April 9, 2004

April 9, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

‘Ad limina’ visit Vatican meetings benefit bishops | Page 17

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI april 9, 2004

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Holy oils blessed for use throughout Diocese of Charlotte by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Priests of the Diocese of Charlotte stand and recommit themselves to priestly ministry during the chrism Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral April 6.

Dear God ... Holy Saturday ceremonies to bring 150,000 new Catholics into church

A letter postmarked in Canada and addressed to God ends up at a post office in Jerusalem. See story page 7.

no. 28

Bishop, priests celebrate annual chrism

Faithfully gathered

CNS photo by Debbie Hill

vOLUME 13

States that day, according to figures compiled by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Evangelization.

Nearly 64,000 joined with their bishops for the diocesan Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at the beginning of Lent. Another estimated 90,000 men and women celebrated those rites at the parish level.

In the Diocese of Charlotte, 506 people from various parishes participated in the Rite

by

CHARLOTTE — Priests must conform to Christ in holiness and constant conversion, and nurture this union by daily prayer, said Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

“I say that it is important for us to take these words to heart, because conforming our lives to Christ in holiness and in constant conversion is essential to the life and ministry of priests,” said Bishop

Jugis.

The bishop offered these words during the chrism Mass, one of the Catholic Church’s most solemn Masses, at St. Patrick Cathedral April 6. During the annual Mass, priests rededicate themselves to their mission as shepherds within their parishes, and the bishop blesses the oils to be used throughout the diocese in the upcoming year.

Bishop Jugis, along with concelebrants Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin; Abbot Placid Solari, OSB, abbot of Belmont Abbey; Abbot See chrism, page 20

Christ is risen

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CHARLOTTE — The Catholic faith is spreading in North Carolina, and around the country.

More than 580 people will join the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Charlotte at Easter Vigil services April 10.

They are among the 150,000 people who will join the Catholic Church across the United See RCIA, page 11

CNS photo by Chase Becker, Southern Nebraska Register

A cross is pictured at sunset at the Monastic Cemetery of Christ the King Priory near Schuyler, Neb. The New Testament cross is a symbol of redemption and the imitation of Christ.

For Easter coverage, please see pages 10-11.

A different beat

Leading the way

Culture Watch

Residency brings African culture to Asheville school

St. Mark students raise funds for diabetes

‘Da Vinci Code’ prequel, Shroud interest

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2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

April 9, 2004

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

A sign of God’s love

Vatican official tells U.N. of growing religious discrimination

GENEVA (CNS) — A growing, subtle form of religious discrimination can be seen in attempts to exclude anyone from speaking out on social issues from the perspective of their faith, a Vatican diplomat told a U.N. agency.

“While respecting a healthy sense of the state’s secular nature, the positive role of believers in public life should be recognized,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi told the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.

The archbishop, the Vatican’s representative to U.N. offices based in Geneva, spoke to the commission April 1 about religious freedom.

“The place of religions in society and their desire to participate in public life at the service of the people have been part of recent debates that have been provoked by political events and

Diocesan planner ASHEVILLE VICARIATE

CNS photo from Reuters

Thousands of pilgrims fill St. Peter’s Square for a Palm Sunday Mass led by Pope John Paul II April 4. Passion Sunday, popularly known as Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the solemn celebrations of the passion and resurrection of Christ.

Pope, at Palm Sunday Mass, says cross is sign of Christ’s love VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The cross of Christ is a sign of pain and glory, of Christ’s love for humanity and of his victory over death, Pope John Paul II said on Palm Sunday.

“On the cross, Jesus died for each one of us,” he said in his homily April 4 during the Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

To the singing of “Hosanna,” priests carrying olive branches and young people carrying tall, leafy green palm branches processed to the altar where Pope John Paul sat holding a braided palm.

The Mass also marked World Youth Day, and thousands of young people from around the world joined the pope for the celebration.

Pope John Paul told the youths not to be afraid to proclaim the Gospel of the cross in every circumstance.

“Certainly, the message the cross communicates is not easy to understand in our epoch when material well-being and comforts are proposed and sought after as priority values,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go against the current.”

The cross, he said, has two aspects that cannot be separated: “It is painful and

glorious at the same time. The suffering and humiliation of the death of Christ are intimately tied to the exaltation and glory of the resurrection, he added.

“Dear brothers and sisters, dear young people, never forget this consoling truth,” he told them. “The passion and resurrection of Christ constitute the center of our faith and sustain us in our inevitable daily trials.”

At the end of the Mass, those in St. Peter’s Square watched by satellite as young people in Berlin welcomed the World Youth Day cross to Germany after it had traveled throughout Europe.

The cross will be carried to each of Germany’s dioceses before being taken to Cologne, where the next international celebration of World Youth Day is scheduled for August 2005.

The pope, speaking from the Vatican, encouraged “the whole church in Germany to mobilize itself for this great event.”

SWANNANOA — St. Margaret Mary Church, 102 Andrew Pl., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 18. Reconciliation will be offered at 2:30 p.m. and the chaplet will be recited at 3 p.m., followed by Mass.

Everyone is invited to pray the chaplet beginning on Good Friday and ending on Divine Mercy Sunday. For more information, contact the church office at (828) 686-8833.

BOONE VICARIATE SPARTA — St. Frances of Rome Church, Hendrix and Highlands Rds., sponsors the Oratory of Divine Love Prayer Group in the parish house the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 1 p.m. For more information, call Marie at (336) 657-8013.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — Theology on Tap is a speaker series for young adults providing a casual forum for “straight talk, hard facts, and real answers” on the Catholic faith and how it applies to daily life. The theme April will be “Exploring the Passion.” ToT will meet each Monday in April, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pepperoni’s at Park Road Shopping Center.

CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 18, with a Holy Hour at 3 p.m. including benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Reconciliation will

increased pluralism in many countries of the world,” the archbishop said.

Religion is an important part of people’s lives and it is natural that they bring their values to bear on public discussions, he said.

Archbishop Tomasi said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges not only the right of an individual to believe what he or she wants, but also the right for believers to form communities and for those communities to express the faith they hold in common.

Instead of banning faith from public discussions, he said, promoting religious freedom means encouraging people to get to know each other’s faith, to respect differences and to work together for peace and justice.

not be offered. For more information call Gail Abraham (704) 786-0709.

HUNTERSVILLE — The Newcomers Women’s Ministry of St. Mark Church invites women who are new or still feel new to the area to a 10-week course entitled, “After the Boxes are Unpacked” based on the book by Susan Miller.

We will talk about the spiritual, emotional and practical needs associated with moving. Classes begin April 21 in Room 200 of St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd., 10:15 -11:45 a.m. followed by lunch. Call Gerry Phillips at (704) 895-2388 or Colleen Siadak at (704) 9877920 for more information.

CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish center. For more information, call Lucille Kroboth at (704) 537-2189.

CHARLOTTE — All women are invited to join Women in the Word for weekly gatherings for prayer, reflection on Sunday scripture, music and sharing experiences of Christ in daily life. The group meets each Thursday, 9:4511:45 a.m. in the family room of St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For details, call Linda Flynn at (704) 366-9889. For childcare reservations, call Jurga Petrikene at 704) 9070205.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — Knights of Columbus Piedmont Council 939 is sponsoring a Divine Mercy holy hour at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Smith and N. Elm St., April 18 at 3 p.m. A traveling icon depicting Christ’s divine mercy,

aPRIL 9, 2 0 0 4 Volume 13 • Number 28 Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Karen A. Evans Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Sherill Beason 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

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The Catholic News & Herald 3

April 9, 2004

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope urges end to ‘infernal cycle of mutual violence’ in Holy Land dialogue and show political courage in negotiating a solution that respects the rights of all sides.

The pope said it would take mutual forgiveness in order to heal the wounds inflicted by so many decades of violence in the Holy Land.

He said he was concerned about the wider effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a world that is already politically unstable in many areas.

The “unjustifiable and worrisome outbreaks of international terrorism” point to the need for changes in the way the United Nations functions, he said.

The organization should be “strengthened in the way it makes decisions and takes action, with the aim of reducing the sources of tension and of guaranteeing peace,” he added.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II urged the international community to take necessary steps to end the “infernal cycle of mutual violence” in the Holy Land.

The pope also said the increase in global terrorism underscored the need for reform of the United Nations, in order to strengthen its peacekeeping role around the globe.

He made the remarks April 2 in accepting the new Lebanese ambassador to the Holy See, Naji Abi Assi.

The pope said that in the face of more than half a century of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the international community “must not flee from its own responsibilities under the pretext of dealing with other pressing situations.”

He said Palestinians and Israelis must be pressured to undertake a real

commissioned by Pope John Paul II, will be on display. There will be no reconciliation service or Mass. The prayer service is spreading word about divine mercy, one of the church’s newest devotions, which is embraced by Pope John Paul II.

liturgical ministry and greeters, ushers, musicians and catechists are invited to “Making Room at the Table” Liturgical Commission workshop featuring Liz Dudas, Ministry Consultant with Glenmary Department of Pastoral Services from Nashville, TN April 17 at Living Waters Reflection Center, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Bring your lunch and drinks will be provided. There is no cost for the workshop but registration is requested by calling Father Frank Doyle at (828) 9260106 or Mary Herr at (828) 497-9498 or emailing maryherr@dnet.net.

HIGH POINT— A special Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated April 18 at 3 p.m. at Maryfield Chapel, 1315 Greensboro Rd. The Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited at 2:45 p.m. and the sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered at 2 p.m. preceding the Mass. For more information call (336) 886-2444.

GREENSBORO — Burke Balch, director of medical ethics at National Right to Life, will speak at St. Pius X Church, 2210 N. Elm St., April 23 at 7 p.m. He will be speaking on assisted suicide and euthanasia. Mr. Balch has served as chief counsel for the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled and worked at the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights on the federal Protection of Handicapped Infants project. This event is free and open to the public. For further information, contact the parish office at (336) 272-4681.

SALISBURY VICARIATE

SYLVA — St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday April 18, 3 - 4 p.m. Plan now to celebrate the Lord’s extraordinary gift of forgiveness. We will have a program of prayer, song and silence to immerse ourselves in God’s abundant mercy.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

CONCORD — Discover how beautiful God’s plan for marriage really is! Natural Family Planning classes are being offered at St. James Church, 251 Union St., beginning April 13 at 6:30 p.m. Learn a natural method that is just as effective as the Pill and is in accord with Catholic teaching. Contact Susan Chaney at (704) 720-0772 for more information or email questions to sujo94@aol.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE

CLEMMONS — Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., offers Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday. Exposition begins at 6 p.m. and benediction is at 9 p.m.

MAGGIE VALLEY — Everyone involved in

Episcopal

calendar

Vatican official welcomes U.S. Unborn Victims of Violence Act new U.S. Unborn Victims of Violence Act is a “juridically and ethically” important law that finally recognizes the fact that a fetus is a human being, said Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

“I would say this is a law that has come a bit late,” Bishop Sgreccia told Vatican Radio April 2, the day after President George W. Bush signed the law recognizing an unborn child as the second victim when a violent federal crime is perpetrated against a pregnant woman.

Bishop Sgreccia said that until the new measure was enacted U.S. law gave so much emphasis to a “woman’s freedom” when pregnant that no room was left to offer any legal recognition of the life of a fetus.

The new law, he said, recognizes “the other priority principle, which is that the fetus represents a human being who has juridical relevance and who must be respected as a human being.”

“This should be recognized unanimously within (the framework of) human rights,” Bishop Sgreccia said.

Under the law, anyone who harms a woman’s unborn child while committing a federal crime, such as assaulting the woman on federal property, commits a distinct federal crime against the child in addition to the crime against the woman.

Bishop Sgreccia was asked why he thought it was so difficult to get the rights of a fetus legally recognized.

“I think it is because it goes against a principle of so-called ‘autonomy,’ a libertarian principle that wants to give adults the power of life or death over a fetus,” the bishop said.

Such a position, he said, “is antihuman because it goes against the equality of all people, of all human beings. The human being does not begin at birth; it begins earlier.”

Sunset silhouette

MT. AIRY — Holy Angels Church, 1208 N. Main St., offers Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., and every Thursday, 10-11 a.m. Adoration concludes with Benediction.

Is your parish or school having a free event open to the public?

Please submit notices for the diocesan planner at least 15 days prior to

CNS photo from Reuters

A statue of Christ is silhouetted against the sunset as a Holy Week procession passes by a church in the city of San Roque in southern Spain April 5. Hundreds of public religious processions take place in Spain during Holy Week and draw thousands of spectators.

THIS MONTH IN —1994 Bishop Curlin becomes third bishop

Bishop William G. Curlin began his ministry as the third bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte amid stately splendor at an installation Mass at St. Gabriel Church April 13.

Approximately 1,600 dignitaries from across the country, friends and well-wishers from the Diocese of Charlotte and the Archdiocese of Washington attended the ceremony.

did you know ?

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

April 17 — 6 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Mass St. Joan of Arc, Asheville

April 18- 11 a.m.

New church dedication Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe

The Grapes of Wrath

In addition to being used by John Steinbeck as the title of a novel and occurring in the “Battle Hymn of the Republic’; the Grapes of Wrath are an allusion to the winepress image of Revelation 14:19-20 that teaches about the harvest of the earth and the impending doom of the ungodly.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

April 9, 2004

around the diocese

Sacred Heart parishioner receives humanitarian award

Courtesy Photo

Above: Rev. Mr. Guy Piche and Capuchin Father Stanley Kobel at the blessing of a St. Helen statue at St. Helen Church in Spencer Mountain Jan. 4.

Right: Father Mark Lawlor blesses a statue of St. Joseph and the infant Jesus at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charotte March 19.

Churches dedicate statues on feast CHARLOTTE — Two parishes recently gained new additions to their sanctuaries.

St. Helen Church in Spencer Mountain and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte both received and blessed statues in separate ceremonies.

Capuchin Father Stanley Kobel, parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, blessed a statue of St. Helen on her feast day, Jan. 4, at St. Helen Church. The Capuchin Franciscan order, which staffs St. Thomas Aquinas and Our

Lady of Consolation churches in Charlotte, also helps staff the small Spencer Mountain church.

The statue was donated by Msgr.

John McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew Church in Charlotte, and the church community.

Father Mark Lawlor, administrator of St. Vincent de Paul Church, blessed a statue of St. Joseph with an infant Jesus at Mass on the feast of St. Joseph, March 19.

Hand-carved in Italy, the statue completes the Holy Family in the church.

SALISBURY — Elizabeth “Libby” Duncan Koontz didn’t wait for doors to open for her — she did it herself.

The Salisbury-Rowan Human Relations Council she helped found honored local residents recently who keep opening those doors, such as Sonia Marie Trutie Fisher, a member of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury.

Fisher received a 2004 Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Award March 23.

Fisher is a native of Cuba who came to Salisbury in 1957 after marrying a U.S. serviceman. She’s been active at Sacred Heart Church, coordinated Meals on Wheels for 11 years, given more than 100 volunteer hours at the W.G. “Bill” Hefner V.A. Medical Center, sits on the board of the Rowan County Literacy Council and serves as an interpreter for Spanishspeaking patients at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

“I’m honored,” she said. “I must return, in some way, what this country, this community, has done for me.”

The 2004 Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Humanitarian Awards are named for a Salisbury woman who fought for racial equality and women’s rights. A 1938 graduate of Livingstone College and a school teacher, Koontz led the movement to integrate the N.C. Teacher’s Association and was the first black and first female president of the National Education Association.

Elizabeth “Libby” Duncan Koontz In 1964, she was one of 16 Americans who visited the Soviet Union at the request of the Saturday Review. In 1965, she was president of the President’s Advisory Council on Education of Disadvantaged Children. She headed the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor under President Richard Nixon, was a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1970 and chaired the National Commission on Working Women for seven years.

She retired as assistant superintendent for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and died in 1989.

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April 9, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 5

around the diocese

Dancing to a different beat

Unique residency brings African culture to Catholic school by

CAROLE McGROTTY correspondent

ASHEVILLE — Students in Asheville recently got a taste of Africa.

Asheville Catholic School spent a week immersed in African culture March 29-April 2. The experience, part of the school’s yearlong Artists in Residence program, involved “The Magic of African Rhythm,” a cultural arts group working in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.

The Shabu family, originally from West Africa, is the core of the Magic of African Rhythm, which specializes in various forms of cultural artistic expression. A grant from the Asheville Area Arts Council, and additional assistance from the school fund, brought members of the Shabu family and their “Ngoma for Children” residency to the students.

“Ngoma” is the “rhythmic thread that links drumming, singing, dancing, dramatic and visual artistic expression together,” according to information supplied by the Shabu family.

Third-, fifth- and seventh-graders rotated through various aspects of the residency, which emphasizes “ways in which the community plays a role in other countries as well as our own,” said Chris Lenderman, a school parent who applied for the grant.

Maisha “Mama” Shabu and her husband Baba spent 20 years living and developing their art in Africa.

Maishu told the students African folktales relating to the importance of community. One tale was about Jeli, a storyteller who tells a folktale but adds a bit of personal flavor while keeping constant the basic story.

Third- and fifth-graders retold the

Photo by Carole McGrotty

Teli Shabu teaches Asheville Catholic School students how to play African drums during the weeklong “Ngoma for Children” residency March 29-April 2. story in groups while seventh-graders retold the story adding personal embellishments. The students then discussed the differences and similarities in each version.

Baba, a textile designer in both East and West Africa, taught the students the Adinkra system of textile design, which uses symbols that correspond to the character development traits emphasized

in schools.

The Adinkra cloth, which had its origin in Ghana, Africa, gets its name from the person to whom the first cloth was presented. Each student chose a symbol that was meaningful to him or her and stamped that symbol on the cloth.

One of the cloths will be auctioned in May at a school fundraising dinner.

Maishu and Baba’s children were also involved in the residency. Their son, Teli, taught the students how to

play African drums while their daughter, MaBinti, taught African dance routines.

The students practiced traditional African rhythms throughout the week, including the Cou-Cou from West Africa and the Samba, which originated in the Congo.

Kuumba Zuwena, school receptionist, taught the students several Swahili phrases, morning greetings and how to sing “Happy Birthday,” which they sang to surprise one of their teachers on his birthday.

Zuwena said she helped the students develop their “singing ears,” opening them up to different sounds in West African chants.

Before the Friday morning Mass, fifth-graders played African rhythms on the drums. Afterward, the three participating grades gathered for a traditional African meal eaten in native African style — with their fingers.

Bowls carried by the youngest child in the group were used to wash the hands before and after the meal.

Emilia Ricci, a school parent who once worked in Nigeria, prepared the meal that featured foods from all over Africa.

The residency ended with an assembly for the remaining student body, faculty, staff and guests. With an Adinkra cloth made by the third-, fifth- and seventh-graders as a backdrop on the stage, fifth-graders opened the event with a drum call inviting everyone to join them for the program.

“This is done in every African ceremony,” said Maisha Shabu.

Third-graders incorporated songs into their retelling of the African folktale of Bali, a boy who comes to realize that he needs his community and it needs him. Fifth-graders danced to seventh-graders’ drumming showing what different animals look like. Then the seventh-grade performed a warrior dance.

“The children really enjoyed this,” said Donna Gilson, a thirdgrade teacher. “The seventh-grade asked whether we could do this again next year.”

6 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Sparking leadership

Workshop to motivate leaders, volunteers immigrant cultures,” he said. “As the dominant culture, we also need to understand how to empower these immigrants, because they are Catholic Christians.”

“The Spanish sessions will reflect the English-speaking sessions,” Villaronga explained. “As people who are being welcomed into a different culture, how do they learn to adapt to the culture? What are some of the important cultural differences? What do they need to be aware of?”

It becomes a give-and-take, Villaronga said. The dominant culture learns that it needs to be welcoming, while the immigrants learn they will be welcomed, but they also need to learn to adapt to a new culture.

“It’s vitally important that we start recognizing that we are not two dioceses — one English-speaking and one Spanish-speaking,” said Villaronga.

In 2000, the Education Vicariate began offering the leadership training workshop to enable the participants to become more effective parish and community leaders. Topics have included: communication and collaboration, evangelization and enculturation, developing advocacy skills, providing human services in the parish, civil law and legal concerns, facilitating faith experiences, issues of enculturation and canon law.

Villaronga will be the keynote speaker for the morning session May 1.

Terry Aiken, director of youth ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point, will be the afternoon keynote speaker. Breakout session presenters will include Christine Richards, an instructor of business communications at Belmont Abbey College; Mercy Sister Antonette Schmidt, diocesan director of young adult ministry; and Paul Kotlowski director of diocesan youth ministry.

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

Want to go?

“Keeping the Spark Alive” will be held Saturday, May 1, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., in Greensboro. For registration information, call Pat Onaindia at (704) 370-3244.

by

April 9, 2004

Golfing for a good cause

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

GREENSBORO — Lay leaders and volunteers within the Diocese of Charlotte will have a unique opportunity to enhance their leadership skills at an upcoming workshop.

“Keeping the Spark Alive,” a one-day workshop sponsored by the diocesan Education Vicariate, will be held at St. Paul the Apostle Church Saturday May 1.

“This workshop is recommended for anyone involved in lay ministry — catechists, parish staff and parish volunteers,” said Frank Villaronga, director for diocesan evangelization and ministry formation.

“The topics that will be addressed are pertinent not only to church ministry, but also to day-to-day ministry within our families, neighbors and co-workers,” he said.

The workshop will be divided into two parts, each beginning with a keynote speaker and followed by four breakout sessions. Part I, “Keeping the Spark Alive,” will feature breakout sessions addressing motivating volunteers, avoiding burnout, time management and pastoral collaboration. Part II, “Unity in Diversity,” will focus on communicating with compassion, collaborating with consideration, dealing with differences, Christian conflict resolution and the cultural challenge.

The 2004 leadership training workshop will be unique from years’ past in one important aspect, as it will conducted in both Spanish and English.

Participants will attend the opening prayer, lunch and the closing together, Villaronga said. They will separate for parts of the workshop that will be presented in each language.

“The Spanish sessions will be similar to the English, but not identical,” said Villaronga. “The Spanish morning session will focus on the implementation of the Hispanic pastoral plan.”

Also, the Spanish and English sessions will mirror each other in the way they address unity in diversity topics, Villaronga said.

“The English sessions will focus on how to be welcoming and open to the

Photo by Ann Kilkelly

Golfers participate in Catholic Social Services Charlotte Regional Office’s Golf Tournament at Carolina Golf and Country Club March 29. The fundraiser tournament was inspired by Sister Eileen McLoughlin, a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity and avid golfer who spent 20 years as a counseling supervisor for CSS. The winners had their names engraved on the Sister Eileen McLoughlin Champions Cup.

Many voices lifted in song

Charlotte Catholic choir performs at Carnegie Hall CHARLOTTE — Fifty-one members of the Honors Ensemble at Charlotte Catholic High School took part in the National Youth Choir concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City March 20.

The students were part of a 477-voice choir consisting of high school students from across the United States to perform at the Isaac Stern Auditorium, the largest of Carnegie Hall’s three performance halls with an audience capacity of 2,804.

The students learned seven pieces of choral music written by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Clausen and Mulholland. The clinician who prepared these students in two days was Dr. Andre Thomas, a world-renowned conductor,

arranger and composer and director of choral music at Florida State University.

Two of the pieces performed were written by Thomas.

The students earned money from several fundraisers to help pay for their four-day trip. Eight parents accompanied the group, along with Dottie Tippett, the school’s choral director.

In addition to performing in one of the world’s most prestigious venues, the Charlotte Catholic students were able to see “The Lion King” on Broadway; visit Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; and eat lunch in Little Italy.

April 9, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 7

in the news

Letters to God often find final destination in Jerusalem post office by

JUDITH SUDILOVSKY catholic news service

CNS photo by Debbie Hill

Tsiona Shay of the Israeli Postal Authority displays letters to God at a post office in Jerusalem March 31. Letters addressed to God are among the undeliverable mail collected by the service on a regular basis.

JERUSALEM — In the gray, florescent-lit office of the undelivered letters department of the Israel Postal Authority the letters gather.

They are the letters people send to God and are addressed in a variety of ways: “God, Israel”; “The Almighty God, Jerusalem”; “Jesus Christ, Jerusalem”; “To Good Jerusalem”; “Angels of Heaven.”

“People who feel lonely, people in despair send letters to God,” said Yitzhak Rabihiya, spokesman for the Israel Postal Authority. “These are very private letters.”

This is also the place where letters to Santa Claus are sent — a far cry from his legendary workshop in the North Pole.

Most of the letters arrive in waves around Christmas and New Year’s and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Rabihiya said.

The letters are written by people of all ages, in every language — including Arabic — and come from all over the world. They ask for love, health, peace, money, help with studies — and many ask for forgiveness, said Avi Yaniv, director of the department.

“There was a letter from one girl who had stolen a few things and asked God to help her stop stealing,” Yaniv said. “Other people who stole things even send the money covering the cost of the item.”

The money is sent to charity, he said.

Because the department deals with all letters with insufficient or undeliverable addresses, certain employees are permitted by law to open the letters to try to determine where they were meant to be sent. Not all the letters to God are read, and as with all the letters that reach the postal authority employees strictly protect the confidentiality of the writers, Yaniv said.

According to Israeli law, the contents of the letters can be published only 15 years after they were written, Yaniv said.

Sample letters show that most letters are handwritten; some are written with awe and a tone of great respect, while others are much more relaxed and familiar in style.

“Dear God, How are you doing to-

day? I hope and pray you are doing fine and feeling great,” wrote one person from the United States.

Another person from an undisclosed country wrote seeking help for some financial difficulty: “Please God, help me. I am entrusting you with my fears.”

One man from Spain wrote asking for peace for Israel and the entire world. A woman from an undisclosed country asked for forgiveness for forging dates on a prescription, while another woman from an undisclosed country asked God to help her with her addiction to pistachios.

“My God! A lot of time has passed partly because of lack of courage and partly because of lack of faith. ...Today I am gathering courage and asking to stay away from pistachios for the rest of my life. ... I ask to be rid of pistachios and fruit and dried fruit and all the other drugs which damage me. ... I am now in a stage of gaining weight. Allow me to accept myself as I am and to forgive myself,” she wrote.

The letter that stands out in Yaniv’s mind is the letter his department received from a widow who asked God to allow her husband to appear in her dreams so she could see him again.

“She loved her husband so much. It touched me,” Yaniv said.

Several times a year the letters are taken to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, and there the rabbi of the Western Wall deposits them in the cracks of the wall, following an ancient Jewish tradition, Yaniv said.

Jews believe that the Holy Land is the center of the world, that Jerusalem is the center of the Holy Land and that the Western Wall is the holiest place in Jerusalem, “closest to God,” Yaniv said.

“Our only role is to get the letters to whom they were addressed. When it is addressed in this case to God, there is no place to send it, so we take it to the rabbi at the Western Wall,” Rabihiya said.

“We see it as an important role. We feel that by doing this we are fulfilling the mission asked of us by the people who wrote these letters trying to get to God. We don’t have an address for God, but we try to do our best,” he said.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

in our schools

April 9, 2004

School announces Principal’s List, Honor Roll students

Leading the way

GASTONIA — Joe Puceta, principal of St. Michael School in Gastonia, proudly announced the names of students on the Principal’s List and Honor Roll for the school’s third quarter.

Principal’s List: Sixth-grader Nicole Florack; Seventh-graders Annie Hess and Catherine Maier; and eighthgrader Bobby Stover.

Honor Roll: Sixth-graders Eliza-

beth Black and Janell Carr; seventhgraders Jack Collier, Thomas Hauer, Richard Hovis, Jason Kleiner, Ben Messer, Emma Nelli, Clare Pressimone, Sonia Sayani and Desiri Sido; and eighth-graders Rebecca Black, Sarah Geyer and Melissa Sherrill.

SAINT you SHOULD know St. Bernadette

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Sherri Petrilli, nurse at St. Mark School in Huntersville, checks off completed laps by students participating in the School Walk for Diabetes April 1.

St. Mark students walk, raise funds for diabetics by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

HUNTERSVILLE — Students at St. Mark School are leading the march against diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, St. Mark School has raised the most money of all schools participating in the School Walk for Diabetes.

Walking in shifts throughout the day April 1, the kindergarten through sixthgrade students helped raise more than $16,200.

St. Mark School is currently first among the participating schools in North Carolina and the Southeast, said Suzanne Fulcher, the ADA’s state coordinator for School Walk for Diabetes. When all the numbers are calculated, St. Mark School may be first in the entire nation, she said.

“It’s a major accomplishment, especially in our first year,” said Sherri Petrilli, school nurse who organized the walk. “I’m so overwhelmed with it all.”

Fifth-grader Katie Wackerman, one of two St. Mark School students diagnosed with diabetes, was happy to see her fellow classmates making laps around the school parking lot.

“I think it’s cool,” said Wackerman, “that they would come out here and walk for all the diabetics and make a difference.”

The students crafted a “Wall of Honor” — a poster in the school lobby that contains the names of friends and family with diabetes, for whom the students were walking.

Petrilli also helped organize a number of other diabetes-related activities, including a pep rally and “Penny Wars” among the classes, which raised more

than $1,600.

The fifth- and sixth-graders also learned what it was like to have diabetes by following the routines and schedule of a diabetic for a day. Classes also learned about the importance of exercise and nutrition.

The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles, according to the American Diabetes Association’s Web site.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

There are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3 percent of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 13 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.

All of the credit for St. Mark School’s successful event went to Petrilli and the students, said Dr. Walt Pryzgocki, principal.

“This program joins a list of student services that include financial support for Holy Angels (in Belmont), St. Mark Church’s Angel Tree, the American Red Cross’ Disaster Relief, Samaritan’s Feet and others,” he said.

“This school has existed for only eight months,” said Przygocki. “This ‘culture of service’ is due to the students, teachers and parents of St. Mark Catholic School.”

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

Marie Bernarde Soubirous was born at Lourdes, France, Jan. 7, 1844. Called Bernadette as a child, she lived in poverty and on Feb. 11, 1858, she saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. Daily visions followed and on Feb. 28, a spring flowed where none had been before, and on March 25, a vision directed her to build a chapel on the site. In 1866, Bernadette became a nun; she died in 1879. Lourdes soon became one of the great pilgrimage centers of modern Christianity where many miracles have been reported. Sister Bernadette was canonized in 1933. Her feast day is April 16.

April 9, 2009

in our schools

Pages of victory

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Reaping rewards

Courtesy Photo

Middle schoolers from Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro took first place in recent N.C. State Battle of the Books competitions. First row (from left): Keiran Campbell, Olivia Campbell, Christiane Ruggiero and Elanor Shingledecker; Second row (from left): Lauren Martiere, Mark Sowinski, Helen McNamara, Monika Chao and Elizabeth Garcia; Third row (from left): Logan Payne, Tommy Saintsing and Will Scott.

OLG students sweep Battle of the Books GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School students know their books.

The Middle School Battle of the Books team took first place in the systemlevel competitions of the N.C. State Battle of the Books in Concord March 8, and first place in the regional competition at Providence Day School in Charlotte March 29.

The Battle of the Books program is for middle school students who read from a list of books established by the state Battle of the Books committee, and then compete in quiz-bowl-style tournaments to test their knowledge of the books.

The Our Lady of Grace School team now advances to the state level of the competition, representing the Independent School District (private/parochial/ home schools) in North Carolina. The competition will take place at the Uni-

versity of North Carolina at Greensboro April 30.

The purpose of the Battle of the Books program is to encourage reading by all students at the middle school level. Students, regardless of ability, are exposed to quality literature representing a variety of literary styles and viewpoints by prominent authors in the area of young adult literature. The game format creates interest and excitement in reading.

The North Carolina Association of School Librarians assumed sponsorship of Battle of the Books in 1991. In 2000, the North Carolina School Library Media Association became a co-sponsor of Battle of the Books, and independent schools became a region for competition.

Courtesy Photo

Harry the Happy Dragon and a representative of Harris Teeter brought ice cream and a check for $2,700 to Our Lady of Grace School March 17.

Supermarket treats OLG students to ice cream GREENSBORO — Our Lady of Grace School students were recently treated for their “Together in Education” efforts.

Harry the Happy Dragon and representatives from Harris Teeter, who sponsors the Together in Education program, brought ice cream to the students March 17 to recognize the school family’s support of the program, which

runs August to May of every school year.

When specific products are purchased using a Harris Teeter VIP card, the supermarket gives a portion of the sales back to the school of the customer’s choice.

Roberta Hutchcraft, principal, accepted a $2,700 check from Harris Teeter on behalf of Our Lady of Grace School.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

easter

April 9, 2004

The Legend of the Easter Egg Simon of Cyrene was on his way to the marketplace carrying a basket of eggs, when he came upon a crowd of people. A Roman soldier came over to Simon and said. “Follow me.” Simon was told to help a man named Jesus carry a heavy cross that Jesus would be crucified on later that day. Simon set his basket of eggs aside and went to help Jesus.

Along the difficult way, Simon became friends with the man who was going to die. Jesus shared with Simon some of his teachings. Before the solders nailed Jesus to the cross Jesus thanked Simon and whispered in his ear, “ I will give you a sign that I have

spoken the truth and you will know that I have risen from the dead.”

Later that day, Simon was saddened by the death of Jesus. He was hoping the promise that Jesus had made would come true, but he received no sign. After two days, Simon suddenly remembered his basket of eggs.

He ran to the marketplace to find them. When he looked in the basket, he saw the sign Jesus had promised. Each of the eggs had changed. Some were brightly colored and other had beautiful designs on them.

Simon knew that Jesus was alive! As he ran to tell his friends, shouts of “Alleluia” were heard all over Jerusalem.

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Spring sunshine illuminates the statue of St. Gabriel outside St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte April 6.

Courtesy Photo

The fourth-grade faith formation class at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte performs a living Stations of the Cross during a special Lenten prayer service for all faith formation classes and the parish March 8-9.

Courtesy Photo

Chris Ostrom’s seventh-grade homeroom class at Our Lady of Grace School performed living Stations of the Cross for the student body in Our Lady of Grace Church March 24.

April 9, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 11

easter

Many join Catholic Church on Holy Saturday RCIA, from page 1

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Flowering Crabapple trees begin to blossom outside the diocesan Pastoral Center in early April.

of Election with Bishop Peter J. Jugis at three locations — Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville Feb. 29, St. Matthew Church in Charlotte March 6 and St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro March 7.

“I was delighted as bishop to see such evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the diocese,” said Bishop Jugis. “It was inspiring to see so many individuals wanting to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.”

Of the 63,891 who participated in diocesan ceremonies in the United States, more than 26,000 will be baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time on Holy Saturday. The other 37,000-plus, already baptized as Christians, will enter full communion with the Catholic Church at those ceremonies.

In the Diocese of Charlotte, 137 will be baptized, confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time, while 369 will enter full communion with the church.

“It is spiritually rewarding to see how the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts and souls of people wanting to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church,” said Bishop Jugis.

The numbers from the diocesan ceremonies in early Lent of 2004 are slightly higher than the 62,261 recorded in diocesan ceremonies in 2003.

About three-quarters of the dioceses responded to the Secretariat for Evangelization’s survey.

“The common denominator seems to be a discovery of a more meaningful and religiously satisfying faith,” said Dr. Cris Villapando, director of

the Office of Faith Formation in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“All of the incoming people have in some way undergone a conversion,” he said.

At least 17 U.S. dioceses will bring in groups larger than 1,000 people, with the largest groups of candidates and catechumens in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (3,070) and the Diocese of Galveston-Houston (1,797).

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is an ancient rite that was reinstituted in the church following the Second Vatican Council. It is the usual means for adults to come into the church.

Those who are not yet baptized are called catechumens, while Christians who are already baptized are called candidates.

“The approach in RCIA is based on the ritual text RCIA No. 75, which is really strategies for conversion therapy,” said Villapando.

Infant baptisms take place in parishes throughout the year, and it is estimated that there will be more than 1 million performed in 2004.

In the Holy Saturday ceremonies, adults will enter the church in every diocese of the country and in virtually every one of the nation’s nearly 19,000 parishes.

“In the end, this journey (of conversion) is Christocentric and enables the people to focus fundamentally on Christ and not the imperfections of pastoral agents,” said Villapando.

Contributing to this story were Jane Harriman in Wilmington, Ann M. Augherton in Arlington and Ed Langlois in Portland.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

April 9, 2004

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Prequel of ‘Da Vinci Code’ is more of the same — with one difference

by JOSEPH R. THOMAS catholic news service

The resurrection of Dan Brown’s moribund “Angels & Demons” is something of a literary miracle.

The book, on merit, succumbed quietly enough when it was first published four years ago. But then, last spring, came Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code,” a waterinto-wine Doubleday phenomenon that is still on the best-seller list with more than 6 million copies celebrating the physical and intellectual derring-do of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.

“Da Vinci,” then, is the reason “Angels & Demons” was rescued from the Simon & Schuster morgue (Atria is a Simon & Schuster imprint), being reissued in paperback as a prequel to “Da Vinci.”

Because it showed remarkable strength we now have the hardcover version.

The similarities between “Angels” and “Da Vinci” are many, but space prevents us from examining them at length.

Let it simply be noted that both open with a murder in unusual circumstances, the victim in “Da Vinci” being a curator in the Louvre, whereas in “Angels” it is a priestscientist who has created anti-matter in a bottle while working for a Swiss research firm that considers the God of tradition to be but a stand-in for science as the Almighty.

In both instances, a phone call to Langdon initiates a swirl of literally artful sleuthing. In “Da Vinci,” the summons pairs him with a leggy cryptologist who is the slain curator’s granddaughter. In “Angels” he finds himself working with the victim-priest’s leggy daughter by adoption.

A “bio-entanglement physicist,” she is thought to be the only other person privy to the anti-matter secret. But of course she isn’t. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had a corpse with his eye plucked out, and Langdon would still be home in bed.

If you are familiar with “Da Vinci,” you know that in it the church is demonized. That continued the pattern Brown established in “Angels,” where the demonization is aimed mostly at structure and practice, whereas in “Da Vinci” the target is dogma and belief. Although the reader of one book is likely to feel a sense of deja vu in reading the other, there is a monumental difference.

On the copyright page of “Angels” you will find this notice: “This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. ...”

Indeed, as soon as Langdon boards a strange-looking plane that will whisk him from Boston to Geneva in an hour we know we are in the realm of fantasy.

Not so in “Da Vinci.” There Brown asserts, “All descriptions of artwork, ar-

chitecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Thereafter he weaves fact and fiction together deceptively, imparting an aura of authenticity to the whole while shredding core beliefs and giving Jesus both a wife and a child.

The charade, which finds Langdon pursuing clues secretly hidden in Da Vinci’s art, argues that the church has murderously sought to suppress its “feminine side.”

In “Angels,” Bernini and his works are the source of the clues, with the plot hinging on the placement of anti-matter of unbelievable force under St. Peter’s Basilica. The anti-matter is due to explode at midnight in the midst of a conclave to choose a successor to the pope who himself has been murdered.

But first, a long-dormant secret brotherhood of scientists, The Illuminati, must be reinvigorated to set up the science-religion conflict. And for maximum effect, St. Peter’s Square must be filled with people enticed there by the grotesque hourly murders of four cardinals kidnapped from the conclave.

There is, of course, a surprise ending, although the anti-matter does explode and the display, live and on TV, is indeed spectacular. Nevertheless the basilica and Vatican City are saved thanks to Langdon and an unlikely cohort.

In the end, bodies lie scattered all over Rome’s liturgical landscape, the new god, Science, reigns supreme and Langdon, after a long and tiring day, finds himself in bed with the bio-entanglement physicist who earlier disproved a favorite Einstein theory by using “atomically synchronized cameras to observe a school of tuna fish.”

Thanks to “Da Vinci,” this heretofore sow’s ear of a book has become a silk purse.

Thomas, retired editor in chief of The Christophers and a former diocesan newspaper editor, is a frequent reviewer of books.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: APRIL 18, 2004

April 18, Second Sunday of Easter Cycle C Readings: 1) Acts 5:12-16 Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 2) Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 3) Gospel: John 20:19-31

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

Much as the disciples were gathered, in this weekend’s Gospel passage, the 18 young people were gathered in a room.

Only these youths were not fearful, and the door was not locked or even closed.

They were in the final hour of a weekend fast in solidarity with poor people throughout the world.

During the fast they grew increasingly aware of the magnitude of the suffering, the causes of hunger and their own responsibility to work to alleviate it.

They collected money for Catholic Relief Services and food for a local food pantry.

They listened as a pantry client told her life story, then emptied their pockets to give her gas money. They became more and more fervent in their prayer as they came to understand Jesus’ compassion for the poor. By the closing session, each made a personal commitment to continue fighting against hunger.

Thomas, too, was already a committed disciple of Jesus, but he had trouble believing something incredible that he

had not witnessed. Jesus seemed more than happy to oblige his faithful follower with the gift of a personal appearance. He did the same thing for those youths at the end of their fast.

They had just finished stating their commitments when an elderly man and his grown son appeared in the doorway.

The older man had long gray hair, was missing some teeth and used a cane. Both were disheveled.

Now, I have experienced meeting Jesus in someone in need on more than one occasion. But my first thought this time was that these young people would think I had set this up.

They told me the father was ill, that they were passing through on their way from Alabama to New York and had run out of gas and money. I gave them some dollars to get farther down the road and thanked them for coming.

As they left, one of the youths grinned, “What just happened?” she asked. As I explained, they smiled and nodded. No doubters there.

Questions: When have you experienced the presence of Jesus after believing?

What tempts you to unbelief ?

Scripture to Illustrate: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of April 11 - April 17 Sunday (The Resurrection of the Lord), Acts 10:34, 37-43, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9; Monday (Easter Monday), Acts 2:14, 22-33, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday (Easter Tuesday), Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday (Easter Wednesday), Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday (Easter Thursday), Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday (Easter Friday), Acts 4:1-12, John 21:114; Saturday (Easter Saturday), Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15 Scripture for the week of April 18 - April 24 Sunday (Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday), Acts 5:12-16, Revelation 1:9-13, 17-19, John 20:19-31; Monday, Acts 4:23-31, John 3:1-8; Tuesday, Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7-15; Wednesday (St. Anselm), Acts 5:17-26, John 3:16-21; Thursday, Acts 5:27-33, John 3:31-36; Friday (St. George, St. Adalbert), Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday (St. Fidelis), Acts 6:1-7,

The Catholic News & Herald 13

April 9, 2004

Shroud of Turin experts say Gibson film sparks new interest in cloth

Experts see ‘40 percent increase’ in inquiries about shroud CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The wide publicity and controversy surrounding “The Passion of the Christ” have brought a spike of new interest in the Shroud of Turin.

John P. and Rebecca S. Jackson, who run the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado in Colorado Springs, and Barrie Schwortz, who runs the Web site www.shroud.com, reported a recent increase in calls or visits.

“This is normally a busy time of the year for us, but there’s been about a 40 percent increase” in phone calls, said Rebecca Jackson, associate director of the center. A daughter of Orthodox Jews who is now Catholic, she has written and lectured on Jewish aspects of the shroud.

John Jackson, a Catholic, doesn’t see belief in the shroud’s authenticity as simply a matter of faith.

“Are we trying to replace science with faith? No, not at all,” he said. “But this would all be pointless if it doesn’t lead us to faith.”

Schwortz said that while science may never reach clear knowledge as to how the image was imprinted on the shroud he has his own conclusion.

“The only logical answer or explanation for the Shroud of Turin is that it wrapped the body of Jesus after he by

CNS photo by James Baca, Denver Catholic Register

John P. Jackson, a member of the 1978 American team that first examined the Shroud of Turin, demonstrates to visitors at the Turin Shroud Center of Colorado how dimensions of the reputed burial cloth of Christ correspond with the standard unit of measure in early Palestine.

was crucified,” he said.

Schwortz, a former imaging consultant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said he was a Jew when he started studying the shroud and remains a Jew today.

He sees his constant Jewish faith as a way to remain unbiased in his shroud research, however.

Belief that the shroud was the one that covered Jesus’ body does not require belief that Jesus rose from the dead, he said, although many Christians believe the resurrection may explain how the image came to appear on the shroud.

Schwortz contended there is clear evidence that casts a serious shadow on the carbon-14 dating tests performed in 1988 at three separate laboratories, all of which concluded that the cloth dated from around the 13th or 14th century. Those tests led many to conclude the shroud is a fake.

“There is empirical, scientific evidence now in existence that shows that that section of the cloth was, in fact, a reweaving,” he said.

Jackson, too, is unconvinced by the carbon-14 tests.

“They would still have to explain the image with all of its characteristics,” he said. “I just couldn’t see how a forger could have done it.”

Contributing to this story was Ed Lopez in Colorado Springs and Brandon Evans in Indianapolis.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

in our schools

Six-string success

Bishop McGuinness students perform at guitar festival KERNERSVILLE — The Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Honors Guitar Ensemble performed in the All-Regional Guitar Festival at Guilford College in Greensboro March 27-28.

The ensemble was invited to perform as the opening act for the guitar orchestra, made up of selected high school students from around the Triad area. Two Bishop McGuinness students, Matthew Ostler and Beth Hurley, were selected.

Bishop McGuinness students who performed in the ensemble included Sandy and Paul Gerlach, David Laux, Greg Means, Katie Goodman, Alex Frye,

Keeping our schools safe

Andrew Mealin, Michael Sage and Charlie Smith.

“It went very well,” said Dr. Alan Hirsh, music director at Bishop McGuinness. “It was an honor for us to be asked to do that.”

The group performed a number of selections during their 20 minute act, including arrangements by Hirsh and “The Shire” from the recent “Lord of the Rings” movies.

Hirsh, who is also adjunct guitar instructor at Wake Forest University and Guilford College, founded and directs the Piedmont Guitar Orchestra, now in its eighth year.

South of the border

High school students to visit, work in Mexico KERNERSVILLE — Students from both Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School and Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh will travel to Mexico for a special mission trip April 7-17.

The trip is designed to heighten students’ awareness of conditions in a nation and culture that are quite different from their daily experience at home. The students will also participate in a building and painting project while there.

Traveling to San Luis de Posoti during Holy Week, the students will spend Easter weekend experiencing the special worship activities for that feast in a smalltown setting.

This will be followed by a bus excursion to the village of El Realejo, where the students will work with children in the local church and school environments,

April 9, 2004

teaching them English and reinforcing their own facility with Spanish.

On Wednesday of Easter week, students will travel by bus to Mexico City, stopping in the city San Miguel de Allende. While visiting there, they will stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Zocalo and the Museo de Anthropologia.

Participatants in the trip are being asked to keep journals of their experiences.

To prepare for the trip, the Bishop McGuinness and Cardinal Gibbons students have held numerous fundraisers to offset the cost of their participation. The Bishop McGuinness campus minister and members of the Spanish faculty will accompany them.

Photo by Karen A. Evans

Paula Knish, a registered nurse for Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, examines a young student at St. Gabriel School April 6. Knish was recently awarded the Capitol Hill 2004 Sunny Award in recognition of her efforts in changing state legislation regarding treatment of allergic emergencies resulting in anaphylaxis.

MACS Nurse recognized for life-saving work by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Paula Knish, a registered nurse for Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS), has been named a winner of the Capitol Hill 2004 Sunny Award.

“I am not particularly comfortable getting recognition,” Knish said. “However, I welcome the opportunity to get the program further revised and put it online or in print, as it could help folks.”

The award is given annually by the Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics Organization (AANMA) to recognize “an individual, coalition, or organization whose accomplishments at the local or state level resulted in changed laws, policies, or procedures affecting students with asthma or allergies in the school setting.”

Knish was recognized in the national competition for making a difference on the state level. She worked with North Carolina Rep. Martha Alexander to enact legislation HB 1508, “Bioterrorism preparedness,” which reads: “Establish standards and criteria for the education and credentialing of persons trained to administer lifesaving treatment to a person who suffers a severe adverse reaction to agents that might cause anaphylaxis.”

Knish then coordinated a program to educate teachers and coaches on how to respond with epinephrine for allergic emergencies resulting in anaphylaxis. This program has been used as a model in other school systems as well. The Catholic News & Herald reported Knish’s work in developing the First Responder protocol in the Feb. 13 issue.

Kathie Holder, MACS Health Director, nominated Knish for the award.

“I want to emphasize that I merely coordinated the project, and there are

many kind-hearted health care professionals who volunteered their expertise to make the program a success,” said Knish.

Knish said she and Dr. Glen Errington, an allergist with the Carolina Asthma and Allergy Center in Charlotte, plan to co-author a paper on the topic of allergic emergencies.

“Dr. Errington will work with the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Allergy and Immunology to make sure we have the ‘gold standard’ of practice for the protocol,” said Knish.

Knish said she was motivated to initiate the program by her five children, all of whom have severe allergies.

She also thanked her husband, Dr. Edward Knish, “whose patience and love sustain me.”

Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

April 9, 2009

AROUND THE DIOCESE

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Abbey biology professor to The A-B-Cs of college life receive Adrian Award Faculty Awards Banquet spotlights Reilly’s, students’ achievements

BELMONT — Belmont Abbey College celebrated some of the best and brightest achievements of the year during the Annual Faculty Awards Banquet.

In addition to celebrating the achievements of members of the Dean’s and President’s Lists, the college also named the recipients of outstanding student achievement within each area of study during the special ceremony April 2.

The college will present Dr. Sheila Reilly with this year’s Adrian Faculty Excellence Award, which recognizes teachers who have had pronounced beneficial influences on their students — teachers who successfully inspire students to work toward reaching their full potential.

Reilly, a professor of biology and chair of the Biology Department, earned her doctorate at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at

Carolinas Medical Center and spent seven years as a staff biologist in renal pharmacology at the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research.

When she’s not teaching or researching, she volunteers with Carolina Raptor Center, rehabilitating injured birds of prey.

Courtesy Photo

Students from Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte, Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, St. Michael School in Gastonia, Immaculata School in Hendersonville, Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro and St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem were among 600 students treated to a day of tours, athletics, a cookout and questions and answers at Belmont Abbey College’s Third Annual Catholic Schools Day April 1.

Dr. Sheila Reilly Mr. and Mrs. Herbert M. Adrian Jr. established the Adrian Faculty Excellence Program at Belmont Abbey College in 1984 to recognize and reward outstanding performance by faculty members at the college.

Catholic middle schoolers experience BAC’s Catholic Schools Day BELMONT — They may be too young to drive. They can’t register to vote yet. And alcohol is definite out of the question.

But college is what they can begin to plan for — that’s something more than 600 middle school students are found out.

Students from across North and South Carolina attended Belmont Abbey College’s Third Annual Catholic Schools Day Celebration April 1. The middle schoolers got a taste of what college life is like at one of the only private, Catholic liberal arts college in the southeast.

Students from Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte, Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, St. Michael School in Gastonia, Immaculata School in Hendersonville, Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro and St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem were among the schools treated to a day of tours, athletics, a cookout and questions and answers.

“Each year we really look forward to celebrating our Catholic heritage and reaching out to the younger members of the community with this event,” said Rebecca Hethcox, the college’s assistant director of admission.

“Ideally, this is a great way to transi-

tion students and prepare them to ultimately attend Belmont Abbey College, but we’re also very happy to get them in the mindset of going to college in general,” she said.

Hethcox, who organized the event, said students got a glimpse into the wide range of benefits and activities Belmont Abbey College offers its students and the Catholic community.

The visit included Mass in the basilica; a brief history of the college with President Abbot Placid Solari, OSB; a discussion on student life with Karen Van Norman, dean of student life; and a talk about Abbey athletics with Eliane Kebbe, athletic director.

The day also includes a cookout at lunch where students can mingle and talk about their experiences.

Belmont Abbey College, named one of the country’s leading, private liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report, was founded in 1876 and celebrates its heritage and is inspired by the Benedictine monastic tradition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the College and Abbey Basilica greet thousands of visitors each year.

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

April 9, 2004

IN OUR SCHOOLS

Raising the roof

Courtesy Photo

Principal Georgette Schraeder dons a student uniform and attends class at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem March 30. Two students became principals for the day as the result of the school’s silent auction March 13.

Students, principal switch WINSTON-SALEM — Principal Georgette Schraeder did her best not to show up late for class at St. Leo the Great School.

She wasn’t teaching the class. She was attending it as a student.

Wearing a school uniform, Schraeder became a student for a day — and even took a few tests — while fourthgrader George Freiberger and sixthgrader Lucy Freiberger shared principal duties March 30.

“It was very interesting,” said Schraeder. “And the (sixth-grade) science test was hard.”

The swap was the result of a fundraising event staged by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.

To help offset the debt for repairing and replacing roofs at St. Leo the Great Church and School, the PTO put on an elaborate event at the NC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem March

13. Funds raised exceeded $30,000.

Part of the event included a silent auction, with items including golf lessons, dinner parties hosted by teachers, trips to the beach, platters decorated by students, book shelves decorated to represent a special theme for each of the school grades, and a chance to be principal for a day.

George and Lucy started their day as principals by leading the student body in prayer in the gym. The siblings spent the day visiting and observing classrooms, overseeing tornado and fire drills, checking uniforms and having special visitors in the office.

Schraeder said the acting principals enjoyed their duties for the day, but “they really enjoyed me taking their tests.”

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The tradition of popes changing their names upon election traditionally dates from Sergius IV (1009-1012). The story retold is that his name was Peter di Porca and he changed it, deferring to St. Peter, considering it unseemly to style himself Peter II. Actually, prior to this, some popes had changed their names to drop a name of pagan origin. The tradition allows pontiffs to show esteem for a predecessor, signal a vision or style and demonstrate a total commitment to the office.

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Fourth-grader George Freiberger and sixth-grader Lucy Freiberger wore professional attire for their turns as principal at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem March 30. Principal Georgette Schraeder became a student for the day as the result of the school’s silent auction March 13.

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Rates: $.60/word per issue ($12 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

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April 9, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 17

IN THE NEWS

Pope, liturgies set the mood when bishops visit

CNS photo from Reuters

Pope John Paul II poses with U.S. bishops at the Vatican April 2. Bishops from the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Military Archdiocese were wrapping up a week of activities at the Vatican for their “ad limina” visit. Seated are Military Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, left, and Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora. Standing from left are Bishops Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, N.C.; Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla.; F. Joseph Gossman of Raleigh, N.C.; Robert J. Baker o f Charleston, S.C.; Victor B. Galeone of St. Augustine, Fla.; Thomas J. Wenski, coadjutor of Orlando, Fla.; J. Kevin Boland of Savannah, Ga.; and Gerald M. Barbarito of Palm Beach, Fla.

Bishop Jugis calls meeting good exercise in ‘communio’

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — While bishops making their “ad limina” visits to Rome spend more time meeting than praying, the mood of the visits is set by concelebrated Masses and individual time with Pope John Paul II, several U.S. bishops said.

Whether ordained a bishop 20 years ago or five months ago, the bishops agreed that the visits they are required to make to Rome every five years underscore the fact that they are “brother bishops” and not branch managers of a global corporation.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte said the others helped him relax before his March 29 private audience with the pope.

“I wasn’t intimated because the other bishops put me at ease,” he said. “They told me it is not a quizzing (about the diocesan report), but that it is a friendly conversation.”

The 47-year-old bishop said he was “very much in awe” at being alone with Pope John Paul, but the pope set the tone by commenting on his age.

“He asked when I was ordained,” Bishop Jugis said, and the pope explained how he became a bishop in Poland at the age of 38.

“It was a tender moment of sharing,” Bishop Jugis said.

The bishop also told the pope that the pontiff had ordained him to the priesthood in 1983.

“It was a very human exchange and conversation,” Bishop Jugis said.

At the same time, he said, the Masses and prayers, the meetings with the pope

and Vatican officials also make it clear that “the church is a divine institution and that Christ is the head of the body.”

The “ad limina” visit, he said, “is a good exercise in ‘communio’ — it underlines the communion of the pope, the Vatican officials and the bishops. We are all drawn together under the power of the Holy Spirit to further the mission of the church.”

Archbishop John F. Donoghue of Atlanta, a former bishop of Charlotte, was making his fourth “ad limina” visit.

“All of the bishops would tell you the same thing: The Masses create a sense of community and of supporting each other,” he said.

He presided and gave the homily at the March 31 Mass, concelebrated by the bishops from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

In his homily, Archbishop Donoghue spoke of the apostle Paul’s courage in preaching the Gospel and living his faith even in the face of martyrdom.

“Christ is the only one who can free us to be brave, to be courageous for his sake and to make us worthy to teach and defend the church and the souls who shelter in her care,” the archbishop said.

“We bishops want to have that kind of courage, and we want our people and all the people in the church to pray to the Holy Spirit to send this courage into our hearts because there is so much in this world which rises against our faith,” he said.

Contributing to this story was John Thavis at the Vatican.

1 8 The Catholic News & Herald

April 9, 2004

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Easter duty

the church does not intend to impose a new obligation for confession, but merely prescribes a time within which mortal sins should be confessed so that, if for no other reasons, the Eucharist might be received. Thus the law about annual confession does not apply to someone who is not aware of an unconfessed mortal sin.

I realize many Catholics are under the same misconception as you seem to be about yearly confession being an Easter duty for all Catholics. The present regulations that I just quoted, however, are nothing new. They go back at least to the Fourth Lateran Council (1215; Chapter 21), which makes clear it is speaking of mortal sin.

The Baltimore Catechism (official revised edition No. 2), from which many older Catholics studied their faith, asks what is meant by the church commandment to confess our sins once a year. This commandment, it responds, means that we should make a good confession each year “if we have a mortal sin to confess” (Question 293).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to Canon 989 in its explanation of the obligation for annual confession (No. 2042).

You realize, I hope, that this is not what the church recommends; it is simply the bare minimum required. Any Catholic who understands that the sacrament of reconciliation does much more than forgive serious sin, how it helps us repair our sinfulness and other weaknesses, and how it reconciles us to God and our fellow members of the human family will normally receive this sacrament more than once a year, mortal sin or not.

Please reconsider and start receiving the Eucharist whenever you go to Mass. From what you told me, nothing prevents you from doing that right now, even if some time goes by between your opportunities to go to confession.

Meaning of crucifix letters Q. What do the letters INRI stand for at the top of the crucifix? Sometimes the letters are IHS. I’ve been told that means “I have suffered”. Is this true?

(Ohio) A. The Gospel of John (19:19) tells us Pilate placed an inscription on the cross of Jesus which read “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The first letters you mention are an abbreviation of those words in Latin, “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum.”

The symbol IHS (I’ve never seen them on a crucifix, incidentally) are the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek. The symbol was in Christian use long before the English language developed, so it could not have an English meaning.

A free brochure in English or Spanish, answering questions Catholics ask

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

Q. I am in my 70s and go to Mass whenever I’m able. I want to make my Easter duty by going to Communion, but can I do that without going to private confession? I know I have not committed any serious sins, but I still don’t go to Communion as often as I’d like because I cannot go to confession easily; sometimes it’s months or years. (Florida) A. First let’s clear up your “Easter duty” obligations. According to Catholic Church laws, all the faithful who have received first Communion should receive Holy Communion at least once a year.

Unless something serious stands in the way, that should be done during the Easter time, which lasts from the beginning of Lent to Pentecost (Canon 920).

The obligation for sacrament of penance during this period is binding only if it is necessary for an individual to receive the Eucharist. The Code of Canon Law (989) states that all who have reached the age of reason are obliged to confess any serious sins once a year.

In this law, as in past similar rules,

Easter triduum provides time to turn heart to Christ, pope says

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — The Easter triduum is an opportunity for Christians to relive the mystery of their salvation and to turn their hearts toward Christ, said Pope John Paul II. The three days before Easter — Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday — mark a time of “preparation to relive the great mystery of our salvation” and “make more alive the turning of our heart toward the one who died for us out of love,” he said April 7 at his weekly general audience.

Before his address, the pope was driven in his open-air jeep through the square. The pope seemed tired and his speech was badly slurred, causing him to skip many portions of his prepared text.

Quoting a passage from the Letter to the Philippians, the pope said, Jesus Christ “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him.”

“These words succinctly show us the mystery of the passion and death of Christ as well as let us catch a glimpse of the glory of the Easter of resurrection,” he said.

The pope underlined some of the Easter triduum traditions the church celebrates every year.

The pope said on the morning of Holy Thursday every diocese celebrates the chrism Mass during which the bishop blesses the oils used throughout the year

The Pope Speaks POPE JOHN PAUL II for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick.

“That evening the Last Supper is remembered with the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood,” he said.

“On Good Friday, the church recalls the passion and death of Christ ... marked by penitential processions and the pious practice of the Stations of the Cross, which help internalize the mystery of the cross,” he said.

“The evening of Holy Saturday marks the start of the solemn Easter Vigil,” he said.

In a portion of his speech not read aloud, the pope said this event entails the lighting of the paschal candle that symbolizes “Christ who illuminates every person.”

By meditating upon the word of God, “the ecclesial community reflects upon the great promise of definitive freedom from the slavery of sin and from death,” said the pope’s written address.

The Catholic News & Herald 19

April 9, 2004

The Easter To identify Easter with beautiful lilies and colored eggs may not be the best way of capturing the wonder of Easter.

I’d rather look at Easter as a challenge for greatness and a gigantic leap of faith.

There is no doubt that Easter is connected to happiness, which is not a oneday event, but a lifetime event. You’ve heard the Chinese proverb: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap; if you want happiness for a day, go fishing; if you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune; if you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone.”

Jesus’ promise of happiness rests on you. If you want heaven on earth, you can have it. You can also make hell out of the daily hardships, conflicts and disappointments.

Did you know that Niagara Falls is called “the parable of a beautifying disaster”? Here is why: Niagara River is not one of the great rivers of the world. Running from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, it is only a few miles long. But what makes the river significant is that at Niagara Falls there is a tragedy in the channel — a break in the even flow of the stream, so the waters make a stupendous leap into the gorge below. As they are shattered and bruised on the rocks beneath the falls, however, there is cast up into the sunlight the exquisite rainbow of the Niagara, which is one of the best wonders of the world.

Guest Column FATHER JOHN AURILIA, OFM Cap Life is like that. The challenges of Easter are making a blind leap of faith into an overwhelming abyss of suffering, believing in life when we experience death, knowing that defeat will be victory. The sunlight of God’s love makes a rainbow out of the rain.

To say that Jesus beautified disaster is not completely wrong. To live a great life, we need a great cause to which we can connect the meaning of our struggles, a cause to live by or, if needed, to die by.

At Easter, we hear the familiar story of Christ’s triumph, his death and resurrection, and we feel in part of the story, however, there is a difference between the conviction of the historical event of the resurrection and the faith in the risen Christ.

The famous tightrope walker, Blondin, on one occasion carried a man across a tightrope stretched perilously above an admiring crowd. In the forefront of the crowd was a boy, gazing in wonderment

New way to read an old and the John Jay Study of clergy sex abuse in February — dozens of reporters called with questions about everything from sex abuse data in our diocese to the Catholic Church’s view on celibacy.

They also asked about the ordination of women, homosexuality and the church, the crucifixion and the proper pronunciation of Bishop Peter J. Jugis’ last name.

(It’s “jew-gis,” not Jungis, Junkin or Jurgis as some reporters have called him.)

In a typical public relations setting, a person in my position often gets answers to complex questions from a CEO or some other leader. Business conditions often dictate rapid changes in direction that often aren’t recorded in writing.

Sister Durbin was trying to tell me it’s different in the Catholic Church. Answers to complex questions from reporters can often be found in the catechism.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” is far different than the old “Baltimore Catechism” that I studied under Sister Paula Marie’s guidance. You may remember the first question and answer in that book: “Who made us?” “God made us.” The current edition of the catechism was published in 1997 and is a systematic presentation of the faith and of Catholic doctrine. But at more than 900 pages, it can be a little daunting for the layperson and even more so for reporters who are working on deadline.

Fortunately we have the Internet.

One Web site in particular, www.scborromeo.org, has a very useful search engine that allows you to get answers easily

Did you ever have one of those experiences where a question sends you hurtling through time and space back to a childhood memory? I was recently in a conference room at the Pastoral Center in Charlotte when I took one of these involuntary time trips.

The occasion was a meeting with the Education Vicariate, which coordinates the functions of seven diocesan agencies that educate the faithful. It includes campus ministry, schools, evangelization, faith formation and youth and young adult ministry. As the newly appointed director of communications, I was getting oriented to the offices and agencies of the diocese.

After explaining some of my communication goals in the meeting, Mercy Sister Patricia Durbin of the diocesan Media Center asked me if I was studying the catechism. The question took me back more than 40 years to Holy Family School in New Rochelle, N.Y., where I was asked that question many times by my fifth-grade teacher, Sister Paula Marie. As I recall, I wasn’t the best of students and her question was meant to get me to spend more time on my schoolwork and a little less on daydreaming, baseball and recess, which were my priorities.

Sister Durbin’s question, although asked in a much more kindly way, got to the core of what my job for the diocese is all about.

A big part of what I do is to respond to calls from the news media. During the first two months of the year — as the diocese’s compliancy audit was released in January

with his open mouth. Blondin noticed the lad and said: “Do you believe that I could carry you across that tightrope?”

The boy replied, “I’m sure you could.”

“Well, then,” said Blondin, “jump up and I will do so.”

The boy promptly reacted: “I said ‘I believe.’ I didn’t say ‘I would do it.’”

Poor boy, he never experienced the thrill of being carried by a star!

The challenge of Easter is that it is not enough to believe Jesus has risen and is alive today. Faith involves taking a further step and translating our faith into action.

An empty tomb, so says the cynic, is a poor foundation on which to establish a world religion. It may be so, but our faith has gone beyond that event; it has left the empty tomb 20 centuries ago. The message of Easter is not written in the past tense; it is indeed written as we go about our daily activities and encounter Christ where we least expect.

The Easter story is simple and powerful, and we should not forget that Jesus’ victory came after Jesus’ tragedy. Lilies and Easter eggs are indeed part of our Easter legend; life and love are the real challenges of the Christian Easter.

Stay tuned — more to come: He came singing love, he lived singing love, he died singing love. If the song is to continue, we must do the singing!

Father Aurilia is the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.

Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS Guest Columnist to your questions. The Web site belongs to St. Charles Borromeo Church in Picayune, Miss. Webmaster John Meyer went through the painstaking chore of breaking down the entire catechism into separate paragraphs, allowing the search engine utility to quickly zero in on a topic.

Let’s say that you have been seeing and reading news stories about same-sex unions and you are wondering what the church has to say. If you enter the word “homosexual” into the search engine, you come up with four matches that will explain church teaching on the subject.

Enter the word “marriage” and you come up with 73 hits.

In an age when media accounts gloss over complex subjects or present arguments that make you wonder where your faith stands on the issue, you can now get answers. Church teaching has never been so easy to access; it is literally at our fingertips.

Sister Paula Marie, wherever you may be, I am finally reading my catechism.

David Hains is director of communications for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@charlottediocese.org.

What do Muslims believe?

FATHER JOHN CATOIR CNS Columnist Jesus broke from tradition in the Sermon on the Mount and thereafter was considered an outcast. Presenting a higher standard, he said, “You’ve heard it said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say unto you, love your enemy” (Mt 5: 43, 44).

How is it possible to love an enemy in today’s world?

Keep this in mind: Muslim terrorists who want to kill us are a tiny faction of Islam. They are to Islam what the Ku Klux Klan was to Christianity.

We shouldn’t paint all Muslims with the same brush. The Islam religion teaches people to live in peace and to worship the one true God, Allah.

Muhammad was born in Saudi Arabia in 570 A.D. He become a traveling merchant but he was haunted

by God’s presence. With the help of a rich patroness, he retired to pursue spiritual goals. Going daily to Mount Hera, he prayed alone for hours.

He said God spoke to him through an angel and the Koran, the bible of Islam, was dictated to him on that mountain by the angel Gabriel.

As a traveling merchant, he become familiar with the Jewish Bible and the New Testament, and was well aware of Mary, Jesus’ mother. In fact, Mary is mentioned with reverence in the Koran.

In 622 A.D., when Muhammad emerged from his retreat, he began preaching his new religion. Mecca’s people rejected him violently. Escaping cruel beatings, he fled to Medina, a city 270 miles north of Mecca, and continued preaching: “There is only one God, his name is Allah, and Muhammad is his greatest prophet.”

During his first three years in Medina he only managed to attract about 40 followers, but then things turned around. He eventually was able to return to Mecca with an army large enough to destroy all the pagan shrines and establish Allah as the one, true God. Muhammad died in 632 A.D., leaving a monumental legacy.

There are now nearly 1 billion devout Muslims in the world. The Five Pillars of Islam give an insight into the spirituality of Islam: faith, pray, fast, give alsm, make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime.

Our Muslim neighbors in America are good people. They are our fellow citizens. The activities of the terrorists frighten them. They fear reprisals, even though they are innocent. They are not our enemies.

Let us love them. They deserve it — not to mention the fact that Jesus

2 0 The Catholic News & Herald

April 9, 2004

LIVING THE FAITH

Bishop, priests celebrate chrism Mass

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Bishop Peter J. Jugis pours into the chrism oil the fragrant balsam, a naturally derived aromatic essence, which was then consecrated.

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Priests of the diocese join Bishop Peter J. Jugis on the altar during the chrism Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte April 6.

CHRISM, from page 1

mation, the ordaining of bishops and priests, and the blessing of churches and altars.

Vials of the oils are dispensed to every parish and mission church in the diocese. With the sacred oils — and having recommitted themselves to the mission they share with their bishop — the priests returned to their parishes rededicated in spiritual union with the diocesan faithful.

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

Patrick Shelton, pastor of St. James Church in Hamlet; and other clergy of the diocese, gathered with about 100 priests and many of the permanent deacons who minister in the diocese to celebrate the liturgy with the people of faith whom they serve.

Bishop Jugis said the sacrament of Holy Orders “already conforms our lives to Christ in holiness. The sacrament marks us with a special character and indefectibly unites us to Christ, the high priest.”

This union is a “sacramental identification with Christ, which Christ has willed,” said Bishop Jugis. “It makes it possible for his priesthood to continue personally in the church.”

“We are blessed by his consecration of us into his sacred priesthood,” he said.

The bishop said priests must “nurture this union with Christ in a practi-

cal way by prayer every day.”

“It’s an intentional choice that we make to seek union with Christ in holiness and in constant conversion,” said Bishop Jugis. “Our priestly ministry of sanctifying, reconciling, preaching, teaching and shepherding draws all of its power and its meaning from him.”

“We have got to be familiar with him, and always strive for personal friendship with him,” he said.

Bishop Jugis discussed his recent visit with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. “... In his address to the bishops of Region 14 making the ‘ad limina’ visit to Rome, the Holy Father touched on a theme that is appropriate for us to take to heart as we renew our priestly promises today,” said Bishop Jugis.

“The Holy Father addressed the topic of renewal that is needed now in the church in the United States.”

The Catholic Church is undergoing a “purification,” said the bishop, “and is now in need of healing, rebuilding and reconciliation.”

“All of this, the Holy Father says, will lead to a ‘holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier church,’” said Bishop Jugis.

Bishop Jugis said the pope also discussed “a disturbing loss of the sense of the transcendent and an affirmation of a culture of the material” in American society.

“But we know Christ is transcendent and ever present,” said Bishop Jugis to the priests. “Our pastoral ministry makes the grace of Christ present in the lives of his holy people.

Our pastoral ministry makes the love of Christ present in our society.”

“Let this chrism Mass be a true renewal of our love for the sacred ministry and our love for Jesus Christ.

The recommitment ceremony, which followed the Liturgy of the Word, included the priests’ renewal of dedication as ministers of Christ, striving to be more like Christ and being faithful to the sacred mysteries and sacramental life of the church.

Also during the Mass, Bishop Jugis blessed three oils used in sacramental and liturgical practices for all of the faithful throughout the coming year.

The oil of the sick, used to anoint the ill and dying, was blessed first.

Next came the blessing of the oil of catechumens, which is used during the rite of baptism. The consecration of the chrism — a duty that belongs to the bishop alone — took place near the close of the Mass. Chrism — perfumed with balsam, an aromatic oil derived from trees — is an oil of consecration used after baptism and during confir-