March 1, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 1

March 1, 2002

March 1, 2002 Volume 11 t Number 24

Inside Strengthen the children, strengthen the parish

...Page 4

Hundreds gather for rite of election

...Page 5

Local News Black History Month projects teach youth unity, togetherness

...Page 7

Understanding of pedophilia remains incomplete

...Page 8

Quilting for a cause

...Page 14

Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13

Lord, you are truly the Savior of the world; give me living water, that I may never thirst again.

— John 4:42, 15

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

Fresco falls, fragments form puzzle

By Joann S. Keane Editor CHARLOTTE — On the morning of Feb. 20, one hour shy of midday Mass, the central portion of a fresco in St. Peter Church fell, leaving the parish community in mourning. Though saddened by the accident, the parish has been quick to rally and begin to pick up the pieces.

“We have lost our fresco,” said Jesuit Father Joseph Sobierajski, pastor of the uptown parish of approximately 750 families. “It’s like an old friend that you see every time you come to church, and we are going to truly miss its presence.”

Completed in 1989, the fresco has become known well beyond its parish walls and is considered by many as an integral artistic contribution to the Charlotte community.

“As far as the greater Charlotte community goes, it has become a landmark on the southern end of Tryon Street for visitors,” said Father Sobierajski.

A little over a year from preparation to unveiling, the fresco was set up in triptych fashion. With scenes depicting Jesus’ Agony in the Garden, the Resurrection of Christ and Pentecost, the parish with its fresco provided a place of solace against the backdrop of the vibrant city streets.

Individual parts of the triptych took about a month each to complete.

While the work was done on site, the preparatory work was done in the artist’s Paris studio. In France, individual pieces were created and transferred to a thin paper, and pictures were perforated. The patterns were then transferred to the walls with a dry substance and painted into fresh plaster.

The classic art of fresco dates to the earliest forms of cave wall drawings. In the traditional process, paint is applied upon damp plaster. “Fresco” is the Italian word for “fresh,” indicating that a lime and sand mixture must be made fresh every day, with the surface just damp enough for the pigmented mixture to actually become a part of the wall.

Cleanup started with painstaking efforts to preserve some of the larger images. Hopes are high to recover faces encased in the fallen plaster. A team was assembled on Feb. 26 to begin moving pieces of the downed fresco, carefully placing fresco fragments on makeshift tables — special boarding placed over the tops of the church pews.

The fallen fresco may hold many

Photos by Joann S. Keane

Pictured above, the central portion of a fresco at St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte lay in pieces on Feb. 20. Nearly a third of the fresco fell to the floor on Feb. 20.

Pictured left, a piece of the fresco from St. Peter Church in Charlotte is saved from the fallen work of art. Cleanup efforts have started to preserve some of the larger images.

secrets on the cause of its demise, and the diocese is in the throes of an investigation into what caused the fresco to break from the back altar wall.

The diocese continues to operate in a “fact-finding mode,” pulling in experts to help crack the mystery with specialists from structural engineers to architects.

“We need to let the experts

find the facts and come to their best conclusions,” said Father Sobierajski.

“In the meantime, we are still a community of men, women and children who love our parish and will continue to give it life.”

Contact Editor Joann S. Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@charlottediocese.org.

2 The Catholic News & Herald mission in New York, he told Catholic News Service that he would participate in all four conferences and lead the Vatican delegation to the first, the International Conference on Financing for Development, meeting in Monterrey, Mexico, March 18-22. Along with other members of the mission staff and a participant from Mexico, the delegation will include Msgr. Frank J. Dewane, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the nuncio said.

Vatican investigating claims of sex abuse against Polish archbishop VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican said it was looking into accusations of sexual abuse against a Polish archbishop who worked for several years at the Vatican at the beginning of Pope John Paul II’s pontificate. Archbishop Juliusz Paetz of Poznan, 67, has denied the accusations brought by seminarians and priests in his archdiocese, according to a report Feb. 23 in the Polish newspaper, Rzeczpospolita. The newspaper said a Vatican commission had visited the archdiocese last November to investigate the allegations and hear testimony, and that Archbishop Paetz had been called to the Vatican for a week of talks in early February.

New Vatican documents on Internet mainly positive, says archbishop VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican’s two new documents on the Internet point out areas of ethical and social concern but take an overall positive approach, said the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Internet is a “providential” tool for communication that the church must fearlessly enter, but the medium needs legislative curbs to protect children and must not create a “digital divide” between those with access to the Internet and those without, said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley. The two documents, “Ethics and the Internet” — a reflection on ethical issues — and “The Church and the Internet” — an assessment of online pastoral opportunities — were to be released Feb. 28 at a Vatican press conference. Archbishop Foley discussed the documents at a Feb.

CNS photo from Reuters

Afghan women pass anti-land mine poster in Kabul Two Afghan women pass a poster depicting various anti-personnel land mines in downtown Kabul Feb. 22. Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily mined countries with explosions injuring 20 to 25 people each day.

U.N. conferences said to show church’s broad approach to life issues NEW YORK (CNS) — Four international conferences set for this year provide an opportunity for showing the comprehensive approach of the church to issues affecting human life, the Vatican nuncio to the United Nations said Feb. 21. Archbishop Renato R. Martino said Vatican participation in upcoming conferences on financing for development, aging, children and sustainable development would demonstrate the “essential connection” the church sees “between the social and the economic.”

In an interview at the Vatican’s U.N.

Episcopal March 1, 2002 Volume 11 • Number 24 Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Associate Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Sherill Beason 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

March 1, 2002

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Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: March 12 — 6 p.m.

Grace Award Dinner Belmont Abbey College, Belmont March 16 — 9 a.m.-noon Day of spiritual renewal Pastoral Center, Charlotte March 17 — 10:30 a.m.

Mass and groundbreaking for new church St. Francis, Mocksville March 21 — Noon Mass St. Benedict’s Day Belmont Abbey Basilica, Belmont March 23 — 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Day of prayer and spiritual renewal for diocesan catechists Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

23 Vatican meeting of the Latin American church’s Web network.

Mexico’s Bishop Ruiz chosen to receive 2002 Niwano Peace Prize TOKYO (CNS) — An interreligious panel of judges has chosen retired Mexican Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de las Casas as recipient of the 2002 Niwano Peace Prize. The prize was established in 1983 by Japanese Buddhist leader Nikkyo Niwano to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that promote interreligious cooperation to further the cause of peace. In a Feb. 22 statement, the Niwano Peace Foundation said Bishop Ruiz, 77, “has devoted himself untiringly especially to raising the social standing of the indig-

Diocesan

plan -

ther information, call Linda Dyer-Hart at (704) 542-6846.

16 CHARLOTTE — The St. Gabriel Church Youth Ministry will be sponsoring a youth job fair today from 10 a.m.-noon for teens and young adults ages 16 and up who are interested in finding part-time or summer work.

Mini-workshops on job skills and other relevant information will be offered. For further information, call Alex Barrazza at (704) 362-5047, Ext. 275 or e-mail alexb_ym@catholicweb. com or e-mail Stephanie Hoffman at shoffman@carolina.rr.com.

17 CHARLOTTE — Chrism Mass diocesan choir practice will take place at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, today and March 24 from 4-5:30 p.m. Contact Larry Stratemeyer at (704) 334-2283, Ext. 22 to sign up and for further details.

17 CHARLOTTE — All are invited

enous communities of Mexico and to the reclamation and preservation of their native cultures.”

Dutch church: no religious burial for those who plan to be euthanized WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A Dutch church spokesman confirmed a bishop’s remarks that the Catholic Church cannot give religious burials to people who planned to be euthanized.

Micheil Savelsbergh, spokesman for ‘s-Hertogenbosch Diocese, also said the Dutch bishops were completing pastoral guidelines for priests who deal with such cases. In a Feb. 21 telephone interview with Catholic News Service, Savelsbergh said church funerals could be given to people who already had died from euthanasia, but not for patients whose deaths still were being planned that way.

Houston businessman finances Rome pilgrimage for students, teachers VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With surprising discipline and unbridled enthusiasm, almost 250 students and 62 teachers from the Diocese of GalvestonHouston made a pilgrimage to Rome in late February. All of the students and teachers said they felt fortunate to be in Rome, and many said they felt God had a hand in their Feb. 17-23 trip. James MacIngvale, known as “Mattress Mac” from the commercials he appears in as owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston, paid for the whole trip. The students did not have to write an essay or have a certain grade-point average or wash cars to make money. They simply had to have parental permission to put their name in the hat. Four students and one teacher from each of the diocese’s elementary and high schools were chosen by lottery for the pilgrimage MacIngvale hoped would be as special to the students as his family’s pilgrimage to Rome was two years ago.

to St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., for a National ARC Mental Retardation Awareness Sunday Mass this evening at 5:30 p.m. For details, call Mary Kennedy at (704) 364-6964.

24 HENDERSONVILLE — The St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet today from 3-5 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr. Visitors and inquirers are welcome, so for more information, call Helen Gillogly, SFO, at (828) 883-9645.

24 MAGGIE VALLEY — Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane, will be hosting a Holy Week retreat beginning this evening until March 31. All are invited to join the Augustinian friars and the parish community of St. Margaret Mary for reflection, fellowship and silence.

For further information, call the center at (828) 926-3833 or e-mail lwcrc@ main.nc.us.

Please submit notices of events for the Diocesan Planner at least 10 days prior to

March 1, 2002

Nigerians must choose the common good, archbishop says ABUJA, Nigeria (CNS) — Nigerians must choose the common good over personal interests to heal the wounds of the nation, said a Nigerian archbishop.

“Pursuing the personal good at the expense of the common good is in the long-term interest of no one, not even the greedy and the selfish persons who do so,” said Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja Feb. 19 during an opening Mass for the Nigerian bishops’ annual meeting in Abuja. The archbishop, who called for an examination of conscience for all Nigerians, said the poor and weak suffer the worst consequences of negative actions. He called on Nigeria’s “ruling elites” to ensure the long-term well being of the nation.

Chinese president says religious figures who break law go to jail BEIJING (CNS) — No one has the right to interfere in legal action taken against religious figures in China who break the law, Chinese President Jiang Zemin said at a press conference with visiting U.S. President George W. Bush. The two presidents held the news conference soon after their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Feb. 21, the day Bush arrived in China.

Twice Jiang ignored questions concerning restrictions on religion in China and the detention of more than 50 Catholic clergy, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

However, toward the end of the press conference, Jiang responded by saying that the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China provides for religious freedom.

World Youth Day cross comes to New York for visit to ground zero NEW YORK (CNS) — The schedule for taking the cross that symbolizes World Youth Day to locations across Canada was interrupted Feb. 24-25 for a pilgrimage to New York’s ground zero, the site of the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, director of the World Youth Day scheduled for July 23-28 in Toronto, said 110 people gathered in Toronto for prayer at 11:30 p.m. Feb. tual resources. For further details, call the church office at (704) 364-5431.

14 CHARLOTTE — Churches in the Charlotte area will be hosting ultreyas and school of leaders on the following dates and times: St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., from 7-8 p.m. tonight for adults only with shared snacks; St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., with a potluck/Ultreya gathering at 1:15 p.m. with food served at 1:30 p.m. on March 17 and St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., from 1:30-3:00 p.m. on March 24 with childcare and a family potluck. For more information, call Dan Hines at (704) 544-6665 or Aliceann Coon at (704) 540-8696.

16 CHARLOTTE — The 6th Annual Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival will take place today from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the First Union Atrium and Plaza on Tryon St. between 2nd and 3rd Sts. Featured will be Celtic arts and crafts, the Rince Na h’Eireann and Walsh Kelley Irish Dancers, bagpipers, food and other events. For fur-

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CNS photo by Michelle Stocker courtesy The Capital Times of Madison

U.S. Olympic curler Debbie McCormick U.S. Olympic athlete Debbie McCormick holds the curling stone used in her sport. A Catholic from the Diocese of Madison, Wis., McCormick was making her second Olympic appearance at the Salt Lake City games.

23, and then made the 12-hour bus trip to participate in the visit of the cross to New York. Joined by youths and youth workers from the New York area, they came to St. Patrick’s Cathedral the evening of Feb. 24 for a Mass that began with the processional hymn, “Lift High the Cross.” Auxiliary Bishop Anthony

G. Meagher of Toronto, who heads the Canadian bishops’ committee for World Youth Day and traveled with the group, was celebrant and homilist for the Mass.

He said what happened at the World Trade Center was frightening, but that the cross was a sign that God would conquer the evil seen in that event.

War not over despite rebel

March 8 SWANANNOA — The Lenten schedule for St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrew Place, will continue as follows: Stations of the Cross held tonight and every Friday at 7 p.m. and every Wednesday after noon Mass; Mass with soup and bread meal on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. with an additional 8 a.m. Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and a penance service on March 22 at 7 p.m. For more information about the upcoming Easter schedule, call the church office at (828) 686-8833.

9 CHARLOTTE — The Emerald Ball is being held at the Adams Mark Hotel tonight from 8-11 p.m. Bagpipers, the Federals Irish and Blues Band, the Rince Na h’Eireann Irish Dancers, hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be featured. For further information, call Lynda Dyer Hart at (704) 5426846.

9 DENVER — The Knights of Columbus Council 10389 will hold its annual Irish Night Dinner tonight at

7 p.m. in the parish hall of Holy Spirit Church, 537 Hwy. 16 North. Chef Charles will be cooking traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and other Irish delights. An international troop of Irish dancers will be performing. For ticket and other information, call Nancy and Gordon Hirshman at (704) 483-1205 or the church office at (704) 483-6448.

9 GREENSBORO — All are invited to the Shamrock Social to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Our Lady of Grace School Gym, 2205 W. Market St., from 7:30-11:30 p.m. tonight.

Heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be included. For more details about this opportunity for fun, fellowship and dancing, call Laurie Benko at (336) 294-0520.

10 CHARLOTTE — A charismatic Mass will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, this afternoon at 4 p.m. with prayer teams at 3 p.m. and a potluck dinner at 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For further information, contact Josie Backus at

The Catholic News & Herald 3

leader’s death, says Angolan priest CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) — The death of Jonas Savimbi, leader of the Angolan rebel movement UNITA, does not mean that the 27-year-old civil war is over, said Father Francisco Eurico, executive secretary of the Angolan bishops’ conference. The Angolan government announced Feb. 22 that its troops had shot dead the elusive 67-year-old guerrilla warrior during fighting the same day in eastern Moxico province, near the border with Zambia.

“This news certainly means that we are going into a new era, but anything could happen, and there is even a danger that the war could intensify,” Father Eurico said in a Feb. 23 telephone interview from the Angolan capital, Luanda. Angola has been fighting a civil war, which has claimed more than 1 million lives, since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Spread of AIDS fueled by lack of values, African archbishop says YAOUNDE, Cameroon (CNS) — The spread of AIDS among African youth has been fueled by a careless attitude about sex and the lack of a value-based educational system, said an African archbishop. Archbishop Andre Wouking of Yaounde said a lack of positive role models was affecting youths’ perception about sexual morality. “Contemporary society is overcrowded with superficial values that may be rational but which youths cannot assimilate appropriately,” he said. “Facing difficulties, youth get confused, are unarmed to defend themselves and are unable to make positive judgments. Youth need some minimum appropriate Christian education to help them make positive choices in life,” Archbishop Wouking told Catholic News Service.

Vatican nuncio to Romania confirms demolition of Catholic churches CLUJ, Romania (CNS) — The Vatican’s nuncio to Romania has confirmed that Eastern Catholic churches are being bulldozed by Orthodox occupiers and urged the country’s “political class” to (704) 527-4676.

12 CHARLOTTE — The St. Gabriel Church Arthritis Support and Education Group will meet this morning from 10-11 a.m. in Room D of the parish ministry center located at 3016 Providence Rd. For further details, call (704) 362-5047, Ext. 217.

13 CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., will be conducting a meeting this morning at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish center. Donations are being accepted during the meeting. For more information, call Bobbe Conlin at (704) 643-1376 or Gloria Silipigni at (704) 821-1343.

13 CHARLOTTE — There will be a session on spiritual aspects of grief with Larry Dewalt from Hospice of Charlotte tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. at the St. Gabriel Church Ministry Center, 3016 Providence Rd. Tonight’s session will center around one’s view of God during times of grief and the use of spiri-

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Di-

Strengthen the children, strengthen

Food bank helps feed those in

By Joanita M. Nellenbach Correspondent ANDREWS — Once a month a Manna Food Bank truck from Asheville pulls up to the back door of the Andrews Food Bank and Commodity Distribution Center in the West End Plaza. A team from Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Andrews or St. William in Murphy is waiting to unload canned goods, cereal and other nonperishable items.

The Andrews Lions Club and six Andrews churches, including Holy Redeemer, sponsor the center, which serves about 700 families and is open Tuesdays and Saturdays. The center exists to serve those in need in Cherokee County.

“Each family can get food every other month, but if you have an emergency — no matter what — they can get food any time,” said Joe El-Khouri, center director and a Holy Redeemer parishioner.

The food comes free from the State Nutrition Assistance Program and the Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program or is purchased from Manna.

Food also comes from local donations such as food drives. El-Khouri estimates that the center received $70,000 worth of free food from the federal and state programs and bought another $7,000 from Manna last year.

The numbers who need the food are rising. “Last month,” El-Khouri said, “we distributed 391 boxes of food.

In the old days it was 250 a month.”

That January figure is the highest ever for one month, he said.

March 1, 2002

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Frank Sommers wheels food into the Andrews Food Bank and Commodity Distribution Center as other members of the St. William Church Men’s Club unload more items from the Manna Food Bank truck.

Those who want food must fill out an application each time they visit the center. To be eligible, a one-person household must have an income no higher than $11,167 per year. For a two-person household, the maximum income is $15,093; for four, $22,945; on up to $38,649 for a family of eight.

A one-to-three-person household receives one box of food per visit; families of four or more get two boxes.

Boxes contains nonperishable items, plus selections from “whatever we have in the refrigerator and freezer,” El-Khouri said.

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or e-mail jnell@dnet.net.

By Kevin E. Murray Associate Editor THOMASVILLE — Many Catholics want to have a deeper understanding of their faith. There are many children who are well on their way.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a unique approach for the religious formation of children. By offering the courses in both English and Spanish, Our Lady of the Highways intends to help the children - and the parish — grow closer to each other and to God. “It just made sense,” said Kathy Laskis, coordinator of faith formation at Our Lady of the Highways, when she first heard of the courses several years ago. “I said, ‘We had to have that for our children.’”

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church and the educational principles of Maria Montessori, an Italian educator and physician best known for the Montessori method of teaching young children. This method stresses the development of initiative and selfreliance by permitting children to do by themselves the things that interest them. “(The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) is a way of using the Montessori style and allowing the children to work at their own pace, abilities and interests to learn our faith and develop a personal relationship with Jesus,” said Laskis.

The courses, used by various Christian denominations in approximately 19 countries around the world, have three levels focusing on children ages 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12, respectively. All levels are progressive and cover ageappropriate themes for children from the Bible and liturgy, including the purpose and use of the materials used during the Mass.

According to the Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Web site, adults are able to read and grasp the meanings of Bible passages, but children — especially ones too young to read — need another way.

Using this method, children “can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it.”

Examples include having children: place wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd; setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table; or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist.

“The children work with real water; they work with real wine. They use real stuff,” said Laskis. “Everything is real, just child-sized.”

Older children who do read often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a time line showing the history of the kingdom of God. “It’s a progression,” said Laskis.

“The children must have the foundations in order to understand the rest of it.”

To further understanding, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is only taught in atriums, closed-in gardens containing the materials the children need. “Children are free to explore in a garden,” said Laskis. “This area is for them.”

Our Lady of the Highways has knocked out walls to provide the necessary teaching environment for the program. Parishioners donated and made much of the original materials.

The three levels now consist of approximately 50 Anglo, Hispanic, Filipino and Italian children from the parish.

Parishioner Margaret ScanlonLaffata teaches level one in English, with Spanish translations done by an 8-year-old student. Raquel Cudd, a bilingual parishioner originally from Mexico, teaches level two. “By that age, the children usually don’t need that much translation,” noted Laskis.

Public school teacher Vanessa Osbourne teaches level three.

“It takes two years of training to become a trainer for each level,” said Laskis. But one must be certified in all three levels before they can go for the training. Laskis, who has been driving to Durham every month for the past year, is completing her certification this week. She intends to train to teach the older children.

Parents are encouraged to attend as “helpers” in the weekly 2-hour classes. “Adults can learn a lot about their own faith from this, too, if they would just come and listen and look,” said Laskis. “But it’s hard to get helpers who will let their kids learn (the material) in their own way.”

The program has made a noticeable difference in the children, even the young ones, said Laskis. “Children are behaving better in Mass because they know what is going on and they understand it.”

In addition to understanding their faith, Laskis wants the children to “become a community ... That they’ll want to stay together after they’re 12 years old,” she said.

By teaching the classes in both Spanish and English, Laskis hopes that the children would become accustomed to doing things together as they get older. “As the children grow up together, it will strengthen our parish,” she said.

Faith formation is one of the 35 programs and ministries that receives funds from the Annual Diocesan Support Appeal.

Contact Associate Editor Kevin Murray by calling (704) 370-3334, or e-mail kemurray@charlottediocese.org.

March 1, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Around the Di-

Hundreds gather for the rite of election

By REV. MR. GERALD POTKAY Correspondent In parishes throughout the diocese, the first Sunday of Lent was the day for the rite of sending. In this rite, catechumens — those not baptized — and/or candidates — those baptized who are now seeking full communion with the Catholic Church — are asked if they are ready to take the next step in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Then, encouraged by the local community of believers, the catechumens are sent to the rite of election, or the candidates are sent to the call to continuing conversion.

Capuchin Father Martin Schratz, coordinator of the southern region, said, “It is exciting to see the recommitment to baptismal vows being made through the Catholic Church and the commitment of those who are not yet baptized. How awesome it is to be called as adults to become followers of Christ in this day and age and to become part of the universality of the Catholic Church.”

Within the Diocese of Charlotte this year, there were three locations where Bishop William G. Curlin celebrated the rite of election and the call to continuing conversion this year. The catechumens and candidates of the northeastern region of the diocese gathered at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro Feb. 17; the southern region gathered at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, Feb. 23; and the northwestern region gathered at St. Barnabas Church in Arden Feb. 24.

At each of these churches, Bishop Curlin gave an inspiring homily in which he told of the “profound impact

Photos by Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay

Bishop William G. Curlin bestows his blessings on Mollie Anne Counsil, daughter of Charles and Pam Counsil of St. Pius X, at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro.

Candidates stand as their respective delegates called their names during the call to continuing conversion at Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro.

Bishop Michael J Begley had on my life as a bishop and a priest.”

At Our Lady of Grace Church, Bishop Curlin revealed that Bishop Begley, a former patient at Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point, was aware of his imminent death. He also said that Bishop Begley was a very patient and loving priest who “continually revealed the love of Christ in his life to all around him. He was one who never complained about his discomfort right up to his death.”

Bishop Curlin reiterated to the catechumens and candidates what drew them to the Catholic Church.

“Your love of Jesus is what brings you to the church,” said Bishop Curlin.

A person must be very “intolerant” to be a Catholic, said Bishop Curl-

in. “If you believe in adultery, abortion or racism, you are much too tolerant.

“Make sure you give your heart to Jesus. Be prepared to leave loved ones and everything for Christ. The Church doesn’t need more people; it needs more saints,” said Bishop Curlin. “The challenge of the baptized is to give up worldly happiness. Live your life for Jesus in this world.”

The way to do this, added Bishop Curlin, is through prayer. “Prayer is the way to talk to God and to give our souls to him,” he said.

Bishop Curlin explained how awesome it was “to have Jesus in our hands and in our bodies in the Eucharist. That is why it is so important to celebrate the Eucharist and to make it the center of your lives and your love.

Then, take that love, and give it away because it is God’s will that we human beings, who make up his church, bring that love to the whole world.”

Bishop Curlin asked a series of qualifying questions to the godparents, sponsors and catechists representing the catechumens and candidates. When Bishop Curlin asked the catechumens and candidates if it was their will to be received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, they replied, “It is.”

At that, Bishop Curlin reminded the candidates to, “hear the Lord’s call to conversion and be faithful to your baptismal covenant.”

Terry Rogers, a candidate from Holy Cross Church in Kernersville, commented that the whole day “was a very uplifting and meaningful experience. Especially shaking the Bishop’s hand at the end,” she said.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” said catechumen Sharon Cornelison from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point. “The Bishop is an excellent homilist.

What he was saying was meant for me — for every one of us. I’m already feeling the hunger for the Eucharist. The closer you get the more frustrating it is not to be able to receive but, it is certainly well worth the wait.”

James Taylor, a candidate from St. Joseph of the Hills Church in Eden, said, “As always, in today’s ceremony, I know that I have been given the true word of God. At the church of my baptism, I always felt I was leaving with only what the preacher wanted me to know. To me, the true faith and the true religion lie in the Mass and in the Roman Catholic Church.”

Contact Correspondent Rev. Mr. Ger-

6 The Catholic News & Herald

By Joanita M. Nellenbach Correspondent MURPHY — When a few parishioners got together to form the St. William Church Men’s Club (SWCMC) in 1997, they just wanted to take care of the church grounds, but the club has evolved. Now they’re helping to take care of the community.

“At that time,” said Bob Daniels, the new president, “we only had the church and the rectory. Then the church purchased the Begley building (the Bishop Begley Center). John Schell was in charge of the renovation for that, and all the men worked with him on that.

That was our first outreach. Then we got involved with unloading the truck at the Texana Community Center. It’s an African-American community in our area.”

The truck brings in furniture and clothing several times a year. SWCMC also works with Congregation of Notre Dame Sister Therese (Terry) Martin in Hayesville.

“Whenever somebody needs furniture or clothing, she has it,” Bill Melendez, vice president, said. “We pick it up and deliver it.”

Food is also an important focus.

Last Thanksgiving, the club delivered more than 100 baskets filled with food that the St. William Community Life Committee had collected. SWCMC also alternates monthly with Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Andrews to unload the Manna Food Bank Truck when it delivers to the Andrews Food Bank and Commodity Distribution Center.

SWCMC’s periodic pancake breakfasts in 2001 earned $600 that the club donated to the church and to civic organizations; plus another $300 was added to parishioners’ donations for a $1,003 contribution to the Archdiocese of New York to assist families of New York City firefighters and police in the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombings.

The club also has a wheelchair it loans out. Members help the Marine Corps League with Toys for Tots, and assembled more than 60 bikes for the program last Christmas.

“We volunteer every year for In-

March 1, 2002

Around the Di-

Men’s Club builds upon a foundation of

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Old and new St. William Church Men’s Club members gather at the grotto, which the club and other parishioners completed two years ago. Jim Martin (left), retiring president, John Schell, Ray Lott, and Bob Daniels, current president, were among those who worked on the project. Mike Kauffman (right), joined the club recently, and has been elected recording secretary. dustrial Opportunities Inc.,” Melendez said. “They’re mentally and physically challenged and autistic people. They have a state bowling tournament, and we help them prepare. Some of them can’t walk. We help them to the lanes and to role the ball.”

All of these activities earned SWCMC a Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, presented in October.

Another club project is also making its mark in Murphy. Two years ago SWCMC finished a grotto in front of the church. “It’s a beautiful location and something we thought could be used by the community,” Daniels said.

Indeed, it’s become quite a popular spot. People often stop to sit on one of the nearby benches to meditate for a

while. Murphy High School students have their class pictures taken there.

“A lady came with her child,” John Schell said, “and asked me, ‘I’m not Catholic. Is it OK (if I visit)?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ She comes at lunch two or three times a week. She said that’s one of the things her child enjoys the most. Now she brings a friend and her child.”

Daniels got the idea for the grotto when he saw one in Connecticut. A

professional artist, he sketched his interpretation and displayed it in the church’s common area to show parishioners what it would look like. No church funds were used for construction, which involved 12,000 pounds of rock.

“The money for the grotto came from donations,” Daniels said. “While we were working on it, people would come up and hand us money, and they weren’t just from the church, either.”

John Schell recalled that, “One lady came up and said, ‘Who’s paying for this?’ I said, ‘It’s contributions.’ She said, ‘Here’s $50.’ “ About 22 people, ages 14 to mid80s, worked on the project. Some were club members; some were not. They built a back wall with a central cave. A curving lower wall, wide enough to sit on, encloses an 1,800-gallon goldfish pool. Water, recycling as a fountain and waterfall, makes a pleasant sound.

Statues of Mary and Bernadette are at right. The St. William Ladies Guild purchased the filter for the pool.

The club named it the Sister Terry Martin Grotto in honor of her community contributions. “She’s a saint,” one of the club members said.

“Sister Terry brought us water from Lourdes, and we put that in at the dedication,” Melendez said. “She also brought a rock from Lourdes, and that’s in the stonework.”

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or e-mail jnell@dnet.net.

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

March 1, 2002

honors not only black people but also others for the things they have done because black people are an important part of the history of mankind,” he said.

Jesuit Father Fernando Aritzi, Mexico native and civil rights leader, made an impact on 11-year-old Whitley Lide from the time of her birth. The priest baptized her and has been influential in her life. “I enjoyed the project because I was able to learn more about his life. He is a great role model in my life, and he taught me about God and the church and having a good time at the same time,” she said.

“History is closer than we think; it isn’t 50 years ago. It can be as close as yesterday,” said Lide. “This project gave them a chance to reflect, focus and realize that they will have an impact on someone else’s life one day. They are not too young to go out into the world and be the same positive force as the people on which they reported.”

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

From the

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Black History Month projects teach

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — Every year, people of color around the country spread messages of unity and diversity through Black History Month programs and projects. The month long remembrance of the contributions, inventions and gifts that African-Americans have made to society has evolved through the years.

The Rising Youth in Action and Youth in Action groups at Our Lady of Consolation Church (OLC) combined their faith and culture through their Black History Month joint projects. Through this endeavor, they went on a discovery mission about their ancestors, the people who affected their lives in a positive way and the link between their heritage and faith.

“Every year, we talk about the same dozen black history figures, and this year, we wanted them to come up with people who affected their spiritual growth,” said Nanette Lide, parish

co-youth minister, along with Leslie Johnson. “We asked them who was influential in their walk with Christ. It could have been someone they knew or did not know, which gave them a wide range of exploration.”

The youth and teens researched their subjects and pasted and colored their tri-fold posters and cardboard into displays depicting the lives of those chosen. This also served as a mentoring opportunity for the older members of the parish youth ministry to guide their younger counterparts.

“We’re trying to get the younger group involved in the parish ministry, while preparing the older group for leadership roles within the church,” said Lide. “Projects like this allow them to pay more attention to what they do because the younger group is watching them.”

With the help of Lide and Johnson; Cassandra Tucker, Rising Youth in Action coordinator; and the older teens in the parish, the participants’ displays included names like Maya Angelou; Franciscan Father James Goode who led the first diocesan tent revival in 2000; Madame C.J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in America; and Harriet Tubman, “conductor” of the Underground Railroad.

Other names not commonly associated with Black History Month

— Bishop William G. Curlin and Capuchin Father Jude Duffy, pastor of OLC — also graced a couple of the youth’s projects.

Father Duffy has been an inspiration to Semaj Jones, 13. Jones said that the humor Father Duffy infuses into his homilies helps him to understand the Gospels.

“We have a bishop who has been very active in the African-American community, also priests and deacons who have worked with African-Americans,” said Lide. “There have been some great conduits from all races in our walk with Christ. We wanted to be more inclusive, and it is very important that our youth understand that we all have a place within history.”

Julian Tucker, 11, created two projects depicting the lives of St. Martin de Porres, son of a freed slave and Spanish nobleman, and Ivory Coleman, OLC music minister. “I did St. Martin de Porres because I like to do projects on saints, and I picked Ivory because he is a very good piano player,” said Tucker.

“St. Martin de Porres helped a lot of people and went into the church at an early age, and Ivory has performed a lot of concerts and won many awards.”

Tucker said that he learned the value of helping others and sharing one’s talent with others especially during February. “It (Black History Month)

Photos by Alesha M. Price

Pictured left, Olivia Freeman, 6, smiles in front of her dual project on Harriet Tubman and Madame C.J. Walker. Julian Tucker, 11, proudly shows his dual project depicting the lives of St. Martin de Porres and Ivory Coleman. The children, members of Rising Youth in Action of Our Lady of Consolation Church, created projects in honor of Black History Month in February.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

In the

March 1, 2002

Understanding of pedophilia remains incomplete, psychologists

By Kevin Luperchio Catholic News Service WORCESTER, Mass. (CNS) — The scientific understanding of pedophilia is largely incomplete, despite significant advances during the last 30 years, according to Barbara Schwartz, who holds a doctorate in psychology.

Schwartz, a Plymouth native, is the author of several books on sex offenders and behaviors.

In a Feb. 22 telephone interview with The Catholic Free Press, newspaper of the Worcester Diocese, she said pedophilia is a mental disorder that causes a person to develop “a measurable sexual preference for prepubescent children.”

This distinction separates pedophiles from the more general category of child molesters, that is, those who sexually abuse children for a variety of motives other than actual sexual arousal, she added.

Craig Latham, who also holds a doctorate in psychology, believes calling pedophilia a disease implies that those who sexually abuse children are not accountable for their actions.

Pedophilia is not inherited through genes nor is it biologically based, he said. Rather it is a learned behavior with an addictive quality that escalates in intensity and frequency. Latham, who is in private practice in Natick, works primarily with abused adolescents and young adults, some of whom are pedophiles.

Current studies suggest that pedo-

philia develops at a young age and often is connected to an individual’s own victimization at the hands of another, Schwartz said.

Such victimization may lead to the individual acting out his or her abuse on another, something she called repetition trauma. It also may be socially modeled behavior, that is, behavior that an individual witnesses and imitates, she added.

Though many pedophiles were once victims themselves, “it’s not a one-to-one ratio,” said Evan Graber of Holden, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Not every child who is sexually assaulted becomes a pedophile and, likewise, not every pedophile was sexually assaulted, said Graber, who is director of outpatient service at You Inc. and works only with juvenile pedophiles.

Exactly what causes pedophilia in those who are not abused themselves is unknown, he added.

Pedophiles at any age do not look any different from “normal” people, Graber said, which makes it difficult to detect their illness until inappropriate behavior is observed or an allegation is made.

They do, however, share some common traits, according to Latham.

Most pedophiles are male, he noted. Allegations of pedophilia against women are typically underreported because society tends to see such instances as a rite of passage for young men.

Pedophiles are usually uneasy in social settings and uncomfortable around their peers, he said, adding that they are often introspective and likely to bottle up their emotions.

Schwartz said the distinguishing trait of pedophiles is a strong attraction to children, which is often disguised to appear nonsexual. For this reason, many pedophiles are indistinguishable from members of the general population — including teachers, Boy Scout leaders, social workers and priests — who have only a positive, nonsexual interest in children.

Pedophiles’ attraction to children may lead them to pursue jobs such as teaching as a way of having more contact with children, she said. Some, including those attempting to eliminate their inappropriate sexual inclinations, also may develop interest in the priesthood because priests are required to remain celibate.

However, a pedophile’s attempts to ignore his sexual urges by becoming a priest are rarely successful. “They try to get away from the issue and find they can’t,” Schwartz said.

Despite popular misconceptions, there is no evidence to suggest that denying oneself sex, as priests are required to do, can transform a “normal” person into a pedophile, she added.

Pedophilia is treatable using multifaceted treatments, Schwartz said.

These include individual and group counseling, educational classes and behavior treatment. The latter is

designed to negatively reinforce a pedophile’s fantasies about children by pairing them with frightening scenes or foul smells in something called aversion therapy.

The treatment also involves examining the cognitive distortions or thinking errors that allow pedophiles to excuse their own bad behavior with children, she said.

In some cases, Latham said, prescription drugs are used to treat underlying problems, such as mood disorders or Attention Deficit Disorder, that exacerbate an individual’s pedophilic tendencies.

Despite treatment, pedophilia “is not like appendicitis, not something where you treat them and they’re safe to be around children again,” Schwartz said.

She compared the disorder to alcoholism or eating disorders: “Any behavior that has brought you relief in the past will remain in the back of your head as an option that may come into your mind.”

As a result, she added, pedophiles must recognize and avoid so-called high-risk situations, that is, environments involving contact with children, in the same way alcoholics avoid bars and other places where liquor is common.

March 1, 2002

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In the

U.S. skater not shy about showing devotion to his

By JESUIT FATHER MATTHEW GAMBER Catholic News Service SALT LAKE CITY (CNS) — While the Olympic focus was on the controversy surrounding the pairs figure skating gold medals, Timothy Goebel was attending Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, where he asked Bishop George H. Niederauer of Salt Lake City to bless his Olympic bronze medal.

“I never say it’s my medal or it’s my success, because so many people contributed to this: parents, coaches and for me, especially, the contribution of my faith,” Goebel, 21, said in an interview Feb. 17, three days after winning a bronze medal in men’s figure skating.

“My faith is a reality check,” he said.

“People in high-profile sports get involved in superfluous stuff, being a star. I’m really grateful for the gifts I have been given. It’s good to realize why we are really here.”

He added that there were 2,500 athletes at the games, “with all the physical ability in the world, but there are also a lot of unfortunate people in the world.”

He said he keeps in mind that skating is not all there is.

“In the grand scheme of things,” he said, “what’s more important, winning an Olympic medal or being a good person?”

Goebel’s faith has been nurtured by his parents, Richard and Ginny, since the day they adopted him through Catholic Charities of Chicago, on the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary in 1980.

He attended Catholic grade school, St. Colette’s in Rolling Meadows, Ill., until the fifth grade. He started skating when he was 5 years old, and by the time he was 11, his parents and teachers realized he had great potential.

That prompted a move to Cleveland,

CNS photo by Christopher Gunty, Catholic Sun

Bishop George H. Niederauer, left, of Salt Lake City blesses the Olympic bronze medal won by Timothy Goebel, right, after Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine Feb. 17. Goebel took the bronze medal for men’s figure skating in the Winter Olympics. to be closer to his skating coach, and a search for a new parish. Tim and his mother met Father James A. Viall, pastor of St. Rose Parish, and hit it off.

“Father Viall was very strict. He wanted us to know what it really means to be a Catholic. If you lose one part, then it all falls apart,” Goebel said. “He trained us not to be ‘cafeteria Catholics.’”

Richard Goebel, meanwhile, stayed behind in Chicago to continue his work as an engineer.

“Father Viall provided a wonderful experience of the Catholic faith to Tim. He really took him under his wing,” said Richard, who is a member of the United Church of Christ, but attends Catholic Mass with his family.

Ginny Goebel said people often ask her if it is a huge sacrifice to raise an Olympic skater.

“It’s a big commitment, but not a huge sacrifice,” she said. “We derive great joy from Tim’s skating. It’s a two-way street.” She added that Tim has been a gift to the couple.

Cecil Bleiker, the Olympic Village press secretary for Team USA, said, “So many athletes forget their roots and where they came from. Tim hasn’t.

“For other athletes, sports is their god,” said Bleiker, a 25-year-old Catholic from Texas. “You can tell Tim is Catholic by the way he treats people in the Olympic

Village.”

Goebel said he has not met much opposition to visible expressions of his faith, though he did recall an instance when a skating judge told him to remove his crucifix, because it was “a distraction” to her.

Goebel said he told her, “I’m not taking it off. You will have to deal with it.”

He prays the Guardian Angel prayer before he skates, and for nine days before his Olympic competition, he said, he prayed the novena to St. Therese of Lisieux, which he learned from 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski.

Goebel prays the rosary each night and wears a crucifix and a medal from the jubilee year in Rome that is emblazoned with the image of Pope John Paul II. Although he has never met the pope, he attended an outdoor Mass in St. Peter’s Square after a skating competition near Rome.

He said he attends Mass at least twice a week, often more, and goes to the sacrament of reconciliation weekly. He said he has been able to find a Catholic church in most countries, although some places do present a challenge.

All in all, for Goebel, skating is more than a career — it is almost a calling.

“I love skating. I’m very happy,” he said. “I don’t think you can do anything at this level if you don’t love it. With the training, the traveling, the long days and the injuries, this experience makes it all worthwhile.”

Today Goebel lives and trains in Los Angeles, where he takes classes at Loyola Marymount University. He hopes someday to have a “real job” and live in Europe or New York.

In the meantime, he does not plan to go professional, instead opting to prepare for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

He wants to continue training in his faith, too.

“I want to read more books and really learn more about my faith and lives of the saints,” Goebel said. “I really don’t know as much as I should.”

Contributing to this stor y was Christopher Gunty.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Biography reveals pious life of Bishop Sheen

Reviewed by Michael Dubruiel Catholic News Service In December 1999, on the 20th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Cardinal John J. O’Connor of New York authorized the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation to begin collecting information on the archbishop’s life as a preliminary step toward canonization.

“America’s Bishop: The Life and Times of Fulton J. Sheen” places the life of this powerful preacher under the biographer’s microscope. Author Thomas C. Reeves, a recent convert to the Catholic faith, claims that the book is “not an effort to bolster or defeat the effort” of those wishing to see Archbishop Sheen declared a saint. The book includes photos, an appendix of Archbishop Sheen publications, another with Archbishop Sheen’s hints for giving a talk, and copious endnotes detailing Reeves’ research to uncover just who Fulton J. Sheen was.

The infant Peter John Sheen (Peter became Fulton when his grandfather gave it as the boy’s name upon enrolling him in St. Mary’s School at the age of 5 1/2) cried unremittingly. Later in life the archbishop found that he had suffered from tuberculosis as an infant, which no doubt was the cause of his constant misery. It is also symbolic of one who would be known like John the Baptist as “a voice crying out in the wilderness.”

Early on, those around him in the Illinois farming community where he was raised recognized a religious vocation in this gifted student. Reeves takes us through young Sheen’s meteoric rise within the church, first as a professor, then as a national celebrity on radio and later on television.

He presents us with the known stories and those that we may not have heard about in the past, including scandal (an angry husband claimed Archbishop Sheen was having an affair with his wife), an academic degree that Archbishop Sheen claimed to have earned but in fact did not (reminiscent of the recent debacle of George O’Leary’s short tenure as Notre Dame’s head football coach), and the mysterious suffering that

March 1, 2002

Read-

Archbishop Sheen often alluded to later in life (Reeves claims it was a rocky relationship with Cardinal Francis J. Spellman leading to exile in upstate New York).

We are presented with a conflicting image of a man who at the same time seems proud and humble. Most who resent the idea of Archbishop Sheen being considered a saint would point to the extravagant lifestyle — the big house, the expensive car, the company he kept among the rich and famous. But what emerges from Reeves’ account is a man who is driven by a mission that he believes is inspired by God. Reeves writes, “He was above all a supernatural man. He believed himself called by God to defend the faith and his church, and to love the human race. It was not the urge for fame that required Sheen’s daily Holy Hour, that brought him for decades to the homes of the poor and the sick, that took him to untold numbers of convents and monasteries to give retreats, that prompted him to counsel and instruct thousands of converts, that made him answer tens of thousands of letters with advice and prayer, that stirred his lifelong generosity, that compelled him to go to Africa to hold the hands of lepers, that drove him repeatedly to Lourdes and Fatima.”

Reeves’ work is an excellent presentation of Archbishop Sheen’s life. This is not hagiography but it comes close to that without trying. What emerges is a man who truly sought to follow Christ and to overcome his faults through the power of the Holy Spirit. Fans of Archbishop Sheen will rediscover the man that they loved; his enemies will find in this account pause to rethink their judgment about this great man who defies any definition we might wish to place upon him.

Dubruiel holds a master’s degree in Christian spirituality from Creighton University and is the author of “Praying in the Presence of the Lord with Fulton J. Sheen.”

Word to Life

Sunday Scripture Readings March 3, Third Sunday of Lent Cycle A Readings: 1) Exodus 17:3-7 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 2) Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 3) Gospel: John 4:5-42

By Dan Luby Catholic News Service When the going gets tough, the tough change the subject. And if that doesn’t work, they try shameless flattery. At least that’s what the Samaritan woman in Sunday’s Gospel does.

When her conversation with Jesus moves from sarcastic banter about well water into the uncomfortable territory of her multiple marriages, she reverses field like an all-pro running back looking for a crease in the defense.

Had she looked away from the mirror which Jesus held up to her life, perhaps she would have left the well satisfied; she’d gotten the better of the foreign stranger, not let herself be taken advantage of. Had she protected her wounds and shielded her darkness, she might have won the debate, might have felt safer from anyone who would tempt her with the truth.

She could have felt more smug had she pulled it off, but in the end her efforts to avoid the truth hit a brick wall. At the point of impact, she runs straight into the arms of God’s mercy and healing, straight into a new life, open to the possibil-

ity of truth and light and freedom and joy.

This Sunday the church celebrates the first of three Lenten “scrutinies,” special prayers to help the elect, those preparing for Easter baptism, “to uncover, then heal” the wounds of sin in order to “bring out, then strengthen, all that is upright, strong and good.”

Like the woman at the well, the elect are models for all who follow Jesus. By submitting themselves to the scrutinies, they demonstrate the life-and-death importance of confronting our own darkness: prejudice, envy, fear, malice. They show us the saving power of Christ’s healing mercy. They inspire us to embrace the cross of our weakness so as to be embraced by the glory of life in God. QUESTIONS: Who in your life has helped you see your hidden failings and recognize what is “upright, strong and good” in you? In what area of your life can you let go of illusions to find healing and strength?

SCRIPTURE TO ILLUSTRATE: “The woman said to him, ‘I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.’

Jesus said to her, ‘I am he’” (John 4:25-26a).

Weekly Scripture Scripture for the week of March 3 - March 9 Sunday (Third Sunday of Lent), Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-2, 5-8, John 4:5-42; Monday (Lenten Weekday), 2 Kings 5:1-15, Luke 4:24-30; Tuesday (Lenten Weekday), Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Matthew 18:21-35; Wednesday (Lenten Weekday), Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9, Matthew 5:17-19,; Thursday (Lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 7:23-28, Luke 11:14-23; Friday (Lenten Weekday), Hosea 14:2-10, Mark 12:28-34; Saturday (Lenten Weekday), Hosea 6:1-6, Luke 18:9-14 Scripture for the week of March 10 - March 16 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41; Monday (Lenten Weekday), Isaiah 65:17-21, John 4:43-54; Tuesday (Lenten Weekday), Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, John 5:1-3, 5-16; Wednesday (Lenten Weekday), Isaiah 49:8-15, John 5:17-30; Thursday (Lenten Weekday) Exodus 32:7-14, John 5:31-47; Friday (Lenten Weekday), Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22, John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30; Saturday (Lenten Weekday), Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-53

March 1, 2002

Video Review

By Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are home videocassette reviews from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Film and Broadcasting. Each videocassette is available on VHS format.

Theatrical movies on video have a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. All reviews indicate the appropriate age group for the video audience.

What follows is a list of suggested videos that are appropriate for viewing during the holy season of Lent and hopefully will inspire viewers to live better Christian lives and come closer to Christ.

“The Assisi Underground” (1984) Fact-based story of a Franciscan friar (Ben Cross) who helps set up a network of hiding places for Jewish refugees in Assisi’s monasteries while the local bishop (James Mason) organizes their escape from German-occupied Italy. Directed by Alexander Ramati, the sincere portrayal of the religious setting adds a spiritual dimension to this example of the Christian resistance to Nazi inhumanity. Much menace and some stylized violence. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. (MGM) “Babette’s Feast” (1988) Screen version of a story by Isak Dinesen, set in a rugged Danish fishing village in 1871, shows the impact of a French housekeeper (Stephane Audran) on two pious sisters who carry on their late father’s work as pastor of a dwindling religious flock. The conclusion follows the preparation and consumption of an exquisite French meal, with focus on its sensual and religious implications and its healing effect on the austere sect and the French woman who prepares it. Danish director Gabriel Axel’s low-key and understated work is rich with detail and fine, controlled performances. Subtitles.

Cerebral treatment. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. (Facets) “The Bible” (1966) Six episodes from Genesis (Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah,

Entertainthe Tower of Babel and Abraham) are pictured as literally as they were written, largely leaving their interpretation to the viewer. John Huston directs, narrates and plays the part of Noah in this reverent but entertaining spectacular. George C. Scott as Abraham takes acting honors among a cast including Ava Gardner, Richard Harris, Ulla Bergryd and Michael Parks. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Fox) “Black Robe” (1991) After arriving in 17th-century New France, a Jesuit missionary (Lothaire Bluteau), guided by Algonquins, endures both a dangerous journey through the Canadian wilderness and an Iroquois attack to reach a distant Huron mission. Toward the end director Bruce Beresford manages to put the cultural clash between the humorless priest and the unbelieving Native Americans in a moving spiritual context. Some brief but graphic violence and several shadowy sexual encounters with momentary nudity. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Vidmark) “Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace” (2000) Well-crafted biopic about a German Lutheran minister (Ulrich Tukur) who spoke out against Hitler’s policies and virulent anti-Semitism, all the while smuggling Jews out of Germany and continuing to write about ethics until he was imprisoned and hanged. Director Eric Till gives the philosophical issues a fine human dimension and a sense of urgency in the inspiring true drama and intelligently presents the ethical quandaries Bonhoeffer faced as he struggled to be truly Christian. Brief violence and rear nudity. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Vision Video) “The Burmese Harp” (1956) Badly wounded in Burma at the end of World War II, a Japanese soldier (Shoji Yasui) is nursed back to health by a Buddhist monk, then devotes himself to searching the jungle battlefields for the abandoned remains of dead soldiers to give them a decent burial. Directed by Kon Ichikawa,

The Catholic News & Herald 11

CNS photo from Universal Pictures

Scene from movie ‘Dragonfly’ Linda Hunt stars as Sister Madeline, who advises Dr. Joe Darrow (Kevin Costner) in the movie “Dragonfly.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. the Japanese production takes a strong antiwar stance through a series of flashbacks to the horrors of battle, but uses hauntingly poetic imagery to convey the main theme of life’s value and the need to atone for its loss. Subtitles. Wartime violence. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Ingram International Films) “Captains Courageous” (1937) Spencer Tracy won an Oscar for his performance as Manuel, the simple Portuguese fisherman in Rudyard Kipling’s story

of a spoiled rich boy (Freddie Bartholomew) rescued at sea and turned into a good shipmate by the kind-hearted veteran sailor. Director Victor Fleming provides a gruff but appealing picture of life aboard the fishing boat, backed by some memorable sea scenes and the unsentimental transformation of the youth’s character under Manuel’s manly yet compassionate influence. Youngsters may get teary-eyed at Manuel’s death but all is emotionally resolved in the lad’s homecoming. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.(MGM) “The Face: Jesus in Art” (2001) Exquisite documentary explores artistic representations of Christ through the ages and around the world, detailing how art attempts to comprehend and touch the divine by depicting the human Jesus.

Visually stunning and further enhanced by

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

March 1, 2002

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Praying means sharing life’s joys, sorrows with God,

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Faithfulness in prayer means turning to God in good times and in bad, Pope John Paul II said.

“The Lord is not indifferent to the cries of the suffering and, although not always in ways which coincide with our expectations, he responds, consoles and saves us,” the pope said during his Feb. 27 general audience.

Three days after canceling a visit to a Rome parish because of pain in his right knee, Pope John Paul appeared to have a bit more difficulty walking than usual.

He entered the Paul VI Audience Hall on the moving platform he has used for months to move among the crowd, kissing babies held aloft by aides. One of his secretaries helped him up the 10 steps to his chair in the audience hall, but that was not unusual.

At the end of the audience, however, he needed assistance getting up from his seat, taking one step down to the stage and walking out of the hall.

In his audience talk, Pope John Paul focused on the Canticle of Hezekiah from the Book of Isaiah.

The prayer of the king, recounting his suffering and his recovery, “invites us to reflect on our fragility as creatures,” the 81-year-old pope said.

“We need to rediscover an awareness of our limits,” he said, “to know that ‘the years of our life’ — as the psalmist writes — ‘are 70, or 80 if we are strong, and most of them are fruitless toil for they pass quickly and we drift away.’

“In times of sickness and suffering, then, it is right to raise our lament to God as Hezekiah teaches us using poetic images, describing his cry as the shrill call of the swallow and the moan of a dove,” the pope said.

Hezekiah even says he feels like God is an adversary, “almost a lion breaking his bones,” yet he does not hesitate to invoke God, crying, “‘Lord, I am oppressed, protect me,’” he said.

The lesson of Hezekiah, the pope said, is that in every situation one must hope, pray and have trust that God will not abandon the creatures he has created in love.

But, obviously, he said, Hezekiah does not stop praying when his suffering stops.

“He sings with joy his gratitude for his restored life and salvation,” the pope said.

Christian prayer, he said, “must resound with the same constancy and serenity in the darkness of the night and of trial as well as in the light of day and of joy.”

The table, the cross and the tomb The holiest triduum concludes Lent 2002 with a powerful trilogy. The Last Supper of the Holy Thursday, the cross of the Good Friday, and the tomb of the Holy Saturday. St. John makes a startling statement when he writes: “I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me, will perform the same works as I do myself.” (Jn. 14:12). Does that mean that we can perform as well as Jesus did? Yes, we can.

Our actions show the kind of persons we have become during Lent. Our way of life shows how close or how far we are from the master of the Last Supper, the master of the cross and the master of the tomb.

Will Rogers once told a story about a congressman who prepared a speech but did not have a chance to deliver it.

He asked and received permission to have the speech printed in the Congressional Record. The speech contained all kinds of promises of things he was going to do, so that prosperity will be available to all. At the places where he expected applause, the congressman wrote in the word applause. The printer, unfortunately, had trouble reading the congressman’s handwriting: everyplace where it should have read “applause,” the printer had inserted the word “applesauce” instead. Well, our religion neither requires an applause, nor is applesause. St. Paul also reminds us that we are real and “we must be the same as Christ.” (Phil. 2:5), who is also real.

Knowing Jesus is good, but not good enough. Knowing the Bible is good, but not good enough. Everybody knows that some of the meanest people can quote the Bible backward and forward. The question is “Are they Christ?”

“A Mother’s Magic Moment,” is the title of a little piece a mother wrote about her son several years ago: We had received news of two local families in need, one lacking food and the other lacking clothing. We encouraged our children to dispense with a present for us and contribute something instead toward those two families.

Our son, Chris, was a basketball manager for his college team and was on the road a great deal of the time. He had just been home on a brief visit, and as we were about to say our goodbyes, Chris’s hand reached for mine. “Take this, Mom,” he said and folded some money in my palm. “Use it for one of the families so they can be happy as we are.”

A quick hug and off he went, out the door and down the porch steps. In my hand rested a crisp $100 bill. With the little money Chris had to live on in college, he must have been saving for weeks. I stood still a moment, then down the steps I sprinted, opened the car door and sat down next to him. He gave me a warm, wonderful hug. In an instant, I was no longer sitting with my 20-year-old son, but my

Family Reflections ANDREW & TERRI LYKE Guest Columnists

riage, we open ourselves to God’s shaping and direction, which brings joy far above any temporal happiness of our own design.

Indeed, married partners can be each other’s “crosses.” Instead of looking for happiness in marriage, we should look for God and embrace the cross. And what joy there is when we discover God there in good times and bad, in sickness and health, ‘til death us do part.

Questions for Reflection: • When have you experienced joy when plans went awry?

• How does the pursuit of happiness get in the way of committed love in your life?

• Does the Paschal Mystery speak to your experiences of marriage and family?

Guest Column Father John Aurilia Guest Columnist OFM Cap

Chris of five, who once forgave someone who had stolen his toy car because, “Mom, he must need it more than me.”

A part of me wanted my boy of five back. Then he spoke, “Please get out of the car, Mom, before I cry too.” I hugged him one more time and told him how very happy some family was going to be because of his generosity. At that moment I saw Christ in my son, Chris.

From a mother’s story to a father’s experience: The father knelt down beside his little girl’s bed. It was time for prayers, hugs and tucking in. The little girl began her childhood prayer she had repeated many times before....

Now I lay down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

This particular night, the words got mixed up. “If I should wake before I die,” the child said. When, she realized her mistake, she stopped in embarrassment. “Oh, Daddy, I got all mixed up,” she said. To which her daddy responded tenderly: “Not at all, my dear. That may be the first time that prayer was properly prayed.” What that good daddy meant, of course, was that before we die we are being called to wake up to the gospel truth about the meaning and purpose of our lives. If the Last Supper, the cross and the tomb don’t make sense, then nothing else will. Our great Greek philosopher Plato said that the human being is a “featherless bi-ped.” That may be so for him; for God we are Jesus and if you are close to God and his infinite grace, You don’t have to tell, it shows on your face.

Accepting spiritual happiness Last night we spent an evening with several students at DePaul University. We were invited to speak to them about marriage. We shared with the young adults the difference between marrying for happiness and being happily married. The line from the 1971 movie Lovers and Other Strangers where an adult son informs his parents of his impending divorce comes to mind. The mother tells her son, “Don’t look for happiness, Richie. It’ll only make you miserable.

Happiness and the pursuit of it can be major obstacles for living a life-long, committed marriage. They are as American as apple pie, and third only to Life and Liberty in our national psyche. However, when happiness is the goal of marriage, spouses close the door to the amazing grace of God that they can neither plan nor anticipate. When marriage is just another pursuit of happiness it’s too easily discarded when happiness is elusive, even for the moment.

Even when planning a vacation we have to take the trip itinerary with a grain of salt. Only when we veer from the planned schedule are we capable of real discovery. Otherwise we get only what we planned for.

For us the joy of vacations, like happiness in marriage, comes from the unplanned experiences that happen even when (and often because) plans go awry. It’s a matter of submission. Our plans, our needs, and our happiness only go as far as our imaginations will take us. When we submit ourselves to God’s will we find that a much deeper joy is an outcome.

By entering into the Paschal Mystery: the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, we tap into God’s grace. Accepting the cross of “being unhappy” in mar-

March 1, 2002

Editorials & Col-

Guest Column REV. MR. CURTISS TODD Vice chancellor and vicar for African American Affairs Ministry Guest Columnist initiative to publicize and promote the many positive and varied contributions of black people throughout American history. He chose the second week of February because it marks the birthdays of two men who had a large impact on the African-American population, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Due to Dr. Woodson’s leadership, for one week out of a year, the achievements of blacks in education, science, literature, medicine, politics, religion and other areas that had been generally suppressed were taught and recognized. In 1976, as a result of the efforts of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, Black History Week became Black History Month. From then until now, we highlight the contributions and achievements of blacks, not for a week out of the year, but a month.

In talking about Black History Month, I have heard it said, “What do those people want? They had a week. Then they got a month. The next thing you know, they’ll be asking for a year.” To this, my response is, “That is exactly what we want and what we’re asking for.” Although this is the year 2002 and institutionalized slavery and laws protecting and promoting segregation based on race have been legally abolished, covert discrimination and racial hatred unfortunately still exists. The varied, and positive contributions of blacks in all areas of American life, not just sports and entertainment, should be not be used in the Eucharist.

The current confusion seems to arise from differing medical assumptions about how much gluten celiac sufferers can tolerate. The American policy is related to medical opinion in the United States that, it seems to me, predominantly considers even the smallest amount of gluten dangerous.

Judging from the voluminous mail I’ve received, those with the disease report amazingly diverse, sometimes contradictory, experiences of what they can and cannot bear. Apparently on advice from their physicians, some believe they can tolerate part of an ordinary Communion host. For others even a tiny piece excites the allergy.

Medical judgment elsewhere can differ from that in the United States. The Italian Celiac Association, basing its conclusion on the advice of physicians in that country, says the small amount of gluten in the new formula satisfies church requirements, yet is too insignificant to be a health problem for celiac patients.

Italian bishops basically approved the conclusion that Communion hosts made using this process are valid matter for the Eucharist and may be used at Mass.

To my knowledge, hosts made with the new German formula have not yet been used in the United States, and American celiac specialists have not yet evaluated it.

Information readers of this column might relay to me will be appreciated. As I’ve indicated when treating this subject in the past, the number of people suffering from this disease is far greater than most of us imagine.

Catholics will be grateful in a special way for any formula that allows them to receive the Communion host without further endangering their health.

A free brochure describing basic Catholic prayers, beliefs and moral precepts is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 325, Peoria, IL 61651.

Historical and spiritual origin of Black History Month For several reasons, from the minute the first African slave was brought to this country, black people have, more often than not, been portrayed as lazy, sub-human, shiftless, uneducable, inherently inferior, a contributor only of crime, drunkenness and disease, and worth only a fraction of whites. Not so publicized were such things as their receiving brutal beatings, being lynched, children being sold away from their mothers and other atrocious, inhumane acts. In general, between 1619 and 1926, blacks in America were classified in the above manner and were considered a race of people that had made no positive contribution to human civilization at all. Blacks were visibly absent from any scholarship or intellectual discourse that dealt with human civilization. This attitude was the catalyst for the establishment by Dr. Carter G. Woodson of what we now celebrate as “Black History Month.”

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950), born to parents who were former slaves, earned a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in 1912. He became an educator, serving as dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Howard University and at West Virginia Institute (now West Virginia State College). He was disturbed to find that history books largely ignored African-Americans, and when they were pictured, it was in the negative stereotype that was prevalent at that time. Dr. Woodson decided to leave mainstream academia to devote his life to the scientific study of the positive black experiences and contributions in America, Africa and the world. Among many books that he authored are “Education of the Negro Prior to 1861” (1915), “History of the Negro Church,” (1921) and “The Rural Negro” (1930). In 1915, he established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. In 1916, he founded, and until 1950, edited a quarterly publication “The Journal of Negro History.” In 1937, he founded the monthly publication “The Negro History Bulletin.” In 1926, he started what he called Negro History Week as an

See Rev. Mr Curtiss Todd, page 15

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

The church’s position on gluten hosts Q. You have written some helpful columns in the past on celiac disease. I hope you can clear up my confusion about recent newspaper articles on the church’s position regarding gluten hosts.

We are told that European bishops have approved hosts with low gluten, whereas the American bishops have not. Why is there a difference between what they can do in other countries and what we can do here? (Florida) A. Celiac disease, or celiac sprue, is an inherited disorder in which intolerance to the protein gluten causes insufficient absorption of food in the intestine. It can become a serious, even fatal, illness. Gluten is found in rye, barley, oats and wheat.

Obviously, this constitutes a major problem for Catholics so afflicted. General Catholic teaching is that there must be at least some gluten in Communion hosts for a valid celebration of the Eucharist. This teaching was repeated in 1995 by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Earlier this year the bishops of Italy approved an extremely low-gluten eucharistic host, developed in Germany, for those who are allergic to wheat flour. This is consistent with Catholic requirements that hosts with no gluten whatsoever should not be used.

The policy adopted by the U.S. bishops adheres to that requirement; hosts that are entirely gluten-free may

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Letter to the Diocese The Most Rev. Joseph Lawson Howze First Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Dear Bishop Curlin, priests, deacons, sisters and brothers of religious community, and the laity of the Diocese of Charlotte, family, relatives and friends: When I received the sad news of the death of Bishop Michael J. Begley, the first bishop of Charlotte, I realized that I would be unable to make travel plans to get to Charlotte in time for the funeral. I am writing this letter instead. It is a hopeless task to try to express my feelings by mere words, but I hope this letter will let you know I share this grief with you. I trust it is some consolation to you that I am celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass and offering the prayers of the holy rosary for the repose of the soul of Bishop Begley and for your own intentions.

It was my honored privilege to know Bishop Begley for 48 years. I met him as a seminarian when he was directory of Catholic Charities and the superintendent of the Nazareth Orphanage of the Diocese of Raleigh. When I came to Charlotte in my first assignment as associate pastor of Our Lady of Consolation, Bishop Begley was the founding pastor of St. Ann parish. Later, Bishop Begley was assigned to St. Leo Church in Winston-Salem and Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro. From there he was appointed by Pope Paul VI as the first bishop of Charlotte in 1971. He was my first bishop when I was appointed as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, Miss., in 1972, and later the first bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi, Miss., in 1977.

Like all of you, I know that Bishop Begley is a historical part of my priestly ministry of the church. I share my sorrow with you in the passing of this great and good priest, bishop and friend.

Sincerely yours in Christ, Joseph Lawson Howze The First Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

Quilting for a

By Ellen Neerincx Sigmon Correspondent NEWTON — A sentence on their flier said it all: YOU can make a difference.

Joan Waryold, a parishioner of St. Therese Catholic Church in Mooresville and a Catawba County resident, had just that in mind when she organized the Catawba Angel Network last July. “You hear so much today of, ‘What can I do?’” she said. “But you get together with ten other women, and there’s a lot you can do.”

The Catawba Angel Network is a group of women from the community that meets monthly to sew, crochet and knit with a purpose. Since July, they have produced over 60 quilts, along with many knitted or crocheted blankets, hats, slippers and booties.

In March, they plan to deliver these items to the Catawba County battered women’s shelter and the Pregnancy Care Center, two organizations that they have adopted because they help women and children.

Waryold had been looking for a way to do something to help the prolife cause. Trish Gabriel, a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Newton who has attended the last two pro-life rallies in Washington, D.C., was also looking. “This is a ministry for us,” said Gabriel.

They found each other through the Catawba County Extension and Community Association where they are both long-time members. The association was willing to sponsor the group, so they meet at the Agricultural Resources Center on the fourth Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some of the members come in, set up

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March 1, 2002

Around the Di-

Photos by Ellen Neerincx Sigmon

Pictured left, Joan Waryold showed the women present at the meeting a wall hanging that she made for a recent competition.

their sewing machines, and start to work. Others come by to drop off completed items and to pick up materials for new projects.

“The nice thing is that you don’t have to stay the whole time,” said Gabriel, a professional quilt maker and designer. “It’s a flexible thing.”

Waryold said that the group also has many elderly or shut-in members who work on items at home and don’t come to the meetings. She said that her 93-year-old mother-in-law, Dolly Waryold, does just that, and is the oldest member of the group.

The group is not limited to Catholic members. During the February meeting, Pauline Poovey, a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, showed the group some small caps that she has knitted for newborn babies. Rachel Sigman, a member of St. Paul’s

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Pictured above are Tina Sherrill, Joan Waryold, Trish Gabriel, Pauline Poovey and Rachel Sigman who stand behind a table piled with quilts, blankets and other knitted or crocheted items that their group has produced since July.

The group plans to make its first deliveries to Catawba County’s battered women’s shelter and Pregnancy Care Center in March.

Reformed Church, and Pat Deblois, a member of New Hope Moravian Church, come in and set up their machines to start sewing.

“That’s what’s nice — the different denominations coming together,” said Waryold.

“Life would be boring if we just dealt with the same people all the time,” added Poovey, laughing.

Tina Sherrill, a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, helped Waryold to sort through the quilts and stamp them in preparation for next month’s delivery. The stamp read, “Handmade with Love by: ‘Catawba Angel Network’ Catawba County Extension and Community Association.”

“This is a comfort thing for the

child — they take it with them,” said Waryold. “A lot of times they come in with only the clothes on their backs.”

“We both realize the importance of every child having their own comfort blanket or quilt,” said Gabriel.

People in the community can help the group in various ways, said Waryold and Gabriel. The group needs donations of yarn, fabric and batting and will welcome any new members who want to make items to be donated. The next meeting of the group is Friday, March 22. For more information, call Joan Waryold at 704-483-9818 or Trish Gabriel at 828-459-7074.

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March 1, 2002

Around the Di-

Chaplains minister to spiritual well-being of

By Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay Correspondent Chaplains are priests who have been assigned by the local ordinary to specific communities to encourage and enhance the spiritual growth and pastoral welfare of those communities. The Diocese of Charlotte is fortunate to have three such chaplains working with its young men and women.

Franciscan Father Steve Hoyt is assigned to Charlotte Catholic High School; Father Christopher Roux is assigned to Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville; and Father John Hanic is assigned to Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte. “(Chaplains) are present to serve the sacramental needs of both students and staff, as well as spiritual needs that go beyond that of counseling,” said Father Roux.

“Chaplains provide a religious presence of the ordained minister in the midst of the daily student routine.

In most cases, the chaplain is the only priest experience most of these students have outside of their own parishes,” said Father Hanic.

“One of the most important aspects of my ministry is to encourage vocations to both the priesthood and the religious life,” added Father Roux.

The three chaplains take care of the eucharistic liturgies for holy days and special occasions within the school year. For these liturgies, the students are the lectors, as well as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist at the high school level. The students also provide the music and choir for the liturgies.

In addition to the special liturgies, the chaplains also offer daily Masses at their respective facilities within the confines of their daily schedules.

The chaplains are always available for sacramental confession. They also offer their students, either by individual class or by schoolwide participation, penitential prayer services during which a homily on forgiveness and a good, thorough examination of conscience is presented. These penitential services are followed with the rite of sacramental reconciliation.

In some cases during the church season of Advent or Lent, additional priests from the area parishes are brought in to facilitate the administration of the sacrament.

Even though it is not required of him, Father Hanic usually spends about 45 minutes before the start of school greeting students and parents before starting his normal school day.

“This is something that the parents seem to appreciate,” said Father Hanic.

The chaplains sometimes step into the religion classes to discuss the topics of the day, thus showing the students that their teachers and the church are all on the same page.

Father Hanic sees his presence as “making Christ more visible throughout the school, thus, making the day a unique Catholic experience for the students.”

Father Roux finds his ministry of chaplain to be “completely satisfying as I am able to exercise the ministry that God has graciously bestowed upon me.”

Contact Correspondent Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay by calling (336) 427-8218 or e-mail gpotkay@triad.rr.com.

Rev. Mr. Curtiss Todd, from page 13 taught and acknowledged in history and text books in the same way and manner as those of whites.

Revelations 6:9 says, “Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.” As members of the family of

The Catholic News & Herald 15

the Diocese of Charlotte, we should believe and proclaim that we are all God’s children: we are all created in His image and likeness; we are all brother and sister to one another, and more importantly, to Jesus. When we profess one another equally, when we understand and accept our differences, when we believe that Jesus came for all humankind, it is then that some of the stereotypes and negative myths about blacks can begin to be eliminated. It is then that we begin not only to profess, but to live the message of Jesus.

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

Mother’s love continues to spread through son’s

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer MORGANTON — Although Rev. Mr. George McMahon’s mother died when he was nine, she had a profound impact on his later life. He especially missed her cooking and the sound of her voice as she would pray and read him bedtime stories, but her influence was instrumental in his spiritual and personal development.

“I recall her vividly. She was a wonderful woman who gave me my foundation about the church and my belief in God,” said Rev. Mr. McMahon. “At that time, I couldn’t understand how my mother could die when she was such a good person.”

The cradle Catholic was very dedicated to his faith and said that his childhood catechism classes provided comfort and a sense of structure for him. He grew up in his Pennsylvania household with his father, a postal worker and storeowner, and mother, who took care of her four children until her death.

“After she died, my grandmother and aunts expanded on my religion. My grandmother was a convert and was very faithful to the Catholic Church,” he said.

He brought his faith with him as he entered Gannon University in Erie, Penn., a Catholic college. His mother’s dedication to Mary helped him through his four years. “I was particularly close to the Blessed Mother when I went to college and prayed daily to her,” he said.

“I began to open my mind and let her

(Mary) into my heart. I attended Mass daily in the latter part of my college years and spent a lot of time reflecting on my faith.”

When not in class, McMahon’s part-time work paid his college tuition and room and board until he earned his bachelor of arts degree in business administration in 1958. Two months after graduation, he entered the Army and was shipped to San Antonio. Some of the dust on his path in life did not settle until he became aware of one the reasons for his time in the Texas town — Annette.

She was studying to be a nurse, and the young couple met on a blind date. After several dates, it did not take long for the couple to fall in love. They married in 1961, and Mrs. McMahon converted to her husband’s faith after the birth of the first of their eight children. After working for a phone company for eight years, they moved to Connecticut where McMahon accepted a management position with a correspondence school. He later became a city manager, working with financial affairs and personnel after moving to Florida in 1972.

He viewed this new endeavor as an opportunity to spread his faith and his love of Christ. It also served as a way for him to polish his teaching skills because he had begun teaching faith formation immediately after college. “I looked at it (his job as a city manager) as more of a ministry rather than a career. I felt strongly that my main responsibility was to care for and help people,” he said.

“I wanted people to feel free and open to

March 1, 2002

In 1997, he went to New Hampshire discuss things with me.” to be near his sister who had cancer After a year, he moved to Pennsyland his son and daughter-in-law, who vania to take care of his sick aunt who had been named deputy ambassador had raised him after his mother had died. to Canada. While there, he had several In 1976, he was hired as the city mancardiac operations and decided it was ager of Maitland, Fla. time to retire. They wanted to be close to During his years in the Sunshine their children who were living in North State, he became acquainted with a Carolina. So, the couple couple of deacons moved back in 1999, who were influential and he was assigned to in his life. The first St. Charles Borromeo stirrings of ordained Church in Morganton. ministry began to “I often think of mymanifest themselves self as a nomad because in his mind. UnI’ve traveled a lot, but fortunately, while it was always for work his spirit was deor family. During those veloping through years, I feel like I had an eucharistic ministry impact on my employees’ and teaching faith lives,” said Rev. Mr. Mcformation, his body Mahon. “For each place and mind began to I’ve moved, I’ve learned fail him. A couple more about God and a of strokes left his different dimension of hands slightly weak my faith.” and affected his Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Rev. Mr. McMahon memory, but he kept George McMahon credits his wife with pushing forward. “It keeping him on track had to do with the during all of their wanintensity of the job,” derings throughout the country. He he said. “I realized that I should be in a says that since retirement, he has time less stressful job in the same career.” to “do all of the things God wants him After he heard about another opento do” — spending more time with his ing for city manager, the family moved faith, family and his ministries, which to Beach Mountain, N.C., near Boone, in include prison, mentally challenged 1985. While in the mountainous territoand LANDINGS. ry, he applied for the diocesan permanent “My wife has drawn me closer to diaconate program and was accepted; he my faith with the love we have for each was ordained in June 1989. other and for God,” said the grandfa“My formation classes were really ther of nine. “My wife has been very great. The drive down to Belmont for much a part of the diaconate and has classes through the Blue Ridge Moungiven me support throughout our lives tains was beautiful,” he said. “My wife together.” went down to some of the classes with me, and she was very supportive.”

Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. After a few years, he wanted to rePrice by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail turn to a warmer climate. They moved amprice@charlottediocese.org. back to Florida in 1990, where he accepted a county management position in Wachula in Hardee County, Fla. He was assigned to a mission church and worked with immigrant workers, faith formation and sick and shut-in ministry. Not satisfied with county government, he accepted a job as a city manager in 1992 in Edgewater, Fla., on the coast.