April 16, 2010

April 16, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Around the Diocese

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Hispanic young adults gather at spirit-filled retreat for prayer, discussions PAGE 5

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI April 16, 2010

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

See ABUSE, page 16

no. 21

At five-year mark, pope’s teaching mission hits obstacles

Vatican rebuts allegations of stalling on abuse case VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― Vatican officials have rebutted allegations that the future Pope Benedict XVI stalled on a priestly sex abuse case in 1985, and said critics have misunderstood the fundamental church procedures in use at the time.

The Associated Press reported late last week that then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger resisted pleas to defrock Father Stephen Kiesle, a California priest with a record of sexually molesting children. It cited a letter from Cardinal Ratzinger, who was head of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, advising further study for “the good of the universal church.”

Va t i c a n o f f i c i a l s said Cardinal Ratzinger was responding to the priest’s own request for dispensation from the vow of celibacy, and at the time had no authority to impose dismissal from the priesthood as a penalty.

Jeffrey Lena, a California lawyer for the Vatican, said the AP article reflected a “rush to judgment” and presumed – incorrectly – that Cardinal Ratzinger ’s office had control over clerical sex abuse cases.

“During the entire course of the proceeding the priest remained under the control, authority and care of the local bishop who

vOLUME 19

By John Thavis Catholic News Service

CNS photo by Paul Haring

VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― At his five-year anniversary, two objectives of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate have been creating space for religion in public and space for God in private lives.

In hundreds of speeches and homilies, in three encyclicals, on 13 foreign trips and even through new Web sites, the German pontiff has confronted what he calls a modern “crisis of faith,” saying the root cause of moral ills is a reluctance to acknowledge God’s truth.

Elected April 19, 2005, Pope Benedict has surprised those who expected a doctrinaire disciplinarian. As universal pastor, he has led Catholics back to the basics of their faith and he has proposed Christianity as a religion of love, not rules.

But his quiet teaching mission has been frequently overshadowed by problems and crises that have grabbed headlines, provoked criticism of the Church and left the pope with an uphill battle to get a hearing.

Pope Benedict XVI venerates the crucifix during the Good Friday service in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 2.

See POPE, page 9

ALSO INSIDE

See pages 8-9

n Pope’s Masses are imitated, debated around world

n Pope places young

people at the center of his concerns

n New tensions,

new initiatives mark dialogue

n While not a

globetrotter, Pope still keeps pace

Parishioners rejoice at first Easter SueAnn Howell Special to The Catholic News & Herald CHARLOTTE ― Hollywood filmmakers couldn’t have created a more perfect scene for three parishes celebrating their first Easter in their recently dedicated churches.

Churchgoers at St. Ann in Charlotte, St. Mark in Huntersville and Sacred Heart in Salisbury were greeted Easter morning by flowering trees, freshly sprouted tulips,

crisp white lilies and colorful hydrangeas under a clear blue sky. It was a joyful backdrop for parishioners at the three new churches as they celebrated the Resurrection of Our Lord.

For founding St. Ann parishioners Gene and Ann Layman, this day marking our salvation was especially poignant because they had waited more than 50 years to see Our Lord held aloft during Mass at Easter in a completed St. Ann Church.

photo by SueAnn

Howell

Father Timothy Reid, (right) pastor, celebrates Mass at St. Ann Church in Charlotte on Easter morning April 4, the parish’s first Easter in the newly dedicated church.

See EASTER, page 16

In Brief

In Our Schools

Culture Watch

Pope Benedict XVI to visit Malta in first trip of 2010

Asheville Catholic School collects 3,600 diapers for CSS in ‘Diaper Dynamo’

Review of the new theatrical release “Letters to God”

PAGE 2

PAGE 11

PAGE 10

April 16, 2010

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Without Christ, life would have VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― Without Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, life would be without hope and human destiny would end only in death, Pope Benedict XVI said in his Easter message. However, “Easter does not work magic,” and the human journey will still be marked by grief and anguish, as well as joy and hope for the future, he said April 4 in his message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).

Humanity today needs to free itself from sin, not by making superficial changes, but through a true moral and spiritual conversion, he said.

“It needs the salvation of the Gospel, so as to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences,” the pope said in the message broadcast from St. Peter’s Square to millions of people worldwide.

In an unusual departure from the Vatican’s traditional Easter ceremony,

Diocesan planner CNS photo by Paul Haring

A statue of Mary is carried in a procession marking the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows in Valletta, Malta, March 26. Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Mediterranean island April 17-18.

Friendly shores: Rousing welcome expected to greet pope in Malta VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― When Pope Benedict XVI lands in Malta for a two-day trip April 17 he is expected to receive the same warm and hospitable welcome as St. Paul enjoyed when the apostle and his companions washed up on the Mediterranean island 1,950 years ago.

Nearly 95 percent of the country’s 443,000 people profess to be Catholic, and large crowds are expected to turn out for the trip’s two major outdoor events: a Mass April 18 in Malta’s biggest square in Floriana and a gathering with young people later that day at the port of Valletta overlooking the Grand Harbor.

The pope will have turned 83 on Friday, and pope-watchers wonder if there will be an impromptu celebration waiting in his honor.

According to the official schedule, the 26-hour visit will hit the essentials.

He will meet with the country’s bishops and Maltese President George Abela in separate encounters. And he will meet the faithful, including young people.

He will probably use those occasions to highlight how Christianity’s moral and spiritual values help build a more peaceful and just society and a more fulfilling life.

While not planned as part of the trip, the sex abuse scandal is bound to be on people’s minds during the pope’s visit.

Church leaders in Malta have said, “This is a moment of great humiliation for the entire Church,” referring to revelations of the abuse of minors by priests and religious not only around the world, but in their own backyard.

APRIL 16, 2010 Volume 19 • Number 21

1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, N.C. 28203 E-MAIL: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org PHONE: 704-370-3333 FAX: 704-370-3382 MAIL: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237

PUBLISHER: The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, Bishop of Charlotte EDITOR: Patricia L. Guilfoyle, 704-370-3334, plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Denise Onativia, 704-370-3333, catholicnews@charlottediocese.org ADVERTISING MANAGER: Cindi Feerick, 704-370-3332, ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tim Faragher, 704-370-3331, tpfaragher@charlottediocese.org

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

ARDEN ST. BARNABAS CHURCH, 109 Crescent Hill Dr. — Men’s Enrichment Program, 8 a.m. to noon April 17. Guest speaker Dr. William Thierfelder, President, Belmont Abbey College. Men high school age and older are welcome. To register, contact Dana Wardwell at 828-684-6098, ext. 306, or stbarvol@bellsouth.net.

ASHEVILLE BASILICA OF ST. LAWRENCE, 97 Haywood St. — Catholic Daughters of America Court 412 Membership Drive, all Masses April 17 and 18.

BELMONT QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES CHURCH, 503 N. Main St. — Be energy wise: lighten your carbon footprint, MAK Center, 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 21. Duke Energy will discuss issues affecting health, finances, our region and our world. For more information, contact Trish Vasil at pavasil44@att.net.

— Pizza & Prayer! MAK Center, 1 to 4 p.m. April 25. Opportunity for middle school youth to eat, watch movies and pray together. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dennis Teall-Fleming at 704-825-9600 or teallfleming@yahoo.com.

BREVARD SACRED HEART CHURCH, 100 Brian Berg Lane — Movie: “On the Waterfront” 3 p.m. April 18.

CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY, 9408 Sandburg Road — Dinner, 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday during

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Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals and former Vatican secretary of state, read aloud a message of Easter greetings and support for the pope before the start of the Easter liturgy in St. Peter’s Square. In reference to the heightened criticism about how the Church and Pope Benedict have handled clerical sex abuse cases, Cardinal Sodano told the pope that the Church and “the people of God are with you.” The cardinal thanked the pope for his strength and courage, and said Catholics’ faith will not be shaken by the “current petty gossip” and other “ordeals that occasionally strike the Church community.”

The pope offered Easter greetings in 65 different languages, including Tamil, Aramaic, Chinese and Guarani.

The night before, during the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict baptized and confirmed a woman from Sudan, a woman from Somalia, two women from Albania

the semester. Open to college students. For more information, contact Peg Ruble at ccmpeg@aol.com or visit the Campus Ministry Web site at www.sco.uncc. edu/catholic.

— Discussion Group, 8 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays during the semester. Open to college students.

ST. ANN CHURCH, 3635 Park Road — Pro-life Mass, 9 a.m. April 24. Immediately after Mass there will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. For more information, contact Danielle Mathis at tmathis3@ carolina.rr.com.

ST. GABRIEL CHURCH, 3016 Providence Road — Presentation: “The Christ, God or Fraud? Does it Really Matter?” ministry center, 7 p.m. April 27.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Keating at ewkeating4@aol.com, or Mary Sample at 704-341-9292 or marysample5@aol.com.

— Adult Day Respite Caregivers Support Group, Ministry Center room E, 10 to 11:30 a.m. the last Monday of each month. For more information, call Suzanne Bach at 704-335-0253.

ST. JOHN NEUMANN CHURCH, 8451 Idlewild Road — The Catholic Mass… Revealed, Parish Hall, 7 to 9 p.m. April 22, 29, and May 6. A four-session study about the Catholic Mass. For more information, call 704-535-4197.

ST. MATTHEW CHURCH, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy.

— St. Peregrine Healing Prayer Service, daily Mass Chapel, 7:30 p.m. April 22.

— End of Life Seminar, banquet room, 2 to 4 p.m. April 25. For more information or to RSVP, call Rita at 704543-7677, ext. 1007.

— Welcome Home for Returning Catholics, support and friendship to guide the returning individual to full communion with the Body of Christ, ministry tailored to meet individual needs and schedules. For more information, contact Deacon Jim Hamrlik at 704-5437677 or jhmrlik@stmatthewcatholic.org or Julie Jahn at 704-560-9202 or urblessed@carolina.rr.com.

— Support Group: Coping with Economic Stress. If you would be interested in joining with others traveling this difficult journey, sharing experiences, identifying resources and finding healthy ways to weather the storm, call the parish office at 704-543-7677.

editions. Please e-mail information, attaching photos in JPG format with a recommended resolution of 150 dpi or higher, to catholicnews@charlottediocese.org. Deadline is 10 days before requested publication date. We do not publish poetry, form letters or petitions. All submitted items become the property of The Catholic News & Herald and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives. For inquiries, contact Editor Patricia Guilfoyle at 704-370-3334 or plguilfoyle@charlottediocese.org.

ADVERTISING: For advertising rates and information, contact Advertising Manager Cindi Feerick at 704-370-3332 or ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason, and does not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers.

April 16, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 3

no hope, pope says at Easter and a man from Japan. The pope also baptized a small boy from Russia. The boy’s godfather, a priest, hoisted the boy up in his arms to hold his head over the baptismal font.

In his homily at the vigil Mass, the pope said baptism marks the beginning of a process of renouncing a world of greed, lies and cruelty and a culture that worships power. Becoming a Christian is not “mere cleansing, still less is it a somewhat complicated initiation into a new association. It is death and resurrection, rebirth to a new life,” he said.

Once stripped of the “old garments” of one’s life of sin, he said, the Christian puts on new clothes of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Baptism is “the beginning of a process that embraces the whole of our life – it makes us fit for eternity,” so that a person is worthy of appearing before ST. PATRICK CATHEDRAL, 1621 Dilworth Road East — Rosary Rally, 3 p.m. May 2. This event will include the Holy Rosary, a Eucharistic procession and Benediction. For more information, or if children ages 7 to 17 would like to participate in the procession, call Tina at 704-846-7361.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH, 6828 Old Reid Road — Catholics Returning Home, faith formation wing conference room, 7:30 to 9 p.m. April 19, 26, May 3 or 4, 10 and 17. This is a welcoming program for Catholic adults who have been away from the Church.

To register, call 704-554-7088.

— The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Meeting, 7 p.m. third Wednesday of each month. They welcome women who are practicing Roman Catholics, who are Irish by birth or descent, who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, or who are the mother of a Junior member. For more information, contact Susan Blanchfield at 704-825-8313 or sblanchfield1@carolina.rr.com.

God and can live with him forever.

The next morning, after celebrating the Easter Mass, the pope called for an end to “the multiple tragic expressions of a culture of death which are becoming increasingly widespread, so as to build a future of love and truth in which every human life is respected and welcomed.”

He called on world leaders to find the inspiration and strength to promote economic policies that follow “the criteria of truth, justice and fraternal aid.”

In his Easter message, he called for an end to war and violence in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land; he offered consolation to persecuted Christian minorities, especially in Iraq and Pakistan; he denounced “the dangerous resurgence of crimes linked to drug trafficking” in Latin American and the Caribbean; and he expressed his hopes that the people of Haiti and Chile could rebuild the areas struck by earthquakes earlier this year.

HIGH POINT IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHURCH, 4145 Johnson St. — Hope of Seeing Everyone Again (HOSEA), 7:15 p.m. every Wednesday. Opportunity for bonding and discussion. For more information or to register, call Jan Hitch at 336-884-5097 or the parish office at 336-869-7739.

KERNERSVILLE HOLY CROSS CHURCH, 616 South Cherry St. — Anointing of the Sick, 9 a.m. May 1.

MINT HILL ST. LUKE CHURCH, 13700 Lawyers Road — Servant Leadership Team (SLT) Information Night, family life center, 7:30 p.m. April 28. The SLT fills the function of a parish council, with a focus on service and leadership for the parish, pastor and community.

MURPHY ST. WILLIAM CHURCH, 765 Andrews Road — Adult Faith Formation Experience, the Commons, 7 p.m.

April 20.

GREENSBORO OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH, 2205 West Market St. — Raising your children Catholic, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

April 23. Talk by Catholic educational consultant, Jim Stenson, followed by a wine and cheese reception. Pass required for admission. For more information or to obtain pass, contact Susan Molony at 336-275-9398 or tsmolony@bellsouth.net.

— Family rules: the power of “we,” 9:30 to 11 a.m.

April 24. Talk by Catholic educational consultant, Jim Stenson, preceded by a continental breakfast. Pass required for admission. For more information or to obtain a pass, contact Susan Molony at 336-275-9398 or tsmolony@bellsouth.net.

WINSTON-SALEM HOLY FAMILY CHURCH, 4820 Kinnamon Road — Charismatic Prayer Group, Chapel, 7:15 p.m. every Monday.

— English/Spanish Conversation Groups, room 7, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays; room 1, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays.

For more information contact Enrique Ginocchio at 336-768-1462 or eginocchiob@bellsouth.net or Tom Rucker at 336-765-0777 or ruckertom@earthlink.net.

— English as a Second Language, Family Center, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, for ages 18 and older, basic and advanced classes available.

— Eucharistic Adoration, Curlin Center, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday.

HENDERSONVILLE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, 208 Seventh Ave. West — Widows Support Group, room 2, 10 a.m. third Tuesday of each month. For more information, call Jane Lombardo at 828-693-9014. For widowers interested in an informal gathering of men who have suffered the loss of loved ones, call Greg Savold at 828-702-0129 or Bob Grady at 828-697-2900.

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

Episcopal

calendar

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

April 17 – 3 p.m.

Dedication of St. Pius X Church, Greensboro

April 19 – 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Holy Spirit Church, Denver

April 18 – 12:30 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Ann Church, Charlotte

April 20 – 2 p.m.

Dedication of Curlin Commons, Mooresville

CNS photo by Paul Haring

Pope Benedict XVI carries a candle in darkness as he arrives for the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican April 3.

DIOCESAN NEWS IN BRIEF

Possible housing for the disabled being studied CHARLOTTE ― The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp. is studying future housing needs for adult parishioners with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They are surveying parishioners in the Charlotte area with disabilities and their family members this month, to gauge the possible need for group homes or semi-independent apartments that the CDCHC can then advocate for development. To participate in the survey, contact CDCHC Executive Director Jerry Widelski at 704-370-3248 or jvwidelski@charlottediocese.org.

RCIA training held at Sacred Heart

BREVARD ― Sister Gael Gensler, OSF, and Monsignor Michael Clay recently conducted a workshop on mystagogy for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults parish coordinators at Sacred Heart Church. About 30 parish coordinators and staff attended. Sister

Gensler is the pastoral associate for St. Mary Fremont Center in Illinois and Monsignor Clay, author of “A Harvest for God,” is from the Diocese of Raleigh.

Monsignor Clay has lectured in more than 50 U.S. dioceses and is a lobbyist for both North Carolina dioceses with the state legislature. ― Submitted by Cris Villapando

Learning about our faith at Scripture session CHARLOTTE ― Jesuit Father Pat Earl, pastor of St Peter’s Church, conducted a session on “The Original Meaning of Jesus and His Message” March 23. This is the third Scripture session he has been teaching at the Edward Biss Hall, and the sessions regularly attract 80 to 100 people. During this lecture, Father Earl explained the distinction between propositional faith (statements about Jesus and His Church) versus personal faith in Jesus which should be the driving force of our conduct and actions in the world. One of his main sources was the book “Jesus Before Christianity” by Albert Nolan, the Dominican Provincial of South Africa. ― Submitted by Cris Villapando

4 The Catholic News & Herald

AROUND THE DIOCESE

April 16, 2010

In faith and reverence

Photos by SueAnn Howell

Parishioners at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte are forming small community Divine Mercy Cenacles in the Diocese of Charlotte. For details, contact Ralph Sullivan at RScsm@aol.com or call 704-849-9748.

photo by

(Above right) Father Brandon Jones, parochial vicar, leads the faithful in Eucharistic Exposition at St. Mark Church in Huntersville April 11. The celebration on Divine Mercy Sunday included recitation of the rosary. (Above left) Monsignor John J. McSweeney, pastor of St. Matthew in Charlotte, leads a Divine Mercy Holy Hour on Divine Mercy Sunday April 11 at the church. For a local commentary about Divine Mercy Sunday in light of recent news, see page 15.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PORTRAITS  Serving the diocese for over 4 years  

  704 -9 6  8-513 3   I p hot o 

Heather Bellemore

 Weddings Family Portraits Babies Children

April 16, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 5

around the diocese

Hispanic youth retreat draws crowd of 200 at Holy Trinity Middle Jorge Gomiz Special to The Catholic News & Herald

photo provided by Jorge Gomiz

Hispanic youths from all over the diocese gathered at Holy Trinity Middle School for a Lenten retreat over the weekend of Palm Sunday. Above, the youths formed a cross on the grounds of the school.

2010

Diocese of Charlotte

Eucharistic Congress

CHARLOTTE ― The Hispanic Youth Ministry led a Lenten retreat for young people March 26-28 at Holy Trinity Middle School.

Approximately 200 young people from throughout the diocese, aged 15 to 20, participated in the retreat that concluded a program rooted in the Pope John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.”

For months prior to the retreat, Hispanic youth groups participated in study and discussions in their parishes, which evangelized the young people to help them love with chastity before and during marriage. The retreat is held each year in different vicariates of the diocese, with a different topic or theme.

La Red Diocesana or Diocesan Youth Network is an offspring of the National Catholic Network of Hispanic Youth

Mark your calendar now for the sixth Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress

Charlotte Convention Center

SEPTEMBER 10 & 11, 2010

Good Shepherd, Come Feed Us

Visit the Web site www.GoEucharist.com for the latest information about programs and speakers.

Catholic Social Services Week April 24 – May 2, 2010

Ministry, which came to be during the First National Encounter for Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Ministry, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and held at Notre Dame University in 2006, where Hispanic youth from 126 dioceses came together to plan for their pastoral needs, aspirations and commitments.

With guidance from the diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office, these young people organize and develop programs and efforts in the Church and society that help their personal and communal development. Who else knows the struggles of these young people and their immigrant families, but themselves?

The core group, which consisted of young adults belonging to the “Red,” organized the logistics, developed and implemented talks and skits that interlaced reflections on the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, with how young people should respect their bodies and live a Christ-centered life.

During the retreat weekend, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and retreat participants took turns making Holy Hours; the chapel was never empty.

There were many testimonies of healing, and the Holy Spirit was truly present.

La Red would like to thank Holy Trinity Middle School for donating their facilities during a time when affordable retreat sites are difficult to find, as well as thanks to Deacon Edwin Rodriguez and Father Julio Dominguez for providing the closing Mass. And as always, our deep gratitude goes to Bishop Peter Jugis and Monsignor Mauricio West for their unfailing support and prayers.

Jorge Gomiz is the Hispanic Ministry Coordinator for the Charlotte Vicariate of the Diocese of Charlotte.

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6 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Natural family planning focus of diocesan workshop

Saving lives this Lent

Batrice Adcock Special to The Catholic News & Herald

photo by

Mary Beth Worthington

Barbara Kantor, a member of St. Leo the Great parish in Winston-Salem, stands in prayer and witness March 28, the last day in the 40 Days for Life spring campaign. Volunteers from several area parishes joined in prayer on the rainy Palm Sunday in front of Winston-Salem Planned Parenthood.

40 Days for Life Winston-Salem campaign sees successes Mary B. Worthington Special to The Catholic News & Herald WINSTON-SALEM ― “I can help you over here,” Toni Buckler called to a young woman wandering the parking lot above the Winston-Salem Planned Parenthood. Buckler was clutching her special Rosary for the Unborn and a sign that read, “I regret my abortion.”

“I’m not here for an abortion; I’m not pregnant!” the woman responded.

It was mid-morning on a Thursday, an ordinary day for abortion counseling and contraception distribution at Planned Parenthood. Normally Buckler, member of Holy Family Church in Clemmons, would not be on the sidewalk focusing prayer and witness on abortion appointment days. But this Lent, she made daily visits during Winston-Salem’s 40 Days for Life, which ended March 28.

“I pointed to my sign and said to her, ‘Clearly I’m not trying to moralize or judge you, but if you’re not married, you don’t need any (contraception).’”

Buckler said.

“I explained to her that sex is a gift from God for married couples to use to renew their wedding vows; if you’re not married, then you are lying with your body and stealing a gift from God.” “Don’t give your dignity away,” Buckler urged the young woman. “If he loves you enough, he will wait for marriage!”

The woman returned to her car and drove away, an example of the many successful interactions of the campaign.

Part of the nationwide campaign, 40 Days for Life in Winston-Salem boasts nearly a dozen babies saved and hundreds of passersby evangelized by a “silent, prayerful witness,” explained Donna Dyer, also a member of Holy Family and co-coordinator of the outreach.

“The Lord allows everything to happen for a reason,” Dyer said. “In

April 16, 2010

other cities, there is a public sidewalk (in front of the abortion clinic), but not at Planned Parenthood Winston-Salem.”

Campaign participants must stand across the street nearly a half a block away from the abortion clinic entrance.

This gives more visibility to the prayer warriors, Dyer explained.

Years ago, Dyer said, she used to drive by and look at the people praying during abortion appointments, afraid to get out and pray with them. But an interior voice begged her to stop. “Once you begin praying, you will always come back,” Dyer said.

This commitment is what Dyer and Buckler attribute to the success of this year’s campaign. Many of the volunteers come daily, and there are participants from 10 Catholic churches as far away as Statesville.

And the community is noticing their efforts. For example, Catholic Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C. Fifth District) praised Buckler’s and Dyer’s efforts while speaking on the floor of Congress last month for National Women’s History Month.

Through the campaign, other community members have found healing and forgiveness from a past experience of abortion, such as a woman who stopped with her 12-year-old daughter to pray, then gave a $450 donation to support the campaign.

“This is how much I paid for an abortion when I was 14, and if it helps one life to be saved, then it’s worth it,” she said. Her donation allowed a 17-yearold black couple to choose life for their baby. They stopped before driving into the Planned Parenthood parking lot and asked Buckler, “Why do you regret your abortion?”

“Make a choice that you can live with and your baby can live with, too,” Buckler urged them. Ten minutes later they drove away, thanking Buckler for her witness.

all have this desire for authentic love.

This desire points to two very important questions: Who am I? How must I live to be happy? “ Within the context of human sexuality and marital love, “Theology of the Body” allows us to rediscover the meaning of life. Owens recalled a statement from papal biographer George Weigel. It “has barely begun to shape the Church’s theology, preaching and religious education. When it does, it will compel a dramatic development of thinking about virtually every major theme in the Creed.”

CHARLOTTE― “If you have a body, this message is for you,” said Damon Owens, the speaker at a March 19 in-service workshop at Charlotte Catholic High School, to a group of more than 700, including catechists, youth ministers, campus ministers, NFP instructors, Catholic school teachers and clergy.

Sponsored by the diocesan Education Vicariate and the Catholic Social Services Natural Family Planning Program, FOR MORE the workshop was opened ― Jason Evert, a well-known youth educator

by Bishop Peter Jugis, who on the “Theology of the Body,” spoke around the prayed that attendees would Diocese of Charlotte this week, with a discussion “grow in holiness through the entitled “Romance Without Regret.” We’ll have full intercession of St. Joseph and coverage of his talks in next week’s edition. take Christ to our brothers and ― You can also check out Evert’s “Romance Without sisters.”

Regret” program online at www.catholic.com/audio/ Speaking of the teaching chastity/chastity-catholic.mp3. from the late Pope John Paul ― For OTHER INFO, go to www.chastity.com/node/38.

II, the “Theology of the Body,” Owens said, “This is much more than a talk on marriage To close the day, Paul Kotlowski, or sex. This is a call to the fundamental diocesan director of Youth Ministry for understanding of what it means to be the Education Vicariate, encouraged human, of what it means to be made as sharing the four components of God’s a man or woman.” love with children and people of all A former engineering manager ages, as a good measure for decisions with a major technology firm, Owens and actions. now keeps a full speaking schedule Father Roger Arnsparger, director at national conferences, marriage of the Education Vicariate, also said, seminars, high schools, seminaries, and “We are all indebted to the work of Pope youth groups about the good news of John Paul II in giving us an explanation sexuality, chastity, “Theology of the of God’s plan in creating us male Body,” and Natural Family Planning. and female; his work has been called He has appeared on EWTN, ABC ‘Theology of the Body.’ This is a great “World News Tonight,” CBS News’ resource for all adults to understand and “48 Hours,” and National Public Radio. live the virtue of chastity and to form Owens and his wife Melanie have been their children to do likewise.” teaching and promoting natural family planning throughout New Jersey since Batrice Adcock, MSN, RN, is 1993. They serve as NFP program the director of the diocesan Natural coordinators for the Archdiocese of Family Planning Program. To learn Newark, N.J. more, contact her at 704-370-3230 or Owens said it was “natural family cssnfp@charlottediocese.org. planning that got me into this whole mess. Sex actually blew me back into the Church.”

At an engaged encounter weekend, Owens and Melanie heard for the first time the three letters that would change the rest of their lives: NFP. “We weren’t jumping at it. But it was interesting. It was worth getting more information. That’s the engineer in me.” By the end of their first NFP class, Owens said “I was buzzing. I knew – there’s something bigger here.

My mind was racing – everyone has got to know this. We need billboards, we need magazines, we need NFP here! We’re thinking, we’re 27 years old, and why is this the first time we’ve heard about natural family planning?”

They hadn’t even completed classes and were arranging to be trained as teachers.

Owens also said, “In order to understand marriage, we have to understand sex. In order to understand sex, we have to understand love. We

April 16, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 7

around the diocese

Being good stewards of creation

Columbiettes on retreat

photo provided by photo provided by Joe Purello

Peter Liberatore, George Burazer and Patricia Vasil, parishioners of Queen of Apostles in Belmont, joined 65 other people from 11 diocesan parishes at “Parishes & Parishioners Energized! Switching on the Call to be Faithful Stewards of Creation, Switching Off Excess and Wasted Energy,� held March 13 at Our Lady of Consolation in Charlotte. Queen of Apostles and Our Lady of

Megan Hauser

Columbiettes of Bishop Greco Auxiliary 9499 (Holy Family Church, Clemmons) held their annual retreat March 20-21. Father Mark Lawlor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte was the retreat master. The topic was “Yes Lord, I believe.� Thirty-two women of the parish enjoyed fellowship, celebration of the Mass and the first weekend of spring at St. Francis Springs Retreat Center in Stoneville.

Praying and walking together

Consolation joined St. Matthew and St. Peter churches, Catholic Social Services’ Office of Justice and Peace, and the Sisters of Mercy in co-sponsoring the event.

The event offered presentations on Catholic social teaching and Franciscan spirituality about the care of creation, as well as tips and tools for parishes to be better stewards of their energy resources.

Queen of Apostles is planning a free follow-up seminar Wednesday, April 21, to continue assisting Catholics in examining our responsibility to be good stewards of creation. “Be Energy Wise: Lighten Your Carbon Footprint� will be held in the church’s MAK Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:45 p.m.) The event will provide an educational forum and question-and-answer session with Duke Energy staff. Contact Patricia Vasil, chair of Community Ministries at Queen of Apostles, for more information at pavasil44@att.net.

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Students from Catholic Campus Ministry and United Christian Fellowship walked the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte March 31 to pray the Stations of the Cross in an ecumenical prayer service. They were joined by members of St. Thomas Aquinas parish and faculty and staff from the university. They began at the Belk Tower and processed to the Glen, concluding at the Tomb of Bonnie Cone, pictured above.

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8 The Catholic News & Herald

April 16, 2010

Pope Benedict’s Masses imitated and debated around the world New tensions, initiatives mark dialogue with pope Pope Benedict XVI has kept interreligious dialogue near the top of the Church’s list of priorities, but his relations with the Jewish and Muslim communities continue to be marked by alternating tensions and new initiatives. In his first five years in office, the pope has visited synagogues in Cologne, Germany, in New York and in Rome. And he has visited mosques in Istanbul, Jordan and Jerusalem.

But some Muslims still mention with concern remarks he made about Mohammed in a 2006 speech. Some members of the Jewish community remain uneasy with his decision to lift the excommunication of a traditionalist bishop who denied the extent of the Holocaust. Aside from concern over Pope Pius’ record during World War II, Jewish leaders have a largely favorable view of Pope Benedict and the sincerity of his respect for their faith and their history.

While not a globetrotter, the pontiff keeps pace When Pope Benedict XVI was elected April 19, 2005, just three days after his 78th birthday, he said he would be more of a stay-at-home pope than his globetrotting predecessor Pope John Paul II. But Pope Benedict has hit the road more often than expected. In his five years as pope he has traveled to every continent except Antarctica, visiting 17 countries on 13 foreign trips.

Inside Italy, he’s visited 23 cities. This year, he has five foreign trips planned.

This week he travels to Malta, followed

by Portugal in May, Cyprus in June, England and Scotland in September, and Spain in November. The goals of these trips during his sixth year as pontiff will mirror the aims of all of Pope Benedict’s apostolic journeys: preaching the Gospel, underlining the contributions Christian values bring to culture and society, and bringing the face of the successor of St. Peter to the people. Age has not appeared to slow down Pope Benedict, who scoots up stairs and had shown good stamina on his trips abroad.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― Even before he became pope five years ago, Pope Benedict XVI frequently was dragged into what some people have called “the liturgy wars.”

His pontificate has been marked by increasingly solemn Masses with more silence, more kneeling, more Latin and the use of both old and new vestments and liturgical furnishings.

While he has not changed the rules for celebrating Mass around the world, papal liturgies are seen by many people as setting a standard to imitate.

The one liturgical change Pope Benedict mandated for the Church at large was the greater availability of Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal, the Latin-language liturgy often called the Tridentine Mass.

After two years of study and consultation with the world’s bishops, Pope Benedict in July 2007 issued norms saying that while the post-Vatican II Mass was the ordinary form for the Catholic community’s Eucharistic celebration, the Tridentine Mass – the extraordinary form – should be available wherever the faithful request it.

But as his fifth anniversary approached, Pope Benedict still had not publicly celebrated a Mass using the extraordinary form.

The changes he has made in papal liturgies reflect things he said or wrote about the liturgy before becoming pope, particularly about the importance of having the priest and the congregation focused on Jesus during the Mass, not on each other.

In his book, “The Spirit of the Liturgy,” published in 2000, the future pope suggested that to avoid creating disruption and confusion by changing the direction the priest faces, a crucifix placed on the altar or suspended above it could be an appropriate alternative. In fact, wherever the pope celebrates Mass today, a large crucifix and several large candlesticks are on the papal altar.

Another change was put into effect in 2008; since then the faithful who receive Communion from Pope Benedict receive on the tongue while kneeling.

The rest of the congregation, however, continues to receive while standing and, usually, in their outstretched hands.

While Pope John Paul II often responded to the international mix of faithful at his Masses by using readings and prayers in a variety of languages, Pope Benedict increasingly draws the congregation together by using Latin, the language of the universal Church.

For English speakers, the greatest liturgical change under Pope Benedict is just about to appear. A new English translation of the Mass is being finalized at the Vatican and could be in use in parishes at the beginning of Advent 2011.

The translation closely follows the word order and syntax of the Latin text of the Mass and uses what has been described as more formal and theological language.

Pope Bene

Five years

Pope Benedict XVI greets people during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 31.

Pope places young people a VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― The pope gave the students an “A plus.”

That was the grade awarded by Pope Benedict XVI to the young Catholics who sang “Happy Birthday” to him in German at a gathering with young people at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., in 2008.

The incident reveals the warm relationship that Pope Benedict, the former teacher, has enjoyed with young people since his election to the papacy five years ago at 78. His connection with young adults began as a priest and a theology professor whose lectures were standingroom-only at German universities in Bonn, Munster and Regensburg.

He has continued to nurture young people in the faith after inheriting Pope John Paul II’s legacy of strong relations with young adult Catholics. As Pope Benedict once told President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to France, “Young people are my greatest concern.”

During his papacy the Vatican

has attempted to reach out to the young through social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

But the most significant of the pope’s efforts to reach the young has been his presence at the international celebrations of World Youth Day, large-scale events that began 25 years ago and usually take place every three years. They bring together young Catholics aged 15-35 from around the world for a week of prayer, teaching and fellowship.

Father Eric Jacquinet, who oversees World Youth Day as head of the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, thinks Pope Benedict’s humble but affirming attitude connects with young Catholics.

“He seems to be shy with the crowds, but the pope is very attracted to young people, and he is very present to them,” Father Jacquinet said. “He does not go out and hurl a bunch of ‘thou shalt nots’ at them,” he said.

The Catholic News & Herald 9

April 16, 2010

edict XVI

POPE, from page 1

s as pontiff

CNS photo by Paul Haring

at center of his concerns

CNS photo by Wolfgang Rattay, Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI greets a cheering crowd as he arrives with young people for his visit to the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, during World Youth Day in this Aug. 18, 2005, file photo. The pope has placed young people at the center of his concerns and reached out to them with networking media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter through his portal www.Pope2you.net.

The fifth anniversary of his election is a case in point. It was viewed by many in the Vatican as opportunity for the pope to underline the essential themes of his pontificate. But in recent weeks, fallout from the sex abuse crisis has muted the celebratory atmosphere at the Vatican.

In a letter to Irish Catholics in March, Pope Benedict personally apologized to victims of priestly sexual abuse and announced new steps to heal the wounds of the scandal, including a Vatican investigation and a year of penitential reparation.

Vatican officials viewed the letter as an unprecedented act of transparency by a pope who, even as a cardinal, pushed for harsher penalties against abusers. For critics, however, the papal letter was merely more words. Soon the Vatican was denying accusations that the pope himself, as a German archbishop, failed to adequately monitor a priest abuser. (Editor’s note: See related coverage on pages 1 and 16.)

Other controversies have eclipsed the pope’s wider message during his first five years. Visiting his native Bavaria in 2006, he upset many Islamic leaders when he quoted a medieval Byzantine emperor who said the prophet Mohammed had brought “things only evil and inhuman, such as his command” to spread the faith by the sword.

The pope later said he was merely citing and not endorsing the criticism of Islam, but he conceded that the speech was open to misinterpretation.

Then he began a bridge-building effort with Muslim scholars that eventually led to a major new chapter in Vatican-Muslim dialogue.

Liturgy has been a major focus of Pope Benedict. It is one of the areas where he wants to better balance the renewal launched by the Second Vatican Council with the church’s tradition – a process he calls “innovation in continuity.”

In 2007, the pope’s removal of restrictions on use of the Tridentine rite, the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council, was a major concession to traditionalists and part of a push toward an agreement with the breakaway Society of St. Pius X. But when he lifted the excommunications of four of the society’s bishops in early 2009, that reconciliation project nearly derailed. One of the four, Bishop Richard Williamson, had three days earlier provoked outrage with assertions that the Holocaust was exaggerated and that no Jews died in Nazi gas chambers.

The pope moved to repair damage with Jewish groups, and in

a remarkable letter about the episode he thanked “our Jewish friends” who helped restore a sense of trust. In the same letter, however, he expressed sadness that some Catholics seemed willing to believe he was changing direction on Catholic-Jewish relations and were ready to “attack me with open hostility.”

Although he never planned to imitate his globetrotting predecessor, Pope Benedict has traveled to six continents on 13 foreign trips during his first five years. The 14th is his visit this week to Malta, the first of five trips planned for this year.

One of his most successful journeys was to the U.S. in 2008, when he visited Washington and New York and addressed the United Nations.

In speeches and homilies, he set forth a moral challenge to the wider U.S. culture on issues ranging from economic justice to abortion – and the reception was unusually positive.

The list of Pope Benedict’s other accomplishments includes documents, meetings and spiritual initiatives: ― His three encyclicals have placed love and charity at the center of church life. In 2006, the encyclical “God Is Love” described the faith as charity in action, and said God cannot be shut out of personal and social life. “On Christian Hope” in 2007 presented Jesus Christ as the source of love and hope in eternal salvation, the “great hope” that can sustain contemporary men and women. “Charity in Truth” in 2009 said social justice was inseparable from the concept of Christian charity, and called for reform of international economic institutions and practices. ― His book “Jesus of Nazareth,” which has sold more than 2 million copies, emphasized that Jesus was God, not merely a moralist or a political revolutionary or a social reformer. In calling for a personal relationship with Jesus, it touched on a point the pope has made elsewhere: “One can never know Christ only theoretically.” ― He has presided over three synods of bishops: on the Eucharist in 2005, on Scripture in 2008 and on Africa in 2009, and has convened one on the Middle East for October. He streamlined the format of these encounters to allow for more exchange of opinion, and has sometimes joined in the discussions.

There’s much interest in his postsynodal document on Scripture, expected this spring, because the pope has insisted that familiarity with the Bible is essential to living the Christian life.

April 16, 2010

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

What’s on TV A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

‘Faure’s Requiem,’ ‘Hamlet’ among programs on next week NEW YORK (CNS) ― Here are some television program notes for the week of April 25 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting. ― Sunday, April 25, 1:30-2:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “In Concert: Faure: Requiem.” Faure’s Requiem is performed by the Hungarian Chamber Orchestra and the Holland Boys Choir. ― Sunday, April 25, 9-11 p.m.

EDT (History) “America The Story of Us.” Premiere of a new miniseries chronicling how the United States was invented and looking at the moments when Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress as well as at the country’s series of epochal conflicts.

This episode, “Rebels,” recounts the history of the colonial period, the rebellion against British rule, and the early days of the Republic’s independence. The series continues 9-11 p.m. EDT Sundays through May 23 and concludes 9-11 p.m. EDT on Memorial Day, May 31 (TV-PG parental guidance suggested). ― Wednesday, April 28, 8-11:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Hamlet.” This “Great Performances” presentation features classical stage and screen actors Sir Patrick Stewart in his Laurence Olivier Award-winning turn as Claudius and David Tennant as the titular Dane, reprising their roles in this TV adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2008 stage production of “Hamlet” (TVPG - parental guidance suggested).

CNS photo from Possibility Pictures

Jeffrey S.S. Johnson and Tanner Maguire star in a scene from the movie “Letters to God.” The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

‘Letters to God’ is tale of boy’s faith despite ravages of cancer John Mulderig Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) ― Though its underlying theology is evangelical, Catholic viewers – and Christian believers of every stripe – will welcome the inspirational and touching drama “Letters to God” (Vivendi). That’s because director David Nixon’s familyfriendly tale of courage and conversion celebrates the power of Gospel values to transform lives in a way that transcends denominational divides.

Based on real events, this is the story of Tyler Doherty (ably and endearingly played by Tanner Maguire), a faith-filled 8-year-old boy stricken with brain cancer.

Tyler’s favored method of praying – and of reflecting on his struggles – is to write letters to the Almighty, describing daily events and asking for favors in the kind of chatty tone one might use with a close friend.

But Tyler doesn’t just put pen to paper, he also mails his notes, addressed simply “To God, From Tyler.”

Initially, this befuddles Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey S. Johnson), the postman who has just taken over the local route in Tyler’s Norman Rockwell-esque hometown. Depressed over his recent divorce –and a potentially disastrous mistake that cost him visiting rights with his young son – war vet Brady leads a solitary life, drinking to excess by night and barely holding on to his job by day.

Still, Brady’s unwilling to trash Tyler’s correspondence or even drop the envelopes into the dead letter box.

Eventually he tries to leave them in a

local church, but he’s interrupted by the pastor (L. Derek Leonidoff) who insists that Brady keep the missives, since God must have had a reason for choosing him to receive them in the first place.

As Brady gradually befriends Tyler and his family – which includes widowed, overtaxed mom Maddy (Robyn Lively), devout grandmother Olivia (Maree Cheatham) and teen brother Ben (Michael Christopher Bolten), who’s emotionally conflicted over Tyler’s illness – he finds the lad’s innocent piety and against-the-odds optimism, (expressed both in person and through those messages to God which Brady has by now begun to read), subtly wearing away at his own cynicism.

While the inclusion of the mature subjects listed below make this unsuitable entertainment for the youngest viewers, objectionable material of any kind is entirely absent from this heartwarming look at the infectious faith of a young man who, despite the ravages of a potentially terminal illness, continued to treat God as his pen pal.

The film contains themes of life-threatening illness, divorce and alcoholism. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

John Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.

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April 16, 2010

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 11

Charlotte Catholic students reach out to Haitian quake victims with food, supplies Samantha Lopez Special to The Catholic News & Herald CHARLOTTE ― In response to the terrible earthquake that devastated Haiti, Charlotte Catholic High School held a drive to collect items which were then sent directly to the Haitian victims.

Items collected included everything from basic food like rice and beans to blankets, ponchos, personal hygiene kits, and even medical supplies.

Crutches, walkers, and canes were also collected as part of a “Lean On Us” campaign started by the Farley family.

Kate Farley, a Charlotte Catholic senior, said, “We started the program as a result of the great number of injured and amputees. We contacted every school in the MACS system to spread the word, and Charlotte Catholic served as the main collection site. Despite the short period of collection time, the community showed outstanding responses.”

Once items were collected, they were loaded into a large truck donated by a parent of a Charlotte Catholic student, then driven down to Ft. Lauderdale by Randy Belk, the school’s Dean of Students, and his father.

From there Father Robes Charles, pastor of St. Clement Church in Miami, took over and delivered everything to Haiti. His parish is more than 90 percent Haitians, and he had been taking weekly trips to Haiti to make sure the victims of the earthquake got

all the help he could provide them with.

Father Robes said all the collected items, but especially the medical supplies and crutches, would be of great use to the hospitals near Port-au-Prince that he works with.

Another main focus of Charlotte Catholic’s campaign was to collect baby items for an orphanage in Petionville.

This particular orphanage was chosen because Kristen Joseph, an American who had been living in Haiti, entered Charlotte Catholic as a senior just a week after the earthquake. Joseph’s parents own and operate the orphanage where all the baby items such as diapers and formula were sent, and this added a very personal touch for many students.

Hailey Vest, a Charlotte Catholic senior, said, “Having Kristen in school with us made the drive a lot more personal for me. We got a firsthand account of what happened and she gets updates which are different than the strictly objective news reports we all hear.”

Overall, both students and staff of Charlotte Catholic viewed this project as a success.

Campus Minister MJ Dawson said, “In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, our students once again proved that the ‘Catholic’ in our schools is not only universal, but is a great reflection of our faith and the ways we live the teachings of Jesus by helping others in need.”

Samantha Lopez is a senior at Charlotte Catholic High School.

photo by Tim Reid

Enthusiastic Asheville Catholic School sixth-graders surround Jake Lenderman on a lounge chair made of diapers in the school’s first-ever “Diaper Dynamo.” Students made sculptures from the diapers, which they donated to Catholic Social Services for needy families.

ACS students collect diapers in ‘dynamo’ of an effort Tim Reid Special to The Catholic News & Herald ASHEVILLE ― Asheville Catholic School students had a good time while helping needy families at their first ever “Diaper Dynamo” recently.

Filing into the school gym after Friday Mass, each grade level was given five minutes to create an original “structure, mosaic or statue” out of packs of diapers they then donated to Catholic Social Services.

“Each month every child spends two to two and a half hours in community service,” said teacher Rita Pisano, who heads the school’s outreach program.

“This was a special all-school project.”

Students had all week to think about their diaper “sculpture” and dived in enthusiastically to execute their ideas when the timer sounded. Five minutes later, the gym was filled with an assortment of diaper creations stretching the limits of imagination. Judges gave awards recognizing the achievements of each group.

The “Most Restful” title went to the fifth and third grades, whose entry featured Jake Lenderman sitting on a lounge chair made of diapers.

The fourth grade won the Teamwork Award for involving everyone in its project – a student sitting on a mound of diapers surrounded by the other fourth-graders stretched outward like the spokes of a wheel.

Second-graders received the Character Award for their imaginative depiction of the Pixar movie character “Wall-E,” and the New Technology

Award went to the eighth grade for its diaper robot.

The sixth grade and kindergarten won the Animal Planet Award for their doggie duplex featuring two students in side-by-side diaper doghouses.

Pre-kindergarten and first grade received the Skyscraper Award for the tallest structure. The Most Thematic Award went to the seventh grade for its entry, which featured Kyle Cinderelli sucking his thumb in a crib made of diapers.

The school’s teachers also brought in diapers, which they fashioned into the three crosses on Calvary.

About 3,600 diapers were presented to Jacquie Crombie and Michele Sheppard of Catholic Social Services, which distributes them to needy families.

The Diaper Dynamo was the latest in a variety of outreach activities undertaken by the school’s 196 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

They do everything from cleaning up the river to helping students learn English as a second language, from collecting “pennies for patients” to giving baskets to the needy at Thanksgiving.

Sheppard thanked the students for their generosity, noting that Catholic Social Services had exhausted its supply of diapers the previous day and the new supply would meet a real need.

Pisano said she was pleased by the students’ obvious enthusiasm and satisfaction with the project.

“I think ultimately it was the realization that they were providing diapers for babies who might not get them otherwise,” she said. “And we had a lot of fun doing it.”

12 The Catholic News & Herald

April 16, 2010

in our schools

Saying thanks to teachers, staff

Walking in solidarity

photo by

Heather Bellemore

Middle school students at St. Mark School in Huntersville get fresh air during the seventh-annual Walk for Diabetes March 26. Some took a break from walking around a track to do jumping jacks or hula hoops in the center field at the school. photo provided by

Students raise school spirit during annual Walk for Diabetes at St. Mark Heather Bellemore Special to The Catholic News & Herald HUNTERSVILLE ― More than 700 students participated in the seventhannual Walk for Diabetes at St. Mark School in Huntersville March 26.

Beyond a significant effort to educate students about nutrition and exercise, Principal Debbie Butler said “the real mission is service.” She added that “as Catholics, this is something we should all do.”

The school currently ranks first in the nation in fund-raising for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) through the annual Walk for Diabetes.

Last year’s record fundraiser totaled more than $38,000. This year’s tally was about $31,000, organizers reported last week.

Money raised from the annual event is donated to the ADA, earmarked to send children with diabetes to summer camps in North Carolina. Camp Carolina Trails, in particular, provides the opportunity for these children to have fun while learning from each other how to live with diabetes.

“It’s a win-win situation,” said Sherri Petrilli, school nurse and organizer of the first walk at St. Mark School. “Our students have the opportunity to help kids with diabetes, while also learning how important it is to make healthy choices as children so that they can grow to become healthy adults.”

This year’s event kicked off with a pep rally two weeks prior to the walk. During the intervening days, students held a “penny war” fundraiser between classes, bought raffle tickets in anticipation of fun prizes won at the end of each school day, and learned in

the classroom about the importance of exercise and healthy nutrition.

“I learned that it is really important to stay healthy and always eat healthy foods,” said fourth-grader Maddie Hannon.

The ADA’s Web site (diabetes. org) describes diabetes as “a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both.”

According to the most recent statistics available on the site, 23.6 million adults and children in the U.S. have diabetes – nearly 8 percent of the population.

“Everyone either has a relative or knows someone with the disease,” said Megan Findley, physical education teacher for the school.

While many students highly recommended activities on the day of the walk, third-grader Caden Bonoffski said his favorite part is “raising money.”

He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was just 18 months old.

“It really is a big deal for our family,” said Annie Burger, whose husband Jim joined their first-grader for the walk.

Jim’s brother and sister both live with diabetes and have watched treatment and awareness efforts evolve. Says Annie, “Forty years ago, there were no insulin pumps ... people didn’t understand how a kid couldn’t have birthday cake.”

Tammy Gambino organized more than 200 volunteers and spearheaded donation procurement for this year’s event. Diagnosed herself with gestational diabetes, Gambino also has a sister who was diagnosed with diabetes at 37, and a niece who was diagnosed at 2.

This is Gambino’s first year cochairing the annual event.

“Having a good support system is essential,” she said. “It’s a group effort.”

Margaret Dickson

Teachers and staff at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem were treated to a luncheon March 22 in appreciation for all their hard work and dedication. A “five star” meal and service were provided and served by parents. The luncheon is an annual event at OLM to thank the teachers and staff who do so much to provide an exemplary education for students.

SCHOOL NEWS IN BRIEF

BMHS wins Model UN award KERNERSVILLE ― The Bishop McGuinness High School Model United Nations Team ended its season by winning the Best Overall High School Award at a competition recently held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Twelve schools comprised of 285 students from around the East Coast competed.

This was the second time this year that Bishop McGuinness has won the Best

Overall High School Award at a Model UN competition. The successful finish allowed the team to ascend to a thirdplace ranking in the Carolina West National Forensic League.

Also, the following BMHS students earned individual awards: Verbal commendation – Anne Phoenix and Anna Ross; Honorable mention – Brady Byrne, Eric Boyers, Jane Ashley Raborn, Peter Jacoby and Daniel Sebastian; Outstanding Delegation – Zach Lassiter and Adam Wicker; Excellent Delegation – Jake McSwain, Elizabeth Garcia and Conor Jordan; and Best Delegation – Mark Sowinski and David Crescenzo.

Holy Angels Angelic Apparel Sale & Yard Sale – Cash & Carry Only (No Checks – No Credit/Debit Cards) Thursday – Saturday, April 22-23, Thursday & Friday, 10 am – 7 pm & Saturday 8am – 1 p.m. at Holy Angels Warehouse, 5900 Wilkinson Boulevard, Belmont (between Holy Angels and Cramerton).

Items include: Ladies clothing & undergarments, hosiery, jewelry & greeting cards and so much more. Come early – selection limited.

For more information contact Holy Angels, 704-825-4161.

Classifieds FOR SALE PROPERTY on Lake Wylie (Belmont), reduced below tax value. 3 acres – includes 2 lots. www. wylie.webuda.com

CONDO: Amity Springs Drive, Charlotte 28212. Immaculate – 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. All amenities. $495/month.. Utilities not included.

Contactlightupalife@earthlink.net or 336-2678991 (answering service).

Classified ads bring results! Over 160,000 readers! More than 55,000 homes!

Rates: $.80/word per issue ($16 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

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

April 16, 2010

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Students at St. Leo School ‘live’ Stations of the Cross

Easter finery on parade

Celebrate the Feast of photo provided by

Margaret Dickson

Our Lady of Fatima

Kindergarten students at Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem celebrated the Easter holiday with their annual Easter parade. Students decorated their bonnets with everything from dinosaurs to traditional flowers and paraded through the school and to surrounding businesses, then finished off the celebration with a traditional Easter egg hunt and party.

Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Thursday, May 13, 2010

5:30Our PM Lady Rosary,of6:00 PMCatholic Mass, Church Grace 7:00 PM Dinner ($50.00Greensboro, per person RSVP by April 30th) NC Homilist: The Very Reverend Christopher A. Roux

Thursday, May 13, 2010 Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church Greensboro, NC tedeumfoundation@gmail.com 336-765-1815

photo provided by

Donna Birkel

Eighth-grade students at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem performed their annual re-enactment of the Last Supper and the Living Stations of the Cross before Easter.

OLG students learn about Lent

John Paul II's Theology of the Body Retreat Weekend Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church – Winston-Salem

April 23 - 25 Awaken the meaning and purpose of life -- to live in the image and likeness of God through a sincere gift of self.

Come be inspired to live your unique vocation at a retreat designed just for you with prominent

international speaker and author Katrina Zeno.

Ms. Zeno is Coordinator of the John Paul II Resource Center for Theology of the Body and Culture Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona.

FRIDAY, April 23 - 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM -- Marriage: The Great Mystery. All married and engaged couples welcome! Bishop Begley Parish Center. A light supper will be served - no fee.

SATURDAY, April 24 – 9 AM - 4 PM -- Every Woman's Journey: Our Dignity, Vocation & Mission. Women of all ages welcome! Bishop Begley Parish Center.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be served - $10.

SUNDAY, April 25 – 6 PM – 8:30 PM -- Body Language. Youth Session and Exalt Night with Praise, Prayer and Adoration! All youth grades 8-12 welcome! Youth Ministry Room. Pizza will be served - $3.

PLEASE NOTE: E-mail to register: yrmarybeth@aol.com Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church 335 Springdale Avenue, Winston-Salem

photo provided by Gary Gelo

Seventh-grade classes at Our Lady of Grace School presented the Living Stations of the Cross to the student body and the parish March 19. Arthur Romel, seventh-grade religion teacher, coordinated the prayer services, an annual tradition for the school. Pictured above is his homeroom class.

Students in Sue Bio’s third-grade religion class learned about the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. Third- and seventh-grade buddies also made palm crosses together.

Kindergartners in Jean Williams’ class made prayer pots. The children took their prayer pots home along with a bag of items. For each week of Lent they added an item as a reminder of the season: the first week, it was a wooden heart as a symbol of God’s love; the second week, a seed to remind them that God’s love constantly grows; the third week, a rubber band as a reminder that God always stretches his patience for us and that we should do the same; the fourth week, a bandage as a reminder to be kind to those who are hurt; the fifth week, a marble to remind them to share and take turns; and finally, a piece of palm from Palm Sunday and an eggshell fragment on Easter as a reminder of new life.

April 16, 2010

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Priests called to lead people out of confusion VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― In a world where many people are confused about right and wrong and even about the meaning of life, priests are called to guide them to Christ, Pope Benedict XVI said.

With just two months left in the Year for Priests, the pope began a series of audience talks about the priesthood April 14, saying that over the coming weeks he would look specifically at the priest’s mission to teach, sanctify and govern.

Speaking on behalf of the groups present at the audience, Vatican officials wished the pope a happy birthday in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish and Italian. The pope was to celebrate his 83rd birthday April 16.

The pope spoke about how priests are called to identify so completely with Christ that their words, actions and lives fully represent Christ on earth.

The teaching mission of a priest is especially important today because “we are living amid great confusion about the fundamental choices in life,” about the meaning of life and about what is good and what is bad.

Like Jesus who taught the crowds that followed him and gave them direction, the pope said, priests today are called to help people find their way toward goodness, joy and eternal life.

The priest’s task is “to make present amid the confusion and disorientation of our age the light of the word of God, the light that is Christ himself,” he said.

“The priest does not teach his own ideas” and “he does not speak on his own” or try to gather a circle of admirers around him, but he proclaims the word of God, the pope said.

At the same time, the pope said, “he is not a spokesman who simply reads a text that is not his own.” A priest must identify so closely with Christ that the Lord’s teaching and values become the priest’s own.

Following is the full text in English of the pope’s remarks: “As the Year for Priests draws to its close, I would like to devote the catecheses of this Easter season to a series of reflections on the ordained ministry. I wish to speak in particular of the priest’s configuration to Christ, the head of the Church, through the exercise of the three munera of teaching, sanctifying and governing. In their ministry priests act in persona Christi, “in the person

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

of Christ.” The three munera are in fact actions of the Risen Christ, who even today, through his priests, continues to teach, sanctify and govern his Church. The first of the three munera is that of teaching, so important for our times. The priest is called to preach and teach not himself, but Jesus Christ and his revelation of the Father. This teaching, far from an abstract doctrine, is a living proclamation of the person of Christ, who is himself Truth, the source of our joy, peace and spiritual rebirth. The priest’s munus docendi demands that his whole life testify to the truth of the message that he proclaims, in harmony with the apostolic tradition and often in opposition to the spirit of the dominant culture. Following the example of the great Curé of Ars, may every priest proclaim Christ faithfully and speak in such a way that all can hear in him the voice of the Good Shepherd.”

Clash of two titans: The media versus the Church Is the sex abuse coverage fair?

“The Pope has a public perception problem.”

That judgment from a Charlotte newspaper editor about recent coverage of the Vatican gives you a feel for the arrogance that guides the media as they attack the Catholic Church, specifically the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI. It is arrogant because the media created the “problem.”

The attack on the Vatican is about a lot more than a memo the pope may have signed decades ago that did or did not discipline a priest pedophile. This is a confrontation over who sets the agenda for public discourse. In this clash, Catholics and non-Catholics would do well to take the side of the Holy See. In its never-ending search for scintillating headlines, the media have had their way with individuals and institutions for decades. When the media call, management jumps like a well-trained beagle. This isn’t always a bad thing.

For corporations that substitute value statements for conscience, the fear of a nosy reporter on line two is a good thing.

But Christianity, and in particular the Catholic Church, doesn’t fit the mold of the usual media target. We aren’t a corporation and we’ve been in existence for 2,000 years. The Church is complicated. It is the job of the media to explain the complexity, not to assume that we operate like other organizations. Viewing the Church through the narrow, judgmental lens of 20th-century investigative journalism will create a good headline, but will not truly inform.

Because the Church is not principally motivated by concern over the next quarterly statement, she has the legitimacy to offer a voice of reason to the world, “speaking truth to power” in the name of God. At times the Church is ignored, but she is always there repeating the

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 18 – APRIL 24 Sunday (Third Sunday of Easter), Acts 5:27-32, 40-41, Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19; Monday, Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-20; Tuesday, Acts 7:51-8:1, John 6:30-35; Wednesday (St. Anselm), Acts 8:1-8, John 6:35-40; Thursday, Acts 8:26-40, John 6:44-51; Friday (St. George, St. Adalbert), Acts 9:1-20, John 6:52-59; Saturday (St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen), Acts 9:31-42, John 6:60-69.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 25 – MAY 1 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Easter), Acts 13:14, 43-52, Revelation 7:9, 14-17, John 10:27-30; Monday, Acts 11:1-8, John 10:1-10; Tuesday, Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday (St. Peter Chanel, St. Louis Mary de Montfort), Acts 12:24-13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday (St. Catherine of Siena), Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday (St. Pius V), Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday (St. Joseph the Worker), Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14.

Guest Column David Hains Diocesan Director of Communication

command of Jesus to “love one another” and teaching that the source of true happiness in this life and the next has been divinely revealed.

Originally, the reporting on the Church brought a painful and important subject to a large audience: the sinful crime of sexual abuse of children by church workers. That coverage has brought benefits to both the Church and to society as the Church has trained thousands of people to prevent and report sexual abuse. The Diocese of Charlotte and the Vatican both give high-profile space in print and online to publish matters related to sexual abuse.

Someday, perhaps other institutions will be as open and transparent.

As often happens, when the media get a good story, though, they like to keep it alive by finding a new angle. In this case the church worker abuse story has morphed into the search for a “smoking gun” memo or letter that would implicate the Holy Father directly in the abuse scandal. It doesn’t seem to matter that this pope, more than any other, has addressed this serious and sinful crime, or that the latest “evidence” is decades old and needs to be viewed out of context for the “charges” to stick. This is a media ploy to bring the Vatican to heel – saying, in effect, the Pope answers to us.

The classic public relations response to the “gotcha” scenario of a media crisis is to own up and promise a bright new day. Following this approach means the media quickly move on. It works great for oil spills. But it would be a disaster for Catholics if our pontiff acted like a beleaguered CEO. Taking the easy way out would put the voice of the Church on par with so many think tanks that have an expert on staff available for soothing comments whenever the media call.

The Church doesn’t take the easy way out and she won’t curtsy before a media oligarchy.

The Church will endure the accusatory headlines. And even if Pope Benedict wonders how providence put such a good and gentle man in the crosshairs of a news camera, he knows that editorial cartoons that seek to humiliate him are laughable when compared to what happened to St. Peter, the first Pope. He was crucified.

You can contact David Hains at dwhains@charlottediocese.org.

April 16, 2010

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Mercy is the key to sanctity, holiness Over the past few weeks, the Church in general and Pope Benedict XVI in particular have been under tremendous public criticism. This is no real surprise.

If anything, Church history has proven that in every age, the Church suffers from two forms of evil: corruption from within and persecution from without.

In a recent article by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, he mentions, “In the recent child abuse crisis both forces have gone on the attack at the same time.”

He explains that, “The corruption and wickedness of a very few priests, and the complacency, weakness, ignorance, incompetence and willful cover up by some of the hierarchy has caused serious damage to the Church and Christ’s message.”

Clearly, the Church’s credibility has been compromised.

He then continues, “But while the attack through corruption within has been real, so has the attack in the form of persecution from without. The enemies of the Church have used the child abuse crimes to attack the Church viciously and often unreasonably. There have been good journalists who have reported fairly, recorded facts and given a true perspective, but there have been too many others who have slandered, lied

and distorted the truth.”

For example, most of the secular press is condemning Pope Benedict for allegedly hiding abuse cases that occurred when he was leading the Vatican office known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In reality, then Cardinal Ratzinger implemented changes in Church protocol that allowed swift action instead of lengthy court trials, and he reopened cases that had been closed. And he was the first pope to meet with victims. The truth clearly contradicts these false claims.

The contemporary situation of greed, abuse, corruption and incompetence seems grim. And there is no excuse to tolerate these evil practices or trivialize the real pain and suffering experienced by abuse victims and their families.

And so, what does Father Longenecker suggest is the remedy?

Should we eliminate priestly celibacy?

Perhaps ordain women as priests?

Or simply eliminate the priesthood altogether? No. Other Christian communities have tried all of these, yet abuse and sin remain. There is only one remedy: sanctity, holiness of life.

Father Longenecker asks, “How does a saint respond to corruption within the church? He or she confronts it and

Letters to the Editor More coverage of clergy sex abuse problem needed Dear Editor, It was a bit surprising to find a total of only six paragraphs in the March 26 edition that addressed the growing sex abuse problems in the Church. Four paragraphs mentioning the pope’s apology to Irish Catholics and two paragraphs about the decline in sexual abuse cases reported in U.S. dioceses do not come close to addressing the huge problem the Church is now facing. If you want Catholics to understand the issues and to support the pope and the Church, please inform us with facts and in-depth coverage.

Susan Orlando Davidson, N.C.

Who and what is Catholic?

Dear Editor, Recent news stories and columns show we Catholics are divided in all matters Catholic. The health care debacle produced statements from various “Catholic” groups announcing their positions. The USCCB issued its declarations about health care issues, to which other Catholic groups including the Catholic Health Association shot back statements of disagreement.

Where is the real Catholic today? Who are we?

Whoever we are, we seem not to be in agreement about the basic tenets of the Church. To whom do we turn now? TV analysts? Radio personalities? Who?

stands up to it and whenever they have the power they root it out fearlessly.” He says, “Read the lives of the saints and see how they defended the Church from heretics and false shepherds and corrupt leaders. They were warriors. They cared nothing for their own reputation, but rooted out the [corruption] like terriers going after rats. How could they do this?

Only through their own sanctity.”

Where do we find the moral courage to fight the evil within the Church and the persecution outside the Church? We return again to the Gospel.

The Second Sunday of Easter has been called “Divine Mercy Sunday” since 2000. On this Sunday, the Gospel records that Our Lord appeared again to the Apostles to prove His resurrection to Thomas. He allowed Thomas to probe His wounds. When Thomas encountered the wounds of Christ, Our Lord healed Thomas’ wounds of doubt.

It was not the Church or a pope that invented the sacrament of reconciliation.

The Gospel records that the Lord instituted the sacrament when He gave His power to His Apostles, His first priests, to bestow His Divine Mercy.

It is Our Lord’s desire, then, that we find moral strength through His gift of forgiveness.

At one time, a Catholic knew the rules and played by them. Then someone somewhere decided to change the rules. This is seen and heard on university campuses, churches, the U.S. Congress, and clubs and organizations that claim to be “Catholic.” By whose definition?

Don Mulligan High Point, N.C.

Catholics who supported health care bill disobedient Dear Editor, Regarding the March 26 article “Catholics greet health care with mix of emotions” by the Catholic News Service: This was not a fair and unbiased news article but a grossly prejudiced piece of propaganda attempting to make a point that one can be pro-abortion and still Catholic, and that a Catholic can be disobedient to the U.S. bishops and long-standing infallible teachings of the Church but still be considered “Catholic.”

The bishops made it clear that the health care legislation fell short in several areas, the first of which was its inevitable provision for federal funding of abortion. If Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, and Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats, want to be called “Catholic,” they must adhere to the Catholic faith and to the bishops who protect and teach that faith. By their poor example, they lead others into sin by suggesting that “Catholics” can remain in good standing with their Church while supporting legislation that would result in the deaths of thousands of unborn babies.

Keehan and Whelan along with other “Catholics” who supported the health care bill, including “Catholics” in Congress who voted for it, are in direct disobedience to the bishops. They ought to be called to repentance, not quoted as respected Catholics in the pages of The Catholic News and Herald.

Beth Ohlhaut Kannapolis, N.C.

Guest Column Father Matthew R. Buettner Guest Columnist

In every age, the Church has undergone spiritual attack, both corruption from within and persecution from outside. G.K. Chesterton said being in hot water is not all that bad – hot water keeps you clean. And it provides one essential lesson for us all: if evil can corrupt those who have been consecrated to Christ for His service, then it can happen to any of us. That is why we are all charged with the same mission: sanctity, holiness of life.

We are all created to be saints. There is simply no other form of Christianity.

Sanctity is our goal, but we cannot achieve it without Divine Mercy.

Let us trust in His mercy, not in ourselves, and we will find moral courage to confront the evil we find in the world and even in our own hearts.

Father Matthew R. Buettner is the pastor of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton.

Bill passed because Catholics did not speak with one voice Dear Editor, The March 26 article about the health care legislation demonstrates how splintered the communications of the Catholic Church are and how the Democratic Party is able to take virtually any position and point to some Catholic “spokesman” who will provide cover for the next election. We no longer speak with one voice, and the people we send to Congress are able to milk the Catholic vote at election time and still vote for anything they want.

We can fix this situation at the ballot box. I am also going to vote with my pocketbook, and only send money to organizations like Right to Life or Belmont Abbey College that I can trust to reflect my beliefs and those of my Church.

Ed Dowd Etowah, N.C.

Write a Letter to the Editor The Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy.

The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letters or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives.

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

April 16, 2010

FROM THE COVER

Churches mark first Easter EASTER, from page 1

“We celebrated Easter Mass in all sorts of physical set-ups (over the years)…from having the altar in its traditional place up front to seeing it placed on the side of the church…to having the choir next to the altar… and the ceiling so low it made you feel like you were in the basement,” the Laymans said.

They also endured years when the old air conditioning system failed and ceiling fans did little to assuage the stifling heat.

The new St. Ann building, they said, “is a place that now looks fresh inside and out with beautiful large stained glass windows, an exquisite marble altar and altar rail, a raised ceiling, and paint colors that seem to shout with joy and yet speak in whispers.”

St. Mark in Huntersville, which once held Masses in a bowling alley, also enjoyed a glorious first Easter celebration. The sparkling fountain in the new piazza greeted parishioners and visitors alike as they entered the new church which seats 1,600 people.

Scott and Lu-Ann Malizia, originally from Connecticut, are longtime parishioners from the bowling alley days.

“It was very moving to be there on

Approach to abuses changed ABUSE, from page 1

was responsible to make sure he did no harm, as the canon law provides,” Lena said. “The abuse case wasn’t transferred to the Vatican at all.”

Other Vatican experts in church law, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on the record, made several other points: – Cardinal Ratzinger’s 1985 letter came in response to a request for dispensation from priestly obligations, not a request for sanctions against an abuser. The distinction is important, they said. At the time, Pope John Paul II had introduced a policy of greatly reducing the number of such dispensations, out of concern that the commitment to the priesthood was no longer seen as permanent.

– Cardinal Ratzinger ’s letter acknowledged the “grave” reasons involved in this particular case, urged the local bishop to follow the priest closely and advised further careful consideration of the situation. Kiesle was in fact laicized two years later, on the eve of his 40th birthday; there was a policy at the time of not granting dispensations to priests under the age of 40.

– Cardinal Ratzinger’s letter had no bearing on protecting children from Kiesle, or protecting the church’s reputation. The priest had already been convicted of sexual abuse in a wellpublicized civil trial in 1978 and had – in theory, at least – been removed from all ministry by the Diocese of Oakland.

– Authority over allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests was transferred to the doctrinal congregation only in 2001. In 2003, special faculties were granted to the congregation to make it easier to dismiss offenders from the priesthood. Cardinal Ratzinger is said by many to have pushed for these changes.

Vatican sources said the Kiesle case illustrates how the Vatican has changed its approach over the years, particularly regarding the penalty of dismissal from the priesthood.

The Catholic News & Herald 16

Vatican offers online summary of policy The Vatican has placed online a summary of its procedures for handling sex abuse allegations against priests.

The Guide to Understanding Basic Procedures Concerning Sexual Abuse Allegations is available in English at www.vatican.va/resources/resources_ guide-CDF-procedures_en.html.

Vatican spokesman: Pope has been ‘credible leader’ VATICAN CITY (CNS) ― The Vatican spokesman has strongly defended Pope Benedict XVI as a credible leader on the issue of priestly sex abuse, saying the pope’s respect for truth and transparency stand against the “criticism and unfounded insinuations” of recent weeks.

The spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said in a lengthy commentary April 9 that the recent disclosures of past cases of abuse of minors by priests had demonstrated that the wounds in the church run deep, and require greater pastoral attention. But he said the church was taking the correct approach by reaching out to victims, strengthening its own procedures against offenders, encouraging cooperation with civil authorities and improving the screening of priesthood candidates.

Responding to widespread criticism of the pope and the Vatican for allegedly failing to act more decisively against priest abusers, Father Lombardi said the church’s current policies of transparency and firmness reflected the pope’s own determination to address the problem.

Vatican editor: Anti-church campaign seen in stories ROME (CNS) ― The editor of the Vatican newspaper said the continuing criticism of Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican in handling the clerical sex abuse crisis is part of a media campaign to sell newspapers.

“To think there is a conspiracy is ridiculous,” Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of L’Osservatore Romano, told members of the foreign press in Rome April 12. But, he said, there obviously is a “media campaign” to continue the negative coverage.

Easter Sunday,” Lu-Ann said. “Our lives have changed as the church has grown and changed. We have an 11-year-old son now and the sacred environment of the new church with the statues and stained glass window of the Good Shepherd are beautiful. I was feeling very sentimental; especially since our pastor Father Richard (Bellow) is recovered from a long illness and is back with us.”

Churches throughout the Diocese of Charlotte are always packed on Easter and even with the extra seating this year in the new churches, there were still some people left standing at Mass.

“Our Lord must be very happy to see so many familiar and even new faces at church,” Lu-Ann added. “Hopefully, they will come back now that they see how beautiful it is.”

Father Brandon Jones, parochial vicar at St. Mark, said, “Easter 2010 for

the parish of St. Mark was truly a joyous occasion, over 12 years in the making. At every offertory procession in the Mass, we are reminded that all human labor is taken up and sanctified in and through the Holy Sacrifice. Likewise, the labors and generous donations of so many of our faithful helped to make the Easter celebrations in our new church a service to the glory of God.” Sacred Heart parishioner Wendy McCullough, whose family is among the founding families of the church in Salisbury, attended Mass on Easter Sunday morning at her parish.

“It was a beautiful Easter this year,” McCullough said. “The property is blooming, the grass is growing, and when it’s a blue sky day it’s just breathtaking.

The church was full. The altar was beautifully decorated. There seemed to be a lot of excitement in the air.”

Registration deadline soon - call TODAY! SPECTACULAR - UNSPOILED – HISTORICAL

CROATIA

with a visit to Medjugorje

October 18-28, 2010

Bring family and friends to join with the Diocese of Charlotte as we experience Croatia – lying just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy! We’ll see breathtaking natural beauty, significant places of European history and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites! Plus, a visit to Medjugorje -- making this trip a definite favorite for all!

Highlights of these 11 days include: • Zagreb, the capital city with rich cultural and governmental history, and Roman settlements from the 1st century • beautiful, old-world Bled, Slovenia – a “pletna boat” will glide us across glacial Lake Bled with the majestic, snow-tipped Julian Alps as the backdrop • a tour of the world-famous Lipizzaner horse farm where we’ll witness an actual training session of these magnificent Slovenian treasures!

• charming seaside Opatija, nestled in beautiful woods with elegant villas and a seaside promenade to bring the Adriatic right up to your feet!

• the spectacular, breathtaking phenomenon of Plitvice Lakes national park – 16 terraced lakes connected by magnificent waterfalls and free-flowing cascades. A lake cruise reveals the underwater life thriving in this natural wonderland!

• the ancient seaside city of Split (once the most important Mediterranean port in then-Yugoslavia) where we’ll explore the Old City, the markets, Diocletian’s Roman Palace and much more of its charm and fascinating history • Medjugorje, the small village where we’ll have personal time for prayer, reflection and Mass at beautiful St. James Church • exciting Dubrovnik offers us its fascinating Old City, world-famous Franciscan Monastery, exceptional architecture, seaside promenade and more!

• unforgettable home visit and culinary feast with a Croatian countryside family sharing their culture and customs to enrich our total experience!

Unparalleled beauty, fascinating history and more await you on this trip!

Check out these highlights on the Internet and you’ll see why Croatia is becoming a must-see destination, still unspoiled by “too many tourists.”

Price per person (double occupancy) is only $3,379 and includes: roundtrip airfare from Charlotte; all hotels and transfers; most meals; fulltime professional Tour Manager; local guides. Not included are cancellation waiver/insurance ($200 per person) and air taxes/surcharges ($150).

For a brochure or questions, call Cindi Feerick at the diocese (704) 370-3332 or e-mail ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org.