June 23, 2006
The Catholic News & Herald 1
www.charlottediocese.org
Vocations
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
Bishop Peter J. Jugis announces pastoral appointments; Sisters of Mercy jubilarians | Pages 4-5
Established Jan. 12, 1972 by Pope Paul VI june 23, 2006
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
vOLUME 15
no. 34
Completing the journey
New bishop for Raleigh
Bishop Jugis ordains 16 as permanent deacons
Bishop Gossman retires, successor named
by
KAREN A. EVANS
by JERRY FILTEAU catholic news service
staff writer
CHARLOTTE — After six-and-a-half years of diaconate training, 16 men were ordained as permanent deacons at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte June 10. Their training included three-and-a-half years of formation preparation, six months of spiritual direction and completion of the two-year lay ministry program. Bishop Peter J. Jugis celebrated the Mass attended by Bishop Emeritus William G. Curlin; Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey in Belmont; See DEACONS, page 5
For a new America Church role seen in mobilizing Hispanics after immigration marches by AGOSTINO BONO catholic news service
WASHINGTON — The Catholic Church can play an important role in mobilizing Hispanics to influence public policy, said several speakers at a Washington symposium examining Hispanic participaSee IMMIGRANTS, page 13
Photo by Karen A. Evans
Bishop Peter J. Jugis kneels before the altar with Deacon George Szalony (left) and Deacon Ben Wenning (right) as the candidates for the permanent diaconate lie prostrate during the litany of the saints at the Mass for the ordination to the permanent diaconate, held at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte June 10.
WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of Raleigh and named Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Michael F. Burbidge to succeed him. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the changes in Washington June 8. Bishop Burbidge is to be installed as bishop of Raleigh Aug. 4. Bishop Gossman is to serve as administrator of the diocese until Bishop Burbidge’s installation. Bishop Gossman, 76, has been a bishop since 1968 and head of the Diocese of Raleigh since 1975. With his retirement there are only five active U.S. bishops who were given their current posts by Pope Paul VI. See BISHOP, page 12
Stepping out into a wide-open Charlotte Catholic graduates 282 by
KAREN A. EVANS staff writer
CHARLOTTE — A closeknit group of students took their first steps into the world beyond high school as the Charlotte Catholic High School class of 2006 received their diplomas at Ovens Auditorium June 7. “We are a class that has made, and can continue to make, a difference; a class
filled with possibility and determination,” said Rachel Hesler in her salutatorian address. “These invaluable life lessons will take us far as we address the challenges of an exciting new chapter in our lives.” The diplomas were conferred by Mgsr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor for the Diocese of See GRADUATION, page 9
Photo by Karen A. Evans
Charlotte Catholic graduates toss their caps in the air following their commencement ceremony at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte June 7.
Around the Diocese
In Our Schools
Perspectives
Confirmation; Interfaith prayer meeting
End-of-school celebrations
Life is precious; Ominous date
| Pages 6-7
| Pages 8-9
| Pages 14-15
2 The Catholic News & Herald
InBrief
June 23, 2006
Current and upcoming topics from around the world to your own backyard
LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Meeting June 15-17 in Los Angeles, the U.S. bishops approved a new translation of the Order of Mass and studied a proposal to downsize the committee structure of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishops debated and voted on a new English translation of the Order of Mass — the exchanges between priest and people and the prayers such as the penitential rite, Gloria, creed, eucharistic prayers and Lord’s Prayer that are used regularly in daily or Sunday Masses. Bishop Donald W. Trautman of Erie, Pa., chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Liturgy, said the new translation still has to be approved by the Vatican and probably will not take effect until the rest of the English translation of the Roman Missal is completed and approved. He thought that could take up to two years. Catholics will find changes in the wording of several prayers they have used for the past 35 years or so, including the Gloria, creed and Sanctus.
DIVINE PLAY
CNS photo by Imelda Medina, Reuters
Father Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Sanchez stands at the altar of his church, which features a statue of the infant Jesus dressed in a made-to-measure replica of the Mexican national soccer team’s uniform in Puebla, Mexico, June 8.
Mexican Catholics pray for a World Cup miracle MEXICO CITY (CNS) — Less than an hour after Mexico won its first World Cup match, worshippers in Mexico City were praying for further success before a statue of the infant Jesus dressed in a soccer uniform. Since at least as far back as 1990, some churches in Mexico have been putting the national team’s jersey on the statue, which many believe can grant miracles. Early in June, worshippers passed before the statue placed near the altar at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in the capital’s Tacuba neighborhood. The figure is wearing the full national team uniform — from the green jersey and white shorts right down to little tennis shoes — and is resting a foot on a tiny soccer ball. “We’re praying we’ll win the World Cup,” Jorge Leon said following a June 11 Mass at the parish. “That would be a miracle.” It seemed like every second person on the streets of soccer-mad Mexico City was wearing a national team jersey, as were many people at the Mass. Outside, people
Bishops adopt new Mass texts, study reorganization Before voting, they heard from
waved Mexican flags from their cars as they drove down the street, honking to celebrate Mexico’s 3-1 win over Iran in Nuremberg, Germany. Leon, his wife, Monserat, and their 1-year-old daughter, Artet, sat through Mass with each of their faces painted in the flag’s green, red and white colors. The service was during the 90-minute break between Mexico’s match and another between Angola and Portugal, both of which Mexico will face later in the first round. The Leon family was among the first out of church as Mass ended; they were hurrying back home to catch the game. “We usually come to the earlier service, but this is a big day for the national team,” Leon said. Mexico has never advanced past the quarterfinals of the 32-nation cup, and Brazil’s superstar-filled team is widely billed to win the trophy. Mexico is tipped to make it to the second round of the tournament, which runs through July 9 in Germany, but would have to beat much stiffer competition to advance further.
Diocesan planner ASHEVILLE VICARIATE ASHEVILLE — The St. Martin de Porres Dominican Laity Chapter meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the rectory building at the Basilica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St. Inquirers are welcome. For more information, contact Beverly Reid at (423) 638-4744 or bebereid@adelphia.net.
BOONE VICARIATE SPARTA — St. Frances of Rome Church, Hendrix and Highlands Rds., sponsors the Oratory of Divine Love Prayer Group in the parish house the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 1 p.m. Call (336) 372-8846 for more information.
CHARLOTTE VICARIATE 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 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. HUNTERSVILLE — A Mass to Honor Deceased Loved Ones is celebrated the last Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. St. Mark Church, 14740 Stumptown Rd. For more information, call Pam Schneider at (704) 875-0201.
Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England, president of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, which provided the basic translation that the bishops approved with some changes. Bishop Roche said one thing often lost in the freer translations encouraged by the Vatican was the richness of scriptural references with which the prayers of the liturgy are filled. In 2001 the Vatican adopted stricter translation rules for all new liturgical translations from the Latin. The bishops approved the Order of Mass by a vote of 173-29. They also adopted some American adaptations, mainly extra prayers not found in the Latin edition of the Roman Missal, by a vote of 184-8. The bishops also discussed a proposal for restructuring and reducing the number of committees of the USCCB, from 35 standing committees and 16 ad hoc committees to be merged into
CHARLOTTE — A Support Group for Caregivers of a Family Member with Memory Loss meet the last Monday of each month, 10-11:30 a.m., at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. For more information, contact Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135. CHARLOTTE — The Happy Timers of St. Ann Church meet the first Wednesday of each month with a luncheon and program at 1 p.m. in the Msgr. Allen Center, 3635 Park Rd. All adults age 55 and older are welcome. For more information, call Charles Nesto at (704) 398-0879. CHARLOTTE — New Creation Monastery invites you to a day of silence and solitude in the presence of Almighty God. The monastery offers private spiritual retreats for lay people. Write to Father John Vianney Hoover at New Creation Monastery, 11517 Spreading Oak Ln. Charlotte, N.C. 28226, stating why you want to go on retreat and when. For more information, call (704) 541-5026. CHARLOTTE — The second annual Eucharistic Congress will be held Oct. 6-7 at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St. The Eucharistic Congress brings together laity, clergy, religious men and women, and well-known speakers for a day and a half of worship and lectures related to the Eucharist. For more information, visit the Eucharistic Congress Web site at www.goeucharist.com.
GASTONIA VICARIATE BELMONT — First Saturday Devotions take place on the first Saturday of each month at Belmont Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Rd. Devotion begins at 9:30 a.m. with the r e c i t a t i o n o f t h e r o s a r y, f o l l o w e d b y reconciliation and Mass. For more information, call Phil or Terri at (704) 888-6050.
GREENSBORO VICARIATE GUILFORD COUNTY — The Ancient Order of Hibernians Guilford County Division, the oldest and largest order of Irish Catholic men, is looking for more Irish Catholic men to join them for meetings,
June 23, 2 006 Volume 15 • Number 34
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
June 23, 2006
FROM THE VATICAN
Preacher: Vacation to be lived as a VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Vacation time should be lived as a gift allowing workers and students time to think, pray and dedicate time to family relationships, said the preacher of the papal household. Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said it is good to have fun and relax on vacation, but extended free time is rare for most people and they should make the most of it. “It is not that vacations should not also be used for enjoyment and amusement, but they are a gift given in order to discover something; they are not a time to lose or waste, but a time to value to the maximum,” the preacher told Vatican Radio June 8. “Vacations should be that time of year when, through contemplating nature and reading the word of God, people can look inside themselves and get in touch with the most important motivations of their lives,” particularly their relationships with God and with their
families, he said. Father Cantalamessa, speaking in Italian, told Vatican Radio listeners that it was no accident that the British refer to their vacation as holidays, a derivative of “holy days.” “Perhaps the most beautiful meaning of vacation is that of getting back into an intimate, profound contact with the root of our being, with God,” he said. Pope Benedict XVI made similar remarks about the importance and purpose of vacations while he was in the Italian Alps last year. Vacation time with family is an opportunity to spend “more time dedicated to prayer, reading and meditation on the deep meaning of life,” he said in Les Combes, a village in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta region. The regional government and the Aosta Diocese have announced that Pope Benedict will return to Les Combes for a July 11-28 vacation.
educational seminars and social events. Contact Michael Slane at (336) 665-9264 for time and location.
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.
HICKORY VICARIATE HICKORY — Father Robert Ferris leads a Lectionary Bible Study at St. Aloysius Church, 921 Second St., Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. This study prepares participants for the following Sunday’s Mass by reading and studying the liturgical readings for the next week. For more information on this study, contact Kathy Succop at (828) 327-2341 or stalscoordinator@ charter.net. 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 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.
SALISBURY VICARIATE SALISBURY — Our Lady Rosary Makers of Sacred Heart Church, 128 N. Fulton St., are making cord rosaries for the missions and the military. The group meets the first Tuesday of each month in the church office conference room, 10-11 a.m. For more information, call Cathy Yochim at (704) 6366857 or Joan Kaczmarezyk at (704) 797-8405.
SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE MURPHY — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Fridays at 3:30 p.m. in the Glenmary House of St. William Church, 765 Andrews Rd. join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and laying on of hands for those in need. For more details, call Gery Dashner at (828) 494-2683.
WAYNESVILLE — Adult Education Classes are 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.
WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE
Religious leaders discuss unfair detention of refugees VATICAN CITY (CNS) — “National security” is not a good enough reason to systematically detain refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, said Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders at a Vatican press conference. The leaders were gathered in Rome June 15 by Jesuit Refugee Service, a member of the steering committee of the new International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants. The coalition, which includes human rights and faith-based organizations, was formed to study detention policies, assist detainees and lobby for changes in detention practices. Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the pontifical councils for Justice and Peace and for Migrants and Travelers, said, “There are real concerns about detention becoming a systematic policy to which many countries resort, more as a rule than as an exception, and justify the policy by so-called national security concerns.” Jesuit Father Lluis Magrina, director of JRS, said more and more governments are using systematic detention “to arbitrarily discourage migration, even flight from persecution.” “Immigration detainees,” he said,
“are being imprisoned without charge and with less judicial oversight and fewer rights than are offered to those convicted of crimes.” Cardinal Martino, Father Magrina and representatives of a Jewish group and a Muslim organization agreed governments have a right to control entry into their countries and sometimes to detain people, but not indiscriminately and not in conditions that violate their human rights. Cardinal Martino denounced unlimited detention terms, overcrowding, unsanitary facilities and the lack of basic health care and adequate food. JRS said it is “almost impossible” to know how many refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are being detained in the world, because most countries do not publish such information. However, 5.7 million of the 9.2 million refugees counted by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees have been living in closed camps for extended periods of time, often decades. The United States, which does publish figures, “detained over 230,000 non-U.S. citizens for migration-related reasons this past year, and on any given day there are over 20,000 people in U.S. immigration detention centers, jails and prisons pending a final decision in their
Calm waters ahead
CLEMMONS — The Knitting Ministry of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., meets Monday evenings, 6:30-8 p.m., to pray, learn to knit, reflect on life’s lessons and reach out to others in our community. Opportunities exist for the beginner to the experienced as we knit and purl Prayer Shawls, Preemie Blankets or Squares for Survivors. Please contact Rosemary at (336) 766-2315 or Carmel (336) 766-0650 for more information. WINSTON-SALEM — The Healing Companions is a grief support group for the bereaved that meets the first and third Thursdays of the month in conference room B at St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave. For further details, call Joanne Parcel at (336) 924-9478.
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.
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,
Episcopal
calendar
Bishop Peter J. Jugis will participate in the following events:
June 24 — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Eucharistic Conference Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville June 25 — 12 p.m. Dedication of new church Our Lady of the Americas Church,
Candor June 26-28 Province of Atlanta Bishops’ Meeting Savannah, Ga.
CNS photo by Sam Lucero, Catholic Herald
Jesus, portrayed by Eric Grover, 19, raises his hands to calm the seas during a summer Bible camp at St. Anthony on the Lake Church in Pewaukee, Wis., June 15. Organizers of the 10th annual Bible camp said 145 children, ranging from 3-year-olds to fifth-graders, participated in the weeklong camp. Pictured with Jesus are his disciples played by Anselmo Pereira Jr., 17, and Kylie Harris, 15. The biblical re-enactment of Jesus calming the sea took place at a pond adjacent to the church.
4 The Catholic News & Herald
VOCATIONS
Pastoral Appointments
Joyous jubilarians
Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte announces the following pastoral changes, effective July 5, 2006: Appointment of Pastors
Father Joe Mack From: Pastor, St. Joseph Church, Asheboro To: Pastor, Holy Infant Church, Reidsville Father Carmen Malacari From: Parochial Vicar, St. Matthew Church, Charlotte To: Pastor, Holy Spirit Church, Denver Father Philip Scarcella From: Administrator, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte To: Pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte Father Francis O’Rourke From: sabbatical To: Pastor, St. Ann Church, Charlotte Father Dean Cesa From: Pastor, St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon To: Pastor, St. Barnabas Church, Arden Father Matthew Buettner From: Parochial Vicar, St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton To: Pastor, St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton Father Joseph Dinh From: Chaplain, Holy Trinity Middle School, Charlotte To: Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson, and St. Frances of Rome Church, Sparta
Courtesy Photo by Kris Reich
Mercy Sister Paulette Rose Williams stands with Mercy Sisters Mary Cecilia Lewis and Josephine Maria Thomas, both of whom celebrated their 70 jubilees as Sisters of Mercy at Sacred Heart Convent’s Cardinal Gibbons Memorial Chapel June 3.
Five Sisters of Mercy celebrate combined 310 years of service BELMONT — Five Sisters of Mercy recently celebrated a combined 310 years of service to the Catholic Church. Mercy Sisters Mary Cecilia Lewis and Josephine Maria Thomas each celebrated 70 years as women religious at a Mass held at the Sisters of Mercy’s Sacred Heart Convent in Belmont June 3. Mercy Sisters Jeanne Marie Kienast and Maureen Dees, celebrating 60 years each, and Mercy Sister Mary Hugh Mauldin, celebrating 50 years, commemorated their anniversaries at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte June 17. “In her own way and in her own ministry, each of the five jubilarians has used her unique gifts to benefit those around her,” said Mercy Sister Paulette Rose Williams, president of the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina. Sister Lewis, 89, entered the convent in June 1935. She earned a bachelor’s degree in liturgical music and a master’s degree in music education, and holds certificates of professional advancement from the North Carolina Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. She has served as a teacher, a principal, on boards and committees, including Gaston Fine Arts Council; volunteered at Gaston Memorial Hospital and for AIDS patients at House of Mercy in Belmont; and played and taught piano. Clinton, N.C., native Sister Thomas, 91, entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1935. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and has served as a superior, regional superior and principal in Guam. She also has taught and served in administrative positions at schools in North Carolina, Florida and New York. Currently she is a pastoral associate at Queen of Apostles Church in Belmont, providing respite care and follow-up care
June 23, 2006
to those who are hospitalized or confined to their homes. Born in Port Au Prince, Haiti, Sister Kienast, 78, was received as a Sister of Mercy in 1946. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in education administration and has taught in the United States and in Guam. She has also served as an administrator within the Diocese of Charlotte and as diocesan vicar for women religious. Her passion is “helping others find their own unique God-given gifts so that they can respond to God’s call to serve God’s people — with joy,” she said. Currently she is a pastoral associate at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte. Gastonia native Sister Dees, 80, spent the majority of her ministry years within the Catholic education system. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and taught and served as an administrator at schools in the Diocese of Charlotte. Sister Dees has taught at schools in New York and Florida, served at a mission in Guam and has cared for AIDS patients at House of Mercy. Currently she works at Catherine’s House for homeless women and their children in Belmont. Sister Mauldin, 69, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics education, a master’s in theology and a certificate in liturgical studies. She also served for 25 years as director of McAuley Center in Belmont, a program focused on adult religious education, primarily within the Diocese of Charlotte. Currently she is an assistant professor of mathematics and theology at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.
Father Patrick Winslow From: Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson and St. Frances of Rome Church, Sparta To: Pastor, St. John the Baptist Church, Tryon Father Francis Cancro From: sabbatical To: Pastor, St. Joseph Church, Asheboro Father Roger Arnsparger From: Pastor, St. Barnabas Church, Arden To: Pastor, St. Michael Church, Gastonia
Appointments of Parochial Vicars
Father H. Alejandro Ayala From: newly ordained To: Parochial Vicar, Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury Father James Stuhrenberg From: newly ordained To: Parochial Vicar, St. Mark Church, Huntersville Father John Starczewski From: Parochial Vicar, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte To: Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro Father Julio Dominguez From: Parochial Vicar, Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury To: Parochial Vicar, St. Aloysius Church, Hickory Father Luis Osorio From: Parochial Vicar, St. Michael Church, Gastonia To: Parochial Vicar, St. Vincent de Paul Church, Charlotte Father Timothy Reid From: Parochial Vicar, St. Mark Church, Huntersville To: Parochial Vicar, St. Matthew Church, Charlotte
Other Assignments
Father Jose Antonio Juya From: Pastor, St. Dorothy Church, Lincolnton To: Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, Gastonia Vicariate Redemptorist Father Dimas Arce Estrada From: Redemptorist Order To: Hispanic Ministry, St. Joseph Church, Kannapolis Redemptorist Father Oscar E. Rojas Paniagua From: Redemptorist Order To: Hispanic Ministry, St. James Church, Concord Father Christopher Roux From: Administrator, Holy Infant Church, Reidsville To: Secretary, Office of the Bishop Father J. Enrique Gonzalez Gaytan From: Parochial Vicar, St Aloysius Church, Hickory To: Academic studies in Hispanic Ministry Father James Ebright From: Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Grace Church, Greensboro To: Academic studies in Canon Law Father Conrad Hoover From: Pastor, St. Ann Church, Charlotte To: Retirement, at his request Father Joseph Ayathupadam From: Pastor, Holy Spirit Church, Denver To: Retirement, at his request
June 23, 2006
VOCATIONS
The Catholic News & Herald 5
Bishop ordains 16 men to permanent diaconate DEACONS, from page 1
Christ, of whose body and blood you are ministers at the altar,” said Bishop Jugis. The candidates prostrated themselves before the altar to signify their commitment, during which the litany of the saints was sung. The bishop then prayed the prayer of consecration, completing the ordination of the permanent deacons. Each deacon was invested with a stole, a sign of his office; and dalmatic, the outer garment worn during the liturgy. During the liturgy of the Eucharist, the newly ordained deacons distributed the Eucharist to their families, friends and fellow worshippers. Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org. WANT MORE INFO? For more information about the permanent diaconate, call Deacon Louis Pais, director of the diaconate, at (704) 3703344 or visit www.charlottediocese. org/deacons.html.
Msgr. Mauricio West, chancellor and vicar general; officials from the Redemptorist order, and priests and permanent deacons of the Diocese of Charlotte, as well as the deacons’ wives, children and grandchildren. A deacon is an ordained minister in the Catholic Church and is one of the three degrees of the sacrament of Holy Orders, the origins of which can be found in the Acts of the Apostles. As ordained ministers, permanent deacons may perform many of the sacramental ministries of the church except consecration of the Eucharist, anointing of the sick and reconciliation. The permanent deacon is the only ordained man allowed to be married. However, if a deacon’s wife passes away, he is not allowed to remarry. If a man is single, he is not allowed to marry after ordination. “When we think of the life and ministry of the deacon, we think of Jesus himself,” said Bishop Peter J. Jugis in his homily. “Jesus was not averse to being seen in the role of servant.” During the Mass, Bishop Jugis asked each candidate if he wanted to be ordained and if he was willing to serve the bishop and the diocese. “In the promises you are about to make, you will be asked to conform your way of life always to the example of
Photo by Karen A. Evans
Deacon John Kopfle receives the Book of the Gospels from Bishop Peter J. Jugis during the Mass for the ordination of permanent deacons at St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. June 10.
Diaconate appointments
The following deacons were ordained June 10, 2006: Deacon James Lewis Atkinson, Holy Spirit Church, Denver Deacon David Paul Boissey, Sr., Good Shepherd Church, King: prison ministry and tribunal advocacy Redemptorist Brother Darrell Cevasco, reassigned by Redemptorist order Deacon Mark Shawn Diener, DC, St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte: Engaged Encounter and tribunal advocacy Deacon Walter Haarsgaard, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, High Point Deacon Richard Edwards Hanners, St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte: airport chaplaincy and formation for deacons Deacon Edward Andrew Konarski, Jr., St. Charles Borromeo Church, Morganton: prison ministry Deacon John Thomas Kopfle, St. Vincent de Paul, Charlotte: hospital ministry Deacon Paul nhia cha Lee, Hmong community Deacon Larry Lisk, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Greensboro: prison ministry Deacon John Angelo Martino, Our Lady of the Angels Church, Marion: formation for deacons Deacon Brian Patrick McNulty, DDS, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Charlotte: hospital ministry Deacon Robert Terrence Murphy, St. Mark Church, Huntersville: formation for deacons Deacon Anthony Stephen Pickett, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Lenoir Deacon Michael Stout, St. Barnabas Church, Arden: prison ministry Deacon Kevin Bernard Williams, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Charlotte: airport ministry
6 The Catholic News & Herald
Confirmed in faith
around the diocese
June 23, 2006
Courtesy Photo
Bishop Peter J. Jugis and Father Walter Williams, pastor of St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Sylva, stand with the parish’s confirmation candidates May 18. Bishop Jugis celebrated the confirmation Mass; Father Williams concelebrated. Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation, along with baptism and the Eucharist. Confirmation is usually administered during the teen years to those baptized in infancy. Pictured (from left): Belle Harcourt, parish faith formation director; Anne Thurston, teacher; Ryan Vickery; Nicholas Provost; Father Williams; Bishop Jugis; Ana Maria Balta; Stormy DeLucia; Chelsea Phipps; Rachel Farrell; and Sara Freeman, confirmation assistant.
Courtesy Photo
Peter McAnulty, of Boy Scout Troop 234 and parishioner of St. Aloysius Church in Hickory, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts.
McAnulty earns Eagle Scout An active member of the Eswau Huppeday Lodge and Oconoluftee Chapter, Peter was elected to serve as vice chief of administration, the second highest youth leadership position of the 500-member Lodge. In Troop 234, Peter held the offices of patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, senior patrol leader, librarian and troop guide. He also earned the Arrow of Light award, the highest award in Cub Scouts. As a Catholic Boy Scout, Peter earned the Ad Altare Dei religious emblem. Peter is an active member of Life Teen at St. Aloysius Church and serves as an altar server, lector and usher. A senior at Hickory High School, Peter is a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Beta Club, National Latin Honor Society and Latin Club. He was captain of the 2005 cross country team and co-captain of the 2006 track and field team.
Good eats and golf
Photo by Deacon Gerald Potkay
Don Hock, Larry Poll and Steve Zdanski cook hamburgers and hot dogs for the annual golf fundraiser of Holy Infant Church in Reidsville, held at the Monroeton Golf Club in Reidsville May 20.
HICKORY — Peter Charles McAnulty of Boy Scout Troop 234 recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts. Family and friends gathered to honor him at a Mass celebrated by Capuchin Father Gregory Reisert, Peter’s great uncle, at St. Aloysius Church April 1. A court of honor ceremony followed. To earn Eagle Scout, Peter earned 33 merit badges and completed a service project at Jenkins Elementary School in Hickory. The project consisted of four parts, including an erosion control project, landscaping and refurbishing. Peter also completed the requirements to earn a Bronze Palm. Peter is a Vigil Honor Member of the Order of the Arrow, the highest achievement a Boy Scout can earn as a member of the Order of the Arrow. The Order of the Arrow is recognized as the national honor society for Boy Scouts of America.
June 23, 2006
around the diocese
The Catholic News & Herald 7
Many faiths, common
Courtesy Photo
Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott speaks during an interfaith prayer meeting at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte June 4.
Interfaith prayer meeting held for immigration reform CHARLOTTE — Immigration was the focus of a recent international interfaith prayer meeting in Charlotte. Franciscan Sister Andrea Inkrott, director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Charlotte, joined members of other faith groups and organizations at First United Methodist Church June 4. Participants shared Scripture and reflections at the meeting to “unite for comprehensive immigration law reform,” according to organizers. “The experience was indeed a Pentecost experience,” said Sister Inkrott. The participants shared prayers and writings of their faith traditions and were “together in their prayers to the one God,” said Sister Inkrott. “All the prayers were different, but
all pertained to the message that God is one and that we are all to love one another,” she said. Other faith groups represented included the Islamic Center of Charlotte, Charlotte Presbytery, Temple Israel, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Western Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. Also present were members of International House, a center for international diversity; the LatinAmerican Coalition; and Mecklenburg Ministries. “Interest and openness were evident in all the participants and that is what we prayed and hoped for, that all in our country will be interested in and open to one another so together we can resolve the issues that are challenging us at this
8 The Catholic News & Herald
in our schools
Signing off for summer
June 23, 2006
What page is your picture on?
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Eighth-graders from Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point say goodbye by writing farewell wishes on each other’s gym shirts before the school’s annual Field Day June 1.
Three students at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem look through their yearbooks during a carnival celebrating the end of their school year. During the carnival, the basketball court was dedicated and blessed, yearbooks were handed out, a special blessing was given to the children, and a flag that had been flown at the Provincial Government Center in Ramadi, Iraq was donated to the school.
Naturally resourceful
Courtesy Photo
Second-graders at St. Matthew School in Charlotte stand in front of the rainforest they created after learning about the environment and how to treat natural resources. They studied the importance of preserving ecological wonders to keep the balance of nature that God has created.
June 23, 2006
in our schools
Ready for takeoff
Closing the book Bishop McGuinness graduates 90 KERNERSVILLE — Seniors at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School celebrated the conclusion of their high school careers June 3. During the graduation ceremony, Sandy McMonagle, principal of Our Lady of Mercy School in WinstonSalem, was honored for her upcoming retirement and was awarded the Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Founders Award for her leadership excellence and a career marked by extraordinary service to the church, the community, Catholic education and the teaching profession. Diplomas were conferred by Mgsr. Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor for the Diocese of Charlotte; Linda Cherry, superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools; and George Repass, principal of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. Repass presented McMonagle with a recognition plaque. The class of 2006 also heard remarks from Anna Sweigart, salutatorian; Paul Gerlach, valedictorian; and special guest speaker Gregory Beier, president of Novant Health Triad Region,
and father of two Bishop McGuinness graduates. FAST FACTS Bishop McGuinness’ class of 2006 consisted of 90 students, who received more than $1.6 million in combined scholarships.
Courtesy Photo
Valedictorian Paul Gerloch addresses his fellow graduates of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Kernersville June 3.
Charlotte Catholic celebrates graduation of 282 GRADUATION, from page 1
FAST FACTS Charlotte Catholic’s class of 2006 consisted of 282 students, who received more than $5.5 million in combined scholarships. Charlotte Catholic sports teams won 12 conference championships and three state championships in 2005-06, including the second consecutive state football championship.
The Catholic News & Herald 9
Charlotte; Linda Cherry, superintendent of diocesan Catholic schools; and Gerald Healy, principal of Charlotte Catholic High School. “We know that we are more than GPAs and SAT scores,” said Courtney Peterson, valedictorian. “We are a class of action and friction, not mindless academia. … What you see is infinitely less than what we are.” Following the closing prayer, the euphoric graduates marched out into the open green space outside the auditorium. After tossing their caps into the air against a vibrant blue sky, young men and women embraced each other as if for the first time, and the last. Contact Staff Writer Karen A. Evans by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail kaevans@charlottediocese.org.
Courtesy Photo
Matthew Horne, an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Grace School in Greensboro, prepares for a flight after a presentation by Bryan Reich, a pilot. Reich was one of more than 30 professionals who spoke to middle-school students during Career Day May 24.
1 0 The Catholic News & Herald
June 23, 2006
Culture Watch
Bishop urges more public-interest WASHINGTON (CNS) — Television stations should be required to air more public-interest programming before the expected conversion of broadcast signals from analog to digital is to be completed in 2009, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ communications committee. In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin released June 6, Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., said a “substantial effort to provide programming that better serves the public” should be required of broadcasters in exchange for the new spectrum rights they will receive with digital broadcasting. “Today, even as the broadcasting industry continues to benefit from its subsidized use of the public airwaves, broadcasters’ observance of meaningful public interest obligations has declined,” Bishop Kicanas said in the letter. The experience of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “is that there has been a steady decline in television stations willing to broadcast noncommercial religious programming or local public interest programming featuring local religious leaders,” Bishop Kicanas said. “A significant number of dioceses that produce television programs and public service announcements have consistently informed us of the financial burden and increased difficulty involved in obtaining airtime on local broadcast stations,” he added.
WORD TO LIFE
A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more
“The bishops are concerned that local broadcasters’ programming decisions are more deeply rooted in their desire for commercial gain, rather than meeting their statutory obligations to serve their communities’ needs and interests,” he said. Bishop Kicanas said the U.S. bishops were concerned that, “with the imminent conversion to all-digital broadcasts, the already limited amount of religious programming will decline even further.” The FCC has given additional spectrum to each station for its digital programming. Analog, the traditional TV broadcasting system, uses magnetic waves to transmit and display pictures and sound. By transmitting information used to make a TV picture and sound as “data bits” — like a computer — a digital broadcaster can carry more information than analog technology allows. Bishop Kicanas offered three ways that public interest requirements could be ensured with digital broadcasting: — By amplifying the views of the public, including community organizations and noncommercial religious entities. — By increasing the amount of local news and public affairs programming, including religious programs and public service announcements. — By increasing programming for the educational needs of children, people with disabilities and underserved
Sunday Scripture Readings: June 25, 2006
June 25, Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle B Readings: 1) Job 38:1, 8-11 Psalms 107:23-26, 28-31 2) 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 3) Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
Jesus protects us on perilous journeys by
SHARON K. PERKINS catholic news service
Near the university campus where I am currently a graduate student, there is a busy street that serves as the property’s western boundary. Unfortunately, the two pedestrian traffic lights are not situated at the place where I usually need to cross, so when I’m in a hurry — which is most days — I join dozens of other students who navigate through moving traffic with heavily laden briefcases and book bags in tow. As an experienced street-crosser, I can gauge whether I have sufficient time to safely traverse the distance, and I have learned that once I assess the traffic and commit to the crossing, I need to proceed without hesitation. Still, it’s a little scary and certainly not something I would do at night or with a child. The Gospel reading for this Sunday is intriguing in that Jesus initiates a lake crossing in the evening when a storm is
threatening — not the most prudent time. The image of water gone out of control, common to all the readings, is a powerful metaphor for the very human fear we experience when our lives are out of control or we face an unfamiliar situation. In the midst of an experience that terrifies even seasoned boatmen, Jesus does not panic, hesitate or ask them to turn the boat around. Rather, he calms both the tempests outside the boat and within their hearts, and seizes the moment to teach them something important about faith. In the course of life, one often must “make crossings” — leaving a secure job for a new vocation, committing to love a person for life, giving birth to a child — that carry an element of risk. Some ventures are foolish and should not be attempted. Yet other risks are necessarily taken in order to answer and obey God’s call of love. In those moments, even seasoned risk-takers know the jolt of adrenaline that fear brings. But persons of faith know that Jesus always makes the crossing with them, calming the storms within, paving the way and encouraging them to proceed without hesitation to the other side. Awakening that faith — as the disciples awakened Jesus in the back of the boat — is the key to safe passage. QUESTIONS: When was the last time you felt paralyzed by an unfamiliar or overwhelming situation? How did your faith in Jesus help you overcome your
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of June 25-July 1 Sunday (Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Job 38:1, 8-11, 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, Mark 4:35-41; Monday, 2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18, Matthew 7:1-5; Tuesday (St. Cyril of Alexandria), 2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36, Matthew 7:6, 12-14; Wednesday (St. Irenaeus), 2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3, Matthew 7:15-20; Thursday (Sts. Peter and Paul), Acts 12:1-11, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, Matthew 16:13-19; Friday (First Martyrs of the Roman Church), 2 Kings 25:1-12, Matthew 8:1-4; Saturday (Bl. Junipero Serra), Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19, Matthew 8:5-17. Scripture for the week of July 2-8 Sunday (Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24, 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,1315, Mark 5:21-43; Monday (St. Thomas), Ephesians 2:19-22, John 20:24-29; Tuesday (St. Elizabeth of Portugal), Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12, Matthew 8:23-27; Wednesday (St. Anthony Zaccaria), Amos 5:14-15, 21-24, Matthew 8:28-34; Thursday (St. Maria Goretti), Amos 7:10-17, Matthew 9:1-8; Friday, Amos 8:4-6, 9-12, Matthew 9:9-13; Saturday, Amos 9:11-15, Matthew 9:14-17. Scripture for the week of July 9-15 Sunday (Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Ezekiel 2:2-5’ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Matthew 6:1-6; Monday, Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22, Matthew 9:18-26; Tuesday (St. Benedict), Hosea 8:4-7, 1113, Matthew 9:32-38; Wednesday, Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12, Matthew 10:1-7; Thursday (St. Henry), Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 Matthew 10:7-15; Friday (Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha), Hosea 14:2-10, Matthew 10:16-23); Saturday (St. Bonaventure), Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 10:24-33.
The Catholic News & Herald 11
June 23, 2006
Recreating the Nativity
CNS photo by Carol Glatz
The city of Matera, Italy, famous for its rock-hewn homes and grottos, is being used to film “The Nativity Story.” The filmmakers used the hill facing the city to shoot crucifixion scenes.
When filming about Jesus’ birth, animals don’t always follow script MATERA, Italy — The hardest part about making a movie about Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus is convincing the animals to follow the script. Herds of sheep, ornery oxen, caravaning camels and pack donkeys all feature in a new film, “The Nativity Story,” due out in theaters Dec. 1. Digital technology has made putting a shooting star and hovering angels on celluloid a cinch, but convincing an ox to kneel and low before the baby Jesus in a manger proved to be an ordeal. The film by New Line Cinema is being shot this spring and summer in the ancient city of Matera. Scriptwriter Mike Rich said he wanted the story to flesh out who Mary and Joseph were and what emotions they must have felt as they faced the immense responsibilities God entrusted to them. Rich said he felt the story of the Nativity had always been presented as an “event-based” story. After months of research and input from religious scholars, Rich started writing what he called “a character-based story.” Rich noted that the only description of Joseph he found in the Bible was that “he was a righteous man.” A nondenominational Christian, Rich said that even though his story was
speculative he still sought to keep it faithful to the spirit of the biblical account. The result is that the young Mary, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider”), and Joseph, played by Oscar Isaac, leap to life on the scripts’ pages and hopefully, Rich said, also on the screen. Co-producer Marty Bowen, a Catholic, said that growing up he always put Mary “up on a pedestal.” “The Nativity Story” is trying to make Mary real, Bowen said, adding that he hoped that the movie would help people see “Mary was a girl before she became a woman and a woman before she became the mother of God.” The film’s promoters sent copies of the script to a number of religious scholars for their input as well as to the head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop John P. Foley, and secretary of communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Msgr. Francis J. Maniscalco. While Archbishop Foley told Catholic News Service in late May that he had yet to read the script, Msgr. Maniscalco said he found the screenplay “faithful to the biblical narrative and that the additions made for narrative and theatrical purposes were tasteful.”
1 2 The Catholic News & Herald
from the cover
New bishop of Raleigh selected BISHOP, from page 1
Bishop Gossman Francis Joseph Gossman was born in Baltimore April 1, 1930. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1955 after studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, the U.S. national seminary in Rome. After ordination he earned a doctorate in canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington. He served as an assistant pastor, cathedral administrator, vice chancellor, tribunal official and St. Mary’s Seminary professor before he was named an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore in 1968 at the age of 38.
Classifieds EMPLOYMENT NANNY: ARE YOU MY GRAMMY?? Waxhaw family looking for experienced mature nanny to care for adorable baby and active toddler; M-Th 8-4. Must be warm and loving, have lots of energy and be more than just a caretaker! Please call: 704 953 0302.
He was the first U.S. bishop to be ordained in the new, simplified ceremony for the ordination of a bishop, which had just received Vatican approval for use in the United States on an experimental basis as part of the liturgical reforms following the Second Vatican Council. In place of the traditional banquet honoring a newly ordained bishop, he celebrated his ordination with a simple buffet and reception and had the money that would have been spent on a banquet sent for aid to Biafra, a short-lived secessionist state of Nigeria, which was then in the midst of a destructive civil war and faced massive humanitarian needs. When he was made bishop of Raleigh in 1975, the 38,000 Catholics in the diocese formed a tiny minority, less than 2 percent of the 2.5 million people in the eastern half of North Carolina. During his 31-year tenure the
FOR RENT LAKE LURE VACATION HOME: New! 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, all amenities. 3 minutes to Rocky Broad River, Lake Lure beach; fishing, boating, hiking, swimming. Reasonable! 828-299-3714. CONDO: Oceanfront on Pleasure Island. 2 BD/2 BA. Minutes from Wilmington. Rent by day or week. 4 BDs also available. Call 703.450.8480 or write wfkelle@aol.com for availability.
Classified ads bring results! Over 135,000 readers! Over 50,000 homes! Rates: $.70/word per issue ($14 minimum per issue) Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday, 9 days before publication How to order: Ads may be E-mailed to ckfeerick@charlottediocese.org, faxed to (704) 370-3382 or mailed to: Cindi Feerick, The Catholic News & Herald, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203. Payment: For information, call (704) 370-3332.
Catholic population more than quadrupled. It now numbers about 190,000 in a population of 4.1 million. Active in ecumenical relations and social justice issues, Bishop Gossman used the sale of a property in 1989 to establish a permanent $2.5 million diocesan endowment for the poor. He supported a nuclear freeze in the early 1980s and in 1990 warned against unilateral U.S. military action before the Persian Gulf War. He fought for the rights of immigrants and in 1992 was one of five Southern bishops who issued a joint statement opposing use of the death penalty. He promoted lay leadership in parishes and the role of women in church leadership positions. In 1997 he and then-Bishop William G. Curlin of Charlotte issued a joint pastoral letter on economic justice in their state, expressing concern that while North Carolina was enjoying economic prosperity and expansion the working poor were being left behind. Bishop Gossman was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in the United States and in 1991 was a leader in the formation of a statewide Catholic-Lutheran covenant, an agreement of joint witness and collaboration that at the time was only
June 23, 2006
the second such covenant in the nation. In 1999 he started the diocesan Reconciliation Initiative, a program of pastoral outreach to Catholics separated from the sacraments because of irregular marriages. Over the years he has served on numerous committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He welcomed the appointment of Bishop Burbidge, 48, to Raleigh, describing his successor as “a man of prayer and faith.” Bishop Burbidge Michael Francis Burbidge was born in Philadelphia June 16, 1957. He was ordained a priest of the Philadelphia Archdiocese in 1984 following studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary there. He also studied at Villanova and Immaculata universities in Pennsylvania and has a doctorate in education as well as master’s degrees in theology and education administration. After two years in parish work he spent five years teaching high school. In 1991-92 he was dean of students at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. From 1992 to 1999 he was a special assistant to Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, then archbishop of Philadelphia, and from 1999 to 2004 he returned to the seminary as rector. In 2002 he was named an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia. As a bishop, he has held several archdiocesan posts including vicar general and head of the
June 23, 2006
from the cover
The Catholic News & Herald 13
Church role seen in mobilizing Hispanics IMMIGRANTS, from page 1
tion in U.S. political life. On the local level, priests can promote civic involvement and church organizations can sponsor courses in English as a second language, said Rodolfo de la Garza, law professor at Columbia University in New York. “There is a crying need in the Hispanic community for that help,” said de la Garza, who has written books on Hispanic politics in the United States. Robert de Posada, president of the Latino Coalition, said that the church “has the moral authority to make things happen.” In the heavily Catholic Hispanic community, “when people need help, they first turn to their family, then to the church and then to the government,” he said. Both men attended a June 7 symposium on Latino participation in U.S. politics after the series of rallies calling for immigration reform held earlier in the year. The symposium was organized by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, an independent social research center specializing in Hispanic issues. De Posada and de la Garza cited encouraging voter registration drives and getting people to vote as important tasks
for the church. “Priests from the pulpit have a captive audience” to encourage registration, said de Posada. “Our church also needs to push stronger in making sure that citizens vote,” he said. De la Garza said that priests need to preach the importance of voting because it’s elected officials who decide how to spend taxpayers’ money. The Latino Coalition does an annual survey of Hispanic views on political and social issues. One of the symposium speakers was Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who said that the energy from rallies pushing for immigration reform “should be the beginning point for Latino participation” in a wide variety of political issues. He stressed working with young Latinos, most of whom are U.S. citizens, to get them to vote. Salazar estimated that there are about 5 million Hispanics who are citizens but not registered to vote or who are currently eligible to become citizens. Although the number is small when compared to the total number of eligible voters, many of these Hispanics are in key swing states in presidential elections, such as Texas, California and Florida, he said. Salazar said that a main difference in the Senate and House versions of immigration legislation concerns the wall to be built along the border.
“The rallies said: ‘We are here. We are visible.’” — Roberto Suro, director of Pew Hispanic Center Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill would require local government officials on both sides of the border to approve construction of the wall in their jurisdictions, he said. Several speakers disagreed as to whether the immigration rallies had a positive or negative impact on U.S. public opinion. Roberto Suro, director of the Pew Hispanic Center, said the events were basically positive and looked like peaceful family affairs because among participants there were many little children being carried by their parents. “The rallies said: ‘We are here. We are visible,’” he said. It also showed the strength of the informal networking and intercommunication among immigrants who got the message out about the marches through churches, labor unions and radio station disc jockeys, he said.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the marches promoted immigration control because they showed the general U.S. public the “size of the problem” of illegal immigration. People saw hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filling downtown Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, he said. This was more powerful than reading about an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants, he said. The marches “guaranteed that there will be no amnesty this year” for illegal immigrants, he said. They also eroded the reasoning of business leaders who see illegal immigration as a source of docile, cheap labor, said Krikorian. “This undermined the rationale because the docile, cheap labor was now marching in the streets,” he said. Several speakers said that many immigrants risk death to sneak into the United States because of the poor domestic policies in their countries and because of U.S. trade policies that promote U.S. exports at the expense of the production of other countries. “Mexicans used to pluck chickens in Mexico. Now they do it here,” said Suro. “We used to buy chickens from Mexico. Now we export chickens to Mexico.”
1 4 The Catholic News & Herald
June 23, 2006
Perspectives
A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints
‘666 babies’ Ominous date reminder of difficulty in reporting faith
Chalk up another one for those brainy marketing folks in Hollywood. Somebody out there thought it would be clever to open the movie “The Omen” on a Tuesday instead of the usual Friday to take advantage of the date 6/6/06. It worked! As communications director for the diocese, I got lots of calls from reporters who wanted to know what the church was telling people about the ominous date. June 6, 2006, or 6/6/06, has no relation to the mark of Satan referred to in the Book of Revelation. The number 666 refers to an evil thing or person. The date, which occurs once every hundred years, is related to evil the way diet is related to pizza. But lacking a connection to reality has never prevented a reporter from searching for a story. I had several conversations with reporters doing 666 stories that went like this: Reporter: We’ve heard that some pregnant women, due to deliver, don’t want to have a baby on June 6. Have you heard that? Me: No. Reporter: Does the church have any advice for a woman who is concerned about have a 666 baby? Me: A what? Look, that’s something between a woman and her doctor. Reporter: So, the church doesn’t want any 666 babies? Me: ANY WHAT? And so it goes. I know reporters often ask silly questions bordering on the offensive; I was very good at it when I had a press card. But I’ve often wondered why most reporters seem so clueless when it comes to matters of faith. Some are Catholic, and many belong to other Christian denominations, but most seem willing to accept the silliness of 666 because it gives them a story. Faith is important. It gives individuals meaning to their lives, it motivates good on a grand scale and, in the case of some aspects of the Muslim faith, it underpins an ongoing war with
Catholics & the Media DAVID HAINS guest columnist
the West. (Christians have plenty of wars to be of ashamed, too — remember the Crusades?) Yet most news organizations assign minimal or no resources to the understanding of faith. For the average reporter, a “religion” story is about a church fire. Faith is a difficult subject to report. An explanation of the Resurrection or transubstantiation won’t fit very well into a sound bite. People of faith usually can’t prove a miracle and they are predictable when it comes to showing gratitude, repeatedly thanking God. But those should be minor obstacles to news organizations that have the wherewithal to “imbed” reporters in a war in Iraq, or send us pictures from the summit of Mt. Everest. In February 2005, Time magazine ran a profile of Catholicism in the South. The Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Peter J. Jugis figured prominently in the story about the vibrant faith life found below the Mason-Dixon Line. The reporter on that story, Tim Padgett, told me that most national news organizations felt that they had completely dropped the ball in the coverage of the recently completed presidential campaign because they didn’t understand the role that faith played in the re-election of George W. Bush. Padgett thought that more in-depth reporting of faith would soon be the norm. It sounded like a good start for a new kind of journalism. The reporting on 666 day is a reminder that bad habits are hard to break. D a v i d H a i n s i s d i re c t o r o f communication for the Diocese of Charlotte. Contact him at dwhains@ charlottediocese.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor
The Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or less, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste. To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification. Letters may be condensed due to space limitations and edited for clarity, style and factual accuracy. The Catholic News & Herald does not publish poetry, form letter or petitions. Items submitted to The Catholic News & Herald become the property of the newspaper and are subject to reuse, in whole or in part, in print, electronic formats and archives. Send letters to Letters to the Editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.
Catholic, Orthodox have a relationship as sister churches, says pope by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service
VATICAN CITY — Just as Sts. Peter and Andrew were brothers, the Catholic and Orthodox churches have a special relationship as true sister churches, Pope Benedict XVI said. After Christ’s death and resurrection, St. Peter left Jerusalem for Rome in order to carry out the universal mission Jesus entrusted to him, the pope said during his June 14 weekly general audience. St. Andrew, fluent in Greek, went to the Greek world, he said, and became the “apostle of the Greeks.” The Gospels show that in their life and death, Sts. Peter and Andrew were “true brothers” and that their brotherhood is expressed “symbolically in the special rapport between the sees of Rome and Constantinople, churches (that are) truly sisters,” Pope Benedict said. In St. Peter’s Square, the pope continued a series of talks on the apostles by turning to St. Andrew, patron saint of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. His June 14 talk came less than a week after bishops of the patriarchate expressed concern over the pope’s decision to drop “patriarch of the West” from his official titles in the Vatican yearbook. The Orthodox bishops’ synod said in a June 8 statement, “It is of extreme importance to the Orthodox church that Pope Benedict, while having rejected the title ‘patriarch of the West,’ retained the titles ‘vicar of Christ’ and ‘supreme pontiff of the universal church.’” The synod said these titles still create serious difficulties for the Orthodox since the titles seem to imply “a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, which is something the Orthodox have never accepted.” “By retaining these titles and discarding the ‘patriarch of the West’ the term and concept of ‘sister churches’ between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox church becomes hard to use,” they said.
The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI Meanwhile, in his catechesis, Pope Benedict said Jesus foresaw that after his death his teachings would spread and be embraced by people beyond the Jewish world and into the pagan lands of the ancient Greek world. St. Andrew helped translate to a group of Greeks Christ’s parable of the grain of wheat in which Jesus said the grain will produce fruit only if it dies after it falls to the ground. Christ’s “meeting with the Greek spirit, with the Greek world” was to come about not as an encounter with curious onlookers, but as a true welcoming and fruitful following of his teachings, he said. That grain of wheat, a symbol of Christ crucified, will be resurrected and grow into the “bread of life for the world; will be light for peoples and cultures,” the pope said. St. Andrew, who was crucified in the Greek city of Patras, teaches today’s faithful an important lesson about how to confront one’s own sufferings, the pope said. During his crucifixion, St. Andrew praised the “good cross” as an object that had been “consecrated by the body of Christ and adorned by his limbs as if with pearls” and that it would “take me away from men and restore me to my master.” Pope Benedict said the saint’s words reflect the Christian interpretation of the cross not as “an instrument of torture as much as an incomparable way for a full assimilation with the Redeemer.” “Our crosses take on value if they are seen and received as part of Christ’s cross,” the pope said, adding that “only from that cross our sufferings, too,
The Catholic News & Herald 15
June 23, 2006
Hating the waiting
Patience, prayer can help us find God we do believe that waiting is an essential part of faith. Think how long the Hebrews waited for a savior. Perhaps it’s a stretch to imagine that what we experience in life as waiting for God can be related to the waiting we are forced to do at the grocery store. But could a time given for prayer each day, which is essentially a time of waiting for God, strengthen patience throughout our lives? Could it help to turn those moments of fretful waiting into moments of prayer? When an archbishop of Canterbury was asked once how much time he prayed each day, he replied with humor, “About two or three minutes, but it takes me a half an hour to get there.” In other words, he gave time to prayer but had to wait, with patience and perseverance, for the glimpse of God he so desired. Sometimes I wonder if our constant need to hurry is because we, perhaps like the men waiting for Godot, struggle to find our life’s meaning, and being busy masks that struggle. Giving a half an hour each morning to simply waiting on God might bring meaning into even the most frustrating moments of our day.
For the Journey EFFIE CALDAROLA cns columnist
“You must have a very hungry cat,” I said to the man in line in front of me at the grocery store. Thirty or 40 small cans of cat food sat in his basket. Nothing more. Just cat food and lots of it. He laughed. “I don’t even have a cat,” he said. Then he went on to explain that he was going shrimp fishing and cat food makes the best bait. “There’s something about this greasy stuff that shrimp love.” Who knew? Sometimes grocery lines can be very educational. Sometimes they can be fun, when you end up next to a good friend. But for most of us, they apparently are downright exasperating. At least, that’s according to an Associated Press article, which cites a poll conducted recently showing that Americans are a very impatient people.
The bite of ‘choice’ Many doctors choose not to end unborn life In my current series of columns, I’ve been examining the truth that the price to be paid for doing abortions is life as an abortionist. It is, in many ways, its own punishment, and the examples we have given of how it destroys the personality are only the tip of the iceberg. Another dimension of this truth is how the stigma of being an abortionist is causing the abortion industry to collapse for lack of personnel. Here we find a beautiful irony, because “choice” has come back to bite the abortion industry. They have discovered the hard truth that if women can choose to have abortions, so doctors can choose not to perform them. There is an amazing disparity in the medical community between the number of those who will identify themselves as “pro-choice,” and the number of those who are willing to work in an abortion clinic. Abortionist Morris Wortman attested, “There is tremendous support in the medical community for a woman’s right to choose, as long as she doesn’t ‘choose me’ to perform her abortion” (Medical Tribune, March 6, 1997). This has created nothing less than a crisis for the abortion business, and has caused many in it to express openly their
fears that the pro-life movement will end abortion without even having to make it illegal. Abortion is quickly becoming the legal procedure that no doctor wants to do and fewer and fewer women want to undergo. Don’t take my word for it; read these quotes: — “When I look back on the [Roe v. Wade] decision, I thought these words had been written in granite. But I’ve learned it was not granite. It was more like sandstone. The immediate problem is, where will the doctors come from?” (Sarah Weddington, pro-abortion attorney who successfully argued Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 15, 1998) — “That’s how the anti’s are going to win ... by attrition, because fewer and fewer doctors will perform abortions.” (Abortionist Herbert Hodes, Glamour, September 1991) — “Abortion opponents will achieve their goal without ever having to overturn Roe vs. Wade.” (Kate Michelman, former director, National Abortion Rights Action League, Dallas Morning News, October 4, 1997, commenting on the shortage of abortionists)
Americans don’t like waiting. The post office and the motor vehicle registry are places we especially hate to tarry, said the article. And we detest phone calls that put you on hold until the next representative is available. But “almost one in four in the APIpsos Poll picked the grocery checkout as the line where their patience is most likely to melt like the ice cream turning to goo in their carts,” said the story. Why are we so impatient? It seems we’re always rushing. Even our children — maybe especially our children — are scheduled into one activity after another. As a group, Americans are way too busy. At least that’s the conventional wisdom and perhaps explains why we hate waiting. But I think we rather take pride in our busyness. We brag about it. We have stuff to do, so we must be important — and impatient. So, when the clerk at the post office puts up a “closed” sign when it’s our turn, or the woman in front of us at the grocery is having trouble with her credit card, we fret, we fume. Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” is a play about two tramps who are waiting for a mysterious gentleman named Godot. The whole play centers on their waiting, but Godot never shows up. The title makes one wonder if they really are waiting for God, but Beckett claimed that wasn’t so. Literary critics imagine that the existential play deals with the meaninglessness of life. But as Christians we don’t believe our lives are meaningless, and
Guest Column FATHER FRANK PAVONE guest columnist
— “We’ve seen a turn-off of physicians coming into this field.” (Abortionist Ed Boaz, ABC World News Tonight, January 16, 1998) — “Having the right to abortion doesn’t mean a [expletive] thing if you can’t access it.” (Barbara Ellis, abortion advocate, National Abortion Federation Annual meeting, San Francisco, March/April 1996) So many pro-life activists have looked for visible results of their legislative and educational activity, and often don’t find as much as they would like. Yet these quotes prove that the abortion industry feels the weight of our success. The goal in war is not to destroy one’s enemy, but to destroy the enemy’s capacity for waging war. By educating the public, especially medical students, about how ugly life as an abortionist is, we continue to rob them of what they need to keep abortion going. Father Pavone is national director of Priests for Life.
Traumas remind us life is precious The Human Side FATHER
EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist
I was sitting at a golf course near the Washington Hospital Center. It is the norm there to see helicopters shuttling patients to the center. But this time we suddenly heard a great thud. I knew immediately that a helicopter had crashed. Some of us jumped into a golf cart and sped down the hill. There in the distance was scattered debris, a tree cut in two and the downed helicopter on its side. As I went to assist other men who had gotten to the copter first, I noticed it was smoldering. Normally, the injured should not be moved until medics arrive to remove people without causing further injury. But we felt we had no time to wait. It seemed the helicopter could burst into flames at any moment. We tried to lift the pilot out as best we could as he shrieked in pain. It was extremely difficult to get him out because his feet were strapped into pedals that maneuver the plane. I next looked into the rear of the helicopter where a nurse and her patient were trapped. As we dragged her away from the helicopter, I asked her how she was. She replied that her shoulder was in extreme pain. We had to wait and hope that the helicopter wouldn’t blow up until the fire department arrived to cut free the patient who initially was being transported to the hospital center. Later, we were informed that the patient, who had been in critical condition prior to the crash, died. I have been in trauma situations before. You never get used to them. They leave you traumatized yourself. That accident spoke of life in a way I never thought of it before. When others’ lives are in danger and your life is endangered in the process of helping them, the urge is to forget danger and do what has to be done to save another. As I looked at the trapped nurse and her patient, all I wanted to do was to free them as soon as possible, just in case the helicopter exploded. Their lives meant everything to me, even at the cost of losing mine As painful as it is, traumatic lifeand-death situations make us realize how precious life is. There is no taking death or even injury for granted. The experience of such a trauma is a very difficult reminder that we can never become callous about people getting blown up before our very eyes. In an ironic way, it reminds us of the human being next to us and the God-given instinct within us to ensure his or her life, no matter the cost, no matter whether we know or don’t know the person.
June 23, 2006
living the faith
The Catholic News & Herald 16
Cloistered monks maintain spiritual connections with outside by
CAROL ZIMMERMANN catholic news service
BERRYVILLE, Va. — At first glance, the Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville seems completely shut off from the world at large. For starters, its location is off the beaten path in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. This is not a place that visitors accidentally stumble upon. And yet, the quiet pastoral setting is often inundated with visitors, those who come seeking solace or perhaps wanting to absorb some of the rich spiritual tradition on the monastery grounds. “The retreat house is always full,” Trappist Father Robert Barnes, the abbot, said of the guest house that sleeps 16, either for weeklong or weekend retreats. He said people reserve their spots months in advance and plenty are “on standby” if anyone cancels. Visitors essentially set their own routines. They are welcome to attend any of the five times reserved for prayers in the chapel with the Trappist monks — with the first prayers, the night Office of Vigils, at 3:30 a.m. and the closing prayers, or compline, at 7:30 p.m. They may attend meals with other participants or receive spiritual counseling from one of the monks, but they are not required to do so. After the Second Vatican Council, the grille in the church dividing monks and guests was taken down. Now there is a simple rope separating the two groups. Guests are restricted from the monastery’s private quarters and dining area. Providing an opportunity for spiritual renewal is key for the Trappists,
And when they visit, if nothing else, they get a chance to experience firsthand a silent environment in a TiVo- and radiofree zone. They also get the chance for some spiritual counseling or to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Trappist Father Edward McCorkell, 80, a native of South Africa, frequently counsels married couples who stay at the retreat house. Although he did not choose married life and has long lived inside the monastery walls, he can certainly say a thing or two about facing challenges head on. When he decided to become a priest, he came to the United States by ship in a 55-day trip at times surrounded by U-boats in World War II. The priest, who helped start a Trappist monastery in Chile, was the abbot at Holy Cross Abbey in 196680, a period of significant change in the world, the church and even the abbey. In the early 1960s, the abbey had the highest number of monks in its history — 61. Father McCorkell welcomed the changes brought by Vatican II, particularly the decision to do away with silence on the abbey grounds and the use of the Trappist sign language. Today he gets plenty of opportunity to talk, either in informative lectures to the monks or in discussions with guests where he sometimes gets the chance to speak Spanish. He is also quick to point out that meeting with those on retreat is a twoway street. “It’s wonderful for me to see them here,” he said of the guests, noting the sacrifices they make just to go on retreat. He also said the couples are a witness to him by their example of living
CNS photo by Bob Roller
Trappist monks gather for lunch in the dining hall of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Va., in early May. The men in the cloistered community, who range in age from 32 to 87, live by the Rule of St. Benedict and follow simple routines of prayer and work, far removed from the hectic pace of modern life.
a Trappist brother, is not at all surprised by the large turnouts at Trappist retreat houses, particularly in recent years. “People are starving out there, especially young people. They’re looking for depth,” he said.
according to Father Barnes, who said Pope Paul VI “insisted that monks have to be in touch with people seeking to renew their spirituality.” Capuchin Franciscan Brother Effrin Sosa, who is in the process of becoming