May 26, 2006

May 26, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Parish Profile:

St. Benedict Church provides welcoming parish, community outreach | Page 16

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI may 26, 2006

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Answering God’s call

Diocesan schools work to prevent bullying by

KEVIN E. MURRAY

CHARLOTTE — A group of men recently took important steps toward fulfilling their vocational callings.

In two separate ceremonies, five men were ordained to the transitional diaconate, the final stage of preparation for ordination to the priesthood.

Richard Gerard DeClue Jr. and Fred Werth were ordained as transitional deacons by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, in the Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in See DEACONS, page 5

Building his

Deacons Fred Werth and Richard DeClue lie prostrate during their ordination as transitional deacons in the Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. March 25. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien celebrated the Mass.

Domino founder’s plan for town near Catholic university sparks debate

Preferring Bible over

W E S T PA L M BEACH, Fla. — A Catholic philanthropist’s plans to develop a town around the new site of a Catholic university in Florida has raised concerns from critics both within and outside church circles.

B u t To m M o n a g h a n remains firm in his commitment to the project and its See DEBATE, page 12

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

editor

by TOM TRACY catholic news service

no. 32

Combating a persistent problem

Five new transitional deacons ordained by

vOLUME 15

Courtesy Photo by Theological College

CHARLOTTE — Bullying is such a serious issue that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta monitor it as a “child-risk behavior,” according to Lynne Lang, a school community health educator in St. Louis.

In fact, she said 160,000 children stay home from school each day because they’re afraid of someone at their schools.

One in six children identified as bullies by age 8 will be in the criminal justice system by age 24, Lang added.

One in eight will be linked to domestic violence by age 30.

Bullying can come in many forms, according to Lang.

It can be verbal, physical or emotional; it can be genderbased, she said, and there is “cyberbullying” — bullying in See BULLY, page 7

Catholics not swayed by ‘Da Vinci Code,’ according to poll

by MARK PATTISON catholic news service

WA S H I N G T O N — According to a poll released May 15, American Catholics aren’t likely to be swayed by the claims made in the novel “The Da Vinci Code.”

A nationwide telephone survey of U.S. Catholics found that 42 percent intend to “seek

the truth” — one of the catch phrases in the book and in promotions for the film version that opened May 19 — by studying the Bible more closely.

In the poll more people said they would consult the Bible than any other source.

According to the survey, See BIBLE, page 13

CNS photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters

South Korean Christians picket in front of a theater advertising “The Da Vinci Code” movie in Seoul May 18. The slogans on the signs read “The content of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is not a fact,” and “‘The Da Vinci Code’ is no more than fiction.”

‘Many Parts, One Body’

Culture Watch

Perspectives

Small Christian communities explored

Prayer on air; beware fake Vatican organist

Meeting the pope; overcoming worries with prayer

| Page 6

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 14-15

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

May 26, 2006

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

Bishops urge Congress to assist more hurricane victims, Haitians WA S H I N G T O N ( C N S ) — The chairmen of two key bishops’ committees urged special attention to the poor in Haiti and to U.S. hurricane victims in need of housing as a House-Senate conference committee began work on a supplemental appropriations bill.

In a May 19 letter to the conference committee, Bishops Nicholas DiMarzio and Thomas G. Wenski urged support for those “two essential areas of funding” in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery 2006.

Bishop DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., heads the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy, and Bishop Wenski of Orlando, Fla., chairs the Committee on International Policy.

The bishops said the reconciled appropriations bill should include at least $100 million for rental housing assistance for low-income households in the Gulf Coast region and $40 million “for the

The perfect babysitter

Diocesan planner CNS photo by Sarah Webb, Catholic Standard & Times

Joseph McCabe cradles his brother Riley, now 18 months old, after Riley fell asleep at St. Cecilia Church in Philadelphia. Joseph will always remember the day he saved the life of Riley, then 9 months old. The 13-year-old Boy Scout performed the Heimlich maneuver on the infant after he swallowed a piece of tape and began choking.

Catholic Boy Scout honored for saving baby PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — Joseph McCabe will always remember July 20, 2005 as the day he saved the life of his baby brother Riley, who was then 9 months old.

Just three weeks before Riley accidentally swallowed a piece of tape he found on the floor, Joseph had learned the Heimlich maneuver and cardiopulmonary resuscitation through the Boy Scouts.

“I thank them a lot, because they give you a lot of opportunities and teach you a lot of different skills,” the 13-yearold said.

For his heroics, Joseph was awarded a Boy Scouts of America merit medal following a recent Mass at St. Cecilia Church.

When the accident occurred, Joseph was talking on the telephone with his mother, who had called home to check on the boys while she was awaiting a doctor’s appointment at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Meadowbrook.

Joseph threw down the phone and rushed to his baby brother.

“His face was all red. I just did the Heimlich maneuver ... right away,” he said.

And up came the tape.

“After it came out, he started laughing,” Joseph said of Riley’s reaction.

Diane McCabe, the boys’ mother, had called 911 immediately after she heard her oldest son throw down the phone.

Emergency personnel arrived within minutes, but Joseph had already finished examining his baby brother, picked him up and was walking him around the house.

The emergency personnel further examined Riley, “but he was just laughing the whole time,” Joseph said.

The boys’ father, Philadelphia police officer Joseph McCabe, recalled what he saw when he arrived home.

“When I got in the door, the fireman said, ‘Slow down, he’s fine. Joey took care of it,’” the father said. “He’s a very good role model for the other boys. We really thank the Boy Scouts for what they taught him. He knew exactly what to do.”

Diane McCabe also applauded the courage and quickness of their eldest son.

“He was certified in CPR, he was a Boy Scout — he was everything you would want in a baby sitter,” she said.

Joseph said he enjoys teaching his little brothers about the Catholic faith, playing sports with them and “keeping them on track.”

The drama of Riley’s accident reminded Joseph that “you shouldn’t take life for granted, because things can happen in minutes.”

Instead, Joseph said, “You shouldn’t think about what you want (in life), but

BOONE VICARIATE SPARTA — If you or anyone you know has been affected by abortion, the Rachel Network Evening of Prayer for Healing after Abortion will help you experience the peace of healing. The anonymous evening of Scripture and meditation will take place at St. Frances of Rome Church, 29 Highland Dr., June 7 at 7 p.m. For more information, call (336) 657-8013.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — A free program for adults, “Children on the Internet,” will focus on the risks of the Internet, particularly to children.

The program will take place in the parish hall of St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., May 31 at 7:30 p.m. Speakers will address how children are approached and exploited through the computer and how to work with your children and set guidelines; plus some down-to-earth practical information on what you can do on your computer to help protect young users. For more information, call Chris Schneider at (704) 566-8818.

CHARLOTTE — A Blood Drive, hosted

by The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, will take place at the diocesan Pastoral Center June 15, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. All donors will receive a free T-shirt. If you are interested in giving blood for a good cause, please contact Sherry at (704) 370-3357 to sign up.

CHARLOTTE — Fostering Justice Worldwide, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, will share Catholic Relief Services (CRS) stories. This free event will take place at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., St., June 24, 1:30-5 p.m. The

urgent needs of Haiti,” the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

The $100 million for hurricane housing assistance, approved in the Senate version of the appropriations bill, would support 13,500 housing vouchers for poor working families, seniors and people with disabilities living in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Florida.

“The states and local governments of the Gulf are struggling to provide help to the hundreds of thousands of families who need housing assistance,” the bishops said. “Unfortunately, those efforts do not reach a huge number of families still seeking affordable housing, those with the lowest incomes.”

Catholic agencies in the area report that “rent in the hardest-hit areas has risen by 25 percent or more,” the two bishops added. “Without assistance, the working poor, senior citizens and people with disabilities will find it impossible to program will provide an overview of Catholic social teaching, CRS-related work in the Diocese of Charlotte, CRS work in Africa, presentations on effective advocacy and more. This event will be repeated in Newton Sept. 9 and in Stoneville Nov. 4. For specific details about the Saturday afternoon events please call the Office of Justice and Peace at (704) 370-3234 or (704) 370-3225, or e-mail justicepeace@charlottediocese.org.

CHARLOTTE — Pathfinders, a peer-led support group for separated and divorced adults, offers education, support and fellowship through the divorce process. The group meets Tuesdays, 7:30-9 p.m., in St. Gabriel Church’s Ministry Building, 3016 Providence Rd. For more information, call Nancy at (704) 752-0318.

CHARLOTTE — The St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order gathers the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave. Those interested in learning more about the SFO and the Franciscan way of life are invited to attend. For more information, call Tom O’Loughlin at (704) 947-7235.

CHARLOTTE — TGIF on Wednesday is a support group for separated or divorced women and men. All are welcome to join us for encouragement and discussion with others making similar journeys at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the New Life Center, Room 114. If you have any questions, call Bonnie Motuz at (704) 543-8998.

GASTONIA VICARIATE BELMONT — First Saturday Devotions take place on the first Saturday of each month at Belmont Abbey Basilica, 100 BelmontMt. Holly Rd. Devotion begins at 9:30 a.m. with the recitation of the rosary, followed by reconciliation and Mass. For more information, call Phil or Terri at (704) 888-6050.

May 26, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 32

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

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

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

The Catholic News & Herald 3

May 26, 2006

FROM THE VATICAN

Pope says devotion to Sacred Heart helps Catholics focus on love We should respond to call of God, pope says pain” and needs ongoing attention.

The pope also told the ambassador he was looking forward, “God willing,” to visiting Australia in 2008 to preside over World Youth Day festivities.

Ambassador Anne Maree Plunkett told the pope, “The Australian government encourages the Holy See’s efforts to expand dialogue with China and Vietnam, and thereby contribute to the growth and development of civil society in both those countries.”

While the Vietnamese government continues to exercise control over church activities, top Vatican and Vietnamese diplomats meet regularly to discuss the appointment of new bishops and limits on seminary enrollment.

The Vatican has no formal contacts

VAT I C A N C I T Y ( C N S ) — Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus helps Catholics focus on the reality of God’s love and their obligation to love others, Pope Benedict XVI said.

In the Sacred Heart, “we can recognize in an ever clearer way the limitless love God has for us,” the pope wrote in a May 15 letter.

The papal letter was addressed to Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, superior general of the Society of Jesus, in recognition of the Jesuits’ efforts to promote the devotion throughout the church over the past 150 years.

In 2006, the church celebrates the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus June 23.

Pope Benedict said the devotion

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

the first Thursday of each month in Sebastian Chapel of St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St. NE, at 7 p.m. For further information, contact Joan Moran (828)-327-0487.

GREENSBORO — All practicing Catholic women of Irish birth or descent, or who are the wife of a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, are invited to participate in the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, a social, cultural and charitable group for an ongoing series of fun and informative activities. LAOH will meet June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., in the Earl Louis Center. This will be the final meeting until fall.

Please contact Marilyn Conte at (336) 632-1340 for further information.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:45 p.m. in the Commons of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need. For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 4942683.

HIGH POINT — Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., will host an International Festival June 4, 4-7 p.m. Enjoy food, exhibits, dancers and musicians from around the world. Admission is free; everyone is asked to bring a generous sample of their favorite dish.

For more information, call the church office at (336) 869-7739.

FRANKLIN — Respect Life meets the first Wednesday of every month after the 5:30 p.m.

Mass in the Family Life Center at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 299 Maple St. All those interested in promoting the sanctity of human life are invited to attend. For more information, contact Julie Tastinger at (828) 349-9813 or jatastinger@aol.com.

HIGH POINT — A free Charismatic Conference will be held at Maryfield Chapel, 1315 High Point Rd., starting June 16 at 7 p.m. A healing service will follow the presentation by Deacon Dennis and Elizabeth Chitwood from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Deacon Chitwood will be the homilist at the 10 a.m. Mass June 17, followed by a second conference by Elizabeth Chitwood. Two final conferences will take place June 17, 2-5 p.m.

For more information, call Deacon Ron or Bette Steinkamp at (336) 882-9717.

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

HICKORY VICARIATE HENDERSONVILLE — The Widows Lunch Bunch, sponsored by Immaculate Conception Church, meets at a different restaurant on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are necessary. For more information and reservations, call Joan Keagle at (828) 693-4733.

HICKORY — A Charismatic Mass is celebrated

Episcopal

calendar

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

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

May 27 — 10 a.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury

May 29 — 7 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation St. Philip the Apostle Church, Statesville

May 27 — 2 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury

May 30 — 6 p.m.

Celebration of 25th anniversary of priestly ordination, Father Carl Del Giudice Sacred Heart Church, Brevard

Peace entails religious freedom, pope tells diplomats to the Vatican acquires its deepest meaning only when people express their awareness of God’s love by dedicating their lives to his service.

“The experience of the love of God is lived as a ‘call’ to which one must respond,” the pope said.

Gazing upon Jesus’ “pierced heart” is a reminder that he took on the sufferings and sins of all humanity, which “helps us become more attentive to the suffering and needs of others,” Pope Benedict said.

“It makes us able to entrust ourselves to his saving and merciful love and, at the same time, reinforces our desire to participate in his work of salvation by becoming his instruments,” the pope said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Peace and justice in the world require respect for religious freedom, solidarity, policies that look beyond economic gain and respect for the environment, Pope Benedict XVI told five new ambassadors to the Vatican.

“Peace is rooted in respect for religious freedom,” the pope said May 18,

welcoming the ambassadors from Chad, India, Moldova, Cape Verde and Australia.

“It is important that throughout the world all people can adhere to the religion of their choice and practice it freely and without fear because no one can base his existence only on the search for material well-being,” the pope said.

He also told the ambassadors that every country in the world has an obligation to work for the development of all peoples and to do so in a way that protects the earth’s resources.

Pope Benedict said he appreciated India’s commitment to tolerance and respect, but in the wake of attacks on minority churches and regional laws against conversion, he asked that the government do more to make the commitment a reality.

Pope Benedict praised Australia’s contributions to peacemaking and to development and disaster relief around the world, especially in the Asian Pacific region.

The social situation of the Aborigines, he said, “is cause for much

Honoring Rice

CNS photo courtesy of Boston College

Jesuit Father William Leahy (left), president of Boston College, and Patrick Stokes, chairman of the board of trustees, applaud after presenting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with an honorary doctor of laws degree before the commencement ceremony at Boston College May 22.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Honoring commitment Holy Angels employees recognized for outstanding work BELMONT — Holy Angels recently awarded two employees with North Carolina Association for Residential Resources (NORCARR) achievement of excellence awards for 2006.

These highly coveted awards recognize outstanding job performance consistently displayed by a Holy Angels employee of at least one year. Nominees for both awards, the Ann Wolfe Award and the Virginia Franks Achievement of Excellence Award, are recommended by their co-workers through a formal nominating process.

Regina Moody, president and CEO of Holy Angels, announced the winners during a celebration with Holy Angels staff May 10.

Barbara Haley of Charlotte received the Ann Wolfe Award for outstanding service. She has served the residents of Holy Angels since 1992, most recently as home coordinator of an intermediate care

facility for the mentally retarded.

The award is named in honor of Dr. Ann Wolfe, who served as an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. It is presented to a direct care professional who works directly with the residents at Holy Angels.

Elizabeth Withers of Gastonia received the Virginia Franks award. She is a registered nurse and serves as a nursing supervisor at Holy Angels.

The award was established in 1991 in honor of Virginia Franks to recognize individuals who serve in roles other than direct care.

“For fifty years, Holy Angels’ employees have cared deeply for our residents and committed themselves to their care,” said Moody. “(The winners) set and achieve high standards and are an inspiration to all of us.”

Haley and Withers will be honored during the annual NORCARR banquet in

May 26, 2006

Raleigh June 8.

NORCARR was incorporated in 1975 by administrators of agencies who care for individuals with developmental disabilities, primarily in residential settings, for the purpose of sharing knowledge, experience and expertise in the field of mental retardation.

Founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy, Holy Angels is a private, nonprofit corporation that provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with varying degrees of mental retardation and physical disabilities, some of whom are medically fragile.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Holy Angels, visit www.holyangelsnc.org.

Courtesy Photo

Barbara Haley and Beth Winters, employees at Holy Angels in Belmont, will receive their 2006 NORCARR Achievement of Excellence Awards in Raleigh June 8.

Celebrating service

A doctorate in the Mercy Sister McNamara defends thesis, earns doctorate BELMONT — Mercy Sister Ray Maria McNamara recently received her philosophy doctorate from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif.

She earned the doctorate degree May 11 after successfully writing and defending her thesis entitled, “Interdependence and the God Quest: A Christian Ecological Spirituality.”

The thesis provides a study of a Christian ecological spirituality focusing on the integration of humanity’s interdependence with the created world and the self-transcending experience of a life centered in God. Examinations of biblical text, theological anthropology, spirituality and environmental philosophy provide its foundational elements and suggest an attitude of contemplation toward God

that is inclusive of the natural world.

Sister McNamara earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Clemson University in South Carolina, received a master’s degree in administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a master’s degree in systematic theology from the Graduate Theological Union in California.

She has taught, served as principal or as a department chair at numerous diocesan and private schools in the Charlotte and Gaston County areas, including Charlotte Catholic High School and St. Patrick School in Charlotte, Sacred Heart Grade School in Belmont and Gaston Day School in Gastonia.

Courtesy Photo

Father Gnanapragasam Mariasoosai (center), administrator of Our Lady of the Angels Church in Marion, is joined by parishioners during a Mass at which he celebrated his 25th anniversary to the priesthood.

Father Mariasoosai came to serve as resident priest and administrator of the church in September 2003. Originally from the Archdiocese of Madurai in South India, he served as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Spanish Town, Jamaica, before coming to the Diocese of Charlotte.

Since Father Mariasoosai’s arrival, the church has enjoyed a new level of spiritual and community life, revitalized through the dedicated commitment shown by its administrator, who has learned two new languages and cultures.

Church members have responded with grateful affection, and service to the church and community has grown significantly.

Courtesy Photo

Mercy Sister Ray Maria McNamara (second from left) stands with fellow Sisters of Mercy and James Donohue, president of Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., after receiving her doctorate May 11. Pictured (from left): Mercy Sister Mary Jerome Spradley, Sister McNamara, Donohue, and Mercy Sisters Pauline Clifford and Ann Marie Wilson.

May 26, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 5

vocations

Holy hour for the ordinandi

Five new transitional deacons

Bishop requests presence, prayers for new priests

DEACONS, from page 1

CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis and priests of the Diocese of Charlotte invite people to join them in praying for the intentions of the diocese’s next priests.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, evening prayer and Benediction will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, 5-6 p.m., June 2.

Deacon Alejandro Ayala and Deacon James Stuhrenberg will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Jugis at St. Patrick Cathedral, 10 a.m., June 3.

in service to his church,” said Father Christopher Gober, vocations director for the Diocese of Charlotte.

The road to the priesthood is marked by a series of milestones: lector, acolyte, candidacy, transitional deacon, priestly ordination.

During the rite of ordination of a deacon, the candidates are called forth to make promises of celibacy and vows of obedience.

The bishop lays his hands on their heads and asks the Holy Spirit to descend upon the candidates. The candidates are then vested with the dalmatic and stole and kneel before the bishop, who places in their hands the Book of Gospels. As deacons, they assist during the rest of the Mass.

As deacons, they can preach, assist priests at the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist; officiate at weddings, baptisms and funerals; and administer blessings during certain liturgical rites.

Newly-ordained transitional deacons are pictured after their ordination ceremony at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., May 13. Back row (from left): Father Christopher Gober, vocations director for the Diocese of Charlotte; Deacons Patrick Toole, Patrick Hoare and John Cahill. Front row (from left): Msgr.

Michael Fitzgerald, seminary vice rector; Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, retired archbishop of Philadelphia; Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Cistone of Philadelphia; Auxiliary Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Philadelphia; Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Louis A. DeSimone of Philadelphia; and Msgr. Joseph Prior, seminary rector.

Deacon DeClue “I am truly thankful to God for calling me to serve his church as a deacon, and eventually as a priest, for the salvation of souls,” said Deacon DeClue.

Deacon DeClue, a native of Columbus, Ohio, earned a dual major in pre-veterinary medicine and biology at Ohio’s University of Findlay before transferring to Belmont Abbey College to major in theology.

While discerning his vocation, he accepted a scholarship for graduate studies in theology at Boston College. After one year in Boston, Deacon DeClue applied to the Diocese of Charlotte for seminary

Washington, D.C. March 25.

John Patrick Cahill, Patrick Timothy Hoare and Patrick Daniel Toole were ordained by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph R. Cistone of Philadelphia in St. Martin Chapel at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., May 13.

The new deacons committed themselves to celibacy and to the obligations of ministry — serving the sick, the poor, the needy.

“It is a tremendous blessing for the Diocese of Charlotte to have these five men give themselves over to our Lord

Courtesy Photo

studies, and has been studying at Theological College in Washington, D.C. “It is humbling to realize that one is being called to be Christ for others, a task which one cannot perform but by the grace of God,” said Deacon DeClue.

“As such, it is both a tremendous gift and a grave responsibility; one that I would not give up for anything else in the world,” he said.

Deacon Werth “Anyone who knows even the bare outline of the story of my call to the priesthood will recognize immediately the hand of God on my life,” said Deacon Werth, a native of Radford, Va. Born a Presbyterian, Deacon Werth graduated from Virginia Military Institute; married his wife, Patricia; and reported to flight school for the U.S. Air Force in 1970. Upon leaving the service, he entered the University of Virginia, intending to become a lawyer.

In 1986, as the father of three children, he began attending St. Frances of Rome Church in Sparta, N.C., and joined the RCIA classes. He soon found himself having a conversion of faith.

After the deaths of his wife and daughter, Sally, in 2002, Deacon Werth was supported through the tragedy by Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, and soon found himself called to the priesthood.

He studies for the priesthood at Blessed Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Mass.

“There is nothing greater in this world than to be called to the priesthood of Jesus Christ,” said Deacon Werth.

“For me, it is life.”

Deacon Cahill Deacon Cahill first considered the priesthood while playing baseball and football at Charlotte Catholic High School.

“So many priests I met during high school and college invited me to think

about becoming a priest, most especially Bishop (William G.) Curlin,” recalled Deacon Cahill. “I was so impressed with how joyful he was as a priest, and I was inspired by that.”

After completing his sophomore year at Belmont Abbey College, he entered the seminary program for the Diocese of Charlotte. He spent three years at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy. He is now studying for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

His time at seminary, as well as his summer assignments in parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte, have reaffirmed his decision.

“It has made it all the more clear that this choice was a right fit for me,” he said.

Deacon Cahill said he is excited by the challenge of “preaching the Gospel in a society that is hungry for it.”

“I hope to inspire others to a closer, more joyful relationship with Christ,” he said.

Deacon Hoare Deacon Hoare, a native of Willow Grove, Pa., earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pennsylvania’s LaSalle University and a master’s from Drexel University.

He worked for 14 years for Liberty Mutual Group in Philadelphia and Baltimore, Md., in its underwriting and financial departments, leaving the company as vice president of underwriting.

He followed his calling toward the priesthood, and is studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

“Each of us is called in a special way

by God so that his kingdom might be realized,” said Deacon Hoare.

“I am humbled and excited by my call to holy orders, and I ask for the prayers of the people of the Diocese of Charlotte that I may serve them with humility and holiness,” he said.

Deacon Toole A native of Voorhees, N.J., Deacon Toole was enrolled at Belmont Abbey College until 2000, when he left to enter the seminary and pursue his vocational calling.

His first year was at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.; he transferred to St. Charles Borromeo in 2001.

“It is an incredible gift to discover what God has called me to be and, most importantly, to grow in a deeper knowl-

6 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

May 26, 2006

‘Many Parts, One Body’ Diocesan conference explores small Christian communities Evangelization), Father Noda stressed the importance of “going outside the walls” of the church to reach everyone as evangelizers of Jesus.

By doing so, all will be brought to participate in the church in more ways in the “big community” of the parish, he said.

Kathleen Muhonen, a parishioner of St. Paul the Apostle Church, presented a workshop on how parishes can start, sustain and continually revitalize various SCCs. Muhonen, who has been involved with several SCCs, said groups can start through a process of faith-based sharing and reflection. For instance, she said, groups can bring their faith and the church to the elderly and homebound in the community.

Deacon Ron Steinkamp, a permanent deacon at St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, presented a workshop on the Cursillo movement as a vehicle of SCCs. The Cursillo (“little course”) movement, which began in Spain in 1949 as a Christian renewal effort, seeks to promote individual and organized apostolic action.

Deacon Steinkamp is the movement’s spiritual director in the Diocese of Charlotte.

Similar to SCCs, Cursillo members — after a short introductory course — break into smaller groups to share and pray in order to evangelize and change their environment.

Deacon Steinkamp noted that effective evangelization involves bringing others to Christ through true Christian love and truth.

“I came here (to the conference) to learn as much as I can to help my community,” said Ibis Centeno, a parishioner of St. Therese Church in Mooresville.

The workshops, she said, provided helpful steps on tackling the social and spiritual necessities in her parish.

“I am motivated and looking to become involved in stewardship,” she said.

Contact Correspondent Deacon Gerald Potkay by calling (336) 427-8218

on Scripture and life, learning, mission and participation in the larger church.

Robin Taylor, a member of the diocesan resource team for small Church communities, said SCCs — as they are known by participants — work from within the church structure. The core groups meet and bring opportunities for parishes to grow in faith and service.

Conference participants learned about several SCCs and heard from speakers explaining how their groups function and carry out their goals.

Terry Zobel, director of adult religious education at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta, Ga., gave the English keynote speech on turning SCCs from vision to reality.

Zobel, who coordinates more than 30 SCCs at her parish, said meeting in small groups can help people reflect on each other’s experiences and discover how God calls them in everyday life.

The best way to reflect on the Gospels, she said, is to reach out to others in your community. And a byproduct of SCCs is people going out and making changes in their world.

Father Jorge Noda, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Miami, Fla., gave the Spanish keynote speech on SCCs and evangelization.

Using his experience working on program SINE (a Spanish acronym that translates as Holistic System for a New

Photo by Deacon Gerald Potkay

People sign in for the second annual diocesan conference on small Christian communities at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro May 20.

by DEACON GERALD POTKAY Apostle Church in Greensboro May 20. correspondent Bishop Jugis reminded those in attendance to be strong in their faith GREENSBORO — Speaking in and to build upon the small group ideas, both English and Spanish, Bishop Peter presented during the event, back within J. Jugis encouraged people to build and their own parishes. strengthen small Christian communities In North America, small Christian within their parishes. (or church) communities are usually Bishop Jugis spoke during “We are parish-based groups of eight to 12 people Christ’s Building Blocks: Many Parts, seeking to make their faith more alive in One Body,” the second annual diocesan their daily lives. conference on small Christian While the emphasis differs from one communities. The bilingual event, group to another, generally their purposes sponsored by the diocesan Office of include prayer, mutual support, reflection Faith Formation, was held at St. Paul the

May 26, 2006

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Diocesan schools work to prevent bullying BULLY, from page 1

if the person continues to bully them.

Assistant Principal Kathy McKinney said this method is taught to all grade levels. An “Anti-Bully” pledge is also signed by parents, students and staff stating the definition of bullying and the agreement that bullying will not be tolerated at the school. A similar pledge is signed by parents, students and staff of St. Ann School in Charlotte.

In policing bullying at recess — which Lang said was the most common time for bullying — she suggested the “New Games” approach of having concerted group activities to achieve goals rather than letting children figure out for themselves what is amusing.

New Games, a concept developed more than 30 years ago, are noncompetitive, cooperative activities such as group juggling and verbal rhyming contests that promote fun and have no winners or losers.

Ultimately, teachers, parents and students alike must work together to end bullying.

“It’s up to you to protect the dignity of every kid in your classroom,” Lang said.

Contributing to this story was Mark Pattison of Catholic News Service.

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

Teachers, parents and students must work together to “protect the dignity of every kid in (the) classroom.”

— Lynn Lang, school community health educator cyberspace.

“Parents are … clueless today about what goes on with computers,” Lang said.

Gender-based bullying can be extremely harmful, she added. Of the 37 school-based attacks in the United States between 1974 and 1999, nearly every attacker had been bullied as a child In many Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte, measures are in place to recognize, address and prevent bullying behaviors.

Terri Hardy, guidance director at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem and Libby Jones, guidance counselor at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, have implemented the “Witness for Christ” program at their respective schools.

Witness for Christ helps give voice to the bystanders in order to stop bullying behaviors and focuses on witnessing for Christ in one’s life.

St. Leo the Great School adminis tration, staff and parents work together to ensure cooperative approaches to dealing with bullying, according to Principal Georgette Schraeder.

“The School Improvement Plan includes proactive approaches to address bullying,” she said. “Plans are in

Photo by Karen A. Evans

One in six children identified as bullies by age 8 will be in the criminal justice system by age 24, according to Lynne Lang, a school community health educator in St. Louis. Bullying can come in many forms — verbal, physical, emotional. In many Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte, measures are in place to recognize, address and prevent bullying behaviors. place for presentations at the opening of school to define and share strategies between home and school, and to ensure support for the efforts and consequences to stop the bullying.”

The focus at Our Lady Grace School is to have a clearly stated policy, and to educate the faculty, parents and students, focusing on “Witness” as a part of the “Bully, Target, Witness” triangle, Jones said.

“Bystanders constitute 80 percent of the equation and can use their ‘witness’ capabilities to defend the target and stop the bully,” said Jones.

Leigh Ann Plemmons, guidance

counselor at Sacred Heart School in Salisbury, addressed this issue of bullying with every grade this past school year.

“In the younger grades, I talk to them about what it means to be a good friend and about feelings, and I talk to them more specifically about how we should not hurt others with the things we say or do,” said Plemmons. “I also make it clear to them that they should let someone know if someone is hurting them.”

Teachers at St. Matthew School in Charlotte teach the students T.W.A. — Telling the bully to stop, Walking away to find another friend and Asking for help

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Kids helping kids

in our schools

May 26, 2006

Celebrating

Courtesy Photo

First-grader Mackenzie, seventh-grader Kelsey and fifth-grader Cameron Bradford were the top fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during the matha-thon at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro. They each raised $330 for a total of $990; Our Lady of Grace School raised a total of $5,400 for the pediatric treatment and research facility in Memphis, Tenn.

The St. Jude math-a-thon, celebrating its 28th year, has been conducted in more than 53,000 schools nationwide and raises funds to continue life-saving research, patient care and educational programs at St. Jude Hospital.

Courtesy Photo by Ann Sheridan

Second-graders from St. Matthew School in Charlotte celebrate their first Communion during a schoolwide Mass at St. Matthew Church May 17. The students planned and participated in the Mass, and invited their families and friends to join them.

Student ‘math-a-thon’ nets HENDERSONVILLE — Students at Immaculata School in Hendersonville recently raised more than $6,000 during a “math-a-thon.”

Every other year, students raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. This year, students in kindergarten through eighth grades raised $6,161.76 for the pediatric treatment and research facility.

Students found sponsors to support them as they worked approximately 200 math problems in a workbook or on a CD-ROM provided by St. Jude hospital.

In addition to helping children and researchers at St. Jude’s, the students reinforced their math skills, according to Robin Chandler, media coordinator for Immaculata School.

Students earning the highest amount

in each grade level were recognized by the school. The overall top fundraiser was first-grader Camille Long.

Other students recognized were: kindergartener Royster Strickland, second-grader Kristian Gaylord, thirdgrader Kaitlyn Capps, fourth-grader Kayla Bray, fifth-grader Shelby Caruso, sixth-graders Megan Aubrey and Kortney Clark, and seventh-graders Mariah Guedes, Denise Hategan-Drajan and Hunter Kowald.

The fifth grade had 100 percent participation in the fundraiser, with all students turning in money. They were awarded a special ice cream treat for their hard work.

Photo by Karen A. Evans

First communicants from St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem pose for photographs with Father Thomas Kessler, pastor, and Father Johnathan Hanic, parochial vicar, May 6. The communicants were some of the 69 second-graders receiving first Communion at two Masses celebrated that day.

May 26, 2006

in our schools

A mosaic of art, culture

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Crowning Mary

Courtesy Photo Photo by Karen A. Evans

South Carolina artist Holly Marchman assists fifth-grader Aliyah Benton complete a mosaic of two turtles during art class at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte May 22.

St. Ann School fifth-grader Flannery Kuhn (center), with assistance from fifth-grader Rachael George, places a crown of flowers on a statue of Mary at St. Ann Church in Charlotte May 12. The school held a May procession, with students processing from the school to the church in honor of Mary. The month of May is devoted to Mary and is traditionally celebrated with a crowning and praying the rosary.

Our Lady of the Assumption School’s fifth-grade students are participating in a workshop project for the new Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

School from throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area will submit original art, some of which will be selected for permanent display in the children’s hospital. Our Lady of the Assumption School was the only Catholic school selected to participate, in part because of the diversity of its student body.

“Artwork for public buildings can sometimes be relegated to simply opening a catalogue and ordering mass-produced art,” said Vicki Neumann, art teacher at Our Lady of the Assumption School. “In contrast to this generic selection, the art in the Levine Children’s Hospital will be as unique as the building itself.”

The Our Lady of the Assumption School students produced colorful mosaics made of paper depicting various animals — elephants, koalas, birds, turtles.

Photo by Susan deGuzman

St. Leo the Great School eighth-grader Lucy Freiberger, with classmates Melanie Musso and Erica Zollor at her side, places a crown of flowers on a statue of Mary outside St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem May 12. Father Thomas Kessler, pastor, presided over the ceremony, which featured second-graders dressed in their first Communion attire. The rest of the student body encircled them and participated in praying the Hail Mary and singing “Ave Maria.”

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald

May 26, 2006

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Prayer on air

‘Father Crunk’ preaches on popular Atlanta radio show

by ERIKA ANDERSON catholic news service

ATLANTA — It was 6:30 a.m. the Monday after Easter, and Father Ricardo Bailey was looking over the notes for his sermon one last time.

His well-read Bible resting next to him on the table, he flipped through his notes, making last-minute changes. As a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church, his Easter weekend was busy.

His eyes were heavy with a lack of sleep, but as soon as he walked into his “church,” the youthful energy he is known for appeared in a burst of exuberance.

On Monday mornings this year, the priest’s church has been the studio of pop station Q100 (100.5 FM), his pulpit the popular morning show “The Bert Show.”

“We call him ‘Father Crunk.’ It’s Father Bailey from Holy Spirit Catholic Church,” announced Bert Weiss, as Father Bailey sat across from him, headphones on for his segment.

“Crunk” is a type of hip-hop music, but it is also an urban term used to describe a high level of energy — which applies to Father Bailey.

“Father Crunk here tells us that, look, you can’t laugh at the dysfunction going on in Hollywood with some of these celebrities. What you ought to do is embrace it and apply it to your life because there’s some spiritual messages coming out of Hollywood that we can learn every single week,” Weiss said.

“Yes, indeed,” Father Bailey replied.

“And today’s title is ‘Stop dippin’ and dappin’ when you don’t know what’s happenin’.”

Father Bailey went on to talk about the rumors surrounding the relationship between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

“Relationships, my friends, are hard enough, and the last thing that anybody needs are the rumors that fan the flames of the hater-ology that goes on out there,” Father Bailey said.

“When you look at the Bible, there are people all around it that are trying to hate on one another. ... Remember all that drama that happened when Jesus was getting ready to be born?” he asked.

“I mean, man, people were hating on Mary, filling Joseph’s mind with the fact that he needed to kick Mary to the curb because he wasn’t that baby’s daddy.

But we all know how that turned out,” he said.

The message of Jesus, Mary and Joseph might seem out of place on a radio station that plays hits from rapper Kanye West to pop superstar Kelly Clarkson, but Weiss said Father Bailey fits in perfectly.

“I think entertainment is entertainment,” Weiss said. “If it’s engaging, it’s engaging. Father Bailey is entertaining, engaging and talks about subjects our target audience is interested in: pop culture. It was an easy fit.”

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: JUNE 4, 2006

June 4, Pentecost Sunday Cycle B Readings: 1) Acts 2:1-11 Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 2) 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Galatians 5:16-25 3) Gospel: John 20:19-23

Holy Spirit sustains, fills us if we let it

by BEVERLY CORZINE catholic news service

CNS photo by Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin

Father Ricardo Bailey makes some final preparations before going on the air during a Monday edition of “The Bert Show” in Atlanta. The priest brings humor, contemporary commentary and the Gospel message to the pop radio station’s morning airwaves.

Father Bailey first appeared on “The Bert Show” last fall to pray for a local Catholic high school’s football team.

Listerners responded so well that Weiss brought him back for a regular segment.

“The trick was bringing a priest on without people feeling we were forcing them to listen to a religious sermon. The connection with Hollywood made it a perfect segment,” he said.

And Atlantans have agreed with a resounding “Amen.”

“People generally love him. I’ve only received one negative e-mail about one of his segments,” Weiss said. “People love him because of his delivery and the nonthreatening way he approaches his subjects.”

Father Bailey remains humble about his work. His decision to do the radio segments was blessed by both Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta and Holy Spirit Church’s pastor, Msgr.

Edward Dillon.

He said he was nervous the first time he was on the air, but Weiss gave him pointers to ease his nerves. In preparation each week he said he prays, looks at the entertainment news published on Q100’s Web site, and works to turn the Hollywood message into a holy one.

“I don’t take this lightly,” Father Bailey said. “But I want to make it as funny as it is spiritual. Q100 is a secular station, but it’s very important to realize that there are listeners who have been alienated by things that have happened in the past, and they are searching.”

“If you’d have told me when I was back at seminary that one day I’d be on a top 40 radio station, I’d have said you were lying,” he laughed. “But all I want to do is lead people to Jesus. That’s what

In 1980 in north central Texas, an inferno of 84 straight days of temperatures above 100 degrees began in June and continued into September when teachers and students returned to school.

Trudging into my classroom the first day of school, I realized that the traditional fall bulletin boards I’d created had no connection with the baking world outside.

At the close of the school day, I thought of the 179 days yet to come. I stood in the deserted classroom, chalk in hand, consumed by the challenges that this school year presented.

The year ahead was daunting.

What I needed was a strategy for Day 2. Bulletin boards, the incredible heat and a milestone birthday at the end of the week now seemed insignificant because I had discovered that my new students spoke no English or very little, and I spoke no Vietnamese or Laotian.

What I would have given for one of those tongues of fire that solved the communication problem on the first

Pentecost!

During my commute home, my frustration level rose in proportion to the clogged highway. Finally, the Lamar Boulevard stoplight signaled the welcome fact that home was three blocks away.

At that moment I saw the gigantic posters. I recognized the work of my neighbor Linda who had planted them along the median ahead, announcing to everyone that Beverly Corzine was going to have a monumental birthday on Saturday.

For me this was absolutely the last straw in a day of frustration. However, when I rounded the corner, I saw Linda, my family and the neighbors doubled over with laughter.

Laughing and crying, I joined this commotion of love.

The Pentecost readings are rich with the message of assurance and hope. The same Holy Spirit that Jesus promises to his disciples fills our hearts today if we invite the Spirit to strengthen us and guide our daily lives.

Sometimes we witness the fruits of the Spirit that St. Paul defines in the most surprising places. Jesus did not leave us alone in a confusing world.

The Holy Spirit that was palpable in the rushing wind and flames of fire that first Pentecost sustains us and fills our very being if we open the door of our hearts.

All I wanted was sanctuary from school’s first day.

Questions: When have you seen the fruits of the Holy Spirit in an otherwise daunting situation? How have you experienced the sustaining power of the Spirit?

Scripture to be Illustrated: “When you send forth your Spirit,

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of May 28-June 3 Sunday (Seventh Sunday of Easter), Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, 1 John 4:11-16, John 17:11-19; Monday, Acts 19:1-8 John 16:29-33; Tuesday, Acts 20:17-27, John 17:1-11; Wednesday (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Zephaniah 3:14-18, Luke 1:39-56; Thursday (St. Justin, Martyr), Acts 22:30, 23:6-11, John 17:20-26; Friday (St. Marcellinus and St. Peter), Acts 25:13-21, John 21:15-19; Saturday (St. Charles Lwanga and Companions), Acts 28:1620, 30-31, John 21:20-25.

Scripture for the week of June 4-10 Sunday (Pentecost Sunday), Acts 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23; Monday (St. Boniface), 2 Peter 1:2-7, Mark 12:1-12; Tuesday (St. Norbert), 2 Peter 3:12-15, 17-18, Mark 12:13-17; Wednesday, 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12, Mark 12:18-27; Thursday, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Mark 12:28-34; Friday (St. Ephrem), 2 Timothy 3:10-17, Mark 12:35-37; Saturday, 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Mark 12:38-44.

Scripture for the week of June 11-17 Sunday (Most Holy Trinity), Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40, Romans 8:14-17, Matthew 28:16-20; Monday, 1 Kings 17:1-6, Matthew 5:1-12; Tuesday (St. Anthony of Padua), 1 Kings 17:7-16, Matthew 5:13-16; Wednesday, 1 Kings 18:20-39, Matthew 5:17-19; Thursday, 1 Kings 18:4146, Matthew 5:20-26; Friday, 1 Kings 19:9, 11-16, Matthew 5:27-32; Saturday, 1 Kings 19:1921, Matthew 5:33-37.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

May 26, 2006

Vatican official warns against people posing as pope’s organist

by CINDY WOODEN catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — The archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica has issued a warning to concert organizers about people presenting themselves as the official organist of St. Peter’s or of Pope Benedict XVI. The only legitimate official organist of the basilica is James E. Goettsche, a Los Angeles native who has held the title since 1989, said Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, the basilica’s archpriest.

The cardinal’s May 15 letter was published as concert organizers in Germany were promoting a tour of an Italian musician who, organizers claimed, “Pope Benedict XVI has appointed as the new organist of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.”

Goettsche, meanwhile, is in Rome playing the organ at St. Peter’s Basilica during papal Masses as well as during Sunday and feast day prayer services.

“I have been advised to take legal

action,” Goettsche told Catholic News Service May 19, “but for now I am looking more for clarification and correction.”

He said he already has had some success: a U.S. agent representing the “phantom organist” has dropped the pretender from his Web site roster of artists and has written a very apologetic e-mail to Goettsche.

The U.S. agent provided the Vatican with the documentation the Italian organist had used to convince him he was legitimate, documentation the Vatican says is not authentic.

The U.S. agent’s withdrawn Web site biography of the Italian even contained the fanciful detail that the Italian organist travels the world on a Vatican diplomatic passport.

Goettsche said he had heard that the Italian organist, in addition to organizing concerts in the United States and Germany, is preparing to perform as the papal organist in New Zealand.

Sirius-ly Catholic

Sirius, archdiocese to launch Catholic radio channel

NEW YORK (CNS) — Beginning this fall, the new Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio will air nationally seven days a week, 24 hours a day, featuring Catholic-oriented talk shows, music programming and live daily Masses from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

The new channel is to be operated jointly by the New York Archdiocese and Sirius.

Programming also will include human interest and inspirational stories, shows offering counseling and guidance and educational programs, as well as “regular and previously unavailable content from the Vatican,” the New Yorkbased Sirius said in a news release.

Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York, who Sirius said would be a “prominent contributor” to the new channel, called it “a splendid opportunity for the church.”

“By using this modern medium, we will be able to communicate directly with the Catholic faithful as well as (with) anyone of any religious faith who might

be interested in what the Catholic Church is saying and doing here in New York and around the country,” he said.

Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius, said the company’s partnership with the New York Archdiocese “is a significant step forward in our ... mission to provide our listeners with the finest and most distinctive Christian programming on radio.”

Other religious-themed pro gramming on Sirius includes EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network, at channel 160; Christian Talk, channel 159; and music channels such as Spirit, channel 66; Revolution, channel 67; and Praise, channel 68.

Sirius said the hosts and guests of the Catholic Channel’s talk shows and other programs will be “clergy and distinguished laity from across the nation.”

A detailed schedule with specific programs and hosts was to be announced prior to the channel’s launch.

Sirius offers 67 commercial-free music channels and 61 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather nationwide.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

from the cover

May 26, 2006

Catholic university plan sparks debate DEBATE, from page 1

prospects for success.

Monaghan, who made his fortune as founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain, broke ground in mid-February for Ave Maria town, a 5,000-acre, 11,000-home community to be built around Ave Maria University, which he established as an interim campus in 2003.

He founded Ave Maria College near Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1998, but later elected to move the institution to Florida, prompting a mix of praise and criticism even from his own faculty and administration. He currently is seeking board approval to move the Ave Maria School of Law to the Naples area as well.

More recently, he has faced a media backlash over his stated desire to create a family-friendly atmosphere in Ave Maria, one free of morally problematic elements such as pornography, contraceptives and abortion.

As far back as 2004, he told an audience that he and his partners would “own all commercial real estate” and thus “will be able to control what goes on there.

“You won’t be able to buy a Playboy or Hustler magazine in Ave Maria town. We’re going to control the cable television that comes in the area. ... If you go to the drugstore and you want to buy the (birth control) pill or the condoms or contraception, you won’t be able to get that in Ave Maria town.”

Clarifying restrictions L e a d i n g t h e c h a rg e a g a i n s t Monaghan’s plans is the American Civil Liberties Union.

Howard Simon, the ACLU’s executive director in Florida, said that “arbitrarily discriminating” against who receives reproductive health services could lead to “a whole series of legal and constitutional problems and a lot of litigation.”

In early March, Monaghan and his partner-developer, Barron Collier Cos., issued a statement clarifying his previous statements. Monaghan and Paul Marinelli, the president and CEO of Barron

Collier, said that there is “a growing misperception” that Ave Maria is to be a “Catholic town, controlled by Tom Monaghan.”

Although the town will reflect traditional family values and retailers will be asked to refrain from practices opposed to Catholic teachings, “no restrictions will be enforced on contraceptives or any other inventory,” the statement said.

“As far as the town goes, it will end up being whatever it is, obviously, open to everybody,” Monaghan told Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic newspaper based in Huntington, Ind. “We have had 20,000 names inquire (about the town’s residential lots) from all over the country and beyond. I imagine a lot of them would be Catholics, and strong Catholics,” he said.

Some of the restrictions he seeks, Monaghan said, will be covered under lease agreements with the developer — including prohibitions against topless bars and adult bookstores — while others could be more informal understandings among the commercial tenants and the landowners.

Debating the vision But some Catholics have expressed doubt — much of it debated on the Internet — about the vision of Ave Maria town.

While some see the project as a Catholic, pro-family utopia, others question whether the project represents a return to the “Catholic ghetto,” an insulated environment that limits the kind of contact with the diversity of the world that is required for effective evangelization.

In a recent Wall Street Journal report, one alumnus of Ave Maria’s law school was quoted as saying that “this town and the university in Florida is going to be a self-contained little Catholic enclave” antithetical to the law school’s mission of engaging the world.

But Joseph Varacalli, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Catholic Studies at Nassau Community College on Long Island, in New York, believes such concerns about the campus and town’s insularity are unfounded.

“We (Catholics) are different from, say, the Amish in that we are not

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CNS photo illustration/courtesy Ave Maria

This artist’s rendering shows the development plans for Ave Maria, Fla., a 5,000-acre, 11,000-home community to be developed by Ave Maria University founder Tom Monaghan. The town is scheduled to open in 2007. retreating from the world, but rather trying to be a leaven for society,” he told Our Sunday Visitor.

“If the goal is to retreat from a world, you are giving up on it,” he added.

“I don’t see the development of the community in Naples opposed to the idea that the university and the community

are there to keep the faith alive, and from that base to then go out into the world.

“It would be impossible in the modern world that it could serve as a place where Catholics could associate only with other Catholics,” Varacalli added.

Monaghan said he hopes the town

May 26, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 13

from the cover

Poll: ‘Da Vinci’ not swaying Catholics BIBLE, from page 1

two-thirds of Catholics who were familiar with “The Da Vinci Code” story did not believe the book’s premise that leaders of the Catholic Church understand the truth as portrayed in the novel but are suppressing it.

Just 12 percent said they believed the book rather than church officials.

Another 21 percent said they were unsure about the claims in the book.

Among other things the novel contends Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and fathered a child.

The poll of 1,049 Catholics nationwide — a Le Moyne College/Zogby International/Contemporary Catholic Trends survey — was conducted May 2-10. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Men were considerably more likely than women to believe the church. In the poll, 78 percent of men said they do not believe church leaders are suppressing the “truth” as portrayed in the film, but just 58 percent of women agreed. One in four women said they were unsure of this point.

“The Da Vinci Code” claims the Vatican knows it is living a lie concerning Jesus, but does so to maintain its

influence. The book also claims there is a church-led conspiracy to suppress Jesus’ alleged marriage to Mary Magdalene, and his fathering of a “royal bloodline” with her.

The book contends Mary Magdalene is the real Holy Grail because she carries the “blood” of Jesus within her, and that Leonardo da Vinci worked this into his art.

John Zogby, the founding presidentCEO of Zogby International, told Catholic News Service he was surprised by the poll findings.

Zogby also said church leaders who are the most familiar to lay Catholics get high approval ratings from them.

“The new pope’s ratings were somewhere in the 80s,” he said. “The bishops were back into the 60s again (following the clergy sex abuse scandal that broke in 2002). That’s something we’ve been tracking right along.

“And everybody likes a good parish priest,” Zogby said.

Zogby — who is a LeMoyne graduate, hence the polling partnership — said he had read the novel.

“I thought it was a wonderful read. I thought it got a little silly toward the end.

But it certainly captured me on the first page, and it kept me captured till the very end.

“And I intend to see the movie despite some awful reviews that came

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

May 26, 2006

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Nighttime worries can be turned into prayers

Hey, Holy Father, over here!

Meeting with pope fuels spiritual high Top-shelf words such as “aweinspiring” and “thrilling” come up a little short in describing what it is like to be at the wellspring of our faith.

Approximately 40,000 Catholics, Christians and Jews gathered in this cobblestone courtyard for the audience. Some of us arrived in the rain when the gates opened, two-and-half hours before the audience began. Seating at a general audience is first-come, first-served, and even though I loathe the idea of waiting for a french fry at a fast-food joint, I had no qualms about devoting a full day of vacation to the possibility of being “in the right place at the right time” with the pope.

When we first arrived at our assigned section, an usher directed us to seats on the third row. Close, but not close enough. Then a small group on the front row moved. We upgraded without hesitation.

A general audience runs about 90 minutes. There was plenty of cheering and some singing from choirs that were on pilgrimage. Then Pope Benedict delivered his message in six languages on devotion to the Eucharist.

At the end of the audience, the handshaking starts, first with the disabled who are brought to the Holy Father.

Then he moves among the crowd. After walking and greeting people, he climbed into the popemobile and the greeting continued, but now moving at a slightly faster pace.

It looked like he was going to come our way, but you never know about these things until they happen. And then he was right in front of us, stretching out his left hand. That’s when Debbie and I shook his hand and received his blessing.

As I shook his small, soft hand, I looked into the eyes of a kindly, caring man. I wanted to say something but the person behind me, who was shouting in Italian, grabbed the Holy Father’s attention and then the pope was gone. A fleeting moment, a lifetime memory.

I jokingly said to Debbie, “I guess you can’t say that we never do anything interesting.”

We were both on a spiritual high that, weeks later, is as fresh as a morning prayer. The famous and the notorious people whom I’ve interviewed as a reporter were all interesting people, but the pope — the successor of Peter — now there’s a guy who really has something to say.

David Hains is director of communication for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@charlottediocese.org.

Sleepless in Anchorage

Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS guest columnist

One of the best parts of the job of being a news reporter is that you get to interact with and take your measure of famous people.

During my days as a reporter, I encountered my fair share. Ronald Reagan was sincere and unassuming; this was before he was elected president.

Jimmy Carter was humble, yet very intense; this was after he was president.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was friendly and self-confident. Billy Graham was thoughtful and calculating. Jesse Jackson was impatient.

So when I realized that I might have a chance to meet Pope Benedict XVI, I thought I’d “been there, done that” when it came to the excitement of meeting someone famous.

I was wrong.

Encountering Pope Benedict — and I won’t overstate this: I got to shake his hand — was an experience that is on a different plane.

For my wife Debbie and me, the occasion was a recent general audience. I was in Rome attending a conference, and had requested tickets to the audience, as anyone can, through the chancery of the Diocese of Charlotte.

As a Catholic, the words “pope,” “Holy Father” and “pontiff” have been a part of my vocabulary since I was about three years old. To that lifelong familiarity, add the majesty of St. Peter’s Square, the encompassing arms of the colonnade topped by statues of the saints of our faith — all of it in the shadow of the mighty St. Peter’s Basilica.

There was a romantic movie in the early ’90s called “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Tom Hanks starred as a depressed and sleepless Seattle widower. Meg Ryan’s character, on the East Coast, heard his voice on a talk radio show and instantly was intrigued.

If you’ve never seen the film, you’ve already guessed that boy eventually met girl.

I think of this movie now and then when I notice my “Sleepless in Seattle” coffee mug. My husband brought it home to me years ago from a trip to Seattle, not because I was a huge fan of the movie but because he knew that while he was sleeping in Seattle, I would be, as usual, “sleepless in Anchorage.”

I always have been a poor sleeper.

As a recent issue of Newsweek magazine trumpeted on its cover, lots of women can’t sleep. The article contained mostly facts I’d already heard or remedies I’d already tried.

And, in fact, through a combination of efforts, I’m a much better sleeper than I once was.

Occasionally, though, I still get those 4 a.m. wakeups. Some folks claim they have brilliant ideas at 4 a.m., but I think more people are like me: We’re 4-in-themorning worriers.

Mark’s Gospel contains an intriguing sentence that opens up many thoughts about Jesus: “In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there” (1:35).

Often in Scripture we’re reminded of Jesus’ desire for contemplative prayer and the example he set for us in pursuing it. I imagine a cramped little house somewhere in Galilee, his fishermen buddies snoring around him and a wakeful Jesus rising in the pre-dawn hours.

Pondering this line once, it suddenly occurred to me: Maybe Jesus couldn’t sleep. It was a welcome thought, because it brought Jesus’ humanity a little closer to my own.

Sleeplessness can be caused by many things — anxiety, hormonal imbalances,

For the Journey EFFIE CALDAROLA cns columnist

even restless leg syndrome. Sleeplessness is also, as every mother knows, the plaintive cry of an infant in the night or the warm breath of a frightened toddler at your bedside.

Sometimes I think a creative and overactive mind causes sleeplessness.

Did Jesus, so brilliant and insightful, ever replay, in the still hours of night, his intellectual jousts with Pharisees?

When we see Jesus’ anxiety in the Garden of Gethsemane, we know this was a man who was aware on many levels of the sacrifice he was being called to make. As he lived through those years of intense public ministry, did the night sometimes bring a measure of apprehension?

The line from Mark tells me, though, that Jesus didn’t waste time tossing and turning. He was a man with an inner call, and he went to the lonely place where he knew his call would be answered.

Would it be possible to turn our own dark, worry-filled hours to prayer?

I n F a t h e r R i c h a r d R o h r ’s “Everything Belongs, The Gift of Contemplative Prayer,” the Franciscan priest and author presents a prayer that can be used to draw us into the present moment with God. I think it might be a good prayer for sleeplessness, too: “Be still, and know that I am God. Be still, and know that I am.

Be still, and know.

Be still.

Be.” Repeat those lines slowly, weeding out the thoughts that, like bothersome ants at a picnic, crop up between each line. It begins to feel like a welcoming embrace.

Next time I can’t sleep, I’m going to see where those words take me.

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Courtesy Photo

The Catholic News & Herald 15

May 26, 2006

The core message of Jesus’ teachings pure, yet often misunderstood honorably in the military. Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another.”

When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice,” he wasn’t blessing everyone who rants and raves at a protest rally. He was praising those who struggle to promote a just cause, and he promised that one day they would be satisfied.

Perfect justice may never be attainable in this world, but God blesses those who strive to build a just society.

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful,” he wasn’t saying that we should never hold people responsible for their actions. Mercy is another name for love when it confronts misery; it is not an invitation for the unruly to force their agenda on others.

Jesus praised the compassionate, but even the compassionate have to crack down on those who engage in anti-social behavior. Love demands both service and fidelity to the common good.

In the Book of Micah Chapter 6:8, we read, “Act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.” Jesus added, “I have told you (to love one another) so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete”(Jn 15:11).

FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

Woody Allen once described Christianity as “pay now, enjoy later.”

The full truth was more aptly described

by St. Catherine of Siena who said, “All the way to heaven is heaven.”

There are many other inaccurate views about our Catholic faith that need correction.

For instance, Jesus rejected the worldly view that wealth and social status are sure signs of God’s favor. When he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:1), he was not condemning the rich, nor was he saying that poverty is a blessing.

The poor, even those who have made themselves poor by renouncing the goods of this world, are not ipso facto among the “blessed.” The “blessed” are those who are “poor in spirit;” who put God’s will before their own.

Jesus never condemned any class of people. Some rich people are scoundrels, and some are saints. What Jesus

When ‘me’ plus ‘me’ doesn’t equal ‘we’ New alternative lifestyle harms basics of love, commitment Just when you thought you’d heard the last redefinition of marriage, a new mutation is born.

Apparently, while many were hawking the importance of no-fault divorce, blended families, co-habitation, same-sex marriage and polygamy, a new creature was forming and quietly growing: LAT, or Living-Apart-Together.

LATs are relationships where two people claim to love each other, may have an exclusive sexual relationship and may share some financial expenses, but deliberately do not live together. The bottom line is that LAT “couples” want independence, and don’t want to share themselves or their possessions unconditionally with each other.

The number of people in LAT relationships is on the rise in Europe and the United States. Sociologists are at a loss to explain what is causing this trend. Some say it is a reaction to divorce, both from the emotional and economic perspectives: “My kids would never get along with him” or “Why bother joining households and lose a great city apart-

ment?”

An advantage older LAT couples might have is in avoiding the complicated inheritance issues that would arise if they were to marry. Others say it is just a harmless lifestyle alternative for both young and old.

Still, insightful people are worried that it may be simply autonomy run amok.

This last point was starkly highlighted in a New York Times article (May 4, 2006) that featured interviews with couples in LAT relationships. Most spoke about their need for “alone time” or “personal space,” or said they didn’t want to “wait on” the other person.

In each case, the couples had fiercely narrow views of personal freedom as freedom from the inconvenience of others. It is a warped understanding of freedom where the individual has absolutely no legitimate ties to anyone, according to Jennifer Roback Morse, author of “Smart Sex: How to Find LifeLong Love in a Hook-Up World.”

But it also seems like narcissism

did condemn was hypocrisy, selfishness and greed. These are found in all classes of people.

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek,” he wasn’t praising weaklings and cowards. Jesus was meek and humble of heart, but he always accepted his Father’s will. This often led him to be confrontational. He always practiced tough love.

It takes courage to surmount difficult circumstances.

A few years ago I ran a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center where we had to enforce strict discipline every day in order help our clients recover from their addiction. If you showed weakness around drug addicts, most would surely take advantage of you.

To help them break away from their self-destructive behavior, the staff constantly had to exercise tough love. There was no room for meekness in this setting.

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he wasn’t endorsing absolute pacifism as some biblical literalists imagine. Jesus did not practice a policy of “peace at any price.”

Peacemakers include those law enforcement officers who are honorable in their efforts to keep the peace. They put their lives on the line to prevent criminals from plundering the weak.

Also included among “the peacemakers” are those brave men and women who serve their country

Life Issues Forum THERESA NOTARE guest columnist

taken to another level.

A popular dictionary defines love as “unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.” Love points to a person’s deep connection to another. It requires things like saying “I am yours!”

When a man and a woman love each other as spouses, it goes even further: “And the two shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). “Me” becomes “we.”

Pope John Paul II said of this love that it “involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person” are present.

“It aims,” he said, “at a deeply personal unity.” (Familiaris consortio, no. 13) When a man and a woman recognize each other as “my other half,” a whole new self-understanding is born. A symphony of give and take, mystery and recognition forms a deep sense of mutuality.

One need not fear losing one’s “individuality.” Living a life of love is restorative. It is nothing short of a return to paradise — how God wants us to love!

Theresa Notare is assistant director of the Pro-Life Secretariat’s Diocesan Development Program for Natural

Pope says path of faith not easy, even St. Peter suffered doubt The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

VATICAN CITY — The path of faith is not easy, but rather long, arduous, and marked by pain and love, Pope XVI his May To beBenedict generous is said to beduring Godlike 24 general audience.

The day before he was to leave on a May 25-28 trip to Poland, the pope spoke to more than 40,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, focusing his catechesis on St. Peter.

He explained that even this apostle, chosen to lead the universal church, still suffered the human weaknesses of doubt and betrayal early in his faith.

St. Peter’s early faith in Jesus was not complete, in part because he had not yet witnessed the mystery of Christ’s resurrection, the pope said. But his was already an authentic faith that was “open to a greater reality” and believed not in something but in someone, the pope said.

The apostle’s great love for Jesus, however, did not protect him from temptation and humiliation, he said. He betrayed Christ, which also made him realize he was weak, the pope said.

It was only after St. Peter saw through his own mask of superiority and faced his sinful heart, the pope said, that he could repent and become ready for his mission to lead the church.

The pope said that for all Christians “the school of faith is not a triumphal march, but a journey peppered with suffering and love,” trials and a faithfulness that needs to be renewed every day.

When Jesus asked St. Peter three times, “Do you love me?” St. Peter replied yes, but he felt his love was inadequate, limited by his human heart and doubts, the pope said.

But slowly St. Peter realized that his impoverished love was enough for Jesus, because “Jesus adapts himself to Peter, not Peter to Jesus,” the pope said.

Pope Benedict said Jesus works around people’s weaknesses. The faithful follow Christ with their limited capacity to love and remain open to his will because “we know Jesus is good and that he accepts us,” he said.

Because Jesus accepted St. Peter’s fragile love and told him to follow, St. Peter’s journey of faith was marked by hope, the pope said, because he knew the Lord was always with him.

St. Peter and all Christians become steadfast witnesses not by becoming perfect, but by remaining “constantly open to the work of the Spirit,” he said.

May 26, 2006

The Catholic News & Herald 16

PARISH PROFILE

St. Benedict Church provides welcoming parish, community GREENSBORO — St. Benedict Church is one of the oldest churches in the Diocese of Charlotte. Established in 1877 as St. Agnes Church, it was founded before there was a Catholic diocese in North Carolina.

The cornerstone of the original church was laid by then-Bishop James Gibbons of Richmond, Va., who would later be named cardinal of Baltimore.

As the years passed, the original church building became too small to accommodate the needs of the growing parish. Therefore, the building was sold to the Greensboro Public School System and became the city’s first high school.

Today’s church still stands where it did in 1899. At that time, St. Agnes Church became St. Benedict Church in honor of the father of western monasticism and the Benedictine fathers of Belmont Abbey, who staffed the church.

While the new facility was being built, a wealthy Philadelphia woman, Katherine Drexel, founder of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People, was working to distribute her fortune to benefit African Americans. Drexel learned of the building project and gave St. Benedict Church $1,500 for a new building, with the condition that one of the four rows of pews be reserved for African Americans.

St. Katherine Drexel was beatified Nov. 20, 1988 and canonized Oct. 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Before World War II, several divisions of National Guardsmen came to Ft. Bragg for maneuvers. Many of the men would travel to Greensboro for the weekend and attend Mass at St. Benedict Church.

Because of the large number of participants, the priest would often celebrate Mass outdoors, leading from the parish

St. benedict church 109 West Smith Street Greensboro, N.C. 27401 (336) 272-0303 Vicariate: Greensboro Pastor: Father Duc “James” Duong Number of Households: 240

Photo by George Cobb

Established in 1877 as St. Agnes Church, St. Benedict Church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in North Carolina. Today, 240 families from a variety of cultural backgrounds attend Mass at the church each week. hall porch, and the men would kneel in the grass and in the two-lane street, which was blocked off by the city.

By 1994, the brick-veneered church had weakened due to age and weather.

As a result, the church building received a facelift and the towers were reinforced.

Then-Bishop William G. Curlin dedicated a new parish center Oct. 14,

Altar Guild and social justice.

“As the ‘Mother Church’ in the Greensboro area, St. Benedict Church continues to bring the good news to all people with care and love in words and in deeds,” said Father Duong.

Contributing to this story was Staff Writer Karen A. Evans.

2000. Nearly all of the church’s 150 families attended the Mass and ceremony, officially marking the start of a new era in the church’s long history.

St. Benedict Church now is a community that seeks faithful adherence to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

“Our particular charisms include a profound reverence and love for the Eucharist, as well as a strong pro-life stance,” said Father Duc “James” Duong, pastor.

Father Duong celebrates a weekday noontime Mass to accommodate the lunchtime schedule of the many Catholics working downtown. First Friday is observed every month with Mass followed by eucharistic adoration and Benediction.

St. Benedict Church provides ample opportunities for everyone to be involved in a variety of service areas within the parish and a wider community, including pro-life work; St. Vincent de Paul Society and SHARE, a food distribution program; Ladies Group; altar serving;

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