May 5, 2006

May 5, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Youths in Action

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Hundreds gather at Diocesan Youth Conference; students work in Mississippi | Page 4

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI May 5, 2006

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Finding solitude with God Hermit explores eremitic life in by

HAYESVILLE — “I think I always wanted to be hermit,” Brother John Schroeder said.

“I’ve always been a solitary, which is funny because I enjoy company, but I enjoy company on my terms.”

In March, Brother Schroeder, 70, was invested with the habit of the Community of Hermits of St. Bruno (CHSB) during Sunday Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Father George Kloster, pastor, performed the “rite of the Habit,” blessing Brother Schroeder’s white tunic and scapular.

See HERMIT, page 5

Respecting Life

by

NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN

catholic news service

WASHINGTON — Thirty-three years after Roe v.

Wade, most Americans still do not understand the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in nearly all circumstances, according to poll results released April 25 in Washington.

Although 65 percent of See POLL, page 13

Catholic leaders decry gospel of Judas by

correspondent

Catholic women turning away from abortion

no. 29

Pope says Judas was a greedy liar

JOANITA M. NELLENBACH

Poll: Americans more pro-life, still don’t grasp Roe

vOLUME 15

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Hermit of St. Bruno Brother John Schroeder plays with Bam, one of two dogs who are his hermitage companions, near his motor home in Hayesville in April.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON — Not long after the National Geographic Society put the sympathetic gospel of Judas on display, Catholic leaders — including the pope — were quick to set the record straight that Judas betrayed his friend and Lord after the Last Supper.

In fact, said Pope Benedict XVI, Judas was a greedy liar who put his desire for money ahead of his relationship with Jesus and his love for God. The document that went on display in Washington April 6 is a third-century Coptic translation of what had originally been written in Greek before 180. The society released English translations of portions of the text, which portrays Judas as Jesus’ closest disciple and says Jesus asked Judas to hand him over to the Roman authoriSee JUDAS, page 8

Serving the people

Catholic Social Services touches many by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

Editor’s Note: Some names have been changed for privacy.

CHARLOTTE — For many years, Catholic Social Services (CSS) has served the needs of the people of North Carolina, Catholic and nonCatholic alike.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis declared the week of April

29-May 6 as Catholic Social Services Week throughout the 46 counties in the Diocese of Charlotte. The week provided an opportunity to speak about CSS services and to express gratitude for the support of many individuals in the parishes and the broader community.

CSS sponsors numerous programs providing services See CSS, page 9

Photo by Karen A. Evans

John and Teofila Rodziewicz watch their grandson Christopher during a cooking class sponsored by New Horizons for Children and Families, held at the Pastoral Center in Charlotte May 1.

A bright future

Culture Watch

Perspectives

Priests include diocese in estate planning

Opus Dei’s new institute; ‘Left Behind’ flicks

Pope’s first year; ‘Da Vinci Code’ blessing

| Page 7

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 14-15

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

May 5, 2006

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

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he depends on God daily WASHINGTON (CNS) — Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there are times every day when he thinks about his dependence on God. “My belief that there is a God and that he has a plan for me is a major, calming influence in my life,” Pace, a Catholic, told members of the John Carroll Society, a lay Catholic organization based in Washington.

Pace received the group’s John Carroll Medal at an annual dinner in Washington April 21.

“I stand before you as someone who is appreciative ... who truly does believe this award is in anticipation of future conduct,” Pace said.

The medals are presented annually to Catholics in recognition of their public service and commitment to their faith.

Other 2006 recipients included Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

wrapped in faith

Diocesan planner BOONE VICARIATE

Photo by Andrea Baran, Erie Sisters of Mercy

Mercy Sister Ann Prisco of Erie, Pa., a knitter for more than 30 years, coordinates a ministry in which people gather to knit or crochet prayer shawls, which are given to those with physical, emotional or physical illnesses or to those who are grieving.

Prayer shawl ministry wraps creators, recipients in “There’s soft reflective music playing.

It’s quiet time because we’re praying as we knit or crochet,” Sister Ann Prisco.

A healing prayer card that is blessed goes to the shawl recipient, she said.

As a meeting closes, a leader is chosen to run the next one. Each meeting ends with a prayer and a blessing for both the knitters and the shawls. She said each knitter or crocheter may select her own yarn and pattern.

They are reimbursed for the yarn, but many donate their yarn as well as their time. As for color choices, they usually use a darker shade for a man and lighter shades for a woman or child.

Each shawl is then folded in tissue paper and put in a gift bag.

When a shawl is delivered, the scene is moving.

“There are tears of joy and gladness,” Sister Prisco said.

And the emotion spreads to the giver, also.

“It chokes us up to deliver it. Such openness. It brings tears, a lump in your throat,” Sister Prisco said. “They think you’ve given them a cure. It’s a comfort.”

The group has received many thank you notes from recipients. They

ERIE, Pa. (CNS) — A knitter since 1972, Sister Ann Prisco pours love into every prayer shawl she creates.

A Sister of Mercy for 56 years, she is the coordinator of a group at the Erie motherhouse that gathers the first Monday night of the month to knit or crochet prayer shawls.

The shawls are then given to people with physical, emotional or psychological illnesses, or to those who are grieving.

“We feel that the Sisters of Mercy have that compassion and concern for the grieving. It not only blesses them, but us, I’m sure,” Sister Prisco said.

About 15 people participate in the group, begun in 2001 and inspired by an article about women doing this work in Connecticut. Sister Prisco got the local group started.

There have been more than 60 shawls given away so far.

“One has gone as far out as Ireland,” Sister Prisco explained.

A meeting night has an opening prayer, a review of prayer shawl progress and need for materials, and a report on people visited. Attendees then list recipients and who will deliver the shawls.

The names of those who have received shawls are read.

SPRUCE PINE — A Rosary of Intercession for Priests is recited each Friday at St. Lucien Church, 695 Summit St., before the 9 a.m. Mass.

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

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — Father Matthew Buettner, parochial vicar of St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton, will present the Catholic Response to “The Da Vinci Code” May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Msgr. Pharr Activity Center of St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd. RSVP for this free event to Renee O’Brien at rdobrien@earthlink.net or (704) 770-0003.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, is hosting a “Community Shred” May 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. according to the FBI; shredding personal documents is one way to help stop it. Everyone is encouraged to bring personal and confidential documents to the church, where PROSHRED Security will destroy them. For more information, call the church office at (704) 543-7677.

CHARLOTTE — The Vietnamese Cursillo of Charlotte School of Leaders meets the second Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd. For more information, contact Nam Le at (704) 549-1525.

MINT HILL — G.E.M.S. Daily is a prayer/ support group for mothers of children with disabilities. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., at St. Luke Church, 13700 Lawyers Rd., to share concerns, praise and prayers. For details, call

“The remarkable thing about Gen. Pace is that he demonstrates his Catholic faith and how his faith influences his life, both personally and professionally,” said Msgr. Peter Vaghi, chaplain of the John Carroll Society.

Pace, the first Marine to serve as the nation’s highest ranking military officer, said that when he talks about his faith “it touches at the Italian blood that runs in my heart.”

He said his near-death experiences in Vietnam proved that God had a plan for him, and he promised God he would stay in the Marine Corps until God gave him a sign to leave and he promised to serve “until I was no longer promoted.”

He frequently remembers that his mother used to tell him as a young boy that “God would never give me more than I can handle.”

Remembering those words helps him in his current work, he said, knowing that with God’s help “I can do whatever I’m supposed to do.”

Michelle Roth at (704) 321-1717.

CHARLOTTE — The Healing Prayer Group will pray with you in the name of the Lord Jesus for your healing, be it mental, spiritual or physical.

Come and know the gentleness and unconditional love of the Lord. We meet the third Monday of each month in the St. Matthew Chapel, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., at 7:30 p.m. For more information, e-mail Barbara Gardner at chlt5nc@ aol.com.

CHARLOTTE —The Young Widowed Group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall of St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For more information, contact facilitator Sister Therese Galligan at (704) 362-5047, ext. 216.

CHARLOTTE — The 50+ Club of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. with a program and lunch in the parish hall. For reservations and more information, call Elaine at (704) 847-2835.

GASTONIA VICARIATE MOUNT HOLLY — Father John Vianney Hoover invites all to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood May 28 at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Church on Hwy. 273. Bring a picnic dinner and chairs to share after Mass. For details, call (704) 541-5026.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St. will host a vicariate-wide Estate Planning Seminar May 16 at 7 p.m. in the Kloster Center.

Estate planning information will be provided

by Jim Kelley and Judy Smith of the Diocese of Charlotte’s planned giving office and Kim Garcia, division president with US Trust in WinstonSalem. Please call (704) 370-3320 with any questions. To register, call (336) 272-4681.

GUILFORD COUNTY — The Ancient Order of

May 5, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 29

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

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

Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

The Catholic News & Herald 3

May 5, 2006

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope warns against denying, downplaying Christ’s resurrection

Resurrection is ‘central fact of Christianity,’ says pope VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI warned against trying to negate or minimize Christ’s resurrection, saying it was the central event of Christianity.

The pope made the comments at his weekly blessing April 30, speaking to several thousand people from his apartment window above St. Peter’s Square.

The pope said the Gospel recounts how Christ appeared repeatedly to his disciples after his death, inviting them to “overcome their amazement” and believe in his resurrection.

“The resurrection of Christ is the central fact of Christianity, the fundamental truth that should be reaffirmed with vigor in every age, because to deny it — as has been attempted in various ways and is still being attempted — or to transform it into a purely spiritual event, is to negate our very faith,” he said.

He quoted St. Paul, who wrote that “if Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; (and) empty, too, your faith.”

The pope also noted the comforting role of Mary in scriptural accounts following Christ’s death. The mother of Jesus was “a mother and teacher” for the apostles during this period, and she continues to perform that role for Christians of every era, he said.

“To Mary we entrust the needs of the church and of the entire world, especially in this moment marked by many shadows,” he said.

He noted that the church traditionally dedicates the month of May to Mary.

The following day, May 1, the pope visited Rome’s largest Marian sanctuary and prayed that Mary would help free the world from immorality, war and terrorism.

Hibernians Guilford County Division, the oldest and largest order of Irish Catholic men, is looking for more Irish Catholic men to join them for meetings, educational seminars and social events.

Contact Michael Slane at (336) 665-9264 for time and location.

held the first three Wednesday evenings of each month beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the St. John the Evangelist Church social hall, 234 Church St. For more information, call Charles Luce at (828) 648-7369 or e-mail luce54@aol.com.

HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — Father Robert Ferris leads a Lectionary Bible Study at St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

This study prepares participants for the following Sunday’s Mass by reading and studying the liturgical readings for the next week. For more information on this study, contact Kathy Succop at stalscoordinator@charter.net or (828) 327-2341.

SALISBURY VICARIATE CONCORD — A four-part series of Natural Family Planning classes will begin May 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Northgate Family Medicine Clinic, 1028 Lee-Ann Drive Suite 100. Couples will learn the Sympto-Thermal method from Dr. Matthew and Kat Harrison, a certified teaching couple. Childcare is available upon request. Registration is required. For more information, e-mail Kat Harrison at katmatt@ctc.net or call (704) 786-8799.

MOORESVILLE — Seniors ages 55 and up are invited to St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., the second Saturday of each month following the 5:30 p.m. Mass for Senior Games Night, featuring games and a potluck dinner. Call Barbara Daigler at (704) 662-9752 for details.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:45 p.m. in the Commons of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need. For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 494-2683.

WAYNESVILLE — Adult Education Classes are

Episcopal

calendar

May 7 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Aloysius Church, Hickory May 9 — 11 a.m.

Presbyteral Council Meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte May 10 — 7 p.m.

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE KERNERSVILLE — Holy Cross Church, 616 S. Cherry St., invites all Catholics who have been inactive, feel alienated or just want to take another look at the Catholic Church to attend ReMembering Church, a series of six sessions designed to address issues that have perhaps caused feelings of estrangement. Those seeking information about annulment are also cordially invited. These evening discussions will offer a welcoming atmosphere, help with misunderstandings and hurts, look at the changes that have taken place since Vatican II and provide an opportunity to ask questions. Sessions will meet in Holy Cross Church Salesian Hall, Wednesdays, June 7-July 12, 8-9 p.m. For more details, call Juliann Demmond at (336) 996-7136 or email rjdemmond@netzero.com.

WINSTON-SALEM — St. Benedict the Moor Church, 1625 East 12th St., hosts a 12:15 p.m. prayer service, Veni Sanctus Spiritus, the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

All are welcome to reflect on God and refresh the spirit in the middle of a day. For more information call Sister Larretta RiveraWilliams at (336) 725-9200.

Pope says church must be more selective in picking saint candidates VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church should be more selective and very rigorous in choosing candidates for sainthood, Pope Benedict XVI said in a message to the Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

The pope, who as a cardinal expressed concern over the number of causes being promoted, wrote to the congregation as its members met April 24-26 for a plenary assembly.

They discussed a new instruction for the initial diocesan stages of the sainthood process and were looking at possible changes to the formal criteria for determining martyrdom and for miracles.

Pope Benedict told the congregation that he had put into effect changes that met the “widespread hope” that the difference between beatification and canonization would be underlined and that local churches would be more involved in the entire process.

Modern men and women need true models of holiness, he said, and they must be chosen with care.

First, the pope said, further instructions are needed to help local bishops “safeguard the seriousness of the investigations that take place in the diocesan inquiry” into a candidate’s martyrdom or the person’s Christian virtues and miracles attributed to his or her intercession.

Second, he said, there must be a real

Joined in faith

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Please submit notices for the Diocesan Planner at least 7 days prior to desired publication date (Fridays) in writing to Karen A. Evans at kaevans@ charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events: Sacrament of Confirmation St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon May 11 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Michael the Archangel Church, Gastonia May 13 — 9 a.m.

“fame of holiness” and not just a conviction among a small group of people that the person in question was a good Christian.

Although he did not refer specifically to any individual, the pope said that a spontaneous and widespread recognition of sainthood, as occurred in the case of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “is a sign from God that indicates to the church those who deserve to be placed upon the candelabra to give ‘light to all those in the home.’”

On the question of miracles, Pope Benedict appeared to rule out a change that some theologians had hoped would leave space for consideration of “moral miracles,” such as dramatic conversions that occur when a notorious sinner turns his or her life around after coming into contact with the writings of a candidate for sainthood.

The congregation’s plenary also included a discussion of the definition of martyrdom.

Pope Benedict said a person could not be declared a martyr without “irrefutable proof” of the victim’s willingness to die for the faith and without “moral certainty” that the persecutor’s action stemmed “directly or indirectly” from a hatred of the faith.

CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec

Religious leaders walk — some hand in hand — toward Georgetown University at the close of the International Prayer for Peace in Washington April 27. Representatives of various faith communities, brought together by the lay Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio, gathered for two days of discussion on religion and culture.

Appearing in front (from second left) are Imam Yahya Hendi of Georgetown, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Demetrios of America, El Hadj Kone Idriss Koudouss of the National Islamic Council in the Ivory Coast, Israeli Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America, German Evangelical Lutheran Bishop Jurgen Johannesdotter and Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim.

The man at far left is not identified.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Growing in faith

May 5, 2006

youths in action

Hitting the beaches College students spend spring break in hurricane-ravaged Mississippi by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

Courtesy Photo

Youths enjoy a concert during the annual Diocesan Youth Conference in Ridgecrest April 28-30.

Hundreds gather, celebrate at annual youth conference Maniscalco, member of Communion and Liberation, an ecclesial movement, who spoke of how his love for Christ is nourished by his faith community.

Augustinian Father James Cassidy, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe, also spoke and celebrated Mass.

The youths also attended workshops, enjoyed recreational activities and games, and were entertained at a concert

by Hart.

“The food was great, the people were awesome, but the amazing presence of God rocked the loudest,” said Kierestan Snyder, 17, a parishioner of Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.

“It’s an amazing experience for everyone to be here and sharing their faith,” said Isabel Echeverri, 15, a parishioner of Holy Family Church in Clemmons.

In addition to the mementos and friendships, the youths took away from the conference “the experience of being Catholic ... being learners and teachers, being Jesus and serving others,” said Ruble.

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

by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

RIDGECREST, N.C. — Hundreds of youths from around the Diocese of Charlotte recently stepped up to the plate for God. More than 300 youths attended the 29th annual Diocesan Youth Conference, themed “Know, Love, Serve ... Step up to the Plate,” held at Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center near Black Mountain April 28-30.

The conference was sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry in collaboration with the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council. The council is comprised of high school students from each of the diocese’s 10 vicariates who serve as youth coordinators between their parishes and the diocese.

“The council planned and implemented the entire weekend, leading two prayer services as well as giving the opening presentation and the announcements all weekend long,” said Peg Ruble, assistant director of youth ministry.

“The conference went beautifully.

We had great weather, great presenters, great kids and an awesome Holy Spiritled event,” she said.

Keynote speakers were awardwinning Christian musician Sarah Hart, founder of the all-women singing group Daughters of God; and Riro

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. — For their spring break, hundreds of college students from throughout the United States descended on the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana and Mississippi to help with the rebuilding efforts from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Joining in the efforts were three students from Wake Forest University; Julie Ostergaard, Wake Forest University Catholic campus minister; four Western Carolina University students; Gloria Schweizer, Western Carolina University Catholic campus minister; and one student’s father.

“It is always an inspiration to me when college students give up their spring break to volunteer,” said Schweizer.

The group stayed at C.O.R.E. Base Camp, a volunteer camp that provides sleeping arrangements, showers and meals.

“We were reminded that we could not accomplish everything, but that anything we could do would be appreciated,” said Anna Fedders, a student at Wake Forest University. “We were told that listening to people’s stories was just as important as cleaning their homes.”

Fedders shared her chance meeting with an elderly victim of the hurricane.

“She spoke of many of God’s miracles that came with the storm — of people who had escaped just before their homes had been destroyed, and those who had been rescued against all odds,” Fedders said.

“I realized that … by listening to her story, I had helped her to fulfill her promise to God to spread word of his miracles,” she said.

Courtesy Photo

Deacon Martin Finnegan examines his antique pistol that student Allison Lukanich uncovered in the sand where his house used to stand in Mississippi. Also pictured is Julie Ostergaard, Wake Forest University Catholic campus minister.

While clearing debris from a parish housekeeper’s front yard of debris, Fedders found a photograph of a beaming young boy holding a crucifix.

“I knocked on her door to give her the photo — it was her son’s first Communion picture, with bubbled surface and missing parts,” she said. “It had weathered the storm and sat in her yard for six months.”

“These people were incredibly determined to restore their lives, and even the smallest accomplishments brought them unbelievable joy,” said Fedders.

RELATED STORY See President Bush’s call for volunteers on page 16.

May 5, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 5

FROM THE COVER

Hermit explores eremitic life in HERMIT from page 1

“I feel that if you’re going to devote your life to God, you should devote your life to God.” — Brother Schroeder

“It was a beautiful service,” said Brother Schroeder. “I was so touched I was almost crying. “(Father Kloster) is a very sweet man. I didn’t want to do it (the rite) during Mass, but he said, ‘No, it’s important that the community know what’s happening.”

After the Mass, parishioners had a reception for Brother Schroeder.

“I’m blessed to be in a parish that has really taken to this,” he said. “Their support has been outstanding.”

Anyone can live alone, Brother Schroeder said, but there’s a difference between a recluse and a solitary: A recluse is antisocial, a solitary lives alone for a greater good. A hermit is a solitary whose focus is God. “He came to me several months ago and said he felt he had this call to the eremitic (hermit) life and had associated himself with a monastery in England,” Father Kloster said.

“Our theology is that these calls come from God. There’s a lot of discernment. We have to listen to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit works in these situations,” Father Kloster said.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (para. 921) states that hermits “manifest to everyone the interior aspect of the mystery of the Church, that is, personal intimacy with Christ. Hidden from the eyes of men, the life of the hermit is a silent preaching of the Lord, to whom he has surrendered his life simply because he is everything to him.

“Here is a particular call to find in the desert, in the thick of spiritual battle, the glory of the Crucified One.” A plan of life According to its Web site, the Community of Hermits of St. Bruno is “an international Roman Catholic community of sisters and brothers who live their lives in the spirit of their Father, St. Bruno — the founder of the Carthusian Order.”

The prior of St. Hugh’s Charterhouse, the Carthusian monastery near Parkminster, England, supports the community’s efforts to achieve canonical establishment.

“Even though you’re a hermit, you should be under the auspices of the

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Hermit of St. Bruno Brother John Schroeder stands in front of the motor home that serves as his hermitage in this April photo. church,” Brother Schroeder said. “You have to have a plan of life. You have to have a horarium (prayer schedule) and someone has to see that you’re doing it.”

His prayer schedule is an average of eight to 10 hours of prayer daily, lectio divina and spiritual reading.

“I feel that if you’re going to devote your life to God, you should devote your life to God,” Brother Schroeder said.

If he has to miss an hour because of one of his twice-weekly trips to town for Mass or errands, he doubles up on prayer when he gets home.

“I guess it’s just a little more backbone,” he said of the discipline. “When you make up your mind to do something, you have to do it. Are there times when I’ve missed (prayer periods)? Yes. Often? No.” Finding solitude with God Raised Catholic in upstate New York, Brother Schroeder was educated

by Jesuits and Christian Brothers. An aunt was a Dominican nun; one of his uncles was a monsignor.

“When I was in the eighth grade, I wanted to be a White Father and go to Africa, but my uncle, the monsignor, wanted me to be a diocesan priest,” Brother Schroeder said.

Instead, he earned degrees in engineering technology, secondary education and business. A four-year U.S. Army Special Forces enlistment ended just before the Vietnam War. He and his former wife raised four children (he has eight grandchildren).

Management positions included 16 years with Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Inc., where he directed manufacturing operations.

“I always thought if I got one more promotion I’d be happy, but I wasn’t,” he said. “One day I woke up and looked in the mirror and didn’t like what I saw. I went into the office and resigned.”

Then came years on a sailboat, odd jobs and five years with John Michael Talbot’s Brothers and Sisters of Charity. While a parishioner at the Cathedral-

Hermits who live on their own are self-supporting. The white habit costs $300 and is the same as that worn by the Carthusians. It took three monthly installments out of his social security check to pay for it.

Having already shown Father Kloster his correspondence with Sister Whipple and evidence that he is a community member, his habit was blessed in March.

Brother John expects to finish his novitiate (the next step after postulancy) this October. He’ll have completed six more programs: union with God; two on monastic vows; silence; lectio divina; and prayer.

Between prayer and study periods he clears brush from the land and keeps his 18-year-old pickup truck running.

White is impractical for work, so he wears jeans until his blue chambray work habit arrives.

Several times a year, he visits his spiritual director, Trappist Father Gerard Gross, at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Ga. At the end of the novitiate, Brother Schroeder will make his temporary vows of poverty, stability (to the place where he lives) and conversion of manners, which includes chastity and obedience.

Three years after that, he will make his permanent vows.

“I feel so much more comfortable with God,” he said. “I think one of the tragedies of our life is that we think we can hide things from God. We are almost never as honest with God as he is with us.

“You really have to give up pride to acknowledge all the things you need to.

When you get rid of the debris, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit,” he said.

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

WANT MORE INFO? To learn more about the Community of Hermits of St. Bruno, go online at www. hermitsofstbruno.com.

Basilica of St. Augustine, Fla., he taught Scripture in the St. Johns County Jail and took medical supplies to Haiti and Cuba.

Brother Schroeder found his way to Hayesville, eventually subscribing to Raven’s Bread, a quarterly newsletter for hermits and those interested in eremitic life. He began corresponding with the publisher, who lives in Hot Springs, N.C. She had been a Poor Clare for 30 years, then spent six years as a hermit in West Virginia.

“I went into this hermit thing several times — getting my feet wet, backing out,” Brother Schroeder said. “She helped me over some of the rough spots ... like not being able to get both feet out of the world.

“I didn’t think God was listening.

She said, ‘God always listens. You’re the one who doesn’t listen,’” he said.

When did he know he had a vocation as a hermit?

“There isn’t any single point that you can point to,” he said. “There is a drawing down, a deepening need to give up yourself. Each time I would start to draw down, I would get frightened, but it just kept coming back.”

The Community of Hermits of St. Bruno was recommended to him, and that he put himself in a place where it would be difficult to be in the world.

Thus, his 37-foot motor home sits on 11 acres up a winding, unpaved mountain road 2,000 feet above Tusquittee Valley. The property owner lives elsewhere and allows Brother Schroeder to stay in return for clearing brush.

Two canine companions: Cici and Bam. No neighbors. A generator recharges the 12-volt batteries that supply his electricity.

In December he suffered a heart attack and drove himself 110 miles to the Veterans Administration hospital in Asheville.

The way to solitude Brother Schroeder started with nine eremitic months to see if he could live such a life.

He contacted the Community of Hermits of St. Bruno and received an application from Sister Rosaline Whipple, the community administrator and formation director in Parkminster, England.

After returning the application, along with an essay about why he thought himself suited for hermit life, he was accepted for a six-month postulancy in March 2005.

Postulant training included three programs, one to be completed every two months: (1) hermitage, prayer life and the horarium; (2) the Desert Fathers (the earliest Christian hermits); (3) the Divine Office, spiritual reading and the habit.

Brother Schroeder has a cell phone, but no phone line or Internet, so his correspondence is postal.

Postulancy ended in October 2005.

His habit should have been blessed then, except that he didn’t have one.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

May 5, 2006

stewardship

A presence in prisons

Sharing success

Deacon recognized for work with inmates by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

Courtesy Photo

Pat Spivey, Patti Dunning and Tracy Welliver of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro discuss their parish’s successful stewardship efforts at the Regional Stewardship Day Conference in Cary April 29.

St. Pius X Church represented at regional stewardship by

Dunning. “That’s our big success — we’ve been focusing on it and it’s been paying off in the ways it’s supposed to.”

Stewardship is based on an individual’s need to give back out of gratitude, not on the church’s need to receive, according to Jim Kelley, the Diocese of Charlotte’s director of development, which includes diocesan and parish stewardship.

“Stewardship is based on the premise that all that we have and all that we are comes from God and, as a way to thank him for all his blessings, we are called to return a portion of the time, talent and treasure allotted to us,” said Kelley.

Stewardship has been a high priority for the Diocese of Charlotte since 1988, said Kelley.

The development office has worked with more than two-thirds of the 92 parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte to help them organize or improve their stewardship efforts.

“The U.S. bishops’ 1992 pastoral letter, ‘Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response,’ reinforced our commitment to work toward educating and assisting parishes and individuals in adopting this way of life,” he said.

“Stewardship really is to live as Jesus and be Jesus to other people,” said Dunning. “If you teach parishioners that, it helps them to live more peaceful, faithcentered lives.”

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on stewardship, call the diocesan development office at (704) 370-3302 or visit the Web page at www.charlottediocese.org/stewardship.html.

The sixth Regional Stewardship Day Conference will take place in Charleston, S.C., April 28, 2007.

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

CARY — Stewardship is a way of life at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro.

The parish’s decades of successful stewardship efforts were highlighted during the fifth Regional Stewardship Day Conference, held in Cary April 29.

More than 300 people from 82 parishes across five dioceses attended the conference, sponsored by the dioceses of Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston and Savannah and the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The keynote speaker was Dan Conway, president of RSI Catholic Services Group. Conway has more than 20 years of experience helping Catholic organizations in stewardship education and development.

The conference also featured six breakout sessions on topics designed to enhance stewardship efforts. Pat Spivey and Tracy Welliver, pastoral associates at St. Pius X Church, and Patti Dunning, stewardship committee chairperson, presented a “Parish Profile of Success.”

They detailed the decades of stewardship efforts at the parish, which currently has active adult and youth stewardship teams.

“We talked about what we’ve done over the past few years, where we are today and where we’re going,” said Dunning.

The stewardship committee has worked to incorporate the sense of stewardship into all aspects of the parish’s ministries and outreach programs, said Dunning.

“We also get new parishioners involved with ministries for which they have the time and talent, to help them get to know people and be involved,” she said.

“We teach that stewardship is more than money — it’s time and talent,” said

CHARLOTTE — Deacon Andy Cilone, a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Charlotte, has received the Volunteer of the Year award from Marion Correctional Center. The award was presented to Deacon Cilone at the volunteer banquet at the Marion facility in April.

This is not the first time Deacon Cilone, permanent deacon at Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City, has been recognized for his ministerial work in North Carolina prisons. He received the Volunteer of the Year award at Rutherford Correctional Center in 1995.

Deacon Cilone has been involved in prison ministry since 1990, when he began his ministry at Shelby Correctional Center. He then started a ministry at Rutherford Correctional Center in Spindale.

Following his retirement as plant manager of a plastics company four years ago, he began to extend his ministry to the maximum- and minimum-security prisons in Marion.

Deacon Cilone was first introduced to prison ministry by the late Deacon John Gallen of Marion. He spends between five and 10 hours each week visiting correctional facilities, leading Bible studies, conducting Communion services and showing movies based on the Bible.

“The Catholic presence in the prisons is being sought out by administrators and chaplains, because there are inmates who need our presence and inmates who would like to know more about the faith,” Deacon Cilone said.

The positive changes he has seen take place in some of the prisoners he has worked with have been rewarding, he said.

“Many of them go out into the community and give witness of their conversions to church and civil groups,” he said. “It is inspiring to hear about their journeys, where they have been and where they are now, and their new hopes for the future.”

Courtesy Photo

Deacon Andy Cilone was recently awarded the Volunteer of the Year award from the Marion Correctional Center. Deacon Cilone, who serves Immaculate Conception Church in Forest City, has been working in prison ministry for the past 16 years.

Two years ago, the permanent deacons of the Diocese of Charlotte took over responsibility for prison ministry.

The new diaconate candidates, who will be ordained in June, have been educated in prison ministry.

“The work that is done by volunteers in the prison system is greatly appreciated by the State of North Carolina,” said Deacon Cilone. “They realize the work that is done with inmates is priceless and the prison system would be struggling without the use of all the volunteers who are active in helping inmates spiritually to rebuild their lives and to ‘right themselves with God.’” Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

May 5, 2006

stewardship

Ensuring a bright future Priests include foundation in estate remember the church in their estates, and we can do the same,” he said.

In the last few years, five deceased priests of the diocese — Fathers Vincent Erb, Ramon Berg and Aloysius D’Silva, and Msgs. Richard Allen and Arthur Duncan — have left part of their estates to the church.

The church is an important part of many families, Kelley said. The development office asks laypeople to consider the church as another child in their families, providing for it financially as they would for their children.

The income may be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor organization or individual. Once an endowment is established, anyone may contribute to the fund.

“I have been pleased to designate the foundation (as a benefactor) as my personal way of continuing to give after I am ‘gone,’” said Msgr. Pharr. “This is a means of saying thanks to the Lord for his gifts of the Catholic faith and my vocation to the priesthood.”

“Through ongoing stewardship, my prayer is that many others will

by

“Through ongoing stewardship, my prayer is that many others will experience these same blessings.”

— Msgr. William Pharr

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

CHARLOTTE — Most people probably think of stewardship in terms of time, talent and treasure: How much time can I spend at the soup kitchen this week?

Does the newsletter committee need a graphic designer? Can I really afford to tithe 10 percent of my income?

Msgr. William Pharr, a retired priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, thinks of stewardship from a “senior perspective,” with a focus on past, present and future.

“Most of us reflect on our past opportunities with a mixture of regret and satisfaction,” said Msgr. Pharr.

“We discern the present with current possibilities and limitations.

Our hope for the future is that we can still make a difference as we assume a new role in the communion of saints,” he said.

“Although intercessory prayer should be our primary expression of stewardship, we may still share the fruits of time and talent through treasure when we have ‘moved on,’” Msgr. Pharr said.

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Mgr. Pharr has ensured that the work of the Diocese of Charlotte will continue for many years after he has “moved on.” He and a dozen other diocesan priests have designated the Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte as a recipient of their assets in their estate plans.

“These priests have given us, as laypeople, an example to follow,” said Jim Kelley, director of the diocesan office of development.

“They love the church and want to

experience these same blessings,” said Msgr. Pharr.

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

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on the diocesan foundation and endowments, call Jim Kelley at (704) 370-3301 or e-mail jkkelley@charlottediocese.org.

Foundation facts and figures The diocesan foundation was incorporated in 1994 to provide endowments for the Diocese of Charlotte and its parishes, agencies and organizations.

An endowment is a permanent fund in which the principal is never touched. The income may be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor organization or individual. Once an endowment is established, anyone may add to the fund.

Over the past 11 years, more than $2.5 million has been distributed by the foundation to parishes, schools and agencies.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

from the cover

CNS photo by Nancy Wiechec

Judas kisses Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus is handed over to soldiers in this detail from a contemporary Bible illumination. The National Geographic Society April 6 released the first modern translation of an ancient gnostic text that describes conversations between Jesus and Judas Iscariot.

Catholic leaders decry gospel of Judas JUDAS, from page 1

who breaks with the truth,” Pope Benedict said.

Purposefully ignoring the truth, he said, Judas “hardens, becoming incapable of conversion ... and throws away his destroyed life.”

Unworthy gospel The National Geographic Society

ties so that he could fulfill his mission.

But during his April 13 homily at the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Pope Benedict said Judas is the clearest example Christians have of someone who refuses God’s saving love.

For Judas, the pope said, “only power and success are real; love does not count.”

“And he is greedy: Money is more important than communion with Jesus, more important than God and his love.

He also becomes a liar, a double-crosser

A brief explanation of gnosticism WASHINGTON (CNS) — An understanding of gnosticism is key to making sense of the newly unveiled gospel of Judas, a gnostic writing put on display April 6 at the National Geographic Society in Washington.

Early Christians used the term to describe various sects that arose in the second century which exalted arcane knowledge, mixing Christian belief with pagan speculation and theories.

“Gnosis” is the Greek word for knowledge.

Repudiated as heretics, gnostics claimed that salvation could be obtained only through the knowledge and acceptance of certain divinely revealed mysteries that they alone possessed.

Until the 20th century, most of what was known about gnosticism came from the antignostic writings of Christian theologians of the second and third centuries.

That has changed since 1945, when an ancient library of about 50 gnostic works in

“did a disservice to Christian people and has exploited this old manuscript for its own purposes,” said Santa Fe Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan.

“In the early church there were many writings such as the gospel of Judas which were rejected as unworthy to be included in the Bible,” Archbishop Sheehan wrote in the May issue of his archdiocesan newspaper.

“We believe that the early church fathers had the guidance of the Holy Spirit in determining which writings were truly authentic and inspired by God and which writings were not,” he said. “Obviously the gospel of Judas did not ‘make the cut.’”

Jesuit Father O’Collins, who has convoked a series of ecumenical studies of the historical Jesus, said the gospel of Judas, like the gospels of Mary Magdalene and Philip, “does not merit the name ‘gospel.’”

“A ‘gospel’ is a literary genre — established by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — focusing on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus,” said Father O’Collins, a longtime professor of Christology at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.

While including events supposedly related to the life of Jesus, the gospel of Judas and the others really are texts “attempting to bolster the importance” of the personalities they are named after, not of Jesus, the priest said.

“They are not summaries of the good news,” he said.

The texts come from the gnostic tradition, a religious-philosophical current popular in the second, third and fourth centuries. The gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge unavailable to the vast majority of people and focused so strongly on the spiritual and intellectual that they despised material creation, including the human body.

In the year 180, St. Irenaeus condemned the gnostics, mentioning particularly a gospel of Judas.

Father O’Collins said the most important thing about the text released in early April is that “it shows just how right Irenaeus was in saying the gnostics were against mainstream Christianity and Judaism, they were against our God.” “To give Judas greater credit,” the Jesuit said, the gnostics “portray Jesus giving him secret knowledge. It was a nice try,” but there is no evidence to support the claim.

“It was junk then and it is junk now,”

May 5, 2006

he said.

“The Bible clearly contradicts the heretical teaching” of that text, said Archbishop Sheehan.

He noted that Mark’s Gospel “clearly describes Judas Iscariot as an unworthy disciple who betrayed Christ.”

Father O’Collins, who between 1996 and 2003 convoked a series of ecumenical, interdisciplinary summits for scholars on the historical Jesus, said it was “ridiculous” for anyone to claim publication of the gospel of Judas will challenge mainstream Christianity.

Fighting the fads A day after the pope’s April 13 homily, his preacher also weighed in against the recent wave of “pseudohistorical literature” gaining popularity as well as the soon-to-be-released film, “The Da Vinci Code.”

In his April 14 homily during the Good Friday liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said that millions of people today were being “crassly manipulated by the media,” which is more interested in touting the newest fad or insight rather than the truth and, as a consequence, turning a pretty penny for it.

“There is much talk about Judas’ betrayal without realizing that it is being repeated” today, he said during his homily given before the pope and hundreds of people in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Christ is being sold again,” he said, but this time “to publishers and booksellers” for billions of dollars.

People seem to be always itching for something new, and there are those who take advantage of that by carrying out or promoting “the clever rewriting of ancient legends,” he said.

The fantasies and speculation will only “flare up with the imminent release of a certain film,” the Capuchin friar said, in reference to the movie “The Da Vinci Code,” based on the novel by Dan Brown.

The preacher of the papal household said he felt it was his duty to address the current swirl of controversy surrounding the many interpretations of the life and death of Jesus because “we cannot allow the silence of believers to be mistaken for embarrassment” nor allow the media to manipulate the truth about Christ’s life, his death on the cross and his resurrection.

Contributing to this story were Cindy

May 5, 2006

FROM THE COVER

The Catholic News & Herald 9

CSS touches many lives CSS, from page 1

group sessions.

Skills for a new life At 12 years old, Bradley Smith had a fierce temper. So fierce, in fact, that he stabbed another child during a fight.

His future looked bleak until the judge ordered Bradley to receive counseling at Host Homes in Winston-Salem.

Host Homes, a program of CSS, is committed to providing a variety of services to young people and their families, including counseling, foster care, mentoring, a 24-hour hotline and Project Safe Place.

Some time after Bradley completed his counseling, he was accosted in his neighborhood by two older boys who wanted his shoes. Instead of attacking the boys, he maintained his self-control.

He walked away shoeless, but he walked away. Bradley’s mother is sure her son would have died had he challenged the boys.

“Because of Host Homes, I have my son again,” she said.

Moving on after loss When John Richardson was only 36 years old, his wife, Rosanne, died of breast cancer at age 42.

To help deal with all of his feelings — grief, anger, hurt — he joined a sup-

for all stages of life, from adoption to marriage preparation to elder ministry.

Three programs enjoying success in the diocese are Host Homes, New Horizons for Children and Families, and grief counseling.

A helping hand for families After raising five children of her own, Margie Cooper took custody of her great-granddaughter Quenisha 11 years ago. Two years ago, she took in another granddaughter, Alexi.

Like most seniors, Cooper lives on a fixed income, and sometimes has trouble navigating the complicated channels of the Department of Social Services and other agencies.

CSS in the Diocese of Charlotte, in partnership with Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, developed New Horizons, a program in support of grandparents and “kinship families” parenting children younger than five years old.

New Horizons is the only program in Mecklenburg County that provides comprehensive services including professional mental health intervention, parenting education and case management to benefit families in which children are being raised by oder relatives.

In April, New Horizons began offering a series of cooking classes to teach caretakers how to prepare nutritious, economical meals. About 13 families have attended each of the weekly classes, which are followed by support

Courtesy Photo

John Richardson speaks with Debra Braese, director of the Western Regional Office for Catholic Social Services. Richardson joined a CSS-run grief support group after his wife died at age 42. port group for widows and widowers. The group was led by Sister Marie Frechette, a Missionary Servant of the Most Blessed Trinity, then-regional director of Western Regional Office of CSS. “Most of the people in the group were twice my age, but we were all going through the same thing,” Richardson said.

“The support group kept me from feeling like I was the only one going through this,” he said. “It helped me come to terms with Roseanne’s death.”

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Catholic Social Services, visit www.cssnc.org.

To contact the Charlotte Regional Office, call (704) 370-3228. For the Western Regional Office, call (828) 255-0146. For the Piedmont Triad Regional Office, call (336) 727-0705.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

May 5, 2006

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Opus Dei forms new institute, issues video on members NEW YORK (CNS) — Opus Dei will take a hard rap when “The Da Vinci Code” premieres May 19, if the movie at all resembles the best-selling book of the same name by novelist Dan Brown, which portrays Opus Dei as a secretive cult within the church plotting to take over the church.

But U.S. leaders of Opus Dei — a Catholic organization with more than 87,000 members worldwide who seek to make their faith infuse all aspects of life, including their jobs — are using the occasion as a teachable moment to spread the word of what they are really about.

A month in advance of the movie’s release, Opus Dei’s U.S. branch announced the formation of the St. Josemaria Institute and the release of a free DVD with interviews of several U.S. members who tell how belonging to Opus Dei has affected their lives.

The institute, named after Opus Dei’s founder, St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, is at the organization’s U.S. headquarters in New York.

Charles Thornton, the institute’s director of development, told Catholic News Service that the best way to order the DVD is on the institute’s new Web site, www.stjosemaria.org.

He said most of the content of the DVD is also available in a series of separate video clips on the Web site.

The institute’s commentary on the new DVD, titled “Passionately Loving the World,” describes Opus Dei members as “real people with real lives.”

“They work hard, love their families, celebrate successes and endure failures.

Through joys and sorrows, they try to grow closer to God without ever leaving the ordinary circumstances of their daily lives,” the Web site says.

There are about 3,000 Opus Dei members in the United States.

Opus Dei is Latin for “God’s work.”

Most members are laypeople who continue their secular jobs or careers but seek to bring a strong Christian spirituality into all aspects of their lives.

Some Opus Dei members commit themselves to lifelong celibacy and some are ordained priests.

In “The Da Vinci Code” one of the chief characters is an Opus Dei monk — although Opus Dei has no monks — who goes around murdering people in an effort to uncover the secret of the Holy Grail.

The book portrays all of Christianity as a vast, historic conspiracy to suppress people’s knowledge of the “sacred feminine.”

Deadline June 9 for Christophers’ video contest for college students es, it remains true that each of us can use our talent in a positive and creative way to help change the world,” he added.

This year for the first time, DVD entries will be accepted, as well as standard, full-sized NTSC-format (analog) VHS tapes.

WANT MORE INFO? More information is available by writing to: College Video Contest, The Christophers, 12 E. 48th St., New York, NY 10017; by calling the youth department at: (212) 759-4050; or on the Web at: www.christophers.org/contests.html.

NEW YORK (CNS) — Entries are due by June 9 for the Christophers’ 19th annual video contest for college students, which awards more than $6,000 in cash prizes.

The competition challenges students to interpret the theme “One Person Can Make a Difference” in a short film of five minutes or less. Past winners have used a variety of styles and genres, including drama, comedy, documentary, news format, music video and animation.

Dennis W. Heaney, president of the Christophers, said the contest “is our positive way to encourage the idealism and enthusiasm of the talented young people who participate.”

“No matter how technology chang-

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: MAY 14, 2006

May 14, Fifth Sunday of Easter Cycle B Readings: 1) Acts 9:26-31 Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 2) 1 John 3:18-24 3) Gospel: John 15:1-8

Partaking in church life connects us to Jesus

by DANY LUBY catholic news service

It never fails.

He has shaved his preparation time for a class or meeting too close. He rushes madly into his office at the last minute to print a document he needs, only to find his computer utterly unresponsive. He moves the mouse wildly, taps the keyboard manically — nothing works.

And so he finds himself, panicky and muttering darkly, plunged into the forbidding, dust-bunny intensive darkness beneath his desk. Experience has taught him that somewhere in the snaking, snarling welter of cords, wires and cables running between computer and desktop a connection has come loose.

Until he finds which one and reconnects it, he can pound the keys and jiggle the mouse all he wants, but the computer

will still be useless.

Sunday’s Gospel lifts up Jesus’ image of the vine and the branches, reminding us that, apart from a solid connection to Christ, we cannot do the work we are called to do.

Like a disconnected computer, even our most determined actions will remain fruitless, dead.

How do we “remain in him,” stay connected to the vine that is Christ? How do we sustain the energy and life that communion with Jesus offers?

We do it by giving priority to active participation in the life of the church, the community of his disciples. That means partaking — actively, consciously, intentionally — in the community’s life of prayer and worship, especially through the sacramental life and pre-eminently the Mass.

It means listening to Christ in the Scriptures, proclaimed at liturgy, but also read and reflected upon at home. It means letting our consciences be shaped according to the model of Jesus.

It means bearing fruit, giving our faith flesh and blood and bones, through the daily exercise of love in family life and work, in leisure and civic involvement.

Questions: Where are my connections to Christ most likely to come unplugged? What are some of the visible fruits of my being in communion with him?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “Whoever remains in me and I in

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of May 7-13 Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Easter), Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18; Monday, Acts 11:1-18, John 10:1-10; Tuesday, Acts 11:19-26, John 10:22-30; Wednesday (Bl. Damien de Veuster), Acts 12:24—13:5, John 12:44-50; Thursday, Acts 13:13-25, John 13:16-20; Friday (Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, St. Pancras), Acts 13:26-33, John 14:1-6; Saturday (Our Lady of Fatima), Acts 13:44-52, John 14:7-14.

Scripture for the week of May 14-20 Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Easter), Acts 9:26-31, 1 John 3:18-24, John 15:1-8; Monday, Acts 14:5-18, John 14:21-26; Tuesday, Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday, Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-5; Thursday (St. John I), Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday, Acts 15:22-31, John 15:12-17; Saturday (St. Bernardine of Siena), Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

May 5, 2006

End-of-world flicks should be ‘Left

Family-friendly drama is a

Preachy scripts, shaky theology characterize three

by DAVID DiCERTO catholic news service

NEW YORK — Three movies based on the hugely popular apocalyptic “Left Behind” books by evangelical authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have been gathered in a three-disc boxed set.

Though the production value of fundamentalist-flavored films increases along with their respective budgets, all three are handicapped by preachy, convoluted scripts riddled with cliches, corny dialogue and acting that is serviceable at best.

All three contain bonus features ranging from “making-of” documentaries and deleted scenes to music videos inspired by the series.

Though some may enjoy the films as action thrillers with a Christian twist, Catholics should be aware that they contain ideas about the end times that are incongruent with Catholic eschatology (the branch of theology dealing with the end of the world).

All the films are rated A-III — adults — for mostly action violence, and all but the second installment, which was not rated, received a PG-13 rating — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 — from the Motion Picture Association of America.

In “Left Behind: The Movie” (2000), a handful of survivors — including TV reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron), a born-again pilot (Brad Johnson), his teenage daughter (Janaya Stephens) and a Protestant minister (Clarence Gilyard) — try to make sense out of the mysterious mass disappearance of people worldwide, leading them to conclude that an apocalyptic prophesy is unfolding.

The second film, “Left Behind:

Tribulation Force” (2002), continues the efforts of Williams and his band of believers — caught in the anarchy of the approaching apocalypse — to expose a charismatic U.N. official (Gordon Currie) as the Antichrist and forestall his shadowy designs on world domination.

The sequel shows little improvement over the first film’s awkward writing and underdeveloped characters.

The third time is not the charm with “Left Behind: World at War” (2005), which finds the Christian ranks decimated by biological weapons, while Williams tries to avert global conflict by convincing the U.S. president (Lou Gossett Jr.) that the architect of the new world “peace” is actually planning an attack on the United States that will trigger Armageddon.

The film’s beefier budget can buy bigger explosions and an Oscar winner in Gossett, but not a better script.

All three films hinge on a literalist interpretation of certain Scripture passages and are informed by a pessimistic brand of Protestantism known as “premillennial dispensationalism,” which took root among certain fundamentalist Christians in the early 19th century.

Central among its tenets is “the rapture,” here meaning a sudden, unexpected taking up to heaven of those faithful to Christ, in advance of his second coming and presaging a seven-year period of tribulation for those “left behind.”

While Catholic teaching accepts a rapture event at Christ’s return in glory, the church rejects the notion of it occurring prior to the second coming as suggested by the films.

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

CNS photo by New Line

Logan Lerman (left) and Brie Larson star in “Hoot,” an amiable, family-friendly drama about an eighthgrader (Lerman) who moves with his parents to small-town Florida. There he gets caught up in the crusade of an enigmatic boy (Cody Linley) and his stepsister (Larson) to save a colony of burrowing owls whose habitat is threatened by a real-estate developer hoping to bulldoze the endangered birds’ nesting zone to make way for a pancake franchise.

The film, directed by Wil Shriner, is based on Carl Hiaasen’s award-winning children’s book of the same name.

The three young actors are bright and buoyant, and Hiaasen’s tale imparts a warm and breezy message about friendship, respect for nature and taking a stand for what’s right. Though the children’s vandalism and occasional disregard for authority may ruffle some feathers, parents will find the amiable movie’s noncynical tone refreshing.

However, the film suffers from an overall weak script and a slow-starting plot, and the saucer-eyed critters get very little screen time.

Some schoolyard bullying and a few mildly crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

IN OUR SCHOOLS

Around the world at

Courtesy Photo

Students representing Greece show off their display during Multicultural Week at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte April 3-7. The event, coordinated by the school’s PTO, highlighted more than 25 countries, from which the students, parents and teachers come. The halls, gymnasium and outdoors were filled with food, art, games, crafts and colorful presentations of cultures from continents around the world.

“The depth of research, abundant creativity and wealth of treasures shared by the school’s families transformed the building into a cultural museum worthy of the highest praise,” said Assistant Principal Allana-Rae Ramkissoon.

The multicultural theme was infused into the students’ lessons leading up to the week’s activities. For example, students learned origami and weaving, how to make sushi and write their names in Chinese. They learned a variety of cultural songs and games.

During the multicultural festival April 7, Linda Cherry, Catholic schools superintendent; Msgr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese; and Bernie Moorman, board president of Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, were on hand to judge the hallway presentations.

During the festival, students learned how to use chopsticks (from Asia), hair braiding (from Africa), pasta making (from Europe) and how to potato sack race (from North America).

“Students were able to accumulate stamps in their personalized passports and shop for duty-free items, much to their delight,” said Ramkisson.

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May 5, 2006

May 5, 2006

respect life

Poll: Americans more pro-life POLL, from page 1

respondents to a recent survey said they were very familiar or somewhat familiar with Roe v. Wade, only 29 percent were able to select the most accurate description of the decision from among four options, said Karen Smith of the polling company at a Washington press conference.

Most respondents — a total of 50 percent — chose an incorrect description, saying Roe made abortion legal only in the first trimester (18 percent), only in limited circumstances (17 percent) or only in the first and second trimester (15 percent).

Another 15 percent said they did not know, while 1 percent each said the correct description of Roe was “other” or “all of the above,” 3 percent said “none of the above”

and 2 percent refused to answer.

When asked to choose their position on abortion from among six choices, 54 percent said abortions should not be allowed or should be permitted only in cases of rape or incest or to save the mother’s life — all of which the poll described as “traditional pro-life statements.”

A total of 41 percent chose a position supporting legal abortion, saying abortion should be legal up to three months into the pregnancy (21 percent), up to six months (8 percent) or at any time for any reason (12 percent).

The rest said they didn’t know or refused to answer.

Among the groups more likely to identify with one of the three pro-life positions described in the poll were 18- to 34-year-olds, those with household incomes under $30,000, high school gradu-

ates and those who identified themselves as Republicans, Smith said.

The margin of error for the national poll, conducted by telephone April 13-14 among 1,000 adult Americans, was plus or minus 3.1 percent.

“It is encouraging to know that people between the ages of 18 and 34 are identifying with the pro-life side,” said Maggi Nadol, Respect Life director in the Diocese of Charlotte.

“Other generations have a lot to learn from them. They have grown-up with the use of untrasound machines that clearly show that abortion does not take the life of a ‘blob of tissue.’ Abortion takes the life of an unborn baby girl or boy,” said Nadol.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, director of the Susan B. Anthony List, which works for the election of pro-life women candidates and the passage of pro-life legislation, said the recent poll and other earlier surveys show that there is “a growing pro-life trend, especially among women.”

“We’ve come a long way since the Freedom of Choice Act,” she said, referring to legislation first introduced in 1993 that would have overturned all restrictions on abortion and mandated government financing of abortions.

“We’re in a very different place right now,” Dannenfelser said. “The pro-life trend is almost impossible to deny.”

Authors and political commentators joined Smith in a panel discussion, moderated by Dannenfelser, on why

The Catholic News & Herald 13

America is trending more toward the prolife position and how that trend might be accelerated.

Those who support keeping abortion legal are carrying out “an ongoing disinformation campaign” that aims to “keep the issue in the courts, beyond the reach of the nation’s pro-life sentiments,” said Kate O’Beirne, Washington editor for National Review and the author of “Women Who Make the World Worse.”

She called abortion “a ‘women’s issue’ that doesn’t have the support of most women.”

Kristen Day, national director of Democrats for Life, said that by supporting abortion the Democratic Party has not been faithful to its “historic principle ... of fighting for the little guy.”

Although pro-life Democrats often “didn’t get support from the party or the pro-life community” in the past, “that’s changing now,” Day said. “There’s a growing realization (among politicians) that the public would like to see fewer abortions.”

Ramesh Ponnuru, a senior editor with National Review and author of “The Party of Death,” credited the rise in pro-life sentiment in the United States to incremental progress on such issues as partial-birth abortion and parental notification and to the increased use of ultrasound machines.

The poll and press conference were organized on behalf of the Real Women’s Voices coalition, which was sponsoring a lobbying day April 26 for about 120 pro-life women from around the country.

Another 200 women had pledged to contact their senators about pro-life issues from their homes on that day.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

May 5, 2006

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Moved to tears on Holy Conversion leads to community of faith tangible spirit of reverence that permeated the proceedings — brought home to us the sense of awe and wonder that characterizes St. Pius X Church, and Catholicism itself.

Many of our rites — welcoming, acceptance, sending to the bishop, election and call to continuing conversion — were now behind us.

(Amber Register and I — the only catechumens in the class — were also the subjects of three scrutinies.)

We were taught the significance of each rite, and capably guided through them by our sponsors and team members Sue Brusnahan, Tracy Welliver, Donna Butterfield and Mike Epps.

Sue, the matriarch of our little platoon, conducts meetings with a gentle but resolute hand; Tracy wows us with an encyclopedic knowledge of Catholic theology, passionately delivered.

And of course, to my godmother, Karen Anderson, I am eternally grateful. A “cradle Catholic,” Karen took me under her wing and, with a contagious sense of piety, taught me how to fly on my own.

As the congregation departed St. Pius X Church in silence Holy Thursday, I realized that, in an authentic c o m m u n i t y, w o r d s a r e o f t e n unnecessary. According to Webster’s, a “community” is “a united body of individuals” and “people with common interests living in a particular area.”

“Community” is a term tossed about carelessly, often used to describe a collection of people with merely superficial commonalities, such as skin color or sexual orientation. Individuals cast into such “communities” often share little or nothing in common.

Conversely, my RCIA classmates and I have joined a community in the true sense of the word. The warmness and sincerity with which St. Pius X Church has encouraged and welcomed us is worthy of the comment of tears, and this neophyte no longer struggles against it.

Charles Davenport Jr. is a freelance columnist for the Greensboro News & Record.

Guest Column CHARLES DAVENPORT JR. guest columnist

The late Whittaker Chambers, a celebrated man of letters, was perhaps the 20th century’s most effective antiCommunist. Although he is acclaimed as a formidable intellectual with uncanny powers of persuasion, Chambers was hardly immune to sentiment.

In fact, he rejected the long-held belief that “weeping in men is unmanly.”

On the contrary, Chambers wrote: “I have found most men in whom there was a depth of experience, or capacity for compassion, singularly apt to tears. How can it be otherwise? One looks and sees: and it would be a kind of impotence to be incapable of, or to grudge, the comment of tears, even while you struggle against it.”

I recalled, and was comforted by, Chambers’ lines as I participated in Holy Thursday Mass at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro. Msgr. Anthony Marcaccio, pastor, delivered an informative and entertaining homily (as always), at the conclusion of which he was overcome with emotion.

Seated all around me were my RCIA classmates, of whom I have become quite fond. Stealing a glance at them, I was relieved to see that their eyes, like mine, welled and sparkled.

Scores of parishioners — many of them men — unabashedly dabbed their eyes and wiped their cheeks.

This was a profoundly moving Mass, for several reasons. Since early July, my classmates, our sponsors, the RCIA team and I had explored and reveled in the mysteries of the Catholic faith.

Here, in the midst of Holy Week, we were nearing the pinnacle of our spiritual journey: two days later, during the Easter Vigil, we would be baptized and confirmed.

The ceremony and pageantry of Holy Thursday — an ethereal, spinetingling performance by the parish choir; a lingering, fragrant haze of incense; Msgr. Marcaccio’s homily; the near-

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Pope says Jesus stays with his disciples through church’s

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — Through the living tradition of the church, Christ remains with his disciples until the end of time, teaching, guiding and comforting them, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“Tradition is not a collection of things or words — a box of dead things — but tradition is the living river of life that flows from Christ to us,” the pope said May 3 at his weekly general audience.

The pope said his current series of audience talks is aimed at helping people understand “what the church is.”

A key to understanding, he said, is to recognize how Christ entrusted the Gospel message to his apostles, who handed it on to others throughout history.

The earliest Christian communities, he said, were gathered together by the apostles, who were the first to know Jesus Christ and who were sent by him to spread his message of salvation.

The communities “knew they could count on the guidance of the Twelve, as well as on ... those who little by little succeeded them in the ministry of the word and in the service of communion,” he said.

The apostles’ successors formed new communities and appointed their own successors, who would spread the Gospel even further, the pope said.

The message they handed on was

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI not their own experience, but what was given to them through the church’s living tradition, he said.

While the face-to-face experience of the apostles’ relationship with Jesus was “unique and unrepeatable,” he said, Jesus promised to remain with his disciples until the end of time and does so through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Tradition, then, is the story of the Holy Spirit who acts in the history of the church through the mediation of the apostles and their successors in faithful continuity,” the pope said.

Through tradition and apostolic succession, he said, “it is Christ himself who reaches those called to faith. The distance of centuries is overcome and the risen Lord offers himself alive and working for us in today’s church and today’s world.”

“This is our joy: that through the living river of tradition, Christ is not 2,000 years away from us, but is truly with us

Happy 80th, ‘Papa’ Memories are to be treasured, shared Reverence for ancestors is an admirable thread in Chinese culture.

It was wonderful to see that thread running through an 80th birthday celebration for retired neurosurgeon Paul Lin, who was born in China and left at age 21 when the communists took control.

Lin came to Philadelphia for his neurosurgical residency and subsequent career. He married an Italian-American nurse and raised a family of six.

Lin’s friends and family gathered on a recent Sunday for a mid-day, full-course meal in one of Philadelphia’s Chinese restaurants.

Memories were recalled for the grandchildren as children produced memories of their own by reading personalized tributes to “Papa.”

A central theme that ran through their admiring words was an expression of gratitude for Papa’s quiet presence to and with them. He was there for their recitals, performances and games.

“I still enjoy sitting on the couch and reading with Papa, with or without conversation,” said one. “I’ve always admired and respected my grandfather’s intellectual gifts and his appreciation for silence.”

One granddaughter said, “Papa reminds us how in China one does not wither away as the years pile up; rather,

Looking Around JESUIT FATHER WILLIAM J. BYRON cns columnist

one gains respect, honor and knowledge.”

Several of the youngsters expressed gratitude for his persistence in putting vocabulary-builders in their hands in attractive tapes, books and word-game formats: “Papa has always wanted all the young kids to succeed in school. He always asks how our grades are.”

And another child said: “I broke a board with my elbow at karate. Papa knew that I liked Chinese characters, so he took one of the boards and painted ‘Merry Christmas’ on it for me. We hung the board on a wall in my bedroom.

“Thank you, Papa. That board will always be very special to me.”

There were more memories of the fishing pier on the New Jersey shore, trips to the penny arcade, boardwalk breakfasts, first-ever swings with a golf club.

There was a “contract” awarded a would-be filmmaker to make a documentary for his grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary based on interviews and old-photo montages.

The Catholic News & Herald 15

May 5, 2006

Judging Pope Benedict’s first Spiritual conduct should be considered first First, what exactly attracted this pope to the priesthood, to serving God through this particular vocation rather than in marriage? Did his vocation result from an instantaneous inspiration by God, a catastrophic event, an inspiring person or author, or a liturgical event?

Who are his favorite saints, and why one saint more than another? Who is he reading at the moment? We know that the pope loves Scripture, but what exactly in it most inspires him and why?

Some might say that these are pious questions about matters to be kept private. I beg to differ.

Too often journalists and the public only want to talk about the pope as if he were a politician, statesman or the CEO of a big business corporation. Even when people write of him as a theologian, it is as though theology were a sterile science unrelated to spirituality.

When popes are canonized saints, it isn’t primarily because of their political skills on the world stage or theological theses they developed. Rather, it is because of who they were spiritually — their spiritual conduct in the midst of church politics and theological debate.

This is where an analysis of Pope Benedict XVI’s first year should begin.

The Human Side FATHER

EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

The first year of Pope Benedict XVI’s reign is receiving mixed reviews by the press.

Some hoped the new pope would place his emphasis on the defense of orthodoxy and use a heavy hand against those who disagree with church policies.

There was anticipation that he would be very strict with theologians, bar all homosexuals from the seminary, block the new feminism, slow down the lay leadership movement and perhaps restore the Tridentine Mass.

Others were hoping he would consolidate Rome’s bureaucracy and dismantle the “old guard,” vigorously support the spirit of the Vatican Council II, do away with priestly celibacy

and return to the style of thinking that characterized him during his early days as a theology professor.

So far, Pope Benedict has not met any of these expectations. In fact, his first encyclical was a refreshing treatise on love that was highly praised.

To the surprise of many he even writes about the pros and cons of eros!

Compared with Pope John Paul II, the new pope has kept a low profile.

Perhaps this is due to his age or is his personal preference, but he travels little.

Though he is the center of attention, he tends to shy away from it.

A person of stature, like the pope, is constantly under the microscope. His every move and utterance are analyzed and commented upon. This is normal, but it often tends to miss what is most important.

Pope Benedict is not only responsible for the Catholic Church as an institution, he also is responsible for its spirituality. To carry out the latter responsibility, he must first be responsible for his own spirituality.

As of now, little has been written on this. If someone were to write on the pope’s spirituality, what would the analysis look like?

‘The Da Vinci Code’: Blessing in

Catholic social teaching can overcome falsehoods The film version of the popular novel “The Da Vinci Code,” scheduled for U.S. release May 19, presents seriously distorted information about Jesus and the Catholic Church: that Jesus never said he was God; that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene; that she became his successor; and that the Catholic Church conspired to keep these “facts” from the world.

Woo! Wait a minute! How can such nonsense be taken seriously?

Nonetheless, it appears that many believe “The Da Vinci Code” portrays solid history. Unfortunately, such belief probably will lead many people farther away from the real Jesus and the truth taught by the church.

But, maybe not.

Actually, “The Da Vinci Code” presents a teachable moment. For instance, the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign has developed an informative Web site (www.jesusdecoded. com) to help readers understand historical facts surrounding Jesus and the early church.

“The Da Vinci Code” may be a blessing in disguise. One hopes it will challenge us to take up a serious, ongoing study of faith.

One reason “The Da Vinci Code” became so popular is that many Christians do not have a truly satisfying, adult understanding of Jesus and the church. Such an understanding takes time, prayer, study and action.

It doesn’t take a degree in theol-

ogy, but it does take effort — ongoing, committed, lifelong effort.

A weak knowledge of Catholicism is no match for the many powerful economic, political and social neopagan forces in our world. A committed, mature grasp of faith is required here.

And nowhere else is that more lacking than in the area known as Catholic social teaching.

Often called the church’s best kept secret, Catholic social teaching is blessed with more than 100 years of outstanding documents on social justice and peace authored by popes, Vatican Council II, world synods of bishops and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Sadly, these documents attract more dust than readers.

Catholic social teaching is a highly developed set of principles and reflections designed to guide us in applying the Gospel’s liberating message to the social, economic and political problems facing modern humanity.

Its central themes are: —The protection of all human life and the promotion of human dignity.

—The call to participate in family and community life.

—The promotion of human rights and responsibilities.

—The preferential option for the poor and vulnerable.

—The safeguarding of workers’ dignity and rights.

—The building of global solidarity

Making a TONY MAGLIANO cns columnist

and the common good.

—The care for God’s creation.

—The universal destination of goods.

—The call to become peacemakers.

Among the most important documents of Catholic social teaching are Vatican Council II’s “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” and Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals “On Social Concerns” and “The Gospel of Life.”

The Vatican’s new “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” is the official summary of the entire body of Catholic social teaching. An excellent concise collection titled “Our Best Kept Secret” is available from the Washingtonbased Center of Concern.

Only the real Jesus can fully satisfy the longings of the human heart and mind.

“The Da Vinci Code” and other imposters of the truth are no match for believers who have a strong relationship with Christ, who well understand the Gospel and teachings of his church, and who

Gen-Xers and divorce Our Turn THERESE J. BORCHARD cns columnist

Study shows harmful effects on children Gen-Xers who grew up in the divorce explosion of the ’70s and ’80s still feel the wounds of their parents’ split, argues Elizabeth Marquardt in her book “Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce.”

Marquardt chronicles her own experience with dividing time and energy between her mom and dad as a child and adolescent. Research she conducted with sociologist Norval Glenn of the University of Texas at Austin concluded that: 1. There’s no such thing as a good divorce, say grown children of divorce.

2. Because of time spent alone, children of divorce tend to have some emotional distance between themselves and their parents.

3. Children of divorce grow up between the two distinct worlds of their parents, who usually differ in values and priorities. This causes quite a bit of confusion.

4. Internalizing the conflict of these two worlds, children of divorce say they feel as though they had to grow up prematurely.

They felt a need to act differently around their parents and to keep secrets in order to preserve the peace of the family.

Before now, most research on divorce was done by people who didn’t experience it themselves. In 2000, Judith Wallerstein published “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce,” arguing that divorce surely harms children.

This book was criticized by some because the survey sample was so small.

Conversely, in 2002, E. Mavis Hetherington wrote “For Better or For Worse,” in which she argued that divorce doesn’t necessarily leave children with lasting damage.

Marquardt’s book, told from the perspective of a child of divorce, deals with the more subtle influences of divorce.

Although she acknowledges that sometimes divorce is necessary, as in cases of domestic violence, drug abuse or alcoholism, she believes all divorce is tragic because it uproots the basic foundation needed for children to thrive.

As a child of a divorce, I know this lack of foundation contributes to bouts of insecurity and depression. I need an excessive amount of reassurance and feedback, especially when I venture into something new.

And without a good role model, my husband — also raised in a divorced home — and I wing it a lot of the time.

We try harder to communicate, knowing how easily couples drift apart.

That is the purpose of Marquardt’s book: to urge couples to try harder in order to give their children the gift of one

May 5, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 16

in the news

A chance to contribute President Bush visits a New Orleans home, praises Catholic Charities volunteers by

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

NEW ORLEANS — President George W. Bush praised the work of Catholic Charities volunteers in helping to rebuild New Orleans during an April 27 visit to a Ninth Ward home ravaged

by Hurricane Katrina and the floods that followed.

He also called for another 2,500 volunteers “to come down to New Orleans to help people get back on their feet” through Operation Helping Hands, the Catholic Charities volunteer project that has already gutted 311 damaged homes to prepare them for rebuilding.

Another 776 homes remain on the project’s waiting list.

At the home of Ethel Williams, a 72-year-old widow, the president said, “The amazing thing that’s happened in her home is that there are people across the country who are helping to rebuild it.”

“Catholic Charities, in this case, has provided the volunteers to help Ms. Williams reclaim her life,” Bush said.

“So I’d like to first start by thanking the volunteers who are here in the home.

I want to thank them for setting such a good example,” he said.

The 15-member volunteer team that worked on Williams’ home came from Alabama, Michigan, North Carolina, Vermont and Washington, D.C. Williams lost nearly everything in Hurricane Katrina and now lives temporarily with her daughter, Wanda.

“If you’re interested in helping the victims of Katrina, if you’re interested in helping them get back on their feet, come down here and volunteer,” Bush said.

“A good place to start is in Catholic Charities. You can get right there on the Web page (www.catholiccharitiesno.org); they’ll find work for you.

They’ll give you a chance to contribute something to your country,” he said.

CNS photo by Eric Draper, White House

President George W. Bush laughs with resident Ethel Williams at her damaged home during an April 27 visit to New Orleans. During his tour of the area, the president praised the work of Catholic Charities volunteers in helping rebuild homes in the Ninth Ward that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and the floods that followed.

Since Catholic Charities of New Orleans launched Operation Helping Hands late last year, 2,817 people from across the country have participated.

Bush was joined in his visit to Williams’ home by Jim Kelly and Gordon Wadge, CEO and president, respectively, of Catholic Charities of New Orleans; Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco; New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin; and other officials.

tion to individuals, families and groups who have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation.

“We need the hearts and hands of the nation in this journey to rebuild,” said Wadge in a statement. “Anyone who enters a home like Mrs. Williams’ and sees, smells and touches the devastation will come away with a greater sense of the suffering and the challenge.”

“We are committed to doing all that we can to allow people to come home and begin their lives again,” said Kelly.

During his visit to New Orleans, Bush also presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Tris Coffin Jr., a volunteer with Second Harvest Food Bank, a program of the archdiocesan Catholic Charities.

Coffin, 87, has been a volunteer for nearly 22 years at the food bank, which annually distributes millions of pounds of food to needy families in New Orleans and the surrounding area.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is given by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participa-