March 12, 2010
The Catholic News & Herald 1
www.charlottediocese.org
Perspectives
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
The Feast of St. Joseph is March 19 | PAGE 10
Established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul VI march 12, 2010
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Poor Clares moving to Charlotte SUEANN HOWELL Special To The Catholic News & Herald
See POOR CLARES, page 7
no. 17
Going hungry in Huntersville
St. Ann Church welcomes cloistered nuns
CHARLOTTE ― This week the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of St. Joseph Monastery are moving from their Ohio home to a brick residence behind St. Ann Church and school – marking the first time in three decades since an order of contemplative nuns has lived in the Diocese of Charlotte. Their move from Portsmouth, Ohio, has been three years in the making. It all started after Father Christopher Roux, rector of St. Patrick Cathedral in
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St. Mark teens raise awareness, money in ‘30 Hour Famine’ HEATHER BELLEMORE Special to The Catholic News & Herald
photo by Tracey Liberacki
Victor Vega and Redmond Anello, eighth-grade students from St. Mark School in Huntersville, search for food while coached by teammates during a 30 Hour Famine event March 5. The role-playing games were part of a 30 hour fast designed to make the teens more aware of poverty and hunger around the world.
HUNTERSVILLE ― More than 70 eighth-graders from St. Mark School endured more than a day of hunger pangs to raise $10,000 for organizations fighting poverty. During the 30-hour fast March 4-5, they were only halfway through their drive but had already raised $5,800, nearly 60 percent of their goal. See FAMINE, page 7
Diocese seeks SACS accreditation for all 18 Catholic schools Review team to visit March 14-17 SUEANN HOWELL Special to The Catholic News & Herald CHARLOTTE ― Representatives from the S outhern A s s o cia t i o n o f Colleges and Schools will visit March 14-17 as part of the diocesan schools’ reaccreditation process with AdvancEd, and for the first time the review will cover
all 1 8 s ch o ols to geth er. P r e v i o u s l y, e a c h s c h o o l was responsible for its own accreditation reviews every five years. AdvancEd is the parent organization of SACS, the premier educational accreditation company that judges academic standards in 23,000 public and private schools in 65 countries. Part of the accreditation
process unique to diocesan schools includes rating “Catholic Identity,” which evaluates how well schools advance the Church’s mission of living and spreading the faith. “We are one of a few dioceses around the United States that is seeking diocesan (district) accreditation,” said Linda Cherry, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Charlotte. AdvancEd accreditation brings with it an assurance of quality in educational
standards and a commitment to all-around excellence. Accredited schools must meet seven specific standards that include having a clear vision and purpose, effective leadership, a rigorous curriculum which tracks student performance, adequate resources for their programs, and goals for continued improvement. SACS representatives will visit eight of the diocese’s 18 schools, as well as meet with officials at the Catholic Schools Office.
Around the Diocese
Culture Watch
Hundreds expected to attend Bishop’s Youth Lenten Pilgrimage March 20
Priest-songwriter says psalms are some of Church’s ‘greatest prayers’
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SACS reviews schools’ performance every five years. With district accreditation, the Catholic Schools Office, rather than individual schools, will receive the performance review visit on a five-year basis. Diocesan schools officials have been preparing for this accreditation review for a year and a half. Dr. Janice Ritter, assistant superintendent of schools, has been aided by a 14-member steering committee comprised of teachers, principals and former administrators.
Around the Diocese Year for Priests profile: Father Ed Sheridan | PAGE 4