared to her and 150 others on a farm in Venezuela in 1984. The initial phases of the investigation include gathering witnesses, documents and other evidence to determine her holiness.

Metuchen opens sainthood cause for Venezuelan mystic METUCHEN, N.J. (CNS) — The sainthood cause has formally opened for Maria Esperanza Medrano de Bianchini, a Venezuelan woman believed to have seen 31 apparitions of Mary, and who spread worldwide a message of family reconciliation and fraternal unity that she said Mary relayed to her.

“We gather together as a people filled with faith believing in the gift of God,” said Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski, who presided at the ceremony and bilingual Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Metuchen Jan. 31. “We believe God gives us men and women of fine example who show us the way to Jesus Christ.

“Today, we begin the cause for Maria Esperanza, a woman of faith and we pray as this faith community that God will recognize her through his church as one of his saints,” he said.

The Mass, which was concelebrated by 29 priests, drew more than 1,100 people, including family members, a 60-member choir and others from Bianchini’s native Venezuela.

Bianchini reportedly first saw an apparition of Mary in 1976, but she became a world-renowned figure after Mary reportedly appeared to her and 150 others at a farm named Finca Betania in Venezuela on March 25, 1984. Mary is said to have appeared under the title “Mary, virgin and mother, reconciler of all people and nations.”

The apparition was deemed valid by Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo of Los Teques, Venezuela, in 1987.

A biography of Bianchini, who

died in New Jersey in 2004, notes she was endowed with the “gift of healing, the gift of counsel, discernment of spirits, visions, locutions, ecstasies, levitation, the odor of sanctity, the stigmata ... and the ability to read the hearts of others.”

An ecclesiastical tribunal has been established to gather witnesses, documents and other evidence to determine the holiness of Bianchini.

“We continued to be mystified by the life of Maria Esperanza,” said Father Timothy E. Byerley, a Camden priest who is vice postulator of her cause. “She wanted to teach us the way of love, the Gospel of love. If you want to know about her life, that was it.

“It is the mission, the message of fraternal unity and family reconciliation.

When Our Lady came to Betania in 1984 that was the message, when the family’s healed, society’s healed,” he added.

Maria Gracia Bianchini, one of Bianchini’s daughters, said the ceremony “was like a dream” and emphasized her mother’s desire to strengthen the bonds of family.

Born on Nov. 22, 1928, Bianchini was the mother of seven children and grandmother of 20 children.

The Church’s process leading to canonization involves three major steps.

First is the declaration of a person’s heroic virtues, after which the Church gives the sainthood candidate the title of “venerable.” Second is beatification, after which he or she is called “blessed.”

The third step is canonization, or the declaration of sainthood.

Diocesan planner For more events taking place in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.charlottediocese. org/calendarofevents-cn.

ASHEVILLE VICARIATE

SWANNANOA — Parishioners are invited to participate in listening and discussing major themes in Scripture, presented on tape by Father Richard Rhor and facilitated by Deacon Eckoff, at St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrew Pl. The proposed time is 1 p.m. Feb. 17, and continuing as long as parishioners would like.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas’ Parish Lenten Mission will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 22, 23 and 24, 1400 Suther Road. The theme is “Discipleship: A Courageous Step Forward,” presented by Father Vincent Fortunato, OFM Cap. CHARLOTTE — Join other adults from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Road East, for Adult Catechism, in the Family Life Center, for a discussion on intercessory prayer to the saints and how to have a fruitful Lent. For more information, contact Renee O’Brien at reneeobrien3@gmail.com.

MINT HILL — St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers

Road, will have a special Mass for those wishing to receive the Holy Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick at 10 a.m. Feb. 20, sponsored by the HOPE Committee. Anointing is typically presented to those who need healing from physical or mental illness or someone undergoing surgery. For more information, call 704-545-1224.

CHARLOTTE — St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, presents “Reduce Internet Victimization” from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Parish Hall. Members of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will educate parents and caregivers about the challenges facing youths on the Internet.

For more information, contact Shannon Cutler at 704-536-6520.

CHARLOTTE — Join parishioners at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., as they gather in small communities once a week during Lent to reflect on our faith, using the guide Christian Prayer: Deepening my Experience with God. “Why Catholic?” begins Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, and ends Mar. 31. Sign up in the church narthex after each Mass or at www.stmatthewcatholic.org. For more information, contact Pat or Julia at 704-5437677, ext. 1039 or 1056.

CHARLOTTE — St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, invites the public to participate in a Forty Hours Devotion. It will begin with solemn evening prayer at 7 p.m. Mar. 3 and conclude with solemn evening prayer at 7 p.m. Mar. 5. Monsignor John McSweeney will preach each evening, with talks related to the theme, “Food for our journey: Eucharistic Stories of Faith.” For more information, contact the parish office at 704-536-6520.

MINT HILL — The adult education commission of St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Road, presents Lenten Seminars with Sister Veronica Grover. Plan to attend one or all of the seminars, to be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Sign up in the brick area or by email to amber.ockerbloom@ yahoo.com.

CHARLOTTE — Father Philip Scarcella will present a four-part series on early Christian writings

february 12, 2010 Volume 19 • Number 13

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Patricia Guilfoyle Graphic DESIGNER: Tim Faragher Advertising MANAGER: Cindi Feerick COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Denise Onativia 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 $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. 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.

February 12, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope puts charity at center of church life, USCCB official says WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — With his encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), Pope Benedict XVI “placed charity at the very center of church life, and defines charity in the most challenging, demanding way,” said John Carr, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development.

Speaking Feb. 8 at the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C., Carr said Pope Benedict made justice “inseparable from charity and intrinsic to it.”

The pope’s encyclical underscores the importance of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Carr said in his talk, “Speaking ‘Charity in Truth’ to Power.” “CCHD is about the institutional path of charity — empowering people so they can speak for themselves.”

He later added, “We need to recommit to CCHD because its work

(the Didache) at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Road. The text has three main sections dealing with Christian lessons and rituals, and Church organization. Sessions will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., Feb. 16 through Mar. 16.

CHARLOTTE — St. Peter’s Church, 507 S. Tryon St., is offering a five-week guided Lenten retreat experience, Shaped by the Cross, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Feb. 20 through Mar. 27, meeting weekly in Biss Hall (under the church). Daily prayer readings will be provided. Parking is free in the Green Parking Garage next to the Church. To register, contact the Parish Office at 704-332-2901 or retreat4lent@gmail.com.

is more important than ever,” which elicited applause from Carr’s audience.

CCHD is the U.S. bishops’ domestic anti-poverty agency.

Carr pointed to a year full of unexpected political developments since the last Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, one of them being the phenomenon of pro-life Democrats, whom he said are viewed as suspect by both other Democrats and other prolifers. Yet “they made the difference … in passing the health care bill” in the House, Carr said.

Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., a Catholic congressman, sponsored the amendment to the House version of the health care bill that would extend the original Hyde amendment that forbids federal funding of abortions.

Health care absorbs a lot of the public’s interest and the bishops’ as well, he added.

The House and Senate both passed health reform bills, but since the Jan. 19 election of Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts to the upper house broke up the Democrats’ 60-vote supermajority in the Senate, the future of health reform legislation is up in the air.

Carr noted other items on the bishops’ legislative agenda,

including putting the needs of the poor first; fixing the U.S. immigration system; addressing long-term recovery in Haiti and “the poorest places in the world”; working toward a responsible transition in Afghanistan; and reforming and strengthening foreign development assistance to promote a better and safer world.

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., will have Lenten Simplicity Meals of soup and bread at 6:30 p.m.

Feb 19, 26, Mar. 5, 12, 19 and 26 to share prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This event will be held in the Gathering Space, with an opportunity to make a donation to the poor and the Stations of the Cross at 7:30 p.m. in the Church.

HIGH POINT — Adult Faith Formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., will host a presentation by Hospice of the Piedmont on Mar. 3. The speaker will explain how Hospice provides palliative care and assists families when a loved one is at the end of life.

For more information, call Deacon Wally at 336-884-5212.

cns photo by Paul

Haring

Pope Benedict XVI offers his blessing after leading the Angelus prayer from the window of his apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 7.

GASTONIA VICARIATE

BELMONT — Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 North Main St., will have a Community Breakfast 8-11 a.m. Feb. 13 in the MAK Center.

Enjoy Walter’s famous pancake and sausage breakfast as well as conversation with friends and fellow parishioners.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

GREENSBORO — A Matter of Balance will be sponsored by St. Pius X Church Senior’s Ministry and presented by Abbotswood at Irving Park. It will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Fridays, Feb. 24 through Mar. 19 at Kloster Center, 220 State St. This four-week program, involving eight two-hour sessions, is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels of older adults who have concerns about falling. Space is limited to 15 participants. Call the parish office to register by Feb. 19, 336-272-4681.

GREENSBORO — Join Our Lady of Grace School, 2205 West Market St., for an open house at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25. There will also be a special middle school program at 9:30 a.m. Mar. 4. For more information or to make an appointment with the principal, call 336-275-1522.

Episcopal

SALISBURY VICARIATE

MOORESVILLE — Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, ushers, altar servers and music ministers are invited to participate in a Liturgical Minister’s Retreat at St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Road, beginning with Mass at 9 a.m. Feb. 20. It will be facilitated by Father Don Ward.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — Our Lady of Mercy School will host an open house from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 24. Our Lady of Mercy, 1730 Link Road, is SACS accredited and enrollment is available for pre-K to eighth grade for the 2010-’11 school year. For a student-led tour, call 336-722-7204.

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org or fax to 704-370-3382.

calendar

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:

February 13 – 10:30 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

February 21 – 2:00 p.m.

Rite of Election Holy Family Church, Clemmons

February 19 – 10:00 a.m.

Diocesan Finance Council Meeting Pastoral Center

February 27 – 10:30 a.m.

Rite of Election St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

Several factors govern date of implementation for new Roman Missal WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — When liturgists in the Englishspeaking world talk about when the new Roman Missal might go into use in Catholic parishes, the date most often mentioned is Nov. 27, 2011, the start of Advent and the beginning of the church’s liturgical year.

But is that what Catholics in the United States can expect? It depends, said Father Rick Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship.

First the U.S. bishops have to wait for the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments to grant its “recognitio,” or official approval, of the translations that have been in the works since Pope John Paul II issued the new missal in Latin in 2002.

“The publishers tell us they need at least 12 months” to print and distribute the new missal to every U.S. parish, Father Hilgartner said. “And the bishops tell us they need at least 12 months for catechesis.”

Other, smaller English-speaking countries might not need a full 12 months for implementation, he noted.

Although the Catholic bishops’ conferences in the U.S. and Canada will make their decisions separately

about the implementation date in their own countries, “we’re each trying to be aware of what the other is doing,” he added.

But the time between the “recognitio” and U.S. implementation of the missal could be more than 12 months, depending on when the Vatican announcement is made, Father Hilgartner said.

If the “recognitio” comes this June, for example, “implementation in the middle of the summer would be foolish,” Father Hilgartner said. And it is unlikely that the bishops would choose to implement it during Lent, which covers March and most of April in 2011, he added.

Ultimately, the decision on the implementation date will rest with Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Once he sets the date, the USCCB Publishing Office will make available a parish implementation kit that will include a planning guide, suggested activities and resources for every facet of parish and school life, and a detailed planning workbook designed to make the catechetical period a time of parish liturgical renewal.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

February 12, 2010

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Year for Priests

Lending a hand

Interviews with priests around the diocese

FATHER TIEN HUNG DUONG

courtesy photo

FATHER TIEN HUNG DUONG Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Franklin, Smoky Mountain Vicariate Place of Birth & Home Parish – Born in Saigon, Vietnam; Hang-Xanh Parish was my home parish in Vietnam; in U.S. my home parish is St. Joseph Vietnamese Church in Charlotte High School – Thanh-Da, Saigon, Vietnam College/University/Seminary – St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, La., for philosophy Seminary – St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa., for theology Date of Ordination – June 2, 2001

What assignments have you had since ordination?

Parochial vicar, St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte; St. Mark Church in Huntersville; Administrator at Our Lady of the Mountains Church in Highlands and St. Jude Church in Sapphire Valley What have been some of the greatest joys for you as a priest?

There are many! Celebrating the first Mass of Thanksgiving with my brother, Father James Duc Duong; laying my hands on my younger brother at his ordination to the priesthood for the Vincentians Community; celebrating and giving blessing to my parents on their 50th and 55th wedding anniversaries; saying, “Welcome back” to those who return to God and the Church in the sacrament of reconciliation.

Who influenced you most to consider the vocation to priesthood?

Father Thomas Tran Le Vinh, pastor at Hang-Xanh Parish in Vietnam.

What was your background before you entered seminary?

In Vietnam I made reed mats at home for a living, studying secretly with my

spiritual director at seminary. I escaped from Vietnam twice and came to the U.S. in 1991; I worked for over a year, and then joined the diocese to study for the priesthood.

The Columbiettes of Holy Cross Church in Kernersville recently presented

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I am one of the “boat people.” I spent almost two-and-a-half years in a refugee camp in Indonesia. I have two brothers who are priests. I was ordained together with my brother, Father James Duc Duong, at St. Gabriel Church. I love a good sense of humor and I am much older than people think!

Columbiettes said they were grateful they could help out. From left are

What are some of your hobbies?

Collecting humorous stories (that are appropriate and have a good meaning), and listening to religious music in Vietnamese What are some of your favorite books/spiritual reading/magazines?

The Priest, The Catholic Answer and apologetics books

a check to Crisis Control Ministry Director Kathy Hoffner. The need for assistance from the Crisis Control Ministry has increased, and the Susan Bellanger and Barbara Tesh, Holy Cross Columbiettes, and Hoffner.

Partners in Hope

A Triad Event to benefit the work of Catholic Social Services with offices in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point

Saturday, February 20 Old Salem Museum & Visitor Center Winston-Salem 7pm – 10pm

Who is a hero to you?

St. Peter (in Vietnamese, Phero), which is my baptismal name; Father Thomas Tran Le Vinh and Father Francis Xavier Nguyen Huu Tan What are some ways that we can help all people/families understand their role in promoting and supporting vocations?

Mention it in the homily and in the prayers of the faithful at Mass. The priest’s life itself must be the best and concrete way.

What advice would you give a young man who is contemplating a vocation to the priesthood?

Spend more time before the Blessed Sacrament; talk to Jesus, particularly right after receiving Him into your soul at Communion; and don’t forget to ask Mary, Mother of Jesus, for guidance and also your patron saint(s) for support.

Enjoy an evening with friends, cocktails, hearty hors d’oeuvres, music and a silent auction.

Keynote address will be offered by The Most Reverend William G. Curlin, DD, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Tickets: $50 per person $350 table of eight your local Catholic Charities Agency

For tickets or information: Tammy at (336)727-0705 x228 or email tmwatkins@charlottediocese.org

February 12, 2010

around the diocese

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Parish energy audits target waste, promote stewardship JOSEPH PURELLO Special to The Catholic News & Herald CHARLOTTE — Free energy audits of two Charlotte churches last month by a N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources engineer are expected to provide useful information for all parishes on how to reduce energy usage and be better stewards of their resources.

John Seymour led a presentation Jan. 28 about how to reduce energy usage, attended by physical plant directors and facility managers from four Charlotte area churches, the Pastoral Center and the Sisters of Mercy Sacred Heart Campus in Belmont, held at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte.

Afterwards, Seymour conducted a free walk-through energy audit in several buildings on the grounds of Our Lady of

Consolation and at St. Peter Church.

The program was co-sponsored

by Catholic Social Services Office of Justice and Peace, which plans to present the full audit findings in the program “Parishes and Parishioners Energized” March 13 at Our Lady of Consolation (see ad on page 8).

Q: How were these energy audits planned?

A: Our Lady of Consolation and St. Peter, two of the four churches cosponsoring the March 13 event, invited Seymour to conduct the energy audits.

(The other church sponsors are St. Matthew and Queen of the Apostles.)

These free congregation audits are arranged by N.C. Interfaith Power & Light, a program that came out of the North Carolina Council of Churches.

NCIPL set up the relationship with the N.C. Department of Environment and

SPECTACULAR - UNSPOILED – HISTORICAL

CROATIA

with a special visit to Medjugorje

October 18-28, 2010

Natural Resources to give churches the opportunity to have energy use experts visit their facilities and audit energy usage.

Q: Why is the Office of Justice and Peace involved?

A: Being good stewards of our resources is part of the Church’s social teaching. Parishes that reduce energy use not only save money that could be used for key parish ministries, but are also following the call of the U.S. bishops and the Holy Father to be better stewards of our earth’s resources. Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2010 World Day of Peace Message “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation,” associates the need to protect creation as a condition to addressing poverty and promoting global peace.

Q: What kind of energy saving tips could parishes find?

A: An obvious one is with lighting — not just the types of bulbs used, although LEDs are beneficial — but also when and where lights are on, how much natural lighting is used, and ensuring bulbs are dusted regularly. Another is to “plug leaks” — making sure all exterior

doors have sweepers that cut airflow — and turning off “energy vampires,” appliances and electrical devices that drain energy all the time.

A report on the energy audit findings will be given on March 13. “Parishes & Parishioners Energized!” will provide attendees with knowledge about the connections between protecting creation, addressing global poverty, and promoting peace; an understanding of Franciscan spirituality of creation care; and resources to learn more about how Catholics can promote better stewardship of resources in their parishes.

D a n Tu r n e r, t h e D i o c e s a n Maintenance Coordinator, summed up what he learned during the Jan. 28 audit, saying that just like we reprogram our thermostats for more efficient energy usage, we need to “reprogram ourselves” by realizing that what we’ve been doing all these years may not be the best way to keep doing them.

We can reduce a great deal of the energy we’re using in our homes, offices and churches by simple measures such as turning off electrical devices we’re not using, plugging energy leaks, and using available energy-saving technologies.

Holy Angels president to lead Gaston Chamber of Commerce Bring family and friends to join with the Diocese of Charlotte as we experience Croatia – lying just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy! We’ll see breathtaking natural beauty, significant places of European history and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites! Plus, a spiritual visit to Medjugorje -- making this trip a definite favorite for all!

Highlights of these 11 days include: • Zagreb, the capital city with rich cultural and governmental history, and Roman settlements from the 1st century • beautiful, old-world Bled, Slovenia – a “pletna boat” will glide us across glacial Lake Bled with the majestic, snow-tipped Julian Alps as the backdrop • a tour of the world-famous Lipizzaner horse farm where we’ll witness an actual training session of these magnificent Slovenian treasures!

• charming seaside Opatija, nestled in beautiful woods with elegant villas and a seaside promenade to bring the Adriatic right up to your feet!

• the spectacular, breathtaking phenomenon of Plitvice Lakes national park – 16 terraced lakes connected by magnificent waterfalls and free-flowing cascades. A lake cruise reveals the underwater life thriving in this natural wonderland!

• the ancient seaside city of Split (once the most important Mediterranean port in then-Yugoslavia) where we’ll explore the Old City, the markets, Diocletian’s Roman Palace and much more of its charm and fascinating history • Medjugorje, the village which promises to inspire and enrich us as we learn about Our Lady’s appearances there since 1981 – personal time for prayer, reflection and Mass at beautiful St. James Church • exciting Dubrovnik offers us its fascinating Old City, world-famous Franciscan Monastery, exceptional architecture, seaside promenade and more!

• unforgettable home visit and culinary feast with a Croatian countryside family sharing their culture and customs to enrich our total experience!

Unparalleled beauty, fascinating history and more await you on this trip!

Check out these highlights on the Internet and you’ll see why Croatia is becoming a must-see destination, still unspoiled by “too many tourists.”

Price per person (double occupancy) is only $3,379 and includes: roundtrip airfare from Charlotte; all hotels and transfers; most meals; fulltime professional Tour Manager; local guides. Not included are cancellation waiver/insurance ($200 per person) and air taxes/surcharges ($150).

For a brochure or questions, call Cindi Feerick at the diocese (704) 370-3332 or e-mail ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org.

Holy Angels President and CEO Regina Moody was sworn in as the 2010 Chair of the Gaston Regional Chamber during its 97th annual meeting Jan. 21 at Gaston Country Club in Gastonia.

Moody has been a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors since 2004, when she served as the chair of Gaston Together. She later became a member of the Gaston 2012 initiative and served as chair of that committee.

“As the President/CEO of Holy Angels, it is important for myself as well as Holy Angels to be involved in the activities of the community. This not only provides needed volunteers for many of the civic organizations, but gives the local area another way to know the ministry and mission of Holy Angels. I am honored to have this opportunity to serve as the chair of the Gaston Regional Chamber of

REGINA MOODY

Commerce,” Moody said.

Holy Angels was founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy. The private, nonprofit corporation in Belmont provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with varying degrees of mental retardation and physical disabilities, some of whom are medically fragile.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

February 12, 2010

FROM THE COVER

ORB way to help end hunger This year’s theme: ‘Solidarity will transform the world’

BOWL, from page 1

distributed to Catholic Campus Ministry participants in the “Give Your Heart Away” justice and service weekend Feb. 12-14 at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.

Getting involved in Operation Rice Bowl is a tangible way to help people living in poverty around the world — and here locally.

Some participants make the small sacrifice of preparing simple, meatless recipes each week and putting the money they otherwise would have spent on a big meal into symbolic rice bowls.

Others make a daily or weekly donation to their Operation Rice Bowl box by doing without snack or candy purchases during Lent. However the funds are generated, the money goes to support CRS’ mission to fight global hunger and poverty — supporting long-term development projects overseas and in the U.S. in such areas as health care, agriculture, education, micro-financing and peace-building.

Last year Catholics nationwide raised more than $6 million through Operation Rice Bowl, 75 percent of which is used to fund hunger and poverty projects in 40 countries. The remaining 25 percent stays in dioceses to alleviate hunger and poverty at the local level.

In the Charlotte diocese, this locally retained money is used to provide $1,000 “mini-grants.” Coordinated by Catholic Social Services’ Office of Justice and Peace, mini-grants totaling $12,000 were awarded to 15 groups in the diocese last year, according to Joe Purello, director of the Office of Justice and Peace. Five grants were awarded in the western region, four grants were awarded in the central region, and six grants were awarded in the eastern region.

Grants were used to support soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelter

meals, families in crisis, and even a parish garden project to produce fresh vegetables for needy families.

“Participating in Operation Rice Bowl provides Catholics with 40 days of making a real difference in the lives of people struggling with hunger and poverty,” says Beth Martin, national program manager for Operation Rice Bowl. “Learning about our brothers and sisters in developing countries and following the call to sacrifice helps thousands of people onto a path out of poverty every year.”

The theme for this year’s program is “Solidarity will transform the world.”

Countries overseas on which this year’s ORB will focus are Lesotho, Bolivia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua and Ethiopia, with participants learning about what kind of projects CRS is doing in those nations.

Since its beginning in 1975, Operation Rice Bowl has raised more than $173 million to fund CRS’ development projects. With active participation in almost every diocese in the U.S., many communities and families have adopted Operation Rice Bowl as a way to observe Lent.

Catholic parishes and schools that are not participating in the 2010 Operation Rice Bowl Collection, but would like to next year, should call 1-800-222-0025 to be placed on the distribution list for material order requests that will be sent out in the fall.

Want to participate in a Lenten sacrifice, but don’t have Operation Rice Bowl at your parish or school?

The Food Fast program (www. fastfood.org) makes the tragedy of hunger tangible and real for young people through 24 hours of fasting, prayer and reflection. Rooted in Catholic faith traditions, this unique program educates youth and young adults alike about global poverty. It challenges people to view their lives differently, empowering them to act in ways that can have long-term, positive effects on the lives of the poor.

For other educational resources about CRS, go to www.education.crs.org.

cns photo by

David Gray, Reuters

A man hunches on a footpath as he begs from passing crowds at the Longtan Park temple in Beijing Jan. 30. United Nations statistics report in 2008 the number of undernourished people in the world rose to 963 million.

Pope’s Lenten message stresses justice, poverty LENT, from page 1

believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of selfsufficiency in order to discover and accept one’s own need — the need of others and God, the need of his forgiveness and his friendship,” the pope wrote.

The Vatican invited Hans-Gert Pottering, the former president of the European Parliament and president of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, to present the pope’s message to the press.

Pottering said the basic call of the pope’s message is “to work in union with our creator on our responsibility in the world.”

“In these words — charity, solidarity, fraternity — lie the key to a true understanding of the responsibility of Christians in the world,” he said. “Solidarity or charity implies the responsibility to defend and protect the universal dignity of any human being anywhere in the world under any circumstances.”

Pottering said unfortunately modern politics has placed so much emphasis on promoting freedom and equality that it has almost ignored the obligation to promote solidarity and fraternity.

For example, “whereas Europe and the world have already invested unimaginable sums for the fight against the financial crisis, the implementation of charity leaves

much to be desired, especially in the fight against hunger in the world,” he said.

More than a billion people live on less than $1.50 a day, he said.

AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are devastating the world’s poorest nations, and pollution is destroying the air, water and farmable land.

The international reaction to the financial crisis demonstrates that “international cooperation can overcome huge challenges. A similar firmness is equally necessary in the fight against worldwide poverty,” Pottering said.

February 12, 2010

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Annunciation Kof C recognized

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Sister of virtue

courtesy photo

The Knights of Columbus Council 10495 of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albemarle has earned the 2008-’09 Star Award from the international organization, recognizing its overall excellence in membership recruitment and retention, promotion of the fraternal insurance program and sponsorship of service-oriented activities. “Your dedication is seen in the high standard of excellence you have achieved,” said Carl A. Anderson, CEO of the Knights, in a recent letter. “May I encourage you to carry forward this enthusiasm to meet the future challenges that face the Knights of Columbus.” The 50 members of Annunciation Church’s Knights have raised and distributed approximately $200,000 to people and charities in need since their inception nearly 20 years ago. Pictured is council Grand Knight Thomas Horten receiving the award from past N.C. state Deputy Knight John Gouldie.

All are invited to join in the Lenten Mission

“Responding to God … Person to Person” Sunday, February 21 through Tuesday, February 23 St. Mark Catholic Church 14740 Stumptown Rd., Huntersville (exit 23 from I-77) courtesy photo

Presented by Vinny Flynn, well known as “the man who sings the Divine Mercy Chaplet on EWTN,” this mission will help lead you to a deeper personal relationship with God by experiencing Vinny’s gifts of music, teaching and prayer.

Sunday, Feb 21: 7-8:30pm — “Saying Yes to the Father” focuses on God, not merely as Creator, but as a Father who wants to be personally involved with each of His children.

(For a minimum donation, after the 5pm Mass, pizza will be served in the Parish Hall for those attending the Mission tonight.)

Monday, Feb 22nd: 9-10:30am — (immediately following 9am Mass) -- For those unable to attend at night, this morning session will include insights from all 3 evening sessions. A light brunch will follow in the Parish Hall.

Monday, Feb 22nd: 7- 8:00pm — “Meeting Jesus the Healer” focuses on the sacrament of Reconciliation as a profound healing encounter with the Person of Jesus Christ.

Reconciliation will follow at 8pm.

Tuesday, Feb 23rd: 7-8:00pm — “Becoming Transparent to God” focuses on the Eucharist and Our Blessed Lady. This evening will be based on the writings of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, as well as Vinny’s book “7 Secrets of the Eucharist.” A healing procession with the Eucharist will follow, along with a reception in the Parish Hall.

Childcare (nights only) is available by reservation only – contact Colleen Siadak 704-987-7926 or cmsiadak@gmail.com Mission info: Donna Smith at dsmith18@bellsouth.net or 704-948-1306 For info on Vinny Flynn, go to his Web site www.MercySong.com.

Providence Sister Katherine Francis has been honored by parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lexington with the Salesian Award, given to the church member who most exemplifies the virtues of St. Francis de Sales: gentleness, dedication to the Catholic Church, support of parish life, service to those in need, and outreach to the community. Pictured with her after Mass Jan. 23 is Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father Al Gondek, pastor.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

February 12, 2010

from the the cover from cover

CSS helps give refugees HOPE, from page 1

help from the Catholic Social Services Refugee Resettlement Office in the Diocese of Charlotte.

After years in the camp, a grueling 20-plus hour plane trip and only a week in the U.S., Sin said, “I don’t know how to feel yet.”

That’s the grim reality for many refugees who finally have the chance to resettle here through a joint effort of the federal and state governments and humanitarian agencies that assist them.

courtesy photo

Parishioners of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte help furnish and fully stock an apartment for the Kichigin family, refugees from Russia, before their arrival in the summer of 2006.

How can you help?

Catholic Social Services is a Christian ministry of charity, service and justice providing help to those in need, hope to those in despair and inspiration for others to follow. CSS helps people of all faiths and nationalities in the diocese. Offices are in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, High Point, Murphy and Winston-Salem.

Donations needed are: Blankets, coats, used cars, diapers, dishes, furniture (beds, couches, dining sets, dressers, TVs, etc.), laundry detergent, linens, pots and pans, rice cookers, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, towels. Financial assistance and volunteers are also needed. Call Mary Jane Bruton at 704-370-3283 for details.

If your company has job opportunities, call Linda Campbell at 704-370-3257 or Leon Shoats at 704-370-3285.

Parishes & Parishioners Energized!

Switching on the Call to be Faithful Stewards of Creation, Switching Off Excess and Wasted Energy

Saturday, March 13, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Family Life Center, Our Lady of Consolation Church 1135 Badger Court, Charlotte 28206

Please register by Wed., March 10.

Directions, registration and event information: www.cssnc.org/justicepeace.

Event is free and includes lunch. (A contribution of $10 will help defray event costs.)

Event presentations include:

A Catholic Approach to the Care of Creation & Climate Change Reflections on the Franciscan Spirituality of Creation Care Report on Findings of a Congregation Energy Efficiency Audit

Co-sponsored by: the parishes of Our Lady of Consolation, Queen of Apostles, St. Matthew and St. Peter; CSS Office of Justice and Peace; and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

Following the event, all are invited to attend the 5 pm vigil Mass celebrated at Our Lady of Consolation Church.

What is a refugee?

Refugees are defined by the United Nations as persons who have fled their countries of origin and who are unable or unwilling to return to those countries because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

That means it’s unsafe for them to return to their former homes. They do not have a choice. They must relocate if they hope to survive.

Since 1975 the Catholic Social Services Refugee Resettlement Office in the Diocese of Charlotte has resettled more than 10,000 refugees from 27 countries, primarily in Mecklenburg County. CSS also provides case management services, immigration, translation, and information and referral to refugees in Buncombe County.

“Their need is so great. It is life or death in many cases,” said Mary Jane Bruton, the CSS refugee resettlement office’s community relations coordinator.

“As Christians, we are mandated to help them.”

Last year the CSS refugee resettlement office resettled 401 refugees. They came from 11 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, Cuba, Vietnam, Eritrea, Iraq, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan and former Soviet states. The top three countries of origin were Bhutan (116 refugees), Burma (78 refugees) and Vietnam (52 refugees).

For 2010, the CSS refugee resettlement office is slated to receive 365 refugees – a drop from the previous year because of the weak economy.

Refugees from Bhutan and Burma come here to escape refugee camps in Nepal and Thailand.

Hari Prasad Chamlagai, who works part-time as an employment case aide for the CSS refugee resettlement office, emigrated here in March 2009 from a refugee camp in Nepal. He lived for 18 years in a hut with bamboo walls, dirt floors and a thatched roof. Everything he owned got soaked when it rained. The camp’s school building was the same way, so on rainy days children could not go to class.

Chamlagai has heard from friends who were resettled in other cities and states, who reported it was too hot

or too cold or not safe where they were relocated.

“Charlotte is good. It is better here. This is a better place to settle,” Chamlagai said.

His situation mirrors that of many other refugees as they flee persecution, hoping to enjoy the freedoms many Americans take for granted. They board a plane for a 20-hour flight, many times with only their immediate family, to come to this unfamiliar land.

When they arrive they often have just the clothes on their backs and their relocation documents. They are hungry, tired, scared, anxious … but hopeful.

They don’t know the language. They don’t know a soul.

Adjusting to a new culture Gull R’Com, a case coordinator for the CSS refugee resettlement office and himself a Montagnard refugee from Vietnam, is there to greet them. He helps them find suitable housing and helps them apply for government cash assistance, Medicaid and food stamps.

“Just getting used to the food here can be difficult,” noted Cira Ponce, director of the CSS refugee resettlement office.

“We try to buy culturally appropriate food. We can’t always buy what they are used to having, but make every effort to provide the most appropriate food.”

Gull also shows them how to use their new appliances, as most of the refugees have never seen or used electric or gas appliances.

He also has to explain American property ownership laws so they can understand why building their own home just anywhere isn’t possible.

“Many refugees don’t know what rent is,” Gull said. “Some have said, ‘Why don’t you give us materials and we will build our own home?’”

Case managers and employees at the CSS refugee resettlement office also help the refugees overcome language, cultural, financial and employment hurdles. They help them sign up for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and enroll the children in school. They help them navigate public transportation and orient them generally to American culture.

Refugees are helped to apply for federal assistance through the Work First, Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called “food stamps”). This assistance is minimal. It takes at least 45 days for some programs to begin and does not cover all basic monthly living expenses.

So CSS also helps bridge the gap when possible.

But CSS has a budget of a one-time payment of $425 per person. That money is used to find an apartment and pay the first month’s rent, utility deposits and food.

Steady work is critical Finding a job quickly is the critical need for a refugee or the head of a refugee family — increasingly difficult in today’s economy.

One of the refugees fortunate enough to have found a job is Hasta Pradhan, who emigrated here from Bhutan with his wife and two children in April 2009.

February 12, 2010

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from the cover from cover

new hope and new lives “I was a bit nervous at first when we arrived, at how we might get along here, get used to the culture here, because it is a place that has its own values that are very different from where we are from,” Pradhan said.

“The people at the CSS refugee resettlement office helped us and we did not find any obstacles,” he added. “We are indebted to Catholic Social Services because we could not get settled without their help.”

Hasta’s son, Ujwal, is enrolled in the ninth grade at Myers Park High School in Charlotte — and taking Honors English despite the language not being his native tongue.

Ujwal likes public school. “It’s good. I am learning a lot,” he said.

Other refugee families are having a difficult time, though, especially trying to find steady work.

So CSS employment specialists also meet with the refugees, explain American business practices, help find job opportunities for them, help teach them job search skills, and give them interviewing tips.

“Our main purpose is to make sure they have a successful resettlement in this country,” said employment specialist Leon Shoats. “The economy is very challenging right now. The opportunities we had in the past just aren’t there anymore. The jobs have either been shipped overseas (semiskilled or unskilled) and the jobs that are available — there is stiff competition for those jobs with Americans.”

Maintaining a job to keep their home is the most critical obstacle for many refugee families right now.

Many struggling in today’s economy The Shar family in Charlotte is one of those struggling families. Alee Shar has been unable to find steady work since arriving in May 2009. His wife and four young children depend on his income. Now they are in danger of losing their apartment because they can’t pay the rent.

“We are seeing a lot of layoffs,” Ponce said. Many refugees fortunate enough to find jobs have since been laid off.

“They haven’t worked long enough to qualify for unemployment benefits, so it affects their ability to pay bills and support their families,” she added.

“During a good economy it used to take three to six months to find a job. Now it is taking eight to 12 months.”

CSS employment specialist Linda Campbell has seen the impact the economic downturn has had on the refugees and hopes more employers will realize that “hiring refugees makes a difference in a company.

“When refugees come to work at a company, it stabilizes that company.

They have an excellent work ethic.

They come on time and show up, willing to work. They are loyal and hard working. It’s an opportunity for the refugees to do something they have dreamed of for maybe 20 to 24 years, to provide for and support their children, without persecution and discrimination, and in peace.”

Until the U.S. job market improves,

the CSS refugee resettlement program depends on assistance from the local community to continue to meet the needs of the families it serves. Its budget has been depleted, so cash donations, gift cards to local grocery stores, furniture, blankets, clothing and food are just some of the things now desperately needed.

More employers willing to hire refugees full-time are also in great demand.

Share in the mission “We have a mission field right here,” Campbell said. “People forget that the people they see on TV needing help in refugee camps may be here in Charlotte one day.

“You can be a missionary right here, you don’t have to travel to a faraway land. You are needed here. We must show God’s love to the displaced, the lonely, and the friendless. We can all make a difference, but we have to put action to the concern. We must truly care.”

Campbell is another one of the first faces refugees see when they get off the plane.

“When they arrive, their hearts must be pounding. They come off the plane looking scared and serious. This is the place that will be their home forever.

This is the land of their dreams. This is the last chance. The one thing they have to hold on to: “The hope for a better life.”

The Pradhans are a Bhutanese refugee family who arrived in Charlotte in April 2009. Pictured from left are Susanna, Naina, Hasta and Ujwal.

photos by sueann howell

The Shar family arrived from Burma last May. Unable to afford heat in their apar tment, they wear coats to stay warm. The head of the family, Alee, is in desperate need of a job to support their needs.

Gin Suan Kap, his son and wife are Burmese refugees who came to Charlotte from the Kusla Lumpur refugee camp in Malaysia in June 2009. Kap was laid off last fall but is hoping to find gainful employment soon.

courtesy photo

Mu Pee, Mu Ta and their adopted sister Ther Meh, refugees from a camp in northern Thailand, are shown in this 2004 photo taken at the camp.

February 12, 2010

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Providing for others in the Olympic shadow

Oblate Father Forster has history of helping people in need wherever he has served in ministry ERICK ROMMEL cns columnist

cns photo by

Mathieu Belanger

France’s Pierre Vaultier, right, and Canada’s Mike Robertson compete during the men’s SnowboardCross FIS World Cup in Stoneham, Quebec, last month. In a message released before the start of the Winter Olympic Games, Pope Benedict XVI offered his best wishes for the games and said that sports can contribute to “peaceful understanding between peoples and to establishing the new civilization of love.”

Pope Benedict hopes Winter Olympics will produce more than medals VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI said he hopes the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, will bring more than gold to everyone involved in the event.

Sports can contribute to “peaceful understanding between peoples and to establishing the new civilization of love,” the pope said in a message to Archbishop J. Michael Miller of Vancouver.

“In this light, may sport always be a valued building block of peace and friendship between peoples and nations,” he said in the message released Feb. 4 at the Vatican.

The pope offered his best wishes to Archbishop Miller, Bishop David Monroe of the neighboring Diocese of Kamloops, which is hosting some of the Olympic events, and to the athletes, organizers and community volunteers involved in the celebration of the games Feb. 12-28.

Pope Benedict also expressed his hopes for the success of the Vancouver edition of the ecumenical initiative “More Than Gold,” which brings local churches together during major sporting events to mobilize Christians for service and witness.

The Vancouver initiative, which is supported by the Catholic Church, plans to provide spiritual and material assistance to Olympic participants, visitors and volunteers.

“I pray that all who avail themselves of this service will be confirmed in their love of God and neighbor,” Pope Benedict said.

For two weeks every two years, the eyes of the world collectively turn and watch one event: the Olympics. It’s a chance to see the world’s best athletes in friendly competition with each other on a global stage.

What we see on television tells only part of the story. Behind the scenes, and only casually mentioned, if at all, are the costs involved in making Olympic dreams come true.

In the years leading up to each Olympic event, the host country spends hundreds of millions of dollars to prepare. Many improvements make life better for the community. After all, who wouldn’t want improved roads and sanitation?

But it’s also argued that other additions have less value to society: Could money used to build new arenas and athletic complexes be better spent elsewhere?

There are also issues of human dignity. Living in the shadows of this athletic excess are often the host city’s poorest and most needy. They struggle for food and shelter while, a short walk away, both are available in plenty.

We need to focus our efforts where a difference can be made.

Oblate Father Ken Forster is doing just that. He is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Vancouver, British Columbia.

His church is at the epicenter of these Winter Olympics.

Father Forster has a history helping those in need. He served nine years in Kenya, serving among one of the poorest communities in Africa.

Now he’s doing the same for those in Vancouver who also need help. And instead of speaking out against Olympic excesses, he’s using them to his advantage.

Knowing it’s expensive to attend the Olympics, Father Forster offers what he calls “quiet and accessible

accommodation” to those who visit his city.

Hotels charge the highest rate possible during the Olympics. But Father Forster charges close to market rates.

Money earned supports his parish and its ministry.

Father Forster knows how to make the most of every dollar. With the money he receives for his parish’s ministry, he’ll work to do the same things he did in Kenya: improve education, enhance the community’s faith, help its spiritual growth and provide outreach to welcome new members and care for the sick and those in need.

It’s a lesson we should all learn, regardless of our age: to make the most of any situation to better the lives of those around us.

Many of those who can afford life’s luxuries are traveling to Vancouver to watch the Olympics. Some will encounter Father Forster. A few will realize they’re improving the world by creating an Olympic memory with him.

That will make a difference that will last in Vancouver long after guests return LordoftheDance_CathHer1.8bw_0212:Layout home and the Olympic torch dims.

PHOTO BY: KEN HOWARD

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1

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February 12, 2010

catholics urged to respond

N.C. bishops oppose public school textbook wording on Roe v. Wade DAVID HAINS Director of Communication Bishop Peter J. Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh issued a joint alert Thursday Feb. 11, through the Web site www.CatholicVoiceNC.org.

The bishops are alarmed about some proposed wording for a public school textbook on civic and economics.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction is reviewing draft text that asserts that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized abortion and struck down state and federal laws that regulated and limited access to abortion, is an example of how the Supreme Court has upheld

rights against oppressive government.

The implication of the proposed text is that opposition to Roe v. Wade is wrong.

The bishop’s letter reads in part, “As a voice united on behalf of the unborn who have a right to life, a fundamental human right, we oppose this draft statement and ask you to join us in making the Department of Public Instruction aware of our opposition and requesting that any reference to Roe v. Wade be removed from this proposed text.”

The bishops are urging Catholics to write an e-mail to the Department of Public Instruction by visiting www.CatholicVoiceNC.org.

2010 North Carolina Healing and Marian Conference April 23-24 Friday evening 5:30 pm and Saturday 7:30 am Tambien en Espanol: April 22, Thursday evening 5:30 pm

St. Joseph Catholic Church

108 St. Joseph Street, Kannapolis 28083 Father Bill Halbing, dynamic international Spirit-filled speaker Saturday highlight - Procession of Marian Images at 1 pm followed by Healing Mass Reduced rate with pre-registration by March 31 Scholarships Available Registration: 704/658-1179 or 704/662-8123; (en Espanol -704/450-0470)

Providing help. Creating hope. Changing lives.

Catholic Social Services — The Diocese of Charlotte Executive Director: Elizabeth Thurbee (704) 370-3227 Associate Director: Gerard Carter (704) 370-3250 Refugee Office: Cira Ponce (704) 370-3262 Family Life: Gerard Carter (704) 370-3228 Justice and Peace: Joe Purello (704) 370-3225 OEO/CSS Murphy Satellite Office (828) 835-3535 Charlotte Region: 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Area Director: Geri King (704) 370-3262 Western Region: 50 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Area Director: Jacqueline Crombie (828) 255-0146 Piedmont-Triad: 621 W. Second St., Winston-Salem, NC 27108 Area Director: Diane Bullard (336) 727-0705 Greensboro Satellite Office (336) 274-5577 Latino Family Center (336) 884-5858

For information on specific programs, please call your local office.

1123 South Church Street, Charlotte NC 28203 www.cssnc.org

Abstinence programs get nod from study, but still set to lose funding WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — A new study about the effectiveness of abstinence education is good news for those who teach the topic, but it also could be too little, too late.

Abstinence educators welcomed the study published Feb. 1 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a monthly journal. The study showed that young teens who were given an abstinence-only message were significantly more likely to delay having sex than those who received a more comprehensive sex education.

The research has been getting attention because it is said to be the first rigorously conducted study demonstrating the effectiveness of an abstinence-only program. It was released just a week after the Guttmacher Institute published a study showing that America’s teen pregnancy rate rose 3 percent in 2006 after a 10-year decline.

How the Guttmacher data is interpreted seems to depend on one’s position.

Some blame the uptick in the number of teen pregnancies on the use of abstinence-only programs, but advocates of abstinence education say there are a variety of social and cultural factors in play.

Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, called it a “simplistic charge” to “naively lay wholesale blame on abstinence education as the cause for higher teen birth rates.”

A week later, when the abstinence study was released, Huber seemed more upbeat, saying the study “verifies what we’ve known intuitively all along, which is that abstinence-only education is a very important strategy to help young people delay having sex.”

The abstinence study used random trials involving a group of 662 AfricanAmerican sixth- and seventh-graders.

Only about a third of the group who completed an abstinence-education program started having sex within the next two years, researchers found. Nearly half of the students who attended other classes, including ones that combined information about abstinence and contraception, became sexually active.

John Jemmott, the lead author of the abstinence study and a professor at

the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said he doesn’t want either side of the issue to read too much into the research.

“This is one study,” he said, adding that he hopes it will spur other researchers to design similar studies with different populations in order to have “a body of evidence.”

Judith Vogtli, director of ProjecTruth, an abstinence-education program run under the auspices of Catholic Charities of Buffalo, N.Y., is all for more studies, saying she liked the fact that this study directly compared the effectiveness of different sex education approaches.

“We’re not afraid” of more research, she told Catholic News Service, noting that those in the field know anecdotally that their programs work and that they welcome more proof.

She also hopes studies such as this one will not just provide a boost for the abstinence-only movement but possibly enable them to regain federal funding such programs receive that is set to end this September under the Obama Administration’s 2010 budget.

The administration announced last year that it was cutting more than $170 million in annual federal funding for abstinence programs and instead was launching a $144 million pregnancy prevention initiative that would fund only programs that have been shown scientifically to work.

There is currently a measure in the U.S. Senate to restore about $50 million to abstinence education, but its passage is uncertain.

According to the National Abstinence Education Association, more than 130 programs around the country — serving roughly 1.5 million youths — could be affected by the cut in federal funding.

Vogtli, whose program has been offered at Catholic and public schools since 2001, said it has “been in (financial) jeopardy” since it started and will not be able to continue without federal funds.

She is not about to give up, though, urging those who visit the program’s Web site — www.ccwny.org/projectruth — to write to congressional leaders and push them to reinstate funding for abstinence education.

“There needs to be public outrage about this — as there was with health care,” she said, noting that the youths who could benefit from the programs should not be “political pawns.”

Government funding for abstinence education began in 1982 and expanded in 1996 as part of welfare reform. In recent years funds have come from the Adolescent Family Life Act, Title V of the Social Security Act and CommunityBased Abstinence Education Program.

Vogtli noted that when it comes to sex education, abstinence programs are “preferred in many communities,” and said parents should be given a choice in what is offered.

Without federal funding, many of these programs will simply shut down, she said, although some have elaborate fundraising plans or hopes to get grants.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

February 12, 2010

IN THE NEWS

Haitian relief

courtesy photo

Students at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem have come up with cns photo by

Bob Roller

Redemptorist Father Abellard Thomas stands outside the destroyed St. Gerard Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 2. The church is one of thousands of buildings in the Haitian capital that collapsed during the 45-second earthquake Jan. 12.

Despite collapsed buildings, Haitian parish aids earthquake victims PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) — Not much remains of St. Gerard Church, located on a steep hill in Portau-Prince, but Redemptorist Father Abellard Thomas says it’s his parish, and he wants to keep it functioning as much as possible.

The church is little more than a pile of bricks and metal, one of thousands of buildings in the Haitian capital that collapsed during the 45-second earthquake Jan. 12. The parish’s school crumpled as well: It still entombs the bodies of dozens of students and teachers.

Father Thomas said 200 people died in the school, which bears scorch marks from fires that recovery workers set to mask the smell of the decaying bodies.

Each day, family and friends of those who died stop by to visit the collapsed school, paying their respects and praying for those who lost their lives.

Their anguish is his anguish, Father Thomas said.

The priest is also mourning the loss of two of the six sisters who lived in the parish convent. The two members of the Companions of Jesus died while teaching at St. Rose School in Leogane, about 15 miles west of the capital and closer to the

quake’s epicenter. The other four sisters are fine, but their residence is unusable.

Despite the sadness he feels, Father Thomas has turned the parish grounds into a registration site for people seeking assistance from the World Food Program.

Aid workers from the Paris-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development work out of the parish compound, giving food-entitlement cards to as many as 1,700 people a day.

“People come here for comfort,” Father Thomas told Catholic News Service Feb. 2. “They come here for prayer, for help, for support.

“In a difficult situation, people feel they can get help from God,” he added.

Before the earthquake, the parish had 10,000 members. The three Redemptorists assigned to the parish celebrated five Masses every Sunday. At Mass Jan. 31 in the parish courtyard, a little more than 300 people worshipped.

Father Thomas, 36, is in his first assignment as a pastor; he came to St. Gerard six months ago. He can only guess how many parishioners died in the quake, but he knows thousands lost their homes. Some are among the 700 people who have set up a rickety camp in a nearby park. He celebrated Mass at the

a variety of ways to raise money for the Haitian people. Pictured Jan. 29 are two members from the Helping Hands of Mercy student leadership team along with the first-grader who won a beautiful basket themed “Family Fun Night” in a student raffle that raised $574. The basket contained games, cards, puzzles, snacks and more. Other students raised $56 selling lemonade, and the whole school is getting involved by collecting change all this month.

Haitian relief efforts: an update

• As of Monday, Feb. 8, parishes and schools in the Diocese of Charlotte have contributed almost $134,000 to CRS relief and recovery work in Haiti.

• St. Gabriel School in Charlotte found a creative way to raise nearly $9,000 for CRS. Students ditched their school uniforms during “Dress Down” Day in exchange for a donation.

• Catholic Relief Services overall has collected over $36.5 million for relief efforts. As of Feb. 3, CRS reported they are providing food to 166,704 people, toiletry items to 21,736 people, and medical care to 21,736 people. In addition, shelter kits for 180,000 people will be distributed this month, and construction on latrines and wash stations continues.

You can still help

• Give checks payable to your parish, clearly marked “Haiti Disaster Relief,” or send a donation to: Diocese of Charlotte, Attn: Haiti Disaster Relief, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003.

All contributions will be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services.

Source: Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Social Services, Diocese of Charlotte

park for the first time Jan. 31.

The priest said he expects that St. Gerard will be rebuilt some day. Right now, though, his emphasis is on being present for people in need. If the best the parish can do is help coordinate the distribution of cards and food under the auspices of the United Nations, Father Thomas is willing to help.

The food is a godsend, he said, because people are hungry and unable to buy much to feed themselves and their families.

In the neighborhood below the church, a vocational school for older students was in full session when the earth quaked. The six-story building

collapsed in a matter of seconds, trapping dozens of people. The exact death count is uncertain.

What remains of the school looks like a stack of slightly lopsided pancakes.

Floors above crunched onto the floors below, leaving a 30-foot heap of rubble.

On the top floor, exposed to the hot midday sun, toppled chairs are aligned in still-discernable rows.

Father Thomas knows the pain runs deep in his neighborhood. He is not sure how Port-au-Prince will ever recover, but he is hopeful that the world will partner with Haiti to rebuild the country.

“When there’s trouble, the world, the United States, are good friends,” he said.

February 12, 2010

PJ Day at St. Leo

The Catholic News & Herald 13

in our schools

International Day at St. Leo

courtesy photo

Students at St. Leo school in Winston-Salem celebrated Catholic Schools Week, and the recent snowfall, with very casual clothing Feb. 3. It was their first day back after all the snow and they celebrated kids and families as part of the weeklong event.

Director of Development: Family Honor, Inc. Family Honor, Inc., a Catholic organization whose mission is family-centered chastity education, has a unique opportunity for a development professional. Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree and minimum 3-5 years experience, plus: successful track record in obtaining major gifts; ability to manage cash gifts, stock donations, bequests; knowledge of database evaluation and management; experience with budget development.

Send resume with salary requirements by February 26 to: Family Honor, 2927 Devine St, Suite 130, Columbia, SC 29205.

Questions? Send e-mail to: bcerkez@familyhonor.org or call 803.929.0858.

DIRECTOR – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Diocese of Charlotte The Diocese of Charlotte is accepting applications for a Director of Information Technology. This position is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining the diocesan technology plan; for all aspects of the computer networks at the Diocesan Pastoral Center and at all Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools; for the diocesan-wide email system; IT budgeting and procurement; software evaluation and installation; IT continuity planning and supervision of IT support staff.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field and a minimum of five years’ related experience, with a minimum of two years in a supervisory capacity. EOE. Send resume and salary history by February 22, 2010 to: CFO, Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28203.

courtesy photo

Students at St. Leo school also celebrated Catholic Schools Week with other fun events. They performed a dragon dance under the direction of their Chinese teacher, Hongmei Zhou, for International Day. Two of the school’s “Caring Friends,” Bill Pearson and Emil Bockhold, were also special guests at the school. St. Leo is sponsoring them to go on the “Flight of Honor” to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II Memorial.

Caring Friends are people the students write to on a regular basis, usually the elderly or homebound.

PRINCIPAL POSITION AVAILABLE Our Lady of Peace is a K3 to 8 Catholic school drawing students from the Central Savannah River Area, four counties in South Carolina and Georgia. The school is currently seeking a principal for next school year.

The successful candidate must be a practicing Catholic, hold at least a master’s degree in educational administration or the equivalent, and have a minimum of five years’ teaching experience. A knowledge of Spanish would be helpful.

Submit resume by March 15, 2010 to: Search Committee Our Lady of Peace P.O. Box 6605 North Augusta, SC 29861

PASTORAL ASSOCIATE and COORDINATOR OF LITURGY AND ADULT FORMATION St. Andrew’s Parish, an active Catholic faith community of 1700 households in Roanoke, Virginia, is seeking two full-time ministers to join our collaborative staff: - a pastoral associate who would strive to engage all parishioners in the wide range of parish ministries, requiring skills in pastoral presence, recruitment, organization and communications; - a coordinator of liturgy and adult formation who would resource the parish liturgical ministers and oversee opportunities for adult catechesis and evangelization, requiring knowledge and skill in both areas.

Full job descriptions are available by sending a resume’ to Kathy McDaniel at St. Andrew’s, 631 N Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA 24016 or email: kmcdaniel@standrewsroanoke.org.

February 12, 2010

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

How do we grow in prayer?

In his book “The Tradition of Catholic Prayer” (Liturgical Press, 2007), Father Mark O’Keefe says growing in prayer requires more than simply “praying more often or more consistently.” One characteristic of a deepening life of prayer is the way it “allows us to cut through the barriers that separate us from one another.”

What might be a major barrier Father O’Keefe is speaking about?

Resentment, to be sure, is one of them. The word comes from Latin, and means to feel or war against. When we are resentful, we are against the way

The Human Side FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK guest columnist

we have been treated — by those who govern us and a seemingly hostile world.

We tell ourselves, “I deserve better than this,” and we rebel within ourselves, wondering, “Who do they think they are? How dare they try this on me?”

How do we counter this resentment? Father O’Keefe ABSTINENCE would tell us that it requires a conversion, a change of heart.

No meat can be taken by those 14 and older In many ways, changing one’s on Ash Wednesday and heart requires the same rules an all Fridays. alcoholic must embrace to keep alcoholism in check. First and FASTING foremost, we need to admit our heart is hardened. After we admit A limit of one full this, a one-time conversion meatless meal by those 18-59 on Ash Wednesday won’t change it forever. Only and Good Friday. daily prayer and recommitment will keep us from reverting back SELF-DENIAL to resentment.

Fighting resentment is a Voluntary acts of selfdaily battle; so easily it can denial are recommended on weekdays during Lent. resurface and become even more deep-seated.

As we approach Lent, we PRAYER AND CHARITY might start by asking, “What is separating me from others Can include daily Mass, most? What do I need to admit, Scripture study, Stations of the Cross, almsgiving forgive and forget in order to and showing mercy and begin life anew?” kindness to others.

This column was originally ©2010 CNS published Feb. 11, 2008.

Lenten Sacrifice

Note from the Editor Hi! I’m Patricia Guilfoyle, the new editor of the Catholic News & Herald.

Please let me introduce myself.

I was born in Indianapolis but grew up in seven towns in five states, mostly in the South, so I enjoy meeting new people and traveling around a lot. My husband Steve — who’s also a newspaper editor — and I live just across the state line in the great little town of Fort Mill, S.C., with our 3-year-old son Stephen. We love attending St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, where we’ve been members for more than six years, and I’ve recently joined the Altar Guild there to enrich my faith and serve the church.

I have more than 20 years of experience in journalism as a reporter, editor and publisher, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m excited — and humbled — to have this opportunity to combine my career and my faith in service to this wonderful diocese.

Patricia Guilfoyle

I look forward to covering your parish, school and ministry, and to providing the most current and comprehensive news about what’s going on across our diocese. All of us here at The Catholic News & Herald want to make each print edition and the Web site www.charlottediocese.org a compelling, spirit-filled resource for you and your family.

Please contact me anytime with story ideas and feedback on our coverage via email at plguilfoyle@charlottediocese. org or 704-370-3334.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: FEB. 21, 2010

First Sunday of Lent Cycle C Readings: 1) Deuteronomy 26:4-10 Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15 2) Romans 10:8-13 3) Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

Thank God this Lenten season JEAN DENTON cns columnist

The first time I saw an offertory procession during Mass in Haiti, I was a little amused. I guess it was the sight of a live chicken bobbing its head up and down among the amply filled baskets of squash, bananas, coconuts and other produce placed before the altar. I thought it was a special liturgical show -- a symbol of the agrarian community’s gifts.

Upon subsequent visits to the impoverished Caribbean nation, I came to realize such offerings aren’t symbolic gifts. They are real. Haiti is a country that fits the description in Deuteronomy of the children of Israel, oppressed for generations, who cried out to the Lord and realized that God heard their prayers and saw their toil and affliction. Moses told the people to bring baskets of the “firstfruits” of their labors and set them before God. I returned from my most recent

trip to Haiti only three days before the earthquake. (Incredibly, in its aftermath, the Haitians I know continued to believe God hears them.) On that visit to Haiti’s interior central plateau, four other parishioners, our pastor and I spent a week with our longtime twin Haitian parish.

One day we trekked several miles through the rural valley that our twin church serves. Small, roughly-made houses dotted our route. Families worked in their gardens. Many had chickens, some had goats. Some passed us on the trail carrying baskets of produce on their heads.

Our Haitian friends paddled us across a large lake in a dugout canoe.

Along the shore I spotted a middleaged woman swinging a large hoe, tilling a steeply tiered garden. “That’s what you call backbreaking work,” one of our party remarked. The woman stopped to wave a greeting.

A few hours later we celebrated Mass with our friends. At the offertory eight women danced slowly up the aisle, balancing baskets of their land’s produce on their heads. They laid it before the altar. I thought of the woman tilling on the shore.

These people acknowledged what they know well and what many of us must be reminded of: All that we have is by the providence of a loving God who sees our days, our exertions, our struggle.

The first thing we must do is thank Him and return the very best of what He has given us.

QUESTIONS: What are the firstfruits of God’s providence that you can offer back to Him? How will you do that this Lent?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 14 – FEBRUARY 20 Sunday (Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Jeremiah 17:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20, Luke 6:17, 20-26; Monday, James 1:1-11, Mark 8:11-13; Tuesday, James 1:12-18, Mark 8:14-21; Wednesday (Ash Wednesday), Joel 2:12-18, 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Thursday, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Luke 9:22-25; Friday, Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 9:14-15; Saturday, Isaiah 58:9-14, Luke 5:27-32.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 21 – 27 Sunday (First Sunday of Lent), Deuteronomy 26:4-10, Roman 10:8-13, Luke 4:1-13; Monday (The Chair of St. Peter), 1 Peter 5:1-4, Matthew 16:13-19; Tuesday (St. Polycarp), Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:7-15; Wednesday, Jonah 3:1-10, Luke 11:29-32; Thursday, Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 or 4:17 (Esther’s prayer), Matthew 7:7-12; Friday, Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26; Saturday, Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48.

February 12, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Lent is all about becoming saints N o n - C a t h o l i c s d o n ’t a l w a y s understand Catholic faith practices.

One Catholic tradition that sometimes perplexes non-Catholics is our L enten sacrifices.

Many years ago, I worked in a restaurant. The owner and all the waitresses were Catholic. My sister and I were the only non-Catholic employees – and we were both the daughters of a Protestant minister. For us, Lent was a time of watching Catholics… and wondering.

We served a fair amount of fish during Lent, rather than our usual orders of sandwiches and fried chicken.

And our boss and the other waitresses ate the perch, pike and shellfish on Fridays just like the patrons.

The topic of Lenten sacrifice came up every shift I worked. The other waitresses would poll one another: “What did you give up for Lent?”

Answers varied. Some said candy, or Pauline’s homemade pies, or soda.

I have to say, I didn’t get it back then. I thought Catholics did those things so that they would feel holy. I used to think it was a waste of time and effort. I knew there was little gained from feeling holy. One had to be holy.

I didn’t realize that faithful Catholics have a simple reason for everything that they do. They know they want to grow in holiness. Their number one desire is to be a saint.

And that’s what Lent is all about.

We r e m e m b e r o u r b a p t i s m a l promises and we hope to rise with Jesus Christ when Lent comes to an end. Every prayer, sacrifice, Mass, devotion and offering we make is to embrace the journey of faith that leads to holiness.

These things that we do as Catholics change us – or more accurately stated, the things that we do become a venue for God to change us. And I realize now that it does work, sometimes so slowly that others can’t detect the changes in the few short weeks of Lent. But it does work, in time. And so, Catholics keep at it.

There is a reason why Catholic schools and hospitals have crucifixes in every room. They help young students to learn to follow Christ in his living; they help the sick and dying to become like Christ in his dying.

There is a reason why the Catholic calendar takes us from Advent and then into Christmas, from Lent and then into

Salem College students serve during ‘Taking Action Tuesdays’ in January Like most people, I get excited about free time: I could go out, watch a movie, read, have a game night with friends, or sleep (one of my favorite options). Or, I could volunteer.

Because of Salem College’s shortened January term, I found myself with a lot of free time. So instead of sleeping in, I and members of the Catholic Student Association, along with the help of our campus minister Julie McElmurry, created “Taking Action Tuesdays.”

Each Tuesday we left the campus to spend the day volunteering at a clothes closet co-sponsored by Our Lady of Mercy Church, Second Harvest Food Bank, or the Pastor’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington. All day we sorted, folded and bagged clothes, we shelved food, and we bagged rice and food. It was fun — and rewarding.

I’ve volunteered many times before, but it’s easy to forget how much I genuinely enjoy it. Folding clothes and putting food in a bag when it’s for someone else in need is better than just getting my clean clothes off my chair.

I usually don’t have much money to donate to charities, but with volunteering I’m donating my time and energy — something I was rich with this January.

And meeting the people we served was a powerful experience.

Living on a college campus it’s easy to forget there are people living nearby in poverty. It’s easy to go about studying, attending class, hanging out with friends, and going to meetings without ever thinking about the poor who are practically my neighbors. It’s even easy to attend Mass, read the Bible, and pray and only sometimes remember the poor and the Catholic social teachings.

Volunteering and seeing the faces of those who I served has made these fellow brothers and sisters unforgettable to me.

By volunteering, we were given the opportunity to help not just the poor, but also other volunteers. Some Tuesdays at the clothes closet they were short some of their regular volunteers, so our help made their jobs easier. Also, we were by far the youngest volunteers and the regular volunteers told it was rejuvenating seeing young people come to help, and they were excited to have us there.

Erin Neal, one of the participants in Taking Action Tuesdays, said, “I loved volunteering in the different ways we did every Tuesday. We saw so many different aspects of the service community as well as getting to know some of the lower

Guest Column DENISE BOSSERT Guest columnist

Easter. The faithful want to journey with Christ, to rise with Him when it is all said and done.

Your non-Catholic family and friends may ask you what you gave up this year. It is possible, even likely, they are really asking a far different question: Why do you do all this stuff?

Make sure they know that you do it because you are not yet a saint, but if you walk in the footsteps of Our Lord long enough, He will change you. In time, they will see the change in you and begin to understand.

May you find that you are walking in step with Him as you journey to the cross. And may the bystanders see you at the side of Christ and begin to put it together. We are opening every part of our lives to the One who can make us holy.

Blessed Lent!

Denise Bossert, who converted to Catholicism in 2005, is a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in New Melle, Mo.

Guest Column MARY DONOVAN Guest columnist

income residents of Winston-Salem.”

Neal also said volunteering was “a growing opportunity in a multitude of ways: we grew within ourselves spiritually, graciously and humbly.”

Another participant in Taking Action Tuesdays, Catherine Nuzum, said, “Volunteering was a great opportunity to change an otherwise uneventful month into one of meaning. We were able to help make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than we are, and they showed us that nothing should be taken for granted. The people we helped in return helped us just as much.”

One of the benefits of volunteering for me was that it helped me in my discernment for doing a year of volunteer service after I finish college this summer.

I looked forward to each Tuesday, and I felt my call to a year of service was affirmed.

I’ve been told that serving those in need in turn brings rewards to the person who served, and I found out this January how true that really is.

Mary Donovan is a senior at Salem College and a member of the Catholic Student Association.

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

Let Lent be a time to celebrate divine justice Each year on the occasion of Lent, the Church invites us to a sincere review of our life in light of the Gospel. This year, I offer some reflections on the great theme of justice, beginning from the Pauline affirmation: “The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ” (Rm 3, 21-22).

What man needs most cannot be guaranteed to him by law. To live life to the full, something more intimate is necessary that can be granted only as a gift: we could say that man lives by that love which only God can communicate since He created the human person in His image. Material goods are certainly useful and required – Jesus Himself was concerned to heal the sick, feed the crowds that followed Him and surely condemns the indifference that forces hundreds of millions into death through lack of food, water and medicine – yet “distributive” justice does not render all of a person’s “due.” Just as man needs bread, so does man have even more need of God. At the heart of the wisdom of Israel, we find a profound link between faith in God who “lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Ps 113, 7) and justice towards one’s neighbor. The Hebrew word for justice, “sedaqah,” signifies full acceptance of the will of God and equity in relation to one’s neighbor (Ex 20, 1217), especially the poor, the stranger, the orphan and the widow (Dt 10, 18-19).

The two meanings are linked because giving to the poor is none other than restoring what is owed to God, who had pity on His people.

What is the justice of Christ? It is the justice that comes from grace, where it is not man who makes amends, heals himself and others. It is the loving act of God who opens Himself, bearing in Himself the “curse” due to man so as to give in return the “blessing” due to God (Gal 3, 13-14).

Conversion to Christ, believing in the Gospel, ultimately means this: to exit the illusion of self-sufficiency to accept one’s own need – the need of others and God, the need of His forgiveness and His friendship.

Thanks to Christ, we may enter into the “greatest” justice, the justice that recognizes itself in every case more a debtor than a creditor, because it has received more than could ever have been expected. And strengthened by this, the Christian is moved to contribute to creating just societies.

Dear brothers and sisters, Lent culminates in the Paschal Triduum, in which we shall celebrate divine justice – the fullness of charity, gift, salvation.

May this penitential season be a time of conversion and knowledge of Christ, who came to fulfill every justice.

February 12, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 16

in the news

Religious Catholics at Catholic colleges less likely Identity to stray from Church Students often ‘remain connected to faith’ WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) — A new study finds Catholic students at Catholic colleges are less likely than Catholics attending public colleges to move away from the Church’s teachings on a variety of issues.

However, on the issue of same-sex marriage in particular, newly released research from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate found that many Catholic students at Catholic and public colleges disagree with church teaching.

CARA, which is based at Georgetown University, presented the results of its “Catholicism on Campus” study Jan. 31, during the annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, held in Washington.

The CARA report relied on national surveys of the attitudes of 14,527 students at 148 U.S. colleges and universities, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The data was collected from students when they were freshmen in 2004 and again when they were juniors in 2007.

“We measure whether students, regardless of their incoming attitudes and behavior, move closer, stay the same, or move further away from the Church while in college,” the study said.

CARA classified its research into two groups. The first covered beliefs and attitudes about social and political issues, including abortion, same-sex marriage, the death penalty and reducing suffering around the world. The second focused on religious behavior, such as frequency of attendance at religious services, prayer, reading of religious texts and publications.

On pro-life issues, the results indicated a “mixed pattern,” it said.

A majority of Catholic students leave college disagreeing that abortion should be legal but they number fewer than those who entered with that opinion, it said. Overall 56 percent said they disagreed “strongly” or “somewhat” that “abortion should be legal.”

Regarding same-sex marriage, the study said there is no other issue on which Catholic students — regardless of where they attended school — moved further away from the Church. Only one in three Catholics on Catholic campuses disagreed “somewhat or “strongly” that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

“This issue more than any other may be strongly affected by the millennial generation’s post-materialist view regarding marriage and sexuality,” said the study’s authors, Mark Gray and Melissa Cidade.

They said their analysis showed that while Catholic students at Catholic colleges may move away from the Church on some issues, they move closer to the Church on others.

On the death penalty, 49 percent of Catholic students on Catholic campuses agreed “strongly” or “somewhat” with the Church’s opposition to the death penalty and were more likely than Catholic students at public colleges

to agree with the church’s social justice teaching on the need to reduce suffering in the world and “improve the human condition.”

The study found that as Catholic students at Catholic colleges advance in their education, they often “remain profoundly connected to their faith.”

In their junior year, 87 percent of them said following religious teachings in everyday life was “somewhat important” to them, and 86 percent said their “religiousness” did not become “weaker” in college.

But the study also found that Mass attendance declined during the college years among almost a third of Catholics at Catholic colleges, but at non-Catholic colleges, the percentage of attendance decline jumped to nearly 50 percent.

Eight percent of freshmen attending U.S. Catholic colleges identified their faith as Catholic but then left the faith by their junior year, while 4 percent joined the church. non-catholic throughout college left catholic faith

31% 57% 8%

4%

catholic throughout college

converted to catholicism Source: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

©2010 CNS

The religious behaviors of U.S. college students in Catholic and public colleges change between freshman and junior years.

“You feel Pennybyrn’s unique right away.”

spirit

~ From left, Pennybyrn residents Bill Horney and Ben Leach in the community’s Irish Pub, with Wait Captain Ahmed Ennissay. ~

Ben Leach tirelessly researched retirement communities before deciding upon Pennybyrn. “It’s new, so easy to make friends, great dining, wonderful pool and fitness center, and then there’s the unique spirit. Sister Lucy genuinely strives to make everyone feel comfortable, and it prevails throughout the community.” And of course, Ben enjoys an occasional snack in the Irish Pub. “I’ve met so many people with interesting life stories; it’s easy to enjoy yourself. Pennybyrn is an exceptional choice.”

You too can choose the best.

Call (336) 821-4050 or toll-free (866) 627-9343. www.PennybyrnAtMaryfield.com 109 Penny Road, High Point, NC 27260 Located less than a mile from downtown Jamestown and only 10 minutes from Greensboro.

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