April 13, 2001

The Catholic News & Herald 1

April 13, 2001

April 13, 2001 Volume 10 t Number 31

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

Inside Gastonia parish makes international connection

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High school offers moms educational options

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Local News Beatty Award recipient announced

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Spirited volunteers honored for service

... Pages 8-9

Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13 Cover Art: Clockwise: Priests concelebrate Mass with Bishop William G. Curlin during a Mass where the priests recommitted themselves in service to the bishop, and where the Holy Oils for the new year were consecrated. Top photo: Bishop Curlin pours the oil of balsam into the oil of chrism. Middle and lower photo show vessels of oil prior to consecration.

Photos by Joann S. Keane

Holy oils consecrated, priests recommit at chrism

By Alesha M. Price Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — The chrism Mass reminds Ralph Dimenna of the Scripture passage from the 20th chapter of Matthew about the vineyard workers who worked all day and received the same pay as those who worked only part of the day. Dimenna says that his faith life can be compared to Jesus’ parable.

He attended this year’s chrism Mass with other parishioners via bus from St. Margaret Mary Church in Swannanoa to rejuvenate his spirituality.

“I am 77-years-old, and this is like my 11th hour. I am coming late in my life to the chrism Mass, but I wanted to get closer to God and the Church like everyone else,” said Di-

menna, the president of his parish’s senior citizen group, SAGE, who had never attended the diocesan chrism Mass. “It was beautiful and inspiring, better than I imagined.”Attendants from the Asheville Vicariate and others joined over 100 priests and deacons from all parts of the diocese for the chrism Mass, celebrated at St. Patrick Cathedral on April 10. The priests concelebrated the sacred Mass with Bishop William G. Curlin.

In keeping with traditional Holy Week observances, the Mass’ purpose is to bless three different oils used in sacramental and liturgical practices for all of the faithful. Moreover, dur-

See CHRISM MASS, page 15

2 The Catholic News & Herald churches, an ecumenical gathering in front of Rome’s Colosseum in May, the pope’s unprecedented “request for pardon” on behalf of the Catholic Church, and the pope’s visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall.

Italian, Inuit singers entertain pope, young people at Vatican VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Italian pop singers and Inuit “throat singers” from Canada entertained young people from the Diocese of Rome as they joined Pope John Paul II in preparation for the local celebration of World Youth Day. The Inuit singers, whose duet was composed of alternating guttural sounds, were among 47 young people from Canada who gathered with their Roman peers for the April 5 evening program in St. Peter’s Square. Pope John Paul, who called the young people the “sentinels of this dawn of the third millennium,” told them to go out into the whole world to share with all men and women the Gospel message of love and hope.

BBC program reconstructs life, times and face of Jesus MANCHESTER, England (CNS) — The face has dominated the front pages of British newspapers and magazines for a week. The hair and beard are cut short. The skin is dark and the eyes stare out. And underneath, the same question: “Is this the face of Christ?” The face is a reconstruction by forensic artists in Manchester, based on the skull of a first-century Jewish man, for “Son of God” — a three-part TV series being shown in April by the British Broadcasting Corp. The series, according to the BBC, reconstructs the life and times of Jesus and aims to strip away the layers of history from the biblical sites and reveal them as Jesus would have known them.

Work on revised Roman Martyrology complete, says Vatican official VATICAN CITY (CNS) — After more than 16 years of painstaking research, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has completed work on the revised Roman Martyrology. The book-length calendar of saints’ feast days has been sent to the Vatican printing press, Archbishop Francesco Pio Tamburrino, secretary of the congregation, told Catholic News Service April 6. The archbishop said details about changes in the liturgical book — which supplements the church’s

be even worse,” said Father John O’Byrne, pastor of St. Catherine Laboure Church in Torrance. In a unanimous decision the California Public Utilities Commission voted March 27 to raise energy rates by 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The increase is expected to boost rates by as much as 42 percent for some customers of Southern California Edison, and by up to 46 percent for some served

by Pacific Gas & Electric, known as PG&E. Cardinal issues racism pastoral on anniversary of King’s death CHICAGO (CNS) — On the 33rd anniversary of the April 4, 1968, assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Cardinal Francis E. George released a new pastoral letter on racism exhorting the faithful in the Archdiocese of Chicago to work to eliminate the sin of racism. “Its purpose is to draw people’s attention to the sin of racism, which is pervasive in our communities,” said Cardinal George about the document, titled “Dwell in My Love: A Pastoral Letter on Racism.” The letter follows “Moving Beyond Racism: Learning to See with the Eyes of Christ,” a pastoral on racism released April 4, 2000, by all the Illinois Catholic bishops. “Dwell in My Love” is longer and more specific to the Archdiocese of Chicago.

CNS photo by Dave Snyder, CRS

Priest addresses refugees at Ugandan camp Father John Idro addresses refugees at the Oliji Camp in Adjumani, Uganda. The priest is chaplain of a three-person pastoral team for some 70,000 refugees, many of them Sudanese, living in 37 camps in the area Future of ecumenical dialogue looks good, says cardinal ALBANY, N.Y. (CNS) — Australian Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, the recently retired president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said he is optimistic about the future of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. “The jubilee year 2000 gave us, I believe, solid motives for such optimism,” the cardinal said during a March 29 lecture at the College of St. Rose in Albany. The cardinal, who retired in March after serving in the Vatican post since 1989, gave numerous examples of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue during the jubilee year. He talked about the opening of the Holy Door at St. Paul Outside the Walls with leaders of other Christian

Episcopal

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April 13, 2001 Volume 10 • Number 31

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

April 13, 2001

The World in

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: April 19 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. Michael, Gastonia

the

April 21 — 5:30 p.m.

Rededication of Our Lady of Highways, Thomasville April 22 — 11 a.m.

Confirmation Holy Spirit, Denver April 23 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. Pius X, Greensboro April 26 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. Francis of Rome, Sparta

general calendar of seasons, feasts and holy days — will be revealed when the martyrology is released, perhaps in June. The book will include the feast days of the 446 saints canonized by Pope John Paul II and of the more than 1,200 people he has beatified, the archbishop said.

L.A. Catholic parishes, schools prepare for energy rate hike LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Pastors, faculty, students and parish staff at Catholic schools and churches across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are “dimming the lights.” They’re trying to conserve electricity — and reduce costs — as they prepare for the biggest energy rate hike in California history. “It’s going to hurt us, and if there’s a downturn in the economy, it’s going to

Diocesan

plan -

administering the Eucharist to those in homes and hospitals; are being held at the church hall beginning today and continuing on the next two Mondays, April 30 and May 7. Participants will receive certificates and must bring their experience and willingness. For further details, call Meg Smith at (828) 438-0774.

NEWTON — The Little Flowers Catholic Girls’ Group is for all Catholic girls ages five and up. The group meets today and every fourth Monday of the month at St. Joseph Church, 720 West 13th St., at 4 p.m. in the Holy Family Hall. For more details, call Debbie Vickers at (828) 495-2039.

24 BELMONT — The Bradley Institute for the Study of Christian Culture is sponsoring a session with Father Joseph Howard, the American Life League’s executive director of the Bioethics Advisory Commission, and Dr.

The next edition of

The Catholic News & Herald will be published on April 27.

The editor and staff of your diocesan newspaper extend Easter greetings to our readers in the 46-county Diocese of Charlotte

Bernard Nathanson tonight at 8 p.m. in the Student Commons Building of Belmont Abbey College, 100 BelmontMt. Holly Rd. Tonight’s topics of discussion include stem cell research, cloning, in-vitro fertilization, abortion and other areas. For details, call Victor Mraz at (704) 829-7364.

25 CHARLOTTE — All families who have suffered a loss are invited to attend the monthly memorial Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Call the church office at (704) 334-2283 with the name(s) of loved ones so they may be remembered during the Mass.

27 HOT SPRINGS — The Jesuit House of Prayer, 289 NW Hwy. 25/70, is sponsoring an Ignatian Retreat Weekend for men and women beginning tonight at 8 p.m. through April 29 with morning Mass and noon lunch. The weekend, directed by Jesuit Fathers Joseph McGovern and George Hohman and Mercy Sister Peggy Verstege, director. The weekend includes a brief history of St. Ignatius, an in-

April 13, 2001

Pope says society must welcome mentally ill, defend their rights VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II said society must welcome people suffering from mental illness and defend their rights and dignity. “The church looks with respect and affection on those who suffer such illness and exhorts the entire human family to welcome them, with special attention to those who are the most poor and abandoned,” Pope John Paul said April 4, at the end of his weekly general audience.

“May no one remain indifferent to these our brothers,” he said. The pope’s appeal came ahead of the April 7 celebration of World Health Day 2001, a U.N.-sponsored event under the theme: “Mental Health: Stop Exclusion — Dare to Care.” Organizers said they hoped to raise public awareness regarding mental disorders and stimulate debate on how to improve the current condition of mental health around the world.

Posters, Web site against abortion doctors ruled free speech SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) — In a ruling that overturned a $107 million verdict, a federal appeals court in San Francisco said March 28 that labeling doctors who perform abortions as butchers and criminals is protected free speech under the First Amendment. Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the Thomas More Center for Law and Justice, which represented seven of the eight defendants on appeal, praised the unanimous decision of a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Four doctors and two abortion clinics based in Oregon had won a $107 million judgment in 1999 against the American Coalition of Life Activists for its publication of the names and addresses of 12 doctors who perform abortions and use of “wanted” posters offering $5,000 for information leading to revocation of their medical licenses. An affiliated Web site called the “Nuremberg Files” had publicized information about hundreds of abortion doctors and compared their work to Nazi war crimes.

Catholic judge calls death penalty ‘state-sponsored homicide’ WASHINGTON (CNS) — Judge John Noonan Jr. of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals told an audience at The Catholic University of 7:30 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Anyone interested in her Irish-Catholic roots, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554-0720 for further information.

CHARLOTTE — There is a support group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s/dementia today and every fourth Monday from 10-11:15 a.m. in room E of the ministry center at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Activities for the memory-impaired are also being provided. For more information about the support group or the Adult Day Respite Program for the memoryimpaired, which meets every Monday and Wednesday, call Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135.

MORGANTON — Catholic Social Services and St. Charles Borromeo Church, 714 West Union St., are offering parish ministry classes for those who are ministering or would like to minister to the sick and elderly homebound. The classes; covering ministry, sick and elderly issues and

The World in

CNS photo from Catholic Press Photo

Canadians accept World Youth Day cross Young people from Canada accept the large World Youth Day cross at the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square April 8. The cross was to be taken to Canada for the July 2002 international celebration in Toronto.

America that capital punishment is “state-sponsored homicide.” Noonan, an alumnus of Catholic University who has taught at the University of Notre Dame, said that “a Catholic judge does have a serious problem if he has to rule over a case with the death penalty.”

The judge, himself a Catholic, joined Cardinal Avery Dulles, a Jesuit professor at Fordham University, for a panel discussion March 29 on the current Catholic debate on the morality of the death penalty. They spoke on the first day of a two-day conference at Catholic University on “The Morality of the Death Penalty: The Challenge for Law, Society and Religion.”

Church leaders alarmed over effects of gambling in South Africa CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) —

The proliferation of casinos in South Africa, a country relatively new to legal gambling, is having an alarming effect on families and communities, said a bishops’ spokesman and others concerned with social welfare.

“People are using money they can’t afford (to spend),” said Auxiliary Bishop Reginald Cawcutt of Cape Town, spokesman for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, noting that “it is devastating for children and families when wage earners put all their money into slot machines.” Last year the government granted 40 casino licenses nationwide. But, unlike many other countries where licenses are restricted to areas in need of development and where a tourist infrastructure could not be created without gambling, many of South Africa’s casinos are situated in low-income areas, where unemployment is rife and disposable income

April 21 BELMONT — The Office of Campus and Young Adult Ministry of the Diocese of Charlotte invites everyone to attend “A Day of Reflection: Being Catholic in the Carolinas” today from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Chi Rho House on the campus of Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the conclusion of Holy Week and the Lenten Theology on Tap program.

The topics include the history of Catholicism in the Carolinas, Franciscan and Ignatian Spiritualities and the presence and growth of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic Catholics in the Carolinas. For more information, call Will Esser at (704) 442-1119, Colleen McDermott at (704) 370-3212 or Jen Rupp at (704) 370-3359.

CHARLOTTE — The fund-raising committee of Our Lady of Assumption Church is hosting a golf tournament at Larkhaven Golf Club, 4801 Camp Stewart Rd., today, and golfers

and sponsors are needed to participate in the event. Proceeds will benefit the church debt reduction fund. For more information and entry forms, contact Vince Coscia at (704) 536-4287 or (704) 907-3163 or e-mail vacoscia@ AOL.com.

22 CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday today at 3 p.m. with traditional solemn Benediction and recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The sacrament of reconciliation is available at 2 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — Because of Holy Week, the charismatic Mass is being 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. Father Matthew Leonard from St. Gabriel Church is the celebrant for this month’s Mass. For further information, contact Josie Backus at (704) 527-4676.

The Catholic News & Herald 3

is scarce. Hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to a multimillion-dollar casino complex that opened in a working-class suburb of Cape Town in December.

Czech church spokesman cautiously welcomes gay rights law WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A Czech church spokesman cautiously welcomed a government-backed bill granting some legal rights to homosexual partnerships. However, he added that full recognition of legal marriage should be reserved for “the traditional family,” and he accused Czech society of showing “selective tolerance” toward homosexuals. “The church accepts that the state can recognize cohabiting homosexuals, whose lifestyles are a private matter,” said Father Daniel Herman, spokesman for the Catholic bishops’ conference, in a March 30 telephone interview. “But it should be stressed that family is the basic cell of society. The laws should not give the same status to other forms of partnership,” he said. The priest spoke as final drafting continued on the bill, which will extend marriage-style rights to homosexual partners.

Catholic-Methodist dialogue explores views of church WASHINGTON (CNS) — Starting a new round of U.S. Catholic-Methodist dialogue, theologians of the two traditions explored how biblical images of church are used in the teaching of their respective churches. The theme of the March 26-28 meeting in Washington was “The Church in Each Place and in All Places.” In a news release following the meeting, the participants said they found a wide range of agreement in the common biblical heritage and a wide variety of images of church used by both traditions. They found that in both churches the body of Christ is the most commonly used image of the church, although it is interpreted differently by Catholics and Methodists. Participants also discussed the goals of their new round of dialogue, the method of ecumenical dialogue in general and the different ways of doing theology together.

HENDERSONVILLE — The St. Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order meets today from 3-5 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West, in the office wing. Visitors and inquirers are welcome, and for more information, call Pat Cowan at (828) 884-4246.

NORTH WILKESBORO — St. John the Baptist de la Salle Church, 275 CC Wright School Rd., is celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday today at 2 p.m. with adoration of the blessed sacrament and with 3 p.m. Benediction and recitation of the chaplet of Divine Mercy. The sacrament of reconciliation is also being offered. For further information, call the church office at (336) 838-5562.

23 CHARLOTTE — Because of Holy Week, the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 Mecklenburg County-St. Brigid, an Irish-Catholic social and charitable inter-parish group, meets tonight at

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Di-

Gastonia church makes international connection with sister

By MICHELLE BUCKMAN Special to The Catholic News & Herald GASTONIA — St. Michael Parish in Gastonia recently hosted visitors from their sister parish, the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Chacraseca, Nicaragua. Ana and Dora Salgado, ages 15 and 17, visited the Gastonia area for a month to speak at local churches and schools about the Beca scholarship program.

Life in Chacraseca is far different from the luxuries of the States.

Ana and Dora were astonished by the modern conveniences used in everyday American life. “We’ve seen the tall buildings and busy cities on television, so that didn’t surprise us,” Dora explained, “but the technology amazed us.”

Her sponsor, Loraine Dalpiaz, shared in the amusement as they gazed at the dishwasher’s ability to actually clean dishes, to see the trash compactor compact the trash, an automated car-wash wash the car all on its own and an ATM machine hand out money.

In their home village, plumbing is non-existent. Outhouses are commonplace. Buckets of water are hauled from a well on the church grounds to a household tank for daily use, a system upgraded from the remaining four village wells where a pair of oxen are used to pull 435-foot ropes through dung and dirt to retrieve the water.

As the rope returns to the well in the older hand-dug wells, so do the contaminants.

Limited electricity is available, and so is television. American television shows as well as Brazilian soap operas can be tuned in, making the local teenagers well-aware of American culture.

They like American clothes and listen to American music. The girls’ favorite bands? The Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync.

Although much of the girls’ trip to the United States seemed like a vacation, they devoted many hours to promoting the Beca program, a scholarship fund for the youth of Chacraseca where schooling is only provided free through the sixth grade.

“Beca provides opportunities otherwise not available to the children of Chacraseca, to get an education, which is key to their future,” says Beca program coordinator Flo McCarthy.

The cost of providing a high school education for one child is roughly $250 annually. University costs approximately $800 per year. Thus far, 12 children have graduated through the Beca program and have obtained jobs as teachers and accountants. One has become a doctor. Currently, there are 75 students receiving school funds through the generosity of 35 sponsors. Many more sponsors are needed.

Beca is not limited to St. Michael’s parishioners. People throughout Gastonia and in other parts of the country have also become involved.

Those who feel incapable of providing the full educational needs of a child, but still feel drawn to aiding these children, donate school supplies or small sums of money for that purpose.

The next shipment of supplies will leave St. Michael Church in June.

The Beca program stemmed from the establishment of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a St. Michael Church sister parish after a visit to Nicaragua in 1991

by Father George Kloster, pastor of Saint Michael Parish at the time, and currently pastor of St. William Parish in Murphy and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hayesville.

During repeated sojourns to Latin America with other priests, Father Kloster hoped to discover a village to link to his North Carolina parish. He was deeply moved by a night procession in Chacraseca that convinced him he’d come to the end of his search. He established a connection with the small group of Maryknoll sisters serving the area and drew the support of interested parishioners at St. Michael.

This Sister Parish Committee and numerous donors and volunteers have built the relationship up to what it is today. “I consider myself a catalyst and nothing more,” says Father Kloster.

After a delegation of five visited Chacraseca, they determined their initial challenge was to develop a realistic source of income for the Chacraseca community.

The answer came in the form of a cement block factory, which was built and later furnished with a truck. The opportunity for work and income greatly improved life in the village, but despite the great advancements, much remains

to be done.

Sandy Holland, founding member of the Sister Parish Committee, was one of the first delegates to visit Chacraseca.

“Father George told me I would get as much out of this as I would give them.

He was right. That week there, that first time, was truly a religious experience.

To see and experience the faith of these people — it was by far the best gift I’ve ever received.”

With the assistance of St. Michael’s parishioners, the community also benefited by the construction of a parish hall, a dream come true for Sister Joan, a Maryknoll sister who has served in Nicaragua for many years.

The establishment of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a sister parish to St. Michael has greatly benefited the entire community in other ways as well. Doctors and dentists join the missionary trips to Chacraseca and volunteer their time and medicines to the people of the area. The most recent trip, in January, included several doctors, as well as lay people, visiting the children they sponsor.

J.A. Dalpiaz, Dora’s sponsor and an active volunteer who repeatedly visits Nicaragua, says that anyone who has ever made the trip to Chacraseca would go again because the experience affects everyone deeply.

“The mission is not only material but spiritual. By serving materially, you are serving spiritually. We are giving to people who really appreciate it — they see that people really care.” And that kind of sharing reaps emotionally high rewards.

Ana and Dora Saldago felt the best part of their trip was sharing their culture with American children. But the most fun was roller-skating, something they’d never done before. When asked how they felt about returning home, the feeling was mutual. Both girls loved the States, but missed their family. “It is so different in the United States. This visit produces a lot of sadness, and we wish Nicaragua would be this way.”

Maybe in the future, with a little help from their friends, it will be.

April 13, 2001

Economist to speak on Social Security system

BELMONT — Noted economist Dr. Stephanie A. Bell, assistant professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, does not agree with those who say the Social Security system is in danger of going bust.

Her lecture, “Uncovering the Truth about the Social Security ‘Problem,’” will be presented April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Blandford Room of the Student Commons at Belmont Abbey College. The lecture is sponsored by the Bradley Institute for the Study of Christian Culture at Belmont Abbey College.

Attendees should respond by April 18 by calling (704) 825-6884.

Bell will pose that the “problem” with Social Security is political rather than financial and believes that privatization of the system would be a mistake. A frequently published economist, she is member of the board of editors for the Journal of Economic Issues.

Belmont Abbey Chorus plans spring concert BELMONT — The Belmont Abbey Chorus presents its spring concert Thursday, April 26 at 8 p.m. in the historic basilica on the Belmont Abbey campus.

The concert is free and open to the public.

The chorus is directed by Jocelyn Thompson and accompanied by Karen Jacob.

Belmont Abbey is located at Exit 26 off Interstate 85. For more information, call (828) 825-6890.

April 13, 2001

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Woodend Academy offers young moms educational

By JIMMY ROSTAR Associate Editor BOONE — During her valedictorian speech last December, Jamie Moore Ferrell reflected on finding a friend in her principal. She thanked Donna Woodend for being an amazing teacher and a person who got to know her students on a personal level.

Ferrell graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average. Now working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Ferrell is armed with the tools that will help her for life.

In addition to the traditional pre-college curriculum, she lear ned about self-esteem. She learned the importance of being a successful member of society. And she learned how to be a good parent to her daughter, Allison.

Ferrell and her classmates are teen-age mothers. Without Woodend Academy, a private, nonparochial high school for teen moms in Boone, Ferrell said her life might have turned out much differently.

“Donna is just a wonderful person,” added Ferrell, now 19. “They don’t offer what she does in most towns, and so it was a really good opportunity.”

The founder and principal of Woodend Academy, Woodend identifies with many titles. “Chief administrator.” “Support person.” “Organizer.”

“Bottle washer.”

But the term Woodend identifies the most readily with is “mom.”

A mother of four, the parishioner at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Boone founded Woodend Academy in the summer of 1997.

Daughter Grace, then 16, “indicated to me that she knew several young women in her high school who had become pregnant and dropped out of high school,” Woodend said. “I was

saddened by the fact that these women were going to have to grow up so quickly, but I was even more saddened by the fact that they had dropped out of high school.”

Woodend, an educator whose degrees include one in curriculum development, devised a plan to open an institution to help young mothers finish high school. “I realized that now they have chosen to give life to their children, they were going to become teenage mothers and probably single parents,” Woodend said, “and they were going to need very strong academic tools in order to find a productive place in society and get back on track.”

After meeting a few hours a week at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center, Woodend’s burgeoning school found a Courtesy Photo permanent home at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.

“We could not have gotten started without the help of St. Elizabeth’s,” said Woodend. “St. Elizabeth’s provided the home for the school, and it also provided a wonderfully nurturing environment.”

The school eventually outgrew the space at the Catholic parish facility, and has since found a home at Boone United Methodist Church.

Father Conrad Hoover, then pastor of St. Elizabeth whom Woodend approached in 1997 about the possibility of housing the school at the church, continues to applaud the works of the Academy.

“This is a very positive way to address the issues of both unwed mothers and of being opposed to abortion and therefore encouraging mothers to have their babies,” said Father Hoover, now pastor at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. “It is a tragic situation

See ACADEMY, page 14

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April 6, 2001

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is with great joy that I express my sincere gratitude to the people of the Diocese of Charlotte for their generous response to the earthquake disasters that so terribly devastated the people of El Salvador and India in January and February of this year. Thousands of people died in these earthquakes and hundreds of thousands continue to remain without homes. Your prayers and your financial contributions have made a difference. As of March 31, a total of $84,932.74 has been raised by the Diocese of Charlotte for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Baltimore, Maryland to aid in that organization’s relief efforts in El Salvador and India. We have shown generously our desire to share in the mission of CRS, founded in 1943 by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, to assist those who are poor and marginalized throughout the world.

I am a strong supporter of the work of CRS. CRS only sponsors development and assistance programs that reflect and express the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. This organization has received numerous awards recognizing its work, its efficiency and its accountability to the funds it collects. Over 90% of funds raised by CRS goes directly to overseas programs that benefit those who are poor.

Our diocese has a strong tradition of supporting the work of CRS, through special appeals such as our earthquake relief appeal as well as through CRS programs like Operation Rice Bowl.

This Lent as we journey along Christ’s way of self-sacrifice, we pray that our love of God and our love for others deepens. We especially ask the Lord to deepen our love for the less fortunate and those most in need of our prayers and support.

Supporting the work of organizations like CRS witnesses that we as Christians joyfully accept the challenge to carry the mission of our Lord to love one another to the far ends of this world.

I would like to end this message of thanksgiving with words of wisdom and guidance from the Holy Father: In Lent the ‘offering’ assumes a deeper meaning, because it is not just giving something from the surplus to relieve one’s conscience, but it is truly taking upon one’s self the misery of the world. To look at the suffering faces of many brothers and sisters forces us to share at least a part of our own goods. In this Lenten season, I want to invite all believers to an ardent and confident prayer to the Lord, because it allows each person to experience anew His mercy. Only this gift will help us to welcome and live the love of Christ in an ever more joyful and generous way (from the Vatican, January 7, 2001).

My dear brothers and sisters once again on behalf of Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops I thank you for your generosity. I pray that you have a blessed Easter.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

6 The Catholic News & Herald Girl sentenced in Catholic school shooting WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (CNS) — An apologetic Elizabeth C. Bush was given an open-ended sentence to a juvenile psychiatric facility April 4 after pleading guilty to having shot a classmate at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport March 7. Bush, 14, was tried as a juvenile on the recommendation of all parties, including the family of Kimberly Marchese, the girl wounded in the shoulder in the lunch-hour shooting in the school cafeteria. “I just want to say I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you,” Bush told Marchese during the hearing in Lycoming County Court. Marchese, also 14, attended the court session with her arm still in a sling. Under the terms of the sentence, Bush could be held in the behavioral health service unit of New Morgan Academy near Reading until she is 21 and could undergo further detention in an adult facility after that.

Theologian criticized by Vatican wrote interreligious guidelines ROME (CNS) — A Jesuit theologian whose book on non-Christian religions drew Vatican doctrinal congregation criticism in February was a main behind-thescenes architect of current Vatican interreligious dialogue guidelines, originally published in 1991. Speaking at Jesuit-run Gregorian University April 5, Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said Jesuit Father Jacques Dupuis was a member of the drafting committee for the Vatican document, “Dialogue and Proclamation.”

Bishop Fitzgerald also said the church owed Father Dupuis a “debt of gratitude for his pioneering work” in trying to make theological sense of religious plurality.

McVeigh execution ‘tests the mettle’ of death penalty opposition INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) — The impending execution of Timothy McVeigh “tests the mettle of the emerging Catholic view about the inappropriateness of capital punishment” like no other case, said the archbishop of Indianapolis, in whose state the execution will take place. In an April 2 statement, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein said that, with McVeigh due to be the first person executed by the federal government in 38 years, “many believe no criminal is more deserving of the death penalty.”

The statement was signed by Archbishop

People in the

CNS photo by Lisa Benoit, Hawaii Catholic Herald

Shelly Mecum addresses copy of book for pope Shelly Mecum holds the first copy of “God’s Photo Album,” a book she wrote with students at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. She addressed the first copy to Pope John Paul II.

Buechlein as head of the Indianapolis Archdiocese, general chairman of the Indiana Catholic Conference and member of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. McVeigh is scheduled to be executed May 16 at the federal prison in Terre Haute.

He was convicted on 11 federal counts of conspiracy and murder for the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Ex-White House official joins Georgetown law faculty WASHINGTON (CNS) — John D. Podesta, who served as White House chief of staff under President Clinton, has been named a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Podesta will teach courses on legislation, congressional investigations, copyright and public interest law — subjects he also taught at Georgetown

law center while on the White House staff — and work to establish a Center on Law and Technology at Georgetown. A 1976 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Podesta founded Podesta Associates Inc., a Washington government relations and public affairs firm, in 1988 with his brother, Tony.

Ohio nun inspires others to walk for multiple sclerosis WASHINGTON (CNS) — For Sister Karen Zielinski, participating in the annual MS Walk in Toledo, Ohio, and assisting the Multiple Sclerosis Society in other ways is much more than a volunteer job. “For me, it’s a ministry,” said Sister Karen, communications director for the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio. “It’s such a great cause. I want to empower people to help find a cure

April 13, 2001

for MS.” It’s also a cause that is very close to Sister Karen’s heart. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 21, she has been living with the disease for more than 25 years. For the past eight years, the Sisters of St. Francis have been organizing into teams of a dozen or more for the annual MS Walk.

Last year the group calling itself The Sister Act brought in donations of $10,000 — the most money raised by any group of walkers in the Toledo area.

Former Republican chairman nominated for Vatican post WASHINGTON (CNS) — Jim Nicholson, a Catholic who is former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has been nominated to be ambassador to the Holy See. President Bush April 6 announced his intention to nominate the 63-year-old Nicholson, who would succeed Corinne “Lindy” Boggs. The nomination requires confirmation by the Senate. “Jim Nicholson is a proven leader who will bring a solid sense of commitment to his work with the Holy See on critical world issues,” Bush said in a statement. Nicholson is an Iowa native who became a Colorado real estate developer and an active volunteer for various organizations. He chaired the Republican National Committee from 1996 through last year’s elections. He currently is on the staff of the Washington law firm Greener and Hook.

Pope donated $7.2 million to charity in 2000, report says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II gave about $7.2 million in disaster relief and development projects in 2000, according to the Vatican’s coordinating agency for charitable donations. In an annual report released April 7, the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” said its activities in 2000 included encouraging church aid organizations to maintain their distinctive Catholic identity. According to the report, the pope gave more than $1 million to 32 disaster relief projects in 2000, with the largest single donation of $140,000 going to help flood victims in Mozambique. The pope also financed 53 “projects of human and Christian promotion” totaling $888,805. Most were programs for literacy, health, and assistance to women and children in poor countries in Africa, Asia and the former Soviet republics.

April 13, 2001

CCHS grad raises funds for World Camp

CHAPEL HILL — Blair Holloway, a Charlotte native and a graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School, has teamed up with eight students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to found a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of impoverished children around the world.

World Camp for Kids, Inc. is currently raising money to fund camps for African children in Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa this summer. The World Camp for Kids team will travel to southern Africa to provide 20 two-day camps reaching at least 100 children per camp.

To fund the camps, World Camp for Kids hopes to reach its goal of $50,000 in donations. World Camp has already received confirmation letters from 14 schools in Africa requesting camps from the organization from more than 1,800 children. The group hopes to raise enough money to provide each child at the camps with a toothbrush, a picture of themselves, a T-shirt and two nutritious lunches.

“If we each make a small contribution, together we will be able to make a big difference in the lives of these kids,” said Holloway, who graduated from CCHS in 1999 and is now a sophomore radiological science major at UNC.

From the The World Camp teams will educate the children about environmental protection, personal hygiene and technology. By raising awareness about these issues, as well as about AIDS prevention in a region where one in 10 are infected, the team hopes to boost the children’s self-esteem and sense of community pride.

“Since AIDS is becoming an ever-growing problem in many regions in Africa, we feel it is vital to share our knowledge about AIDS with the kids there,” said Holloway. We want to make a difference in the lives of these children who were not born in the comfortable environment that we have been blessed with in the United States.”

Laura Ivey and Baker Henson, two of Holloway’s fellow students at UNC, were inspired to begin the organization after a trip to South Africa in the spring and summer of 2000.

“It was an amazing experience to see how people live in an entirely different area of the world,” Henson said. “It made me realize how much I’ve taken for granted living in America.

This inspired us to start an organization that would concentrate on enriching the lives of children who were not born with health, wealth and prosperity.”

“Many of the kids we came in contact with last year seemed very insecure about themselves and their community in Africa,” said Ivey. “Just letting then know that someone was interested in them and believed they were special changed their lives. Some of them have even written to express their attitude.”

For more information about World Camp for Kids, contact (919) 967-7980.

The Catholic News & Herald 7

offers help, compassion and caring. It was originally founded at United Methodist Church in Dilworth and later moved to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church until 1988 when it moved to the Community Services Center on Spratt Street. In 1985, the ministry moved from its religious origin to a community-based organization funded by Mecklenburg County, United Way, religious, corporate and individual donations.

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte In 1999, it had a fiscal budget of $5.l milRegional Office of Catholic Social Services lion. In 1999, Crisis helped resolve 19,439 has named Caroline Love Myers the 2001 emergencies ranging from evictions and Beatty Award recipient. utility shut offs, to hunger Myers recently retired and homelessness. after 25 years of service as Prior to Myers’s work the Executive Director of founding Crisis Assistance Crisis Assistance Ministry Ministry, she was the diand she more than fills rector of Community Misthe requirements of comsions at Covenant Presbymunity involvement and terian Church, part-time generosity for this award. instructor at CPCC, regThe Beatty Award is istrar at Queens College, given annually in recogand a math and history nition of a person whose teacher at Charlotte Counstrong religious faith has try Day School. prompted him/her to give Myers will be preback to the community sented formally with the in church related and/or 2001 Beatty Award on public service works in the Thursday, May 10th at Charlotte Mecklenburg the Catholic Social Servicarea. Col. J. Francis Beatty es “Wings of Hope Annual Caroline Love Myers served as a U.S. Army ofGala” at Founders Hall. ficer in three wars, was a For information regarding member of the Knights of sponsoring or attending Malta, was involved in the textile, trucking this event, contact Brady Drummondand warehouse industries and delivered hot Ryan at 704-370-3349. meals to shut-ins until his death at age 89.

Previous recipients of the Beatty The recipient of this award must emulate Award include Jerry Fox in 2000, Janice the fine qualities of Col. J. Francis Beatty.

Valder-Offerman in 1999, Diane English in This year’s recipient, Caroline Love 1998, Sister Mary Thomas Burke in 1997, Myers, is a native of Charlotte and founded Peter Keber in 1996, John Engler in 1995, the very ministry she helped to open in Ray Farris in 1994, Chuck Grace in 1992 April 1975. The Crisis Assistance Ministry and James Babb in 1991. provides emergency financial assistance for low-income citizens. The agency also

Beatty Award recipient announced

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Di-

April 13, 2001

Spirited volunteers honored for extraordinary service

By JOANN S. KEANE Editor HICKORY — A

gifted musician, a talented artist, a champion of Native Americans, a tireless workhorse, a multilingual saving grace for immigrants, a champion of life issues, a smiling warm face that welcomes clients, and a couple with an open door and heart to children in crisis.

These are the recipients of the 2000 Spirit Awards. On a recent Tuesday at the Catholic Conference Center, 10 tireless volunteers were honored by Catholic Social Services, bestowed with the Spirit Award, recognized and profusely thanked for each and every act of kindness in the name of the Catholic Social Services ministries.

Some have overcome incredible odds in their own lives; yet find the time and determination to volunteer. Some are seeking a way to give back to the community. Some are a living testament to reaching out to others. All have one thing in common: In the eyes of Catholic Social Services, they are blessings; answers to calls for help, champions for those in need.

And so, on a crystal clear spring morning, The Charlotte, Piedmont Triad Regional, and Western Regional offices, along with the Justice and Peace ministry, Refugee Resettlement Office and Special Ministries teamed up to provide an appropriate celebration in honor of this year’s recipients. The honorees are:

Elizabeth Corcoran Sonya Hayden, coordinator of Volunteer Services for the Refugee Resettlement Office, introduced their honoree, a woman, who was given the prognosis of six months to live; that was in 1973. In the early ’80s, she signed on with the Refugee Office, “and with the grace of God is still very active and helping other people,” said Hayden. Though Corcoran is at the mercy of a wheelchair or motorized scooter, she utilizes the City’s special transportation services to arrive — with regularity — at the Senior Center in Charlotte, where she teaches English and explains American culture and customs to senior refugees.

“The impact on the refugees she teaches is remarkable. In some cultures, the physically handicapped are considered helpless and even useless. The senior refugees are not only learning English from Elizabeth, but they have come to understand that no matter what your age, gender or physical challenge, every person has worth and can be productive.”

Mary Finlayson When Sandra Breakfield, director of Elder Ministries thinks of music, she thinks of Mary Finlayson. “The two go hand-in-hand. Through her music, she is able to reach people of all ages. It’s amazing the barriers she’s able to go through with her gift of music. Her unselfish giving of her talent as well as herself has been an extraordinary contribution to CSS Elder Ministry. Although Mary does not drive, that has not hindered her ability to minister to others through her music, as evidenced by her volunteering almost every day of the week. Mary’s concern, commitment and compassion has spoken to this generation, and through Barbara Tinsley Western Regional Office Director Trinitarian Sister Marie Frechette hears chit-chat outside her office and knows some CSS staffer is connecting with Barbara [Bobbie] Tinsley. She also knows, “Bobbie is making someone’s life brighter.” Bobbie Tinsley “answers our phones and door with patience and grace. Her faithful friendly caring manner represents the best of what CSS stands for to our clients. Bobbie came to our dedication and open house and five days later, she was filling that need on a regular basis. She is kind, helpful, dedicated and dependable. Her special talent is seeing a need and filling it. We are grateful for her unique qualities and for her willingness to share them with us.”

Contact Editor Joann Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@ charlottediocese.org Photos by Joanne S. Keane

Ed Konarski Terri Jarina, director of diocesan Operation Rice Bowl efforts, said, “Ed has chaired the Catholic Relief Services diocesan committee since its inception in 1996. He was instrumental in launching the mini-grant program that provides funding up to $500 for projects or initiatives that include action on international justice and peace or local immigrant or migrant issues. Ed’s commitment to CRS’ programs is exemplified in his support of the Operation Rice Bowl Lenten program at his parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Morganton.”

April 13, 2001

Around the DiPat and Bea Staub Geri King, Director of the Charlotte Regional Office, had this to say on the Staubs’ involvement: “Pat and Bea Staub have been associated with CSS for many years following the adoption of their two children through CSS. They have been involved with the Adoption Auxiliary since its beginning and continue to generously support annual events by taking photographs of the children with Santa and chairing the spring picnic. The Staubs were responsible for the beautiful photography and design work of our Annual Report last year. In addition, Bea chaired the Charlotte Regional Office Annual Fundraiser, ‘Wings of Hope Gala,’ last spring.”

Marshall and Brenda Patterson Mabel Stevenson, director of the Piedmont Triad Region’s Host Homes programs, introduced the Pattersons, a couple who have spent nearly two decades as foster parents for troubled teens. To date, 47 Forsyth County youth in crisis have been welcomed into the Patterson home for varying spans of time. “Together, the Patterson family has made a difference in the lives of many children by frequently and willingly opening their heart and home to those in need. They are committed, compassionate and sincere individuals who truly care about the people in their community and feel compelled to give back. Host Homes is truly blessed for the opportunity to work with such a unique family.” Stevenson also recognized the Pattersons’ 10th-grade son, who participates in the Host Homes Program. “He is a member of the Teen Council and like his parents, he is a very dedicated and reliable young man.”

Jack Sweeney Maggie Nadol, Respect Life Coordinator, knows passing down the teaching that life is precious sometimes becomes a difficult task, in the world of today. “Jack has taken it upon himself, especially through the March for Life to gather the youth of our diocese and make sure we have a strong presence at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. For his continued way of rallying people, we recognize and thank him.”

Mary Herr Barney Offerman, director of the diocesan Catholic Campaign for Human Development, called Mary Herr “the ultimate volunteer.” Unable to attend the Hickory luncheon, Herr was volunteering in Western North Carolina, a previous commitment. “In a way, the best way to characterize her is [to say] she has a servant mentality, which is a very hard thing to maintain when dealing organizationally.

She’s worked with the Cherokee Indians for years, she’s a regional consultant both to Hispanics and Native Americans in the Cherokee and Bryson City areas. She’s been a faith formation consultant, and a spirited Justice advisor and advocate in the Smoky Mountain Vicariate. She has done pastoral work with St. Joseph in Bryson City and also did pastoral work with Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Cherokee.”

The Catholic News & Herald 9

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Book explores modern bioethics, morality issues

By RICHARD M. DOERFLINGER Catholic News Service People who suspect that Catholic orthodoxy is boring — that it has pat answers for everything and that it leaves no issue open for discussion — should read “Catholic Bioethics and the Gift of Human Life.”

Author William E. May is a thoroughly orthodox Catholic layman who has taught moral theology at The Catholic University of America and the John Paul II

CATHOLIC BIOETHICS AND THE GIFT OF HUMAN LIFE, by William E. May. Our Sunday Visitor (Huntington, Ind., 2000). 340 pp., $17.95.

Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, both in Washington. He enthusiastically supports the teaching and ministry of Pope John Paul II, and draws heavily from his encyclicals and from r e c e n t Vat i c a n documents to set forth the church’s teachings.

But in surveying some of the hottest issues in modern bioethics — euthanasia, reproductive technologies, brain death, organ transplants, etc. — May is careful to show areas where theologians who accept those teachings differ on how to apply them.

Especially fascinating is May’s analysis of one of the most bizarre dilemmas created for us by the new biolog y: whether faithful Catholics may “adopt” frozen embryos which have been created in a laboratory and then abandoned by the biological parents. May a Catholic woman offer to have such an embryo implanted in her womb, and raise the child as her own, within the bounds of Catholic teaching on reproduction? This issue has been vigorously debated in Great Britain, where a national law calls for disposal of such “orphan embryos” after a certain period of time. The question has gained greater visibility in the United States due to a proposal by the National Institutes of Health to use these embryos for destructive experiments.

The author thinks that an effort to rescue these embryos from disposal or permanent freezing does not violate church teaching against “surrogate” motherhood, but is a prenatal form of adoption — a praiseworthy service to human life that takes place after other people have already violated

April 13, 2001

Read-

the moral law. However, he carefully and respectfully reviews the arguments of those who disagree, and he has generally shown them his summaries of their arguments to make sure he is not misrepresenting them.

May’s book gives the reader an inside look at how a disputed question in Catholic ethics can be responsibly argued and (perhaps) resolved, without disputing church teaching.

May outlines similar disagreements on certain new reproductive technologies, on artificially assisted feeding for patients in a so-called “vegetative” state (a term he dislikes for its suggestion that such patients are less than human persons), and on using permanent loss of brain function as a way to diagnose death. On each of these questions he generally takes the more rigorous position — that is, he thinks other ethicists are mistaken in giving their moral approval to certain practices.

W hether one agrees or disagrees with May’s position, however, his text and footnotes provide good material for coming to one’s own conclusions. On the i s s u e of “ b r ai n death” the pope himself has made recent comments that seem to accept the idea of diagnosing death by finding irreversible loss of brain functions; May thinks there is new evidence that may demand a reassessment of “brain death.”

When covering older issues, such as contraception, May does not merely review old arguments but tries to provoke a new appreciation for the church’s concerns. For example, he tries to show that acceptance of contraception is much more a pathway to abortion — is more “anti-life” — than most Catholics are ready to admit.

Here and throughout, his discussion is “rooted in the conviction that human life, even when heavily burdened, is always a great and precious gift of God.” This book is both less and more than a basic textbook in Catholic bioethics. It does not provide a detailed analysis of concepts such as natural law or the principle of double effect, but illustrates how these concepts can be applied to resolve particular problems. It also often goes beyond abstract conclusions to provide practical guidance to people facing medical dilemmas — from genetic counseling before conception to advance directives at the end of life.

Researchers and medical professionals, theology students and Catholic

Word to Life

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

By DAN LUBY Catholic News Service He would turn 6 in October, after the deadline, and his parents were content to put off first grade for another year. But the little boy was devastated. He wheedled and raged and played school in his room until his parents found a nearby private school willing to fudge the age requirement; they watched with pleasure his excitement at hearing the good news.

Imagine their amazement when the morning of the long-awaited first day of school dawned only to find the boy refusing to go. School clothes eagerly laid out the night before, new lunchbox, school supplies — nothing could rekindle the fire of enthusiasm that had made it hard for him to sleep just 10 hours earlier.

Good news, by definition, is both good — which we’re usually happy about — and new. It was the newness of school which floored the little boy.

Faced with the reality rather than the dream, self-doubt assailed him.

Would new kids like him? Could he do the work? Would he make mistakes and miss his mother and start to cry?

One of life’s persistent ironies is that the changes we yearn for from

afar often frighten us when at long last they appear.

It’s striking how often Easter Season readings, like this Sunday’s from Revelation, urge the disciples, “Do not be afraid!” To follow the risen Lord is to embrace good news, but it is news that calls us to conversion.

It calls us to leave behind the comfort of the familiar and to embrace the path of new life with all its adventure and uncertainty, its challenge and its promise.

The boy went, fearfully, that first day. And though he always resisted change, fought leaving the comfortable old for the mysterious new, he grew to love school and found in its challenges a path to deeper life.

May our continuing Easter celebration give us the courage to embrace its message in both its joyful goodness and its sometimes scary newness.

QUESTIONS: What is one step your faith has invited you to take which required overcoming a fear? What was one time you found yourself resisting goodness out of fear of change?

Weekly Scripture Readings for the week of April 15 - 21, 2001 Easter Sunday, Acts 10:34, 37-43, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, John 20:1-9; Monday, Acts 2:14, 22-23, Matthew 28:8-15; Tuesday, Acts 2:36-41, John 20:11-18; Wednesday, Acts 3:1-10, Luke 24:13-35; Thursday, Acts 3:11-26, Luke 24:35-48; Friday, Acts 4:1-12, John 21:1-14; Saturday, Acts 4:13-21, Mark 16:9-15 Readings for the week of April 22 - 28, 2001 Second Sunday of Easter, Acts 5:12-16, Revelation 1:9-13, 17-19, John 20:1931; Monday (St. George, St. Adalbert), Acts 4:23-31, John 3:1-8; Tuesday (St. Fidelis), Acts 4:32-37, John 3:7-15; Wednesday (St. Mark), 1 Peter 5:5-14, Mark 16:15-20; Thursday, Acts 5:27-33, John 3:31-36; Friday, Acts 5:34-42, John 6:1-15; Saturday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis de Montfort), Acts 6:1-7, John

April 13, 2001

Video reviews

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

“The Apostle” (1997) When a Texas Pentecostal preacher (Robert Duvall) becomes distraught over losing his congregation and wife (Farrah Fawcett) to a younger minister, he bashes his rival’s head with a baseball bat, then flees to a rural Louisiana community where he revitalizes an old church and starts a radio ministry whose growing popularity leads to his arrest. Also written and directed by Duvall, this portrait of an evangelical preacher explores his religious zeal and personal failings as seen within the human context of a Southern community, all of which is played out with sincerity and conviction in an often compelling story. A strong scene of violence, menacing situations and marital infidelity.

The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Universal) “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” (1973) Director Franco Zeffirelli’s version of the oft-told story of Francis of Assisi (Graham Faulkner) treats him as secular saint and social heretic, emphasizing parallels between his age and our own. The strength of the movie lies in its rich visualization of the natural beauties of the Umbrian hills and the Romanesque architecture of medieval Assisi. While the lush and lavish production has nothing to do with the Franciscan spirit of poverty and simplicity, it is a pictorially beautiful movie which succeeds quite well in celebrating nature and the quest for finding more to life than accumulating material goods. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance sug-

Entertaingested. (Paramount) “Easter Parade” (1948) Irving Berlin musical about a vaudeville dancer (Fred Astaire) who loses one dancing partner (Ann Miller) but gains stardom with another (Judy Garland).

Directed by Charles Walters, the story is little more than adequate but the principals make it all seem to matter and the songs and dance numbers are bright and cheery.

The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

(MGM) “Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story” (1996) Compelling dramatization of the early life of Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day (Moira Kelly) as a young journalist whose agonizing over failed love affairs leads her to reflect on her life and, in doing so, discovers God, then meets Peter Maurin (Martin Sheen) and puts his ideas of social justice into practice during the Depression. Directed by Michael Ray Rhodes, the biographical movie depicts a woman’s spiritual journey in convincing dramatic fashion, though it is largely interior, deeply religious and specifically Catholic in its sensibilities.

Realistic treatment of love affairs, an abortion and a suicide as well as some coarse language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG13 — parents are strongly cautioned.

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Paulist Productions) “Gospel Road” (1973) Produced by Johnny Cash and filmed in locales around Jerusalem, the movie is a very personal and sincere interpretation of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. Directed

by Robert Elfstrom (who is often seen as the Christ figure), it avoids for the most part a literal portrayal of the events of the New Testament and wisely opts for a symbolic visualization. Cash appears as on-screen narrator as well as vocalist backed by a country-folk musical score and the result reflects, better than most, the spirit of the Gospels. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. (Fox) “Green Pastures” (1936) Warmly sympathetic, gently hu-

morous fantasy from Marc Connelly’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play portraying stories from the Old Testament as imagined in the cultural idiom of black youngsters in a rural Sunday school of a long-ago segregated South. Directed

by Connelly and William Keighley, the all-black cast carries off the narrative’s mixture of whimsy and reverence in high style, with a commanding performance by Rex Ingram as De Lawd and appropriate gospel music by the Hall Johnson choir. Considered a positive portrayal of black folk culture and religious feeling by audiences of the time, the work still has considerable charm and emotional appeal today, especially for those interested in the history of the African-American community. Parents, however, should be sensitive that its picture of blacks may be misunderstood as patronizing or demeaning unless seen in historical context. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (MGM) “Lilies of the Field” (1963) When an itinerant jack-of-all-trades (Sidney Poitier) stops to help a group of German nuns newly arrived in New Mexico, his cheerful generosity is disdained by the stern, demanding Mother Superior (Lilia Skala) until he builds them a chapel with the aid of the local Mexican-American community.

Directed by Ralph Nelson, the movie’s simple little story of the triumph of faith coupled with good will has enormous charm in the winning performances of the two principals, some good-natured comedy and an infectious theme song

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that will leave viewers humming “Amen.” The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (MGM) “Resurrection” (1980) Engrossing but flawed drama about a woman (Ellen Burstyn) who discovers that she has the power to heal people after barely surviving a tragic accident in which she loses her husband. The screenplay by Lewis John Carlino sets up a fascinating situation, but neither Carlino nor director Daniel Petrie is able to work it out in satisfactory fashion. The spiritual side of faith healing is dealt with in very unimaginative fashion showing the afterlife, for example, as being, quite literally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Theme and language require a mature perspective.

The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested.

(Universal)

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

April 13, 2001

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope: Liturgy of the Hours unites Christians with Holy Spirit

By John Norton Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Praying the Liturgy of the Hours unites Christians in a unique way with the Holy Spirit and the whole church in praise of God and in intercession for the world’s salvation, Pope John Paul II said.

He said the traditional church prayer, structured around the Psalms, enables believers to sanctify each part of their day by reflecting on the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.

The pope made his remarks April 4 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. It was the second of a series of talks that he said are intended to promote — especially among lay people — the practice of the Liturgy of the Hours.

He said Christians who recite the Psalms “experience a sort of harmony” with the Holy Spirit’s own prayer.

“In praying the Psalms at different moments of the day, it is the Holy Spirit himself who, dwelling in us through the grace of baptism, is praying in us with ‘sighs too deep for words,”’ said the pope.

Early Christian monks were convinced, he said, that in reciting the prayers “their faith allowed the Psalms’ verses to release a special ‘energy’ of the Holy Spirit.”

In addition, Christ continues his mission on earth through believers who recite the Liturgy of the Hours, because the prayers unite the church in praise of God and intercession for the salvation of the whole world, he said.

The Christian tradition of the Liturgy of the Hours developed gradually from the recitation of the Hebrew Psalms, which church leaders associated with different times of the day, week and year, the pope said.

The rhythm of the prayers centered on the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection, he said.

“Christian prayer is born, nourished and developed around the event of the faith par excellence — the paschal mystery of Christ. In this way, in the morning and at night, from the rising to the setting of the sun, Easter — the Lord’s passing from death to life — was recalled,” he said.

“To recite the Psalms in this way is to immerse ourselves in the ocean of life and grace which is the mystery of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” he said.

Teen Disturbed By Hypocrisy A young woman wrote a letter to me to share her dismay at certain aspects of life in her Catholic high school.

I won’t go over the details, but what it all came down to was her perception that actions just weren’t matching up to words. In her mind, her school was “Catholic” in name only.

She concluded her note by telling me that she was currently searching for a religion that didn’t embody so much of what she described as “hypocrisy.”

Uh-oh. Uh-oh for her, and uh-oh for the rest of us. Let’s take the rest of us first.

This teen wasn’t exactly dumping on her peers, although their behavior clearly irked her. No, her gripe was more that the un-Christian behavior of her peers was being tolerated by adults, and the whole mess was being ignored so everyone’s sense of their faith could remain unchallenged.

So there’s point No. 1. So often we think that our behavior is purely our own business, right? We think that as long as we’re not physically harming ourselves or others we’re OK. But there are lots of ways to harm others, even indirectly. No, we can’t run around the planet bearing responsibility for everyone else’s perceptions on our shoulders.

We can, however, stop and remember before we engage in hypocritical behavior that others are watching us — others who are wondering what being a Christian is all about. If what they see is tinged with hypocrisy, we have, indeed done some harm.

Now the uh-oh for her. And maybe for you, too.

The presence of hypocrisy is no reason to abandon one’s faith, though that may be tempting since you have to wonder what power this faith has when you see people — adults or other kids — living in violation of it.

You have to wonder if it’s really as true and as good as they say it is when they can’t even bother to really let it mold their lives. Yes, you have to wonder, and there’s nothing wrong with that kind of wondering. But in the end you have to remember one other very important thing: The truth of something isn’t determined by how well people live it.

You believe in honesty, right? I’m sure you do. I’m sure you strive to be an honest person, and I’m sure you would

Economy of Faith FATHER JOHN S. RAUSCH, Glenmary Guest Columnist

an abusive situation longer than necessary because verbal abuse reduces their self-esteem. They also fear losing custody of the children. But, abuse escalates; it never lessens.

Many victims seek help only after the perpetrator touches the children.

Additionally, poverty in itself limits a victim’s options.

Lacking adequate education, starting a family at an early age and being abused as a child narrows the possibilities for a victim in poverty. In rural areas add the additional constraints of few available jobs and no public transportation.

“We can no longer blame the victim,” reflects Sister Mary Kay. “The question is not why does she stay, but why does he abuse and why do we as a society permit it.”

The U.S. Catholic bishops in their 1994 pastoral message, “Confronting a Culture of Violence,” suggest the church must do more: “We can incorporate ways to handle family conflict in our religious education and sacramental preparation programs. We can work for public policies that confront violence, build community and promote responsibility.”

Sister Mary Kay views domestic abuse and physical violence as learned behavior. “When children kill children we adults have failed miserably. They ultimately learned violence because we modeled it.”

The National Domestic Violence hot line is (800) 799-7233.

Coming of Age Amy Welborn CNS Columnist

much prefer to deal with honest people than liars.

But are you 100 percent honest all the time? Good for you if you are, but I imagine that most of you, like the rest of the human race, have at some time in the last few weeks shaded the truth in at least one conversation you’ve had.

Does the fact that you violated your own value of honesty make that value suddenly a false one?

Does the fact that you don’t perfectly live out the teachings of Christ make those teachings invalid?

No. You know that just isn’t the case. The church, like any institution, is filled with imperfect people and even a few outright hypocrites. It’s filled with people who stumble and fall, who — like Peter — betray Jesus in big and small ways.

But in the end, as discouraging as that may be, we have to remember that the way people live doesn’t define what’s true.

When we’re seeking faith, it’s not other people who should be our final guide. It’s Jesus.

Violence against women This true story from a safe house in rural Appalachia demonstrates what many women fear, and some face, when a horror movie turns real. The husband comes home drunk and has a gun. Frustrated with the world, he wields his power over the people he can more easily control, his wife and family. In a display of mountain machismo he shoots the phone off the wall then threatens to kill his family and commit suicide. Time to think fast. The woman calms her husband as best she can, then asks to beg some cigarettes at the neighbor’s. Without purse or coats she and her three kids dash into the cold January night before he changes his mind. The neighbor drives the get-away car. At the shelter she continues crying and shaking hysterically. In her panic she has even wet on herself. Slowly the care and warmth at the shelter — the cup of herbal tea, the hot bath, the clean clothes — soothe her, and by 2 a.m. she and her family can settle in for the night, six hours after the ordeal began. The next morning she’ll start from scratch, knitting her life back together.

In the U.S. a woman is physically abused every nine seconds. Women are more frequently victims of domestic violence than victims of burglary, mugging or other physical crimes combined.

The statistics on violence against women indicate no assurance for a woman’s safety even among kith and kin.

Two-thirds of the attacks on women are perpetrated by someone the victim knows, frequently a husband or boyfriend. Forty-two percent of murdered women are killed by an intimate male partner. Nationally, 50 percent of all homeless women and children became homeless because of domestic violence.

Why so much violence against women? Why the frequency of assaults? Sister Mary Kay Drouin, an Adrian Dominican with over 25 years of experience in spouse abuse ministry, believes society simply allows violence against women to continue. “Men must realize that family violence is a serious problem and not joke about it. An assault is a crime, whether against a stranger or your spouse.”

Domestic violence reaches across all socio-economic classes, gripping victims in different ways. Well-educated middle class victims with marketable skills can remain in

April 13, 2001

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle Msgr. Jim Lisante Guest Columnist

gun down or give it to me.’”

The ending, happily, was positive. Brent was successful in distracting the shooter. The gun got kicked away. Only one girl was wounded and, thank God, she was not seriously hurt.

Brent made a real difference. This young man decided to speak up, and to reach out to someone in pain. He put himself at enormous risk. He might just as easily have become the second victim of this senseless violence. But something in Brent Paucke compelled him to get involved. Out of darkness, he brought light. Maybe it was in his tone. Perhaps it was the surprise he presented in not running away. Maybe it was the reasoning he offered, “It doesn’t have to be like this. It can be better.” And because of him, it was.

I have no idea if Brent is a top-flight student. No notion whether he will become a corporate CEO, or make a million dollars or become a success as the world defines the notion.

But I know that now, and forever, Brent is someone who made a difference for the better. So on the anniversary of my school I found myself thinking that it’s fine to salute the most successful or powerful or accomplished. But it’s just as important to remember and celebrate those who were the most charitable, the most caring, and the most compassionate, the people who bother with people and don’t run away — people who make a difference by bothering to love.

Since you ask for it, my advice is to support her in doing everything possible with her friend. They can make life much more enjoyable and good for each other without giving in to what you are urging.

Q. There are strong theories today that intelligent life exists in other galaxies of the universe. With the trillions of stars, there must be more life out there somewhere.

What does the church say about this? Have there been Adams and Eves in other places? Or are we the only place with human life? (Maryland) A. About the only claim we can make for sure about such matters is that nothing in Catholic faith would deny the possibility of rational, conscious creatures in other parts of the cosmos.

God’s creative imagination and power is certainly not exhausted by the human lives we experience on this earth. There could easily be countless life forms with the capacity to know and relate to the Creator in a conscious way.

Considering the exuberant generosity with which God lavishes life of all kinds on the world around us, we might be excused for strongly suspecting that this divine extravagance isn’t limited to our time and place.

Beyond that, however, any theory about whether or how that extraterrestrial life might happen is, at least as of now, pure conjecture.

Some contend it is typical human arrogance even to question the existence of other intelligent life. We cannot be, they claim, the only fish in such a big pond.

That is not a strong argument, it seems to me.

It pretends to know more about what God expects and receives from creation than we will probably ever know this side of eternity.

A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask about ecumenism, intercommunion and other ways of sharing with people of other faiths is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Father John Dietzen,

Things That Truly Matter My parish school recently celebrated fifty years of educating children, from pre-school through the eighth grade. The school is growing each year, with all the classes filled and a waiting list in some grades. St. Thomas the Apostle School is vibrant and eagerly looking to the future. The vision of the founders who created a place where God-centered values can be celebrated is still a popular notion in America 2001.

With this anniversary celebration in mind, our planning committee began brainstorming last year about how to acknowledge this terrific school. It was suggested that we research the graduates and highlight those who were most successful, either in status or financial accomplishments for the festivities. We found many including Robert Wright, president of NBC and Phil Quartararo, president of Warner Brothers Music. The CEO’s of any number of companies were graduates of our parochial education. That made us all supremely proud. These people are wonderfully accomplished in the eyes of the larger society. Many of their values and ideals were formed in their families and in our school.

Then one day not long ago, we turned on the television and saw that, once again, kids were shooting kids at school.

Once more, teens were taking out their angers and frustrations by doing violence to others. In one case, this time at a Catholic high school in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the shooter was a freshman girl. She apparently had “issues” with another student and decided to take matters into her own hands. She brought a gun to school and started firing in the cafeteria. Classmates, as you might expect, dove for cover. No one knew what the girl was capable of doing. And this shooting came soon after a shooting incident in Southern California in which at least two students were killed.

But Brent Paucke, aged 14, decided to get involved.

Listen to his words: “The principal told me to get back, but you could tell that (the shooter) was really mad and she looked like she was about to go off on everybody. I got up and started toward her. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. She was saying, ‘I don’t want to live. I just want to commit suicide right here.’ And she pointed the gun at her head. I was saying... ‘You don’t have to do this. It doesn’t have to be like this. It can be better. Just put the

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

Q. My parents were married 45 years when my dad died several years ago. My mom is doing all right with a pension and lots of activities.

She has met a wonderful man, a widower, who wants to marry her. However, if they marry she will lose her monthly pension. If he dies, she would be left with nothing.

We have suggested that they just live together, but she has had a long Catholic education and thinks that is sinful.

If God is a loving God, I believe he would want them to share companionship for the rest of their days. She won’t ask this question of her priest. Will you give us an answer?

(Michigan) A. I believe the important answer is the one your mother is giving. It’s her life and her conscience, and she is responsible for it. To try to push her into something that is against what she is convinced God wants is obviously not good or loving.

I must say I agree with her. Maybe she feels that, even though she is old, she still has obligations of good example, to display what she knows are right values and ideals. She doesn’t want to undo in these final years what I’m sure she has been trying to teach her family throughout her life.

I’ve known many people who do what you are asking. If they have any strong spiritual background, however, they’re not awfully happy with their decision, even less so as time goes on.

The Catholic News & Herald 13

The Bottom Line Antoinette Bosco CNS Columnist Pope and Others Urge Saving the Environment Since the 1970s we have celebrated Earth Day in late April as a time to focus on our responsibility to revere nature, from which we derive all the products we need to survive as a people. This day of awareness came about because we were beginning to see the disastrous path we were on.

In the interests of becoming wealthy, comfortable, self-satisfied and loaded with new possessions and conveniences, we called ourselves modern, embraced even untested technology and ignored the many ways we were raping the earth. Taking notice, many called for a halt to environmentally destructive actions by proclaiming Earth Day. Well, not only are we not out of the woods yet, but we seem to be getting in deeper. Policies coming out of Washington are scary. Consider: We are not going to try to reduce carbon emissions which escalate global warming; we are lowering arsenic standards for drinking water, endangering millions; spurred by oil companies, we are looking into opening America’s last magnificent wilderness, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil drilling. What’s next?

These days I am again reviewing what Pope John Paul II spoke about shortly after the end of the jubilee year. He called for an “ecological conversion,” giving a broad definition of what he meant by that.

First, he referred to a “human ecology” that would “render the life of creatures more dignified” and protect the “radical good of life in all its manifestations.” He said that humanity must become ever more sensitive to the need to “prepare an environment” for future generations.

I also think everybody should meditate on these passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “A theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable” (No. 2424). “Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community” (No. 2426).

Recent news reports point out that European leaders are appalled that the United States has said it will not follow through on the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, in which 38 nations agreed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, an action necessary to contain global warming. Some say they suspect that America’s first interest is company profits, not world safety, and are calling this “irresponsible” and “arrogant.”

As for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Union of Concerned Scientists, in Earthwise (Spring 2001), called this attempt to ravage a glorious wilderness, a true national treasure, “shortsighted.” They estimated that all the oil gotten from drilling there would supply U.S. vehicles for only five months!

They sensibly recommend that we stop driving “gas guzzlers” and demand fuel efficient cars. “In less than three years the country would save more gasoline than ANWR could provide,” they say.

God gave us the earth and made us its stewards, to respect it and care for it. Our mandate from God is to complete the work of creation, to perfect its harmony for our own good and that of our neighbors.

We should take that mandate and responsibility most seriously.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

ACADEMY, from page 5

when these mothers have to drop out of school, and this provides them the possibility of getting a diploma and moving on with their lives.”

The school and its curriculum are state-certified, and in addition to traditional pre-college coursework, the program includes childcare, parenting classes, career counseling and tutoring. State-certified teachers volunteer their time to the program, and Woodend oversees a curriculum that is decidedly creative. Service learning majors from Appalachian State University assist in the program, and graduate students from the university teach expressive art therapy.

The school is a nonprofit organization funded by local churches, civic organizations and citizens.

“Woodend Academy really does meet a tremendous need,” said Father John Schneider, current pastor of St.

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Preschool Teachers: St. Mark Parish, Huntersville, is seeking dedicated and spiritual teachers for its new preschool opening fall 2001. The lead teacher candidate will be degreed in Early Childhood Education or similar education field. The assistant teacher candidate will be at least 21 and a high school graduate. Both candidates shall have experience working with young children. Competitive salary and some benefits. Send resume and salary requirements to: Preschool Director, St. Mark Catholic Church, 14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville, NC, 28707. Call (704)948-8015 for information or fax: (704)948-8018.

April 13, 2001

Around the DiElizabeth and a member of the Academy’s board of directors and trustees.

“It provides the girls with an opportunity to complete their education, and it also gives specific education in raising children.”

To offer educational and other support in a nonjudgmental way has always been important to Woodend.

“When the girls come to us, they come to us downtrodden,” she said. “They feel the weight of moral judgment.

They feel like failures. They feel like the black sheep of society when in reality they are simply statistics — the ones who got pregnant.”

Ten young mothers have graduated from the school so far, eight of whom have moved on to college.

They come from vastly different backgrounds and vastly different experiences, but they share in the common bond and struggles of motherhood.

“The variety of personalities and family situations that follow these students into our program is just

Principal: Archdiocese of Atlanta. St. John Neumann Regional School, located in Lilburn, Georgia.

This SACS accredited school serves 500 students in grades K-8. Position offers opportunity for innovative, highly motivated instructional leader.

Qualifications: Master’s degree in Educational Administration, at least three years of administrative experience, certifiable in Georgia. Competitive salary and benefits; effective July 1, 2001. Submit letter of interest, resume, three letters of reference and university credentials to: Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Atlanta, 680 W. Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308-1984.

Teachers: St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, Wake Forest, NC. 2001-2002 school year: certified kindergarten, 3rd grade, physical education teachers.

Call (919)570-0070 or fax (919)570-0071.

Teachers: Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem has two teaching positions for 2001-2002: Physical Education, part-time, K-8; Guidance Counselor, full-time, K-8. Call school office (336)722-7204.

amazing,” Woodend said. “Some of our girls have family support; some do not. Some have support of the fathers; some do not. Some come from economically well-off families; some come from the other end of the spectrum.

“But once they come to the Academy, they all become ‘sisters.’ They have to grow up quickly, they have to look at their lives differently and yet they are still struggling with teen-age issues.”

Woodend said support from churches, businesses and residents has

been beneficial for the students, their children and the entire community.

“We’re committed to making it work,” she said of the Academy and its staff. “When we have one success, it multiplies on itself. That young woman no longer resents her child from blocking her dreams. She sees her life as a positive experience. It’s easier for her to see her child as a gift, and then that child is raised in a more positive atmosphere. The mother goes on to college or to get a good job and is no longer on government aid. She becomes a better role model for her

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April 13, 2001

CHRISM MASS, from front page ing the recommitment ceremony, the attending priests rededicate themselves to their mission in life as spiritual advisors and leaders within their parishes and the diocese.

The annual chrism Mass celebrated the ministry of priesthood and the role of the bishop as a spiritual shepherd.

“Priests are supposed to be the bishop’s helpers, and if we don’t have an allegiance to him and his authority, then we have no unity,” said Benedictine Abbot Patrick Shelton, pastor at St. James Church in Hamlet and Sacred Heart Church in Wadesboro and vicar of the Albemarle Vicariate.

Around the Di“If we are not reminded of our commitment, then it becomes weaker and weaker. The chrism Mass helps us to remember what we are doing, what we are about and what our role is in the church as priests.”

During the renewal of commitment to priestly service, the bishop reminded the priests of their ordination vows and their pledge to serve their parishioners and lead them toward a deeper devotion to Jesus. He also asked the congregation to pray for their continued work as priests — their leaders in faith.

Bishop Curlin said that through constant prayer, the sacraments and a sustained faith in Jesus Christ that those who have been called to serve the Lord through priesthood can fully perform their ministerial works.

“In order to be one with Jesus, we must say yes to God every day, even with our busy schedules, through sorrows and challenges,” said the bishop.

If we don’t make our lives one with Jesus through our love for him, then we cannot bear it. When we rededicate ourselves to Jesus Christ, we receive all of the wonderful joy that flows from God. “We cannot make it without prayer. Prayer is our breath, and without it, we die spiritually. If we repeatedly pray to God and proclaim ‘I want what you want,’ then he will deny us nothing.”

The bishop stressed the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation not only for the diocesan faithful but also for the priests. “For us priests, reconciliation is not something we just

The Catholic News & Herald 15

give, but it is something we receive.

The more we receive it, then the more sensitive we are to God’s mercy, and we can then look forward to dispensing God’s infinite mercy and hope to others.”

Bishop Curlin asked the congregation to pray for their priests and their continued work in the parishes in order for the threefold relationship among the bishop, the priests and the parishioners to grow and prosper.

“On this day as your priests stand to recommit themselves to Jesus Christ and the priesthood, in your heart, ask God to bless them. We are human beings, so help us to be good priests and support us. We cannot live without you and your kindness.”

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, all of the priests and deacons gathered on the altar with the bishop and the vicars of the diocese for the consecration of the Eucharist.

Toward the end of the Mass, the bishop first blessed the oil of the sick, used for the ill and dying. The oil of catechumens for baptismal candidates was blessed next, and the sacred chrism, or ‘Christ oil,’ was first mixed with balsam, an aromatic oil derived from trees, and then blessed. The oil of consecration is used during the sacrament of confirmation, the ordaining of priests and bishops and the blessing of churches and altars.

Vials of the oils are dispersed to every diocesan parish and mission church. With the sacred oils in hand, the priests can return to their parishes rededicated in spiritual union with the bishop and their parishioners.

Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or email amprice@charlottediocee.org.

Golf tournament SALISBURY — The Sacred Heart School Parent-Teacher Organization is sponsoring a Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament on April 28 at 1 p.m. at Corbin Hills.

There are only 32 slots to be filled, and hole sponsor/door prize donations are being accepted. For registration and other information, call David Harrison at

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

Couple comes to permanent diaconate through

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer GREENSBORO — The arrival of summertime is usually characterized by heat and storms. For the Steinkamps, a seasonal lightning storm brought an unplanned and unwelcomed surprise. A lightening strike caused a fire that ravaged the couple’s home. Everything was destroyed except for a two important things, so important that the homeowner, Rev. Mr. Ron Steinkamp, ran back inside to retrieve the items. The permanent diaconate ordination was taking place a week later, and Rev. Mr. Steinkamp wanted his vestments — his alb and stole — in order to participate in the ceremony.

“Neighbors were trying to restrain him, but I told him that he could run in quickly and get them and get back out,” said Bette Steinkamp, his wife. “We walked into that ordination Mass, not depressed, but full of the peace of the Lord and smelling a little like smoke. This was an instance of God sustaining us through difficult times.”

Even through adversity, Rev. Mr. Steinkamp was ordained in 1995 and has served at Our Lady of the High-

ways Church in Thomasville and now serves at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. The couple’s spirituality and their lifelong relationship with God have carried them through their lives, and that dedication is what led them to the permanent diaconate. The cradle Catholics began their steps toward ordained ministry in the small town where they were raised.

The mighty Mississippi flows through their memories as Ron and Bette Steinkamp attended the same Catholic grade school in Quincy, Ill., a small town situated on the river, and attended separate boys’ and girls’ high schools. They were not even aware that they had passed each other in the halls of their elementary school until they began dating years later.

“We lived in a Catholic subculture.

All of our friends, the girls I dated, etc. were Catholic. All of my childhood was pre-Vatican II, and we went to Mass everyday,” said Rev. Mr. Steinkamp. “I always felt secure about the church; I liked being Catholic.”

The couple dated while Rev. Mr. Steinkamp attended the University of Illinois and were married in 1964. After receiving his bachelor’s of science degree in economics, he began working for Armstrong Cork Company in produc-

April 13, 2001

was a significant spiritual experience tion planning. This affiliation caused for them, they became involved with the family to move several times over Cursillo and charismatic renewal the next 20 years because of job transteams. “Charismatic renewal offers fers. “Moving was part of the corporate people personal time to allow the spirit culture back then, and part of my foof God take over all parts of one’s life, cus was on the business world,” said letting God be God in one’s life to the Rev. Mr. Steinkamp. fullest extent possible,” said Rev. Mr. With the smell of his father’s and Steinkamp. grandfather’s gardens still fresh in his After moving to North Caromind, the family’s first stop was Maslina, they began to attend charismatic sachusetts. “We lived near the coast, renewal conferences in the Diocese of and we had never seen the ocean. The Charlotte and were invited to be a part first thing we did was go down to the of the charismatic service renewal beach and taste the salt water. The team. “We came down here (to North snow came down in great, big flakes, Carolina) and jumped in with both feet and we bundled up.” into the Cursillo and charismatic reThe next move was to a warmer newal movements. climate in GeorI didn’t know about gia, and this was the permanent ditheir first exposure aconate before I to the Civil Rights came here, and Movement in the through our indeep South. “They volvement with lay had just taken down ministry, I wanted the ‘Colored’ and to continue to grow ‘White’ signs off of spiritually and to the water fountains. try to satisfy that It was so surprising desire in me to to me because we know God more.” weren’t raised in As with the it and hadn’t been charismatic and exposed to it. We C u r s i l l o m ove received a new unments, Rev. Mr. derstanding of a Ro n a n d B e t t e situation we were Steinkamp attendisolated from in Iled the formation linois.” classes together They were and enjoyed their transferred to time together Pennsylvania and growing in faith then to Virginia and commitment where Rev. Mr. Rev. Mr. Ron Steinkamp throughout their Steinkamp and his lives. wife began to par“We attended these classticipate in various activities. Rev. Mr. es and had we not been Steinkamp worked as a Scoutmaster together, we would not have grown toand in the Parent-Teacher Organizagether the way we have,” said Rev. Mr. tion, while both he and his wife became Steinkamp, father of two and grandinvolved in a Bible study group. That father of four and now vice-president same group decided to build a church and general manager of manufactursince there was not one nearby. ing logistics of Thomasville Furni“There was an outpouring of ture. “The diaconate has provided a spiritual growth in the parish, and the good foundation and has allowed me to building of the church created a lot of help people in a way that I never would spiritual roots. The spark of Cursillo have thought about through the RCIA hit the parish, and my wife and I were process, the annulment process, faith some of the first to make our Cursillo. formation and other ministries.”

It is a time to really listen to the Gospel “The deacons are a vital need in message and examine where you are this diocese, and it is an ordained minspiritually.” istry, a special calling to Christ,” said After participating in what he said Mrs. Steinkamp. “We could lose it if