April 12, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 1

April 12, 2002

April 12, 2002 Volume 11 t Number 29

Inside Resigned, but hardly retired

...Page 4

Youth retreats are fun and informative

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Central American traditions revived at Holy Infant

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Local News MACS expansion plan underway

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Sister honored for devotion to community

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Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13 One thing I ask of the Lord this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple.

— Psalm 27:4

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

NFPC head, psychologist write to priests about abuse

By Catholic News Service CHICAGO (CNS) — Child sex abuse by some priests has made all priests sad, angry and ashamed, a priest-psychologist and the head of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils said recently in open letters to all U.S. priests.

They wrote to encourage priests in the face of widespread news reports on clerical sexual abuse of minors. The heavy news coverage was sparked in part by the recent criminal trial of a defrocked priest in Boston who allegedly molested more than 130 children and in part by new policies announced by several dioceses, including decisions in some to suspend from all ministry any priest who ever abused a child.

“There are few things more horrific than the sexual abuse of a child; yet some of our brother priests have done this,” wrote the NFPC president, Father Robert J. Silva.

“On hearing such things, our priestly hearts break,” he added. “We love our people, our brothers, our sisters in Christ, especially the little children in all their innocence who cry during our homilies and who yell out ‘Hi, God,’ when they see us. ...

When someone hurts them, they hurt us.”

In a parallel letter Father Stephen J. Rossetti, president of St. Luke’s Institute in Silver Spring, Md., said, “I hesitate even to write this letter. I know that many of you feel like the entire presbyterate is being tainted by the scandal; we are all suffering for the crimes of a few.”

Priesthood “seemed to us to be something sacred; God called us,” he said. “Now, priesthood feels sullied and we are ashamed.

Our inclination is to hide.”

The two writers called on their brother priests to have courage.

Father Silva said he had met, visited and prayed with priests in six states in the past five weeks, and everywhere “the fervor of their faith, the vitality of their faith communities and the quality of care for the poor attest to their strength, their maturity, their leadership, their prayer and their love.

Everywhere there are priests who are good, holy and loving pastoral leaders.”

He offered several suggestions for meeting the challenges of the child molestation scandal.

“First, there are enough victims to go around,” he said. “We do not need to see ourselves as victims, caught helplessly in the fray of media frenzies. But we do need to make the words of the psalmist our own: ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, I have no strength; Lord, heal me, my body is racked.”

Restoring trust in the priesthood has

See NFPC, page 8

Renovate, revitalize and rejuvenate

Photo by Joann S. Keane

The Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina celebrated the renovation of the Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Chapel in their Sacred Heart convent April 6. The chapel was originally dedicated in 1962. The 2002 rededication brought the Sisters together with friends and family. Bishop William G. Curlin, presiding, called the chapel, “full of beauty and comfort.” See story page7.

Divine Mercy keeps sister’s vision alive

By JOANITA M. NELLENBACH Correspondent SWANNANOA — In her diary, Sister Faustina recorded that Jesus had told her, “Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to divine mercy.”

St. Margaret Mary Church, and churches throughout the Diocese of Charlotte, showed that trust by celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday on April 7, the second Sunday of Easter.

The 3 p.m. services at St. Margaret Mary began as Father Andrew J. Latsko, the pastor, heard confessions. Parishioners Mary Frazier and

Rosie Palmisano led attendees in the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary.

Afterward, Bea Madden and organist Karen Parsons led the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which preceded Mass.

Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. She recorded her visions of Jesus and his words to her in her diary, which has been published as “The Diary of Blessed Faustina.” Pope John Paul II canonized her on April 30, 2000.

See Divine Mercy, page 8

2 The Catholic News & Herald abductors in Philippines MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Kidnapped Sacred Heart Father Giuseppe Pierantoni was recovered before dawn April 8 after he escaped from his abductors in the southern Philippines.

The Italian priest, who was presented to the media just before noon at the Malacanang presidential palace in downtown Manila, said he “got free from the gang who kidnapped” him, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. “I believe after (almost) six months of staying in the forest, (it was) time to escape,” Father Pierantoni said. He was kidnapped Oct. 17 from his residence in Dimataling, about 500 miles southeast of Manila.

Ohio priest accused of child sexual abuse is found dead CLEVELAND (CNS) — Father Don A. Rooney was found dead April 4, an apparent suicide, three days after the Cleveland diocesan priest was accused of having sexually abused a child 22 years ago. His funeral was scheduled for April 9 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Parma, where he had been an associate pastor. Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland was to preside. Following the priest’s death at least one other person came forward with an allegation that he had sexually abused her when she was a child.

Catholic Church not only religion facing abuse problems, expert says PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — Although Catholic priests may be getting the most publicity about allegations of sexual abuse of minors, they are far from the only clergy guilty of such misconduct, according to a professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University. “You name me a denomination and I’ll give you a case,” Philip Jenkins told The Catholic Standard & Times, Philadelphia archdiocesan newspaper. “Some (denominations) with huge problems include Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, Baptists, Pentecostals, Episcopalians — you name them.” Jenkins’ 15 books include “Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis,” published in 1996 by Oxford University Press.

Franciscans ask Palestinians

CNS photo from Reuters

India prayer meeting calls for end of sectarian violence Activists join in an interfaith prayer meeting in Mumbai, India, April 5.

Adherents of several faiths appealed for the restoration of peace in the western state of Gujarat, where hundreds of people have been killed in sectarian violence this year.

Vatican won’t bail out U.S. dioceses in abuse suits, cardinal says ROME (CNS) — If a U.S. diocese gets into financial trouble because of legal settlements over clerical sexual abuse, it will have to turn to other dioceses for help, not to the Vatican, said a top church official. “It’s not the practice of the Holy See to bail out dioceses,” said U.S. Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka, president of the commission that governs the Vatican City State. “In the past, when dioceses have suffered financial problems — not related to sex-abuse lawsuits — other dioceses have helped them with no-interest loans. It’s their responsibility,” he told Business Week Online. The interview was posted April 5.

Kidnapped Italian priest escapes from

Episcopal April 12, 2002 Volume 11 • Number 29 Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Associate Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Sherill Beason 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

April 12, 2002

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c a l e n-

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: April 17 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. John, Waynesville April 18 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation Holy Family, Clemmons April 19 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte April 20 — 11 a.m.

Confirmation St. Barnabas, Arden April 21 — 11 a.m.

Confirmation St. Joseph of the Hills, Eden

to lay down guns, Israelis to withdraw ROME (CNS) — The Franciscans have asked the armed Palestinians inside the convent of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity to lay down their weapons and have asked the Israeli army to withdraw its tanks and troops from around the complex, the order’s superior general said. “Our friars are inside with 200 Palestinians, most of whom are armed, and are surrounded by Israeli tanks — it is a dramatic situation, including psychologically,” said Franciscan Father Giacomo Bini, minister general of the order. “Up to now a bloodbath has been avoided,” he said at an April 5 press conference in Rome, adding that, given the stress the army and the Palestinians are under, it would not take much to set off a real battle.

Father Bini said he is in regular telephone contact with the 40 Franciscan friars and

Diocesan

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Sturdivant at (704) 567-5512. For details about the attic and bake sale, call Kris Becker at (704) 846-9345 or Patsy May at (704) 567-8625.

20 GREENSBORO — North Carolina Right to Life, Inc. is sponsoring Pro-Life Day 2002 today at the Embassy Suites Hotel. The daylong gathering includes morning workshops, lunch with a keynote address from Armstrong Williams, award presentations and a candidate question and answer session. For more information, call Barbara S. Holt at (336) 274-LIFE [5433].

21 BELMONT — The Davidson College Symphony and Concert Choir, under the direction of Milton Crotts, will present “Dona Nobis Pacem” this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Belmont Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd. The Latin-titled work is based on English texts from the Bible, Walt

four Franciscan nuns inside the convent.

Proposed shopping mall near Auschwitz draws protest from Jewish group WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A Jewish human rights organization has protested plans to open a shopping center near the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, in a building once used for storing hair and possessions from murdered prisoners. However, the project was defended by local officials and a leading Catholic, who accused Jewish objectors of over-reacting. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, said in a March letter to Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, “It is almost beyond belief that certain local officials in Auschwitz continue their insensitive and inappropriate actions which, if left unopposed, would encroach on the sanctity of the memory of the victims of Auschwitz.” Work on the shopping center began in early 2002 at the tannery, about a mile from the main Auschwitz camp.

Spanish priest moves to block cell phone signals in church MORAIRAN, Spain (CNS) — A Catholic priest in Spain has become the first to install jamming devices in his church after parishioners complained that Masses were being “reduced to chaos” by the constant ringing of mobile phones.

“Of course, I’ve nothing against mobile phones — I understand they’re useful gadgets, which are needed for work and urgent messages,” said Father Francisco Llopis, rector of the parish in the southeastern Spanish town of Morairan. “But when I turn on this blocking system, I can be sure the conduct of religious rituals takes place in an atmosphere of prayer,” he said. The priest said the ringing of phones had “caused chaos” at the town’s Church of the Forsaken and “seriously disturbed the atmosphere of meditation and concentration.” Father Llopis said he believed it was important to “maintain a sense of dignity” in public places, adding that the use of mobile phones were “as disruptive at Masses as in classical concerts.”

Whitman and other sources. For more information about the free concert, call (704) 334-3468.

22 CHARLOTTE — A support group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s/ dementia will be held today and every fourth Monday from 10-11:30 a.m. in room E of the ministry center at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. With advanced notification, activities for the memory-impaired can be provided. For more information about the support group or the Shining Stars Adult Day Respite Program for the memory-impaired, which meets every Monday and Wednesday at St. Gabriel from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and every Thursday at Sardis Presbyterian Church from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., call Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135.

22 NEWTON — The Little Flowers Catholic Girls’ Group is for all Catholic girls ages five and up. The group will be meeting at St. Joseph Church, 720 West 13th St., at 4 p.m. in the Holy Family Hall. For more details,

April 12, 2002

Man shoots himself while talking with priest in cathedral rectory NEW YORK (CNS) — An unidentified man shot himself in the face the afternoon of April 3 in a building that serves as parish house and rectory for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

A spokeswoman at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, a major trauma center, reported later that the man, still unidentified, was in “extremely critical” condition. Joseph Zwilling, communications officer for the Archdiocese of New York, said a man previously unknown to the cathedral staff walked in and asked to see a priest.

He said the man gave the priest a note and then took out a gun, but the priest was able to get out of the room and warn others. After hearing a gun shot, they called emergency personnel, and the man was taken to the hospital. Suffering from shock, the priest, who was not being identified, also was taken to the hospital but later was released, Zwilling said.

Florida farmworkers take Taco Bell boycott across country VENICE, Fla. (CNS) — Florida farmworkers who launched a boycott against Taco Bell last year over issues of better working conditions and wages took their complaints cross-country and met with officials at the restaurant chain’s international headquarters in Irvine, Calif. A two-bus caravan with about 100 workers, students and other advocates made dozens of stops in cities and on college campuses on their way west in March. At each place, the group was met by locals who have been organizing rallies and protests at Taco Bell restaurants to raise awareness about the boycott. In an interview with The Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Venice Diocese, Lucas Benitez, of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, said the response from college campuses, churches, unions, immigrant groups and the general public to the bus tour was “even greater than we had hoped for.”

Irish bishops meet to discuss response to clergy-child abuse cases DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) — The responding to challenges, reconciling and be reconciled and “letting go and letting God.” The retreat, “Rachel’s Vineyard: Retreat for Healing After Abortion,” is for any person who has struggled with any emotional and spiritual pain of abortion to lead them toward experiencing the mercy and compassion of God. Call Shelly at (828) 230-4940 or Vickie at (828) 213-1784 for information about the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat. For further details about the men’s retreat, call Augustinian Father Terry Hyland, director of the center, at (828) 926-3833 or e-mail lwcrc@main.nc.us.

20 CHARLOTTE — St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., will be hosting two events today. An attic and bake sale will take place outside from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. A hot dog lunch is available from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The rain date is April 27. In the family life center, there will be a celebration of cultural diversity through storytelling and food tasting. For more information about the cultural event, call Diane

The Catholic News & Herald 3

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CNS photo from Reuters

Palestinian girl covers ears as she runs from sniper fire A Palestinian girl covers her ears as she runs from sniper fire in the old city of Bethlehem April 8. Vatican diplomats met with Israeli, Palestinian, U.S. and Arab representatives urging an immediate cease-fire in the region, but Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said April 8 that Israeli would press on with its military objectives in the Palestinian areas.

Irish bishops are setting up an independent audit to examine how dioceses and religious communities handled complaints of clergy’s sexual abuse of children. The bishops also said they would grant police and state investigators access to diocesan personnel files relating to allegations of sexual abuse. The announcements came after an April 8 extraordinary bishops’ meeting at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The Irish government announced April 4 that it would launch a state inquiry into the sexual abuse case involving a priest in the Ferns Diocese that led to the accused priest’s suicide and the resignation of Ferns Bishop Brendan Comiskey. Pope John Paul II accepted

Bishop Comiskey’s resignation April 6.

Notre Dame gets grant to study Hispanics’ religion, community link NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) — The University of Notre has received $1 million from The Pew Charitable Trusts for a two-year study of how religious institutions strengthen Hispanic communities. The Hispanic Church Research Initiative will be administered through Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies. It will include development of a Hispanic Church Community Impact Study, publication of research on Latino church ministry, and conferences of scholars and religious leaders. “Religious congrega-

April 12 CHARLOTTE — St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., will be presenting Isabelle Moretti, internationally acclaimed concert harpist and recording artist, tonight at 8 p.m.

All are invited to the free concert and reception given by the Charlotte Chapter of the American Harp Society in the activity center. For more information, call the church office at (704) 554-7088.

13 CHARLOTTE — There will be an attic and crafts sale held at St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., today from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Setup will take place at 7 a.m. For further details, call Carol Milton at (704) 554-0553.

13 CHARLOTTE — The Vietnamese Cursillo community will meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight and every second Saturday of the month for a school of leaders at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd. For further information, call Ky Do at (704) 532-9094.

13 GASTONIA — St. Michael

Church, 708 St. Michael’s Lane, will be having its 6th annual international dinner at 6 p.m. tonight. Attendants will be able to gather for food, entertainment, a raffle and cash bar. For tickets and other information, call the church office at (704) 867-6212.

14 CHARLOTTE — A charismatic Mass will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, this afternoon at 4 p.m. with prayer teams at 3 p.m. and a potluck dinner at 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For further information, contact Josie Backus at (704) 527-4676.

14 CHARLOTTE — A Byzantine Catholic liturgy will be celebrated this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, 1400 Suther Rd. Byzantine Catholics and anyone interested in the Byzantine Catholic rite are welcomed to attend. For more details, contact Olga at (704) 948-6471.

15 CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 Mecklenburg County-St. Brigid, an Irish-Catholic social and charitable in-

tions are indispensable to all communities, but the role they play in Hispanic communities is particularly conspicuous and significant,” said Holy Cross Father Edward A. Malloy, president of Notre Dame. “The Pew Charitable Trusts, through this timely and generous grant, will greatly increase our knowledge about crucial aspects of Hispanic and American life.”

Friars say Israelis won’t let them move body out of church compound JERUSALEM (CNS) — Franciscan friars at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity compound said the Israeli army would not let them remove the body of Palestinian killed in a gun battle. They also said they had no electricity and were running out of food and that the Israelis were not permitting supplies to reach them. Father David Jaeger, spokesman for the Custody of the Holy Land, said that as of 8:30 p.m. April 9 the body still had not been removed from the church, nor had any supplies reached the compound. “For two days the (Israeli army) has absolutely refused the International Red Cross from taking out the body,” he said. “This leaves us totally speechless.”

Vatican calls for greater appreciation of older people VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican, citing statistics that predict a huge increase in the number of elderly in coming years, called on societies and families to show greater appreciation for older people. “Older people must be seen as one of society’s treasures,” Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, said April 8. Speaking at the U.N.-sponsored Second World Assembly on Aging, hosted April 8-12 in Madrid, Spain, Archbishop Lozano proposed a multipoint action plan for the elderly. His plan included calls for improved contact and experience-sharing between generations, greater involvement of the elderly in decision making in families and societies, and older people’s guaranteed access to basic social services, including health care.

ter-parish group, will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Anyone interested in their Irish-Catholic roots, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554-0720 for further information.

16 CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church Respect Life Ministry will be sponsoring pro-life educational programs. Father Matthew Kauth will be the speaker for the series, which will discuss the following topics on the following dates from 7-9 p.m.: “Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research” — cancelled, “The Ethical Aspects of Human Cloning” - May 2 and “End of Life Issues” - May 31.

For more information, call Pat Rodite at (704) 541-9744.

19 MAGGIE VALLEY — Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane, will be hosting two weekend retreats. The first, entitled “A Man’s Journey to God, will include the themes of being a Christian and family leader,

4 The Catholic News & Herald

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Resigned, but hardly She said that one of her favorite volunBy ELLEN NEERINCX SIGMON teer positions is her place on the “Building Correspondent Community for Diversity” steering comTAYLORSVILLE — Every year mittee at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory. during her 17 years as director of faith for“We try to educate the community about mation at Holy Trinity Church, Sarah Louthe other cultures coming into the area,” she dermelk prayed to God, asking if she should said. The group provides cultural awarecontinue in the position for one more year. ness presentations and brings in members Each year she said that she felt as if she of the community to talk about cultural received a sign that she should continue, issues. until last year.

Loudermelk said that, “I really wanted to finin many of these meetings, ish the 20 years, but this someone asks why so many time, there was something,” people from other cultures she said. “I couldn’t underare coming to the area. stand what it was. I would “They ask, ‘Why don’t they pray, ‘Give me a sign.’ Eigo home? They are takther I just didn’t get them ing our jobs,’” she said. “I — he was sending them to tell them that if you are in me, but I was not receiving danger and your children them — or I didn’t want to are in danger, what are you receive them, or I was afraid going to do? You are going to receive them.” to protect your children any “Then I finally decided way you can. You’re going that I needed a break, that to take your children and I could do something else,” go to another country or do she said. So, on Oct. 11 Sarah Loudermelk whatever you have to do.” she sent in her letter of “Why not go someresignation. where and have a better life?” she On Dec. 8, her husband, Michael added. “They are human beings.”

Loudermelk, had an accident. He was “I was born here, in Texas,” she with a group of friends who drive said. “My parents were born here. My horse and wagon teams in the moungrandparents were French and Spantains of Wilkesboro, N.C. Something ish. Still, people will say, ‘Yes, Sarah, spooked the horses, and her husband, nice to meet you. What are you?’” trying to save his team, was in the She said that her answer to that wagon when the horses went over a question depends on how she feels that 30-foot embankment. He was pinned day. She said that if she is feeling OK, under the wagon, fractured his pelvis, she will explain her heritage and talk and spent the next seven weeks in tracabout how proud she is of her cultural tion in the hospital. traditions. “If I’m not feeling very “My attention was completely on well, I just say, ‘I’m a human being. my husband,” said Loudermelk. “If I What are you?’” had been involved in faith formation, Loudermelk said that some of the I would have had to leave it and let biggest changes she has seen over her someone else do it. It was meant to be. years in faith formation have come beThere was my answer.” cause so many new cultures are coming “I did ask God, ‘Why did you do it to this country. She pointed to the celthat way?’” she added. “It’s not that he ebrations of Las Posadas and Our Lady sent the accident, no. He knew someof Guadalupe as examples of this, but she thing was going to happen that was also said that changes have come because going to change my life and that I was the church is trying to help people from going to have to have my focus somedifferent cultures to learn about this one. where else.”

“If we are not out there to help them Loudermelk said that her husband answer all the questions they are having, we is planning his first trip back to church will lose them,” she said. “We need to teach since the accident. “It is unreal to see them and help them learn how to function him right now, walking with his walkin this society because a lot of them are not er, determined he’s going to walk into coming as the migrant population of 10, 15 church with a cane,” she said.

Loudermelk and her husband have been at Holy Trinity since a few families started it as a mission of Lenoir in 1984. Before that, they traveled to Statesville each Sunday for two years to attend Mass at St. Philip the Apostle Church, and Loudermelk taught faith formation classes there.

She and the other people who wanted to form Holy Trinity were at a meeting with the late Msgr. Eugene Livelsberger when he asked who would be in charge of faith formation. “I stayed very quiet, but everyone turned around and looked at me,” she said. “Later on, Msgr. Livelsberger and I talked by ourselves, and he said, ‘Yes, you can do it; God wants you to do it, and you’re going to be OK.’” Loudermelk said that the program started with five children and now serves over 100 children. She estimated that 25 to 30 more would be coming in the fall. The mission church that started with a few families now has 143 families, she said.

“I didn’t do this alone,” she said. “I did it with the cooperation of all the teachers, and I had the cooperation of my husband and my family. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. My husband was there, all the time, helping me.”

Loudermelk also said that she is grateful to the people at Holy Trinity for the opportunity they gave her. “Now it’s time to go in another way, in another direction with someone else,” she said.

“The foundation is there. Now it’s time to let someone else do it and bring new ideas.”

She said that Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott, diocesan director of Hispanic Ministry, called her recently.

April 12, 2002

“She said to me that some doors have closed with faith formation, but she still wants me to open other doors, big doors, to help the Hispanic community here.”

Sister Andrea confirmed that.

“I’ve always appreciated the work that Sarah has done at Holy Trinity and in the community,” she said. “She was a bridge between the two cultures and other cultures, even before there was an emphasis on Hispanic Ministry.”

Even though Loudermelk has left her position at Holy Trinity, she is far from retired. For 13 years, she has been the ESL (English as a Second Language) supervisor at Catawba Valley Community College, covering Catawba and Alexander counties. In this position, she recruits and supervises teachers for ESL classes at the college and in other places in the two counties.

One such class, with three teachers and 30 students, is currently taught at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory every Tuesday night. In addition, Loudermelk teaches conversational Spanish classes for the college, and she started a GED program in Spanish at the college in 1993.

Loudermelk also volunteers in the community. She serves on the Human Relations Council in Alexander County, on the Alexander Board of Education, and on the board of directors for the Hiddenite Art Center. She is a member of the State ESL Task Force and the Closing the Gap Task Force. She has won two Governor’s Awards for her work with Head Start — one as a teacher of the year nominee in 1992 and one as outstanding volunteer in 1994.

April 12, 2002

By REV. MR. GERALD POTKAY Correspondent The diocesan Office of Youth Ministry is actively pursuing its goal by bringing meaningful retreats to both high school and middle school students throughout the diocese.

The first of two Lenten retreats took place at Holy Family Church in Clemmons March 15-17. There, 55 high school students from as far away as Arden and Huntersville gathered “Into the Wild, Led by the Spirit” to come “Out of the Wild, Empowered by the Spirit.”

According to Terri McKendry, diocesan project coordinator for youth and young adult ministry, the format for the high school retreat consisted of workshops that included different ways of praying and sessions on the re-enactment of the Passion of Jesus.

The retreat started on Friday with the glorious entry into Jerusalem and continuing through the Passion and crucifixion of Jesus. There was adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the sacrament of reconciliation on Saturday. On Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus was celebrated with a Mass.

McKendry deemed the weekend a wonderful success. The goal to get the students away from everyday life and to focus on the faith was accomplished

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Youth retreats are fun and through the elimination of television, radio and cell phones for the duration of the retreat, while their faith was brought into the light for them.

The Extreme Faith Middle School Retreat Day was held at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point March 23. According to Terry Aiken, youth minister of the parish, there were approximately 175 students in attendance at the retreat whose goal was to “Empower Both the Youth and the Adults in Ministry.”

In his welcoming statement, Aiken said that, “I am made in the image and likeness of God. I’m a miracle. So are you.”

During the workshop on “The Impressions You Make on Others,” Peggy Lemberg, youth minister at St. Joan of Arc Church in Asheville, offered student Timothy O’Donell a brand new dollar bill. She then crumpled it up before re-offering it, and she squashed it under her shoe before offering it a third time before O’Donell could finally accept it. Lemberg said that the dollar represented God’s love, and that no matter how many times it

Photo by Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay

The Heart of Dixie Cloggers from Studio Dance USA in Archdale gave a clogging demo at the the Extreme Faith Middle School Retreat Day retreat at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point March 23. was abused, it was still desired by each and every one of us.

Tony and Erica Koons from St. Barnabas Church in Arden gave a valuable workshop on the “Value of Peer Power.” According to sixthgrader Mary Grace from St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville, this workshop was “a lot of fun,” and she enjoyed being there. Jenna Rash, a seventh-grader from St. Philip the Apostle, said that she learned “it’s OK to be different” and that “you can believe what you want to believe without having your peers pressure you.”

Hanna Gordora, youth minister from St. Stephen Church in Elkin, gave a hands-on workshop on “Iconography: What’s What with Religious Symbols” in which the students not only learned about religious symbols and their meanings, but they also created religious symbols of their own. “(The workshop) is a good way for Catholic kids to come together, to be reminded that it is good to be Catholic and have fun at the same time,” said Gordora.

In addition to the workshops, there were presentations by Debra Vigliano, artistic director of the Greensboro-based Win-Win Resolutions, Inc., and Todd Fisher, a conflict counselor who spoke on

conflict resolution. There was also a demonstration by the Heart of Dixie Cloggers from Studio Dance USA of Archdale. The leader of the group, Merci Martinez, explained that clogging is a folk dance native to North Carolina.

On the sidelines, as the workshops were being presented to the youth, Paul Kotlowski, diocesan director of youth ministry, spoke to the youth ministry leaders. “Youth need to feel important to the church community. They need to be part of the church,” said Kotlowski.

“The holiness of youth is found in their idealism and in the vision of the world that could be.”

Kotlowski said that the church needs to develop a new partnership; wherein, like dancers, we know how not to step on each others toes and how or where to move. He stressed, however, that the “youth should not run the youth ministries. But that they should run ministries under the umbrella of the youth ministries.”

Parent and catechist Juveenal Ogbunebe of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Charlotte was very impressed with the overall format of the retreat. “It was a good opportunity for the kids to socialize, have good, clean fun and learn all at the same time,” he said.

6 The Catholic News & Herald In the back pews: Study looks at church attendance, seating habits WASHINGTON (CNS) — A Catholic University of America sociology class study of people’s arriving and sitting habits at Sunday services unearthed somewhat surprising findings as to what those habits say about people and how they correlate to faith, group size and timing. But the results also backed up an age-old stereotype. The major finding of the study, according to D. Paul Sullins, an assistant professor of sociology at the university whose class conducted the study, is that “people who arrive earlier tend to sit up toward the front, much more than those arriving later. The stereotype of the person who arrives just in time and slips into the back has some foundation to it.”

Gannon University’s new president wants to be accessible to students ERIE, Pa. (CNS) — On a recent afternoon, Antoine Garibaldi, Gannon University’s new president, had a meeting interrupted by his cell phone. He calmly answered the call. Was it the bishop? His wife, Carol? A high-ranking university official? No, the caller was a prospective student to whom Garibaldi, Gannon’s sixth president, had generously given his cell phone number. Pondering her educational future, she had a few questions about the university run by the Erie Diocese. For Garibaldi, the third active African-American president among the nation’s 230 Catholic colleges, it is just the way he always does business: approachable, accessible and looking to guide young minds.

National council celebrates anniversary of national Respite program WASHINGTON (CNS) — The National Council of Catholic Women celebrated its 20th year of serving the elderly through its Respite program in March.

The Washington-based organization, which represents more than 5,500 Catholic women’s organizations in dioceses and parishes across the country, founded the Respite program in 1982, when the council noticed growing numbers of women stretched between the responsi-

People in the

CNS photo by Joe Gigli, The Beacon

Youbgsters’ questions about God led family to church Luke Rossi, 8, sits in a pew with his brother Brandon, 3, at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover, N.J. Their mother, Jennifer Wang Rossi, sought the help of Msgr. William McCarthy in helping to answer her son’s questions about God and the church. Luke will receive his first Communion in May bilities of caring for both young families and elderly relatives. The program was one of the earliest national efforts to train volunteers for elderly care. However, the NCCW notes that its program is distinguishable from other national programs by its emphasis on “refreshment of the spirit.”

Bishop Edward O’Leary dies; headed Maine diocese 1974-88 PORTLAND, Maine (CNS) —Retired Bishop Edward C. O’Leary of Portland died April 2 at St. Joseph Manor, Portland, after a lingering illness. He was 81. Cardinal Bernard F. Law of Boston was to celebrate the funeral Mass April 9 at Portland’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, with burial following at Mount Pleasant Catholic Cemetery in Bangor, Bishop O’Leary’s home town.

Bishop O’Leary headed the Portland

Diocese, which encompasses the state of Maine, from 1974 until 1988, when he resigned because of a heart condition. He suffered several strokes in recent years.

Miss America 2001 says she made Mass a priority during her reign ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CNS) — When Angela Perez Baraquio was crowned Miss America 2001 she was told she could do whatever she wanted. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, can I go to

April 12, 2002

Mass?” she asked, and then added that, as a Catholic, she would like to attend Mass every Sunday. Baraquio was told that no one had ever made that request before, but the pageant officials would work it out. So the next morning, while still in Atlantic City, site of the annual competition, the newly crowned Miss America went to Mass along with her entourage of nine people. While she was sitting in the pew, Baraquio said, she asked God for courage, strength and guidance for the upcoming year, saying she didn’t know why she won the title but that she wanted to use the platform to serve others. “I wouldn’t have gotten through this year without prayer,” she said in an address April 4 to the 12,000 Catholic educators attending the National Catholic Educational Association convention in Atlantic City.

Middle East conflict ‘cruel and inhuman,’ says Holy Land nuncio ROME (CNS) — The intensifying conflict in the Holy Land has become “a terrible contest to see who can be more cruel and inhuman,” said the Vatican’s diplomatic representative to Israel and the Palestinian territories. “Blood and human life have become of no value,” the nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, told an Italian Catholic newspaper. “In the last few days the situation has gotten completely out of control, arriving at an unfathomable level of inhumanity where nothing is respected,” he said in the March 29 interview with Avvenire. The level of violence and bloodshed continued to worsen after he spoke, prompting Pope John Paul II to issue repeated appeals for prayers and for peace Easter morning and April 1.

Survey shows more Catholics now see abuse as major problem for church

April 12, 2002

From the

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Renovate, revitalize and rejuvenate

Mercy Sisters unveil newly renovated Motherhouse

By Joann S. Keane Editor BELMONT — The Sisters of Mercy have been busy sprucing up at their Gaston County Motherhouse, more than a facelift, less than a complete overhaul.

On April 6, with a liturgy to celebrate the renovation of the Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Chapel, the sisters welcomed friends and family. Moreover, the Mercy community took the opportunity to show off renovations to many areas of the Motherhouse, home to 40 Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina.

At one time, over 200 sisters lived in community at the Belmont Motherhouse. Today, as the population of women religious ages, the renovations reflect the changing needs of a community in transition.

“A major factor that prompted our renovations was the growing inadequacy of our infirmary, Marion Center,” said Mercy Sister Donna Marie Vaillancourt. “As more sisters required care and their needs grew more complex, we were faced with the necessity to make appropriate changes.

We wanted our most fragile members in our midst.”

Paramount to modifications — the sisters collectively agreed — was the need to respect the past and address present needs, with a vision for the future and holding strong to values, said

Sister Donna, a member of the Motherhouse Renovations Committee. The value of our life together became the standard of all renovations, she said.

However, the April 6 celebration was centered in the very heart of the Motherhouse: the Cardinal Gibbons Chapel. Within this chapel, for nearly 40 years, sisters received their habits, professed vows, elected superiors, held retreats, celebrated funerals, were reconciled and daily entered into celebration of the liturgy of the hours, the eucharistic liturgy and intimate conversations with God, said Sister Donna. “Spiritually and physically, this place is the heart of our Motherhouse.”

The chapel design, said Sister Donna, had to reflect “meaning in our lives as a religious community.”

She pointed out the need for a chapel that is “warm, welcoming, natural and harmonious.” Retained were stained glass windows, the wooden ceiling, and wainscoting and brick walls. New to the chapel: a stone floor, wooden furnishings, glass doors and flowing water. The water, said Sister Donna, manifests our commitment to reverence with the earth and our call to act in harmony and interdependence with creation.

“What we have done here is God’s work,” said Mercy Sister Rosalind Picot, president of the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina. “We know

Photo by Joann S. Keane

Bishop Curlin distributes communion during the rededication of the Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Chapel at the Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse in Belmont. from sacred Scripture that if the Lord builds not the house, they labor in vain to build it.” I do not believe that those who have labored did so in vain, she said. “I believe that the Lord has been with all of us, workers and those of us who are enjoying the benefits of the work.”

“With the blessing of this wonderful renovation — full of such beauty and comfort for all — we are

witnessing all the celebration of Easter which is always here in this house,” said Bishop William G. Curlin, during his homily. “Your presence in our lives, your presence of Christ in our lives, that is what we are celebrating,” said the bishop.

“As long as there are Sisters of Mercy in this diocese, there is the spirit of the risen Christ,” said Bishop Curlin.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Di-

NFPC, from page 1

Divine Mercy, from page 1

to start with priests trusting “that our God is with us even now and that our God will lead us onward.”

“Second, rather than withdrawing from our people, we must bond more closely with them,” he said. “We cannot stop loving because we are afraid or embarrassed.”

He said priests must also “name the problem. We have to talk about it and listen to what our people have to say. ... The more we learn, the better our policies, the stronger our procedures.”

Father Silva also called for a hard look “at the system in which we live. ...

Is how we live truly supportive of our priesthood and our ministry? Is there a more effective way to deal with the long hours, the loneliness, the celibacy, the criticism, the frustrations? ... Facile responses that place blame — e.g., blame it on celibacy — are not helpful. In the context of prayer, intense discussion and study is called for.”

Father Rossetti, whose institute treats priests and religious suffering a wide range of addictions and psychological problems, said the scandals have tainted the institute as well.

“Only a small number of our residents have molested minors. Yet our residents feel as if they are branded as child molesters and, at times, the institute is labeled unfairly as a program for pedophiles,” he wrote.

“The institute is so much more; the priesthood is so much more.”

“Many priests can recall former days when society placed priests on a pedestal.

Priests were thought to be better than others,” Father Rossetti wrote. “Now, a few people have gone to the other extreme.

They suggest that priests as a group are more disturbed than others. But we ought to recall that celibacy is not a factor in someone being sexually attracted to or acting out with minors; in fact, most people who sexually molest children are, or will be, married.

Father Rossetti challenged the accusations that bishops have been callous, secretive and more concerned about the church’s reputation than protecting children.

According to Sister Faustina’s diary, Jesus told her to have the Second Sunday of Easter established as Divine Mercy Sunday. However, the Divine Mercy devotion can be observed privately or publicly every day. The particular hour for this is 3 p.m. Sister Faustina wrote that Jesus told her, “At 3 o’clock implore my mercy especially for sinners. ...”

Jesus also asked to have his image painted with red and white light rays coming from his chest. A pamphlet, “The Message of Mercy,” notes that “the image is a reminder for us to come to Jesus with trust and to be merciful to others, and it should always carry the signature, ‘Jesus, I trust in you.’” In her diary, Sister Faustina quoted Jesus as saying, “The two rays denote blood and water. The pale ray stands for the water which makes souls righteous.

The red ray stands for the blood which is the life of souls.”

The Divine Mercy devotion began before Sister Faustina died at the age of 33 in 1938. Mary Frazier and her husband, George, were aware of the devotion when they moved to the Asheville area several years ago. After attending a Divine Mercy Mass in Greensboro, they returned home to ask for a similar observance at St. Margaret Mary. Frazier and Linda Boyers, the church secretary, coordinated this year’s event, which concluded with a procession around the church grounds, followed by a reception in the church hall.

In his homily Father Latsko related a story of how divine mercy affected one woman. She was an unmarried teen whose father insisted that she have an abortion. She suffered years of guilt and depression. Even after she married and had two sons, she often cried for the boy she had lost. She begged God’s forgiveness, but believed she would never get it.

When she attended a class in preparation for the first penance of one of her children, the priest said that God would forgive any sin, including abortion. Wondering if this could be

true, she finally went to the priest for reconciliation. That began her healing, which accelerated the night she was so depressed that she crouched sobbing on the bathroom floor. She prayed — over and over — “Jesus, I trust in you” and felt peace for the first time in years.

Today, she has returned to the sacraments and works with women who have had abortions.

“The whole clue is the witness,” Father Latsko said later. “That’s what Sis-

April 12, 2002

ter Faustina talked about. The woman who had the abortion felt she had to give a witness. I think (Divine Mercy Sunday) ties in well with everything now and in the future.”

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

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Parishioners of St. Margaret Mary Church in Swannanoa carry the image of Divine Mercy in procession around the church grounds after a special Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday April 7.

April 12, 2002

In the

MACS expansion plan

By KEVIN E. MURRAY Associate Editor CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (MACS) are looking at major developments over the next decade.

The MACS school board has adopted a new building and facilities expansion plan to address the growing needs of area students for the next 10 plus years. The strategic plan is based on enrollment projections and the recommendations of a national consulting firm.

“It (the plan) makes choices more available for the people of the diocese to send their children to Catholic school,” said Dr. Michael Skube, superintendent of Catholic schools. “If there’s no room (in the schools), we’ve eliminated that choice.”

To address these potential enrollment challenges, in mid 1999 the MACS School Board hired Meitler Consultants, Inc., which worked with the dioceses of Raleigh, Charleston and Atlanta on their school expansion plans. Meitler’s expansion needs study included: identifying if new schools were needed, where they should be located and when they should be opened; studying who attended Catholics schools, why they choose them and what they are willing and able to pay; and developing a timeline for implementing recommendations in the plan.

Meitler submitted its findings and recommendations to the board in May 2000. In a letter to parents issued in September 2001, Vic Adams, MACS school board president, summarized the board’s principles to guide and prioritize the goals of the expansion plan.

Those goals included: giving priority to the educational needs of current MACS students; gradually expanding the system to encompass new students to maximize financial resources; sharing new elementary school facilities with existing or planned parish facilities to increase utilization and minimize duplication of facilities, and strengthen the school’s religious identity; and primarily financing the expansion with cash flow generated by MACS. The first phase of the plan concerned North Charlotte, said Skube. “Parents and students have been battling the traffic into Charlotte for years,” said Skube. “Part of the plan is to address that growing area.”

The first step, said Skube, “is that we have a K-8 school at St. Mark Church in Huntersville.”

The elementary school, built adjacent to the church, is set to open in August 2003.

In addition to providing additional K-5 classrooms, the 6-8 classrooms will help alleviate the projected capacity numbers of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students who would, prior to 2003, only have Holy

Trinity Catholic Middle School in Charlotte as a choice for attending a Catholic middle school.

The plan also recommended other facilities projects to meet the needs of students over the next several years. St. Matthew Church in South Charlotte will share a new facility with MACS opening in August 2003. Set to be a K-5 elementary school, the

new facility will result in the relocation of All Saints School students to St. Matthew.

“All Saints will be very usable in the expansion planning,” said Skube, noting that a key part of the plan was to use All Saints as a future educational facility based on the projected MACS enrollment figures.

“There will be some expansion in phases at Charlotte Catholic High School,”

The Catholic News & Herald 9

said Skube. That school’s projected capacity problem will be addressed with the expansion of the cafeteria, library and additional classrooms.

The second phase of the plan will include two new K-8 schools in the North and one elementary school in the far South side of Mecklenburg County.

All of the expansion plans, Skube noted, are based on projected increased enrollments, available monies for buildings and sharing of facilities with parishes.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Books offer look into Gen Xers’ faith,

April 12, 2002

Read-

cause so many of us to feel disconnected.

Reviewed by WAYNE A. HOLST ... (Yet) I believe it is possible to bridge the Catholic News Service The following quotes capture some- gap between spirituality and religion. ... The thing of these two books’ common yet people I meet are bursting with inspiration.

Their spiritualities are beautiful, but accorddistinguishing characteristics: “This is not a collection of voices look- ing to most young people, not many adults ing for tidy answers,” writes 34-year-old truly notice their beauty.”

Langford grew up Catholic in South Jon Sweeney, a former evangelical Christian and the spiritually eclectic editor of “God Bend, Ind. He got some faith exposure and Within: Our Spiritual Future as Told by developed a kid’s perspective of God. He wondered why God would be limited to Today’s New Adults.”

“Truth with a capital ‘T’ has not only just Catholic churches. He stopped going to gone out of style,” says Sweeney. “It just Mass regularly — if God was everywhere he really didn’t isn’t very useful.” need to find God in Meanwhile, a church. In time, thirtysomething GOD MOMENTS: WHY FAITH REALLY however, Langford Jeremy Langford, MATTERS TO A NEW GENERATION, by came to believe that Catholic author of Jeremy Langford. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, he needed to attend “God Moments: N.Y., 2001). 207 pp. $17.00.

Mass in addition to Why Faith Reseeking God in evally Matters to a GOD WITHIN: OUR SPIRITUAL FUTURE AS ery other corner of New Generation,” his life. Why? He says: “We may not TOLD BY TODAY’S NEW ADULTS, edited by be able to describe Jon M. Sweeney. Skylight Paths Publishing had found an understanding Catholic God exactly, but we (Woodstock, Vt., 2001). 156 pp. $14.95. community where know exactly when he felt at home. we have a God moLangford inherited a busted culture. ment.” Gen-Xer Langford continues, “We know it in our souls. ... This book is about When his parents divorced in 1980, he moments of recognition when we are and his brother felt firsthand the effects of being separated from an institution they claimed by what is true, real and good.”

Sweeney sees his generation as spiritu- had come to count on. They grew up in an ally innovative and wanting to break down atmosphere of crisis and breakdown. Instabarriers. His book is a creative mosaic of- bility and unfinished business had become fered by 13 “new adults” reflecting their a way of life. The author believes that, as it spiritual experience in Islam, Christianity, happened for him, the church can become Buddhism, Wicca, Judaism and some who a stabilizing community for his contemporaries and bring some order out of their life claim no organized religion.

Langford’s book deals with the same of chaos.

Langford believes that discovering issues but from within his Catholic community. Together, the books describe the con- Catholicism could help his peers see how temporary faith journeys of young adults. a rich faith tradition can mesh with “the Both should help Catholic readers to better all-too-often sloppy details of my daily life.” understand and appreciate their spiritual He says, “We are closed to a church that has all the answers, but open to a church that is experiences.

These new adults have been both teacher and student. ... If our parents brought up with less organized religion were the revolutionaries, then let us be the than any American generation before rebuilders.”

The God within and God mothem. Yet unlike their parents, they do not see an impossible barricade between ments of these writers can be shared religious tradition and spirituality. cross-generationally. They are guides They believe that many of the religious for anyone concerned with walking the rituals that exist, Catholic or not, can Christian way today.

For his part, Langford concludes: “My indeed be connected to and beneficial hope is to invite all to come ... and to realize for young people.

Contributor Jennifer Johnson says, that the Catholic tradition is a powerful lens “There are those missing links between through which to see God at work in our spirituality and religious traditions that lives.”

Word to Life

Sunday Scripture Readings: April 14, 2002 Cycle A Readings: April 14, Third Sunday of Easter 1)

2) 3)

Acts 2:14, 22-33 Psalm 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11 1 Peter 1:17-21 Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

By DAN LUBY Catholic News Service He was a big kid anyway, and on his first day as a senior he felt even bigger. After four years of inching their way up the high school food chain, he and his friends finally were free to exercise their modest senior privileges over other kids with impunity.

He approached the crowded water fountain with a cheerful swagger, signaling his friends to watch.

He tapped a short, bespectacled freshman pointedly on the shoulder.

“Step back!” he said, “senior privilege,” and gently pushed the little guy aside.

The boy looked startled and confused as he made way for the senior looming over him. The locker crowd cheered while their friend grinned and drank.

At the assembly later in the day, the slight blonde boy with the glasses looked for his senior tormentor and grinned his own grin from his seat on the stage with the other new teachers. The boy squirmed in

his chair.

It happens often enough that our most confident expectations of others are wrong, clouded by false expectations. The two disciples of Jesus who were fleeing the fear and disappointment of Jerusalem after his death had high expectations: “We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.” But their vision was too narrow, too full of their own plans and imaginings to leave room for Christ’s very unexpected path to redemption.

The bad news is that if we are too certain that we know exactly what to expect of Jesus, we might not pay attention to a stranger asking questions or an old friend with new ideas.

The good news is that he never gives up, never stops putting himself in our path, calling us by name, asking us questions, breaking bread with us in hopes of getting us to see him in our midst.

QUESTIONS: What is one experience you have had of discovering that your expectations of someone were too narrow?

Where is one setting in which God might be inviting you to pay closer attention to his unexpected presence in your life?

Weekly Scripture Scripture for the week of April 14 - April 20 Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter), Acts 2:14, 22-33, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35; Monday, Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-29; Tuesday, Acts 7:51—8:1, John 6:3035; Wednesday, Acts 8:1-8, John 6:35-40; Thursday, Acts 8:26-40, John 6:44-51; Friday, Acts 9:1-20, John 6:52-59; Saturday, Acts 9:31-42, John 6:60-69 Scripture for the week of April 21 - April 27 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Easter), Acts 2:14, 36-41, 1 Peter 2:20-25, John 10:1-10; Monday, Acts 11:1-8, John 10:11-18; Tuesday, Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday, Acts 12:24—13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday (St. Mark), 1 Peter 5:5-14, Mark 16:15-20; Friday, Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday, Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14

April 12, 2002

Entertain-

The Catholic News & Herald 11

Star in ‘Joshua’ title role explains approach to

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — The actor-director who portrays the title role in the upcoming film “Joshua” said the role is another example of how playing fictional parts makes him “conscious of how you’re living your own life.”

“The reasons we do what we do, acting and entertaining, is to see how people live their lives. It makes you look at the approach to how you want to live” or what to avoid, said Tony Goldwyn in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service from New York City.

The G-rated “Joshua” will debut on the silver screen in April in select cities — including Charlotte and Greensboro — and will expand slowly to reach a nationwide audience.

Goldwyn said it does not bother him that the platform for the film is smaller than that of most mainstream films. “I think it’s a mistake releasing a movie to a wide opening before it gets a chance to prove itself,” he said.

“I never have perceived this (‘Joshua’) about being a big commercial movie.”

“Joshua” is adapted from the mid1980s novel by Father Joseph Girzone, a retired priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y. Joshua is a Christ-like figure who enters a town and turns it upside down with his good works and unselfish love.

The film also stars F. Murray Abraham and Kurt Fuller as two priests at odds with each other about Joshua; Colleen Camp as a beleaguered housewife and shopkeeper; Stacy Edwards as a television reporter who mistakes Joshua’s kindness for something else; and Giancarlo Giannini as “the pope” — not Pope John Paul II — to whom Joshua reveals his true nature.

The movie’s soundtrack features country music stars Brooks & Dunn and Jo Dee Messina, plus several topname contemporary Christian recording acts, including Michael W. Smith, Jaci Velasquez, Third Day and Rachel Lampa.

Goldwyn, who is Jewish, said he had no qualms about playing Joshua with the message he brings.

“I didn’t approach it as any kind of religious statement,” he told CNS. “Where the character was coming from was a place of love rather than any particular denomination.”

He noted how the screenplay differs from the book — and even the original draft of the movie script — in that the theological discourses that characterized the novel are largely absent from the movie.

“We changed it a lot,” he recalled.

“What Joe (Girzone) was writing about was more religious debate in the novel, where Joshua was getting into

arguments of doctrine and theological argumentation.”

While Goldwyn said he had read Father Girzone’s book in preparation for his role, “I didn’t want to get too caught up in the novels.” Father Girzone has used the Joshua character in subsequent books.

“This is not to deny anything Father Joe had done,” he added. “But

I want to be a little careful of overresearching parts.”

Goldwyn said Father Girzone visited the set for a couple of days. “He’s a great guy,” Goldwyn said of the priest.

Filming for “Joshua” took place last May and June. Since then, Goldwyn has had a recurring role on the NBC comedy “Frasier.”

Goldwyn, who won much acclaim for his directorial debut with “A Walk

on the Moon” in 1999, has been developing projects he can direct. One concerns the story of Betty Ann Waters, whose brother was wrongly convicted of murder. Waters, a high school dropout, went back to school and worked her way through law school to exonerate her brother.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

April 12, 2002

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope asks for continued prayers for peace in the Holy Land B Cindy Wooden y

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II asked an estimated 17,000 people at his weekly general audience to join him in “begging from God peace in the Holy Land.”

At the April 10 audience in St. Peter’s Square, he also prayed that the Blessed Virgin Mary would “intercede to bring success to the various efforts being undertaken to overcome the tragic situation in which those sorely tried peoples are living.”

In the pope’s main audience talk, he spoke of the suffering and the hope evident in Psalm 80.

The psalm, he said, is “a song strongly marked by suffering, but also by unfailing trust.”

The psalmist asks God, “How long will you burn with anger?” and why he allowed his people to be invaded.

At the same time, the pope said, the psalm shows believers’ faith that God will save them.

The psalm includes the refrain, “O Lord of hosts, restore us; if your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe.”

“God is always ready to return to his people, but it is also necessary that his people return to him in fidelity,” the pope said.

“If we convert from sin,” he said, “the Lord will ‘convert’ from his intention to punish. This is the conviction of the psalmist, which finds an echo in our hearts as well, opening us to hope.”

Pope sings Polish folksong during audience with Polish pilgrims

By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II, with an unusually broad smile on his face, countered the song of a Polish children’s choir with his own rendition of a Polish Easter folksong.

After the small children, dressed in Polish costumes, sang for the pope at his April 10 general audience, the pope sang one verse of what he described as an Easter psalm traditionally sung in the period between Easter and Pentecost.

The warm applause, led by an estimated 500 Poles at the audience, convinced Pope John Paul to launch into the second verse as an encore.

With a somewhat impish smile on his face, he also sang a third and fourth verse, always after the crowd’s applause showed they were enjoying the moment as much as he was.

Although the pope appears physically frail and far-off in thought at times, he still peppers his public appearances with unscripted moments during the audience.

Jesus is risen...and now what?

It seems that the history of salvation has reached its completion. Everything is done; there is nothing left.

This kind of thinking would be terribly detrimental, besides being very wrong. Really, the journey has just begun.

The story of salvation is more like an unfinished symphony or opera, if you wish. To make this clear, let me share the story of Giacomo Puccini, the great Italian composer of “Madame Butterfly” and “La Boheme.” When Puccini was fairly young, he contracted cancer, and so he decided to spend his last days writing his final opera, “Turandot,” which is one of his most polished pieces. When his friends and disciples would say to him, “You are ailing; take it easy and rest,” he would always respond, “I’m going to do as much as I can on my great masterwork, and it’s up to you, my friends, to finish it if I don’t.” Well, Puccini died before the opera was completed. Now, his friends had a choice.

They could forever mourn their master and return to life as usual, or they could build on his melody and complete what he started. They chose the latter. So, in 1926 at the famous La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy, Puccini’s opera was performed for the first time, conducted by the greatest conductor Arturo Toscanini. When it came to the part of the opera where the master had stopped writing because he died, Toscanini stopped everything, turned around with eyes welling up with tears, and said to the large audience, “This is where the master ends.” And he wept. After a few moments, he lifted his head, smiled broadly, and said, “and this is where his friends began.” Then he finished the opera.

Don’t you think we must finish the love song, composed by Jesus, but not yet completed? He came at Christmas singing love; he lived in Nazareth singing love. He instituted the Eucharist singing love; he died singing love, and he rose singing love. If the song is to continue, we must do the singing. The risen Lord invites us to live our lives to the fullest before we die; otherwise, we die without living.

An unknown poet said it beautifully: He always said he would retire when he had made a million clear

Working Matters JOANITA M. NELLENBACH Guest Columnist to do. “Rocks are a refuge for the coneys (rabbits).

You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.” (18-19).

God finds time for recreation. In verse 26, about the ocean, we see that, “The ships are moving there and the monsters you made to play with.” What a wonderful image: God chooses to play. Man is described in the psalm as working all day, but nothing is said about his having a good time. God works and plays. This psalm demonstrates that work is important, but fun should not be left out. Psalm 104 also shows that every creature and created thing has a part to play to make the whole world function.

Paul also makes clear in his first letter to the Corinthians that each person has a specific function for the good of the world. Some are leaders or healers or speak in tongues. While Paul is talking about “spiritual gifts,” if we are to see spirituality and work as interconnected, we must extend Paul’s example to work that is not necessarily church related. God has given each person individual gifts, but expects all to use those gifts for the common good.

Look for Scripture and other writings that help you to see how work and spirituality are part of each other and integrate them into your life.

Guest Column FATHER JOHN AURILIA, OFM Cap Guest Columnist and so he toiled into the dusk from day to day, from year to year.

At last he put his ledgers up and laid his stock reports aside.

But when he started out to live, he found he had already died.

Several years ago, a gifted American surgeon decided to become medical missionary. He traveled thousands of miles and set up a practice on a Pacific island where the people were suffering greatly for lack of medical assistance.

Some time later, the doctor’s former pastor in the U.S. paid him a surprise visit. When the pastor arrived, the doctor was preparing to operate on an 8-year-old girl. The pastor observed through a window in the small hut where the operation took place. Three hours later, the surgeon finally stepped back from the table in the makeshift operating room and said, “She is OK Going to be all right now.”

Then he went outside and joined his pastor. As they talked about what had just taken place, the pastor asked, “How much money would you have received for that operation back home in the States? “Oh, thousands of dollars, I suppose,” the doctor replied. “And how much will you receive here?” the pastor asked. “I don’t know, just a few cents and the smile of God,” said the surgeon. Then he put his hand on the pastor’s shoulder, shook it a little, and said, “But man, this is living!”

Spirituality: It’s in everything we do What’s your theology of work?

Theology? Isn’t that studying about God and religion? Yes, but a theology of work goes beyond the dualism that separates spirituality from everyday life.

This dualism has a long history in the Catholic Church. Spirituality was for the “religious”; that is, for priests, nuns and monks. Ever notice how many of the saints fall into this group? Christian ascetics inhabited hermitages in deserts or renounced the world to live in cloistered convents or monasteries. They were religious, and we were secular; and, we were told, religious was always the better, higher calling.

Fortunately, we are coming to a new understanding of holiness: it’s for everyone, and you don’t have to renounce the world to achieve it — unless that’s your true calling. Spirituality is not separate from the world; it is part of the world. Since work is a part of most people’s lives in the world, our challenge is to integrate our spirituality into our work and vice versa.

The Trappist monk Thomas Merton understood that integration. In “New Seeds of Contemplation” he wrote, “If I am supposed to hoe a garden or make a table, then I am obeying God if I am true to the task I am performing. To do the work carefully and well, with respect for the nature of my task and with due attention to its purpose is to unite myself to God’s will in my work. ... When I act as his instrument my labor cannot be an obstacle to contemplation, even though it may temporarily so occupy my mind that I cannot engage in it when I am actually doing my job.

Yet my work itself will purify and pacify my mind and dispose me for contemplation.”

This helps me to understand how work and spirituality blend. I see my work as creative, so, to guide me further in integrating my work and my spirituality, I look for Scripture passages about creativity. One of my favorites is Psalm 104, which shows God as creative and playful. In this psalm, God’s work has provided everything that everyone needs; in turn, all created things — even rocks — have a particular job

April 12, 2002

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle MSGR. JIM LISANTE Guest Columnist

both peaceful and prayerful, he said he’d be there. That day will be forever etched in the memories of the 4,000 people who heard him speak eloquently about the sanctity of life, then, rosary in hand, prayed us through this important public witness.

Bishop McGann was sometimes accused, falsely, of being weak in support of Catholic education. That wasn’t my experience at all. When I became a pastor, I was concerned about the parish school I was inheriting. It happened to be the same school I had attended and I didn’t want to be the one to have to close my own alma mater. He told me not to worry, that the school would survive and prosper. His support was unequivocal.

Sometimes, when noted people die, we tend to write of them as if all was perfect. That would be as inaccurate of John McGann as it would of anyone else. Personally, we had a few battles in which we agreed to disagree. But here’s the good part: he could disagree with you strongly and still sit down right afterwards for a friendly meal.

He knew that people often differ, but it didn’t mean he had to like them less. I’m not sure Bishop McGann would be the bishop of a diocese if they were picking one today. He didn’t have a ton of academic degrees.

He wasn’t politically well-connected in the church.

He was just a good, pastoral, hard-working, peopleloving, self-aware man struggling to give his all for a church he loved immensely.

He was always in his heart a parish priest, a favorite as we Christians know God or to hear about the Bible and Jesus Christ. Are they all condemned, through no fault of their own?

Yes, the Catholic (and some other Christian) Church’s understanding of the biblical injunctions about the necessity of faith in Jesus has changed. For centuries, the impression was that, except for a few pockets here and there, the Christian message had penetrated the whole world. All people, it was thought, had the opportunity to accept or reject Jesus as savior.

With the discoveries of new regions and continents, with their billions of “pagans,” however, all that changed.

For this reason and others, we have gradually come to realize that unless the salvation Jesus set out to achieve was a failure for most of the human family, the Holy Spirit must be at work in ways we have not heretofore thought of.

Faith in Jesus and in the heavenly Father whose love he revealed must be possible in ways other than explicit, conscious acts of “accepting” him as savior.

That is what Pope John Paul II, the catechism, council documents and other Catholic sources mean when they speak of the possibility of salvation outside the church, even outside organized Christianity.

We believe the possibility of salvation, the possibility of coming under the influence of the Holy Spirit’s movements inspiring faith in Jesus Christ, is available to every human being, not just to a privileged few who happen to live in the right place, where the Gospel can formally be preached to them.

This teaching appears in many places, but nowhere, I believe, more profoundly and clearly than in the oft-repeated reflections of the pope, who cautions us about presuming to put limits on what God can do.

We believe, he says in one place, that the Creator wants to save all humankind in Jesus Christ. We don’t know how he does all this, he continues, but we do know “that Christ came into the world for all these peoples. He redeemed them all and has his own ways of reaching each of them” in the present age of salvation history (“Crossing the Threshold of Hope,” pages 80-83).

Like an uncle Bishop John McGann died in January. For those of you who did not know this man who led Long Island’s Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre from 1976 until 2000, I’d like to tell you something about him — and the unique relationship between a priest and his bishop.

I first met this wonderful man about 36 years ago, when he attended the graduation of my grammar school classmate, his niece, Kathleen McGann. He was secretary to the bishop then and considered a “comer” in the diocese.

When you hear that someone’s a noted or popular person, you also expect a certain amount of pretension or selfimportance. He had none of that. In fact, he was just what you’d expect of a proud uncle. Over the years I learned that Bishop McGann was always the good uncle you could talk with and enjoy.

I really came to love and respect him when I shared a rectory with him for eight years. He genuinely enjoyed priestly company and fully entered into our communal life.

He enjoyed a good drink, a fine meal and lively conversation as well as anyone. And while it’s not uncommon for bishops to live in their own residence, he chose to live in a parish rectory. I think he did that out of a true love for priests and parishioners.

As Bishop McGann’s coordinator for Family Life, I often asked him to support new initiatives. He was rarely afraid of trying something different, especially if it helped to rescue people from families in trouble. So he endorsed and supported new ventures like Retrouvaille (the program for marriages in crisis), Project Rachel (to heal those who’ve been through abortion) and the diocesan Respect Life Council. Bishop McCann also promoted alternatives to abortion like residences for women in crisis pregnancies. As he’d often tell me: “It’s not enough to be against abortion unless we also provide life-affirming alternatives. We can’t leave the mother and her child with words. We need to give her real support.” He was as good as his word.

In 1985 I came to him with a proposal. Would he be willing to be the first bishop of a diocese to peacefully demonstrate outside an abortion facility? As long as it was

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

Can Christ save people who aren’t Christians?

Q. I must disagree with your recent comments regarding salvation for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

Your viewpoint devalues, demeans and diminishes the supreme sacrifice Jesus made for mankind. You quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the pope’s remarks (September 1998) that members of other religions who sincerely follow what is good in their faith traditions and their own consciences “respond positively to God’s invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even if they do not recognize or acknowledge him as their savior.”

I was Catholic for the first 60 years of my life and respectfully believe that you, the pope and the Catholic Church are absolutely wrong. The Bible says only those who believe in Jesus Christ are saved. You agree with that, but you say the church’s teaching has changed. But the holy word of God does not change. (North Carolina) A. Your comments call for response from several directions. Perhaps most important, you speak of devaluing the sacrifice of Jesus. Doesn’t the opinion that the saving death and resurrection of our Lord was wholly ineffective for 70 percent or 80 percent of the human race terribly demean that sacrifice?

Yet that is what you, and others who think as you do, must believe, because billions of people, the vast majority of the human race, never have a chance to learn about God

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Family Reflections ANDREW & TERRI LYKE Guest Columnists Hospitality helps the heart and home When considering ways to enliven a marriage, we very often think of romantic get-a-ways. Yet, romance is only a part of what marriages need to be invigorated. And over, time it becomes less important. There are countless other aspects of marriage that could use some spicing up, as well. One area is hospitality. “Huh? How does hospitality spice up marriage?” you might ask. When people experience God through a married couple, they are graced — the people who encounter the couple and the couple themselves. Their gracious hospitality is a way a couple is a dispenser of grace and thereby become receptors of that grace.

A few years ago, we wrote about the hallmarks of a sacramental marriage. One of the hallmarks was “They know how to set a table,” which is a metaphor for having hospitality skills in their home. Over the years, we have been blessed with couple friends who have demonstrated such skills and have been role models for us.

Our friends, Pam and John Ashford, come to mind. Anyone who has visited the Ashfords can appreciate their hospitality skills. Pam can lay out a spread of food that will, in the old vernacular, “make you wanna slap your mamma.” John’s sense of humor and storytelling keeps their guests amused. And they both are excellent conversationalists who offer insights on just about any topic.

However, what makes their hospitality gracefilled is not just their culinary and conversation skills.

They have a way of making their guests feel loved by their attention.

We realized a long time ago that we can’t be John and Pam, but we can emulate their desire to rejoice in the presence of others. We discovered that in our own way we can serve our guests our full attention — to fuss over them in a manner that seeks to make them feel “at home” in our home.

Over the years, we have found that those opportunities, though they sometimes leave us exhausted, exhilarate us and enliven our relationship. As we serve others, we witness to each other our individual other-centeredness. As we dispense grace to others, we feel God working in and through us.

Hospitality skills aren’t factory equipped in marriage, though some people seem to just have them.

They don’t require any lavishness, either. It’s about sharing what we have with others.

Many couples, like us, have to be intentional about it and learn how to do it well. Having role models like the Ashfords has helped us.

For every marriage, there is a special, unique style to their hospitality — a blend of their talents, temperaments and tastes. The key to good hospitality is knowing that it’s not about us; it’s all about our guests. To have good hospitality skills is to know how to rejoice in the presence of others.

An important task for every marriage is to discover and develop their unique hospitality. Doing so enlivens their marriage and shows the world God’s magnanimous hospitality.

Questions for Reflection • When have you experienced a married couple’s unique hospitality?

• How do you make others feel “at home” in your home?

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

April 12, 2002

Around the Di-

Central American traditions revived at Holy

By REV. MR. GERALD POTKAY Correspondent REIDSVILLE — Lilli Sanchez, a Mexican-American living in the Reidsville area for over five years, has coordinated the efforts of the Hispanic community to revive the Living Way of the Cross, a longstanding Mexican tradition.

Sanchez assembled a 23-member cast of players from both the adult community and the Hispanic youth group at Holy Infant Church to relive the 14 Stations of the Cross March 29.

According to Sanchez, the children were missing a very important part of their heritage. This particular “tradition is one that we definitely don’t want to lose,” she said. “It is our duty to pass it on to the little ones so that they don’t lose contact with their past. It also demonstrates to the community at large that we can work very well together when we want to.”

The narrator for the Stations was Waldin Robles from Costa Rica. Waldin was active in the charismatic movement in Costa Rica and is teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes in the Reidsville school system. He has been very active in the youth group since moving to the area at the beginning of this school year.

Victor Granados, who hails from Mexico, played the part of Jesus. Granados said, “By reviving this tradition at Holy Infant, we not only keep our native traditions,

but we also invite and encourage those who tend to shy away from our youth group to join and participate.”

Father Christopher Davis, pastor of Holy Infant, said that he was glad the Hispanic community came together to put on the Way of the Cross. “The entire presentation came from the community itself, from its inception to the actual presentation of the Stations,” he said. “It did a lot for them. It helped them to get organized as a group, and many became involved with the preparation and active participation in the visualized acting out of the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. This visual representation helps the little ones, especially, to understand what Easter is all about.”

Father Davis also praised the entire cast for their efforts, which he described as “fantastic.”

“In light of the fact that this was the very first time our Hispanic community ever attempted anything like this, the whole Passion play was a huge success, and I am very pleased with the tremendous effort they put out to accomplish all that they did.

It was very professional,” said Father Davis.

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

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Campus Minister: The Campus Ministry Department of the Diocese of Raleigh seeks to hire a person for a full-time position to serve as CAMPUS MINISTER AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, an historically Black College/University in Durham, NC. The successful candidate will be a prayerful person familiar with and dedicated to the principles of Empowered by the Spirit: A Pastoral Letter on Campus Ministry in the United States and What We Have Seen and Heard: A Pastoral Letter on Evangelization from the Black Bishops of the United States.

The candidate should also demonstrate excellent leadership, organizational, administrative, and computer skills.

Prior Campus Ministry experience is preferred but not required. Letters of Interest and Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled; submit to: NCCU Campus Minister Search, c/o 218 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

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Teachers: Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, located in Fairburn, Georgia, is seeking teachers in all disciplines for the 2002-2003 school year. Mercy offers an excellent teaching environ-

Photo by Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay

The “First Fall of Jesus” is re-enacted during the Living Way of the Cross presentation by the Hispanic community of Holy Infant Church in Reidsville March 29. The characters are Jesus (Victor Granados), Roman soliders (Juan Condalario, Alexando Rodriguez, Estevan Franco and Salome Carmona), and the two thieves (Carlos Castro and Rolando Hernandez).

ment and well as competitive salary and benefits. Interested individuals should send resume and cover letter to: John Cobis, Our Lady of Mercy High School, 861 Highway 279, Fairburn, GA 30213.

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

April 12, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Around the Di-

Seder dinner brings community

By JOANITA M. NELLENBACH Correspondent BREVARD — On the evening of the first day of Passover, families commemorate the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. On March 27, two families of faith — Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Brevard Jewish Community — gathered at Sacred Heart for the Passover Seder.

About 140 people participated in the two-hour service, which preceded a traditional Eastern European Jewish Seder dinner.

Sacred Heart has had a Seder tradition of its own for about 12 years.

“We do this every year, but very condensed,” said Sacred Heart parishioner Jerry Gerardi.

“They’ve had a Christian-style Seder, now they’re going to have a Jewish one,” said Jack Levine, president of the Brevard Jewish Community, a Reformed Jewish congregation with about 70 members. The congregation, which formed about a year ago, has been meeting in Sacred Heart’s fellowship hall.

“I was approached by some of the members (of the Jewish community),” said Father Carl Del Giudice, Sacred Heart’s pastor. “They were looking for a place to celebrate the Sabbath and the High Holy Days.”

“Seder is about family,” said Norman Bossert, the Jewish community’s prayer leader, at the end of the eve-

Photos by Joanita M. Nellenbach

From left are Norman and Shelly Bossert and Michele and Marvin Barg taking part in the Passover Seder’s tradition of hand washing before consuming food. Members of Sacred Heart Church and the Brevard Jewish Community celebrated the Jewish tradition at Sacred Heart March 27. ning. “If you were walking around tonight, as I was, and heard everybody talking and having a good time, it was a very warm feeling.”

Sunny Diamond, a member of the Jewish congregation, also appreciated the sense of family. “This is the best Seder I’ve attended since my grandparents died, and that was 30 or 40 years ago,” she said.

Preparation for the Seder began several months ago. Bossert wanted to invite some of the members of the Catholic community to the Seder as a way of thanking the church for the use of its facilities. He thought that maybe 50 to 60 Catholics would attend, but twice that number took part.

To provide background to Sacred Heart parish, Bossert taught a class on the Haggadah, the Jewish book which contains the Exodus story and the Seder ritual; and another on the Passover as part of the history of the western world. His wife, Shelly, gave a class on recipes for the foods used in the dinner.

Shelly Bossert and Mary Lou Giallanza, a member of Sacred Heart parish, began cooking the meal two days before the celebration. Meanwhile, Sandy Levine, Jack’s wife, was busy making the gefilte fish, which was served as an appetizer. Other members of the Jewish community prepared the condiments; some made the matza balls at home and brought them to the church hall the evening of the meal.

Members of both faith communities mingled at the tables as the Seder

began. Father Del Giudice read the opening prayer, which said, in part, “We pray as we sit here assembled in family friendship and as we relive in words and symbols the ancient quest for liberty, that we shall become infused with renewed spirit and inspiration and understanding. May the problem of all who are downtrodden be our problem; may the concern of all who are afflicted be our concern; may the struggle of all who strive for liberty and equality be our struggle.”

During the service, people were asked to eat only when told to, as a reminder of what it’s like to not have enough to eat. “I’m smelling that chicken, and it’s making me a little hungry,” Bossert said. “The Jews were hungry.

They lived next door to wealth, but they didn’t get to enjoy any of it.”

The Seder service recounts the Hebrews’ history in Egypt, including Joseph, Moses, slavery and the escape from slavery. Speaking in Hebrew, Anna Curtis, 6, the youngest member of the congregation, asked the Passover questions, beginning with, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

In honor to the holiday, wine was blessed with the words, “Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.” Each person consumed a cup of wine (or grape juice) at four specific times during the service.

Each table held a Seder plate with the traditional items: karpas, a vegetable, in this case, parsley, traditionally served as an hors d’oeuvre; zeroa, a shankbone, symbolizing God’s mighty arm; charoset, a mixture of chopped apples, nuts, spices and wine, representing the mortar Hebrew slaves used to build Egyptian buildings; maror and chazaret, bitter herbs, in this case, horseradish, for bitter slavery; and baytza (a hard-cooked egg), symbolizing the hardness of slavery and the renewal of spring, when Passover is celebrated.

As each item’s meaning was explained, a leader at each table either held up the particular item or passed the Seder plate so everyone could share. For instance, each person at the table took a piece of the parsley and dipped it into salted water before

Ju d i t h Wo l f o f t h e Q u a ke r community and Harriet St. John of Sacred Heart Church serve chicken soup with matza balls at the Passover Seder. consuming it. The salted water represented the tears shed during slavery in Egypt.

The leader also took a piece of matza (unleavened bread) from the table and broke it. Half was kept for the afikomon (dessert), half was returned to the plate. Later in the service, each person at the table broke off a piece of matza to eat with the bitter herbs and the charozet. This is called “Hillel’s sandwich” after a first-century rabbi who influenced the interpretation of Jewish law.

Members of Sacred Heart parish served the dinner, which included gefilte fish (a sort of chilled fish pâté), chicken soup with matza balls, roast chicken, tsimmis (a sweet vegetable dish), potato kugel, charoset and fruit compote.

David Lachter and his wife were among those enjoying the service and the dinner. The Lachters, from Tallahassee, Fla., are part-year residents of Brevard. Before March 27, they didn’t know any other Jewish families in Brevard. They wanted to spend the Jewish holiday here, but thought that would mean forgoing Passover, which is celebrated in community. Then they saw an article about the Seder in the Transylvania Times, a Transylvania County newspaper, which they receive in the mail.

“Once we saw that article, we knew what we would do,” Lachter said.

He remembered what it was like 30 years ago in Tallahassee: “There was a small Jewish community. We were meeting in someone’s home. A Unitarian Universalist Church offered the use of their facilities. Of course, now we have our own. I can see the start of that here.”

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

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Mercy Sister honored for devotion to

By KEVIN E. MURRAY Associate Editor SALISBURY — People can make a difference and affect their neighbors in so many positive ways.

The Civitan Club of Salisbury presented its 2002 Good Samaritan of the Year Award to Mercy Sister Mary Robert Williams, pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Church, at the Country Club of Salisbury luncheon April 4.

Sister Mary Robert was recognized for her selfless, sacrificial work in her parish and in the community.

“In her role as a volunteer in so many vital areas, (Sister Mary Robert) serves as a primary example of putting into personal practice what she encourages others to do as well,” said Bill Adams, a member of the Civitan Club of Salisbury Good Samaritan Committee.

The annual Good Samaritan of the Year Award, first presented by the Civitan Club of Salisbury in 1973, is based on the Good Samaritan in Chapter 10 in the Gospel of Luke, in which someone asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” according to Adams. After soliciting nominations from the community each year, the award is given to someone who has gone above and beyond the spirit of volunteerism, he said. The club received several letters of recommendation for Sister Mary Robert.

“As a staff member of Sacred Heart Church, she is not only devoted to her parishioners — she goes out daily to visit the shut-ins of the parish and can be found at the hospital at least four times a week — but she also operates under the challenge of ‘who is my neighbor?’ She seeks to address the needs of all who are brought to her attention,” said Adams. “By her example, she is teaching others to have compassion for their neighbors and to love

April 12, 2002

Living the

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Mercy Sister Mary Robert Williams receives the Civitan club’s Good Samaritan of the Year Award at the Country Club of Salisbury April 4. them as much as they love themselves.”

“It’s always good to see people who embody the Gospel mandate to be mindful of the poor. Sister Mary Robert embodies this,” said Father John Putnam, pastor of Sacred Heart Church.

Sister Mary Robert was honored for her work and volunteerism with organizations including Rowan Helping Ministries, the ARC, Meals on Wheels, the Community Alternative Program for Disabled Adults and the Crisis Assistance Network.

“Her generosity goes above and beyond these programs, and she often personally steps in to give food and encouragement to individuals who may have received the maximum amount of support provided by the shelter or other ministries,” said Adams.

“She’s a dedicated, handsome person who has a great compassion, and it’s a practical compassion for those who suffer,” said Mercy Sister Rosalind

Picôt, president of Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Regional Community of North Carolina.

“Her love is unconditional and not based on color, creed or economic status,” said Adams. “As she passes by the needy, she never fails to reach out and touch those who others may have ignored.”

“She is so modest,” said Jeff Smith, the Civitan club’s president-elect who presented Sister Mary Robert with her award. “She works so tirelessly in the community and the parish.”

“She’s one of those people who does not want to be honored. She does it because it’s her life,” said Father Putnam.

In fact, Sister Mary Robert did not know she was going to receive the award until she arrived at the luncheon and found many of her friends and coworkers there.

“I was shocked. I didn’t know anything about it,” said Sister Mary Robert after the luncheon. “I was told I was coming here to honor Dianne Scott.”

Scott, the executive director of Rowan Helping Ministries, was on hand to speak about volunteerism and to honor Sister Mary Robert. “She is a true saint,” said Scott. “She’s one of those people you feel blessed to know.

She’s probably thinking, ‘I’m only doing my job,’ but she goes far above and beyond what is expected of her as a sister.”

“I never expected this,” said Sister Mary Robert of her award. “It was a great honor.”

“She’s deeply committed to her religious life, her spiritual life, and she is what a Sister of Mercy is called to be,” said Sister Rosalind.

“She is an inspiration to all who come into contact with her,” said Adams.

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

Sisters of Mercy help area BELMONT — Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation announced grant awards totaling $1,251,281 to 25 non-profit organizations located in Alexander, Buncombe, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Durham, Edgecomb, Guildford, Madison, Mecklenburg, Randolph, Rutherford, Surry and Wake counties in North Carolina.

The grant funds will be used for a wide variety of purposes by the organizations. Supported programs include affordable housing, children’s services, crisis assistance, education, health care, job training, legal assistance, services to the elderly and social services.

The 25 organizations are: Ada Jenkins Families and Career Development Center in Davidson; Caldwell Opportunities, Inc. in Lenoir; Caring for Children, Inc. in Asheville; Community Culinary School of Charlotte in Charlotte; Domestic Violence Resource Center of Alexander County in Taylorsville; Flynn Christian Fellowship Homes of Hickory in Hickory; Glory to Glory Ministries House of Refuge in Raleigh; Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry in Hickory; Greensboro Interfaith Hospitality Network in Greensboro; Helping Hands Adult Day Program in Andrews; Helpmate of Madison, Inc. in Marshall; Housing for New Hope in Durham; Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, Inc. in Charlotte; Lions Services, Inc. in Charlotte; Metrolina Comprehensive Health Center, Inc. in Charlotte; Mountain Housing Opportunities in Asheville; Nevins Foundation, Inc. in Charlotte; The Salvation Army of Asheboro in Asheboro; Surry SCAN in Mount Airy; Tarboro Community Outreach, Inc. in Tarboro; Teen Health Connection in Charlotte; UNC-Charlotte Family and Community Nursing Department in Charlotte; Uptown Day Shelter, Inc. in Charlotte; Western Carolina Rescue Mission, Inc. in Asheville; and Yokefellow Service Center in Spindale.