May 11, 2001

The Catholic News & Herald 1

May 11, 2001

May 11, 2001 Volume 10 t Number 34

Inside Papal pilgrimage crosses centuries of division

...Page 8-9

Alaska Catholics debate oil drilling ...Page 15

Local News Cultural exchange project builds bridges

...Page 5

Racial justice of death penalty challenged by NC Council of Churches ...Page 16

Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13

Seniors from across the diocese gathered for the 15th Annual Spring Fling, sponsored by Catholic Social Services Elder Ministry, on April 26 at St. Mark Church in Huntersville and on May 3 at St. Aloysius Church in Hickory.

The day included seminars and events including bingo, blood pressure and pulse checks and a host of other activities.

Photos By Alesha M. Price

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

Spry and spirited seniors step into Spring Fling

By Alesha M. Price Staff Writer For some attendants, it is considered to be a day of rest and relaxation. For others, it is a time to come together in the name of friendship, spirituality and fellowship as Catholics and as senior citizens in the midst of the autumn and winter seasons of their lives to live them to the fullest degree possible.

The 15th Annual Spring Fling, sponsored by Catholic Social Services Elder Ministry, was held at two locations this year to accommodate the growing number of older men and women who attend the event filled with activities and information for the opportunity to share with one another. On April 26, St. Mark Church in Huntersville hosted seniors mostly from the eastern half of the diocese, while those from the westernmost part of the state traveled to St. Aloysius Church in Hickory on May 3 to join the festivities.

“We were literally bursting at the seams at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory previously, so we needed to try something new this year. With the help of the Knights of Columbus from St. Mark and the volunteers and youth from St. Aloysius, we were able to give both groups a beautiful day filled with wonderful and exciting people,” said Sandra Breakfield, diocesan director of Elder Ministry. “It is like a homecoming or a family reunion for many of the seniors, and the Spring Fling continues to be a day where everyone can leave and forget the demands of life and join others in the spirit of oneness and friendship.”

At St. Mark, 17 parishes were present with 194 attendants, and at St. Aloysius, 150 parishioners came from 13 churches.

Erwin and Rita Morweiser, parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi in Lenoir, are repeaters to the yearly gathering of the diocese’s older members. “We have been coming for years because it is a relaxing and special day.

It is good for us to be a part of it,” said Mrs. Morweiser.

“The day offers companionship

See SPRING FLING, page 4

2 The Catholic News & Herald of scientific research called neurotheology is seeking to uncover the link between the human brain and religious experiences. Neurotheology — the subject of a cover story in the May 7 issue of Newsweek magazine and of a new book called “Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief” — is the study of the neurobiology of religion and spirituality. Psychologists and neurologists already have discovered through brain imaging that certain parts of the brain are stimulated and other parts quieted by religious activities such as meditation and prayer. For his book, “Why God Won’t Go Away,” published in April by Ballantine Books in New York, Dr. Andrew Newberg and his co-authors used data from brain imaging of Tibetan Buddhists and Franciscan nuns during prayer.

Cardinal says faith, not science, key to understanding shroud TURIN, Italy (CNS) — Cardinal Severino Poletto of Turin said tests on the Shroud of Turin should continue, although faith, not science, is the key to understanding the cloth’s image of a crucified man. The Gospel calls believers to know Christ and to see him, the cardinal said May 4 at a Mass marking the liturgical feast of the Shroud of Turin. “It means to see with the eyes of faith, not with those of science or human history,” Cardinal Poletto said. Nevertheless, he told the congregation, the church has allowed scientists to continue investigations on the cloth, whose image resembles a photographic negative of a crucified man.

CRS joins others in lauding McGovern-Dole food aid plan WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic Relief Services is one of the many institutions behind a plan to use surplus U.S. crops and other food commodities as part of a comprehensive Third World education program. The plan’s components are “the bold, first steps to turn concept into legislation in a hope that millions of young lives can be improved,” said CRS executive director Kenneth Hackett at a May 3 press conference outside the U.S. Capitol. The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Act would permanently fund a $300 million pilot program launched last December, turning it into a $1 billion undertaking by fiscal year 2004. The bulk of the money would be used to help poor countries provide school

CNS photo by Debbie Hill

Catholic child picks up bullets in Beit Jalla Elias Slama, 7, displays bullets he picked up in and around his house in the new Christian section of Beit Jalla May 6. His Catholic family’s house was hit by Israeli gunfire when troops entered the Palestinian controlled area.

Vatican issues new liturgy translation rules WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Vatican has issued a new instruction on translating liturgical texts. Among topics it addresses are inclusive language — one of the most sharply contested issues in recent years in the English-speaking world — and requirements for exact translation of Latin texts in other languages. The 34-page instruction covers other areas ranging from detailed rules on how bishops’ conferences develop translations, the Vatican’s role in the process, and procedures for creating new liturgical texts not contained in the normative Latin ritual books. The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments posted the instruction in English, French and Latin on the congregation’s page of the Vatican Web site late May 7. It describes the new rules as setting the stage “for a new era of liturgical renewal.”

New science of neurotheology uncovers brain’s links to spirituality NEW YORK (CNS) — A new branch

Episcopal May 11, 2001 Volume 10 • Number 34

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

May 11, 2001

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c a l e n-

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: May 19 — 10 a.m.

Confirmation St. Patrick, Charlotte May 20 — 11 a.m.

Confirmation Our Lady of Consolation, Charlotte 6 p.m.

Confirmation St. John Neumann, Charlotte May 22 — 7 p.m.

Confirmation St. James, Concord May 23 — 6 p.m.

School board Mass and dinner Diocesan Pastoral Center, Charlotte

lunches, while the rest would go to infants and to pregnant and nursing mothers. Estimates say up to 30 million children could be helped if the plan is fully funded.

Church theology expert suggests new council every 50 years NEW YORK (CNS) — Jesuit theologian Father Francis A. Sullivan suggested that the Catholic Church convene a new ecumenical council every 50 years. He also suggested that national bishops’ conferences consider reviving plenary councils as a “structure of participation” for the church in their region. Speaking at Fordham University in New York May 2, he said the church’s magisterium, or teaching authority, could be enhanced by making church structures of participation more effective.

He called in particular for more “active participation of the bishops” in universal church teaching and governance. Father Sullivan, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on issues of church teaching authority, was a professor of ecclesiology at the Gregorian University in Rome from

Diocesan

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season starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. through June 2 at the Haid Theatre on the campus of Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd. Martin McDonagh’s “The Beauty Queen of Leone” is a play set in rural Ireland about the mental and emotional struggles between a mother and daughter.

For further information or tickets, call (704) 825-6787.

25 WINSTON-SALEM — The next diocesan Worldwide Marriage Encounter meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn in Winston-Salem. Marriage Encounter is a 44-hour weekend where married couples can get away from jobs, children, chores and phones to focus on each other. For further details about the May 18 deadline and other information, call Tom and Emile Sandin at (336) 274-4424.

26 SYLVA — The Liturgy of the Hours, which includes the Psalter, will

1956 to 1992 and is currently a professor of theology at Boston College.

Cardinals Keeler, Mahony speak out against McVeigh execution WASHINGTON (CNS) — Two U.S. cardinals have said the impending execution of Timothy McVeigh “can only compound the violence” and will not bring genuine healing or closure. “This first federal execution in 38 years is not just about Timothy McVeigh. It is not even primarily about him,” said Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and Baltimore Cardinal William H. Keeler in a joint statement released late May 2 in Washington. Instead, the execution is about every man, woman and child in the country, in whose name McVeigh will be executed, said Cardinal Mahony, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy, and Cardinal Keeler, chairman of their Committee on Pro-Life Activities. McVeigh is scheduled to die by lethal injection at the federal prison at Terre Haute, Ind., on May 16. He was convicted of murder in the bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

The blast killed 168 people.

Call for household ‘emergency contraceptives’ decried WASHINGTON (CNS) — A spokeswoman for the U.S. bishops decried a call to make “morning-after” contraceptives more widely available. Dr. Thomas Purdon, the new president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said at an April 30 press briefing during the organization’s annual meeting in Chicago that “if most women had emergency contraception in their medicine cabinet ... we could help cut the U.S. rate of unintended pregnancies in half.” He called on doctors to help make that happen by raising the issue with more patients. Cathleen Cleaver, director of planning and information for the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the drugs to which Purdon referred are essentially a form of abortion.

be the topic of discussion at the May meeting of the Lay Carmelite Community of St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St. Anyone interested in learning about the Liturgy of the Hours and in participating in a demonstration of Morning Prayer is invited to attend after the 9 a.m. Mass. Contact Linda Knauer at (828) 631-3561 or Kathy Starr at (828) 586-9303 for details.

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

28 CHARLOTTE — A support group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s/ dementia will be taking place today and every fourth Monday from 10-11:15 a.m. in room E of the ministry center at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Activities for

May 11, 2001

Survey shows young adult Catholics favor personalized faith WASHINGTON (CNS) — A survey of young adult U.S. Catholics reported that they strongly prefer a personalized view of the faith instead of the rules of the institutional church. At the same time, it showed almost total adherence to core Christian beliefs such as that Christ is God or the son of God. The survey also reported an overwhelming desire in young adults to have their children receive religious instruction.

The results indicate little difference in attitudes between Latinos and non-Latinos.

The survey and an analysis are contained in the book “Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice,” to be published in June by the University of Notre Dame Press. An advance copy of the manuscript was made available to Catholic News Service.

Bethlehem University dorm struck by gunfire twice in two weeks BETHLEHEM, West Bank (CNS) — A student dormitory at Bethlehem University was hit by gunfire twice in two weeks, with bullets entering a student’s dorm room during the latest incident. In an April 20 letter to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Teresian Sister Ana Garcia, head of the St. Teresa Student Hostel, said, “It is unacceptable that a university residence full of young Palestinian ladies studying at Bethlehem University and expatriate staff working with the church could be a target for an exchange of gunfire. Once again we denounce such a blatant show of force, especially when we repeatedly hear that the protection of civilians is the aim of military action.” The patriarchate owns the hostel at the university, run by the Christian Brothers.

Taiwan’s bishops consider establishing permanent diaconate TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNS) — Taiwan’s bishops are considering establishing a permanent diaconate, an issue delayed for several years because of a lack of consensus among the bishops. Bishop Lucas Liu Hsientang of Hsinchu, president of the bishops’ Commission for the Clergy, told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, that he thinks the program is likely to be introduced in Taiwan in the near 334-2283 with the name(s) of loved ones so they may be remembered during the Mass.

23 GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Council of Catholic Women will hold its annual May luncheon today at noon at the Sedgefield Country Club.

All will have the opportunity to enjoy table-to-table summer fashion modeling from the Acorn Women’s Clothing Store, raffle prizes, new board installation and other events. For more information about the May 17 deadline and other details, call Janet Law at (336) 288-6022.

23 GUILFORD COUNTY — The Ancient Order of Hibernians Guilford County Division, the oldest and largest order of Irish Catholic men, is looking for other Irish Catholic men to join for meetings, educational seminars and social events. Contact Michael Slane at (336) 665-9264 for further information.

24 BELMONT — The Abbey Players/ Belmont Community Theatre will be presenting its last play of the

The Catholic News & Herald 3

The World in

CNS photo from Reuters

Men place snakes on statue of city’s patron Snakes are placed on a statue of St. Domenico at the beginning of an annual procession May 3 in Cocullo, Italy. The unusual religious festival recalls the legend of the saint in which he saved residents of the city from the bites of snakes and rabid animals in the 11th century. future. “Now that there are more younger bishops in Taiwan, it is a suitable time to restudy the issue, on which the bishops could not have consensus several years ago,” said Bishop Liu, 72. The proposed study was discussed during the plenary meeting of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference in Taiwan in mid-April. A conference statement said questionnaires would be sent to bishops, priests, religious and laity.

Canadian churches’ group confronts oil company on Sudan CALGARY, Alberta (CNS) — A coalition of church-based shareholders said a Canadian oil company’s involvement in Sudan represents complicity with human rights violations in the African nation. The shareholders, through the Toronto-based Taskforce on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility, confronted Talisman Energy Inc. president Jim Buckee at the com-

pany’s annual meeting May 1 and asked where $300 million in oil revenues provided to the Sudanese government was used.

“It was a simple question,” said Joy Kennedy, task force representative. Kennedy said Buckee “went on at length but then wavered at the end. He said, ‘We basically don’t have any responsibility for that $300 million we gave the government of Sudan.”’

The Sudanese government has admitted that the money from oil revenues is being used to fight the war against rebels in the South, Kennedy said.

Ex-mediator predicts hot struggle over Mexican Indian rights WASHINGTON (CNS) — Mexico is in for “a very hot political struggle” now that the government and indigenous rebels are battling seriously again over Indian rights, said a former mediator of the Chiapas conflict. Their struggle is being played

May 14 CHARLOTTE — The support group for adult children grieving the loss of a parent will meet tonight and May 28 from 7-8 p.m. in the family room at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For further details, call the church office at (704) 364-5431.

18 MAGGIE VALLEY — Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane, will be hosting a women’s retreat today through May 20. The retreat, “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord,” will be presented by licensed psychologist Dr. Diane Gautney, who will discuss how Mary’s life can be a guide for all mothers and their relationships with their children and God and provide enhancement of their lives. For details on this retreat, which could be a belated Mother’s Day gift, call the center at (828) 926-3833.

19 GREENSBORO — St. Mary Church, 812 Duke St., will be hosting a health fair today from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Breast cancer awareness, blood pressure, diabetes, eye exams and other seminars will be available along with an on-site doctor or nurse to answer questions and vendors selling healthrelated products. For further information, call Sadie McConnell at (336) 851-5585.

19 MORGANTON — A Disaster Relief Workshop will take place at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 714 West Union St., today from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Rev. Mr. Gerald Collins will speak about how parishes can prepare to take an active and effective role in disaster responses. For more details, call Gerry Carter at (704) 370-3250.

20 CHARLOTTE — Because of Mother’s Day, a charismatic Mass, celebrated by Father John Smyth from St. John Church in Concord, will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, this afternoon at 4 p.m. with prayer teams at 3 p.m. and a potluck dinner at 5 p.m. in the school cafeteria. For further information, contact Josie Backus at (704) 527-4676.

against the backdrop of the overall national transition to democracy after seven decades of one-party rule, said Miguel Alvarez, former executive director of the now-disbanded National Mediation Commission.

Alvarez spoke May 1 in Washington, a day after the Zapatista rebels rejected an Indian rights bill passed by Congress and unilaterally suspended talks with the government to resolve the overall Chiapas problem. The Zapatistas, who led an armed indigenous rebellion in Chiapas in 1994, said Congress modified the proposal agreed upon by them and the government during 1996 negotiations.

New Web site is available for Catholic colleges WASHINGTON (CNS) — Information about Catholic colleges in the United States is now just a click away, all on one Web site. The site — www.catholiccollegesonline.org — is sponsored by the National Catholic College Admission Association. It provides information for prospective students, parents and high school counselors.

Nearly 200 Catholic colleges are listed on the site’s search engine, enabling students to find a Catholic college that suits their needs based on school size, undergraduate program, region of the country and setting — urban, rural or suburban.

Catholic agencies say debt relief plan must improve WASHINGTON (CNS) — The poverty-reduction strategy for debt relief in the world’s poorest countries “is far from fulfilling its potential,” a global coalition of Catholic relief agencies said in a major report released April 27. In practice, the poorest people of poor countries are still far from being the participants and targeted beneficiaries they were supposed to become under the 2-year-old strategy, the agencies said. The 18,000-word report by Caritas Internationalis and the Catholic aid coalition CIDSE — International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity — was issued as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank were opening their spring round of meetings in Washington.

20

CHARLOTTE — Father John Vianney Hoover of the New Creation Monastery will be celebrating his 25th Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood at 2 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd, and invites everyone to celebrate his anniversary. A reception will follow and to RSVP, call (704) 334-9330.

21 CHARLOTTE — The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 Mecklenburg County-St. Brigid, an Irish-Catholic social and charitable inter-parish group, will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Anyone interested in their Irish-Catholic roots, call Jeanmarie Schuler at (704) 554-0720 for further information.

23 CHARLOTTE — All families who have suffered a loss are invited to attend the monthly memorial Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Call the church office at (704)

4 The Catholic News & Herald

SPRING FLING, from page 1 and camaraderie, and meeting old friends is important,” added Mr. Morweiser.

As in past years, the day began after the greetings and morning presentations, this year from Johnette Nichols, the ‘Bag Lady,’ the Singing Nuns and the St. Joseph Church Choral Ensemble from Newton and a dulcimer concert from Father Ed Sheridan, pastor. The seniors enjoyed bingo; arts and crafts; informational and interactive seminars about water gardens, Latino traditions and customs and integrated therapies including music, aroma and healing touch; tai chi; activity aprons; raffles; chair massages and sing-a-longs. Afternoon Mass, blood pressure and pulse checks and representatives with items from the Carolina Catholic Bookshoppe

Around the Diwere also available for the participants.

Andi Chesser and Kathy Houston from the Mecklenburg EMS explained the importance of regular checkups for the elderly. “Most senior citizens were not raised to go to the doctor unless they felt ill, and regular checkups are critical in detecting and preventing problems at an early stage. High blood pressure can contribute to other ailments like stroke and respiratory problems.”

Complete silence was asked from those with their heads bent staring at their boards intent on calling out ‘Bingo.’ Those who took advantage of the tai chi session; a Chinese form of exercise involving meditation, breathing and slow, methodical movements; also had to work in a quiet space to pay attention to instructions. Women with some artistic talent made magnets and other small crafts, while the line for the fiveminute chair massages was always longest.

“It is good to have this type of fellowship among people of different parishes because we really don’t get to meet a lot of people,” said Herman Pekarek from St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville. “The program is good for the elderly because it gets us away from the everyday and gives a chance to get out and meet other people of similar ages. We appreciate that because we see others who are active, and we need to be when we grow older.”

This was Gloria Sekulski’s first time at the Spring Fling, and she was highly pleased with the day. “I thought it was fantastic, and seeing the different parishes come together all as one family was heartwarming,” said the parishioner from St. Thomas Aquinas Church in

May 11, 2001

Photo By Alesha M. Price

Pictured on the front page from left to right are: the Young at Heart seniors’ group from St. Mary Church in Shelby; including Connie and Thelma Padgett, Margaret Cook and Sylvia Kaiser; concentrates on bingo. Faye Waverchak from St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte smiles while looking at items from the Carolina Catholic Bookshoppe. During a break, daughter and mother Rosemary Gabriel and Ann Trimarco and Frances Asaghi from St. Matthew Church in Charlotte pose in the sunshine during a break. Ninety-four-year-old Trimarco, center, one of the oldest seniors at the Huntersville Spring Fling, says that taking care of yourself is the secret to growing old and feeling young. St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte parishioners Alberta Walker and Mildred Patton also play bingo. Herman Pekarek from St. Philip The Apostle Church in Statesville talks with Sandra Breakfield, diocesan director of Elder Ministry. Retired Air Force Major Kenneth Schartz from Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville proudly displays his uniform. On this page, Andi Chesser from the Mecklenburg EMS takes St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte parishioner Jean Foley’s blood pressure.

May 11, 2001

In the

Catholic neighborhood caught in cross fire of West Bank

By Judith Sudilovsky Catholic News Service BEIT JALLA, West Bank (CNS) — Residents of Beit Jalla found themselves caught in the cross fire as Israeli forces searched for Palestinian gunmen firing on Jewish neighborhoods.

“Beit Jalla is paying an unbearable price, it is suffering,” said Father Yacoub Abdel Nur, a parish priest in the West Bank town.

Early May 6, Valentina Hadweh’s bedroom became a war zone as Israeli bullets flew through the room.

“I was here making my bed and folding my clothes when I heard the shooting start,” 20-year-old Hadweh, a Catholic, said a day later. Her bedroom window looks onto the Israeli checkpoint on the Bethlehem bypass road, known as the tunnel road.

“I was just turning to leave the room when the bullets came at me. I can’t sleep here any more. I am afraid to come and take clothes out of my closet,” she said.

During a lull in the shooting, Hadweh’s Catholic fiancee, Walter Kawwas, 22, dashed from his parents’ house nearby to be with her.

Israeli Defense Forces said they entered the Palestinian-controlled West Bank to rout out Palestinian gunmen who have been firing at Jewish residential areas and at Jewish cars using the bypass road. It was the deepest infiltration of Israeli forces into Palestinian territory to date.

The Israelis withdrew their forces after five hours of battle, taking up new positions closer to Beit Jalla than before the incursion.

Media reports said one Palestinian, a military leader, was killed and 20 others — including two children and an older woman — were injured during the fighting.

“There has been shooting here before but nothing like this. We didn’t expect anything like this,” said Kawwas.

“I don’t know if an action like this will stop the gunmen. After the (military) leader was killed, they became very angry

and went right back to shooting at Gilo,” a disputed Jewish area nearby, Kawwas said.

Beit Jalla resident Makram Arja, 36, watched as Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen exchanged gunfire from two empty houses a few hundred yards away from his house. Then he saw the Palestinian gunmen run toward his backyard.

A short time later, Israeli missiles hit his house. Arja and his wife sought refuge in their garage for the next six hours.

“The Palestinians were running behind my house to get to (the nearby village of) El Khader,” Arja said.

“I don’t know why they want to shoot from civilian areas. They can shoot from other areas, not in between the houses,” he said. “We don’t need all those problems here.

“But on the other hand, why does Israel use tanks to shoot back? The Palestinians have only small guns. I am angry at both sides. We civilians are in the middle; they are playing a game with us,” he said.

In early May, church and civil leaders from Beit Jalla sent a letter to Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat asking him to stop the shooting from civilian areas.

Israeli press reported that the letter also was sent to Pope John Paul II and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

One signatory to the letter said the answer they received from Arafat did not mention the gunmen and instead urged them to continue to be “strong and courageous.”

Father Abdel Nur said the shooting forced the cancellation of the annual pilgrimage by Catholics and Greek Orthodox to the Shrine of St. George in El Khader.

Despite the gunfire, Father Abdel Nur began Mass at 9:30 a.m. in Beit Jalla and tried to calm the few parishioners who came despite the shelling.

“It was terrible. They were very nervous,” he said.

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Cultural exchange project designed to

By JIMMY ROSTAR Associate Editor CHARLOTTE — In the diocese that leads the nation in the influx of Hispanic immigrants, a Catholic Social Services program is hosting a cross-cultural project designed to teach Hispanics and non-Hispanics about one another.

The Hispanic/American Cultural Exchange Project is sponsored by Programa Esperanza, a program of the Diocese of Charlotte’s CSS Charlotte Regional Office that provides resources to the Hispanic/Latino population here and assists them in becoming part of the local community.

The exchange project “is an outreach effort that offers the non-Hispanic and Hispanic/Latino population a way to better understand each other’s culture,” said Gina Esquivel, cultural training specialist for Catholic Social Services.

“Programa Esperanza has designed two different workshops to address the specific needs of both populations,” said Esquivel. “One offers the non-Hispanic population an introductory learning experience that emphasizes awareness and knowledge about the diverse Hispanic/ Latino culture, its concepts and issues.

“The other, called ‘Saber es Poder,’ offers the Hispanic/Latino community a basic orientation that addresses legal rights and responsibilities, cultural differences, system access and general life skills for living in this country.”

In Spanish, “saber es poder” means “to know is to be able.”

The workshop for non-Hispanics is designed primarily for social services, health care, education, administration and criminal justice professionals. The session addresses traditional Hispanic/Latin culture; reasons people immigrate; a profile of the Latino community in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County; the impact immigration has on the community; and how to work effectively with the Hispanic community.

The session for Hispanics is offered to clients, advocates and the general public. The workshop includes discussion on education, housing, employment, health care, transporta-

tion and immigration issues.

“Hispanic/Latino immigrant families have the same needs and concerns as all families do, but they face the added challenges of being in a new country with a new language to learn and a new culture to understand,” Esquivel said.

“This workshop is intended to offer the Hispanic/Latino immigrants a broad view of their rights, obligations and resources in order to facilitate their development as members of their community,” she added.

Funded primarily with a grant from the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina, the CSS project is one example of how church, government, legal, human service and education officials are responding to the needs of the growing Hispanic population in North Carolina.

A March 2000 report from the U.S. Catholic bishops said the Diocese of Charlotte had the largest percentage increase in the Hispanic population from 1990 to 1996 among all U.S. dioceses.

The Diocese of Raleigh was listed fourth.

For human services personnel, said Esquivel, that influx presents challenges.

“The non-Hispanic community dealing with this population is stretching its services, often straining to be able to serve this growing population,” she said. “Key concerns have been identified, such as language barriers, cultural differences and lack of understanding regarding rights and status of Hispanics in Charlotte/Mecklenburg.”

The four-hour non-Hispanic workshop will be offered May 22, June 27, July 19 and August 8 at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center in Charlotte at 1123 S. Church St. Fall dates have also been scheduled.

The Hispanic workshop is scheduled regularly as well, with times and locations determined as necessary.

Pre-registration is required for all who attend. For registration information and other details, call Gina Esquivel at (704) 370-3248 or send e-mail to gvesquivel@charlottediocese.org.

Contact Associate Editor Jimmy Rostar by calling (704) 370-3334 or e-mail jtrostar@charlottediocese.org

6 The Catholic News & Herald Doctor gets five years for manslaughter in abortion death PHOENIX (CNS) — A doctor who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of a patient during a legal abortion was sentenced to five years in prison May 4. John Biskind, 75, was found guilty in February in the death of 33-year-old LouAnne Herron, who died at the nowclosed A-Z Women’s Center in Phoenix after her uterus was punctured during an abortion. Carol Stuart-Schadoff, administrator of the abortion clinic, was sentenced to four years’ probation and 500 hours of community service. The 63-year-old woman was convicted of negligent homicide in Herron’s death. Superior Court Judge Michael O. Wilkinson could have sentenced Biskind to as much as 12-and-a-half years in prison or to probation. He also ordered Biskind, who gave up his medical license in August 1998, to pay $12,841.40 in restitution.

U.S. nun shot dead, victim of apparent robbery in Guatemala WASHINGTON (CNS) — A U.S nun who worked with victims of violence in Guatemala was shot dead in an apparent robbery, her religious order said. Charity Sister Barbara Ann Ford of New York was shot numerous times in a midday assault in Guatemala City May 5. Sister Ford, 62, worked in Guatemala for 20 years, helping victims of the country’s 36-year civil war recover from their psychological wounds. “She had a great love and a great compassion for the indigenous people, especially the rural poor,” said Charity Sister Doris Smith, spokeswoman for the religious order.

Priest urges strong seminary formation in sexuality, celibacy WASHINGTON (CNS) — Calling for a strong seminary formation in sexuality and celibacy, Sulpician Father Gerald D. Coleman said, “A sexually imbalanced seminarian will be a sexually imbalanced priest.” Father Coleman, president of St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., gave the keynote talk to the seminary department of the National Catholic Educational Association during the association’s annual convention this April in Milwaukee. He later made the text available to Catholic News Service in Washington. Currently “the sexualized nature of our social communities” makes it difficult to provide “balanced and proper

May 11, 2001

People in the

CNS photo from Reuters

14-year-old works mine in Niger A 14-year-old worker sits at the top of a gold mine shaft in Niger, where some say up to 30 percent of mine workers are children. The west African country is on the International Monetary Fund’s list of the most heavily indebted poor countries. sexual education,” he said. Father Coleman tied formation for celibacy to good formation in sexuality.

Catholic clergy, laity back antislavery protest against Sudan NEW YORK (CNS) — The American Anti-Slavery Group drew Catholic lay and clergy support at a sidewalk demonstration it sponsored against Sudan in New York May 2. The anti-slavery group, based in Boston, contends that Arab Sudanese of the predominantly Muslim North not only enslave blacks of the predominantly Christian and animist South, but also engage in widespread killing, torture and rape of black Sudanese. Franciscan Father James E. Goode, president of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life, was among those addressing the rally, held outside

the building where Sudan’s U.N. Mission has offices.

Bishops’ spokesman backs federal ban on human cloning WASHINGTON (CNS) — An official of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops backed a federal bill to prohibit all human embryo cloning at a Senate hearing May 2. “Human cloning shows disrespect for life in the very act of generating it,” said Richard Doerflinger, associate director for policy development of the NCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. “In reality, a cloned human being should be treated as a human person with

fundamental rights,” he said. “Cloning is not wrong because cloned humans lack human dignity — it is wrong because they have human dignity but are brought into the world in a way that fails to respect that dignity.” Doerflinger was one of 10 witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to discuss the proposed Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001.

Congress has 152 Catholic members WASHINGTON (CNS) — There are 152 Catholics in the 107th Congress, one fewer than two years ago. The balance of Catholics in each party remains nearly the same, with 93 Democrats and 59 Republicans this term, two fewer Democrats and one more Republican than two years ago. The same goes for the breakdown by House and Senate, with 128 Catholics in the House and 24 Catholics in the Senate, a difference of one fewer senator.

Marriage prep must address anti-marriage attitude, speaker says RAPID CITY, S.D. (CNS) — Catholic marriage preparation must deal with a strong anti-marriage environment in the United States, Notre Dame Sister Barbara Markey told a Rapid City diocesan gathering of 250 pastoral ministers. Sister Markey, family life director for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Neb., and associate director of the Center for Marriage and Family at Creighton University in Omaha, was keynote speaker at the diocese’s Pastoral Ministry Days in April. “We live in a time when marriage and family are under attack in a way that probably has not happened before,” she told the participating priests, deacons and lay leaders. To underscore her point, she said that for the first time, in 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau did not ask people on the short form if they were married.

May 11, 2001

From the

Catholic leaders, groups urge end to 16 execution.

Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., said kin of the victims and survivors of the 1995 bomb blast that killed 168 in an Oklahoma City federal building are not likely to find closure or peace from McVeigh’s death.

By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic leaders and groups continued to speak out against the death penalty in general — and its application in the Timothy McVeigh case in particular — in the days leading up to McVeigh’s scheduled May

“For those of us struggling with the enormity of this evil action, we must ask ourselves this question: Will this death by lethal injection bring about any lasting satisfaction or so-called closure for the victims?” Bishop D’Arcy said.

“For them, closure will never take place.

His death will bring no lasting peace to the family and friends of those who perished.”

The bishop reiterated church teaching and Pope John Paul II’s statements about the death penalty in his remarks, which were published in the May 6 issue of Today’s Catholic,

The Catholic News & Herald 7

the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocesan newspaper.

The church’s position on the death penalty “brings satisfaction to some and confusion and even hostility to others,” Bishop D’Arcy said.

“They point out how the Old Testament upheld the death penalty and how Christ never spoke directly against this practice. Yet John Paul II, in St. Louis, called the death penalty ‘cruel and unnecessary.’”

While “the church has always taught, and still does, that the state has the right to execute someone who has committed this ‘crime of crimes,’” Bishop D’Arcy said, “as it journeys through history, the church receives increased light from the Holy Spirit.”

He added, “The church believes that the only reason that justifies the execution of a criminal, even someone guilty of an unspeakable crime like this, is when this is the only means to protect society. With all the technological advances, society can be protected by lifetime incarceration.”

In a May 7 statement, Pax Christi USA, the U.S. arm of the Catholic peace organization, said McVeigh’s execution “will be a clear indication of our society’s willingness to substitute vengeance for justice.”

“Even in the face of such a horrendous crime, Pax Christi USA stands firm in opposing the death penalty,” it said.

Noting that McVeigh served with the Army during the Persian Gulf War, Pax Christi repeated McVeigh’s description of the children who died in Oklahoma City as “collateral damage,” saying that it was “the same term the U.S. government used to refer to innocent civilian victims killed during the Gulf War.” Pax Christi added, “Speaking of killing Iraqis, he stated, ‘After the first time, it got easy.’ ... There may be no single factor which caused Timothy McVeigh to commit the Oklahoma City bombing. But it is clear that government-sanctioned violence and McVeigh’s participation in it sowed seeds which grew into the most violent terrorist act committed on U.S. soil.”

The organization said its members would join in prayer vigils throughout the nation May 15-16 to mourn the deaths of the Oklahoma City bombing victims and of McVeigh.

One prayer vigil and march will be held May 16 at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Harlem, sponsored by the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life and the Archdiocese of New York’s Office of Black Ministry.

“We are marching, praying and witnessing the sacredness of all human life, even the lives of those who have not witnessed through their actions the respect for others,” said a May 7 statement from Franciscan Father James Goode, the apostolate’s president.

“We will be marching for life and proclaiming unconditionally the teaching of the church, which states: ‘We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill,’” he said.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

May 11, 2001

Pope’s trip to reac

CNS photos from Reuters

Above: Pope John Paul II embraces a Syrian girl as he arrives at El Quneitra in the Golan Heights of Syria May 7. Pope John Paul II prayed at the ruins of a Greek Orthodox church there. The city was totally destroyed by withdrawing Israeli troops in 1974.

Below: Pope John Paul II waters an olive tree -- a symbol of peace -- outside the destroyed Greek Orthodox church at El Quneitra in the Golan Heights May 7. In Syria the pope appealed to people to forgive past wrongs and commit themselves to peace.

preached to the Greeks, and venerated an icon of the apostle. He called Paul a model for the church and a special inspiration to his own papacy.

Throughout his stay, he lauded Greek culture and encouraged the country’s new role as a member of the European Community. He met with Greek President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos and other ministers, who said they were pleased that anti-pope demonstrations earlier in the week had run out of steam by the time the pope arrived.

Before leaving for Syria, the pope celebrated a low-key Mass with 18,000 Catholics in an Athens basketball arena, on a small altar placed on one end of the court.

The simple liturgy seemed designed to assure Greeks that the pope’s visit had no triumphal aims.

The visit to the Umayyad Great Mosque in Damascus marked a milestone in Christian-Muslim relations, and in a talk to Muslims the pope urged others to take note of the historic event.

“It is my ardent hope that Muslim and Christian religious leaders and teachers will present our two great religious communities as communities in respectful dialogue, never more as communities in conflict,” he said.

“It is crucial for the young to be taught the ways of respect and understanding, so that they will not be led to misuse religion itself to promote or justify hatred or violence,” he said.

The pope, who greeted the Muslim leaders with the Arabic expression, “Assalamu alaikum” (“Peace be with you”), received long applause and a warm reception from dozens of imams and other Islamic leaders gathered in a courtyard of the eighth-century complex.

After removing his shoes and donning a pair of white slippers, he walked down a long aisle of the mosque’s prayer hall, pausing occasionally for an explanation from his Muslim guide. Then he stopped silently for a minute before a memorial shrine to St. John the Baptist, held by local tradition to be the place where the saint’s head is buried.

Syria greeted the pope warmly. He received his first enthusiastic welcome of the trip at an Orthodox cathedral in down-

town Damascus May 5. Tens of thousands of cheering Christians — Catholics and Orthodox — lined the streets of the old city and the courtyard of the church, tossing flower petals as he rode in his popemobile with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV. After listening to a chanted prayer, the pope gave a speech in which he recalled the flowering of the faith in Syria during the early centuries of the church.

He said he was pleased at the generally excellent relations between Syrian Catholic and Orthodox churches today, but urged them to do more in terms of cooperation. A prime example in which the Middle Eastern churches should show leadership, he said, is reaching agreement on a common date for the celebration of Easter.

The pontiff paid a visit to the Syrian Orthodox cathedral the next day, meeting with clergy and laity from all nine of the Catholic and Orthodox church communities in Syria. This time he shared his popemobile with the Syrian Orthodox patriarch.

At a three-hour-long Mass in a Damascus sports stadium May 6, the pope told a congregation of about 25,000 Syrians that Christians, Muslims and Jews were called to work together for regional peace.

He asked them to remember that “Christian identity is not defined by opposition to others but by the ability to go out of oneself toward one’s brothers and sisters.”

The pope’s message of interreligious and political reconciliation contrasted with a strident arrival speech delivered by President Bashar Assad. It assailed Israel — though not by name — for its policies in occupied Palestinian territories and suggested Israel was acting with “the same mentality of betraying Jesus Christ and torturing him.”

A Vatican spokesman downplayed the remarks, saying they were merely the Syrian point of view.

For his part, the pope called for respect for U.N. resolutions, the banning of acquisition of territory by force and the right of people to self-determination.

The Catholic News & Herald 9

May 11, 2001

Greece, Syria ches

By John Thavis Catholic News Service DAMASCUS, Syria (CNS) — On a pilgrimage highlighted by bold ecumenical and interreligious gestures, Pope John Paul II reached across centuries of division to Orthodox Christians in Greece and Muslims in Syria.

In Greece May 4-5, the pope issued a dramatic apology for past treatment of the Orthodox and said it was time to “heal the wounds” that have divided Eastern and Western churches for nearly 1,000 years.

Vatican and Orthodox officials called the visit an ecumenical breakthrough.

In Syria May 6, he became the first pope in history to enter a mosque, where he was warmly greeted by his Muslim hosts.

He said Christianity and Islam should forever put aside conflict and ask forgiveness for past offenses.

The pope was tracing the footsteps of St. Paul, and he encouraged the minority Catholic communities in Greece and Syria to follow the Apostle’s example in combining evangelization and dialogue. He said St. Paul had approached the ancient peoples of the region on their own cultural terms 2,000 years ago, launching the church’s universal mission.

The pope, who turns 81 later in May, appeared tired as he labored through receptions and liturgies during the first three days of his May 4-9 pilgrimage, which also was to take him to Malta, the site of St. Paul’s shipwreck on his way to martyrdom in Rome.

But the pontiff was clearly buoyed by the apparent success of his first two stops and the welcome he received — cordial in Greece and enthusiastic in Syria.

“It has gone beyond our expectations. The pope is very pleased,” Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said at mid-trip.

The pope arrived in Greece with little fanfare and a pilgrim’s humble demeanor.

He made his biggest ecumenical impact with a unilateral apology on behalf of Catholics, delivered in front of the head of the Orthodox Church in Greece, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens.

“For the occasions past and present, when sons and daughters of the Catholic Church have sinned by action or omission against their Orthodox brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant us the forgiveness we beg of him,” the pope said.

Among the especially painful memories for the Orthodox, he said, was the

CNS photo from Reuters

Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos escorts Pope John Paul II from Areopagus hill in Athens May 4. Behind them is an icon of St. Paul, who preached to the Athenians there nearly 2,000 years ago. “disastrous” sacking of Constantinople by Western Crusaders in 1204. Constantinople, today the city of Istanbul in Turkey, was the center of the Eastern church in Greece at the time.

“It is tragic that the assailants, who had set out to secure free access for Christians to the Holy Land, turned against their own brothers in the faith. The fact that they were Latin Christians fills Catholics with deep regret,” he said.

The pope followed his strong “mea culpa” statement with a call to turn the

page, saying the time had come for Christians to put aside rancor over past injustices and “walk together.”

At the end of the day, Archbishop Christodoulos prayed the Our Father with the pope and called his visit the start of “a new era” between the churches. The archbishop flew to Moscow the next day for talks with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II, a coincidence Vatican officials found promising.

The pope visited the Areopagus, the Athens hillside where St. Paul first

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

‘Fast Food Nation’ is compelling story that doesn’t trivialize

By Joseph R. Thomas Catholic News Service When a book with a somewhat unpopular message, a 19-page index, 55 pages of notes and six of bibliography, and a $25 price tag finds a receptive audience, one must conclude that all is not lost, that the American social conscience is not moribund.

What other lesson is one to take away from the popularity of “Fast Food Nation” (Houghton Mifflin), Eric Schlosser’s damning assessment of the fast-food industry and the calamitous social changes it has fostered?

It would be a mistake, however, to attribute the book’s success solely to its subject matter and the public’s sensitivities. Rather, “Fast Food Nation” succeeds as well because Schlosser knows how to marshal his facts and present them in compelling fashion without the common-scold shrillness of too many good-cause advocates and without trivializing his thesis by engaging in mere entertainment.

Nevertheless, in 10 workmanlike chapters, each of which could stand as a feature article on its own merits, Schlosser never loses sight of the fact that to make his points effectively he needs to hold the reader’s attention even when dealing with the production of french fries or the gory business of slaughtering steers quickly, without waste and at minimal cost.

Quickly, without waste and at minimal cost — these are the keys to fast-food service. But that service doesn’t begin and end with the restaurant and the consumer; it extends back through marketing, distribution, franchising and production, the producers, of course, being the farmers who raise the chickens and the cattle and grow the potatoes.

They are the ones saddled with the financial risks (of the $1.50 you pay for an order of fries, two cents makes its way back to the farmer) and they are chief among the victims Schlosser identifies.

The others include the workers at the retail level (kids mostly, where the turnover rate is 300 percent), meatpackers and handlers (many of them migrants working under foul conditions while wearing up to 80 pounds of protective armor), and, to some extent, the consumers who are also putting their health at risk.

Schlosser’s chapter on food handling — it’s titled “What’s in the Meat” (and what’s in it is less than appealing) — is

May 11, 2001

Read-

frightening in some regards. But his effort to lay blame for burgeoning obesity on the fast-food industry is one of the weakest sections of the book.

Additionally, the epilogue, in which Schlosser takes up the what’s-to-be-doneabout-it question, suffers from the absence of a strong call for concerted action.

The just-say-no approach isn’t likely to accomplish much when the burgers and the fries and the chicken nuggets taste so good.

There’s a reason for that too. It lies in the fragrance industry which makes processed food so appealing after all the flavor has been boiled, blanched and frozen out of it. The very existence of that industry, and its relationship to food as much as to soap and deodorants, is one of the more interesting subjects Schlosser takes up.

But what makes the whole so appealing is the history (of the french fry and franchising, for instance) and the personal stories Schlosser weaves into what could otherwise be a boring statistical account of the number of burgers consumed in a day.

The stories are those of successful entrepreneurs (one founded a plant that processes a million pounds of spuds a day), injured workers, ambitious migrants, beleaguered franchisees, status-conscious teens and financially pinched farmers facing the loss of their independence.

(Moans one: “The only thing I control is what time I get out of bed in the morning.”)

Through them, Schlosser’s two years of on-site research take on the human face that is the strength of “Fast Food Nation.”

Ultimately, however, the book is the story of a revolution — in farming, in food service, in technology, in real estate and in marketing concepts — that has taken place almost without notice. Fascinating in its details, it nevertheless has the power to sadden, shock and anger the thoughtful reader.

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

Word to Life May 13, Fifth Sunday of Easter Cycle C Readings: 1) Acts 14:21b-27 Psalm 145:8-13 2) Revelation 21:1-5a 3) Gospel: John 13:31-33a, 34-35

By Jean Denton Catholic News Service My husband and I take a trip every year to the convention of his professional organization. When our children were young, their grandmother generously would come spend that week with them.

In preparing to leave, I always wrote out a detailed schedule so everyone would remember to get to his or her appointments and activities on time. But just before going, I also would give face-to-face final instructions to the children regarding their responsibilities and behavior.

Although from Day 1 parents continually are teaching their children essential lessons so they will act decently and responsibly when they are on their own, when the time to be separated arrives there’s a sense of urgency to voice the most important concerns. Once, I took my daughter aside and told her how to access the safe deposit box, which held our wills. (She protested, “Gosh, Mom!”) Usually, though, I would try to impart some ultimate guideline for their own decision making, such as, “If you’d have to lie about it to not get in trouble, don’t do it,” or “Don’t put Grandma in a difficult position.”

In today’s Gospel passage Jesus is dealing with that same sense of urgency as he prepares to leave his loved ones. So he gives them one more, all-encompassing commandment. He’s been instructing them right along, showing them how to forgive and heal, reminding them to be servants of all, demonstrating compassion for those most in need, telling them to love their enemies. But, finally, he says it all in one line: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

For me, it’s the ultimate guideline that I can plug in just as I once hoped my children would remember and follow the “if you have to lie about it” suggestion.

When I want to get even after someone speaks harshly to me, when someone in my family takes out his or her anger on me just because I’m the one who will listen, when I’m ignored by someone I care about, when an act of generosity is unappreciated, when I’m impatient with a friend’s self-pity I can simply try on Jesus’ commandment and remember how he’s loved me and forgiven me when I’ve treated him that very same way.

God wants us to keep up with our daily activities and develop our gifts in order to use them for his purposes. But, ultimately, what he most wants us to do is to love one another as deeply and selflessly as he has loved us.

Weekly Scripture Readings for the week of May 13 - 19, 2001 Fifth Sunday of Easter, Acts 14:21-27, Revelation 21:1-5, John 13:31-33, 34-35; Monday (St. Matthias), Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, John 15:9-17; Tuesday (St. Isidore), Acts 14:19-28, John 14:27-31; Wednesday, Acts 15:1-6, John 15:1-8; Thursday, Acts 15:7-21, John 15:9-11; Friday (Pope John I), Acts 15:22-31, John 15:12-17; Saturday, Acts 16:1-10, John 15:18-21 Readings for the week of May 20 - 26, 2001 Sixth Sunday of Easter, Acts 15:1-2, 22-29, Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23, John 14:23-29; Monday, Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-16:4; Tuesday, Acts 16:2234, John 16:5-11; Wednesday, Acts 17:15, 22-18:1, John 16:12-15; Thursday (The Ascension of our Lord), Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Luke 24:46-53; Friday (St. Bede, St. Gregory VII, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi), Acts 18:918, John 16:20-23; Saturday (St. Philip Neri), Acts 18:23-28, John 16:23-28

May 11, 2001

Video reviews

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

“Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971) In an English seaside village during World War II, a would-be witch (Angela Lansbury) invokes an army of spectral warriors to rout 20th-century German invaders and takes some trips with three children on her big brass bed. Director Robert Stevenson keeps this Disney musical moving merrily and emphasizes the smiling high spirits of the youngsters. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G — general audiences. (Disney) “The Emperor’s New Groove” (2000) Wonderful animated feature in which the cocky emperor (voice of David Spade) of a mythical South American kingdom is turned into a lowly llama by his wicked adviser (voice of Eartha Kitt) and must rely on a good-hearted peasant (voice of John Goodman) to regain his empire. With its simple message that kindness is best, director Mark Dindal’s sprightly film tickles with crisp animation, bouncy music and an excellent ensemble cast of voices. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G — general audiences. (Disney) “Finding Forrester” (2000) Generic drama about the special relationship forged between a gifted teen-age writer (Rob Brown) from the South Bronx and his unlikely mentor, a recluse (Sean Connery) who stopped writing after his Pulitzer Prize-winning first novel. Despite some touching moments, director Gus Van Sant’s perfunctory narrative takes on too many issues without presenting any one in a compelling manner. A few sexual references and a couple of instances of rough language with fleeting profanity. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II —

Entertainadults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Columbia TriStar) “Girl on the Bridge” (2000) Enchanting French romantic comedy about a young woman (Vanessa Paradis) contemplating suicide on the railing of a Paris bridge when an itinerant professional knife thrower (Daniel Auteuil) recruits her to be his new human target. As directed by Patrice Leconte, the black and white film has exciting thriller elements with stylish camera work and an eclectic score, but the intriguing premise disappoints with an anticlimactic conclusion. Subtitles. Some sexual encounters, mild violence and a few instances of rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Paramount) “Hamlet” (2000) Pretentious adaptation of the Bard’s masterpiece set in the greedy, consumerist world of 21st-century New York City in which the country of Denmark is replaced by the Denmark Corporation and the story’s hero (Ethan Hawke) is a mopey, aspiring filmmaker. Director Michael Almereyda ambitiously fuses the contemporary world with classic Shakespearean dialogue and cuts the piece to a lean two hours, but the edgy feel of the modern world is lost in crowded staging and poor performances.

Some violence. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Miramax) “Little Nicky” (2000) Second-rate comedy in which Adam Sandler, the son of the devil (Harvey Keitel) and an angel (Reese Witherspoon), must save his father from being destroyed by Sandler’s two conniving, evil-to-the-bone brothers (Rhys Ifans and Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr.). Low on laughs, director Steven Brill’s flop of a film has minimal appeal with unfunny gags, stale special effects and limp performances. Satanic subject matter, much comically intended violence, some crude sexual references, brief drug use, an instance of rough language and intermittent crass language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating

The Catholic News & Herald 11

CNS photo from Universal Studios

Scene from movie ‘The Mummy Returns’ Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo star in the action film “The Mummy Returns.” The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned.

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (New Line) “Love, Honor & Obey” (2001) Sick flick in which a young man (Jonny Lee Miller) in a dead-end courier job earns a place among North London gangsters then stirs up unimaginable — and unnecessary — trouble with a rival South London set. The ensemble cast in writers-directors Dominic Anciano’s and Ray Burdis’ film wander aimlessly through the brutal, pointless narrative that tries to pose itself as a dark comedy, but is instead a base collection of vulgar antics. Gratuitous, nauseating violence, many sexually explicit situations, some drug abuse and recurring rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Trimark) “Yi Yi (A One and a Two)” (2000) Absorbing domestic drama about the midlife malaise of a Taiwanese businessman (Wu Nianzhen) who struggles to keep his family and computer company together

while sorting out feelings for an old sweetheart (Ke Suyun) whom he unexpectedly bumps into after 20 years. Set in Taipei, director Edward Yang’s three-hour film is a rich, funny and humane family portrait with keen observations, but the film’s otherwise finely tuned pace lags somewhat in the final third. Subtitles. Mature themes, brief violence, fleeting nudity and some rough language. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Winstar)

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

Guest Column Editors note: With Pope John Paul II on pilgrimage; the weekly audience did not take place. Instead, we bring this guest column from Warsaw, commenting on this historic pilgrimage.

Greek church leaders welcome ecumenical aspects of pope’s visit

By Jonathan Luxmoore WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — Leaders of Greece’s Catholic Church have welcomed the ecumenical aspects of Pope John Paul II’s May 4-5 pilgrimage and voiced hopes of improvement in the status of minority churches.

Meanwhile, a survey suggested public hostility had dropped sharply during Pope John Paul’s visit, the first by a modern pontiff to the traditionally Orthodox country.

“The realities of this pilgrimage surpassed our expectations,” said Archbishop Nikolaos Foscolos of Athens.

“It raised all the questions which need resolving between the churches, and although these can’t be settled easily, we hope an official dialogue can now begin,” he said.

The archbishop spoke May 7 shortly before chairing a session of Greece’s bishops’ conference to discuss the pilgrimage.

In a separate Catholic News Service interview, the church’s spokeswoman, Maria Kutatsi, predicted the visit would encourage calls for legal status by the Catholic minority, as well as spurring center-left government efforts to separate the state from Greece’s predominant Orthodox Church.

“All such moves will be discouraged as long as such a tight church-state relationship exists here,” Kutatsi said.

“But this event has the potential to change Orthodox attitudes. If the political will exists, improvements could follow,” Kutatsi said by telephone.

The 28-hour visit, which included a joint declaration between the pope and Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos, was welcomed May 5 by most Greek newspapers.

The pro-government Ethnos daily said May 5 the pope’s statement of regret for past Catholic misdeeds would “change history and open a path to unification,” while the opposition Kathinerini daily concurred that the pope’s remarks had “created a much more positive climate for conducting talks.”

Meanwhile, a May 7 Gallup poll indicated a sharp fall in opposition to the visit among Greek citizens, with 7 percent believing it was “not good for Orthodoxy and the Greek state” compared to 30 percent in April.

Asked if the visit could benefit other Christian minorities, the secretary-general of Greece’s small Evangelical Reformed Church, Antoni Koulouris, welcomed the pope’s call for closer cooperation among Christians and said his church had opposed anti-Catholic demonstrations during the pilgrimage.

“We aren’t expecting a united church and are further away from the Catholic Church theologically than the Orthodox. But we all think ecumenically and favor better relations,” Koulouris told CNS. The 200,000 Catholic minority has frequently complained of discrimination in Greece.

The pope referred to the “very difficult conditions” facing the church in a May 4 message to Greece’s bishops, two of whom — Bishop Franghiskos Papamanolis of Thira Santorini and Archbishop Nikolaos Printesis of Naxos — thanked the Greek government and Orthodox Church for approving the visit.

Archbishop Foscolos told CNS he believed the stopover had “broken the ice” between the Catholic and Orthodox churches and could improve ties internationally, as well as helping “change mentalities” within Greece.

“We can’t expect miracles, but we have at least laid one of the stones for building a bridge,” said the archbishop, who concelebrated a May 5 papal Mass.

“A separation lasting almost a thousand years can’t be made to disappear in a few days and weeks. But this 24-hour visit has been a historic event for Greece and all its churches,” the archbishop said.

May 11, 2001

Editorials & ColA Teen’s Own Phone?

Teen-age kids live on the phone. Our daughter spent so much time on the phone that we called it “the respirator” because she couldn’t breathe without it.

The teen years are spent discovering new ways of getting along with peers, and for the modern teen a major tool in that process is the phone.

In almost every household a teen-ager at some point will sit down with Mom or Dad and make this little proposition: “I know you think I tie up the phone, and it’s a drag for you to answer calls when it’s just my friends again. I was thinking I should get a private line up in my room. It’s only $18 a month, I already checked, and I’d pay for it.”

On the surface it makes sense. Lots of parents take the bait. “Jane has been so responsible,” they tell themselves, “it just makes sense to let her have a phone of her own.”

To which I must add my professional opinion: “No way!”

Here’s my take. If teen-agers have been responsible, have not gotten into trouble and are not in the habit of sneaking around behind their parents, why set them up for failure? Why create a problem where none exists?

Once a teen-ager has a private line, a huge shift takes place in the family communication pattern. With a shared telephone line, making and receiving calls is a process of negotiation and interaction. The phone rings, and if a parent answers he or she gets a chance to hear the voice on the other end of the line.

—If it’s a familiar caller, there’s a little conversation — the parents and friends get to know each other, even if it’s on the simplest level.

—If it’s a stranger, the parents ask, “And who is this calling?”

Once the teen-ager has a private line, those little conversations don’t happen. It becomes more likely that the teen-ager’s friends are total strangers to the parents. There’s a loss of parental involvement, just at a time when Mom’s or Dad’s presence may be especially important.

If the phone rings and the teen-ager lunges across the room to grab it, and then talks in hushed, inaudible tones,

Guest Column MARA ANNE DORSCH Guest Columnist

threatens to destroy their boat, and the apostles wake Jesus up in a panic. In return, Jesus quiets the storm and asks them where their faith is.

This passage applies to my community in two ways. First, I was like the apostles because I panicked at being away from my family and faith community.

My new community reminded me that I have two choices. I can act like the apostles and let fear take over, or I can step out in faith and believe that God would always take care of me. Second, after that realization I was humbled to see that my community and I were in the same boat. They, too, were in a new situation and around strangers. That we were in the same boat and were trying to center ourselves around Christ made the difference.

In time, I was able to open up and communicate my fears and not feel ashamed about feeling weak.

What I perceived as my weakness actually helped bring me closer to my community members.

Christian community is not just limited to volunteer programs and religious life. It can be found in Christ-centered communities in our families, schools, parishes, jobs and other organizations. Through them, we experience God’s love for us and can grow enough to share that love with others.

Now after eight months of service, in addition to looking for the face of Jesus in my clients, I continually see the face of Jesus in my four community members. Have you seen the face of Jesus lately?

Coming of Age CHRISTOPHER CARSTENS CNS Columnist his parents get to ask, “What was that about?” It might be the cute new girl who just moved into his geometry class or it could be some guys he met at the mall calling about some plans he’d rather Mom and Dad didn’t know about.

If a girl hangs up the phone and says, “Oh, that was just JJ,” unless parents have a chance to hear the voice on the line now and then, they don’t know if JJ is a 17-year-old girl or a 22-year-old guy.

If the phone rings and somebody clicks off when an adult answers — three times in a row — the parents need to ask what’s going on.

If a phone rings at 2 a.m., it should ring in the parents’ bedroom, not the kids’. If parents hear a mumbled conversation in the middle of the night, they need to pick up the receiver and hear who is talking on the line. Secret phone calls late at night commonly signal a kid who’s having problems.

It isn’t a popular opinion with teens, and it disappoints parents who might want the phone back to themselves.

Nevertheless, I strongly hold that giving a teen-ager a private line is setting up a connection for trouble.

Your comments are welcome. Please address: Dr. Christopher Carstens, c/o Catholic News Service, 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017.

Community living: Is it essential to Christian living?

Last year I joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a Catholic service organization centered around four values: simplicity, social justice, spirituality and community. I live in an intentional faith-based community with four other volunteers.

Communities differ from living with friends by a common mission to share our faith in Christ with each other and to put our faith into action at our job placements. We do this by sharing a house, eating most of our meals together and sharing our time and faith on designated nights during the week. Each of us works at different social service agencies and is paid a small stipend. One of our JVC challenges is to “look for the face of Jesus in our clients.”

Growing up, my life centered around my family, Catholic school and church communities. These communities guided me until I left for college. It was only when I attended a large public university that I realized that Christian community was ingrained in me. I was a part of small communities in my residence hall and academic department, but I found I needed a Christ-centered community. That search led me to the Catholic campus ministry program.

I knew after college I wanted to volunteer for at least a year. In time, I realized that I needed to volunteer through a faith-based program so that my Christian community needs would be met.

I now understand more clearly why Jesus surrounded himself with his 12 Apostles and why the early church was made up of small faith communities. God created us to work as the Body of Christ, not to face this world alone. When we are isolated, we can easily become overwhelmed and despair about the lack of love, hope and justice in the world. In community, we can support each other while we try to live out the gospel message.

However, community living can be risky to our pride and ego. It involves letting down our guard and being vulnerable.

This year, I found myself struggling with homesickness. It was painful and hard to deal with in front of four strangers.

Fortunately, my community members supported me through that time.

I like to think about this struggle in reference to Luke 8:2225. In this passage, Jesus and the apostles are crossing a lake, and Jesus falls asleep in the boat. A large windstorm

May 11, 2001

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle Msgr. Jim Lisante Guest Columnist

the power of their gratitude to their mothers in the beautiful lyrics of their song “The Perfect Fan.” We are reminded of their moms’ love, prayers and guidance, as well as the blessings of God’s grace, that got these young men where they are, as they salute Mom — the Perfect Fan: And it pleases me when I see a smile upon your face I wanna thank you for what you’ve done In hopes I can give back to you And be the perfect son.

Its nice to achieve success. It’s even better to appreciate all we have received from God and all who give of themselves to us. Mother’s Day is a perfect time to say “Thank you” to all the good women who formed us, shaped us and loved us unconditionally.

We are so richly blessed!

Msgr. Jim Lisante is the director of the Christophers

These interspersed additions are also among the apocrypha and are therefore not part of the Protestant Bibles. Catholic editions do contain them, but precede these verses with the letters A through F to distinguish them from the original Hebrew sections which are numbered. The reading to which you refer is found under the letter C. An excellent Catholic Bible to read and have as reference is the St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible. It offers brief and understandable explanations of these sorts of concerns.

The Tomb of Mary Q. I have asked several priests but cannot find out where exactly is the real tomb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Is it Ephesus? Or the Church of Dormition in Jerusalem?

Or somewhere else? (New York) A. Maybe one reason you haven’t received a direct answer is that no one really knows.

According to the Gospel of John, shortly before his death on the cross Jesus gave the care of his mother to the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Since this beloved disciple was perhaps the apostle John, and John supposedly died at Ephesus (in present Turkey), one tradition is that Mary died and was buried there.

I believe the more commonly accepted opinion today, however, is that she spent her final years in or around Jerusalem and died there. At least today, there seems to be no claim that the Church of the Dormition (Sleeping) of Mary, near the Cenacle in Jerusalem, is the true location of Our Lady’s death or burial.

Before I’m flooded with letters about assorted private revelations certifying that the mother of Jesus was definitely buried in one of these locations or another, let me repeat that such disclosures may be helpful to some people’s faith. They add no historic authenticity, however, to what we know about such matters from early Christian witnesses, including the Scriptures.

Wherever she was buried, if in fact she was buried at all, Catholic belief is, of course, that her body was assumed into heaven when her life on earth was com-

Remembering Who Matters One of my boyhood schoolmates, a friend who has remained a true friend through the years, now heads a major record company. His work puts him in daily touch with some of the biggest recording artists of our time. As music and music makers intrigue me, I often ask my friend what the famous folks are “really like.”

Some of the most successful, he tells me, are surprising for their goodness and normalcy. They say “thank you,” they don’t forget where they came from and are attentive to their families. Some of the brightest stars are also aware of the luck they’ve enjoyed. They know that most musicians who long for success don’t make it: the vast majority are either underemployed or unemployed.

Then my friend describes another group: those who think they were meant to succeed and who forget the folks they used to know. These are the more obnoxious success stories, people who think they invented themselves. These people tend to be spoiled, self-absorbed and given to overwhelming ego.

My friend, for obvious reasons, prefers the first group to the second!

Among the biggest and most accomplished musical entertainers in America are The Backstreet Boys. This group, more men then boys at this point, are musicians and singers with a truly Midas touch. Their albums sell in the gazillions. The group includes Kevin Richardson, Howard “Howie D” Dorough, Alexander James “A.J.” McLean, Brian “B-Rok” Littrell and Nick Carter.

There is much to admire in these singing artists.

First, they have talent and produce a quality product.

Their songs, blessed with a magnificent use of harmony, both uplift and impress. They’ve also clearly overcome individual ego (a death blow for many musical groups) and work superbly as a team. I richly admire the sense of God’s presence in their lives. In person, in interviews and in their album notes, they never fail to remember who made them and acknowledge that every gift is from above.

It’s also great to note that the “boys” haven’t gotten so big that they forget their families. You can hear

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

Reader Inquires About Confusing Biblical References Q. Two Scripture readings during Lent really have me confused. On Tuesday of the third week of Lent, the first reading includes Daniel 3:34-43. In the Good News Bible and in others I consulted, Daniel ends at verse 30. Is this a misprint?

Also, on Thursday of Week 1, it says the first reading is from “Esther C.” What and where is Esther C? (Wisconsin) A. You’re very alert to catch these anomalies, and they are confusing. Both involve parts of the Old Testament which are in Catholic Bibles but are not included in Bibles printed under Protestant auspices.

Protestant tradition refers to these books and parts of books as “apocrypha”; they are holy writings but, for reasons we cannot explain again here, are not considered authentic sacred Scripture.

All the Bibles to which you referred were obviously so-called Protestant Bibles. In Catholic Bibles, the book of Daniel contains several famous dramatic episodes not found in Protestant Bibles. And Chapter 3 has many more than 30 verses.

The book of Esther, another hoary, attentiongrabbing tale sacred in Jewish tradition, was written originally in Hebrew. A later Greek edition added lots of detail (107 verses) to the original story.

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: The National Religious Retirement Fund is deeply grateful for the generosity of the people of the Diocese of Charlotte for their generosity in contributing to the care of senior religious. We religious are humbled by the love and respect for the lives and service of our senior religious that is evidenced by such generosity. The contribution of $219,063.90 from Appeal XIII for 2000, will be of great assistance in funding the well-deserved care of our 52,000 senior religious.

The support made possible by the generosity of the donors is a great consolation for retired religious. It gives them peace of mind when they see their religious institutes able to continue to carry out the mission entrusted to them.

May our loving God bless you for your generosity.

Gratefully, Sister Andree Fries, CPPS Executive Director National Religious Retirement Office Washington, DC

Dear Bishop Curlin: On behalf of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, I am writing to thank you and all of the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte for your very generous contribution of $107,015.11. This support reflects the strong commitment of Catholics to helping the 32 million Americans living in poverty create more secure lives and stronger communities.

Over the past 30 years, through your generous support, the CCHD has strengthened its efforts to help people help themselves. CCHD-funded groups uphold the sacredness and dignity of human life by encouraging self-sufficiency and by educating all to the root causes of poverty and other injustices in our communities. Your generosity assisted CCHDfunded groups to secure successes like these: Job creation. A group of young women who previously relied on welfare to support themselves and their families are now in business for themselves, selling fresh gourmet pastas at a southern city’s local farmer’s market.

Youth leadership. Young people in the Midwest launched a billboard and media campaign to reduce neighborhood crime and drug use.

Community revitalization. A community group in an eastern city successfully urged banks to reopen branches in their neighborhood.

Pope John Paul II appeals to Christians to change the structures of injustice in society: “The promotion of justice is at the heart of a true culture of solidarity. It is not just a question of giving one’s surplus to those in need, but of helping entire peoples presently excluded or marginalized to enter into the sphere of economic and human development.” (World Day of Peace Message 2001) Through their gifts to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the people of the Charlotte Diocese have joined with CCHD to help build that solidarity. We are grateful for your leadership and for the invaluable cooperation of your Diocesan Director, Dr. Bernard J. Offerman, whose partnership with us makes the CCHD’s mandate a reality. This contribution represents a 15.4 percent increase over last year’s gift. Many thanks to your clergy, religious and laity for this increase which is essential to meeting the needs of the poor in our country.

Gratefully in Our Lord, Rev. Robert J. Vitillo Executive Director, CCHD

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

May 11, 2001

Around the Di-

Diocese’s former Web address now goes to porn site CLEVELAND (CNS) — Because the address of its former Web site has apparently been purchased by a pornographic site, the Diocese of Cleveland is warning other Catholic dioceses to be sure to use its new domain name of www.dioceseofcleveland.org.

The diocese changed its Web site address a year ago. It kept its old domain name after the switch, but relinquished it May 3, said Bob Tayek, Cleveland diocesan communications

director, in a May 7 e-mail to other diocesan communications directors.

“By Sunday (May 6), a porno site in Russia or Ukraine picked up the old address,” he added. “Now anyone who is still using the old address comes upon that site.”

The old name — an abbreviated and cryptic form of the diocese’s name — also surfaces in some Internet searches for the Diocese of Cleveland.

Tayek told The Plain Dealer local daily newspaper that the diocese was exploring what recourse it had “to stop the site from luring the faithful to a porn marketplace.”

Diocesan officials had not imagined that anyone would want to buy the diocese’s old domain name, he said. “It’s a hard lesson to learn,” Tayek added.

Photo by Jimmy Rostar

Something old, something new A weathered sign welcomes parishioners and visitors to St. Joseph Parish in Kannapolis as a new church is under construction on the parish grounds. Bishop William G. Curlin presided May 14, 2000, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church, which will stand on the site of the old sanctuary built in 1949. If all goes according to schedule, the multicultural Catholic community in Kannapolis will be celebrating Mass in their new church by September. Redemptorist Father Karl Aschmann is administrator at St. Joseph Church, where a rapidly growing Hispanic community comes to worship with the U.S.-born families.

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES High School Youth Minister: Vibrant 4,500-family suburban Atlanta parish. Sunday evening mass and program (currently LifeTeen); also teen OCIA, retreats, adult leader formation, confirmation preparation, and cooperation with colleagues to oversee entire parish catechetical effort. Healthy Vatican II spirituality, collaborative skills, a must; degree in religious education or related field or comparable experience required; Spanish-language facility a plus. Full-time position available immediately. Salary commensurate with qualifications. Send resume and references to Business Manager, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 535 Rucker Road, Alpharetta, GA 30004. Fax 770-772-0355.

Parish Catechetical Leader: St. Joseph Parish, Kannapolis. Seeking a dedicated and spiritual leader for our faith education program. Must be certified catechist. Completion of Lay Ministry courses helpful but not necessary. Candidates shall have experience working with children, strong organizational skills, and leadership. Bilingual skills (Spanish) preferred but not necessary. Part-time (20-30 hours per week) with competitive salary.

Send resume and salary requirements to: St. Jo-

seph Catholic Church, Attn: PCL Position, PO Box 220, Kannapolis, NC 28202. Call (704)932-4607 for information or fax: (704)932-0566.

Principal: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School seeks a principal beginning the 2001-2001 academic year. The school is a well-established parochial school with 61 years of operation. Applicants must be practicing Catholic, hold a teacher certification and a principal’s license (or in progress). Applicants must have administrative experience and be willing to relocate to the Rocky Mount area. Please send your resume, references and salary history to: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 328 Hammond St., Rocky Mount, NC 27804 or fax your resume to 252-972-4780.

Stewardship & Development Officer - Newman Catholic Student Center at Duke University. New position responsible for all aspects of the planning, implementation and management of an effective stewardship and development program to support Catholic Campus Ministry financially. Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s Degree; five years successful experience in higher education or non-profit development; excellent organizational, planning and communication skills. Must be practicing Catholic.

EOE. Send resume to Newman Catholic Student Center, Box 90974, Durham, NC 27708-0974 or email joev@duke.edu Teachers: Our Lady of Mercy High School is seeking full-time teachers in Chemistry/Biology and Studio Art. We are also seeking part-time teachers

Classified ads bring results! Over 116,000 readers! Over 47,000 homes!

Rates: $.50/word per issue ($10 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication date How to order: Ads may be faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Payment: Ads may be pre-paid or billed. For information, call (704) 370-3332. in Music and French. Interested parties should send a resume to: Our Lady of Mercy High School, John Cobis, Principal, 861 Highway 279, Fairburn, Georgia 30213.

Youth and Young Adult Ministry Director: Roman Catholic Church of the Most Holy Trinity, 720 Telfair Street, PO Box 2446, Augusta, GA 30903. www.themostholytrinity.org. (706)7224944. Full-time position to direct and develop Middle/High School and Young Adult Ministries that are relational, holistic, developmental, ministerial, goal-centered with a multi-dimensional approach to youth ministry. Must work in harmonious collaboration with parish personnel, parents, many volunteers and youth. Must also work closely with DRE (Director of Religious Education) in areas of administration. Must have computer and office skills. This parish is a traditional, downtown parish with 1200 families and is demographically and ethnically diverse. Qualifications: Active, practicing Catholic in good standing with the

Church. Experience in parish youth ministry and/ or college campus ministry. BA in Theology and/ or related field or Certificate of Advanced Study in Youth Ministry preferred. Competitive salary/ benefits package offered. Send resume and references to: Fr. Allan J. McDonald at above address.

JOBS WANTED Nanny: Seeking position as full-time nanny in Charlotte area. Second grade teacher at Catholic school. References available. Please call Susan: (704)557-9264.

May 11, 2001

The Catholic News & Herald 15

In the

Alaska Catholics among those debating oil drilling in

By Geoff Kennedy Catholic News Service ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNS) — The debate over developing an area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is as hot a topic for local residents as it is for environmentalists and lobbyists on Capitol Hill, as the Bush administration gears up for potential oil drilling there.

Catholics interviewed by The Catholic Anchor, Anchorage’s archdiocesan newspaper, reflect the broad range of opinions on the issue. Some see it as responsible stewardship and others feel the proposal is the result of overzealous consumption.

Father Leo Walsh, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Eagle River, described himself as “marvelously noncommittal” about developing the region.

For him, it is “a matter not of having all the answers, but asking the questions such as, can you develop responsibly and avoid undue harm to the environment?”

Humanity is part of the environment, he said, and “the earth is given for us to care for.” But he added that care requires us to realize we are stewards, not owners of the earth.

“I lived here through the oil boom — and I can see the differences it made,” Father Walsh said. “I want to live here the rest of my life and to be proud of where I live.”

Since 1992, the average annual oil revenue going to the state has been $1.6 billion, according to the Alaska Department of Revenue.

Holy Cross Father LeRoy Clementich sees the prospect of drilling for oil in the wildlife refuge a global issue.

“How much longer can we continue to use those naturally limited resources at the rate we are using them and expect the people of the world to be able to exist in an ethically humane manner?” he asked.

Once the refuge is depleted, “what then?” he added.

Father Clementich, who is director of pastoral education for the Archdiocese of Anchorage, finds support in

Scripture for both sides of the debate.

“On the one hand one could reasonably say that the resources of the earth were made for our responsible use; let’s use them,” he said. “But let us ask the correlative question: Are we being responsible stewards for the future or are we simply concerned about filling our ‘gas guzzlers’ in our own times?”

K.C. Kaltenborn of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in south Anchorage agreed that people are not just stewards of the earth but also of the future.

He is concerned about treating the Arctic refuge the way 19th-century Americans used the buffalo — as a mere commodity to be consumed as

quickly as possible.

But Dave Campana, a member of east Anchorage’s St. Patrick Parish, said, “God has put oil out there for our use.”

He said it’s only practical to drill for oil in the refuge because the current political climate doesn’t encourage developing alternatives like wind, solar, and tidal power.

“They won’t develop new types of energy sources until they use (up) the ones we have,” he said.

Holy Family Cathedral parishioner Cecilia La Cara, who said she hasn’t decided what is the right thing to do, said it should be decided by the people who live there.

But the opinions of those living near the refuge are just as divided.

A jurisdiction known as the North Slope Borough supports oil development on the refuge’s coastal plain, which, residents say, is a lot safer than offshore development. Drilling on the Beaufort Sea threatens the bowhead whales that the Inupiat Eskimos depend on for subsistence and preservation of their culture.

Residents of Kaktovik, the only village in the refuge, mostly support oil development. Not only does it promise them jobs, but also more revenue for the North Slope Borough, which relies on money from taxing oil companies.

The Gwich’in Athabascans of the eastern Arctic do not live in the refuge, but for many generations they have survived by hunting caribou there. In fact, the name of the Indian tribe literally means “people of the caribou.”

Cathie Schumacher, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, thinks of these people and others who have little to live on, when she considers the effects of oil drilling in the refuge, also called ANWR. She believes Pope John Paul II’s 1990 statement on the environment speaks to the current situation, particularly the words: “It is manifestly unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate excess goods, squandering available resources, while masses of people are living in conditions of misery at the very lowest level of subsistence.”

“We are the privileged few” the pope described, she said.

“Drilling in ANWR shows us accumulating more excess goods and squandering more resources,” she added, “with no thought of future consequences.”

A caribou grazes underneath pipes near Prudhoe Bay, west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Development experts say that the caribou have not been negatively impacted by oil fields there.

CNS photo by Michael Dinneen, Catholic Anchor

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

May 11, 2001

Racial justice and the death penalty

Former teacher learns about the love

of racial discrimination that cannot RALEIGH — Race plays a definbe explained by any of the legitimate ing role in determining who lives and sentencing considerations that have who dies within the state of North been sanctioned by North Carolina’s Carolina’s capital punishment system legislative and judicial branches.” according to a groundbreaking study The North Carolina Council of sponsored by the North Carolina Churches opposes the death penalty.

Council of Churches and the Com“It is appropriate for us to be inmon Sense Foundation. The study, volved with this significant study,” said conducted under the leadership of a George Reed, the Council’s Executive University of North Carolina political Director. “Racial justice has been on scientist and a professor at the Univerour agenda since the Council’s first sity of North Carolina School of Law, days. Criminal justice issues, and espefound that homicide defendants whose cially opposition to the death penalty, victims were white were 3.4 times more have also been important to us over likely to be sentenced to death than those the years. So this combination of the with non-white victims. two issues, racial justice and the death “This is a significant and major penalty, is one on which we, as people breakthrough....it proves the claim of faith, need to be involved.” that racial bias exists (in the imposi The Chapel of the Cross, a tion of the death penalty),” said Robpart of the Episert W. Estill, recopal Diocese of tired Bishop of the North Carolina, Episcopal Diocese which is a member of North Carolina of the NC Counand former presicil of Churches, dent of the North provided the imCarolina Council petus and a subof Churches. “This stantial portion is a vital piece of of the funding information.” to undertake the The study, the study. Syd Alexfirst of its kind ander, an attorney in the state in a and Senior Wargeneration, looked den on the Vestry at more than 500 there, said a donahomicide cases in tion from a church Nor th Carolina member made posfrom 1993 to 1997. sible the $25,000 Researchers using which served as a 33-page list of — Robert W. Estill, seed money for questions set out to determine whether retired Bishop of the the study. He said capital punishEpiscopal Diocese of North the Chapel Hill church’s involvement cases were Carolina ment in the project being driven by continues a history legal factors or by of activism on israce. The data was sues including pacifism and integrareviewed for 36 factors that could tion. impact the sentence in a death penalty “The Chapel of the Cross has a case — variables that ranged from the long history of being socially active,” age of the victim to the time between Alexander said. “It’s been a church the trial and the district attorney’s that has taken stands.” reelection. Factors which can legally Boger, a former director of the play a role in determining whether the Capital Punishment Project of the death penalty is imposed, such as preNAACP Legal Defense and Education vious convictions by the defendant for Fund, described the study as the most violent felony or homicide, were also extensive of its kind in state history considered. and proof that application of the death When all the statistics were penalty was not color blind. gathered, the study found that a “It may have been permissible predefendant, regardless of race, whose Civil War. It may be have been permisvictim was white was more likely to resible in Jim Crow North Carolina. It’s ceive the death penalty. Indeed, statisshameful now,” Boger said. tically speaking, that defendant would more likely face death than someone Fo r m o re i n fo r m a t i o n , c o nwho killed more than one person. tact George Reed, Executive Director, Isaac Unah, an assistant professor The North Carolina Council of of Political Science at the University Churches at 919-828-6501 or e-mail ncof North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was cofc@nccouncilofchurches.org the study’s principal investigator, and Jack Boger, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, was its principal director.

They write in their report, “North Carolina’s capital system in the 1990s continues to be infected with patterns

na, to work at a non-public, co-ed school where

By ALESHA M. PRICE his future wife, Emily, was the secretary. Two Staff Writer years later, they married, moved to High Point HIGH POINT — Parental influand began attending the Catholic and Episcoence was not the reason Rev. Mr. Tom pal Churches, his wife’s faith.

Kak first embraced Catholicism. His One of their four children asked to go to mother faithfully took him to church faith formation classes at Immaculate Heart every Sunday and was with him as the of Mary Church, and it was that action that sacraments were administered, but prompted Mrs. Kak’s conversion. “I said ‘God, neither she nor his father was Catholic. thank you for the sign.’ It was an easy transiHowever, Rev. Mr. Kak suspects that tion for me,“ remembered Mrs. Kak. his father had been baptized Catholic Square and ballroom dancing but never practiced the faith. A usual helped Rev. Mr. Kak find his next job seven-day-a-week work schedule with after leaving teaching. He met his next the railroad and providing a stable home two bosses while life for his family was his twirling his wife father’s first priority. on the floor. He “It was very unusuworked part time al in the 1930s for the for Davidson CounChurch to baptize kids ty Community Colwho weren’t Catholic, lege teaching Engbut there were two older lish transfer classes cousins living with us while employed at at the time I was born the Employment who were Catholic, which Security Commisis probably why I was sion from which he baptized into the faith,” retired a year and a explained Rev. Mr. Kak, half ago. who was born in Chicago.

The idea of be“I had a parochial school coming a permaeducation and attended nent deacon also Jesuit high schools, startdanced around ing with Campion, a prep in Rev. Mr. Kak’s school in Wisconsin.” head, but his wife While in boarding school, Rev. Mr. Tom Kak decided that their he developed his love children were too for books and also deyoung for him to veloped a knowledge of make that kind of commitment neceshis faith by reading and attending daily Mass. sary. When the call for the diocese’s After his father’s retirement, the Kak second class came around, they were family moved to Tampa, Florida, and Rev. both ready; however, a mild heart atMr. Kak was introduced to a new world, quite tack threw a monkey wrench in his different from his own. “Back in those days, plans. “We figured the class had passed when you retired, you moved South. You us by, but suddenly, they decided they did anything to get away from the winters. would start another class. The eight Tampa was a strange, little city to me at that of us were taken into formation when time, and this was my first exposure to the the second diaconate class started its Hispanic culture.” second year.”

Because it was the “only thing that interRev. Mr. Kak was ordained in 1989 ested him and it seemed to be traditional,” he and says that it was something that majored in English and minored in French originally appealed to him and has kept at the University of Tampa. After graduathim in focus. “The permanent diaconing, he began teaching in the public school ate is another tie to the reality of God system and then moved on to military schools rather like that of the working world in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. The or a family. It is a part of the ‘trinity’ military school experience suited him better of life - work, family and God - and the than public schools because of his experience permanent diaconate makes all of that with all-boys’ parochial schools and during his stronger.” year in a boarding school. “In military school, He says his biggest supporter, his most often, I was the only Catholic on the staff, wife, has been with him every step of so a great deal of responsibility for the Cathothe way, and his children and grandlic students fell my way. I got them to Mass, daughter have also lent support. “The oversaw their catechism in the afternoons and first time around I was a little hesitant helped them to prepare for confirmation.” because my conscience would not Thus, Rev. Mr. Kak’s dormant faith was allow me to think about Tom not bereawakened because of his involvement with ing able to remarry with four small the students’ spiritual lives. “I had put my faith children if something were to have on the back burner for a great many years happened to me. The second time, we from college on. Sunday morning comes, and were both ready, and I was willing to you simply don’t get up. I still talked about do what needed to be done,” said Mrs. religion, but I wasn’t practicing it as much.”

Kak, who works with Engaged EnWhile teaching, a desire to further his counter, a hospital volunteer program education led him to Notre Dame University and at the local community clinic with for a master’s degree in English and to McGill her husband. in Canada for a master’s degree in French dur“The permanent diaconate has ing the summers. done more for my marriage than anyIn 1970, after earning his master’s in English, he moved to Hickory, North Caroli-

“This is a significant and major breakthrough....it proves the claim that racial bias exists (in the imposition of the death penalty),”