July 12, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 1

July 12, 2002 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for

July 12, 2002

These kids have HEART: Teens gather in Charlotte for national program ...page 9 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Priestly anniversaries celebrated, retirees honored at jubilee Mass

By KEVIN E. MURRAY Associate Editor CHARLOTTE — Clergy and religious from around the Diocese of Charlotte gathered to pay tribute to their own.

Bishop William G. Curlin celebrated the jubilee of priestly ordination Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral June 27. The celebration also recognized those retiring from active ministry.

Concelebrants were Father Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor; Abbot Placid Solari, OSB, spiritual and administrative leader of Belmont Abbey and chancellor of Belmont Abbey College; and Father Paul Gary, rector of St. Patrick Cathedral.

Retiring priest Father James Cahill, former pastor of St. Mary Church in Sylva, gave the homily. He shared an emotional reflection upon his 16 years of ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte as well as encouraging words to his fellow priests.

“There are things that I, and I’m sure you as well, have

Photo by Joann S. Keane

Retiring priest Father James Cahill gave the homily at the jubilee priestly ordination Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral June 27. The celebration also recognized those retiring from active ministry.

wanted to bring to the people,” said Father Cahill to the priests.

“They are the gifts of God — they are peace, joy and love. If I can take God’s peace and his love, and the joy of being with Christ, and convey that to another human being, I feel that my life as a priest is doing something remarkable.”

God is love, said Father Cahill. “These are troubled times.

There have been troubled times before, and there will be troubled times again,” he said. “But one thing I know is that God is good, and God loves people. I hope every one of us is aware of that. That knowledge is incredible, and it is so overwhelming and true.

“And if we can understand that, just one little bit about God’s love for us, I think we’ve got it made,” said Father Cahill.

Bishop Curlin commended the celebrants and retirees for their devotion and service to the priesthood. He also thanked the priests in attendance for helping pay tribute to their priestly brothers.

Jubilee anniversaries were: 60 years for Father Edward Sullivan; 55 years for Msgr.

Anthony Kovacic; 50 years for Vincentian Father Joseph Elzi; 45 years for Bishop Curlin and Msgr. Joseph Kerin; 40 years for retired Abbot Oscar Burnett, OSB (unable to attend); 35 years for Oblate Father Joseph Tustin; 30 years for Father Carlos Tarasi; and 25 years for Father Roger Arnsparger.

Retiring from pastoral ministry were Father Cahill and Msgr. Joseph Showfety.

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

Drawing conclusions about faith and leadership

Photo by Alesha M. Price

Pictured left to right, Kerri-Lynn Flynn from Good Shepherd Church in Hope Mills, N.C., and Katie Graf from St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Apex, N.C., work on their newspaper project during a morning presentation on the resurrection at Faithful Servant June 23 through 28 at Davidson College. They were two of over 90 participants from the dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh at the weeklong program dedicated to teaching teens and adults leadership skills rooted in their faith. See story page 5.

vOLUME 11

no. 39

Diocesan grant offers much for Hispanic Catholics

By JOANITA M. NELLENBACH Correspondent CHEROKEE — For rural Mexican Catholics, moving to Western North Carolina, Catholicism is a whole new faith experience. Back home, it wasn’t so complicated.

In rural Mexico, said Eduardo Bernal, Hispanic ministry worker for the Asheville and Smoky Mountain vicariates, “They know they have to get ready for their town’s patron’s feast. They know they have to support the priest. They know they have to get water to their village, and the priest and the church will support them. That’s how they live their faith.”

A $5,000 grant from the Foundation for the Diocese of Charlotte will help Hispanic Catholics in Western North Carolina learn more about their faith and become better stewards of the church through leadership

See GRANT,

page

15

Diocese adopts program to protect children

By JOANN S. KEANE Editor CHARLOTTE — Aaron Lundburg stood before 50 priests of the diocese gathered to discuss and listen to a difficult topic. During the afternoon of June 27, the priests watched and listened to a video presentation that shared the often-graphic words of pedophiles. In their own recantations, the sex offenders described their crimes. The words cut like a knife.

Lundburg was in Charlotte to lead a four-hour work-

Three college graduates embark on serving God, others ...page 4

shop designed to help priests focus on their roles as leaders in the crusade to eradicate child sexual misconduct. Armed with information on how to protect children from abuse within the diocese, Lundburg outlined ways the priests can recognize and respond to concerns regarding sexual misconduct.

It was the fulfillment of a promise made by Bishop William G. Curlin. This past April, he announced the upcoming implementation of a nationally recognized program designed to train all di-

Parish center groundbreaking unearths new life for church ...page 5

ocesan employees and volunteers to identify and correctly address aspects of sexual misconduct.

The Diocese of Charlotte contacted VIRTUS, a company affiliated with the National Catholic Retention Group, an insured, not-forprofit insurance company of which the diocese is a shareholder. VIRTUS’ program, Protecting God’s Children, is a course designed to strengthen communities through awareness, education and

See VIRTUS,

page

7

RCIA encourages fellowship, continuous faith sharing ...page 8

2 The Catholic News & Herald nix-based Hispanic ministry council’s Web site. Armando Contreras, council executive director, said issues affecting Hispanics — such as immigration policy, legal protection of workers and how Hispanics are portrayed in the media — need to be addressed within the church.

Bishop warns of blending INS functions with Homeland Security WASHINGTON (CNS) — A Bush administration proposal to move all functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to a new Department of Homeland Security could cause grave damage to both domestic security and immigration, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In testimony presented to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Miami Auxiliary Bishop Thomas G. Wenski warned that proposals to put all immigration functions under Homeland Security would be a mistake for the new agency and for how immigrants are treated. Bishop Wenski’s testimony was presented to the subcommittee by the director of migration and refugee policy for the USCCB, Kevin Appleby.

The same testimony also was delivered to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration. Both committees held hearings on the subject in late June. The U.S. bishops have no objection to the creation of the new department, Bishop Wenski wrote, but moving all immigration functions there would cause more problems than it would solve.

Panel of experts discusses relationship between religion and media WASHINGTON (CNS) — The media have a difficult time reporting on religion because, as Rabbi Jack Moline explained at a July 1 panel held at the National Press Club, “journalists are professional skeptics, while the religious community are professional believers.”

Mix that dichotomy with events as severe as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, and the warring and upheaval in the Middle-East, and the result is a recipe for conflict. That topic was explored by the rabbi and four other panelists at a discussion on “Reporting

CNS photo by Sam Lucero, Catholic Herald

Milwaukee church receives statue of Juan Diego Gianfranco Tassara, owner of Inspired Artisans Ltd., attaches an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to a life-size wooden statue of Juan Diego at St. Anthony Church in Milwaukee July 3. Juan Diego, the Indian peasant to whom Mary appeared on a hilltop in Mexico, will be canonized by Pope John Paul II in Mexico City July 31.

Council officials stress Catholic dimension of Hispanic identity WASHINGTON (CNS) — Hispanics must keep their Catholic identity in the forefront as their influence grows in U.S. society, said two officials of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry.

The officials expressed their views as the council prepared for its Aug. 1-4 national meeting to study political, labor, business and media issues of interest to Hispanic Catholics. The time is ripe for the rapidly growing Hispanic community to leave “its indelible mark on this nation,” said Auxiliary Bishop Jose H. Gomez of Denver, council treasurer, in a column. “We must not forget a fundamental characteristic of our identity: our being Catholic.” The bishop’s column appeared in the June 26 Denver Catholic Register, archdiocesan newspaper, and was posted on the Phoe-

Episcopal July 12, 2002 Volume 11 • Number 39 Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Associate Editor: Kevin E. Murray Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Graphic Designer: Tim Faragher Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Sherill Beason 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-mail: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $18 per year for all other subscribers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

July 12, 2002

The World in

c a l e n-

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events: August 4-8 Knights of Columbus National Convention Anaheim, Calif.

August 17 — 4 p.m.

Knights and Dames of Malta picnic for Lourdes pilgrims Charlotte August 18 — 3 p.m.

Blessing of new parish center St. Jude, Sapphire Valley August 20 — 9-11 a.m.

Orientation meeting for new priests Pastoral Center, Charlotte August 25 — noon 25th anniversary Mass and reception St. John Neumann, Charlotte

Religion,” sponsored by the Freedom Forum’s Newseum and the press club.

Rabbi Moline was joined by Ibrahim Hooper, communications director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Msgr. Francis J. Maniscalco, secretary for communications at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as journalists Hanna Rosin, national enterprise reporter at The Washington Post, and Larry Witham, religion reporter for The Washington Times. They critiqued the national media’s coverage of terrorist attacks, the sex abuse scandal and the crisis in the Mideast and came to some conclusions regarding what is an oftentimes harried relationship between religion and the media.

Vatican attributes budget deficit to downturn in world’s economy

Diocesan

plan -

zation for the Archdiocese of Detroit, will be held Aug. 5 through Aug. 11.

Participants will be able to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus through intense study of the Gospels.

For registration and other information, call the center at (828) 926-3833 or e-mail lwcrc@main.nc.us.

August 3 GREENSBORO — St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd., will be hosting a quarterly program on the first Saturday of the month. “Bridges for Women” will include Mass, breakfast and a program.

This month’s presentation will focus on Medjugorje. All women are invited to bring a friend for the morning gathering from 9-11:30 a.m. Childcare is available upon request, and a love offering will be taken during the event.

For July 31 reservations and further

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican posted its first budget deficit in nine years, attributing the $3 million shortfall mainly to a downturn in the world’s economy aggravated by the Sept.

11 terror attacks. Other negative factors included increasing expenses from opening and maintaining Vatican embassies and a “general sluggishness” in the Vatican’s publishing and broadcast enterprises after the jubilee year, said Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani, head of the Vatican’s budget planning office. He presented the Vatican’s annual financial statement at a July 5 press conference. According to the figures, the Vatican spent about $177 million and took in about $174 million in 2001. Cardinal Sebastiani said “the unfavorable course of the world economy during the year, heavily aggravated by the attacks of Sept. 11,” took a heavy toll on the Holy See’s books, reducing 2001 investment income by 50 percent in comparison with the previous year.

Pope evokes John XXIII’s encyclical for 2003 World Peace Day theme VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In his message for World Day of Peace 2003, Pope John Paul II will draw on Blessed John XXIII’s famous Cold War peace appeal to press for peace in a world newly shaken by international terrorism. The theme for the Jan. 1 day of prayer for peace is: “‘Pacem in Terris’ (Peace on Earth): A Permanent Commitment,” evoking the Latin name of Pope John’s 1963 encyclical on the need for global justice and peace. The Vatican announced the theme in a July 4 statement. The papal message is expected to be published and sent to heads of state around the world in December. “Taking account of the concerns arising from the worsening of terrorism and other forms of fratricidal conflict,” the Vatican said, the pope will underscore “the perennial timeliness of fundamental values and will issue an appeal for a new and courageous commitment for peace.”

Pope transfers to summer residence for quieter-than-usual stay VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II transferred to his summer details, call Sue Perez at (336) 6436199 or e-mail WPerez4@aol.com.

Ongoing BRYSON CITY — The St. Joseph Church thrift shop is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call the shop, located at 316 Main St., at (828) 488-2266 or Katherine Kelly at (828) 488-2519.

CHARLOTTE — Beginning in July, St. Ann Church will host bingo every Thursday night at 7 p.m. in its activity center, 3635 Park Rd. Call Charles Nesto at (704) 398-0879 for more information.

CONCORD — The summer hours until after Labor Day for the religious gifts and book shop at St. James Church, 251 Union St., are: Sun. after 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses, closed on Wed. and Sat. after the 5 p.m. Mass. For more information, contact Mary Moore at (704) 720-0600.

Please submit notices of events for the Diocesan Planner at least 15 days prior to the publication date.

July 12, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 3

The World in

Vatican backs new International Criminal Court NEW YORK (CNS) — The Vatican declared its support for the new International Criminal Court by making a symbolic gift on the day it opened, July 1. A press release issued the following day by the Vatican’s U.N. mission in New York called the entry into force of the agreement setting up the court a historic day. “The Holy See has offered a symbolic contribution to the trust fund set up by the secretary-general of the United Nations to support the establishment of the International Criminal Court,” the release said. Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general, expressed hope that the court would “deter future war criminals and bring nearer the day when no ruler, no state, no junta and no army anywhere will be able to abuse human rights with impunity.”

Archbishop Renato R. Martino, nuncio to the United Nations, said in an interview that the Vatican’s contribution was $3,000.

Anti-Catholic billboard on Oregon highway finally taken down PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — A controversial billboard calling the pope the Antichrist finally has been removed after being up for a year along Interstate 5 in southern Oregon. Mary Jo Tully, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Portland, said that “the message of derision on the billboard,” which was sponsored by a splinter group of Seventh-day Adventists, “was a source of pain for many.” She added, “We are very grateful to all those whose efforts are responsible for having it removed. The support of non-Catholics and the wider religious community was very encouraging.” Even after the contract for the sign ran out in early May, Medford-based Outdoor Media Dimensions had left up the billboard, which was paid for by the Rogue Valley Historic Seventh-day Adventists. The splinter group teaches that the Vatican is an agent of Satan.

Supreme Court ruling on vouchers praised, decried by educators WASHINGTON (CNS ) — The Supreme Court’s June 27 ruling that upheld Cleveland’s school voucher program was

hailed as a victory for low-income parents

by Catholic educators and other church leaders but decried by public school educators for validating a system that does not address the problem of inferior public schools. The Supreme Court upheld the Cleveland voucher program in a 5-4 ruling in the case of Zelman vs. Harris, saying the program is “entirely neutral with respect to religion.” A majority of the students who receive the vouchers use them to attend Catholic schools, which led opponents of the program to charge that it constitutes state support of religion. The majority of the court disagreed, however, siding with Chief Justice Wil-

liam Rehnquist, who said the system is “a program of true private choice” and does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Dominican Sister Glenn Anne McPhee, secretary of education of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the decision “reinforces the basic right of all parents to choose the school they believe best serves the educational needs of their children.”

‘Pledge of Allegiance’ ruling reverses 1950s initiative by Knights WASHINGTON (CNS) — A federal appeals court decision declaring unconstitutional the words “under

28 HENDERSONVILLE — The St.

July

St., from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Parish-provided lunchtime will begin at noon after Mass. The topic, “Creative Aging/ Making a Difference in Later Life,” will be presented in two sessions and will focus on taking an “observe-judgeact” approach to faith, society and aging issues with reflections, prayers and exercises. For pre-registration and other information, call Sandra Breakfield at (704) 370-3220 or Marlo Wallace at (704) 370-3228.

19 CHARLOTTE — Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF), a weekly support group for separated and divorced women, meets tonight at 7 p.m. in the St. Matthew Church parish center, 8015 Ballantyne Pkwy., for its monthly potluck dinner with a guest speaker from the community. TGIF is a healing ministry sponsored by Catholic Social Services, Charlotte Regional Office and St. Matthew Church. For details, call Trish Wilson at (704) 5438986.

20 CHARLOTTE — The Perpetual Hope Gospel Choir of Our Lady of

Francis of the Hills Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will meet today from 3-5 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West.

Visitors and inquirers are welcome; for more information, call Helen Gillogly, SFO, at (828) 883-9645.

29 MAGGIE VALLEY — Living Waters Catholic Reflection Center, 103 Living Waters Lane, will be hosting two upcoming retreats for all to attend. The first, entitled “Nature Retreat: Mountains and Hills, Bless the Lord,” will be held today through Aug. 4 with facilitators Augustinian Father Terry Hyland, center director; Charity Sister Fran Grady, spiritual director; and Freeman Owie, professional storyteller and Cherokee instructor. The retreat will focus on the union between God and nature and how one can tap into that bond. The second retreat, entitled “Gospel Living: New Vision, New Grace,” with Franciscan Father Dan Havron, coordinator of evangeli-

CNS photo by Bill Wittman

WYD cross continues to travel to Toronto Young people carry the World Youth Day cross near the CN Tower in Toronto June 27 as it continues a journey to various public centers prior to the celebration of the international youth event July 23-28. The tower, rising just more than 1,815 feet high, is the world’s tallest free-standing structure. The cross has traveled more than 16,000 miles since Pope John Paul II entrusted it to the world’s young people in 1984.

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BELMONT — Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 N. Main St., will be hosting a Port-a-Pit Chicken fundraiser today during lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and from 4-7:30 p.m. Meal will include one-half of a chicken, baked beans, Cole slaw and a roll provided by Port-a Pit Chicken of Statesville. Participants may eat in or carry out with drive-thru service available, and orders of eight or more can take advantage of delivery service. Proceeds will benefit the parish nursing program. For further details, call Jennifer Church at (704) 651-9605 or the church office at (704) 825-5277 17 JEFFERSON — A series of presentations; sponsored by CSS Elder Ministry and facilitated by Richard Von Stamwitz, a national certified gerontological counselor; are being presented throughout the diocese. Today’s presentation will be given at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 326 Main

God” in the Pledge of Allegiance when recited in public schools negated a major legislative initiative sponsored nearly 50 years ago by the Knights of Columbus. The Knights, a Catholic fraternal order, successfully campaigned in the early 1950s to get Congress to include “under God” in the pledge.

“The Knights will support efforts to overturn the ruling,” said Paul Devin, Knights executive vice president for legal affairs. The group is very proud of helping get “under God” in the pledge, he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview June 27. The 2-1 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals June 26 said that use of “under God” in the pledge, as well as public school policies on students reciting the pledge, violated constitutional provisions against government establishment of religion. The case involved an atheist parent who said it was a violation of the Constitution for his daughter to have to listen to her classmates recite the pledge.

Black Catholic congress to focus on evangelizing communities CHICAGO (CNS) — When hundreds of African-American Catholics arrive in Chicago at the end of August, they will find a celebration of their faith and culture as well as inspiration to carry that faith to the world. From Aug. 29-Sept. 1, the ninth National Black Catholic Congress will focus on action, prayer, resources and commitment. Presenters from around the nation, Mass in the African Ge’ez rite, a black composer’s music and double the number of 1997 exhibitors are some highlights for those committed to evangelizing people of African descent. The upcoming congress is not a conference or a workshop but is “long-range planning,” said congress regional director Sheila Adams, who also is director of African-American ministry in the Chicago Archdiocese.

When the delegates return to their dioceses, they are to begin one-, threeand five-year plans for evangelization.

Kentucky priest indicted, others arrested for sexual abuse Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave., will be hosting a guest choir tonight at 6:30 p.m. The First AME Church Gospel Choir of Manassas, Va., will be performing the free concert. All are invited to attend the ecumenical event. For further information, call Robin Landingham at (704) 386-1374.

27 BELMONT — Queen of the Apostles Church, 503 N. Main St., will be hosting a day of retreat and reflection centering on mystagogia, the final process in RCIA, for the newly initiated and all other interested Catholics. The event will take place today from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the family center with lunch provided.

For further information and reservations, call Dennis Teall-Fleming at (704) 825-9600, Ext. 26.

28 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, educational seminars and social events.

Contact Michael Slane at (336) 6659264 for time and location.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

July 12, 2002

Around the Di-

Three college graduates embark on serving God,

others.

“I’m so excited about next year,” said Zipple, who, beginning in August, will be living with eight others while working at the Dorothy Day House, a woman’s shelter sponsored by the Diocese of Syracuse. Living in community with the other volunteers and serving the needy attracted Zipple to the FrancisCorps.

“I’ll live in a house with other young people who have made a commitment to community,” she said. “We’ll make a journey together with the needy as the priority. It’s a unique opportunity to do something that’s good.”

Shock, a sociology major from Pittsburgh, Penn., has already returned from Calcutta, India, where she worked for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. After two to three weeks of training, she will leave early August for the Jesuit Volunteers International community on Majuro, the atoll capital of the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific, to teach sixth grade.

“My faith is an integral part of who I am and of my calling, which is why I have chosen to serve with a faith-based organization,” said Shock, who is looking forward to immersing herself in a foreign culture. “To know what other people in the world go through everyday will give me a new perspective.”

The organizations will each provide room and board and a small stipend to the volunteers.

“Some of my friends think I’m crazy to go into a situation where I’m not making a lot of money,” said Proulx.

“Some are not surprised at all.”

“Most of my friends think along the same lines as I do,” said Shock.

“Some are a little worried (about the location), but most are really supportive.”

“My close friends are similarly motivated and understand why I’m doing this,” said Zipple. “Others have a hard time seeing the merit in it. The merit is obvious to me.”

Zipple said those other friends earned decent salaries but weren’t passionate about their jobs or working long hours. “My hard work will be more meaningful and fulfilling,” she said.

Courtesy Photo

Jackie Shock, Maura Proulx and Kristin Zipple are three Wake Forest University graduates who have chosen to do volunteer work with Catholic service organizations. Proulx and Zipple will each spend a year working for the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers and the FrancisCorps in New York, respectively. Shock will spend two years with Jesuit Volunteers International in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The women are grateful for the support of their families — and each other.

“I think it’s awesome that I have close friends like Jackie and Maura who are doing this,” said Zipple. “We’ll be apart but on similar journeys.”

“Even though we’ll all be far away from each other, we’ll still be close,” said Shock. “I’ll be in the Marshall Islands, but I’ll be in New York and Colorado with them.”

The three friends hope to share their faith with those they are serving.

Yet they believe the real impact of their service will be on them.

“I hope I can contribute something to the women and children at Dorothy Day House,” said Zipple. “But I think the people I serve will give me more than I could ever give to them.”

“I hope I make an impact. I think I will,” said Shock. “But I think I’ll take away more than I give. Knowing what other people in the world go through on a daily basis will help give me a new perspective on life.”

“I know I’ll receive 100 times more

than I can give,” said Proulx. “But I’m doing it because I feel called to give.

What I get back is a blessing and an added bonus.”

And after their service is done?

“Social work,” said Zipple. “I think I’ll be involved with contributing to the greater good, being able to work and be in relationships with mentors and living the life I think I am called to live.”

“I hope to go to Boston College and get a joint master’s in social work and pastoral ministry,” said Proulx.

“When I come back, I’ll most likely go to graduate school and take it from there,” said Shock.

As far as her friends go, Shock said, “Kristin and Maura are fantastic people.

I know they’ll do wonderful things.”

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

By KEVIN E. MURRAY Associate Editor WINSTON-SALEM — Unlike many college seniors, three Wake Forest University graduates aren’t rushing into the corporate world.

Maura Proulx, Kristin Zipple and Jackie Shock have chosen to do volunteer work with Catholic service organizations after graduation. Proulx and Zipple will each spend a year working for the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers and the FrancisCorps in Colorado and New York, respectively. Shock will spend two years with Jesuit Volunteers International in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

All close friends, Proulx, Zipple and Shock were a part of the Wake Forest Catholic Community. Their post-college convictions will mean moving far from their families, living with strangers and working with the poor.

“I’ve always dreamed of doing a volunteer program,” said Proulx, an English major from Atlanta, Ga. “I think it’s a great way to step out of my comfort zone, to live and rely on my faith, and to challenge myself to grow.”

In August, Proulx will leave her comfort zone for inner-city Denver, where she will live with eight to 12 volunteers while working at The Gathering Place, a day shelter for women and children.

While sharing a home with a group of strangers will be a challenge, Proulx is looking forward to it.

“I’ll be living in solidarity with people and gaining compassion and empathy — not just sympathy — for the people I’m serving,” she said. “My faith calls and drives me to do it and will help me get through it.”

Zipple, a psychology major from Hattiesburg, Miss., and former Catholic Community president, initiated the group’s Costa Rica service project and twice participated in the university’s annual service trip to Honduras. She said she is now ready to do more and immerse herself in yearlong service to

July 12, 2002

Around the Di-

Parish center groundbreaking

The Catholic News & Herald 5

North Carolina youth gather tools for church leadership

Photo by Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay

Participants in the June 23 parish center groundbreaking ceremony at St. Mary Church in Greensboro are (from left) Lewis Dunlap, construction chairman; Vincentian Father Mahn Nguyro; Father Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor; and Vincentian Father Robert Prior, pastor. ments to the old buildings, it is for the

By REV. MR. GERALD POTKAY betterment of the parish that we give Correspondent GREENSBORO — The parishio- way to progress.”

“We are looking at open-ended ners of St. Mary Church broke ground expansions,” said Father Prior, noting for their new parish center June 23.

“It has become necessary to build a the parish would like to one day build new facility rather than repair the old one a school with an auditorium. “When until futility,” said Vincentian Father Rob- that time arrives, the facility we are building today can be modified and ert J. Prior, pastor of St. Mary Church.

Father Prior said Our Lady of the Mi- turned into a full-sized church,” said raculous Medal, a four-room middle school Father Prior “I am quite proud that we were that went out of use in 1972, has been used for parish functions such as meetings and able to reach our first financial goal social events. He explained the inadequa- through our parishioners,” said Foster.

That first financial goal was cies of using the school: It is impossible to get more than 100 people together $400,000 of a total cost of $1.3 milat any one time, and the cost and effort lion. To help the success of their fund to repair and upgrade the structure drive, the parish prays at the close of every Mass to St. Joseph, the carpenwould be excessive.

“This new parish center will serve ter and husband of Mary to intercede to bring our multicultural community with Jesus for the parish.

It is hoped that the construction phase together for both the celebration of Mass and healthy socialization. (It) of the parish center will be completed in time will be a means of expanding our for the yearlong 75th anniversary celebraservices to our parishioners and bring- tion of the founding of the parish, which ing unity through socialization,” said commences in January 2003.

Father Prior.

Contact Correspondent Rev. Mr. GerOn hand for the ceremony was Father Mauricio West, chancellor and vicar general of the Diocese of Charlotte. During his homily, Father West told the parishioners that, “This is the opportunity for us to look at what we are all about as the people of God.” Longtime parishioner Virginia Smith said, “I think it’s wonderful that we are building anew. But, I’m going to miss the old. It’s like claiming my squatter’s rights of 60 years here. I am glad that we are making progress, and I know that progress can’t be made without change.”

The new parish center will have the availability to seat 350 comfortably for Mass or 250 for a sit-down dinner.

In addition, there will be eight classrooms, three offices and a full-sized kitchen.

“The center will enable us to cut at least one Mass from our weekend load of six,” said church organist and longtime parishioner Carl Foster. “Even though many of us have our attach-

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer DAVIDSON — Teens from the Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh immersed themselves in the college experience at Davidson College June 23 through June 28. Over 90 participants majored in leadership with courses in evangelization, Christian identity, the Eucharist, the paschal mystery and other subjects, and they earned not degrees but some of the knowledge and skills necessary to be a proactive leader in the church.

“Faithful Servant: Tools for ChristCentered Leadership” has brought youth together from the next-door neighbor dioceses in North Carolina for the past five years, and teens have had the opportunity to share ideas, interact with other Catholic teens and learn leadership skills. Peer leaders, young adult mentors and diocesan officials guided the teen and adult attendants through the weeklong schedule of skits, large- and small-group discussions, prayer, interactive games and presentations.

Previously, each of the dioceses held its own version of Faithful Servant for many years before combining the programs into a six-day, five-night minisummer institute for teens across the state. Paul Kotlowski, director of youth ministry from the Diocese of Charlotte, explained that while the focus of Faithful Servant has changed, the outcome will hopefully remain the same.

“What we had (before) was a leadership institute that had secular skills with a Christian veneer, and we really wanted to invert that. So, we really focused on Christian theology and purpose and introduced secular skills as they apply,” said Kotlowski. “One of the things that really appeals to the kids is that we are very intentional about making a Christian community one of prayer, acceptance and love. Like all of us, they are really hungry for that, and they respond wonderfully to that because it is what we are called to do.”

The Christian leadership skills were demonstrated and illustrated through presentations from the adult leaders.

On the last full day of the retreat during the morning presentation, the students were given a premise — resurrection.

Using various communication mediums, such as newspapers, radio, television and word of mouth, the groups had to create inventive and effective ways of “spreading the Good News” to their peers. Similar skits and activities were conducted

to show the teens that communication and other skills like consensus seeking, surrender, community and establishing the church are necessary for leadership in any capacity.

“This is a leadership training based on Christian principles and beliefs; not just secular teaching and leadership, but the skills that Jesus used. (We discuss) how we can use those (skills) in our everyday youth groups,” said Leo Moreda, Faithful Servant coordinator in the Diocese of Raleigh and youth minister at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Raleigh.

“The core of it is that we are hopefully teaching the youth, and really modeling for the youth, Jesus’ example of a what a leader is.”

The week is filled with varied activities so that the youth gain the opportunity to learn in an interactive way. Much to some of the teens’ dismay, those from different churches and cities are mixed up into small groups with teens from both dioceses; however, many of them learn that this serves to expose them to cities and small towns to which they would otherwise not travel.

“We have different perspectives being from different parts of the state, and our churches are somewhat different even though we are all one Catholic Church,” said 17-year-old Gregory Richmond from Holy Infant Church in Durham.

“Some of our attitudes and the way we understand our beliefs and certain points in our faith are so different. It’s kind of cool to share that faith among everyone and share the differences.”

Time to develop lasting friendships and the significant impact of what he learned was a large part of Carlos Marra’s appreciation of the week of activities and sessions. “This was a big group, but we saw each other a lot. We had small communities, and as we spent our time together, everybody got a little closer.

At most retreats, you don’t get to know everybody, but we had more time to pray and meet everybody. It was a different experience, not like anything like I’ve experienced. I had a great time because I was able to make more friends and grow a lot closer to God.” Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

People in the

CNS photo by Debbie Hill

Curfews disrupt Palestinian student’s entrance exams Linda Bader, a student of the Latin Patriarchate school, sits with study materials as she prepares for college entrance exams at her home in Beit Jalla in the West Bank July 3. Her college entrance exams have been disrupted because of Israeli army curfews.

Veteran religion writer Jim Castelli dies at age 55 WASHINGTON (CNS) — Jim Castelli, a longtime journalist, author, researcher and consultant on religion and public policy issues, died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack July 6. He was 55. Among his books were two on religion in America co-written with George Gallup Jr., “The American Catholic People” in 1987 and “The People’s Religion” in 1989. He also wrote “The Bishops and the Bomb” in 1983, on the development of the U.S. bishops’ 1983 peace pastoral; “I’m Too Young to Have a Heart Attack” in 1990, reflecting on his life-changing 1985 heart attack; and “How I Pray” in 1994, interviewing 26 Americans on their spiri-

tuality and prayer life. With Msgr. Joseph Gremillion he co-wrote “The Emerging Parish” in 1988, a report on the massive Notre Dame study of U.S. Catholic parish life. In the 1970s his name was among the most widely recognized bylines in the U.S. Catholic press.

Pope praises Mother Cabrini as model of caring for immigrants VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II praised St. Frances Cabrini, the first U.S. saint to be canonized, as a model of caring for immigrants amid the growing phenomenon of human mobility. In a message to members of the religious order Mother Cabrini founded, he said the Italian-born woman lived her life “completely dedicated to

carrying Christ’s love to those who, far from homeland and family, also risked distancing themselves from God.” The pope’s message was released at the Vatican July 4. The order, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, was holding a monthlong general chapter meeting in Rome. The pope said Mother Cabrini’s nuns were called to welcome and care for “the immigrants of our time, who — together with a burden of suffering, solitude and poverty — also often carry with them a rich baggage of humanity, values and hopes.”

Woman’s testimony on post-abortion syndrome comes from the heart PITTSBURGH (CNS) — When Vera Faith Ford speaks about postabortion syndrome, she speaks from the heart and personal experience. “I was 21 weeks pregnant when I had my abortion,” Ford said. “I was married and in a very dysfunctional, abusive marriage. I was literally the poster child for the pro-choice industry.” Ford conducted a workshop, “Through the Looking Glass: The Land Beyond Abortion,” at the National Right to Life Committee’s annual convention, held June 27-29 in Pittsburgh. She is the executive director of Alpha Omega Life, the pro-life arm of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Pittsburgh, and operates the Vera Faith Ford Pro-Life Outreach based in Bethel Park.

Brazilian cardinal says World Cup left good examples to follow RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNS) — Retired Cardinal Eugenio de Araujo Sales of Rio de Janeiro said the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which ended with Brazil’s 2-0 win over Germany, resulted not only in temporary joy but also good examples to follow. “Many nations have been witnesses to fair play and exemplary at-

July 12, 2002

titudes,” said Cardinal Sales. “Distant nations, with so different cultures, were able to share together in a spirit of sportsmanship, which is based in the effort for victory, self-control and true respect for the rival. To the dark side of some excesses in celebrations, there was the bright side of a tournament in which rivals, after struggling for victory, were able to greet each other and exchange gestures of friendship and mutual respect,” the cardinal said.

Writers for ‘The Practice,’ ‘The West Wing’ receive Humanitas Prize LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Writers for two highly-acclaimed television dramas, ABC’s “The Practice” and “The West Wing” on NBC, were among 12 award-winning entertainment writers honored during the 28th annual Humanitas Prize luncheon June 25. Held at the Hilton Universal Hotel in Universal City, the 2002 Humanitas Prize conferred a total of $145,000 in prizes in eight television and feature film categories on writers whose work “not only entertains, but also enriches the viewing public.” In addition, the first Kieser Award — named in honor of the late Paulist Father Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, who launched Humanitas in 1974 — was presented to television journalist Bill Moyers in recognition of his successful 30-year career. In memory of deceased “Frasier” writer and producer David Angell and his wife, Lynn, who perished together Sept. 11 when their hijacked plane crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers, the Humanitas Prize also announced the establishment of the “David and Lynn Angell Humanitas Fellowship in Comedy Writing.”

Wisconsin bishop was source for America’s answer lady LA CROSSE, Wis. (CNS) — It was 1948 and Eppie Lederer showed up at a Catholic high school in Eau Claire to

July 12, 2002

The Catholic News & Herald 7

From the

Russia returns stainedglass windows taken from Germany after

VIRTUS, from page 1 ficulties for parishioners, volunteers and employees. “While it has been awful, I think there is a silver lining to it all, because the Catholic Church has now been put in a very unique position to take on an issue that no other child-serving organization has been able to take on. And that is protecting our most vulnerable children from abuse,” he said.

The priests were the second group to participate in the VIRTUS workshop.

On June 12, principals in the diocese were the first to attend the diocesan sponsored training session.

Next month, a selected group will attend a session to “train the trainer.” From there, VIRTUS certified trainers will disperse throughout the diocese.

“Our goal is to educate every priest, religious, employee and volunteer in the 46-county diocese,” said Father Mauricio West, vicar general and chancellor.

“Ultimately, the diocese will share this information with its 1,900 employees, 3,500 volunteers, all priests, permanent deacons and women religious.”

Contact Editor Joann Keane by calling (704) 370-3336 or e-mail jskeane@ charlottediocese.org.

Photo by Joann S. Keane

Aaron Lundburg conducted the four-hour VIRTUS workshop Protecting God’s Children, a course designed to help diocesan employees and volunteers to identify and correctly address aspects of sexual misconduct, for 50 diocesan priests at St. Patrick School June 27. training.

Bishop Curlin has long been an outspoken proponent of zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. In 1995, as an allegation against a now-deceased priest was brought to his attention, he promptly traveled to the Asheville parish, and during each Mass that March weekend, he addressed the parish declaring zero tolerance for child sexual misconduct. Since that time, across the country, zero tolerance has become the oft-used, unequivocal avowal of crimes against children.

“We help them (workshop partici-

pants) reduce the risk of their clientele of being abused by either a staff member or another peer,” said Lundburg, whose company also helps staff members falsely accused of abuse. “We provide training, what we are doing here today.” Further, VIRTUS does risk assessments and provides recommendations of how to reduce the risks of children being abused and their staff being falsely accused of abuse.

“This is one of the best abuse prevention programs,” said Lundburg. It gives factual, correct and true information. It provides concrete ways — not solutions — but ways to help prevent abuse from occurring.

“Recently, it has been very difficult for the Catholic community,” said Lundburg. “None of you, none of us, have been able to open a newspaper, turn on a TV, listen to the radio, without hearing ‘sexual abuse, child molestation, Catholic church, priest, celibacy’ or any combination of those words,” he said.

“And it has been especially difficult for you,” said Lundburg to the priests.

Moreover, he acknowledged the dif-

By JONATHAN LUXMOORE Catholic News Service WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A German Catholic official praised a Russian government decision to return to a Protestant church more than 100 stained-glass windows taken after World War II. “This is a sign that the Cold War is finally over, and relations are gaining a new quality,” said Andreas Herzig, spokesman for Germany’s Berlin Archdiocese. “This move will benefit all of us.”

The spokesman was reacting to the late-June handover in St. Petersburg of 111 windows to German Culture Minister Julian Nida-Ruemelin, for reinstallation in the Evangelical St. Mary’s Church in Frankfurt an der Oder.

Herzig told Catholic News Service the Catholic Church had lost fewer objects to the Soviet Army during its occupation of eastern Germany and was not pursuing restitution claims against Russia.

“However, we’re very pleased to see these confiscated items being given back to our Evangelical brethren,” Herzig said.

The 14th-century windows were taken by invading Soviet troops in 1946, three years after being dismantled during Allied bombing and stored for safekeeping in Potsdam.

Evangelical church leaders have negotiated for their return since the early 1990s, following rebuilding work on the war-damaged Frankfurt an der Oder church.

A resolution allowing the restitution, approved April 5 by the Russian Parliament’s lower house, stated that the windows had not “served the interests of militarism or fascism.”

A final agreement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during the Russian head of state’s May visit to Germany.

8 The Catholic News & Herald

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July 12, 2002

RCIA session encourages fellowship, continuous faith

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — People come into the Catholic Church for various reasons.

Some want to further develop their spirituality, while some people feel an inexplicable pull toward Catholicism. Whatever the reason, those born into other faith traditions or those with no specific religious background have found their home in Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA. The RCIA allows people to have the opportunity to share in faith with others.

Those who converted to Catholicism through the RCIA and those who have worked in the ministry gathered at Our Lady of Consolation Church (OLC) June 23 for an RCIA grand reunion.

The day; which included Mass, a testimony from a former candidate, a panel discussion and a meal; was designed to bring people together in faith and fellowship. Nearly 40 people involved with the parish RCIA attended the session “RCIA is a process that is a continuing cycle; this is something in terms of their faith journeys that goes forward and doesn’t end with confirmation or baptism,” said Dale Brown, OLC pastoral associate and RCIA coordinator. “We came here to bond, grow closer together and address any concerns we might have. We want to encourage continued dialogue among all of us — the coordinator, the sponsors and those who have gone through the process.”

RCIA includes the steps that adults must take to become initiated into the Catholic Church through inquiry, prayer, study and liturgical celebrations of the sacraments of initiation — baptism, Eucharist and confirmation.

“The Catholic Church is all about evangelization, and the way to do that is to bring people into the church. In order to do that we must have some type of process in place, and RCIA is that process,” said Brown.

Sterling and Saronda Easter, OLC parishioners and session participants, have a special interest in the RCIA process. Mrs. Easter, a cradle Catholic, sponsored her husband through the process, and they shared a special bond

as husband and wife and sponsor and candidate. Easter said that a desire to receive the Eucharist with his family and to be a family of faith with his wife and two daughters were some of the reasons he decided to join the Catholic Church.

“RCIA gave me a real sense that there is a God. I always knew there was, but through the process, I grew closer to God and developed a one-onone relationship with him,” said Easter.

Toni Cowsette, OLC parishioner, was baptized and raised Catholic but had left the church. She felt a need to return to her childhood faith and brought her two children into Catholicism with her.

“As a child, you hear about Jesus and have the Bible read to you, but you don’t get a chance to understand what you are hearing,” said Larry Cowsette, now 22, who came into the church as a child with his mother. “RCIA gave me a chance to ask questions that I was curious about and to help me better build my faith in the Lord.”

In speaking with RCIA coordinators in other parishes, Brown found that one of their shared concerns was that some of the people who had gone through the process seemed to slowly disengage themselves from parish life and Mass.

Brown was interested in discovering why some people fall away from the church after undergoing the nearly yearlong process of the RCIA. She feels that increased dialogue will help to keep some of the parishioners attending Mass and ministering in the church.

“I was curious with RCIA if the people continued coming to church and continued in their faith, and I was gratified today to see that everyone that was here today still attends church. But, I don’t know how many yet still practice their faith that have gone through the process perhaps before I came here three years ago,” said Capuchin Father Jude Duffy, pastor of OLC. “We have to do more programs like this to reach out to those who don’t feel like they are a part of the parish and make sure they are welcome.”

Brown agreed, “I heard some suggestions from some of the participants today that we can improve upon in terms of trying to help people become more comfortable in the church once they go through the process. This is a

Photo by Alesha M. Price

Pictured from left, Tish Steward, session panelist; Dale Brown, OLC pastoral associate and RCIA coordinator and Capuchin Father Jude Duffy, OLC pastor, discuss ministry at the RCIA grand reunion held at OLC June 23. think the majority of people that go start, and it will take a while to catch through the RCIA process think that on. We want to hear the concerns of when they get to the end of it, it’s over. people who have fallen away from the We must worship the Lord each and church, and we want to get them back. every day of our lives,” said Easter.

We hope that people who attended “Someone asked me ‘are you glad it today will help those who have left the (RCIA) is over?’ I said ‘it is not over, church.” it’s just the beginning.’”

The Easters expressed their concern having recently gone through Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. the RCIA. They said that they are in Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail search of the answer to the “whereamprice@charlottediocese.org. do-we-go-from-here” question but feel compelled to do what they can to encourage increased fellowship at their parish and to become involved with various ministries.

“There were some key issues brought up today about follow-up. I

July 12, 2002

Around the Di-

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Teens gather in Charlotte for national In the Charlotte location, the youth slept in gender-designated classrooms and ate meals served by CCHS students and other volunteers. The groups came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota and parts of North Carolina and worked with sponsor organizations like the Cherry Community Organization; Love, Inc.; Catholic Social Services; Holy Angels, Inc.; Catherine’s House and other agencies. All of the diocesan groups — some of whom said they traveled to Charlotte simply because they had never been to the state or because they went where there was a need — were separated into 50 teams with adult chaperones that were assigned work in and around Charlotte.

The teams worked in the mornings, broke for lunch onsite and worked in the afternoons. They then drove back to CCHS for evening reflection, dinner and recreation. On one of the final nights of the camp, Bishop William G. Curlin celebrated Mass for the group.

For many of the teens, this was their first exposure to community work and their first trip out of their home states.

Belch and 15 others worked at 90-yearold Virginia Reese’s home sponsored by Love, Inc. and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Center Friendly Visitor Program.

The students cleaned, primed and painted walls, organized photos dating back to the 1800s and cleaned rooms while keeping Reese company during the week.

“They say it’s fun, and they love it. It’s the camp experience but taking it to that next level,” said Marty Kelly, adult chaperone from St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro, who also worked at Reese’s home. “These kids believe in the love of God and Jesus Christ, and they want it to show in their lives.”

Residents in the Cherry Community welcomed their workers with open arms, supplying tools and bringing refreshments to the teen and adult workers. Two groups refurbished several homes in the historic Charlotte neighborhood, and 16-year-old Beth Walger from the Church of the Nativity in Baltimore, Md., was perched atop a ladder painting trim for much of the time.

From her precarious position, she felt she had an angel watching over her.

“My mom, who passed away in April, was really into community service. After her death, that got me motivated. I love meeting people, and it has been so much fun,” said Walger. “It makes me feel good because I am meeting people and because my mom was all for service. I really love

Photos by Alesha M. Price

From left to right; pictured foreground, Eva Fiastro, 18, from the Church of the Nativity in Baltimore, Md., concentrates as she paints bathroom trim at the home of Virginia Reese during the Catholic HEART Workcamp June 30 through July 6. Pictured background is 16-year-old Nikki Cuck from Holy Trinity Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. Beth Walger, 16, from the Church of the Nativity in Baltimore, Md., paints outside trim at a home in the Cherry Community. Pictured far right, 15-year-old Jessica Field, a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Marion, Ohio, rakes leaves in the yard of a Cherry Community home. She said that the work makes her feel good because it is nice to know that she has helped someone who is disadvantaged.

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — Chris Belch thought that church was boring. In fact, before he traveled to Charlotte from St. John Vianney Church in Philadelphia for the Charlotte HEART Workcamp, he hardly ever attended. However, after a couple of days of painting, scrubbing, cleaning and scraping an elderly woman’s home as a part of the week of activities of the national teen work camp established in 1993, he has a different view of his faith and ministry.

“The first day we came here, I went to church twice, and the enthusiasm of the kids changed all of the views I had before. It has completely shifted my idea of religion, and I have gone through such a mental change about the Lord,” said 17-year-old Belch, who will try to start a youth group at his church. “They have made church fun, and I can’t stay away anymore. It is such a good idea, and everybody should come.”

Even though the school year does not begin until August, Charlotte Catholic High School’s (CCHS) halls reverberated with the sounds of music, young voices and chatter from 330 teens and adult chaperones from

around the country the week of June 30 through July 6. Groups traveled from as far as Minnesota and from as near as Greensboro to participate in the third year that the diocese has hosted the Catholic HEART Workcamp (CHWC). Based in Orlando, Fla., the camps, held June through August, have popped up in over 20 states with between 200 and 400 teens at each camp.

“We feel like this is something that God has created; we are just doing his work, and we look at ourselves as stewards,” said Lisa Walker, co-founder with her husband, Steve, who began the camp in their hometown of Orlando.

The idea came to the former youth ministers after they attended nondenominational work camps with their youth group. They missed the “Catholic characteristics” like daily Mass and reconciliation, so they decided to create their camp with these ideals in mind. The CHWC has grown since then, and the couple travel to each campsite every year, working full-time with the local coordinators to make sure the camps run smoothly. Each of the camps follows a schedule including daytime community work provided by local organizations and evening worship and praise activities like songs, skits, team reports and others.

helping other people, and they love it, too.”

Walker says that through the CHWC, the youth see themselves enacting change and that they are not helpless. “By their service, they see how valuable they are, and they become hope, especially right now within our church and within our world with what’s going on. It’s such a positive thing. What’s really neat about the CHWC is that it’s a whole retreat built into it. They think they are coming here just to work, then at night, we share the Gospel and church teaching about what it means to serve and what Jesus challenges us to do. To me, that’s the level of Christianity that God desires for all of us.”

Contact Staff Writer Alesha M. Price by calling (704) 370-3354 or e-mail amprice@charlottediocese.org.

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Books reveal U2’s climb to fame, activism

Reviewed by KATHERINE NUSS Catholic News Service In these first years of the new millennium, few rock bands have had the success and media exposure of the Irish group U2. Most recently, U2’s lead singer and songwriter Bono toured Africa with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill with the goal of educating and influencing policymakers to increase U.S. aid. Bono uses his fame to attract world attention to the need to alleviate poverty in Africa through development, investment, increased aid and reduced debt.

U2’s activist nature has been evident since the group’s beginnings in 1979 Dublin. As the group performed around the world, members witnessed the vast disparity between nations, which helped shape them and their music.

Two new books shed light on what made U2 what it is today.

“Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2” by Irish Presbyterian minister Steve Stockman focuses entirely on the faith development, Scripture references and spiritual nature of the band’s lyrics. He offers a perspective you don’t generally read in entertainment writing. First he looks at the band’s beginnings: Growing up Irish, where religion so often divided the population, Bono attended a mixed Catholic-Protestant middle school where he met the other bandmates. About this time, the loss of his mother intensified his spirituality as well as his seeking of answers in Scripture.

Stockman argues that the band knows its vocation and takes it up willingly. Many of their biggest hits — “Gloria,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Pride” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking for” — are about soul-searching, faith and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Stockman is a true admirer of Bono, the band and the members’ good works. He thinks that U2 remains popular and relevant even as the bandmates address faith questions in a world of suffering because they deal honestly, not blindly, and because they believe.

Stockman writes of the honest and forceful way Bono refers to Scripture in the concert setting. He says redemption and hope are ideas that U2 offers to its audience. Seeing them in concert after Sept. 11, I can attest to the frequent references to the Lord, the healing nature of the words and the spirit that resonated through the arena.

“U2 Into the Heart” by music writer Niall Stokes tells the story behind every U2 song. Bono collaborated with Stokes, and at least one band member regrets that contribution. Drummer Larry Mullens Jr.

July 12, 2002

Read-

in Time magazine said, “I think it was big mistake because one of the most valuable things about his lyrics is that you can adapt them to any particular situation.”

We learn how an idea builds, how the rest of U2 band members contribute and how nuances can make the song. It is an essential resource for anyone who admires the songs of U2. The photographic timeline itself is worth the price of the book, but to have Bono describe what was happening in the world or within his own family as he wrote the lyrics is truly insightful.

After reading the book you will never again listen to the songs the same way. The book takes readers up to U2’s much-lauded current offering, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind,” with deeply personal songs of loss and tremendous hope for the state of our world. Stokes has covered U2 in the Irish music press for decades. His history with the band allowed him great access and he graciously sheds light on the process and personalities that are U2.

Together these books flesh out what U2 is and what makes U2 one of the most successful bands in rock ‘n’ roll history. They explain the motivations for involvement in peace and justice issues, the search for salvation and answers, the desire for a better world. Now it seems it’s not enough just to sing about it, but to do something to create heaven on earth where children have medicine and enough to eat.

Word to Life

Sunday Scripture Readings: July 14, 2002 July 14, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Cycle A Readings: 1) Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 65:10-14 2) Romans 8:18-23 3) Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

By JEAN DENTON Catholic News Service Cory was the quietest of our parish confirmation candidates last year. But in his letter to the bishop requesting the sacrament, one simple line loudly proclaimed the word of God: “I found out that something so small as spending time working a puzzle with an elderly person at the nursing home can make someone so happy.”

This weekend’s reading from Isaiah explains that just as the rain doesn’t return to the heavens until it has fulfilled its task of watering the earth and making it fruitful, God’s word “shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

Cory had spent a moment loving a person who needed it, and he realized the fruitfulness of God’s word, that is, the love of Christ, the way of the cross.

Isaiah said God’s word will achieve its end. Cory said, in effect, wow, I got to be part of that.

In the sower’s parable, the Gospel follows up by pointing out that

not everyone chooses to participate when given the chance to share in bringing God’s will into the world.

Cory was in a class of 22 candidates who were asked to document participation in “some Christian ministry” as part of their preparation for confirmation.

Despite an explanation of how “ministry” differs from “community service,” one or two reported such activities as “shelving books” at the library or monitoring exhibits at the school science fair. A few said they liked helping people in need because it made them feel good about themselves. But several were fertile ground for God’s word, the life of Christ. They reported, as Cory did, “I know I will go back and serve again” or, “I realized this is what being a Christian is” or, “I now see what some people have to deal with, and this is what I am called to do.”

Being open and preparing themselves well, they welcomed the Word, and it will continue to thrive in their lives.

QUESTIONS: In what ways do you nurture along God’s will in the world? How have you missed opportunities to use God’s gifts in your life for the common good?

Weekly Scripture Scripture for the week of July 14 - July 20 Sunday (Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 55:10-11, Romans 8:1823, Matthew 13:1-23; Monday (St. Bonaventure), Isaiah 1:10-17, Matthew 10:34—11:1; Tuesday (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), Isaiah 7:1-9, Matthew 11:2024; Wednesday, Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16, Matthew 11:25-27; Thursday, Isaiah 26:79, 12, 16-19, Matthew 11:28-30; Friday, Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8, Matthew 12:1-8; Saturday, Micah 2:1-5, Matthew 12:14-21 Scripture for the week of July 21 - July 27 Sunday (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Wisdom 12:13, 16-19, Romans 8:26-27, Matthew 13:24-43; Monday (St. Mary Magdalene), Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, John 20:1-2, 11-18; Tuesday (St. Bridget of Sweden), Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Matthew 12:46-50; Wednesday, Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10, Matthew 13:1-9; Thursday (St. James), 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Matthew 20:20-28; Friday (Sts. Joachim and Anne), Jeremiah 3:14-17, Matthew 13:18-23; Saturday, Jeremiah 7:1-11, Matthew 13:24-30

July 12, 2002

Entertain-

The Catholic News & Herald 11

The Men in Black are

By Anne Navarro Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) — The sci-fi sequel “Men in Black II” (Columbia) is fairly entertaining and instantly forgettable.

The film reunites Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld, all of whom worked on the original 1997 film.

This time around, Smith and Jones’ roles are reversed, with Smith as the top honcho in a secret government agency (appropriately named Men in Black or MIB because of the black suits the agents wear) which monitors extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Jones, whose Agent Kay was “neuralized” (a process which erases a human’s memory of any alien sightings) in the last movie, is now working as the postmaster in a tiny Massachusetts seaside town.

Agent Jay (Smith) needs Kay back on the job. Jay has uncovered a diabolical plot masterminded by Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle), an evil Medusa-like monster who transforms herself into a slinky lingerie model. Serleena has come to Earth looking for a light-emitting object, the light of Zartha, which will give her power over the universe, and could mean the destruction of Earth. Somewhere trapped in the recesses of his mind, Kay has the information that could stop Serleena.

The story’s plot is pretty skimpy and it takes a backseat to the notable alien creatures created by Rick Baker and the flashy visual effects. Each creation is initially distinctive, but they begin to blur as more and more creatures come out of the woodwork.

The film’s tongue-in-cheek humor — ever present in the original — is in

attendance again. The comedy is mostly derived from Kay and Jay’s nonchalant attitude about aliens running amok in the country disguised as humans. (A running joke is that all postal workers are aliens.)

It’s a world where the MIB immigration department casually asks if an alien has brought any fruit or vegetables and warns another that if he goes out during the day, he can only go to the East Village.

The violence in this sci-fi fantasy is more cartoonish than menacing. As alien creatures burst into a bright fireworks display or Agents Jay or Kay get into another gooey battle, the action is not of the serious kind.

However, the role reversal of Smith and Jones hurts the film because it does not give Smith a chance to be as cocky and daring as he was in the original. His toned-down energy level is a drawback because audiences most likely will expect him to be the bold and funny guy. And Jones doesn’t play that role, so some of the humor is lost. Both Smith and Jones seem comfortable — possibly a little too comfortable — as they get into a rhythm.

However, there’s a certain been-theredone-that quality to their performances that neither can really shake.

Because of some cartoon sci-fi violence and crass expressions, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

CNS photo from Columbia Pictures

Scene from movie ‘Men in Black II’ The Worm Guys collaborate in a scene from the film “Men in Black II.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope speaks of creation canticle during audience at Castel Gandolfo B Catholic News Service y

July 12, 2002

Editorials & Col-

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — In an unusual general audience at the papal summer villa at Castel Gandolfo, Pope John Paul II struck a summery theme in his series of talks on the psalms and canticles used in morning prayer.

Speaking to about 2,500 people crowded into the courtyard of the villa July 10, Pope John Paul focused on the Book of Daniel’s canticle of creation.

The canticle, which calls on all creatures to bless the Lord, “is a song of thanksgiving which the faithful raise to the Lord for all the marvels of the universe,” the pope said.

The song was sung by the three young men thrown into the furnace because of their faith in God, but God protected them from the fire, and they escaped unharmed.

Even though they were about to be martyred, the pope said, “they did not hesitate to sing, to rejoice and to give praise.”

“The bitter and violent pain of the trial disappears, seeming almost to dissolve in the presence of prayer and contemplation,” he said. “It is precisely this attitude of trusting abandonment which gives rise to divine intervention.”

When a believer focuses all his energy on praising God and expressing his hope for salvation, suffering and fears melt away, the pope said.

“This is the power of prayer when it is pure, intense and filled with abandoning oneself to God,” he said.

Pope John Paul arrived at the summer residence July 8. Except for his July 23-Aug. 2 trip to Canada, Guatemala and Mexico and his Aug. 16-19 trip to Poland, he is expected to stay at the villa until sometime in September.

The Vatican said he would follow his usual practice of returning to the Vatican for the Wednesday general audience only when the number of visitors exceeds the capacity of the courtyard.

The 2,500 people who joined the pope July 10 did not have much room to move around, and only the visiting bishops and a few other guests had seats.

The crowd was kept just a few feet away from the seated pontiff, blocked by wooden barricades.

Many children sat on a parent’s shoulders to get a better look.

Pope John Paul also used the audience to give a belated greeting to the townspeople of Castel Gandolfo, whom he usually greets from a balcony of the villa his first evening in residence.

The pope thanked the community for “welcoming me with great cordiality” and said, “I am happy to be among you here in Castel Gandolfo where, if it pleases God, I will pass the summer.”

He also asked them to pray for the success of World Youth Day in Toronto, that “this important ecclesial appointment will bear the hoped-for spiritual fruit.”

The Supreme Court decision on educational vouchers Will educational vouchers be made available in North Carolina?

No decision of the U.S. Supreme Courts’ 2001-2002 term was more surprising to many observers then was the ruling that deemed the Cleveland educational voucher plan as constitutional. In doing so, the Supreme Court viewed it as being a program of true private choice even in those instances when public money is employed for religious school tuition.

Opponents of the Supreme Court’s ruling had argued that the voucher plan violated the First Amendment of the Constitution. Most of the justices, however, did not agree with or accept that interpretation. Chief Justice William Rehnquist stated in the majority opinion that “the Court has drawn a consistent distinction between government programs that provide aid directly to religious schools, and programs of true private choice, in which government aid reaches religious schools only as a result of the genuine and independent choices of private individuals.”

Rehnquist made reference to two prior decisions of the Supreme Court that “made clear that when a government aid program is neutral with respect to religion and provides assistance to a broad class of citizens who, in turn, direct government aid to religious schools wholly as a result of their own genuine and independent private choice, the program is not readily subject to challenge under the Establishment Clause.”

The key determinant, then, for the majority vote would be that public monies are not allocated directly to a religiously affiliated school, but to parents who are able to choose from a variety of schools, whether public, private or religious. The position of the Supreme Court is that if parents have the option of selecting secular educational settings, it is irrelevant if the majority of schools that parents choose are religious.

It is important to recognize that while the Supreme Court has acknowledged the constitutionality of the Cleveland program, state legislatures will determine whether or not vouchers will be made available for their citizens. In some instances, there may be a voter referendum to ascertain the will of the people.

Were a legislature to vote in favor of voucher availability, it will be necessary that a plan be formulated that will guarantee its being constitutional.

Keep in mind that an essential ingredients would be that the plan is neutral, meaning that the parents may choose among a number of educational settings, whether secular private schools, public magnet schools or religious schools. It should be observed that the states might determine the amount

Guest Column FATHER JOHN AURILIA, OFM Cap Guest Columnist Two thoughts for summer 2002 When we think of summer, we think of sun, shorts, lawn mowing, fireworks, mosquitoes and vacation (hopefully with God!). I may suggest two more ways of celebrating summer: restful silence and God’s diet.

The problem with the media culture is that it cannot bear silence. When radio was first invented, a desperate announcer, who had run out of things to blather about, suddenly announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the sound of New York’s traffic!” He stuck the microphone out the window. There had been a constant flow of noise or else what was the point of the medium?

Later, technology provided an endless stream of flash and noise to the all-consuming eye and ear of TV and radio. It has not solved the problem of how to fill them with anything valuable most of the time.

The wisdom of Christ is mostly silent, and it speaks only when it has something to say, not just to fill the air with chatter.

Guest Column FATHER JAMES HAWKER Guest Columnist

of money allocated to specific parents based upon their minority and/or economic status.

There is no doubt that those who oppose vouchers, whether citizens or members of legislatures, will labor mightily to ensure that they never see the light of day in their state. Public school teachers, represented by their powerful unions, will argue that the availability of vouchers will absorb sorely needed funds from the public schools. That argument did not impress the majority of the Supreme Court Justices as being viable.

Nonetheless, because of the proliferation of misunderstanding, misinformation and half-truths, the possibility of vouchers in various states will become less probable. In certain instances, the hopes of parents, especially the minorities and the poor, who would benefit significantly by their availability, will be dashed.

On the other hand, in those instances in which state legislatures do vote in favor of the voucher system, and constitutional plans are formulated to ensure their proper distribution, the rights of parents, as validated by the decision of the Supreme Court, will be recognized and respected.

So, will educational vouchers be made available in North Carolina? The answer depends upon a number of factors. Were one or more legislators to draft a bill, the members of the state legislature via the vote would decide whether or not parents would be permitted to exercise their constitutional right to choose. It would then be necessary to formulate a plan of implementation that is constitutional.

At the present time, interested parents should contact their representatives and inform them of their position on the matter. The value of a proactive stance, especially when confronted with a potentially controversial issue, should never be underestimated.

Father James Hawker is vicar for education and pastor of St. Luke Church in Mint Hill.

Let’s remember: this summer we seek the wisdom of solitude and avoid the chatter of fools.

The second way to celebrate summer is God’s diet. God populated the earth with all kinds of vegetables, so we would live long, healthy lives. Satan created McDonald’s and the 99cent double-cheeseburger. Then Satan said to man, “You want fries with that?” and man replied, “Super-size them.” And man gained pounds.

God created the healthful yogurt. Satan froze the yogurt and brought forth chocolate, nuts and bright-colored candy sprinkles to put on it.

God said, “I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them.” Satan brought forth steak so big it needed its own platter. And man gained pounds, and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

God brought forth running shoes, and man resolved to lose those extra pounds. Satan brought forth cable TV with remote controls, so man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2. And man gained pounds.

God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat-fried them. He then created sour cream dip also.

The man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol. Satan saw this and said, “It is good.”

And man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. And Satan created HMOs. Have a holy and healthy summer!

July 12, 2002

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle MSGR. JIM LISANTE Guest Columnist

Being aware and mature My nephew Matthew has always been a very special grace for my family and me. Born into what we today term a “crisis pregnancy” situation, he has always been our miracle, our gift from God. For me, as a priest, his arrival into the world was particularly memorable: I got to be the Lamaze coach for his birth. And that, along with my ordination to the priesthood, have been the central moments in my life.

The seven pounds of newborn baby has grown significantly over almost two decades. Matthew now stands over me, and in addition to his physical stature he’s grown in character. He possesses a profound sense of right and wrong and he also has a compassionate heart. With the coming of his 18th birthday, I wanted to do something special. Knowing that this fall would see him off to college, I decided that a car would be a practical gift. I started saving a long time ago and, with the help of a friend in the car business, I found just the right one. It was safe, but a little sporty. I was certain that my nephew would love it.

Now, I’ve never been good at keeping happy secrets.

So I guess I’d dropped the occasional hint to Matthew about something special on his birthday. Being a smart kid, he was able to figure it out and one day, he decided we should talk. We went out to lunch and had an amazing conversation. “So, you got me a good gift for my birthday, Uncle Jim?” “Well,” I said, “I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.”

The third secret of Fatima Q. I recently read that the “third secret of Fatima” was to be revealed in the year 2002. What were the events foretold by the visions at Fatima, and when did these events occur? (Illinois) A. In 1913 some young children in Portugal claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them a number of times, urging prayer and penance, and “foretelling” dire catastrophes that the church and the whole human race were to experience. The first of several appearances of Mary to the Portuguese children took place May 13, 1917.

Some years later, the church approved these visions in the sense that the apparitions could not be explained naturally and genuinely had a supernatural source. Rumors have been rampant for decades that a “third secret” foretold especially terrible cataclysms for the world.

After the attempt to assassinate him May 13, 1981, Pope John Paul II attributed the saving of his life to Our Lady of Fatima. On May 13, 2000, during a pilgrimage to Fatima by the pontiff, it was announced that, in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for her protection during his years as pope, the so-called third secret was being made public.

The secret described a vision of a “bishop clothed in white” (the pope?), who makes his way toward the cross, amid corpses of martyred clergy, religious and many lay people. As he advances, he too falls to the ground, killed by gunfire. Two angels gather the blood of the martyrs and sprinkle the blood over souls making their way to God. The pope charged the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with making the third secret public and preparing an appropriate commentary on the theological and devotional aspects of the appearances.

In his lengthy commentary, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, head of the congregation, wrote that in the third secret “no great mystery is revealed, nor is the future unveiled.” Visions such as those at Fatima, he said, should be understood in the biblical sense of symbolic prophecy, not of predicting the future but of explaining “the will of God for the present,” to show the right path for the future.

A private revelation that is considered genuine by the church may be accepted by the faithful with prudence, he

Wasting no time, Matthew took the plunge. “I’d guess it’s a car, right?” “Well, it might be, but I’d rather not say until your birthday.”

Then he hit me with something I’ll never forget.

“Uncle Jim, I’m really very grateful for your generosity, now and always. But I’d rather not have you buy me a car.”

I was understandably perplexed. After all, I’d reasoned, isn’t a car the dream for a young person turning 18? But then Matt put it in perspective. “Of course, I’d love to have a new car. But since Sept. 11, things have been very hard for Mom and Dad.” Many industries were affected by this national calamity and among those “downsized” was my brother-in-law. “I just don’t see how I could accept a car, which is really a luxury, when they have to struggle just to meet the mortgage. So I guess what I’m saying is that I’d rather you share the money for the car with them.”

It’s been a long time since I was about to turn 18. But I suspect that consideration for the financial struggles of my parents was not at the top of my concerns. I wondered if his parents had suggested the idea to him, but they were as surprised as I was. No, Matthew had come to this on his own. On that day, I learned that contrary to popular myths, young people today aren’t always obsessed with themselves. I learned that generosity of spirit isn’t a value whose time has come and gone. I learned that all of us are obliged to consider the consequences of our desires. I also learned that wisdom doesn’t only come from adults.

Some months ago, the Christopher Closeup television program had the delightful opportunity to interview broadcast icon Art Linkletter. A spry and insightful 89 years old, he reflected on the lessons of his life. Remembering his best-selling book entitled “Kids Say the Darndest Things” based on his TV interviews with youngsters, Linkletter said that “we have so much to learn from the honesty of children.” When you’ve seen a child being born, grow and develop, it’s hard to imagine them as having a lesson for us to learn from them. We have so much to gain by seeing that young people — like their elders — are capable of true insight. We only have to listen, and learn.

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

said, because it can help understand the Gospel. “It is a help which is offered, but which one is not obliged to use.”

Cardinal Ratzinger carefully distinguished between these revelations and God’s “public” revelation in the Old and New Testaments, fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ, which demands faith.

A key point, he said, is that private revelations are not intended to complete the Gospel but to help people live it.

The commentary quoted the classic statement of Pope Benedict XIV on private apparitions. “An assent of Catholic faith is not due to revelations approved in this way. (Such assent) is not even possible.”

Lourdes, Guadalupe, Fatima and other authentic private appearances and revelations are a precious gift from God. They can become powerful additional motives for responding to Christ’s invitations and injunctions in the Gospel.

As Cardinal Ratzinger explains, however, they add nothing to what we as Catholic Christians are already obliged to believe or do.

The text of the third secret and the congregation’s commentary can be found on the Vatican Web site: vatican. va/roman_curia/congregation. Then click link: Fatima related news stories.

The Catholic News & Herald 13

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO CNS Columnist

A woman who cares for the mentally ill This week I’d like to tell a simple story of what one woman is trying to do to “help the mentally ailing,” as she puts it, with little support from earthly sources, but lots of “dependence on the Holy Spirit.”

I met Andrea Remlin after getting a phone call from her. She heard about me from a young woman, Susan, who had been a good friend of my late son Peter. Susan thought I would be interested in Remlin’s “apostolate” since I had worked so long with my son, who had suffered from a bipolar disorder that led him to take his life in 1991.

We met for lunch, and I found myself listening to a deeply spiritual woman. Her Catholic faith defined everything she did. In the past few years, from having been around people misunderstood and isolated because of their mental illness, she decided to focus on this group, guided by a Catholic psychiatrist from New York.

She told me repeatedly, “The suffering that the mentally ailing experience is one of the greatest afflictions of our day.” And she affirmed, “We now have an ongoing work for the mentally ailing which is very effective. It is based on Catholic prayer, guiding the mentally ill in their daily lives and showing them by the things we do for them that we deeply care and love them.

“Those who come to us are never asked about their past, their illness or where they are now in the realm of the church. They feel the presence of our good Jesus, feel his wisdom, and he takes over and helps them.”

Remlin said the few who first got together agreed on a name for their apostolate. They call themselves Missionaries of the Abandoned Christ “because these people are abandoned,” she maintains.

Outreach is simple, but consistent. Every Sunday at 1:30 p.m., she — often with her husband and son — opens the doors of their home in Assumption Parish of Westport, Conn., for “prayer, fellowship and a home-cooked meal.” Anyone suffering from any mental anguish can just show up at the door. Their family members and friends are also welcome.

The goal is to help them move out of the desolation, the abandonment, the loneliness so many feel, she says.

The whole atmosphere is one of joyful acceptance of one another in the way Remlin believes Christ would have it. “We work with their wellness instead of their illness, so we look at the marvelous talent that each person has, which often is hidden and covered over by their illness.” They need to feel a sense of accomplishment and worth, “which is what Jesus would want,” she maintains.

If Remlin has her way, the idea of Missionaries of the Abandoned Christ will spread, where “loving, Catholic homes will be open for people experiencing mental anguish to live in community.” She visualizes people responding to a vocation to work in these homes, implementing a “well-rounded schedule of prayer, work, study, recreation and fellowship.”

Sitting with this woman, who daily gathers leftover food from grocery stores and restaurants to bring to the hungry, you find yourself ending a conversation with “Amen!” In the long run, I like to believe it only takes one good person doing one good work in Christ’s name to change the world for the better.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

July 12, 2002

Around the Di-

Holy Trinity Middle School honored as national

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte was one of nine schools from across the country showcased and honored at the Boston College National Catholic Education Association conference June 28-30.

The conference, “Conversations in Excellence 2002: Providing for the Needs of Young Adolescents,” drew teachers, principals, superintendents and school administrators from Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the United States to learn about the successful school programs and hear experts in the field of young adolescent education.

The programs were honored for attending to the physical, emotional, intellectual and psychological needs of young adolescents, ages 10 to 15. Holy Trinity

Middle School was highlighted for its “Integrating Faith and Values in a Middle School Model.”

“I was very surprised, pleased and proud,” said Jerry Healy, principal at Holy Trinity.

Healy said that in setting up Holy Trinity seven years ago, they not only looked to establish a fine school but one that firmly integrated faith and values into the curriculum.

“We have the ability to pray, worship and integrate our faith and morality and not be afraid to address them,” said Healy, noting that Holy Trinity was one of the few middle schools in the country able to pause and pray after the events of Sept. 11. “What we’re trying to teach the students is that we don’t take our faith and our freedom for

granted.”

Carole Breerwood, dean of students, and Lorelei Lindow, school counselor, traveled to Boston with Healy to give a presentation on Holy Trinity’s program.

The conference was part of SPICE (Selected Programs for Improving Catholic Education), an ongoing effort co-organized by the Boston College Lynch School of Education and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) to identify, honor and disseminate information on suc-

cessful K-12 Catholic school programs.

Conference proceedings, including the Holy Trinity presentation, will be published by the NCEA so other schools may benefit.

“We never feel like we’re special. We just try to make the school special,” said Healy, who took away many great ideas from the conference. “We’re always learning and improving.”

Holy Trinity will give another presentation at the NCEA national conference in St. Louis, Mo., during Easter week of 2003.

Courtesy Photo

Brownie Troop 533, a group of second-graders at St. Pius X School in Greensboro, sent 24 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the banner “Don’t Give Up On Peace” in April. They sent the care package because one of the Brownies, Madeline Burnham, has an aunt who is a diplomat for the U.S. Department of State serving a three-year post in Israel.

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July 12, 2002

Grants from the Foundation to be used for the fiscal year 2002-2003: 1.Catholic Hispanic Ministry, Greensboro Vicariate: for resource materials for Hispanic ministry.

2. Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury: for Hispanic ministry programs.

3. Power Partners, Andrews: for a new computer to help in the efforts with At-Risk youth.

4. Catholic Hispanic Ministry, WinstonSalem Vicariate: for resource materials for Hispanic ministry.

5. Volunteers for Wilkes Literacy: to assist in the purchase of a bus to expand literacy services to the poor.

6. Catholic Social Services, WinstonSalem: for teen pregnancy program for the poor.

7. St. Francis of Assisi, Jefferson, and St. Frances of Rome Mission, Sparta: for bible camp for Hispanic youth.

Around the Di-

GRANT, from page 1 Hispanic community. This is the first time this grant has been awarded.

“In those little communities,” Bernal said of rural Mexico, “the priest builds the church, the school, the whole town, in every sense, from scratch.

Pastoral means dealing with the basic needs, being flexible.”

Bernal said that 50 percent of rural Mexicans have a first- or second-grade education, but “the better educated people don’t make the church commitment.”

The average Hispanic people want to be involved in church life, Bernal said. “We just had our first youth retreat in Franklin; we had 40 young people,” he said.

Bernal will use the grant money for

8. Smoky Mountain Vicariate: for Hispanic ministry programs.

9. Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte: for ESL program for Hispanics.

10. St. Matthew Church, Charlotte: for youth evangelization programs.

11. Campus Ministry, UNC-Greensboro: for refugee programs.

12. De Paul Academy, High Point: for multi-cultural pre-school and afterschool programs.

13. St. Joan of Arc Church, Asheville: for youth evangelization programs.

14. St. Joseph Church, Kannapolis: for Hispanic ministry programs.

15. Campus Ministry, UNC-Asheville: for young adult evangelization programs.

16. Hispanic Ministry, Hickory Vicariate: for radio ministry for Hispanics.

17. Hispanic Ministry, Salisbury-Albemarle Vicariate: for Hispanic ministry programs.

18. Life Center, Davidson County: for elderly ministry programs.

Photo by Joanita M. Nellenbach

Richard E. Steinbronn (left), a board member of the diocesan Foundation, recently presented a $5,000 grant for Hispanic ministry in the Asheville and Smoky Mountain vicariates.

Mary Herr (center), regional faith formation consultant, accepted the grant. With them is Father George Kloster, vicar of the Smoky Mountain Vicariate.

weekend conferences on lay leadership, quarterly retreats, materials for youth ministry, ministry training sessions that promote liturgical participation and a Renew International program for small Christian communities.

A regional Hispanic newsletter is planned. Bernal expects to distribute the newsletters to churches so that the Hispanics can pick them up when attending Mass. One aim is to accustom them to becoming informed through reading. Back in Mexico, word-ofmouth was the way information was published.

He will also purchase materials and facilitate lay-leadership development through RCIA, adult education, catechist training and sacramental preparation, all of which is new to these Hispanic immigrants who have never been involved in formal faith formation training.

“You don’t have to worry that much (back home) about knowing about your faith because most people are Catholic,” Bernal said. “You don’t have to worry about (others) proselytizing. In this country, you have to know a lot more about your faith because you’re surrounded by people who will tell you your (religion) is wrong.”

Bernal has been conducting classes at various churches to help Hispanics assume leadership roles and learn more about their faith, but many of his students move when they lose their jobs or can’t continue with the classes because their work schedules change.

He’s realized he’ll have to develop more compact courses, averaging six months, so people will get as much information as possible in a shorter period of time.

He worries that Hispanic Catholics will opt for other churches, which are often more welcoming than Catholic communities.

“What can you do?” he said. “You offer the best you can every time you meet somebody. I love working with the community. The way I see it, if they have a good experience of the Catholic Church, even for one day, wherever they go they will look for another Catholic church.”

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Pope upgrades Mongolian church territory to apostolic

By JOHN NORTON Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II has upgraded the church territory in Mongolia to an apostolic prefecture, the first step in creating a permanent church hierarchy in the former Soviet-backed communist country.

In a July 8 statement, the Vatican said the new church territory has been named Ulaanbaatar and will be headed

by Philippine-born Missionhurst Father Wens Padilla, who has run Mongolia’s Catholic mission since its opening in 1992.

Over the past decade, the number of Catholics in Mongolia has increased from almost none to about 100 people, and the church hopes soon to open a Salesian-run vocational center, the Vatican said.

“The fervor of the church activity undertaken and the growth of the number of Catholics give hope for the future,” it said.

Bordered by China and Russia, Mongolia is nearly the size of Alaska and is inhabited by about 3 million people, mostly Tibetan Buddhists.

In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolia’s government asked the Holy See to open a Catholic mission in the country and establish diplomatic relations, the Vatican said.

The pope entrusted the church’s work in the country to the Missionhurst order, which now has four priests there. Two South Korean priests are on loan from their dioceses, and 13 nuns from three different orders work in the country. Six Salesian religious men are expected soon, the Vatican said.

Apostolic prefectures, usually not headed by bishops, are the “first step in the organization of the church hierarchy” in a given territory, according to the Vatican’s yearbook.

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

Living the

Literature influences sister’s life, and earned tenure last year. The school

By JOANITA M. NELLENBACH has a 7,000-student population; about Correspondent 150 are Catholic. Sister Mary teaches CULLOWHEE — “I have always such courses as “Grammar for Teachloved to read,” School Sister of Notre ers” and “Fundamentals of Teaching Dame Mary Warner said. “To me, that Composition.” just seemed to be the area I enjoyed.

Each course begins with a perLiterature influenced my prayer life, sonal introduction. the beauty of the words — the word “What I usually do when I start a and the Word. The images that are class, I tell them about my background part of so many sacred texts are an and that I’m a Catholic nun,” Sister approach to prayer for me.”

Mary said. “In this area, where CathoNot only sacred texts — at Westlics are a minority, ‘sister’ or ‘brother’ ern Carolina University (WCU), she doesn’t mean the same thing (as it does is Dr. Mary Warner, associate profesto Catholics). I think sor of English and it’s important to say director of English who I am. education.

“The neat thing The fifth of eight about it is that it children, Mary brings the presence Warner grew up on of the School Sisters a farm in Southern of Notre Dame and Minnesota. School the presence of CathSisters of Notre Dame olic women religious,” taught her in grade she said. “Sometimes school and at Good I find myself doing Counsel Academy, the a fair amount of vohigh school at the cation work just by order’s motherhouse telling about my orin Mankato, Minn. der. I believe in the She joined the order importance of bringin 1971, making her ing a presence where final profession four years later.

School Sister of Notre Dame there isn’t a presence already.”

“I saw women who Mary Warner She is “really were very happy and open and attuned” to dedicated, that’s how her students and places them in a circle I was drawn,” Sister Mary said of the in the classroom so they can interact.

School Sisters.

“My teaching, my ministry, who I She celebrated her jubilee at St. am, is based on helping others,” Sister Mary in Sylva (where she plays guitar Mary said. “I could do everything myat the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass) two years self, but it’s all about being alert to my ago with 25 of her religious sisters students and helping them succeed. I present. The gospel was Mark 4:26-29, could give a lecture, and they could take which talks about scattered seed. notes, but it’s not about dump-and“I don’t have any great vocation pour. It is much more about identifying story,” Sister Mary said, “but that idea their gifts and interests.” of the seed growing gradually is a maShe also helps through writing jor image for me, as far as my vocation and research. Unable to find any texts is concerned.” that help teach writing, she published Sister Mary held a variety of high “Winning Ways of Coaching Writschool and college teaching positions ing: A Practical Guide to Teaching before earning her doctorate in EngWriting Grades 6-12” (Allyn & Bacon, lish from the University of Michigan 2001). in 1992. She arrived at WCU in 1996

Concerned about “the loss of meaning and sense of hopelessness that mark the lives of so many young people,” Sister Mary is working on a project, “Adolescent Readers in the Search for Meaning: Guiding Teens to Sacred Texts.” She plans to create an annotated bibliography that parents and teachers can use to teach literature and to help young people appreciate literature and use it to find inner significance and spiritual depth.

“C.S. Lewis says ‘we read so as not to be alone,’” Sister Mary said. “At the time of the Columbine shootings, I wondered what Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris read. Where do you find meaning? When you don’t find meaning, then very often you turn to ways that are more violent. Human beings can’t live without meaning.”

Another of her interests is the connection between literature and spirituality.

“How can you be a literature major and not know Scripture?” she said.

“You miss millions of allusions. What makes us a complete human being is knowing those cultural references.”

This summer, in addition to teaching a graduate course on teaching literature, she also offered “The Bible as Literature,” which looks at the Bible, not theologically, but as human stories.

“We are culturally and linguistically separated from the original writers,” she said. “When you take those texts, you want to look at subject, not object.

With subject you’re looking at theme, but with object, you’re looking for those little details, and those details can derail you. Details are not the point. That’s why literalism doesn’t work.”

She also searches for the sacred in secular texts — in Emily Dickinson, Elie Wiesel, Flannery O’Connor, Julian of Norwich, Virgil and Walker Percy, among others — and encourages her students to also look for the sacred in what they read, noting that, “If you can find one writer that puts you on holy ground, that’s important.”

Contact Correspondent Joanita M. Nellenbach by calling (828) 627-9209 or

July 12, 2002

Vatican announces miracles needed to beatify eight, including four

By CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican has published decrees recognizing the miracles needed to beatify eight people, including four Poles Pope John Paul II might beatify in his homeland in August.

The beatifications of the Polish archbishop, two priests and one nun during the pope’s Aug. 16-19 trip to Poland have not been announced formally, but a Vatican official said July 8 the ceremonies are expected to be part of the trip.

The Vatican also published decrees July 5 recognizing miracles attributed to one Spanish and two Italian nuns who founded religious orders as well as the miracle needed for the beatification of Hungarian Prince Ladislaw Batthyany-Strattman, a physician and father of 14 children who founded two hospitals to care for the poor.

The recognition of a miracle, usually a healing for which there is no medical explanation, is the last step needed before beatification. Another miracle is needed for canonization.

The four Poles ready for beatification are: — Archbishop Zygmunt Felice Felinski of Warsaw, founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary.

Born in 1822 near Volinia, which today is in Ukraine, he was deported to Russia and, after being freed, worked among the poor farmers of Ukraine and Poland. He died in 1895.

— Father Jan Adalbert Balicki, who was born in 1869 and served as a professor of theology and rector of the seminary in Przemysl. He died in 1948.

— Jesuit Father Jan Beyzym, who was born in 1850, also in the Volinia region. He served as a missionary among people with Hansen’s disease in Madagascar and died there in 1912.

— Sister Sanzia Szymkowiak, a member of the Seraphic Sisters.

She was born in 1910 and is particularly known for the love and care she showed nursing soldiers injured during World War II. She died in 1942.

The other miracles approved July 5 clear the way for the beatifications of: — Italian Sister Eugenia Ravasco, founder of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She died in 1900.

— Spanish Sister Juana Maria Condesa Lluch, who founded the Handmaids of the Immaculate Conception to care for young girls working in Spanish factories. She died in 1916.

— Italian Sister Maria Domenica Mantovani, co-founder and first superior of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family. She died in 1934.