March 10, 2000

The Catholic News & Herald 1

March 10, 2000

March 10, 2000 Volume 9 t Number 27

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

Inside

Hispanic Ministry

Irish Dancing

Put on your ghillies and dance a ceili

Report shows Hispanic Catholic boom in some unlikely places

...Page 3

Pope urges aid to floodstricken Mozambique ...Page 2

Jesuit House of Prayer facility restored, readied ...Page 7

Photo by Joann S. Keane

World Day of Prayer 14-year-old Cecelia Pueschel holds a candle while Sister Maxine Tancraitor, C.D.P. lights the candle in a symbol of unity. See story, page 8.

By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Since 1960, Hispanics have accounted for 71 percent of the growth in the U.S. Catholic Church.

While such a statistic may not come as a surprise in El Paso or Miami, the Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., isn’t where most Americans would expect to find an 84 percent increase in the number of Hispanics over six years.

Charlotte topped the list of dioceses

See HISPANIC MINISTRY, page 5

L o c a l N e w s Support Appeal an avenue for stewardship, says director

Operation Rice Bowl launched for Lent

...Page 9

Living the Faith

Black History Month celebrated at St. Lawrence Basilica

...Page 16

Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13

The Season of Lent “Lent: A Time of Reconciliation”

A column by Father Fidel Melo

18-19. Pledge reminders will be sent in

By JIMMY ROSTAR early May to donors choosing to give Associate Editor over a six-month period.

CHARLOTTE — As the annual “On Appeal Sunday, in Diocesan Support Appeal nears its most parishes a lay presentclosing later this month, its director er shares about what the said the appeal opens the doors to DSA means to them,” said Christ while providing an opportunity Rohrman. “Many times, for Christian stewardship. it is someone who has re“The DSA provides us in the ceived help from the DSA diocese a chance to live the Beatitudes or who is a parish leader and the corporal works of mercy,” said who knows about the Barbara Rohrman, associate director benefits of the appeal.” of development and director of the While letters and Diocesan Support Appeal. “More and pledge cards have almore people are emready been mailed to bracing that spiritualAs of March 6, registered Catholics ity — that self-giving 51 percent of this in the diocese, Appeal stewardship — and because of that, the year’s $3.14 million goal Sunday Weekend invites those who have DSA does so well every had been pledged. The yet to respond to give. year.”

“It’s also a way of The support apappeal officially closes reaching out to those peal is the Diocese of with Appeal Sunday new parishioners who Charlotte’s primary fund-raising effort, Weekend, March 18-19. perhaps did not get a letproviding moneys for Pledge reminders will ter or pledge card in the mail,” said Rohrman.

35 vocational, educabe sent in early May to “This diocese is growtional, social service and multi-cultural min- donors choosing to give ing so quickly that in istries of the diocese. over a six-month period. just the short month since the first mailing Reflecting the church’s went out, many people celebration of the juhave joined parishes.” bilee year, the theme With that rapid of this year’s appeal is growth comes an ever“Open Wide the Doors to Christ.” pressing need for outreach through As of March 6, 51 percent of this ministry, said Rohrman. The past year’s $3.14 million goal had been several issues of The Catholic News pledged. The appeal officially closes & Herald have brought readers several with Appeal Sunday Weekend, March

glimpses of how the appeal touches the lives of thousands throughout the western half of North Carolina.

The permanent diaconate, the lay ministry program, a preparation program for engaged couples, Hispanic Ministry, Catholic Social Services, youth ministry, campus ministry and faith formation are but a few of the ways the DSA brings ministry to those who need or seek it.

“When we open wide the doors to Christ, we open ourselves to something that is all-inclusive,” Rohrman said. “When we dedicate ourselves to serving Christ, we are provided with an opportunity to recognize him in all people. At the same time, we are called to be Christ for others.”

Through the efforts of the DSA, Rohrman added, parishioners live their commitment to giving of their time, talent and treasure.

“Each year, more and more people embrace the DSA as another avenue for their stewardship,” she said. “They are participating in the mission of the church.” t Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Rostar by calling (704) 370-3334 or e-mail jtrostar@charlottediocese.org

2 The Catholic News & Herald Conference reviews CatholicJewish relations, looks to future ST. LEO, Fla. (CNS) — Experts at a national conference described Catholic-Jewish relations as flourishing, with no small amount of credit due to Pope John Paul II. They also looked at the future, as the start of the third millennium brings what Rabbi A. James Rudin called a “new frontier of Jewish-Catholic relations.” Rabbi Rudin, interreligious affairs director for the American Jewish Committee in New York, was among some 60 Catholic and Jewish leaders who came to The Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University, northeast of Tampa, for its third annual CatholicJewish conference. “There have been more positive encounters between Jews and Catholics in the last 35 years than there were in the first 2,000 years of the church,” said Rabbi Rudin, one of the featured speakers.

Sierra Leone Caritas official says abductions may halt aid work FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (CNS) — If rebel abductions of aid workers and U.N. peacekeepers in Sierra Leone continue, the Catholic Church’s local charitable agency may suspend operations, said a Caritas official. “If they continue, we have no alternative but to cease operations,” John Conteh, monitoring and evaluation officer for Caritas, told Catholic News Service.

He said the frequent abductions have caused Caritas workers to fear venturing into the interior of Sierra Leone, where the agency’s projects are based.

“We have partners we are working with. If abductions continue, they will cease aiding us,” he added.

Religious leaders, ‘Granny D’ back campaign finance changes WASHINGTON (CNS) — Religious leaders who have fought for significant changes in federal campaign financing over the last three years now have a high-profile ally in Doris Haddock, the 90-year-old “Granny D” who walked across the country for the cause. Haddock met with two members of Congress who are pushing for campaign finance changes and representatives of the group Religious

Pope urges aid to flood-stricken Mozambique

CNS photo by Debbie Hill

Pope to visit Palestinian refugee camp Huda Salameh, 70, cooks a meal with her granddaughter, Lara, on the floor of their tiny house at the Dehiyshe Refugee Camp just outside Bethlehem. Salameh has lived in the camp since 1948. Pope John Paul II is to make a stop there during his March visit to the Holy Land.

Colombia Caritas says government must aid massacre survivors WASHINGTON (CNS) — While the church can offer some aid to survivors of a paramilitary massacre in northern Colombia, the government must take responsibility for helping the people, said the director of Caritas Colombia. “For me the problem is how the army didn’t know” that paramilitaries were in the town for four days killing the people, said Msgr. Hector Henao Gaviria, head of Caritas Colombia. “Four days — and it is not very far from the army. So I think the Colombian government has a responsibility there, and they must help the people,” he said. In late February in El Salado, in the Archdiocese of Cartagena, paramilitaries cut the throats of more than 40 people, including one in a church. Investigators said a 200-man death squad murdered the villagers during a four-day raid in the community in Bolivar province.

Episcopal March 10, 2000 Volume 9 • Number 27

Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Associate Editor: Jimmy Rostar Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Production Associate: Julie Radcliffe Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Jane Glodowski 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 10, 2000

The World in

c a l e n-

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: March 12 — 3 pm Rite of Election St. Lawrence Basilica, Asheville March 14 — 11 am Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte March 15 — 12:15 pm Ecumenical Lenten Lecture and Service St. Pius X, Greensboro March 15 — 7:15 pm Rite of Election St. Pius X, Greensboro March 16 — 7:15 pm Rite of Election St. Matthews, Charlotte

Leaders for Campaign Finance Reform at a March 2 forum at the Capitol. At the forum, Haddock said her trek had a spiritual dimension to it. “God often speaks to us with crazy ideas,” she said.

The House has twice passed campaign finance bills only to see them stall in the Senate. In 1997, the religious leaders’ group said passage of bills then under consideration “will go a long way toward meeting moral standards and restoring credibility and public trust in the democratic process.”

Diocesan

plan -

364-5431 for details.

20 CHARLOTTE — All women of Charlotte and the surrounding areas are invited to a morning of prayer and reflection, sponsored the St. Gabriel Church Women’s Club, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at 3016 Providence Rd. Jesuit Father Vince Alagia, the featured speaker, is also hearing confessions at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 364-5431.

21 GREENSBORO — The Franciscan Center is having a “Chrism Day of Reflection” today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with Mass followed by lunch and a talk

by Franciscan Father Louis Canino, director of the center. To make reservation by March 16, call Mary Violante at (336) 282-4099.

24 HICKORY — Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat: A Journey of Post-Abortion Healing is taking place at the Catholic Conference Center, 1551 Trin-

By John Thavis Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II urged international aid to flood-stricken Mozambique, where thousands were feared dead in the wake of a cyclone.

As aid agencies scrambled to provide emergency food and medical assistance to hundreds of thousands of survivors, the pope praised the international response but said more was needed.

Speaking at a Sunday blessing March 5, the pope said his thoughts were with “the people of Mozambique, who are experiencing a tragedy of unprecedented proportions caused by the serious flooding that has stricken a vast portion of the country.”

The worst areas of flooding were in Mozambique’s Limpopo River valley, about 100 miles northeast of the capital, Maputo. Despite deliveries of emergency supplies by helicopter, aid workers said they risked running out of safe water in camps where more than 200,000 people were being temporarily sheltered.

The Mozambican government has not made an official estimate of the dead, but relief agencies said the final toll is likely to be in the thousands.

Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency, said March 2 it was sending an assessment team to the region to begin an emergency response in cooperation with local church partners.

If your parish chooses to take up a special offering, please contribute in that way. Alternately, individual conations may be sent by check payable to the “Diocese of Charlotte — Mozambique Relief ” and mailed to the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203. All money collected will be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services, which is the U.S. Catholic community’s official overseas relief effort. t

ity Lane, this weekend. This retreat, facilitated by Dr. Martha Shuping, psychiatrist and pastoral minister, and Debbie Woodhams, licensed professional counselor and the president of Transfiguration Ministries, is one that focuses on a biblical healing process based on Dr. Burke’s book “Rachel’s Vineyard.” The weekend includes discussions, prayer, living Scripture exercises, private letter writing and a memorial service. Participation is strictly confidential and offers an opportunity to experience God’s love, forgiveness and compassion. For more information, call Dr. Shuping at (336) 659-1342.

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

March 10, 2000

The Catholic News & Herald 3

Around the Di-

Put on your ghillies and dance a

By Alesha M. Price Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — For those not familiar with Irish dance terms, ghillies are soft dance shoes, and a ceili is an Irish dance or gathering. Since the arrival of “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance,” the popularity of Irish dancing has gained momentum in the United States. Although the dancing that many Americans have seen on stage and on screen differs in some ways from tradition, many local children and adults have joined the Irish dancing craze. For many, the dancing has a deeper meaning — one reaching back to Ireland.

“I was dancing before ‘Riverdance,’” joked Emily Adkisson. Adkisson, a freshman at Bishop McGuinness High School and a St. Leo the Great Church parishioner, who has been dancing for six years. Her Irish lineage comes from her mother’s side with her great-grandparents who immigrated to America. “This is really neat because it is something my ancestors would have done,” she said. “It is good exercise, and it is fun.” In celebration of her heritage, she also plays the Celtic harp, a smaller version of a concert harp, and reads about Irish history and culture.

Mrs. Adkisson travels back and forth from Winston-Salem to Charlotte at least twice a week for her daughter to attend dance classes. “It does get tiring, but this is something we do as a family. The competitions are family-oriented because my girls share, practice and work together.

They are learning self-discipline and how to be gracious winners and losers, and this helps with values that you try to teach them,” said Mrs. Adkisson.

Rince Na h’Eireann, meaning “dance of Ireland,” is the name of Sandra Connick’s dance school that Adkisson attends. Connick, originally from Cork, Ireland, has been living in America for seven years. The family moved here because her oldest daughat the Broadmoor Golf Club on French Broad Lane, off of Airport Rd. The festivities start at 7 p.m. with door prizes, a corned beef and cabbage dinner and music by Joe Lavin and his band. For tickets and details, call George Dunham at (828) 298-0085. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an international organization dedicated to friendship, unity and Catholic charity.

HENDERSONVILLE — The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and Sweepstakes tonight at Immaculata School, 711 Buncombe St. The dinner of corned beef, cabbage, vegetables, bread and dessert is being served at 6 p.m. with post time at 7:30 p.m. For ticket and other information, call the Immaculate Conception Church office at (828) 693-6901.

19 CHARLOTTE — St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., is celebrating Mass at 2:30 p.m. and the sacrament of anointing of the sick to powerfully demonstrate Jesus’ presence among us as our healer and comforter. Call the church office at (704)

Photo by Alesha M. Price

The 16 and older ladies group from Rince Na h’Eireann dance school in Charlotte practice their routine for the world Irish dancing competition held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during late April around Easter. The young women are one of three groups traveling along with three soloists to compete with other Irish dancers from around the world. ter Sarah, now 11, has cerebral palsy.

After researching schools, she and her husband William moved with their son Killian, now 9, to Charlotte to enroll Sarah in the St. Mark’s In-School Program in Billingsley Elementary School, said Connick.

Connick, who had been involved with Irish dancing since she was a child, began the school in 1993 with the help of a registered teacher. At the time, there were no registered schools in Charlotte or in North Carolina; one of Connick’s former students has since started a dance school in Raleigh. Her sister Aine Walsh-Kelley began teaching with Connick until Walsh-Kelley began her own school. Now, the sisters good-naturedly compete against one another.

Connick is a member of the Irish

Dance Teachers’ Association of North America and the Irish Dancing Commission of Ireland. She had to go through an extensive examination process in order to become certified.

For over two years, Connick’s partner, Pam Pierce, has helped her in her teaching. Pierce, who is from Dublin, Ireland, has been living in the states for over 20 years. She met Connick after enrolling her daughters in the school in Charlotte and began to help out with teaching. She has been dancing for many years, also beginning when she was very young.

Connick has 160 children enrolled in her Charlotte school and nearly 80 in her recently opened Winston-Salem school. She opened the new school because of the demand in the Triad area.

Throughout the year, the students

March 13 WINSTON-SALEM — Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1919 South Main St., is having its parish Lenten mission, beginning tonight through March 15 from 7:30-9 p.m. with Father John Hoover, pastor and director of the New Creation Monastery in Boonville, N.C. Topics of discussion include the domestic church, sacraments, liturgy and the millennium. A free will donation is also being taken. For details, call the church office at (336) 722-7001.

14 GREENSBORO — For a Salesian perspective on the Eucharist, St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., is hosting Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father Michael S. Murray from the De Sales Spirituality Center. His presentation, “Summit of Compassion,” is taking place tonight from 7:30-8:30 p.m. and tomorrow morning from 10-11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. For more information, call the church office at (336) 294-4696.

15 GREENSBORO — The Greens-

boro Council of Catholic Women’s Lenten Retreat begins this morning with 10 a.m. Mass and light refreshments at Our Lady of Grace Church, 2205 West Market St. The retreat continues this month on March 22 and 29 and next month on April 5 and 12.

On April 12, there will be a finger food luncheon after the Mass. For more information, call Lillian Leonard, council president, at (336) 299-0736.

18 ASHEVILLE — For parish leaders and interested people in the Western areas of the diocese, Glenmary Father John Rausch is the featured speaker, and the topic is “Catholic Teaching, Principles and Skills of Social Analysis: Transforming Society and Putting Your Faith to Work.” The event, sponsored by St. Eugene Church, 1 Culvern St., and the Office of Justice and Peace, is being held today from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For further information, call Jerry Bergeron at the church office at (828) 254-5193.

BELMONT — The Fourth Annual St. Patrick’s Day Emerald Ball to benefit

literally kick up their heels — all dancing is done on the toes with arms straight at the sides— at feishanas throughout the Southern region, consisting of East Coast states from Maryland to Florida, all the way to Texas. Feishanas, plural for feis, are regular competitions or festivals held throughout the year. The students can hone their craft, showcase their skill and practice for the oireachtas, the qualifying round for the world championships in Ireland, explained Connick.

After placing in the top positions at the Southern Region oireachtas held in Baltimore, Md., in December, 26 students from Rince Na h’Eireann qualified to take the trip to Belfast, Ireland, for the competition with students from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Australia, United States and New Zealand. This is the school’s third trip to Ireland for the world championship.

Three teams — boys and girls under 13, girls under 16 and senior ladies 16 and over — and three soloists — Emily Adkisson, Caitlin Gill and Oliver Shock — will be competing in April around Easter in the ceili championships and the solo championships.

Pierce Beach is one of four boys competing with the mixed team.

Eleven-year-old Beach said being one of a few boys in the school doesn’t make him uncomfortable. “We have all known each other for so long that we are like brothers and sisters. I like Irish dancing because it is competitive and fun. I’ve been to Ireland for competition and saw where my grandfather’s grandma was baptized,” said Beach.

The fifth grader at St. Patrick School has been dancing for three and a half years.

Judi Burchard, the business manager at Sacred Heart Church, and her daughter nine-year-old Katie Tobias, who is in fourth grade at Sacred Heart

See IRISH DANCING, page 5 Holy Angels Inc. is being held from 8 p.m.-12 midnight in Founders Hall in the Bank of America Corporate Center in uptown Charlotte. The event, sponsored by the Emerald Ball Committee, is semi-formal and features heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages, dancing to big band music by Reflections and Irish blues by The Federals, a cash bar and a silent auction.

The Irish dance group from Rince na h’Eireann is also performing during the evening. For sponsor and ticket information, call Linda Dyer Hart at (704) 542-6846 or Suzanne Jeffries at (704) 825-4161. Holy Angels is a private, nonprofit corporation founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1956 which provides residential services and programs for mentally, physically and developmentally challenged children and adults.

FLETCHER — The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Cross and Shamrock Division - #1 N.C., is holding its 7th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

4 The Catholic News & Herald

March 10, 2000

Around the Di-

Textbook evaluations to benefit faith formation

the material to be selected but also in terms of those resources which are pedagogically important.”

One of the members of the parish catechetical committee, Martha Drennan, director of faith formation for St. Therese Church in Mooresville, talked about her experiences with reading through the different textbook series.

“The publishers of the various textbook series are trying hard to address the new General Directory for Catechesis and the incorporation of the catechism. This is good because the publishers should be rooting their materials in church documents, which are central to what we do as catechists,” she said.

“When the diocesan staff members made the instrument for evaluation more user friendly by connecting it to those six tasks for catechesis, I see that as a great improvement because it has to be practical so that people on the parish level can use it,” continued Drennan.

These revised criteria and other supplemental findings were presented to the southern region parish catechetical leaders and teachers at the workshop. Franciscan Sister Bernadette Svatos, Northern Region coordinator, began the workshop with a prayer service and spoke about the history and evolution of catechesis since Vatican II. “The purpose of this workshop was to inform and help parishes who may change what they are using; this serves as a guide for them by pointing out the strong and weak points of various textbook series,” said Sister Bernadette. “They should use materials that employ good teaching methods based on life experiences and methodology using the senses and their own life experiences.”

Some parishes have already begun

Census 2 0 0 0

“These evaluations will help make sure the parishes are using good materials that are doctrinally-sound and immersed in scripture... The materials should help the catechist in teaching the church beliefs to the students who must learn and internalize the lessons.”

— Marylin Kravatz, southern regional coordinator of faith formation

to evaluate the texts that they are using in their faith formation programs.

St. Patrick Cathedral has begun its own evaluations, and Joanna Catabui, parish coordinator for faith formation, was very interested in the information she received.

“This workshop was very informative concerning the special criteria as far as the selection of catechetical texts.

Our parish is doing a textbook evaluation now, so the criteria will help us in establishing what our priorities in selecting a text.” Catabui also signed up to become a part of the parish catechetical leader evaluation committee because she wanted to represent her parish’s needs to the diocese.

If a parish decides not to evaluate their catechetical materials, and those they use are not on the recommended list, then the parish has to meet with the regional faith formation coordinator and present some supplemental materials to support the weaknesses or remedy the weaknesses if they don’t plan to make changes, said Ruble.

“These evaluations will help make sure the parishes are using good materials that are doctrinally-sound and immersed in scripture,” said Kravatz.

“The materials should help the catechist in teaching the church beliefs to the students who must learn and internalize the lessons.” t Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.

By Alesha M. Price Staff Writer MONROE — In an ongoing effort to ensure that students are being assisted in their need for spiritual and religious growth, diocesan and parishlevel faith formation coordinators and directors met to discuss the policy, criteria and procedure for the evaluation of the textbooks used in kindergarten through sixth-grade faith formation programs. Our Lady of Lourdes Church was the host parish for the Feb. 24 workshop for those from parishes in the Southern Region, which includes the Albemarle, Charlotte and Salisbury Vicariates.

The process of analyzing the textbooks being used in parish faith formation classes began nearly a year and a half ago, when diocesan staff members began to review the Faith Formation and Guidelines Handbook for the Diocese of Charlotte. At the time, the evaluation of textbooks was a concept evolving from the guidelines update; therefore, Father James Hawker, vicar for education, assigned staff members to begin the procedure, explained Peg Ruble, Central Region coordinator for faith formation.

After a committee of parish catechetical leaders evaluated a set of two series of textbooks, the two diocesan staff members on the committee wrote textbook summaries and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each series of catechetical texts, said Ruble. A list of recommended and non-recommended textbooks for faith formation

classes was formulated based upon the evaluation.

In order to assist the parish catechetical leaders to select the most appropriate of the recommended series for use in their faith formation programs, a criteria list was developed for their use, based on the six fundamental tasks of catechesis, as written in the General Directory for Catechesis, said Marylin Kravatz, Southern Region cooordinator.

Translated by the American Catholic bishops, the directory comes from Rome and serves as a guide for pastors and bishops for catechetical ministry.

The focus of the new directory is evangelization because in order to catechize, evangelization has to take place at every stage of development and should be the framework for passing on of faith, she explained.

The six tasks — promoting knowledge of faith, liturgical education, moral formation, teaching to pray, education for community life and missionary initiation — were used as a basis for the updated criteria for evaluation of catechetical materials. The focus areas include the overall faith formation program, the catechist manual, the student text and family resources.

Each area is graded as strong, weak or absent, as it corresponds to each of the six tasks.

“The textbook selection instrument, or criteria list, is based on the new General Directory for Catechesis and the six tasks of catechesis, which makes the instrument on the cutting edge,” said Dr. Cris Villapando, diocesan director of faith formation programs. “It’s been at least five years since the Office of Faith Formation has had any kind of textbook evaluations.

This is very important because it impacts the catechetical life of the parish, not only in terms of the orthodoxy of

Everybody counts in The Diocesan Census 2000!

Please cooperate with your parish as we complete the Diocesan Census. This will help us plan for the needs of you, your family, your parish, and the entire diocese, both for now and the future.

March 10, 2000

Irish Dancing, from page 3

School, travel from Salisbury to Charlotte several nights a week.

“I don’t mind the driving because this involves our heritage,” said Burchard, whose great-great grandparents are from Ireland.

“The dancing is exciting to watch because the music is upbeat and fast-paced, and I like the Catholic connection we have with everyone.” Katie has been dancing for six years and said, “I like it because I get to meet different people and go to different places.”

“We all interact and work well together, and we are really strong as a team,” said Gill, a 17-year-old junior at Charlotte Catholic High School who attends St. Matthew Church. Both sides of her family are Irish, and she has been dancing for nine years. “The focus is on the feet, the straight body, rhythm and grace. My friends think that it is interesting that I do this because it is so different from other types of dancing.” In addition to her dancing, she is also involved in cross-country, track, basketball and soccer. “The scheduling is hard sometimes,” she added with a smile.

“These dances are hundreds of years of old, and the children work very hard,” said Connick. “I like it that I can raise my kids and keep them in touch with their Irish heritage and nationality.” t Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.

In the

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Church leaders say confessing sins of past sets

By John Norton Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Unprecedented acts, like Pope John Paul II’s jubilee gesture of confessing the sins of the church’s past, often set a precedent.

The Christians of today, having aired in detail the faults of their predecessors, can expect the same treatment by future Christians, church leaders said.

“What will the men and women of tomorrow think of us?” said Dominican Father Georges Cottier, the pope’s personal theologian.

“We are no better than the men and women of the past. It is with modesty and ‘fear and trembling’ that we must judge their acts,” he said.

The theologian’s musings were echoed by other Vatican officials dur-

ing a press conference March 7 detailing the pope’s much-awaited “request for forgiveness” liturgy March 12 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“How will we ourselves be judged in a hundred years by future generations for our current blindness?” said Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Vatican’s jubilee committee.

In hanging out the dirty laundry of past Christians, the church must not forget to do its own wash, he said.

“Don’t we today sometimes think with satisfaction that all of the church’s clothes are white?” he asked.

The central danger in focusing on sins in the church’s past, according to Father Cottier, was the potential for overlooking current problems.

“The danger, in fact, is that the request for forgiveness for the wrongs of the past might serve as an alibi for

amnesia toward recent wrongs or for the wrongs of our epoch,” he said.

Current evils for which future generations may take the church to task, he said, included modern forms of slavery like child-trafficking and large-scale prostitution — “phenomena which are growing under our eyes, amid the greatest indifference.”

Done correctly, though, reflection on the errors of past believers may be the best possible way of preparing for the scrutiny of future Christians, Cardinal Etchegaray said.

“Our solidarity with the church of yesterday helps us better discover our responsibility for the church of tomorrow,” he said. t

Hispanic Ministry, from page 1 with the largest percentage increase in Hispanic population between 1990 and 1996. It was followed by Reno-Las Vegas, Nev., Atlanta, Raleigh, N.C., and Portland, Ore. The ranking came in a list of dioceses and archdioceses with the greatest percentage increases of Hispanic population in a report on “Hispanic Ministry at the Turn of the New Millennium,” released March 7 by the Hispanic Affairs Committee of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. (Reno-Las Vegas was split into two dioceses in 1995, but was considered as one entity for the purposes of the study.)

It only took 22,735 Hispanic newcomers to the Charlotte Diocese to account for that 84 percent increase. The total Catholic population of Charlotte in 1990 was just 63,973.

Nationwide, estimates of the percentage of Hispanics who are Catholic range from 67 percent to 71 percent, according to the NCCB committee.

Between 30 percent and 38 percent of U.S. Catholics are Hispanic.

Even dioceses where the Hispanic population has always been significant

U.S. dioceses or archdioceses with the largest number of Hispanics are: Los Angeles, 4.27 million; Miami, 1.3 million; New York, 1.2 million; Galveston-Houston, 1 million; and San Antonio, 979,000.

No U.S. diocese reported a decrease in its Hispanic population from 1990 to 1996, and only three had an increase of less than 10 percent. Those are: Cheyenne, Wyo., with a 7 percent increase; Juneau, Alaska, with an increase of 9 percent; and Steubenville, Ohio, with an increase of just under 6 percent.

The data was based on the actual population count and statistical sampling of the 1990 census, and updated by the Census Bureau based on statistical estimates. Information from the General Social Survey of the National Opinion Research Center in Chicago and the Strategy Research Corporation was used to calculate numbers of people who identify themselves as Catholic, according to the NCCB committee report. t

reported steady increases in the study period, according to the report. For example, the Diocese of San Bernardino, Calif., recorded a 41 percent increase in Hispanic population and the Diocese of Austin, Texas, had a 37 percent increase.

In three of the 13 episcopal regions of the country, the Hispanic population growth rate exceeded 40 percent, according to the report.

The smallest regional increase was the 14 percent growth in Hispanic population in region 2, made up of just the state of New York. The area with the biggest growth was the five-state region 12 — Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana — where the Hispanic population grew by more than 50 percent.

And those figures are likely to be proved low following this year’s census. The Census Bureau and independent demographers believe the Hispanic population was dramatically undercounted in the 1990 census.

Various changes have been made in the census program to avoid an undercount this year.

According to the report, the five

6 The Catholic News & Herald Catholic leaders want House chaplaincy issue resolved WASHINGTON (CNS) - Amid the growing dispute over the deadlocked appointment for the next House chaplain, some Catholics are urging a quick resolution. About 40 Catholic Republican lawmakers met privately with GOP leaders March 1 to discuss possible solutions to what has now become a political quagmire.

Catholic legislators also brought up some of these solutions on the House floor during the first week of March.

Suggestions included that the nomination process should start over or that the position of House chaplain be abolished and replaced with a rotating voluntary ministry.

Colo. governor says family ties key to stopping violence WASHINGTON (CNS) — The key to stopping youth violence on the street and in the schoolyard is to strengthen families, Republican Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado told a Washington think-tank Feb. 29. Government must do what it can to help families spend more time together, in part by lessening their tax burden, he added in a talk titled “A Year After Columbine: How Do We Heal a Wounded Culture?” “We have to strengthen our families,” said Owens, a Catholic and a father of three. “There is no institution more critical to the success of this country or our culture.”

Dominican sister wins CCHD Development of People Award WASHINGTON (CNS) — Dominican Sister Teresa Auad received the Development of People Award from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development Feb. 27 in Washington during the 2000 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington.

March 10, 2000

People in the

CNS photo from Reuters

Cardinal O’Connor accepts Congressional Gold Medal Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., (center) and Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., congratulate Cardinal John O’Connor after presenting him with legislation awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal March 6 at the cardinal’s residence in New York. The medal is the highest civilian honor given by Congress. It has been awarded to 250 people including George Washington, the Wright brothers and Mother Teresa.

Sister Auad has worked over the last 17 years in migrant and immigrant populations in Indiantown, Fla., a small town in the northern Everglades about 40 miles from West Palm Beach, Fla. After hearing and recounting her many accomplishments in Indiantown, Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. bishops, said, “Sister Teresa, you are one hot number!” to the cheers and applause of the 450 in attendance.

British prime minister’s wife backs appeal for children LONDON (CNS) — Cherie Booth, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has backed an appeal by the Catholic Children’s Society in the Westminster Archdiocese. The “Fam-

ily 2000 Challenge,” launched in the February edition of the charity’s Network newsletter, aims to recruit 2,000 families to raise money for the charity, which works with children throughout the archdiocese, including London.

Writing from 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official London residence, Booth, a Catholic, said the appeal was a wonderful opportunity for all families, large or small, to work together for the common purpose of helping other families and children.

Booth, also a distinguished lawyer, has three children and is expecting a fourth in May. Religious, civil rights leaders urge participation in census WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic and other religious leaders at a March 6 press conference in Washington joined civil rights figures in urging participation in the 2000 census. “We stand fully behind an accurate count,” said Beverly Carroll, director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for AfricanAmerican Catholics. “We’ve asked schools, parishes to open their doors” to assist in the effort, she added. Speaking to those who receive help from the church through soup kitchens, daycare centers and children’s programs, Carroll said, “We are asking you to trust us again. We want to make sure the services of the federal government are available to you.”

March 10, 2000

From the

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Jesuit House of Prayer facility restored, readied for

By Joanita M. Nellenbach Correspondent HOT SPRINGS — It’s a renovation whose time has definitely arrived.

Now nearing completion, the restoration of part of the Jesuit House of Prayer includes remodeling the kitchen, dining room and the bedrooms at the north end of the house.

Mercy Sister Margaret Verstege, director of the Jesuit House of Prayer, said most of the work will be finished

by April 1, when a group is expected for a one-day retreat.

“We’ll have enough in order to have that day of recollection,” she said.

Getting to this stage has been a long process. The Jesuit House of Prayer Advisory Board began implementing a five-year plan in 1994. The first phase was renovation of the Chapel of the Redeemer, which was completed in May 1998. Bishop William G. Curlin dedicated the altar Oct. 25, 1998.

Phase 2 is renovation of the north side of the house. Phase 3, planned for the future, will include renovating the house chapel and the bedrooms adjacent to it.

The house was built in 1892 as a private home. It had several owners before Jesuit Father Andrew Graves bought it in 1954 or 1955. Father Graves had come to the area as a missionary in 1937. He periodically purchased additional land totaling seven acres.

Over the years, a dining room and laundry room were added to the house, and the kitchen was enlarged. An early photo shows a glassed-in porch where the north-side bedrooms are now.

“Historically, I think the story of the Society has been one of responsibility to the needs of the people of God in this area,” said Sister Peggy, who has been director of the Jesuit House of Prayer since October. “It’s a ministry of prayer. We’re here to make it available to everyone. A Catholic presence, particularly Ignatian, is a charism that needs to be shared with the world.”

Father Frank Reese arrived in 1978 to start the retreat center and to serve as Catholic pastor in Madison County. The first retreatant was a Sister of Mercy from Tennessee who traveled about, teaching religious education to children in rural areas. She discovered the Jesuit House of Prayer by accident and decided to make a sixday retreat.

“Historically, I think the story of the Society has been one of responsibility to the needs of the people of God in this area,” said Sister Peggy, who has been director of the Jesuit House of Prayer since October. “It’s a ministry of prayer. We’re here to make it available to everyone. A Catholic presence, particularly Ignatian, is a charism that needs to be shared with the world.”

The House of Prayer’s staff and the advisory board saw that the aging facility needed an upgrade. A capital campaign, begun in 1997, raised more than $100,000, mainly from donations, including one from the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. The retreat staff — Jesuit Fathers Joe McGovern and George Hohman — are members of that province.

The money will provide a new dining room and a more efficient kitchen with a bigger cooking and cleanup

space. The dining room will have a domed ceiling. Also, the dining room already had a concrete floor; now the kitchen will have one, too.

More efficient insulation and new walls will mean quieter bedrooms, and each bedroom will have individual heating and air conditioning. The electrical system and plumbing are upgraded, and an additional water heater has been installed. Some cosmetic changes will be made in other parts of the house.

Not that improvements weren’t needed. When the kitchen walls were ripped out, workPhoto by Joanita M. Nellenbach men discovered that no support beams were holding up the ceil- Jonathan Vinkowski of Happy Hollow ing. How did the ceiling stay up? Enterprises of Madison County prepares “God or the tension of the build- to install a new wooden floor in the hallway ing,” Father McGovern quipped. adjacent to the kitchen.

The foundational sills in the kitchen were so rotted the treats. Or people can visit the center wood could be pulled apart by hand. for a day of private prayer and meditaA cracked pipe had been leaking water tion. under the kitchen. Workmen pulled up Information about the Jesuit red, cream and green vinyl and several House of Prayer is available by e-mail layers of flooring to reveal a hole deep at vpaul@madison.main.nc or by callenough for a wading pool. ing (704)-622-7366. t With the renovation nearing completion, people are already booking retreats, Sister Peggy said. A variety of formats is available, including private retreats, or directed retreats with the staff. Groups such as confirmation classes are welcome for retreats and there are Advent and Holy Week re-

8 The Catholic News & Herald

United in faith, World Day of Prayer brings solidarity B Joann S. Keane y

Editor WADESBORO — At the same time as the human rights of a young woman are being violated, a woman worlds away says a prayer on her behalf.

An ecumenical group of about 30 gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Wadesboro, united for the international March 3 World Day of Prayer.

Around the globe, others joined in solidarity, raising awareness and standing together in faith and action with and for the people of Indonesia.

“We are invited to stand up in faith and action with the people of Indonesia,” said Sister of Divine Providence Theresine Gildea. “To stand up against human rights violations.” Sister Theresine along with her counterpart Sister Maxine Tancraitor are outreach icons in the Wadesboro community.

More than four decades have passed since the first World Day of Prayer. Beginning with a 1957 prayer service in East Java, from its early intentions of a day to reflect on the strife and suffering of those in Indonesia, WDP has blossomed into an ecumenical event celebrated by an estimated 12,000 internationally.

On the easternmost edge of the diocese, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal and Baptist are the prevalent denominations. This year, for the first time, WDP brought a community together in prayer with their Catholic neighbors.

“It’s important to show our support of our churches in this community and how well we work together,” said Carole Heste Evans, a member of First Presbyterian Church in Wadesboro.

More than a sense of community, participants got a brief rundown on the plight of Indonesian citizens while a slideshow depicting scenes of seemingly destitute women brought a slice of the Third World into view.

The gathering gave 14-year-old Cecelia Pueschel an opportunity to connect on a global level while fulfilling a few confirmation community service hours. “It helps in my understanding of what confirmation and church is all about,” she said. t Contact Editor Joann Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@ charlottediocese.org.

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March 10, 2000

March 10, 2000

In the

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Operation Rice Bowl: Supplying physical and spiritual nourishment for twenty-five

By Alesha M. Price Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — Rice is a complement to a meal for many families in the United States, but for those in less-fortunate countries, a meager supply of rice serves as the main dish. Operation Rice Bowl, named for this unfortunate dietary fact, has collected over $88 million for the impoverished and hungerstricken in Third World countries for 25 years. This year’s Beatitude-inspired theme “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall have their fill,” is part of the silver anniversary of the Lenten program, one of the programs of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

“Along with Operation Rice Bowl, CRS also handles agricultural programs, clinics, conflict resolution between warring parties in places like Rwanda and Kosovo and aid to countries like Mozambique,” explained Joanne Frazer, diocesan director of the Office of Justice and Peace and CRS. The Operation Rice Bowl slogan — pray, fast, learn, give — reflects the season of Lent and is expressed in the activity calendar that accompanies the cardboard rice bowl for money collection. These items will be sent to every family in the mail through the parish coordinators. The calendar includes activities and reflections for every day of the season of Lent, including recipes and biblical passages for family participation.

“The main thrust of Operation Rice Bowl is to educate people and to help them identify with those who are poor, their experiences and their daily lives,” said Terri Jarina, office assistant for the Office of Justice and Peace and the diocesan Operation Rice Bowl coordinator.

Ed Konarski, chair of the CRS diocesan committee and the parish coordinator for St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton, said, “Operation Rice Bowl isn’t just about collecting money; it is about education and living out Catholic beliefs. It should give insight into other people’s countries and their needs and can serve as a way of fostering spiritual growth.”

St. Charles Borromeo Church has had the highest contribution per household for the past two years. The parishioners follow along with the

calendar to show solidarity as part of their Friday stations of the cross services.

Designated groups prepare a simple meal every week according to the activity calendar and share in group prayer, said Konarski. “Our parish has responded enthusiastically and generously.”

Konarski’s family also participates in the activities included in the Operation Rice Bowl calendar.

The CRS diocesan committee works with Frazer and Jarina by offering feedback on ways to enhance the program, promoting Operation Rice Bowl to the parishes to increase participation and expanding the minigrant program, said Konarski.

Seventy-five percent of the money collected from Operation Rice Bowl goes to the national CRS office for micro-enterprise efforts in Third World countries. Women primarily receive the money, anywhere from $30 to $500, to start their own small businesses, explained Frazer. “They are the poorest of the poor, and these businesses help them to provide money for their families to move toward economic self-sufficiency.”

Twenty-five percent of the collected money remains within the diocese to fund $500 mini-grants.

Parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations may apply for the grants, which can be used for any program or service with an immigrant or migrant focus, said Jarina. Many parishes sponsor a sister parish in another country, and there is much work with immigrants and migrants in various local areas around the diocese.

Last year, many parishes received the mini-grants for their efforts with people from other countries. For instance, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Cherokee received a minigrant to finance a project entitled “Operation Love” to help with the citizenship process for Hispanic parishioners, and Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro used their grant to buy a CD recorder/changer for the startup of a radio station at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Khrakov, Ukraine. The parishioners also have an annual Ukrainian dinner and host two Ukrainian priests.

See RICE BOWL, page 14

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

Word to Life

March 12, First Sunday of Lent, Cycle B Readings: 1) Genesis 9:8-15 Psalm 25:4-9 2) 1 Peter 3:18-22 3) Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

By Dan Luby Catholic News Service The evaluations were gratifying.

Students were saying wonderfully complimentary things. For a long time it had been a goal to teach university students, and he’d thought the class was going well all semester.

Now, here was proof.

One after the other the numerical rankings were high and the comments laudatory. He was thrilled, almost floating.

The jagged edge that burst his bubble surfaced toward the bottom of the pile. On an item asking about class lectures, a student had circled “good” and then written, “Lectures are sometimes elusive.”

The criticism, mild as it was, fractured his brittle self-confidence.

He suddenly remembered those few times he’d felt uncertain about a fine philosophical point or rushed past

March 10, 2000

Read-

some historical sequence he was unsure of. In his mind, the insights of the other students now seemed shallow, flawed. The excitement of success was gone.

“Repent, and believe in the good news,” Jesus tells us on this first Sunday of Lent. Repentance usually occupies our focus, with its call to root out selfishness and sin, to turn our lives around. We are most of us skilled discoverers of failure and weakness in ourselves.

What’s often missing in our approach to Lent is the second part of Jesus’ invitation: “Repent,” he urges us, “and do so by believing the good news that you are loved beyond all measure, before and beneath any accomplishment, any demonstration of good faith or talent or effort.”

To believe that — deep down, in our bones — is to embrace a radical and liberating truth. To believe in that great good news is to repent of both our self-reliance and our self-doubt. It is to trust God and give ourselves away more and more every day.

May this Lenten season move us to deep repentance and joyful belief. t

Weekly Scripture Readings for the week of Mar. 12-18, 2000 Sunday (First Sunday in Lent), Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15; Monday, Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18, Matthew 25:31-46; Tuesday, Isaiah 55:10-11, Matthew 6:7-15; Wednesday, Jonah 3:1-10, Luke 11:2932; Thursday, Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 or 4:17 (Esther’s prayer), Matthew 7:7-12; Friday (St. Patrick of Ireland), Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26; Saturday (St. Cyril of Jerusalem), Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:4348 Readings for the week of Mar. 19-25, 2000 Sunday (Second Sunday in Lent), Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18, Romans 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10; Monday (St. Joseph), 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Luke 2:41-51; Tuesday, Isaiah 1:10, 16-20, Matthew 23:1-12; Wednesday, Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28; Thursday (St. Turibius of Mogrovejo), Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31; Friday, Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28, Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46; Saturday (The Annunciation of Our Lord), Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38

Book Review

Book explores public role of American women in religious Reviewed by Nancy L. Roberts Catholic News Service While women have not been able to develop their public role in American religion as fully as have men, “The Religious Imagination Of American Women” demonstrates that they have been thinking long and hard about the spiritual life.

Mary Farrell Bednarowski’s provocative, readable analysis covers a wide range of religious traditions, including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, and Buddhist.

Bednarowski, professor of religious studies at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and a practicing Catholic, illuminates key areas that have compelled American women religious thinkers.

The book is exhaustively researched and reflects Bednarowski’s years of immersion in her subject, an effort which produced two earlier, well-received books, “American Religion: A Cultural Perspective” and “New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America.”

The author delves into such questions as: “When women write and speak publicly about religious ideas, what do they have to say?” and, “What does it mean to be a human being and a woman and how does our understanding of God and reality shape our answer to this question?”

Bednarowski’s book aims not to create a pan-woman spirituality but to interpret critically what women religious thinkers have had to say.

She starts by noting that, “Having

inhaled the contradictory nature of their experiences, women breathe out in their religious thought an ambivalence toward their traditions.”

She says that this very “ambivalence about one’s religious tradition — about where one stands in relation to it — can be viewed quite positively.”

In a fascinating chapter on healing and religion, Bednarowski views this subject “as one more angle from which “The Religious Imagination of American Women”

By Mary Farrell Bednarowski Indiana University Press (Bloomington, Ind., 1999) 240 pp. Hardcover, $39.95; Paper, $15.95.

to explore women’s search for intellectually and emotionally adequate ways, more theologically creative ways, to expand and transform traditional religious ideas.”

“The Religious Imagination of American Women” is a scholarly work whose subject, scope, and graceful prose will command readership beyond the academy, among any who wish to explore this subject in thoughtful depth. t Roberts, professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has written two books about Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement.

From readers’ suggestions, The Catholic News & Herald will begin printing two weeks of Scripture readings every issue.

March 10, 2000

The Catholic News & Herald 11

Entertain-

Out on video

NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are home videocassette reviews from the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting. Each videocassette is available on VHS format. Theatrical movies on video have a U.S. Catholic Conference classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. All reviews indicate the appropriate age group for the video audience.

“The Best Man” (1999) Uneven romantic comedy in which a wedding is jeopardized when an autobiographical novel by the best man (Taye Diggs) suggests he was intimate with the bride-to-be (Monica Calhoun) while she was dating his best friend, the now-enraged groom (Morris Chestnut). Writer-director Malcolm D. Lee’s talky take on the war of the sexes strains for obvious laughs over the sexual double standard and is often raunchy despite the groom’s fervently held Christian beliefs which finally lead him to forgiveness. A fleeting sexual encounter, crude bachelor-party lap dancing, brief violence, occasional profanity and much rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV — adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

“Random Hearts” (1999) After discovering his wife and the husband of a congresswoman were having an affair when both were killed in a plane crash, a Washington cop (Harrison Ford) becomes romantically involved with the man’s widow (Kristin Scott-Thomas), jeopardizing her re-election. Director Sydney Pollack explores the painful aftermath of adultery in a plodding drama whose melodramatic subplot is similarly uninvolving. A discreet sexual encounter, brief violence, minimal profanity and an instance of rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

“Shooting the Past” (1999) Character-driven drama in which the devoted staff of an obscure London photo archive, which is about to be discarded by its new American owner (Liam Cunningham), connives to find a new home for their treasured stills. Writer-director Stephen Poliakoff’s quirky tale is somewhat flawed but captures the still camera’s ability to freeze a moment in time forever. Ethical issues, drug references and a few Victorian-era nude photos. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

“The Suburbans” (1999) Trite comedy in which the love lives of four guys from a once-popular early 1980s rock band are complicated when they move in together to attempt to produce a comeback album. As directed by co-star Donal Lardner Ward, the characters are sophomoric, their romantic problems dull and the humor flat. Sexual situations, intermittent rough language and minimal profanity.

The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted.

“Drowning Mona:” Witty, dark

By Anne Navarro Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) — When a nasty resident of a small upstate New York town is suspected of being murdered, the chief of police has a harder time figuring out who wouldn’t want her dead than who would in the dark comedy, “Drowning Mona” (Destination).

Chief Rash (Danny DeVito) has a problem. It seems that Mona Dearly’s (Bette Midler) plunge into the Hudson River was no accident. As local mechanic Lucinda (Kathleen Wilhoite) puts it, the Yugo she was driving was “fixed to kill.”

More accustomed to breaking up

CNS photo from Destination Films

William Fichtner, Bette Midler and Marcus Thomas star in the film “Drowning Mona.” bar brawls than investigating murders, Chief Rash is finding that his list of suspects is growing longer by the minute. It seems everyone had a reason for wanting brash and brutally honest Mona dead.

With his finger tightly on the pulse of lower-class America, director Nick Gomez captures the essence of what some would describe as “white trash” in this often acerbically funny film.

The main characters are well fleshed out with each having a convincing reason for killing the queen of mean. Bobby (Casey Affleck), co-owner of a fledgling landscaping business with Mona’s lazy son Jeff (Marcus Thomas), is being pushed to the edge

by Jeff ’s incompetence and Mona’s insistence on getting a bigger share of the dwindling profits. He just wants to earn a decent living to support himself and his wedding-obsessed fiancee, El-

lie (Neve Campbell).

Mona’s henpecked husband, Phil (William Fichtner), who wears snazzy “Members Only” clothing and is having a steamy affair with Rona (Jamie Lee Curtis), a wannabe rocker turned waitress, is suspiciously unmoved by his wife’s death. “You snooze, you lose,” according to Phil.

Shaggy-haired, belching Jeff, who was bullied and belittled and rarely shown any maternal love, has plenty of reason to do it. The only question is whether the dull-witted son has the smarts to even come up with the idea of murdering his mother, much less pull it off.

And the list goes on, as everyone in town has at one time or another incurred Mona’s wrath.

The witty script is filled with comedic details including wild rumors describing how Jeff ’s hand was chopped off, all built around him reaching for a beer; and throwaway lines are delivered with deft timing and deadpan faces.

The solid cast provides some good performances, including DeVito, whose keenly reserved Chief Rash works well, and Affleck, whose wideeyed boy-next-door look fits Bobby’s character perfectly.

Taken as a very dark comedy it succeeds, but the viewer is subject to flippant attitudes and cynical viewpoints.

Even the local priest does not escape the sardonic edge, being portrayed as an alcoholic. Not one person in the workingclass town shows any sorrow for Mona’s death and the movie’s laughs are built around this idea.

Because of the comical treatment of extramarital affairs, fleeting violence and homosexual innuendo, and a few instances of rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG13 — parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. t Navarro is on the staff of the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

March 10, 2000

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope expresses gratitude for Mount Sinai pilgrimage

By John Thavis Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pausing between Holy Year pilgrimages, Pope John Paul II expressed gratitude for his recent trip to Mount Sinai and looked ahead to a planned visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes in Israel.

The two biblical sites — where Moses received the Ten Commandments and where Christ gave his sermon on the Beatitudes — sum up the divine law that modern men and women must still follow, the pope said at a general audience at the Vatican March 1.

Both expressions of moral law should find an echo in the human heart, he said.

“The person who follows Christ does not feel oppressed by a multitude of rules, but, driven by the strength of love, experiences the commandments of God as a law of freedom: freedom to love, thanks to the inner action of the Spirit,” he said.

The pope, his face tanned after his Feb. 2426 visit to Egypt, said the high point of the trip was the one-day stop in Mount Sinai. While there he was able to pray at the site of the “burning bush,” where God revealed himself to Moses, and at the foot of the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

“Individuals cannot think they are faithful to God if they do not observe his law. To be faithful to God, in fact, is to be faithful to oneself, to one’s own true nature and one’s deepest and strongest aspirations,” he told some 6,000 people in the Vatican audience hall.

He thanked Egypt’s political authorities and religious leaders, including Grand Sheik Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi, for the welcome he received in the predominantly Muslim country.

He recalled his meetings with Pope Shenouda III, the Coptic Orthodox patriarch, and said he hoped for new progress in ecumenical dialogue.

Having focused on Moses during his trip to Egypt, the pope said he would dedicate his upcoming Holy Land pilgrimage to Jesus Christ.

The March 20-26 visit will take him to Jordan, Jerusalem and other holy places in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“I ask everyone to accompany me with prayers ... in the spiritual preparation of this important event,” he said.

The pope, scheduled to celebrate Mass for thousands of young people near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, said that when Christ preached the beatitudes, he brought new meaning to the old law of Moses.

In Christ’s life and suffering, “the Ten Commandments are heard through his voice,” he said. Christ came to perfect the old law, becoming himself the “new law” through which salvation is offered to all peoples, he said.

Lent: A Time of Reconciliation As we enter the season of Lent, we understand that we are observing the forty days of preparation before Easter. Its purpose is to better prepare us for the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Lent is a privileged time during the liturgical year that disposes us for a more fruitful reception to the graces that Christ merited by his passion, death and Resurrection.

Lent is an opportunity to reform ourselves, individually and as community, in order to practice the virtue of love. Some good forms to live the season of Lent include a more attentive listening to the Word of God and a more constant attention to prayer.

Scripture and the fathers of the church will insist on three forms: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. But these three forms will make no sense if there is no interior conversion, conversion of the heart. The Lenten practices such as fasting, prayer and almsgiving are to express sincere conversion in relation to oneself, to God and to others. Fasting and almsgiving have a much wider significance than just refraining from eating or buying. They symbolize giving up our own ways to take up those of Christ.

The main purpose of Lent is the struggle against evil within ourselves. If we give up a plate of food but don’t give up our desire for revenge, our fasting will be almost sterile. If we take out money from our wallets to give alms but don’t remove from our hearts hatred or pride, almost nothing has been gained.

Reconciliation is attained in daily life through gestures such as desire to forgive, attention to the poor, the exercise and defense of justice, acceptance of suffering, the owning of our faults before our brothers and sisters, examination of conscience, and so on. Lent will be a true time of reconciliation if we fix our eyes in Christ’s love, mercy and compassion and try to put them into practice.

May the good Lord bless us during this Lenten season with his divine grace in order to experience reconciliation with him and one another. And let

Hispanic Ministry FATHER VINCENT H. FINNERY Guest Columnist Spanish, usually at non-peak times, and not always in the main church sanctuary.

In addition, Hispanics rarely have the same level of representation on the parish pastoral council as non-Hispanics, and frequently rely on volunteers to manage their own parish programs. b) Most Hispanics are not receiving culturally sensitive programs in their parishes. Less than a third of the parishes with a significant Hispanic presence offer youth ministry, RCIA, lay leadership training, parish renewal or retreat programs in Spanish. Only 13 percent are developing Christian “base” communities for evangelization and outreach to Hispanics.

In addition, about 21 percent of all Hispanicoriented parishes offer no Hispanic programs, aside from the liturgy and mass in Spanish.

Again, I hope this has been helpful.

Vincentian Father Vincent H. Finnerty is director of Hispanic Ministry.

The Season of Lent Father Fidel Melo Guest Columnist

us close our thoughts with the words of St. Peter: “Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory and dominion forever and ever.”

(1 Pt 7-11) Father Fidel Melo is administrator of Our Lady of the Americas Church in Biscoe.

Evaluating Hispanic Ministry The 1998 study of Hispanic Ministry, commissioned by the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, offers an evaluation of diocesan structures and parish structures, regarding Hispanic Ministry in the U.S. With regard to diocesan structures, it concludes the following: On the plus side...

A growing number of dioceses have created new structures for Hispanic ministry at the regional or deanery level.

On the down side... a) Collaboration between Hispanic Ministry and other diocesan departments tends to be limited in duration. b) Most dioceses do not conduct pastoral planning for Hispanics on a consistent or regular basis.

With regard to parish structures, the study finds the following: On the plus side... a) Hispanic Ministry’s “presence” at the parish level has grown by almost 50 percent. b) The recognition of Hispanics as a “presence” in local parishes has increased.

On the downside... a) Most Hispanics continue to worship in “mixed” or “parallel” parish settings. These settings allow Hispanics to maintain their own identity and culture, but the administration and life of the parish is divided into separate, and at times, highly unequal spheres. Most Hispanics attend their own masses in

We welcome your comments and letters.

Send your Letters to the Editor to Joann S. Keane, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 South Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28203 or e-mail jskeane@charlottediocese.org.

March 10, 2000

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle FATHER THOMAS J. McSWEENEY Guest Columnist The Sabbath: “Do I Gotta?!”

“Why do I gotta go to church?!” is part of the weekend ritual in many households where teenagers test the patience and skill of many a dutiful parent.

“It’s so-o-o-o boring!” “John’s mom doesn’t make him go!” “I find God more in nature, so howsabout I just sit in the backyard while you’re gone?”

Some arguments are more informed. One dad told me that his 13-year-old recently shot back: “Remember what Jesus said! ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” “What did you do?”

I asked. “Well, I was so impressed that he even knew something from Scripture, I let it go!”

But what is a parent to do? One of the most frequent concerns I hear from moms and dads everywhere is what to do about getting their kids to church. Some have found it helpful to take a closer look at the matter.

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew “shabbot,” the “cessation of labor.” The first thing in the world that God made holy was not a mountain, not an altar, not a person, but a day — the Sabbath.

“God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.” (Genesis 2:3) In time, the Sabbath was defined by elaborate rules and regulations. All work was forbidden. So when Jesus and his disciples were going through a field of grain one Sabbath and plucked the ears of ments, a group of experts in Scriptural exegesis, liturgy, catechetics and pastoral theology from all parts of the world worked on the task for several years.

They first refined the principles which would guide the choice of readings and then assembled the list of texts itself. The Order of Readings is the result of their combined effort.

Underlying the entire effort, of course, is the church’s ancient belief that the celebration of Mass — hearing God’s word and offering and receiving the Eucharist — is one single act of worship. In both of these elements Christ is present as he carries on the work of salvation, makes our human family holy and offers perfect worship to the Father.

Somewhere along the line much of that vision got lost. As with the rest of us older Catholics, you obviously are one who remembers when what we now call the Liturgy of the Word was still considered a negligible, even unnecessary, part of the Mass.

Today we have returned again to acknowledge liturgically the one presence of Christ, who both speaks to us when the Scriptures are proclaimed and who is sacramentally with us above all in the Eucharist.

As you note, the Sunday readings are arranged in three-year cycles (A, B and C), designated as if the series started in Year 1 of the Christian era, Year 2 being B and so on. Thus, all years evenly divisible by three are in the C cycle, with the others falling into place behind them.

Most of us know from experience that the Bible texts during Advent, Lent and Easter harmonize with the character and themes of those seasons. During the rest of the year (Ordinary Time), the Gospel passages are predominantly from Matthew (A), Mark (B) and Luke (C).

Not many Catholics, I believe, realize that when the Scripture passages for each year were chosen, a particular effort was made to reflect the unique theological and stylistic characteristics of that particular synoptic Gospel.

One can, for example, learn much about the “feel”

grain to eat them, they were technically breaking the rules. Reaping a meal from the harvest was a form of labor and they were lawbreakers. When confronted, Jesus argued that human need takes precedence over human, and even, divine law. He insisted that we are not to be enslaved by the Sabbath. Quite the opposite, the Sabbath exists to make our lives better.

And here, Jesus teaches us at least three essential truths vital for our life of faith. First, religion does not consist of rules and regulations. There is a great deal more to religion than Sunday observance.

As Garrison Keillor aptly put it: “If you think going to church makes you a Christian, you probably think sitting in a garage will make you a car.” Whenever we forget the love and forgiveness, the service and mercy that are at the heart of religion, and replace them by adherence to rules and regulations, religion loses meaning.

Second, if the performance of your religious faith stops you from helping someone in need, then you misunderstand the essence of religion. People matter far more than systems. Persons are far more important than rituals. Jesus could not have been more clear on this point: the best way to worship God is to serve others.

Third, the Sabbath is never more sacred than when it is used to help those who need help. The altar is sacred not only because it is dedicated to God’s worship but also because it is used for the spiritual well-being of His children. Bread is never more holy than when it is used to feed one who is starving.

Then “Do I gotta go?” My answer: the Sabbath means more than not working. It is a day devoted to God and our spiritual lives. Its observance begins in the home, where we show love for family and friends.

And as family and friends, we go to church freely to join with others to thank and worship our Lord and Creator.

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

Determining the Sunday readings Q. I have been struck by the prayerful coherence of the three Scripture readings at the Sunday liturgies and especially appreciate when the homilist shows how they illuminate each other.

I know the readings come in three-year cycles, but would like to know how they are selected, who does the selecting and when this all began.

When I was growing up, as I recall, the same Sunday passages were read every year. Are these readings fixed or can they be altered if the priest wants to use others?

A. At Vatican Council II, in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (l963), the bishops of the world ordered that a more lavish table of the word of God be spread before the faithful, that the treasures of the Bible be opened up more widely and that a more representative part of the holy Scriptures be read to the people over a prescribed number of years (No. 51).

The Lectionary for Mass is the result of that request. First completed in l969, some expansions and slight revisions were added later.

In spite of its inevitable limitations, the Lectionary truly is, as you indicate, a remarkable achievement. Under the auspices of the Vatican congregation responsible for the church’s worship and sacra-

See DIETZEN, page 14

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Coming of Age Amy Welborn CNS Columnist I dare you to take Lent seriously Do you remember, ages and ages ago, when you were just a little kid, and you’d get dared to do something?

“Dare you to climb up to the top of that tree!” “Dare you to eat that worm!” “Oh, yeah?

Well I triple dare you to steal home!”

Do you remember how a dare made you feel? If you were a normal kid, it probably made you feel as if you just had to run out and do whatever that dare was about. It didn’t matter what it was. You’d been challenged, and you weren’t about to back down, right?

OK, how about this? It’s Lent. I dare you to take it seriously. Double dare you, in fact.

Giving up candy bars and cutting down to one soda a day was fine and dandy when you were a little kid, but you’re older now. Don’t you think you’re ready for a more grown-up approach?

I dare you to take a few minutes out of your life and reflect on what Lent is really all about.

Dare you to confront that whole issue of “giving things up” as an adult.

Maybe do it this way: Ponder the whole concept of “sacrifice.” Think about how many important things in life require sacrifice.

Being a good athlete requires you to sacrifice time and comfort. Doing your absolute best in school, using the brain God gave you to explore this fantastic world, requires its own kind of sacrifices too. So do relationships. Being happy in your relationships with friends and family requires the sacrifice of ego and pride, and the willingness to give.

And it’s just like that with God. Being close to God and living within God’s comfort and peace requires sacrifice too.

We have to examine our lives closely, all the time, for those things that are keeping us from God. Sometimes those things are sinful, and sometimes they’re just a waste of precious time, energy and focus.

So what we do during Lent is try to put a microscope to the stuff in our lives that is keeping us from being closer to God. For some of us it’s alcohol or sexual sin that’s working at destroying our best selves. For some it’s the hours we spend in front of mindless entertainment. For some it’s just plain, shut-the-door-ineveryone’s-face selfishness.

So I dare you. Dare you to think about Jesus and how much he loves you.

—Dare you to clear your life of junk this Lent: junk relationships, junk entertainment, junk pastimes.

— Dare you to open the door to your room and face the rest of your family as though they’re human beings, not impositions on your freedom.

— Dare you to go to Mass every single Sunday during Lent, open your heart to God and pray, really pray this time.

— Dare you take 15 minutes a day and in silence read God’s word and listen to him.

— Dare you to rest your eyes on Jesus on the cross and not look away after two seconds.

— Dare you to reflect on the pain he suffered out of love for you.

Dare you. Double dare you.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

In the

March 10, 2000

Dietzen, from page 13

Women religious gather at Catholic Conference Center

About 50 sisters representing a crosssection of the nearly two dozen orders of women religious who serve the Diocese gathered Feb. 26 at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory. The women met to discuss ways to support one another in ministry, and to discuss future plans as a collective group.

“We used to live in convents and had the support of our communities right there with us,” said Mercy Sister Mary Timothy Warren, vicar for women religious. “Today, we have a lot of sisters who live alone, separated from their communities in distance. We need to build in some support, both spiritually and socially.”

The women also met with Bishop William G. Curlin, who thanked the women for their dedication and service, and pledged support to their endeavors. Pictured here, Mercy Sisters Mary Timothy Warren and Rosalind Picot chat with one of the Missionaries of Charity Sisters during the Hickory gathering.

Photo by Joann S. Keane

Rice Bowl, from page The diocese was recently honored with the Operation Rice Bowl Award at the Annual Social Ministries Gathering in Washington, D.C., for the efforts of CRS and Operation Rice Bowl. “We have quadrupled our Operation Rice Bowl offering in the last three years, and we have the diocesan CRS committee, which most other dioceses don’t

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Assistant Principal: Our Lady of Grace School, a K-8 Catholic school in Greensboro, NC, is accepting applications for an Assistant Principal for this school year. Applicants must possess the following qualifications: practicing Catholic; current teaching/administration license for the state of NC; master’s degree in education; and at least five years teaching experience. Please send resume and salary expectations to: Ms. Roberta Hutchcraft, Principal, Our Lady of Grace School, 2205 W. Market St., Greensboro, NC 27403. Deadline for applications: March 31, 2000.

Choir Director, Part-time: St. Barnabas Catholic Parish in beautiful western North Carolina (680+ families) is seeking a practicing Catholic to direct our music program. Applicant to have: experience in liturgical music and a working knowledge of Church documents on liturgy and music; keyboard skills - organ and piano; skills in choir directing.

A college degree in liturgy, music or related field preferred. Responsibilities include: working with pastor, staff and liturgy commission; fostering parishioner participation; coordinating music and volunteer musicians for all liturgical services, primarily for our three Masses each Sunday and Holy Day; directing the adult and youth choirs; working with cantors and musicians; collaborating with an independent folk group. Salary: $10,000 - $12,000 range plus some benefits. Call Mary Ann Demelfy (828)684-6098 or write to the address below for a job description. Send resume and references to: Search Committee, c/o Fr. Roger Arnsparger, St. Barnabas Catholic Parish, P. O. Box 38, Arden, NC 28740.

Controller: The Diocesan Finance Office is accepting applications for a Controller for Regional Schools. The position is responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, annual audit; and supervises the accounting staff.

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and three years relevant experience.

have. Also, our mini-grant program is unique among the dioceses in the United States,” said Frazer.

“The Operation Rice Bowl Program provides an opportunity for families to realistically experience how the poor live,” said Jarina. “The second step is by contributing to Operation Rice Bowl to help improve that situation.” t CPA preferred. EOE. Please forward resume and salary history to: Chief Financial Officer, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28207.

Director of Faith Formation: St. Philip Neri Church, Fort Mill, South Carolina, a growing Catholic parish of 700 families in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina, is seeking someone to direct its parish formation programs. This person would be responsible for directing K-High School, RCIA, and developing an adult education program. Person should have a master’s in theology, at least three years’ experience, and three written recommendations. Person needs to recruit and train catechists and have good managerial skills. Send resume plus references to Search Committee, St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 292 Munn Road, Fort Mill, SC 29715.

Director of Faith Formation - Full-time position is open at Our Lady of Mercy, a mid-size parish in Winston-Salem. Responsibilities include weekly classes for pre-school through grade 8; parent and student preparation for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation; coordination of RCIA and adult education. Some background and/or experience in Religious Education preferred. Send resume to Rev. Joseph Angelini, 1919 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27127. For more information and/or a detailed job description, call Fr. Angelini at (336)722-7001.

Faith Formation Office - Diocesan Regional Coordinator: Charlotte Diocese seeks person with Master’s degree in Rel Ed/allied field, five years of demonstrable successful experience in parish/ diocesan work. Well-rounded in catechist formation skills. Collaborative. Sensitive to cultural minorities.

Good written/oral communication skills. Position is located in the Smoky Mountain and Asheville Region.

Please send resume and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Chris Villapando, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte NC 28203. (704)370-3246. Application deadline March 24, 2000.

Infant Care Provider: South Charlotte. Excellent pay and flexible hours for warm and loving person who can help out busy mom with infant. Non-smoker and references required. Please call Judy at (704) 553-8136.

For free materials and other information, call Catholic Relief Services at 1-800-736-3467 or go to their webpage at www.catholicrelief.org.

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

of Matthew by being sensitive to the Gospel texts in the A cycle.

The same is true for Mark and Luke in their years, as well as for John in the many texts from that Gospel during Lent and Easter.

The first reading, most of the year from the Old Testament, usually is chosen because of some relationship to the other readings, especially to the Gospel of the day.

Obviously the entire Bible cannot be covered in three years, so some large sections must be omitted. But the church is very concerned that “difficult” texts not be easily passed over.

Some profound literary or interpretative difficulties arise from the texts themselves. But there is “no justification,” according to the rules of the Lectionary, “for concealing from the faithful the spiritual riches of certain texts on the grounds of difficulty if the problem arises from the inadequacy either of the religious education that every Christian should have or of the biblical formation that every pastor of souls should have” (Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, Art. 76).

This helps to explain that, while considerable flexibility in readings is possible on other occasions, such options are very rare on Sundays and major feasts so as not to blur the character of the season, the sequence of readings or the message from a particular book of the Bible.

Classified ads bring results! Over 104,000 readers! Over 42,000 homes!

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

Payment: Ads may be pre-paid or billed. For information, call (704) 370-3332. certification and principal’s license (or in progress).

Principal must establish residence in Rocky Mount.

Send resume to: Search Committee, 331 Hammond Street, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.

Youth/Young Adult Ministry Director: A triparish (including one Hispanic) Catholic community of 1800 families in a university setting is seeking a full-time Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry to implement comprehensive youth ministry as described in “Renewing the Vision.” Candidate should have prior ministry experience, and be able to work collaboratively with staff and members of parish community. Background in Theology, Christian Formation, and/or certification in youth ministry desired. Please contact Rev. Bernard Campbell, CSP, P.O. Box 112, Clemson, SC 29633 or (864)654-1757.

Queen Mattress Set: Brand name. Manufacturer warranty. Never used. New $399. Sell for $195. Call (704) 321-2646 King Mattress Set: Brand name. Manufacturer warranty. Never used. New $599. Sell for $275. Call (704) 321-2646.

Infant Care Provider: Henderson/south Buncombe County. Seeking non-smoking, experienced adult to care for infant part-time; flexible hours beginning late April. References required; pay negotiable. Call Katy at (828)698-2956.

Liturgy/Catechumenate Director/Adult Formation Coordinator: Dynamic college town parish. Successful candidate will build on a wellestablished process that seeks further implementation of the Re-Membering Church. Parish in initial stages of learning Stewardship and all of its ramifications. New church (1 year old) with excellent worship space (with adult immersion font). Need help in maximizing the full potential of the abundant gifts present in this community. Secretarial support provided. Competitive salary and benefits.

Contact Parish Administrator, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514, by April 30, for position July 1.

Music Ministry Director: Dynamic college town parish. Successful candidate will build on a wellestablished program that includes hand bells, pipe organ, grand piano, tympani, etc. Select music for liturgies; direct/develop traditional and children’s choir; coordinate with contemporary choir. Parish in initial stages of implementing Stewardship and FOR SALE all of its ramifications.

New church with excellent worship space. Secretarial support provided.

Competitive salary and benefits. Contact Parish Administrator, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514, by April 30; Position available July 1.

Principal: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic School, Rocky Mount, NC (Grades PK-5) seeks a principal for the 2000-2001 school year.

Applicant must be practicing Catholic, hold teacher

March 10, 2000

In the

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Blessed Bakhita a model of Christian faith,

By Dianne Riggs Correspondent The lives of the saints provide the faithful with exemplary models of men and women who dwelt in the love of Christ and lavished that love upon others, often in the most humble of ways. Such was the life of Blessed Josephine Bakhita, who will become the first Sudanese saint when she is canonized on Oct. 1.

Called Mother Moretta, our Black Mother, by the Canossian Daughters of Charity community at Schio, Italy, Josephine Bakhita emerged from a cruel background and became a woman of faith, whom those at the Canossian Institute found humble, simple and tender of heart.

Born into a prosperous, loving family in Sudan, Africa, in 1869, Bahkita experienced a world turned suddenly upside down when she was kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of nine. So severe were her tortures, both physical and moral, that she even forgot her own name. She was sold and resold in the markets of Sudan’s cities. One owner named her “Bakhita,” which means fortunate.

She described in first-person narrative one of the horrors, according to the February 2000 issue of Living City magazine: “One day I unwittingly made a mistake that incensed the master’s son. He became furious, snatched me violently from my hiding place, and began to strike me ferociously with the lash and his feet. Finally he left me half dead, completely unconscious. Some slaves carried me away and placed me on a straw mat where I remained for over a month.”

In 1883, she was bought by the Italian consul, Callisto Legnani. For the first time, no one used the lash, but instead treated her in a loving, cordial way. According to the Canossian sisters’ Web site, in the consul’s residence she “experienced peace, warmth and moments of joy, even if always veiled by nostalgia for her own family who were perhaps lost forever.”

She was eventually sent to Italy to care for a young woman named Mimmina, the daughter of one of the Consul’s friends, who was attending a boarding school run by the Canossian sisters. It was here, through the sisters’ nurturing, that she learned of the Catholic faith and of the God whom she knew was always in her heart.

After several months, Bakhita was initiated into the Catholic Church and assumed the name Josephine. The year was 1890. From then on, according to the Canossian Web site, she was often seen kissing the baptismal font, saying, “Here, I became a daughter of God.” When Mimmina’s mother came to take her and Bakhita back to Africa, Bakhita, who was now of age, refused.

With the help of the Canossian superior, the cardinal and the king’s procurator, it was declared that since slavery was illegal in Italy, Bakhita could not be forced to return to Africa.

Bakhita remained with the sisters, discerning her call to become a religious. On Dec. 8, 1896, she was consecrated forever to God, whom she called the Master.

In community, Bakhita performed very humble tasks: sewing, cooking, embroidery, door-keeping. She was known to pray for the sisters of her

community, who held her in high esteem for her piety, and she was fond of the children whom the sisters taught.

According to the Canossian Web site, her voice, “which had the inflection and rhythm of the music of her country, was pleasing to the little ones, comforting to the poor and suffering and encouraging for those who knocked at the door of the Institute.”

Her experiences in childhood and young adulthood did much to shape her desire to serve God and to live the religious life. She once said, according to Living City, “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me, and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and Religious today.’”

In 1930, a biography of her life was published and from then on, she had many speaking engagements. Towards the end of her life, she became

ill and was confined to a wheelchair.

Even with the long, painful years of sickness, Mother Bakhita continued to witness in faith. To those who visited her and asked how she was, she would respond with a smile, noting that she accepts God’s wishes.

She died on Feb. 8, 1947, at the age of 78, surrounded by sorrowful, praying sisters. A large crowd gathered to see for the final time their “Mother Moretta” and to ask for her intercession from heaven.

At the Canossian General House, hundreds of letters were received from persons who had experienced the efficacy of her intercession. She was proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II on July 6, 1991. t

Charlotte parishioners to travel to El Salvador, commemorate Romero death

CHARLOTTE — A delegation from St. Peter Church in Charlotte that has fostered a relationship with a community in northeast El Salvador will travel to the Central American locale later this month meet with some old friends and commemorate the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador.

Since 1990, the parish’s El Salvador interest group has fostered a relationship with Segundo Montes, a civil-war weary refugee community 100 miles northeast of San Salvador. Continuing their pastoral and financial assistance to Segundo Montes, the parish group will send a delegation there March 18-26 as part of its jubilee observation. The delegation will get updates on the status of a variety of social justice, educational, community and church projects made possible through the involvement of the interest group. The delegation will also take part in the 20th anniversary observance of the death of Archbishop Romero, who was killed while celebrating Mass during El Salvador’s bloody civil war.

To commemorate this jubilee event, the interest group has designed sweatshirts for its supporters. For further information on how you can help support the

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

March 10, 2000

Black History Month celebrated at St. Lawrence

By Joanita M. Nellenbach Correspondent ASHEVILLE — People must look beyond the symbols to the soul of black, white and Catholic cultures, the vice chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte told the congregation in the Basilica of St. Lawrence at a recent Mass observing Black History Month.

Rev. Mr. Curtiss Todd, who also serves as vicar of African American Affairs in the diocese, was homilist at the Feb. 27 Mass. Father Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, presided. Father Cecil Tice, rector of the basilica, had invited Father West and Rev. Mr. Todd to help the parish celebrate Black History Month.

What started some years ago as Black History Week has become Black History Month, but, Rev. Mr. Todd said, “We want to be celebrated all year — as all cultures should be.”

The Catholic Church also is celebrating a Jubilee year. A banner hanging in front of the basilica proclaims the Jubilee message, “Open Wide the Doors to Christ.” But, Rev. Mr. Todd says, there’s more to that than might seem obvious.

“Who is the church?” he asked. “We are. The doors to be opened are not the doors to the building. We must open our minds and our hearts to Christ. Opening wide the doors to Christ means being the Jesus someone needs to see.”

Rev. Mr. Todd added that before one can evangelize others, he or she must experience evangelization of self.

Rev. Mr. Todd took his homily

theme from the day’s second reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. He quoted from the reading: “You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.”

“What do people see when they read my heart’s letter?” he asked.

He acknowledged the differences between black and white cultures, but said, “All people are created in the image and likeness of God, and we are not entitled to deny that. Some people say when they look at me, ‘Curtiss, I don’t see a black man.’ I know what they mean, but I have to ask, ‘What do you see?’ Because that’s what I am.

That’s what God made me to be.”

White U.S. culture in America has been shaped by white European culture, he said, and so has Catholic Church culture. When blacks look at the Catholic Church in the United States, Rev. Mr. Todd said, many feel unwelcome when all they encounter is white priests and nuns, a white hierarchy, the grandeur of European royalty, and art and icons showing fair-skinned people.

While differences in worship style between white and black congregations exist, he added, one is not better than the other.

Rev. Mr. Todd’s comments reflect on the ethnic makeup of today’s church, both in the United States and in the Diocese of Charlotte.

There are more than 62 million

Lent 2000

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.”

— Psalm 130: 1-2 Photo by Joann S. Keane

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Rev. Mr. Curtiss Todd, left, and Father Mauricio West greet parishioners after Mass at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville.

Catholics in the United States. According to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference’s Secretariat for African American Catholics, 2.3 million Catholics are African American.

In this diocese, two priests in active ministry are African American, and Rev. Mr. Todd is the only African-American permanent deacon currently serving.

Of the 94 parishes and missions in the diocese, three have predominantly African-American congregations.

In November 1989, the U.S. Catholic bishops approved and recommended a pastoral plan for black Catholics.

The plan, originally adopted by the National Black Catholic Congress in 1987, focused on Catholic identity of African-American Catholics, ministry and leadership in the community, and the obligation to reach out to broader society.

The plan was part of an effort by the U.S. bishops to more effectively evangelize the nation’s African-American Catholics. It dealt with a multitude of issues, including cultural, spiritual, educational and social awareness and development.

Black soul and culture come mainly from Africa, Rev. Mr. Todd said in his homily, but “slavery stripped Af-

ricans of their culture, their identity, even their humanity. What they were allowed to keep was for the entertainment of others.”

But, he said, “Everybody has the right to belong to their own culture.

No one culture is better than any other. Jesus came for everybody. There should be respect for all cultures. Go beyond the symbols and understand the soul of the culture.”

All are to evangelize, reconcile and celebrate, he said. America has been called a “melting pot,” but a better term might be “stew pot,” he added. In a melting pot, all the ingredients blend into one, with no distinctions, but in a stew pot, each ingredient contributes to the whole while retaining its individuality.

Rev. Mr. Todd noted that he is asked from time to time why he feels a sense of belonging in a church with such a relatively small percentage of African-American congregants. “I tell them, a Catholic is a Christian who believes that God manifested himself to the world through Jesus Christ,” he said, “and that the purpose of life is to know, love and serve God through divine worship and service to others.” t Associate Editor Jimmy Rostar contributed to this story.