April 4, 2008

April 4, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives An Easter morning reflection; Is security more important than liberty?

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI april 4, 2008

CSS volunteer a finalist for national volunteer award

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

See VOLUNTEER, page 4

no. 22

As a servant in the mission of Christ Seminarian ordained to the transitional diaconate

William LaMay honored for his work with refugees CHARLOTTE — William LaMay, a volunteer with Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte, has been named a finalist for Catholic Charities USA’s 2008 National Volunteer of the Year Award.

“Giant people cast giant shadows,” said Mary Jane Bruton, community relations coordinator for Catholic Social Services in Charlotte.

“That’s true, as long as there’s a spotlight. The problem is that Bill LaMay doesn’t stand still long enough to shine a proper light on him,” she said.

“He’s too busy quietly devoting over 50 hours every month helping clients of our Refugee Resettlement Office adapt to life in the United States.”

From the time they arrive

vOLUME 17

by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — “It’s been a long time coming,” said Patti Roberts following the Mass celebrating the ordination of her son, Benjamin Roberts, to the transitional diaconate.

Deacon Roberts was ordained by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 29.

As a convert to Catholicism, the road to the diaconate has been anything but typical for Deacon Roberts, who was born in Charlotte and grew up in Lancaster, S.C. where he attended a Lutheran church.

“My parents have always been very supportive,” said Deacon Roberts.

“He always wanted to be Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Seminarian Benjamin Roberts lays prostrate before Bishop Peter J. Jugis during his ordination to the transitional diaconate at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 29. Flanking Bishop Jugis are transitional deacons Brandon Jones (at left) and Tri Vinh Truong. In the background are priests of the Diocese of Charlotte.

‘A journey of hope’ Pope will find a spiritual nation during his U.S. visit, says survey by

CNS photo by Max Rossi, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI waves from the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 26. A different popemobile, also made by Mercedes-Benz, has left the Vatican and will be delivered by an air cargo company to the U.S. in time for the pope’s April 15-20 visit..

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI will find a spiritual nation when he visits the United States in April, according to a new national survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus.

The survey, conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion in

See DEACON, page 5

‘To harvest his invaluable spiritual heritage’

Pope Benedict prays JPII will help him build on spiritual gifts

Poughkeepsie, N.Y., found that “Americans are interested in hearing how God, religion and spirituality may be incorporated into their daily lives.”

The results were released by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson March 25 at the National Press Club in Washington. His new book, “A Civilization of Love:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI prayed that Pope John Paul II would intercede for him with God, helping him to gather and build on the spiritual gifts that Pope John Paul gave to the church.

See POPE, page 9

See JPII, page 7

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

Culture Watch

Youths in Action

Easter reflections

Book on priests’ poltical views; Favre and faith

Youths proclaim Christ at retreat; school sports

Catholics share Easter message with others

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 12-13

| Page 16

April 4, 2008

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Faith! Get your faith here!

CNS photo by Jason Collins, Florida Catholic

Father Victor Ulto (center), pastor of St. Bernadette Church in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and parishioner Brian Saville laugh as they serve a customer March 10 at a concession stand at Thomas J. White Stadium, spring training home of the New York Mets baseball team. Parishioners sold hot dogs, nachos and beer at two games this year to raise money for the church building fund.

Spring training inspires homilies, offers chances for evangelization ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) — With the spring training field for Major League Baseball’s newest team right across the street, it’s no wonder the sport would find its way into a homily at St. John the Evangelist Church in Viera.

“Our first Sunday here, the pastor (Father Lawrence Olszewski) compared the spirit of Lent with spring and spring training. He said how similar they are because it’s a new start for everyone, including the ball club,” said Washington Nationals spokesman John Dever.

His team has played spring training games at Space Coast Stadium since its inaugural season in 2005.

The Nationals were one of 18 major league teams that played their preseason games in five of Florida’s seven dioceses this year. Players start reporting for spring training in mid-February and it’s over at the end of March.

During that time the presence of the teams and their fans does more than inspire homilies and bolster attendance in nearby churches. It offers opportunities for game-day fundraising and evangelization, and for allowing Catholic players to share their stories.

But it also presents the challenge of meeting the spiritual needs of Catholic players, coaches and team staffers who have crushingly busy schedules.

“Baseball’s schedule is not very forgiving for any faith, but I’ve been able to hit Mass a couple of times here on Saturdays and it has been fantastic,” said Nationals left-handed pitcher John Lannan, a parishioner at St. Mary of the Isle Church in Long Beach, N.Y. As an avid baseball fan, Father Tom Anastasia of St. Clement Church in Plant City often travels to Clearwater to enjoy his front-row seats for the Philadelphia Phillies

at Bright House Network Stadium.

Sitting in Father Anastasia’s frontrow seats at Bright House stadium on a recent afternoon was Father Michael O’Brien, pastor of St. Justin Martyr Church in Seminole. As a child growing up in St. Petersburg, Father O’Brien regularly saw spring training games and had a brother-in-law, Bill Freehan, who played for the Detroit Tigers.

“Baseball is just a major part of our family,” Father O’Brien said. “Spring training has been in my blood since I was a kid.”

Like Father Olszewski in Viera, the priest uses spring training as a metaphor in his Lenten homilies. Lent is a time of preparation for Catholics, just as spring training is a time of preparation for professional baseball.

Like the pros, they cannot let their skills go lax after Easter.

“What typically happens is people say, ‘Hey, Lent is over,’” and they stop focusing on growing spiritually, he said, but he tells them, “Lent has been our spring training and the triduum is the opening game, so come out and play!”

At St. Bernadette Church in Port St. Lucie, parishioners sell concessions during the New York Mets’ spring training at Thomas J. White Stadium.

“We get a portion of the sales,” said parishioner Joe Duffy. “We put a donation jar out and people toss coins in it, too. The money goes toward the building fund.”

The pastor, Father Victor Ulto, said he always joins in and has fun.

“We make a few hundred dollars.

More than that, we evangelize. Along with the hot dogs, we tell them about the parish. It’s terrific. Man does not live on hot dogs alone,” he said.

Maryland Legislature passes measure to set up death penalty study BALTIMORE (CNS) — Richard Dowling, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, praised the Maryland General Assembly for passing legislation to establish a commission that will study the death penalty in Maryland.

The Catholic conference is the legislative lobbying arm of Maryland’s Catholic bishops.

The House of Delegates passed its version of the bill March 21 on an 89-48 vote, and the Senate passed its version a day later on a 32-15 vote.

The two versions are expected to be reconciled soon, and Gov. Martin O’Malley is likely to sign the measure into law, Dowling said.

The commission will be made up of people on both sides of the issue, and it is expected to include representatives from the state’s religious community.

“We’re hopeful this commission will

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

ALBEMARLE VICARIATE MONROE — A holy hour is held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 725 Deese St., until December 2008 in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes. The holy hour consists of evening prayer, recitation of the rosary and Benediction. The celebration is open to all. For more information, contact the parish office at (704) 289-2773.

ASHEVILLE VICARIATE ASHEVILLE — A Taize prayer service is held the second Friday of each month at 7 p.m. at St. Eugene Church, 72 Culvern St. Taize is a meditative prayer which mixes simple song, silence and Scripture. For more information, call the church office at (828) 254-5193.

BOONE VICARIATE SPRUCE PINE — A rosary of intercession for priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m.

Mass. Prayers are offered for bishops, priests and deacons, and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. For more information, call the church office at (828) 765-2224.

help remove the residual doubts about whether our justice system can be best served by repeal of the death penalty,” said Dowling.

The commission is expected to hold regional hearings, and Dowling said he is “confident people and interests throughout the state will have their say.”

“If the polls are any indication, the people will make clear their preference for life sentences without the possibility of parole,” he said.

While the Catholic conference had high hopes that a bill to repeal the death penalty would have been approved this year, the legislation was one vote short in the Senate judicial proceedings committee.

Dowling is hopeful the commission will recommend repeal.

“If it does, that will provide the momentum needed to move repeal legislation through,” he said.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — A rosary is prayed every Wednesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 4207 Shamrock Dr., at 6:30 p.m., followed

by Mass at 7 p.m. All are welcome to participate in this sacred tradition. For more information, call Juanita Thompson at (704) 536-0784.

CHARLOTTE — The Compassionate Friends of Charlotte meet the first and third Tuesdays of the month at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway. The organization is a support group for parents who have lost a child, regardless of cause of death or age of the child. The group meets at 7 p.m. in room 234. Meetings are open to the public. For more information, contact Donna or Ralph Goodrich at (804) 882-4503 or e-mail iluvu2lauren@earthlink.net.

CHARLOTTE — “Dealing with Loss in the Years that Follow,” a grief education event, will be held at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in the St. Gabriel Ministry Center. Presenter will be Janice Olive of Hospice and Palliative Care. For more information, call BJ at (704) 362-5047, ext. 212.

CHARLOTTE — Eucharistic adoration for children is held the second Wednesday of the month at 4:15 p.m. during the school year, led

by Father Timothy Reid, pastor, St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd. MINT HILL — St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., will sponsor a workshop on Understanding the Meaning of the Church. Sisters Barbara Bartlett and Jeanne Marie Guerin will lead the workshop, which will include discussions on Vatican II and cultural influence, on Saturday, April 12, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Refreshments and light lunch provided.

No admission fee. All are welcome. To register, call Sr. Veronica Grover at (704) 545-1224.

GASTONIA VICARIATE DENVER — The Senior Group of Holy Spirit Church meets once a month for fun and fellowship.

APRIL 4, 2008 Volume 17 • Number 22

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray STAFF WRITER: Katie Moore Graphic DESIGNER: Tim Faragher Advertising MANAGER: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Deborah Hiles 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-MAIL: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

April 4, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Vatican official discusses Saudi king’s idea to initiate dialogue VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The importance of marriage and the family and the values needed to sustain family life can be an appropriate starting point for interreligious dialogue, said an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Franciscan Father Gianfranco Grieco described as “interesting” Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Aziz’s idea to initiate a dialogue with Muslims, Christians and Jews to defend the family, moral values and the importance of religion.

While Saudi Arabia is a strictly Islamic country where the public practice of any other faith is illegal, King Abdullah announced March 24 that he had been consulting Muslim religious leaders about the possibility of inviting “all religions to sit together with their brothers, faithfully and sincerely, as we all believe in the same God” to discuss “the crisis all humanity is suffering in the current time.”

The institution of the family has been “weakened and dismantled,” a lack of faith and religious practice has spread and “there is a lack of ethics, loyalty and sincerity,” he said.

The king’s speech said that after more consultations with Muslim leaders he hoped to convoke meetings with Christians and Jews because the Bible and the Torah, like the Quran, contain teaching that would help humanity defend itself against “those who tamper (with) religions, ethics and family systems.”

King Abdullah said he had discussed the idea with Pope Benedict XVI when he traveled to the Vatican in November.

Commenting on the king’s proposal, Father Grieco said, “Everything that helps family stability, values and education from whatever source — Christian, Muslim or Jewish — is good. We all know the importance of the family.”

All seniors are invited to join. For more information on upcoming events, contact Irene Brunner at (704) 483-1210.

miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a newborn. For details, call Renee Washington at (704) 637-0472 or Sharon Burges at (704) 633-0591.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — Area Catholics meet each Saturday at 8 a.m. for prayer at the abortion clinic A Woman’s Choice, 201 Pomona Dr. A rosary and a divine mercy chaplet are prayed. If you are interested in participating, contact Carolyn Dominick at (336) 292-3612.

GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., meets Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 a.m. in the Parish Life Center. The group will be studying Colossians during the month of April. For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — Father Robert Ferris leads a Lectionary Bible study at St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St., Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Mary, Mother of God room. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. This study prepares participants for the following Sunday’s Mass by reading and studying the liturgical readings for the next week. For more information on this study, contact Kathy Succop at (828) 327-2341 or stalscoordinator@charter.net.

SALISBURY VICARIATE MOORESVILLE — St. Therese Church Senior Fun & Games meets the second Saturday of every month at 6:30 p.m. for those 50 and older.

A potluck supper is followed by board and card games. Call Barbara Daigler at (704) 662-9572 for more information.

SALISBURY — Elizabeth Ministry is a peer ministry comprised of Sacred Heart Church parishioners who have lost babies before or shortly after birth. Confidential peer ministry, information and spiritual materials are offered at no cost or obligation to anyone who has experienced

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE WAYNESVILLE — Adult Education Classes are held the first three Wednesday evenings of each month beginning at 6:15 p.m. in the St. John the Evangelist Church Social Hall, 234 Church St. For more information, call Charles Luce at (828) 648-7369 or e-mail luce54@aol.com.

WAYNESVILLE — The Catholic Women’s Circle of St. John the Evangelist Church, 234 Church St., meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the church hall. For more information, call the church office at (828) 456-6707.

Vatican spokesman: Muslim convert has right to express his own ideas VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Pope Benedict XVI welcomed into the Catholic Church a Muslim-born journalist often critical of Islam, it was not a sign that the pope accepts everything the journalist believes, said the Vatican spokesman.

The Italian journalist, Magdi Allam, “has the right to express his own ideas.

They remain his personal opinions without in any way becoming the official expression of the positions of the pope or the Holy See,” said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.

Father Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, made his comments March 27 in response to a statement from Aref Ali Nayed, a spokesman for the 138 Muslim scholars who initiated the Common Word dialogue project in October and who established the Catholic-Muslim Forum for dialogue with the Vatican in early March.

Father Lombardi said baptism is a recognition that the person entering the church “has freely and sincerely accepted the Christian faith in its fundamental articles” as expressed in the creed.

“Of course, believers are free to maintain their own ideas on a vast range of questions and problems on which legitimate pluralism exists among Christians,” he said. “Welcoming a new believer into the church clearly does not

mean espousing all that person’s ideas and opinions, especially on political and social matters.”

Nayed questioned the pope’s decision to baptize Allam March 22 during the globally televised Easter Vigil from St. Peter’s Basilica.

In a March 25 interview, Allam said his decision to convert grew as he became convinced that it was impossible to believe in a moderate form of Islam because “a substantial ambiguity found in the Quran and in the concrete actions of Mohammed” feeds violent tendencies.

Father Lombardi also strongly objected to the way Nayed referred to Allam’s early education in Catholic schools in Egypt, implying that Catholic schools try to proselytize nonChristian students. The Catholic Church’s commitment to the education of all children deserves praise and not suspicion, Father Lombardi said.

Father Lombardi said the Catholic Church today does not deserve an accusation that it lacks respect for human dignity and freedom, but there are many situations in the world where such respect is lacking and which need attention.

“Maybe this is why the pope accepted the risk of this baptism: to affirm the freedom of religious choice which derives from the dignity of the human person,” he said.

Smoke-free sanctuary?

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE CLEMMONS — Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., has eucharistic adoration each Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. For more details, call Donna at (336) 940-2558 or Carole at (336) 766-4530.

WINSTON-SALEM — Coming Home is a program for people who have drifted away or feel alienated from the church and want to explore coming back — no pressure, no obligations. The first meeting will be April 7 in the media center of Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1720 Link Rd., 5:306:45 p.m. For more information, contact Helen at (336) 403-5016 or Laura at (336) 624-5785, or e-mail cominghomeolm@yahoo.com.

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

CNS photo by Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

A woman smokes at the Vatican March 27. The Vatican used to be known as a haven for smokers, but in 2002 smoking was banned in offices and public places. Physicians and Nurses against Tobacco, a Rhode Island-based organization, has asked Pope Benedict X VI to support its petition to declare Vatican City the world’s first tobacco-free state.

Bishop says he won’t go to Catholic college’s graduation Episcopal

calendar

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

April 7 (10:30 a.m.)

Charlotte Catholic Women’s Group Luncheon St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte

April 9 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Ann Church, Charlotte

April 7 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro

April 11 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

ERIE, Pa. (CNS) — Erie Bishop Donald W. Trautman said March 31 he will not attend May graduation ceremonies at Mercyhurst College because of the school’s decision to allow Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York to hold a campaign rally on campus April 1.

Clinton supports keeping abortion legal.

“I am disappointed in Mercyhurst College for not reflecting the pro-life stance of the Catholic Church regarding

abortion,” said Bishop Trautman, who usually attends the ceremonies.

In response, Dr. Thomas Gamble, college president, said the school respected the bishop’s decision but was “saddened by it” and “will deeply miss his presence at graduation” at the college, run by the Sisters of Mercy.

School officials invited all the presidential candidates to address students as an educational opportunity for students; Clinton was the first to accept the invitation.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Volunteer honored for work with refugees VOLUNTEER, from page 1

in the United States, many refugees are overwhelmed with the challenges of adjusting to their new home. For more than 50 years, LaMay has been a resource and support to help refugees become self-sustaining, valuable members of the Charlotte community.

Known for his multitasking abilities, LaMay takes the lead in organizing his parish, St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, and community volunteers in securing and setting up furniture for new arrivals’ apartments and ensuring the cupboards are stocked.

If a larger family lacks a washer and dryer, he’s on the hunt to provide them one. If a washer and dryer can’t be located, he collects bags of laundry and washes them overnight at home.

He makes sure that refugee children, who may step into a Charlotte winter with few belongings, are welcomed with warm coats and bicycles.

To many refugee clients, LaMay is both a mentor and a friend. Knowing how important it is for a refugee to quickly learn English, he often tutors several families at a time and even helps refugee children and their parents bridge the language barrier at area schools.

“He lives out his faith and inspires all around him to be better Christians with his self-deprecating humor, compassion and caring for the neediest among us,” said Bruton.

LaMay’s impact doesn’t stop with his work with refugees. He serves as a CSS “ambassador” in the community, helping to identify needs, generate donations and recruit new volunteers.

A typical day might find him painting a classroom, checking on a client’s job progress or explaining the mysteries of an American grocery store to a new arrival.

On a regular basis, he shares his energy and vision with fellow members of CSS’s board of directors.

The National Volunteer of the Year Award annually recognizes the invaluable contributions volunteers make to the Catholic Charities network throughout the country.

LaMay was chosen from dozens of nominations submitted by local Catholic Charities agencies for exemplifying the spirit and mission of Catholic Charities in reducing poverty, supporting families, and empowering communities.

“Without the dedication and commitment of volunteers like Bill, who donate so much of their valuable time and energy, Catholic Charities agencies across the United States would never be able to provide services for millions of people a year,” said Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities USA president.

“When I look at the lives of all the refugees that Bill has touched and the difference he has made in the community, I am grateful that he is part of the Catholic Charities family.

April 4, 2008

Photo by David Hains

Catholic Social Services volunteer William LaMay is pictured in the diocesan Pastoral Center in Charlotte March 17. He is a finalist for Catholic Charities USA’s 2008 National Volunteer of the Year Award.

The world is a better place because of Bill,” he said.

Volunteers nationwide provide the backbone of the Catholic Charities movement. Collectively, local Catholic Charities agencies rely on more than 243,000 volunteers each year to serve more than 7.8 million people of all faiths and diverse needs.

The 2008 award recipient will be announced during National Volunteer Week, April 27–May 3, and will be honored at Catholic Charities USA’s Annual Gathering in New Orleans Sept. 27.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about CSS’s Refugee Resettlement Office, visit www.cssnc.org/refugee.html or call (704) 370-3277.

Prayer and reflection Ecumenical women’s gathering focuses on relationships with God BREVARD — Women of many faiths recently reflected on their relationships with God and each other.

Two hundred and fifty women from 31 area churches attended the third annual Christian Woman’s Day of Reflection at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard March 8.

The day opened up with a prayer service led by led by Austin Robeson, a member of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Brevard, followed by presentations by Anne Trufant and Jane Derrick.

Trufant, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church and writer/singer of Christian music, spoke on “Relationships.” She challenged the women to deepen their relationships with God through prayer and actions.

Derrick, a Bible teacher and workshop leader at the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, discussed “Prayer” and utilized a number of psalms in her presentation.

The day also provided opportunities for small group discussions and networking. Participants also were

Courtesy Photo

Anne Trufant leads women in song during the third annual Christian Women’s Day of Reflection at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard March 8. invited to join in a weekly prayer group to end domestic violence, founded by the Day of Reflection’s organizing committee.

April 4, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 5

from the cover

Seminarian ordained as transitional deacon DEACON, from page 1

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis places the Book of Gospels in the hands of transitional Deacon Benjamin Roberts during Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 29. Also pictured: Transitional Deacon Tri Vinh Truong.

MORE PHOTOS of Deacon Benjamin Roberts’ ordination are available online at www.charlottediocese.org/catholicnews.html.

Photo by Katie Moore

Newly-ordained Deacon Benjamin Roberts assists Bishop Peter J. Jugis during Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte March 29. Also pictured: Transitional Deacon Tri Vinh Truong.

president,” recalled his mother.

Susan Saunders, Deacon Roberts’ childhood babysitter, remembered that he could recite all the U.S. presidents and vice presidents by the age of five.

“It’s been amazing to look back over his life and see where the Lord has led him,” she said.

Like Saunders, Patti Roberts also recognized something special in her son at an early age.

“At 5-years-old, he could sing all the Lutheran liturgy,” she said.

Following high school, Deacon Roberts began training to be a Lutheran minister. He studied Lutheran theology under the guidance of Rev. Andrew Weisner, campus pastor at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory.

“As a student assistant, Ben just knew what to do without instruction and without prompting,” said Rev. Weisner, “He was born with a sense of liturgy; it’s in his bones.”

Rev. Weisner was instrumental in encouraging Deacon Roberts’ conversion to the Catholic faith. He introduced him to Father Conrad Kimbrough, then-pastor at St. Benedict Church in Greensboro.

“Father Kimbrough was really helpful in helping to discern my vocation, not only by talking but by showing what it means to be a priest,” said Deacon Roberts.

Deacon Roberts said there were three things that drew him to the Catholic faith.

“It was the Eucharist, a consistent moral doctrine and someone taught me how to pray the rosary,” he said.

He was received into the Catholic Church and confirmed by Father Peter Fitzgibbons at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville Oct. 30, 1999.

After a year of working in a soup kitchen in inner-city Chicago, Deacon Roberts entered the seminary under the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Buffalo, N.Y. Next he entered his novitiate, a yearlong spiritual retreat in preparation for vows. During that time, he discerned the call to become a parish priest.

“There has been a wonderful example and support of so many priests in the Diocese of Charlotte,” he said.

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

He said he is especially thankful for the support of the parishioners at his home parish, St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville, and its pastor, Father Kurt Fohn.

“I learned a lot about ministry and the importance of prayer for a priest from Father Kurt,” Deacon Roberts said.

In his homily at the ordination, Bishop Jugis discussed the three areas through which deacons are called to serve the church: the ministries of the word, the altar and charity.

“It is as a servant that Benjamin will share in the mission and the grace of Christ,” said Bishop Jugis.

“He wants to give himself in service to the church,” said Amber Luckey, a college friend of Deacon Roberts. “He has a complete love for God and he’s doing this very willfully and joyfully.”

“I know he is always going to put those in his flock first,” she said.

During the rite of ordination, Bishop Jugis called forth Deacon Roberts to make the promise of celibacy and the vow of obedience. He lay prostrate on the floor while the bishop, the concelebrating priests and deacons serving stood and prayed the Litany of the Saints.

Following the litany, the bishop laid his hands on Deacon Roberts’ head and asked the Holy Spirit to descend upon him. Father Kimbrough, now a retired priest, and Deacon Nicholas Fadero of St. Patrick Cathedral then vested him with the dalmatic and stole.

Deacon Fadero has been a family friend of Deacon Roberts for many years; like Father Kimbrough, he encouraged Deacon Roberts in his vocation.

Next, Deacon Roberts knelt before the bishop, who placed the Book of Gospels in his hands. The new deacon then assisted with the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Deacons are permitted to preach, to assist priests at the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist; to officiate at weddings, baptisms and funerals; and to administer blessings during certain liturgical rites. Transitional deacons are men enrolled in seminaries who intend to be ordained as priests.

Deacon Roberts is currently completing his studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Pennsylvania and will be ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Charlotte in June 2009.

“I love preaching,” Deacon Roberts said, “But what I’m looking forward to most as a deacon is saying the words in the ritual of baptism.”

“That I, through my unworthy hands, will bring about divine life in a soul,” he said, “that is what I am looking forward to most.”

6 The Catholic News & Herald

in the news

Order priest arrested on sex abuse charges Diocese unaware of police investigation into allegations by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

CHARLOTTE — A religious order priest who once served in the Diocese of Charlotte was arrested April 2 on sexual abuse charges involving a minor.

Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Yurgel was taken into custody by U.S. marshals in Passaic, N.J., where he lives, on a warrant issued by CharlotteMecklenburg police. He will be extradited to Charlotte.

The warrant alleges five counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of statutory sex offense that allegedly took place with a minor in 1999, while Father Yurgel was a parochial vicar at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte.

Father Yurgel served as parochial vicar at the church from 1997 until 1999. After this time, he served briefly at Our Lady of Consolation Church in Charlotte.

The alleged victim, now in his early 20s, only recently reported the matter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Diocesan officials were not made aware of the allegations or the investigation prior to the April 2 announcement of the arrest by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Under the provisions of the U.S. bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese of Charlotte is required to report allegations of sexual misconduct by church workers to civil authorities. No allegations regarding Father Yurgel were reported to the diocese.

Since the diocese adopted the charter in 2002, more than 16,300 diocesan employees and church volunteers have attended the diocese’s sex-abuse awareness training program,

“Protecting God’s Children.”

The diocese conducts background checks on employees and volunteers to safeguard the young and the vulnerable. More than 2,400 background checks were conducted during the last fiscal year.

The training and background checks are ongoing.

In June 2002 at a meeting in Dallas, the U.S. bishops adopted the charter and its mandates for an annual audit and survey and also adopted the “Essential Norms” to assure that all dioceses adhere to the charter.

The charter also established the Office of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board to oversee compliance with the charter. The Diocese of Charlotte has been found in compliance with the charter.

The charter was updated in 2005, the norms in 2006. The charter and norms have Vatican approval.

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

April 4, 2008

Diocesan requirements for reporting ministry-related sexual abuse of a minor 1. Any individual having actual knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect an incident of ministry-related sexual abuse is to immediately report the incident to the Chancery.

2. The Chancery will then report the incident to the proper civil authorities. The individual reporting the incident to the Chancery will be notified of the particulars regarding the Chancery’s filing of the incident with civil authorities.

3. This reporting requirement is not intended to supersede the right of an individual to make a report to civil authority, but is to ensure proper, complete and timely reporting.

Should an individual choose to make a report to civil authority, a report is still to be made to the Chancery.

NEED ASSISTANCE? As a part of its commitment to support the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the Diocese of Charlotte has appointed a coordinator to assist survivors of sexual abuse.

The assistance coordinator can help survivors of abuse whether the incident took place in the Diocese of Charlotte or in another diocese.

The current coordinator is David Harold. Contact him at (704) 370-3363 or dwharold@charlottediocese.org.

April 4, 2008

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Pope Benedict prays JPII will help him build on spiritual gifts JPII, from page 1

Almost 40,000 people joined Pope Benedict April 2 in St. Peter’s Square for a Mass marking the third anniversary of Pope John Paul’s death.

“We pray that from heaven he will continue to intercede for each one of us, and in a special way for me, whom providence has called to harvest his invaluable spiritual heritage,” the pope said in his homily.

“May the church, following his teaching and example, continue his evangelizing mission faithfully and without compromise, tirelessly spreading the merciful love of Christ, the source of true peace for the whole world,” he said.

The concelebrants included Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, who had served as Pope John Paul’s secretary for almost 40 years.

At an April 1 conference dedicated to the memory of Pope John Paul, Cardinal Dziwisz said he continues to receive hundreds of letters from people who have asked for Pope John Paul’s intercession and he, himself, continues to pray for his former boss’ assistance.

“I do not miss John Paul,” he said.

“I accompanied him for almost 40 years and now he accompanies me. When I have a problem, I turn to him and he is with me.”

Speaking in Poland before traveling to Rome for the anniversary events, Cardinal Dziwisz said he hopes Pope John Paul will be beatified and

canonized soon, but he would not put any pressure on Pope Benedict to speed the process further.

“The pope will know when and at which moment to proclaim John Paul II’s beatification. We trust in his wisdom and assistance,” the cardinal said.

Msgr. Slawomir Oder, the priest in charge of promoting the cause, told Vatican Radio March 31 that he had completed a 2,000-page draft of the “positio,” the official position paper explaining why Pope John Paul should be proclaimed a saint.

An official at the Congregation for Saints’ Causes is examining the draft, a few adjustments are expected, and then the report will be officially submitted for judgment.

Pope Benedict said Pope John Paul’s repeated calls for people not to be afraid were not based on a trust in human potential or success, “but only on the word of God, the cross and the resurrection of Christ.”

“He always said it with inflexible firmness, first brandishing his pastoral staff topped with the cross and then, when his physical energies were diminishing, almost hanging on to it, and then — on that last Good Friday in which he participated in the Way of the Cross from his private chapel — gripping the cross in his arms,” the pope said.

Pope John Paul was totally devoted to Christ, Pope Benedict said: “With him he lived and with him he wanted to die.”

Contributing to this story was Jonathan Luxmoore in Oxford, England.

CNS photo by Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters

A pilgrim holds an image of Pope John Paul II during an April 2 Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican marking the third anniversary of Pope John Paul’s death. Pope Benedict prayed that Pope John Paul would intercede for him with God, helping him to gather and build on the spiritual gifts that the late pontiff gave to the church.

‘His love and joy were contagious’

At Vatican, pilgrims remember pope as man of peace, father figure

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to mark the third anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death remembered him as a man of peace and a pastoral father who inspired a whole generation of young people around the world.

Tens of thousands of people of every age and nationality attended the April 2 outdoor memorial Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Banners and flags, many of them representing Poland, fluttered in the gentle breeze under Rome’s warm spring skies.

Pope John Paul “really felt like a father figure, and the way he loved Christ inspired me to love God more,” said Carolina Robles, 25, of Lubbock, Texas.

She told Catholic News Service that the late pope convinced her that committing oneself to God was something that every young person could and needed to do.

“Being young, he made me think I could do that and not wait until the end” to follow Christ, she said.

“He knew young people had a yearning for God in their hearts,” said Robles, one of a small group of graduate students of theology studying in Rome this spring.

Another Texas student, Stephen Schietinger of Austin, said when Pope John Paul died, “I felt this void.”

It suddenly felt like this “pastoral father who had watched over me my whole life” and “who had personally cared for me wasn’t there anymore,” said Schietinger, 22.

Father Stefaan Lecleir, a member of

the Institute of the Incarnate Word, said the pope’s main message throughout his nearly 27-year pontificate was “to gather the youth and to be a real father for them and to give them a strong message of truth.”

The priest from Antwerp, Belgium, said the Polish pope helped all people “feel at home in the church.”

The late pope was popular in part, he said, because people saw him as a man who practiced what he preached.

“He was a man who suffered under communist rule, who was true to himself even during persecution. What he believed and what he did were united, and I think people feel that when someone is true” to his or her beliefs, he said.

Federico Geli of Mendoza, Argentina, said the late pope “could communicate the word of God really well.”

He always urged young people to not be afraid “because God is with you, Jesus needs you. So I think that’s why the youth loved him,” he said.

Sefanit Mekonnen said Pope John Paul “gave us a lot to be thankful for, and I’m here to pray for him.”

“His joy and love were contagious,” said the 26-year-old from Dallas.

Many pilgrims said they were happy Pope John Paul’s sainthood process was going forward. Teresa Deeble of Essex, England, said the pope, who always prayed for peace, deserved to be honored in such a way.

Nikki DeMarco and her husband, Anthony, who reside in Vicenza, Italy, said they did not think the canonization process was going too slowly.

“In this world of instant gratification, it is nice some things take awhile,” she said.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

April 4, 2008

PAPAL VISIT TO U.S.A.

Bishop Jugis on the JumboTron

Bishop Peter J. Jugis is seen in St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte in this screen capture from a welcome video to be played before the papal Mass in Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., April 17.

Diocesan video to play prior to papal Mass by

DAVID HAINS

special to the catholic news & herald

CHARLOTTE — During his visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI will get to see a piece of the Diocese of Charlotte, without ever leaving Washington, D.C. A video greeting by Bishop Peter J. Jugis and images from the diocese will be seen on the large-screen television in Nationals Park prior to the papal Mass April 17.

At the invitation of the Archdiocese of Washington, the Diocese of Charlotte created the welcoming video for Pope Benedict. The pope’s first visit to the United States is April 15-20.

In the one-minute video recorded at

St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, Bishop Jugis briefly describes the diocese and its 300,000 Catholics.

“We call home places like Biscoe and Boone, Greensboro and Gastonia, Cherokee and Charlotte,” says the bishop in the video. “We worship Jesus Christ, his Father and the Holy Spirit in a beautiful cathedral and in tiny mission parishes.”

Bishop Jugis was taped in front of the cathedral, the chair for the bishop in the sanctuary at St. Patrick Cathedral.

The background was altered slightly with the addition of a silhouetted crucifix. The sanctuary was returned to it regular appearance after the video shoot was completed.

Bishop Jugis also mentions

Local priest writes chants for pope’s U.S. visit

Courtesy Photo

Benedictine Father Samuel Weber, associate professor at the Divinity School at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, is pictured in this undated photograph. He has composed original chant settings that will be performed during the Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Washington, D.C., April 15–17.

Father Weber’s chants will be used at vespers, first papal Mass WINSTON-SALEM — Benedictine Father Samuel Weber, associate professor of early Christianity and spiritual formation at the Divinity School at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, has been invited to compose original chant settings that will be performed during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Washington, D.C., April 15–17.

The chants will be sung during vespers, or evening prayer, with the pope at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception April 16, and during a private Mass — the first papal Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict in the United States — at the apostolic nunciature (papal embassy) the following morning.

“I am deeply honored to have a small part to play in the preparation of this vesper service,” said Father Weber.

The Benedictine monk, of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana,

composed original chant melodies for the antiphons, which are scriptural verses sung before and after the psalms and canticles of vespers.

Peter Latona, basilica director of music, invited Father Weber to compose the chants and has created polyphonic settings based on Father Weber’s chants.

During the service, the antiphons will be sung by the basilica’s 24-member choir in plain chant before the psalms and canticles of vespers, and then repeated afterward in full harmony.

Father Weber said the decision to use chant melodies reflects the aesthetic and tradition at the heart of prayer life in the Catholic Church.

“Historically, sacred compositions were based on the chant melodies which formed the core of liturgical music,” he said.

The April 16 vespers service is expected to be televised worldwide.

Staff Photo

the upcoming diocesan Eucharistic Congress, an annual event that draws 10,000 people to the Charlotte Convention Center for a day of worship, music and reflection. This year’s congress takes place Oct. 3-4.

The bishop ends his welcome by expressing his hope that the papal visit will have a positive impact on America.

“May the inspiration of his visit live in the hearts and souls of all Americans for many years to come,” says Bishop Jugis.

The video will be played for the audience gathered in Nationals Park, the new major league baseball stadium and home to the National League’s Washington Nationals, prior to the Mass

celebrated by Pope Benedict. Bishop Jugis will be among the bishops and priests to concelebrate the Mass.

Bishop Jugis and other bishops also will attend vespers and a meeting with the pope in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington April 16.

David Hains is communications director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

WANT TO WATCH? Bishop Jugis’ welcoming video is available on the diocesan Web site at www.charlottediocese.org.

April 4, 2008

PAPAL VISIT TO U.S.A.

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Pope will find a spiritual nation in U.S., says survey POPE, from page 1

What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World,” debuted the same day.

By a ratio of more than 4-to-1, the survey said, Americans have a favorable opinion of Pope Benedict; 58 percent of those surveyed said they view him favorably, compared with 13 percent who have an unfavorable opinion.

Seventeen percent said they have never heard of him.

Sixty-five percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Catholic Church, compared to 28 percent who have an unfavorable view.

“The bottom line is despite very negative stories about the church and the pope” over the last few years, Anderson said, “the American people have a very ... balanced view of (Pope) Benedict and the Catholic Church, and they are very open to hear his views on how they might live out their faith.”

Despite their positive view of the pope, Americans said they don’t know much about him, he noted.

When Pope Benedict comes to the United States, Anderson said, Americans will find that he “is a very warm and kind man whose intellectual talents and formidable background as a theologian do

not prevent him from giving sermons that are accessible to the average person.”

“He is an incisive creative thinker who is one of the most skilled and thoughtful theologians of modern times,” he continued. “He is deeply concerned about the future of the world and has a carefully thought-out worldview on how the church relates to the world and how the church can set out to change the world.”

Survey says Other survey results showed that: — Sixty-three percent of Americans believe the Catholic Church contributes either “a great deal or a good amount to people and communities” in the United States; 24 percent believe the church contributes “not very much or nothing at all.”

— Forty-two percent of Americans said they would like to attend one of Pope Benedict’s public appearances; 66 percent of Catholics said they would like to attend one of the events.

— Seventy percent or more of Americans said they want to hear the pope talk about spiritual matters such as allowing God to be part of their daily lives and finding spiritual fulfillment “by sharing their time and talent,” as well as how “they can make a positive difference in the world, their state and communities.”

— Nearly two-thirds of Americans, or 64 percent, expressed an interest in hearing Pope Benedict address “how they can have a society where spiritual values play an important role.”

— Most Americans identify themselves with a particular religion: Protestant, 52 percent; Catholic, 26 percent; Mormon, 2 percent; Jewish, 2 percent; Hindu, 1 percent; Muslim, 1 percent; other, 3 percent. Thirteen percent identified no religion.

— A majority of Americans attend religious services regularly, including 59 percent of Catholics.

The survey was conducted Feb. 25March 5; 1,015 adults 18 years of age or older were interviewed.

An oversample of Catholics also was done, so a total of 613 interviews were conducted with Catholics nationwide.

The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for the entire survey, and plus or minus 4 percentage points for the Catholic sample.

Promoting hope Anderson told his press club audience that the Knights have set up a special Web site — www. papaltrip.com. It features a daily schedule of papal events, an interactive map, a detailed biography of Pope Benedict, the full text of his encyclicals and links to his books.

The Knights also will sponsor a

nationally broadcast TV discussion program titled “A Journey of Hope” to preview the trip. It will air April 13 on CBS affiliates in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.

It also will air on the Fox Business Channel on cable and on a variety of Catholic television outlets, including the Eternal Word Television Network.

(Viewers should check local listings for airtimes.)

Anderson told his audience that it is “no accident” that Pope Benedict’s first encyclical was on love: “Deus Caritas Est” (“God Is Love”).

“The notion that God is love is fundamental to our understanding of our creator,” Anderson said. “We are all fallible human beings and we all need love and the very fact we exist at all is the result of God’s love. It is often hard for us to love others, but love we must if we have any hope to change the culture.”

April 4, 2008

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

Upcoming book links parishioners’ politics with their priests’ views

Interviews, parish bulletins reveal what priests emphasize

by PATRICIA ZAPOR catholic news service

WASHINGTON — A small study to be reported in an upcoming book on the political influence of parish priests found huge differences in the types of political messages being emphasized from one parish to another, which may come as no surprise to anyone.

But whichever subjects their priests address, said author Gregory Smith, a fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, people clearly are being influenced in their political thinking by what they hear from the pulpit and read in their parish bulletins.

Smith spoke March 14 to a group of editors of U.S. and Canadian Catholic publications and staff members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at USCCB headquarters in Washington.

For his upcoming book, “Politics in the Parish: The Political Influence of Catholic Priests,” Smith conducted detailed case studies at nine parishes in adjacent dioceses in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, and analyzed data from the Notre Dame Study of Parish Life, which was conducted in the mid-1980s.

Smith said that although he studied only a small number of parishes in a relatively small geographic area, the type of political messages being heard varied radically from one parish to another, even within the same diocese. He gathered data in 2004, concluding shortly after the general election in November.

For instance, parishioners were more likely to describe themselves as politically conservative if they were in parishes where the priests regularly emphasized life issues, such as abortion and stem-cell research, but rarely brought up subjects such as poverty or the environment in a political context, Smith said.

Likewise, Catholics who described themselves as politically moderate or liberal were much more likely to be members of parishes that regularly emphasized political responsibilities toward the poor or immigrants.

The priests he interviewed don’t

WORD TO LIFE

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Sunday Scripture Readings: ARPIL 13, 2008

April 13, Fourth Sunday of Easter Cycle A Readings: 1) Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 23: 1-6 2) 1 Peter 2:20b-25 Gospel: John 10:1-10

By ‘walking wounded,’ we become healers for Christ by

SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service

mince words that might not be well received, he found.

“Across the board they all said they were willing to speak up even when they know the subject matter is going to be unpopular,” he said.

Smith said his extensive interviews with priests and parishioners were designed to filter out people who choose their parish on the basis of whether it has a reputation for being politically liberal or conservative. By doing so, he explained, he believes he was able to link people’s voting behavior to influences from their parishes.

In comparing the data from the Notre Dame study to his own recent interviews, Smith told Catholic News Service he found the link between people’s political beliefs and the perspectives they hear at church to be more indirect than what the Notre Dame report showed.

The Notre Dame study found a strong correlation between how people voted and the political views of their priests. No comprehensive analysis of how Catholics are or are not influenced by what they hear at their churches has been conducted since that mid-1980s study, Smith said.

Besides questioning priests and parishioners, Smith over the course of the year also studied parish bulletins, as a source of information about what issues are emphasized in parish life, whether through activities or explicit voter guidance materials.

“There was a very close match between the information conveyed in the bulletins and the responses from priests about what they said they emphasize,” Smith said.

When my daughter was 5 years old, she was involved in a household accident that left a deep gash in her upper thigh.

Horrified, I scooped her up, wrapped a clean dish towel around the wound and took her to the emergency room where they cleaned and sutured it.

It healed remarkably fast and the leg is fully functional, but nine years later a scar remains as a visible reminder of the accident.

There’s an expression, “walking wounded,” that describes people who are by all appearances functional but who carry in their bodies and their psyches the traces of injury.

Cuts and abrasions leave scars on the skin; abusive treatment, tragic events and acute losses leave scars on the soul.

No human beings who live in an imperfect world are immune; in a sense, we’re all “walking wounded,” projecting

images of well-being and perfection while hiding the evidence of those wounds out of a sense of shame and guilt.

According to the Gospel featured three weeks ago, Thomas remained unbelieving until he felt the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and the wound in his side — blemishes that remained even in Jesus’ resurrected body.

Although one would expect that all physical traces of his torture on the way to Calvary would have faded away, they endured not only visibly but palpably.

Jesus the healer, risen from the dead, victorious over suffering and death, chose to reveal himself to his disciples as a wounded person.

Why? Perhaps he did so to remind us that healing is not about restoration to some imagined state of pristine perfection. Our wounds, like his, have the power to heal others.

Our sufferings, touched by the healing love of a resurrected savior, b e c o m e a s o u r c e o f e m p a t h y, compassion and the motivation to ease others’ sufferings.

By putting aside misplaced shame and guilt and “walking wounded” with one another, we become healers as well, according to the image of Christ, by whose wounds we are healed.

Questions: What “wounds” do you carry but hide from view? How can these become a source of compassion and healing for others?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pt 2:24).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of April 6-12 Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter), Acts 2:14, 22-33, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35; Monday (St. John Baptist de la Salle), Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-29; Tuesday, Acts 7:51--8:1, John 6:3035; Wednesday, Acts 8:1-8, John 6:35-40; Thursday, Acts 8:26-40, John 6:44-51; Friday (St. Stanislaus), Acts 9:1-20, John 6:52-59; Saturday, Acts 9:31-42, John 6:60-69.

Scripture for the week of April 13-19 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Easter), Acts 2:14, 36-41, 1 Peter 2:20-25, John 10:1-10; Monday, Acts 11:1-18, John 10:11-18; Tuesday, Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday, Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday, Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday, Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday, Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

April 4, 2008

Favre and faith

Catholic leaders reflect on football player’s impact on, off field

by JEFF KUROWSKI catholic news service

GREEN BAY, Wis. — While the sports world came to halt at the March 4 announcement of Green Bay Packer Brett Favre’s retirement, Catholic leaders in Green Bay and Mississippi also paused to reflect on the impact the near-certain Hall of Fame quarterback had on and off the field.

Father Richard Getchel, pastor at St. Agnes Church on Green Bay’s west side, presided at Brett and Deanna Favre’s wedding in 1996, and baptized their daughter Breleigh in 1999.

The couple grew up in Mississippi.

“I thought he would return, so it surprised me,” Father Getchel said. “I’m happy for him and the family. I sent Deanna an e-mail. She wrote back thanking me for my concern, which was nice.”

Norbertine Father James Baraniak, chaplain for the Packers, attempted to reach the Favres in the days prior to the announcement. He was unaware of the pending retirement.

Instead, Father Baraniak sought to share a special invitation from the papal visit advance team for Brett and his wife and the Packers’ Coach Mike McCarthy to attend the papal Mass in Washington.

When he finally spoke to Deanna, “she explained that it was an intense time,” so they weren’t answering all their phone calls.

“When I shared with her the proposal,” the priest said, “she said if it was entirely up to her, she would give me an answer immediately, but she had to talk to Brett. ‘You know that husband of mine,’ she said.”

Both priests spoke of their admiration for the Favres. St. Agnes C h u r c h w a s t h e f a m i l y ’s h o m e parish, while they were in Green Bay. Daughters Brittany and Breleigh had both attended Holy Family School, located on the parish grounds.

Father Baraniak first met Brett 12 years ago on a team flight. It is a moment he will never forget.

“I didn’t get the memo to dress formal on the plane,” he said. “I was wearing a polo and khakis. When he saw me on the plane, he pointed me out and said, ‘New guy.’ When he later saw me in my habit, he was really surprised. He said, ‘New guy’s a priest!’ That was our introduction.”

Father Baraniak was with the Favres in Oakland when Irvin Favre, Brett’s father, died in 2003.

“They are very impressive people,” he said, “so there is a bit of sadness. For very young people, they have done very well considering all the difficult times they have faced,” including Deanna’s battle with breast cancer.

Brett’s playful demeanor was not only displayed on the field, said Father Baraniak. It was sometimes showcased at the team Mass prior to home games.

“There are more people at the Mass on the road, so at home, I really saw that personality,” he said.

“I remember I was getting ready to start a Mass, when Brett interrupted me. Jeff Thomason (former Packer tight end) was wearing a wild shirt,” the priest recalled. “Brett stood up and said, ‘Excuse me Father, but J.T., I just want to know if you’re wearing one of those shirts that if you stare at it long

CNS photo by Jim Biever, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers’ team chaplain, Norbertine Father James Baraniak, exits the field with quarterback Brett Favre, after the Packers’ 41-7 victory over the Raiders in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 22, 2004. Favre announced March 6 that he’s retiring. enough an image appears?’ Everyone was laughing.”

The Favres attend St. Thomas the Aquinas Church in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Father Tommy Conway, pastor, said he will miss trips to Green Bay for Packers games, but is happy for the family.

“It’s a massive relief for Deanna,” he said. “She loves the Packers, but she was concerned that something would happen to him.”

“I think Deanna has shaped Brett Favre into the man he is today. I give her an awful lot of credit,” he said. “They have faced adversity in their lives and they are both better people for it.”

“I told Brett when he left for this past season that I was praying for two things for him,” Father Conway added. “I wanted him to remain free of injury and to have a whole lot of fun. He was able to accomplish both.”

One way the Favres live out their faith is through their numerous charitable efforts, including the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation and the Deanna

Favre Hope Foundation.

Green Bay Bishop Robert J. Banks, who has spoken with Brett several times at the annual Bishop’s Charities Game, said the player’s popularity goes beyond his success on the football field.

People relate to not only his wife’s battle with cancer, but to the quarterback’s own struggles with addiction to painkillers and deaths in the family.

“He’s faced some tough challenges and he’s handled them so well,” he said.

Loyalty, unpredictability and humility come to mind about Brett, said Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Morneau of Green Bay. “Brett was here for 16 years,” he said. “This is almost unheard of in professional sports.”

“I believe that Packers fans interpreted this as a sign of fidelity; that Brett really wanted to be here,” he said.

“He seemed to be saying, ‘I love this organization and its many and varied members.’ People responded to this with deep affection and admiration.”

12 The Catholic News & Herald

youths in action

April 4, 2008

Scout chefs

Acting on faith

Photo by Carole McGrotty

Youths take part in an acting workshop during Extreme Faith 2008 at St. Barnabas Church in Arden March 15.

Youths gather for fun, prayer at annual retreat by

CAROLE McGROTTY correspondent

ARDEN — Youths from around the Diocese of Charlotte recently learned different ways to proclaim Christ.

More than 100 youths gathered for the annual Extreme Faith middle school youth retreat held at St. Barnabas Church in Arden March 15.

Sponsored by the diocesan Youth Ministry Office, Extreme Faith is a daylong event held at different parishes each year. It is an opportunity for Catholic youths to gather together for a day of fun, workshops, communal prayer and extreme games — including an obstacle course, bungee run and other games of skill.

“It’s a way to bring middle school children into the life of the Catholic Church through experiences geared toward them,” said Peg Ruble, associate director of diocesan youth ministry.

“The U.S. bishops have stated that ministry to youth should be integral to the life of the church. This retreat combines the message of Jesus with the mission of the young church — to know, love and serve,” she said. “It provides an experience of church that allows youths to say they’ve heard Jesus’ message and it was fun.”

This year’s theme was “It Is Christ Whom We Proclaim,” chosen to coincide with the theme of the upcoming diocesan

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The theme was woven through the retreat’s seven workshops for youths and two for the 20 adult chaperones and volunteers. Youths were assigned to participate in some workshops and got to select others.

The acting workshop was a popular choice — participants learned what Jesus was trying to teach in each parable by acting it out and putting the parables into modern times.

In the “Iconography: Creating Sacred Images” workshop, youths used art to learn about Jesus. Other workshops utilized music, humor and different ways of learning to reveal how Jesus wants his people to live and behave.

The workshops “honor the developmental needs of early adolescents with the relational needs of the teen,” said Ruble. “We hope to offer them a taste of the depth and wisdom of the faith and the opportunity to grow in understanding.”

Meanwhile, adults discussed the current and future needs of youth ministry in the diocese. Chaperones and volunteers from various parishes discussed different approaches for reaching and evangelizing middle school-aged youths.

WANT MORE INFO? For other youth events in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit the Youth Ministry Office online at www.charlottediocese. org/youthministry.html.

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

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Members of Girl Scout Troop 33 at St. Michael Church in Gastonia cook potato and clam chowder soup to serve to parishioners before a Stations of the Cross service March 21. Every Friday night during Lent, a service group from the parish prepared a free meatless meal for parishioners before the service. Approximately 80 people attended weekly.

Also pictured (from left): Susan Gawronski, a Scout mother and organizer of the Stations of the Cross service; and Pattie Maier, Troop 33 leader.

April 4, 2008

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Taking the court(s)

Making a splash

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Members of the Charlotte Catholic High School swim team celebrate their win at the regional championships in Huntersville Feb. 2. Both the men’s and women’s teams won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A swimming and diving championships in Raleigh Feb. 9.

CCHS swim team captures state title by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

CHARLOTTE — It was a whirlwind season for the Charlotte Catholic High School swim team, which recently won both men’s and women’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3A swimming and diving championships at N.C. State University’s Willis Casey Aquatic Center in Raleigh Feb. 9.

“It was a great year for all of us, and it was definitely an awesome way for the seniors to end their final season swimming for Charlotte Catholic,” said men’s team captain Mark Lascara.

The win marked the fourth consecutive state title for the men’s team

Courtesy Photo by Mike Provenzano

The Villains varsity girls basketball team at Bishop McGuiness High School in Kernersville are pictured after beating Pender County High School 56-43 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Class 1-A state championship game March 15. The Villains became the fourth team in the last 35 years to win the state championship for the third straight year.

and the seventh consecutive state title for the women’s team.

“We went into states after winning regionals by over 130 points, so our heads were held high but we didn’t take anything for granted,” said Lascara.

The men beat runner-up Lake Norman High School by 133.5 points and the women beat second-place Ronald Wilson Reagan High School by 102.8 points.

“I must give credit for our success to the coach, Brian Gross,” said women’s team captain Kathryn Turner.

This was Gross’ fourth year coaching the Charlotte Catholic swim team; assistant coach was Molly Meehan.

Mustangs stomp at Shamrock Courtesy Photo

The Dolphins basketball team of Sacred Heart School in Salisbury is pictured after winning the Central Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s conference championship tournament in WinstonSalem Feb. 16. Also pictured are coaches Derron and Trish Dulkoski (with their son, Kaiden).

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The Mustangs varsity boys basketball team of Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem are pictured after winning the Shamrock Tournament in Charlotte Feb. 24. The Mustangs second won the championship for the second straight year. Also pictured are coaches and cheerleaders.

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The junior varsity girls’ basketball team at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro is pictured after placing first in the Piedmont Elementary Catholic School Athletic Association tournament held at Bishop McGinnis High School in Kernersville Feb. 15-17. Also pictured are coaches Pete LaMuraglia and Coach John Prendergast.

April 4, 2008

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Spring — a good time to check your beneficiaries As we welcome daylight savings time and the official arrival of spring, many of us are in the process of gathering documents for income tax returns. This is also a very good time for an estate plan review.

When was the last time you checked the beneficiary designation on your employer benefit plans? When was the last time you checked the beneficiary designation on your own property, such as life insurance and IRAs? The beneficiary designations on these contractual arrangements are just as important as the provisions of your last will and testament or trust. The beneficiary designation will control, for example, who gets life insurance proceeds at your death.

Your estate planning objectives may change from time to time, and your beneficiary designations also must change to reflect your new plan. Perhaps in filling out your employment forms or opening an IRA you did not designate any beneficiary, thinking you would do this later. If you do not follow through with this, it could mean that these benefits are not included in your estate plan as you intended.

There are many consequences of not keeping your beneficiary designations up to date. If the beneficiary you named dies before you, the proceeds of the life insurance or other benefit may be paid instead to that person’s estate, which may not be your intention at all.

Or, at best, the proceeds would be paid to your estate, perhaps requiring a probate court proceeding to determine the distribution of funds to beneficiaries.

You may have intended to benefit individuals or charities other than those the court decides.

To avoid some of these problems with your benefits, you should designate a contingent beneficiary. For example, you could name your living trust as a contingent beneficiary on your benefit plans.

Guest Column JUDY SMITH guest columnist

In that case, if the primary beneficiary predeceases you, at your death the proceeds will be paid to your trust and distributed according to the terms of your trust agreement as part of your overall estate plan.

It may also fit very well in your estate plan to name your church, Catholic school, Catholic agency, the diocesan foundation or the Diocese of Charlotte as the contingent beneficiary of your benefit plans. If your primary beneficiary predeceases you, you will then be helping to sustain Christ’s ministries for future generations.

Another suggestion for beneficiary designation on life insurance or retirement plans: name the church as beneficiary of a percent of the plan. Beneficiary designations can be divided up in any manner you choose, and including the church in your designations leaves a wonderful legacy of your faith.

Estate planning professionals advise reviewing your estate planning documents — wills, trusts and durable powers of attorney — every few years to assure they continue to meet your objectives and family situation. For the review of your estate plan to be complete, you should also be sure to review your benefit plan beneficiary designations.

Judy Smith is planned giving director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

Prayers can foster peace I was struck by two quotes from columns in the March 21 issue.

Tony Magliano (“Resurrecting our faith”): “Why do so many Christians instead act as though evils like hunger, poverty, abortion and war are insurmountable facts of life? Has it not occurred that he who conquered sin and death can surely guide and strengthen us to transform our hurting world?”

And Pope Benedict XVI (“Pope expresses hope that Easter Week, Easter rituals deepen faith”): “We know that hatred, division, violence never have the last word in history’s events.”

Remember how many years that Catholics prayed for the conversion of Russia, and then it happened? I don’t think any of us could have accomplished that as

Letters to the Editor humans, but our prayers were answered.

My hope is that we can start, as a church, praying for a conversion to peacefulness of all peoples, especially for suicide bombers in the Middle East. They believe in God, and are doing what they do because of their belief. We must ask God to change their ways of thinking, from violence to peaceful ways to serve Him. As humans, we cannot bring this about, but as people of God, we can ask his help to accomplish it. With God all things are possible.

— Nancy Mosley Charlotte

An Easter morning reflection

A story as sure and true as the turning of the earth It was a day that began like all other days.

Morning broke as it always had since that first morning at the dawn of time. Darkness gave way to light as the first rays of the sun stretched over the horizon. Humanity awakened, yawned and set about the arduous tasks the new morning always brings.

No one on earth had any idea that this day of all days would change the world like no other before it or since. In fact, those who were closest at that moment perhaps stood the farthest away, even as they stood on the brink of its discovery.

They were in mourning — a deep, confused and fearful sort of mourning.

A mourning born of witnessing the betrayal, torture and murder of a beloved friend and teacher.

An empty and hollow mourning that fills a person’s soul with the overwhelming heaviness that comes when you feel you’ve lost everything, even hope.

These were people who had just spent three years following a man for whom they’d given up homes, careers and even families to follow. These were people who had sat at this man’s feet and tried to understand his radical teachings about a loving God he called his Father.

They’d been with him and watched as he healed the sick and drove out demons. They’d seen him feed thousands with a handful of food and watched as he walked on water. They’d seen him calm storms and had even watched as he brought the dead back to life.

This man was their master, their teacher and their Savior. And they’d just buried him.

It isn’t hard to imagine what that select group must have felt at the moment when it was the darkest just before that first Easter dawn. What it must have been like for Peter and James and John.

And Andrew, Phillip and Bartholomew.

Matthew, Thomas, Jude Thaddeus, James the Less and Simon.

These weren’t learned men. Nor were they leaders. And from what we read of them in the Scriptures, they weren’t very good followers either. For even as hard as they tried, it seems that more often than not they got the Master’s message wrong, lost faith and sometimes just plain missed the mark altogether.

Yet they stayed the course and followed their friend. Followed him to the bitter end, which is exactly where it appeared they were now. They were sad, lost and dejected, and even hiding

Guest Column BILL MELTON guest columnist

in fear for their very lives for having associated with this man they literally had worshipped.

Then the dawn began to break over their sadness, just as the first rays of light pull a new morning over the horizon, when a few of them went to the tomb and found it empty.

This new emptiness of the tomb brought hope to some of them and doubts to others.

And who wouldn’t have doubted, given all they had been through?

But through all of this, not one of them gave up and went home, or tried to find another savior to follow.

Even when conventional human logic and reason would have told most of us that it was high time to throw in the towel, these 11 hand-picked men all hung tough and hung together.

Oh, they huddled and hid at first, but then something happened — something that took a group of disciples who, in three years, could never seem to get the Master’s message right, and transformed them into 11 dynamic, highly-motivated preachers and teachers of the Gospel of Christ.

For me, it’s this transformation that proves more than anything else that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It could only be truth and the touch of the Master’s pierced hand that could pick up 11 distraught human beings, dust them off and then send them out preaching the Gospel to the four corners of the earth.

Without them, we would never have known. Without them, we too would have had no hope, even though the tomb was empty. Somebody had to tell the story.

So Easter morning should have us thanking God for the message of salvation that comes through his Son, Jesus Christ. And thanking God also for the messengers who brought Him to us.

It is a day that makes every day for those who believe a glorious new day like no other.

W.S. “Bill” Melton Jr., a humorist and convert, is a parishioner of St. Michael Church in Gastonia.

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Send letters to Letters to the Editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

April 4, 2008

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Security over liberty?

“If we restrict liberty to obtain security, we will lose them both.”

— Ben Franklin As we now live in a post 9/11 era, dominated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its concerns for America’s security, we have to ask ourselves if the message of Ben Franklin holds true in the current environment.

If we look at the issue of immigration and its subsequent handling by DHS instead of the State Department, we realize there is no appeal process for the undocumented immigrant. This estimated population of 12 million is living in fear and in the realization that any hope for “suspension of deportation” is nil.

The immigration issues are not always clear cut but their study is relevant to the democratic process. If we look at this wonderful experiment in liberty and freedom that our forefathers created, we will find the pillars of democracy include: a free press, a transparent judiciary, an educated population and a strong federal reserve.

Franklin’s sage advice was to alert citizens of the newly-formed democracy to the delicate balance that exists between liberty and security.

Let’s look at our country and the North Carolina community today in light of Ben Franklin’s statement.

The U.S. House barely rejected a bill that would have made it a felony for any U.S. citizen to aid or assist an undocumented immigrant, directly or indirectly, during the employment process.

Bank of America offered a bank card to enable immigrants forwarding monies home to families who are very

often living in poverty. But the mediadirected public opinion classified any aid to potential undocumented immigrants as a mechanism for sending funds to wouldbe terrorists.

Current records will show that there are approximately 300,000 undocumented immigrants living in North Carolina.

We live at a time of unparalleled opportunity and in a state that houses several of the largest banks in the world.

Surely, the North Carolina banking community, the political establishment, the local media and the Chamber of Commerce — assisted through its various business outreach committees — could put forth an immigration alternative to the politically correct indecisiveness spawned by this election year.

If we as Catholics view democracy as participatory and borne of civility, then surely we should be leaders in developing and effecting solutions for immigration reform.

Thomas Paine stated “that which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value.”

The U.S. bishops’ recommendations for comprehensive immigration reform include: — The issue of separation: U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents endure long years of separation from family members while waiting on a backlog of available visas, often waiting up to 15 or more years for the visa to become available.

Recommendation: Pending backlogs should be reduced and more visas made available so that families can be reunified.

— The issue of lack of access to due

Am I excommunicated for having an abortion at age 16?

Q. Last Sunday at Mass, Father spoke about God’s all-forgiving love.

When I was 16 years old, I discovered I was pregnant. I was frightened and had no one to turn to.

My family was Catholic but rarely went to Mass and was all messed up. Our parents fought a lot, and when my older sister went through a bitter divorce my mother went off the deep end and tried to kill herself. I was the one who found her. I had never discussed abortion with anyone, but my boyfriend and I felt we had no choice. I had no idea I was taking a life.

I’m married now to this same boyfriend. We have two beautiful children, both baptized, and we go to Mass faithfully. Even if there is no hope for my forgiveness I’m writing this hoping some parents will speak more frankly to their children, and maybe someone in my shoes will be glad I’m asking this question.

Can I ever be fully accepted back into the church again? Am I excommunicated?

I’ve been through hell the past several years. I’m afraid to go to the priest in our parish, and my family knows nothing about all this.

With all the publicity today, young women would probably weigh their

options more heavily. If I knew then what I know now, I would never have done it.

I hope parents, no matter how depressed they may be, will watch for stress in their children. Their problems can be bigger than you think. (Indiana) A. In the name of all the people who may read this, I thank you for what must have been a painful letter to write.

I think it will be helpful for lots of people, even for those whose spiritual fears and concerns may not be exactly the same as yours.

Your deep regret and sorrow, and your sincere love for yourself and God and other people, shine through in your letter. So be calm and peaceful about it.

The way for you is simple. The first requirement for forgiveness anytime is that we accept responsibility for the wrong we have done, and desire forgiveness. Apparently you have passed this point long ago.

You should receive the sacrament of reconciliation, if not with your priest then with another. There are several in your area. After that, return to holy Communion and continue your Catholic life as faithfully as you are now, and grow in it.

Active Faith WHITNEY NORTON guest columnist

process: Immigrants have often been subject to laws and policies that debase our country’s fundamental commitment to individual liberties and due process, such as detention for months without charges, secret hearings and ethnic profiling.

Asylum seekers are also incarcerated for long periods of time while their claims for asylum are considered.

Recommendation: Government policies should not confuse immigration with terrorism. The government should revisit these laws and make the appropriate changes consistent with due process rights.

— The issue of undocumented workers: Undocumented workers who are already in the country and have formed lives here are often “stuck,” having no means to become legal.

Recommendation: Those already in the country, who do not have proper immigration documentation, should be given the opportunity to obtain legalization if they can demonstrate good moral character and have built up equities in this country.

The Catholic bishops have offered a blueprint for comprehensive immigration reform, and the above issues are but a few of their recommendations. For more, visit www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

Whitney Norton is a parishioner of St. Peter Church in Charlotte.

Question Corner FATHER JAMES DIETZEN cns columnist

In this process it’s not necessary to attempt to dissect the past. In fact, when we sin seriously, it is generally impossible to unravel all the good, bad and doubtful motives that influenced us.

It is usually not even healthy to try to do so after the fact. God does not expect or want this.

Finally, for a variety of reasons, you are not and have not been excommunicated. To mention only one major reason, the possible excommunication for acquiring an abortion is one of what are called automatic (“latae sententiae”) excommunications.

No automatic excommunication applies to anyone who was under age 17 when the offense was committed.

Therefore, it does not apply to you. (For those interested, see Canons 97 and 1323.1.)

Questions may be sent to Father John Dietzen, Box 3315, Peoria, IL 61612, e-mail jjdietzen@aol.com.

The power of words The Human Side FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

Jesuit Father Walter Burghardt, one of the finest priest and homilist of our times, died on Feb. 17.

The first time I met Walter was at a meeting in Washington. One by one we gave our opinions on a church issue we were discussing. When the time came for Walter to give his input, his manner of speech was striking. Every word he said had weight. He chose them with such care and spoke them in the spirit of a book he had written, “Fire in the Belly.”

What does it mean to speak with weight? It means not slurring words but pronouncing every syllable. We don’t have to necessarily speak slower. Rather, we need to avoid running over words so that the person listening to us doesn’t miss them.

Although news commentators speak fast, their words are very clear.

Speaking with weight means knowing how to accentuate a word. Hitting the right syllable at the right moment makes it stand out and stick with us.

Speaking with weight means knowing when to raise and lower volume. When people speak loudly continuously, often their speech sounds strident. If they speak too softly, much of what they say is lost.

However, if within a sentence they hit a word hard and loud and then finish it with a soft whisper, the effect can be very moving.

Words have their greatest impact when they come from a person’s heart.

As soon as we hear them, we may say to ourselves, “He or she has been there and has personally experienced what they are saying. There is a ring of authenticity!”

As Americans brace themselves for more months of political speeches and decide who they want as their president, they should listen carefully to the words spoken by the candidates.

Are there too many cliches and jingles? Are words garbled, reflecting little thought behind them?

Are audiences being shouted at? Do words ring with a sense of respect and evidence that the speaker is working hard to use the right word to be as clear as possible?

If Father Burghardt were still alive, I think he would finally ask, “Do you sense fire in the belly? Is there heart and soul in what they are saying — do their words ring with an energy that says down deep, I believe?”

Remember, words are who we are!

Editor’s note: There was no weekly general audience April 2; in its place, the pope presided over a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul II, who died three years ago on that day. See story, page 6.

April 4, 2008

easter reflections

The Catholic News & Herald 16

Catholics share message of Easter with others

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Adults and members of the parish youth ministry carry the crucified Jesus during a living Stations of the Cross service at Holy Spirit Church in Denver March 16.

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Children in the first-grade faith formation class at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte are pictured March 19 with Easter baskets they assembled for disadvantaged children assisted through Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services. The students helped DSS reach its goal of delivering 3,000 baskets by Easter. As part of the Lenten project, the church’s fifth-grade faith formation class collected canned goods and needed items to donate to Samaritan House, a nonprofit recuperative care facility for homeless individuals.

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Choir members and faith formation teachers and students at Our Lady of the Mountains Mission in Highlands are pictured making some of the 62 Easter baskets filled with chocolate candy and toys for disadvantaged children in Macon and Jackson counties. The 11th annual “Chocolate Sunday” is held the fifth Sunday of Lent. Parishioners donate the chocolate candies and members of the music and faith formation ministries donate the supplies and assemble the baskets.

Courtesy Photo by Len Wallace

Father Sean LaBat from Columbia, S.C., blesses Easter baskets and food after a Ukrainian Mass in the chapel of Charlotte Catholic High School Easter Sunday, March 23. St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church celebrates the Ukrainian Mass in English every three weeks in the chapel.