Aug. 18, 2000

The Catholic News & Herald 1

August 18, 2000

August 18, 2000 Volume 9 t Number 43

Inside

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

Costa Rican feast celebrated in Lincolnton

Breaking ground

Monroe parish prepares for new church

...Page 3

Catholic awardee inspired by Jesus’ birth ...Page 7

Local News Photo by Joann S. Keane

Diocesan priest “retires” to Alaska ...Page 5

Youth experience faith through arts and music ...Page 15

Quilting connects parishioners to heritage ...Page 16

Every Week Entertainment ...Pages 10-11

Editorials & Columns ...Pages 12-13 “Our society must ... combat discrimination based on sex, race, ethnicity, or age. Such discrimination constitutes a grave injustice and an affront to human dignity.”

-- U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Board, “Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium,” p. 22

Dancers added to the festivities at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolton during a Costa Rican celebration.

By JOANN S. KEANE Editor LINCOLNTON — Angels led the procession into St. Dorothy parish. From the tiniest babe adorned with feathery wings, to prepubescent cherubs with halos, the heavenly band of angels left a trail of fragrant flower petals in their wake.

For this largely Costa Rican community, it was the feast celebration to honor the patroness of their homeland.

In the Central American country, the second of August would be a national holiday. Hundreds of thousands trek a pilgrim route to the basilica of Our Lady of Los Angeles — the home of La Negrita, a small black statue, a likeness of this Costa Rican patron saint.

But today, on the Aug. 6 liturgical feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Our Lady of Los Angeles was included in the celebration. It was a little bit of Central America in the heart of Lincoln County.

“Lincolnton is an area where all the Costa Ricans have gathered,” said

Rev. Mr. Carlos Medina, permanent deacon for St. Dorothy parish. “This is a Costa Rican niche.”

Celebrating culture “gives the people a sense of belonging,” said Rev. Mr. Medina. “They belong to the church, the parish in Lincolnton, St. Dorothy’s. This is their parish, and Catholicity is very well expressed by the people.”

Roughly translated as “the little black one,” La Negrita — as the Costa Ricans reverently call her — was solemnly crowned in the 1920s, nearly 300 years from the date she revealed herself in the community of Cartago. Stories of her appearance vary, but it’s generally accepted the Holy Virgin became visible to a young peasant girl in 1635.

A shrine, a Byzantine-style

See LINCOLNTON, page 8

basilica, was erected and its interior is literally covered with demure likenesses of body parts; little me-

Charlotte City Council to discuss moratorium issue

By JIMMY ROSTAR Associate Editor CHARLOTTE — In a move praised by death penalty moratorium proponents as progress toward a teaching moment, Charlotte’s City Council on July 24 voted to discuss the moratorium issue at its next meeting.

The council voted 9-2 in favor of the discussion, slated for its next meeting on Aug. 28. At hand will be whether the city should adopt a resolution that supports a moratorium, a period during which the death penalty is suspended to allow time for study of capital punishment, its implementation and its possible faults.

Five city councils in North Carolina, including the town of Davidson’s within the Charlotte Diocese, have already adopted resolutions.

Members of local faith communities and others supporting a moratorium in this state lauded the Charlotte City Council’s vote as an opportunity to take a hard look at what continues to be a controversial topic in the United States.

“Our challenge has been to get faith congregations to sign a resolution on a moratorium,” said Ted Frazer, a parishioner of St. Peter Catholic Church and a member of the Charlotte Coalition for a Moratorium Now (CCMN), a grassroots advocacy group spearheading local moratorium

the meeting in droves. “We encourage people to come down to the meeting and show support,” he said.

Critics of the vote said a city council is not the proper vehicle for a discussion on the moratorium

See COUNCIL, page 4

matter, but rather the issue is one to take up at the state and federal levels.

Frazer emphasized that a key

efforts.

“Our challenge now is to offer good, articulate reasons why the council ought to be concerned about and vote unanimously on this issue,” he added. “Our hope is that by bringing the dialogue to the Charlotte City Council, that other people will become interested in the issue.”

He voiced hope that supporters of a moratorium will attend

Photo by Joe Benton

Msgr. Lawrence McInerny (left), pastor of Stella Maris Church, and the Rev. James A. Holmes (right) of Washington United Methodist Church joined clergy from the Lutheran and Episcopal churches. See story, page 9.

2 The Catholic News & Herald Missionaries scarce in northern Vietnam, says church official SON TAY, Vietnam (CNS) — A church official in northern Vietnam said many non-Christians in his diocese have expressed their wish to become Catholics, but there are not enough missionaries to help them.

While compiling a book called “One Hundred Years of Hung Hoa Diocese, 1895-1995,” Father Joseph Nguyen Van Dinh, coordinator of parish councils for Hung Hoa Diocese, estimated that some 40,000 people have expressed their desire to become Catholics, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

“However, the problem is that there are not enough qualified church workers to teach catechism,” he told UCA News recently. He added that the local church currently relies on catechists to do the evangelization work.

Friars, U.S. park service meet over Appalachian Trail dispute NEW YORK (CNS) — The head of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement said that a productive meeting with National Park Service representatives should help the two parties reach agreement on a property dispute involving the Appalachian Trail. The hiking trail, which stretches for more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine, goes across the property of the Atonement Friars in New York. The meeting was about the park service’s efforts to take about 20 acres of the friars’ property by the power of eminent domain to increase protection for the trail area. Father Arthur M. Johnson, the friars’ minister general, said that, pending efforts to work out a solution, the park service would suspend its earlier move to have the Justice Department pursue the case legally.

Church leaders welcome Nigerian Senate leader’s removal LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) — Nigerian church officials welcomed the removal of the president of the Senate after a parliamentary inquiry into corruption. The vice president of the

CNS photo from Reuters

Iraqi boy joins call for end of sanctions An Iraqi boy puts up a poster outside the U.N. office in Baghdad Aug. 6 demanding a stop in bombing and end to U.N. sanctions. Sanctions were imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion if Kuwait.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Felix Job of Ibadan; Archbishop Peter Jatau of Kaduna; and Msgr. Festus Okafor all described the removal of Senate President Chuba Okadigbo as a means by which God is purifying and purging Nigeria.

Archbishop Job said Aug. 9 the removal of Okadigbo is a development that bodes well for the country’s nascent democracy and that “God is really at work in Nigeria.”

Fides reports Chinese Catholic protest at defiance against Rome VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Chinese Catholics protested the ordination of four priests without Vatican approval in early August, highlighting a growing dissatisfaction among the faithful toward church leaders who defy Rome, said Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency. Four priests — three for the Diocese of Beijing and one for the Diocese of Nanjing — were ordained Aug. 6 in an early morning liturgy at Beijing’s “official” Nantang cathedral. During the ser-

Episcopal August 18, 2000 Volume 9 • Number 43

Publisher: Most Reverend William G. Curlin Editor: Joann S. Keane Associate Editor: Jimmy Rostar Staff Writer: Alesha M. Price Production Associate: Julie Radcliffe Advertising Representative: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Jane Glodowski Freelance Production Associate: Fred Stewart Jr. 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.

August 18, 2000

The World in

c a l e n-

Bishop William G. Curlin will take part in the following events:

August 27 - 11 a.m.

Mass St. Patrick, Charlotte 1:30 p.m.

Address to LIMEX students St. John Neumann, Charlotte August 28 - 10 a.m.

Mass Bishop McGuinness, WinstonSalem September 4 - 11 a.m.

Smoky Mountain Vicariate Celebration Mass and Confirmation St. Joseph, Bryson City September 6 - 7 p.m.

Mass and installation of Father John T. Putnam as pastor of Holy Infant, Reidsville

1,500 parishioners, only 700 turned out for the ordination, the news agency said.

Knights gather in Boston for 118th international meeting BOSTON (CNS) — Following a golden crucifix into the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Cardinal Bernard F. Law of Boston and dozens of other members of the Catholic hierarchy celebrated a special liturgy for some 2,000 Knights of Columbus and their family members. The Knight’s Aug. 1-3 gathering in Boston for their 118th annual international meeting drew a rare assemblage of 75 cardinals, archbishops and bishops from the United States, Canada and places as far away as Rome and Guam. “My brother Knights, how appropriate it is in this jubilee year that your supreme convention should lift high the cross,” Cardinal Law said in his homily to a packed cathedral during the Aug. 1 Mass.

vice’s entrance procession, “part of the faithful abandoned the church” in protest, said Fides in an Aug. 7 report.

Out of a usual Mass attendance of

Diocesan

plan -

Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., cancer support group invites all to attend a special Mass at 5:30 p.m. for the sick and their families and friends with the sacrament of anointing of the sick being administered after Mass.

For more details, call Marilyn Borrelli at (704) 542-2283 or Bob Poffenbarger Sr. at (704) 553-7000.

11 CHARLOTTE — Churches in the Charlotte area are having their September cancer support group meetings for survivors, family and friends on the following days because of the Labor Day weekend: St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd., tonight at 7 p.m. in the conference room of the ministry center, St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., on Sept.

12 at 7 p.m. in the conference room of the office building and St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the activity center

in classroom 5. For more information, call these contacts: St. Vincent - Betty Childers at (704) 554-0733, St. Matthew - Marilyn Borrelli at (704) 5422283 and St. Gabriel - Eileen Cordell at (704) 352-5047, Ext. 217. For further information, call Bob Poffenbarger, Sr., coordinator, at (704) 553-7000.

Please submit notices of events for the Diocesan Planner at least 10 days prior to the publication date.

August 18, 2000

Around the Di-

The Catholic News & Herald 3

Monroe Catholic community breaks ground for new

By JIMMY ROSTAR Associate Editor MONROE — Within a painted outline of a church yet to be built, the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes celebrated both its history and a new beginning.

In the next couple of years, parishioners will move into a new church in the shadows of the current worship space. The parish broke ground Aug. 12 during a bilingual ceremony that reflected the community’s faithful optimism and its multi-cultural heritage.

Anglo and Latino parishioners prayed and sang as parish and diocesan officials presided at the ceremony.

Spiritan Father Ed Vilkauskas, the pastor of the Monroe church, called the occasion a sacred moment.

“Both soil and souls are being turned upward,” said Father Vilkauskas. “With shovels in hand, scores of families ... have come from throughout the parish in Union County as a community of faith.”

The new 450-seat church will serve the needs of a parish whose roots are embedded in the time of World War II. It was in 1942 that priests of the Fathers of Mercy from Brooklyn, N.Y., arrived in Monroe to start a church here. Nearby Camp Sutton had previously been established, and at that camp,––– hundreds of soldiers — Catholics among them — trained.

Our Lady of Lourdes parish was established May 10, 1942. The community, still mostly composed of soldiers and their spouses, gathered at local venues for Mass until a church was built on the current property on Franklin and Deese streets. Bishop Vincent S. Waters of Raleigh dedicated the church April 24, 1946.

The parish grew over the years, despite the departure of the soldiers after the war. The Spiritan Fathers, with Father Vilkauskas as pastor, have staffed the parish since 1988. At the end of this month, Father Vilkauskas holding a Latin Mass at 7 p.m. tonight followed by benediction and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome to attend, and for more information, call the church office at (336) 884-0244.

2 SYLVA — Eucharistic adoration takes place today at St. Mary Church, 22 Bartlett St., following 9 a.m. Mass until 3 p.m. For more information, call Annette Leporis at (828) 497-7464 or Linda Knauer at (828) 631-3561.

4 CLEMMONS — There is a charismatic Mass being held at Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., tonight at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (336) 778-0600.

8 HOT SPRINGS — “A Spiritual Retreat for a Creative Mind” is a women’s retreat being led by Mercy Sister Soledad Aguilo, artist and educator, and being held at the Jesuit House of Prayer, 289 NW Hwy. 25/70, today through Sept. 10. For more information, call Mercy Sister Peggy Verstege, director, at (828) 622-7366.

10 CHARLOTTE — The St. Matthew

Photo by Jimmy Rostar

Parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe were invited to bring soil from their own property to add to the groundbreaking ceremony.

enters a new assignment at the direction of his community, and the parish will be staffed with diocesan personnel. Father Luis Osorio-Salazar, one of the diocese’s newly ordained, has already assumed his role as parochial vicar here.

Especially in recent years, the parish has seen an influx of Latino parishioners who bring a different culture but the same sense of being a faith community that has existed here for more than a half-century.

It is that sense of community that Father Vilkauskas called special attention to during the ceremony.

“The work we’re beginning today, then, should enliven our faith and make us grateful,” said Father Vilkauskas. “We know the familiar words of the psalm: ‘If the Lord does not build a house, in vain do the laborers labor.’”

“Whenever we look to the interAugust 21 CHARLOTTE — Servite Father Peter Mary Rookey, known as the “healing priest,” is celebrating Mass at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., beginning tonight at 6:30 p.m. with a Servite rosary service.

Father Rookey will also be the celebrant at Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., in Charlotte on Aug. 22, and at Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West, in Hendersonville on Aug. 23. For more information, call Terri DeLuca at (704) 888-6050.

23 CHARLOTTE — All families who have suffered a loss are invited to St. Patrick Cathedral, 1621 Dilworth Rd. East, for a memorial Mass in honor of those who have passed away during the month. Call the church office at (704) 334-2283 for more information and with the name(s) of loved ones so that they may be remembered at Mass.

25 WINSTON-SALEM — St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave., is

ests of our neighbors, the community, and serve them, then we are in a sense God’s own co-workers,” he added.

The pastor urged the congregation to seek God’s grace during this special time in the history of the parish.

“This will be a privileged place where God can dwell with his people for years and years to come,” he said.

“This will be a place of music. This will be a place of poetry. This will be a place of prayer ... wherein God draws all the human corners to center, into a unity — many people, many gifts, but one in Christ Jesus, around his table.”

In addition to their own shovels to overturn soil at the groundbreaking, parishioners were invited to bring soil from their property to pour into an opening in the ground over which the altar will someday reside in the new church. The gesture, said Father Vilkauskas, added to the sense of community and ownership all communities of faith share.

Latino parishioners led a special procession in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, to whom a shrine will be dedicated in the new church. Carrying a statue of Mary and jars of earth brought from the original Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in Tepeyac, Mexico, the Latino parishioners offered their prayers for a faith-filled future in the Monroe parish as well.

“This event ends a few years and many months of planning, prayer, dreaming and hard work on the part of many people,” said Father Vilkauskas, giving special thanks to the pastoral council, church planning committee, the capital campaign committee, architects John and Anna Lewandowski, builders John S. Clark Construction, and diocesan officials including Father Mauricio W. West, vicar general and chancellor.

The pastor also took time to thank the parish, whose faithfulness and dedication has inspired the pastor in

his more than a decade of service in Monroe.

In this jubilee year, he said, the parish has a special reason to be thankful — and to continue being that strong family devoted to God. “This year is a time of grace for all Christians and certainly for this community of faith, this parish,” he said. “(It is) a celebration of the rebirth of Christ among us, in the holy temple of glory made not by human hands but by hearts in love with Christ and connected to his service.”

having its semi-annual fall and winter children’s clothing sale from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. this morning and from 8 a.m.noon tomorrow in the activity center.

The proceeds from this sale will benefit church and outreach programs. To donate or for more information, call Linda Hutchinson at (336) 748-8277 or Liz Matthews at (336) 768-6641.

27 CHARLOTTE — The Youth in Action group from Our Lady of Consolation Church, 2301 Statesville Ave., is sponsoring a dedication and blessing of the newly renovated cultural center today after 11 a.m. Mass. Refreshments are being served after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. For more information, contact Nanette Lide, youth minister, at (704) 536-2340.

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte area monthly ultreya meets today from 1:30-3 p.m. at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., in the parish center. For more information, contact Dan Hines at (704) 3392076.

HENDERSONVILLE — The St.

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

28 CHARLOTTE — There is a support group meeting for caregivers of family and friends suffering from Alzheimer’s/ dementia today from 2-3:30 p.m. in rooms D and E of the ministry center at St. Gabriel Church, 3016 Providence Rd. Activities for the memory-impaired are also being provided. For more information about the meeting or about the Adult Day Respite Program for the memory-impaired, which meets every Monday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m.- 1 p.m., call Suzanne Bach at (704) 376-4135.

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

Elder Ministry schedules “Fall Days” Catholic Social Services’ Elder

Minstry has announced three regional Fall Days of Reflection for seniors at the following locations: Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, Oct. 12; St. Mark Church in Huntersville on Oct. 19; and St. Elizabeth Church in Boone on Oct. 26.

All times are 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and registration is $8 per person.

Advance registration is required

by Sept. 26 for Hickory, Oct. 4 for Huntersville and Oct. 18 for Boone.

Space is limited at the Hickory and Boone locations.

For further information, call Sandra Breakfield at (704) 370-3220 or Meg Smith at (828) 464-8442.

September 1 HIGH POINT — Christ the King Church, 1505 East Kivett Dr., is

4 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Di-

BMHS capital campaign exceeds goal as plans continue

By ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer WINSTON-SALEM — As returning students start anew in their familiar surroundings at Bishop McGuinness High School for the year, plans for a new high school in the Triad area are well underway. In the summer of 2001, the school will be completed, thanks in large part, to the generosity of individuals and businesses.

The capital campaign goal of $2 million has been exceeded by nearly a million dollars, to place the total at $2.9 million as of Aug. 14, stated Warren Corgan, general BMHS capital campaign committee chairman. “All pledges were solicited by a threecity team, headed up by Bob Davis in Greensboro, Ken Hughes in High Point and Bill Lawler in WinstonSalem, which included approximately 150 volunteers from throughout the Triad area, and promotional work by John Ceneviva, communications chairman.”

Corgan added that one of the keys to the success of the campaign was the donations from corporations and other organizations.

“One of the things I am most gratified about is the level of support from businesses and foundations who played a major role in guaranteeing the success of the campaign and seeing them step forward in support of this effort,” agreed George Repass, principal of BMHS. “We feel richly blessed to have this kind of response from businesses and foundations, which is a testimony of the faith in the future of BMHS’s unique contribution to education in the Triad.”

The new school, now in its steel frame and cement phase, will also contribute to the growing Catholic population in the Piedmont-Triad area. Located on Highway 66, south of Inter-

state 40, the two-story building will be able to accommodate 800 students at its capacity, with a chapel seating 225 and a cafeteria seating 320. Amenities include a media center, music and art classrooms, computer labs, bookstore and athletic fields for baseball, soccer, track and field and softball.

“The new high school will be in centralized location and will provide a vehicle that will allow families to send their children to a school that fosters a faith-based education,” said Corgan.

The present 40-year-old structure, which was designed to hold about 250 students, has been expanded as much as the building will allow by dividing large classrooms and adding temporary classrooms. With 310 students enrolled for this new school year and more teens waiting to become a part of the Catholic education system, the new building could not be coming at a better time.

“One of the earliest requests I received when installed as bishop in April 1994 was a petition to build a new high school in the Triad area,” said Bishop William G. Curlin. “I take this opportunity to express my prayerful and heartfelt gratitude to all who devoted their time, energy and talents in making this possible.”

“I am especially mindful of the leadership of Warren Corgan, the three city chairmen, George Repass and the effort of the committees,” said Bishop Curlin. “I look forward to the joyful occasion when we will formally bless the new BMHS building.”

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

August 18, 2000

Council, from page 1 goal for moratorium proponents who attend the council meeting will be to point out why this a matter that should be of concern at the city government level. At a recent meeting of CCMN, members discussed that challenge and noted that the moratorium issue is a city issue on several counts: — Suggesting that the city council discuss a moratorium on — rather than abolition of — the death penalty, members pointed out that Charlotte takes pride in a history of deliberate and civil dialogue on public policy. As a logical first step in approaching the state government, they said, the city council can encourage the General Assembly to begin a comprehensive study of the death penalty allowed within a moratorium.

— The death penalty, they said, is the only government program that calls for a citizen’s life to be deliberately taken by the state. The execution of the condemned is the ultimate form of direct government action, they added.

— Members pointed out that the United States is the only western democracy still employing capital punishment, and even within this country, only a subset of the states that do authorize it actually use the death penalty.

— Members also say that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department plays a key role involved in the administration of death penalty cases in the city. City employees, they said, are thus directly involved in the death penalty policy’s enforcement.

Internationally to locally, the Catholic Church is among those making headlines in the moratorium debate, which has been heightened of late with growing scrutiny by those on all sides of the issue.

Pope John Paul II has endorsed an international moratorium on and the end of capital punishment, calling the death penalty during a 1999 visit to

the United States “both cruel and unnecessary.”

On Good Friday of this year, North Carolina Catholic Bishops William G. Curlin of Charlotte and F. Joseph Gossman of Raleigh joined a growing number of U.S. bishops who are releasing official statements calling for a moratorium, and ultimately, an end to the death penalty.

“This is not an easy issue,” the N.C. bishops wrote in their letter. “All of us need to consider how we will stand up for life for all human beings, how we will stand with the victims of crime and how we can work for a society that imposes justice without violence.”

Want to go?

The Charlotte Coalition for a Moratorium Now urges those in favor of a moratorium to attend the Charlotte City Council Meeting Aug. 28 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Government Center, 600 E. 4th St. Parking is available in the deck at 232 Davidson St. At press time, the agenda for the meeting was not available.

Jim Cooney, an attorney and member of CCMN, and Peter Gilchrist, Mecklenburg County district attorney, will lead an open discussion on whether North Carolina needs a moratorium Aug. 27 from 4-5:30 p.m. at Providence United Methodist Cburch, 2810 Providence Rd. in Charlotte.

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

August 18, 2000

Around the Di-

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Diocesan priest “retires” to Alaskan mission circuit

By JIMMY ROSTAR Associate Editor CHARLOTTE — It’s common for priests to celebrate three or four Masses on any given Sunday. But when they travel several hundred miles by plane, car or snowmobile to celebrate those Masses, the term ordinary time takes on a new meaning.

Msgr. Richard Allen, a retiring priest of the Diocese of Charlotte, leaves the swelter of the Queen City this month for Anchorage, Alaska, where he has become the newest “circuit priest” in an archdiocese that covers nearly 140,000 square miles. Longknown for his devotion to missionary work and a spirit of adventure, Msgr.

Allen said this new opportunity takes him back a half-century.

“When I first came to North Carolina in the early ’50s, the thing that attracted me to this place was small parishes, the small number of Catholics in relation to the population and the religious atmosphere of North Carolina,” said Msgr. Allen, a native of upper New York State. “It was a very inviting thing.”

With an invitation from Anchorage Archbishop Francis Hurley, Msgr.

Allen felt a tug toward Alaska, which he has visited several times. In his encounters there, he drew connections to his southern home.

“They truly have a sense of church,” he said of the people within the archdiocese’s territory, adding that about 10 percent of the population in that region is Catholic. “It’s like it was here in North Carolina years ago — most of the churches that we say Mass in are shared with another denomination, or we borrow from them.

“You make do with what you have, and it’s wonderful to be able to do that.

There’s a great openness.”

Msgr. Allen, 70, joins eight priests

over the Alaskan landscape. “I could from other dioceses who compose use my flying skills, but I am a fairthe circuit mission in the Anchorage weather flyer, and there’s not much Archdiocese. While they might assist fair weather on a consistent basis in at the archdiocese’s 20 parishes when Alaska,” he said. needed, most of the circuit priests’ Lay people or religious usuwork is done in mission outposts scatally serve as adtered through some ministrators of the of the region’s most missions, taking rural locales. care of running “We get there the churches durhowever we can — ing the week. The by car, by snowmocircuit priests ofbile, by dogsled, by fer sacramental and airplane. You name pastoral ministry it. Even snowshoes. when they arrive: I’ve got to learn celebrating Mass, how to use those,” visiting hospitals, Msgr. Allen said marrying couples, with a chuckle. conversing with paHe recalled one rishioners. weekend visit last On weekdays, October when he Msgr. Richard Allen the priests help celebrated Mass on however they can a Saturday afterin the city of Anchorage, where Msgr. noon, spent the evening with a homeAllen said the Catholic Church’s steader’s family, flew to two sites the presence is growing. The church next morning for Mass, visited a hosowns the medical center there, and pital, said another afternoon Mass and has an archdiocesan returned to Anchorgrade school and age Sunday evening. high school in town, The priests rotoo. The church also tate through the has a hand in the lomissions, and Msgr. cal homeless shelter, Allen noted that one as well as Covenant priest seldom visits House, a shelter for the same place each runaway youth. week.

Ordained in The mission 1956 by Bishop Vinfarthest from Ancent Waters of Rachorage is 900 miles leigh, Msgr. Allen away. The archdiosaid an early pastocese, which covers —Msgr. Richard Allen ral stint at St. Ann the south-central Church in Smithsection of the state, field, N.C., fostered his appreciation for also has a mission in Magadan, Russia. connection with people and places.

Although a licensed pilot himself, “Those folks taught me an awful Msgr. Allen said he hopes to let others lot about church, and they taught me take the controls of the small planes

“The whole nature of the new frontier is something I’ve always liked, and I really like the people who are part of that and the church that’s part of

an awful lot about the importance of being in touch with people and being involved in the community,” he said of his former parish, then composed of about 60 families.

He’d later spend summers on the road, as part of a “motor mission” that brought the church to then-rural spots like Mooresville, Statesville and Mocksville. Today, parishes bustle in all three of those places.

Through the years, Msgr. Allen’s pastoral assignments included moves into larger parishes like St. Patrick Cathedral and St. Ann Church in Charlotte, but he never lost that missionary spirit. It is the same spirit that draws him to Alaska.

“The whole nature of the new frontier is something I’ve always liked,” he said. “And I really like the people who are part of that and the church that’s part of it.”

He will dearly miss the friends and associations he has made in western North Carolina, he said. But Msgr.

Allen, who has never taken a sabbatical in his 44 years as a priest, said the opportunity to learn something new summons him.

“I look forward to being patient enough, to taking the time to let the people and the mountains talk to me for a little bit, and tell me where I need to be,” he said. “I don’t go up there with a lot of agenda, and I’m sure I’ll make mistakes. But nonetheless, I think it’ll probably be like starting over — like when I first came to North Carolina.”

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

6 The Catholic News & Herald Pope tells youths to open their hearts to missionary spirit CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — With the stage set for a week of World Youth Day activities in Rome, a smiling Pope John Paul II welcomed the first of an expected 1.2 million young people and told them to open their hearts to the missionary spirit. “Christ needs souls who know how to witness to the world the radical newness of the Gospel,” he told thousands of young jubilee volunteers Aug. 12. “I ask you to open your hearts to him with generosity, so that after your stay in Rome you can return to your homes even more filled with an apostolic spirit, to be courageous missionaries of the new evangelization,” he said.

Bishops to head U.S. church delegation to African countries WASHINGTON (CNS) — Three U.S. bishops will lead a fact-finding delegation to five African nations in late August to assess the situation of displaced people and discuss ways to improve global assistance to the countries. The delegation will travel Aug. 18-30 to Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, the Republic of Congo and Kenya. Bishop Phillip F. Straling of Reno, Nev., and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, representing the bishop’s Committee on Migration, will head the delegation with Bishop Donald E. Pelotte of Gallup, N.M., representing Catholic Relief Services, the bishops’ international relief and development agency.

Priest sees church changed by growing number of Latinos FRANKLIN, Wis. (CNS) — The growing number of Latino Catholics is transforming the Catholic Church

People in the

CNS photo by Karen Callaway, Northwest Indiana Catholic

Solo pilgrim walks, prays along Indiana road Sue Korlan of South Bend, Ind., makes her way down state route 41 near Lowell, Ind., in late July. A member of the Pilgrim Cross Ministries, she walks over 15 miles a day in an attempt to visit all jubilee churches and shrines in the state. in the United States, a Hispanic theologian told participants at a summer theology institute in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. But the North American church needs to treat Latinos pastorally and not “run roughshod” over their sensitivities and popular religiosity in a drive for theological consistency, he said. Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, executive director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif., and theology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, spoke Aug. 3 at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Franklin.

Noted labor priest gets Medal of Freedom WASHINGTON (CNS) — Msgr.

George G. Higgins, since the 1940s one of America’s most noted labor priests, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in White House ceremonies Aug. 9. “For more than 60 years now, he has organized, marched, prayed and bled for the social and economic justice of working Americans,” President Clinton said in conferring the award. “His faith and his courage have strengthened not only our nation’s labor unions, but our American union,” Clinton added. The award citation focused mainly on Msgr. Higgins’ work in the labor movement, but it also highlighted his pioneering efforts in Catholic-Jewish relations and his leadership in civil rights and religious

August 18, 2000

tolerance.

CUA vice president struck and killed by vehicle WASHINGTON (CNS) — A memorial Mass was celebrated Aug. 4 for Vincent P. Walter, 62, vice president and general secretary of The Catholic University of America, who was killed Aug. 3 when a van went out of control and struck him as he walked along a sidewalk. Witnesses reported the van swerved to avoid a car that was leaving a parking spot on a busy Washington street. It clipped the car, hit a second car, and then jumped the curb and struck Walter, who was pinned underneath the vehicle. Walter died not long after being struck. Bystanders pulled him from underneath the van and tried to revive him.

Bishop Kaniecki of Fairbanks, 65, dies of heart attack EMMONAK, Alaska (CNS) — Bishop Michael J. Kaniecki of Fairbanks, 65, died of an apparent heart attack Aug. 6 while in the western Alaska village of Emmonak to celebrate a confirmation Mass. Father Patrick Bergquist, a member of the diocesan Presbyteral Council, told the Anchorage Daily News that shortly before the Mass, Bishop Kaniecki “had complained of a headache, took some aspirin and went for a short walk outside the church.” Parishioners said they saw the bishop collapse outside Sacred Heart Church. Local health aides tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a time but with no success, and the bishop was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. local time in consultation with a physician from a regional hospital.

August 18, 2000

From the

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Catholic Magsaysay awardee inspired by Jesus’ birth reaching out to the poor.”

Arputham said providing houses to slum women is rewarding work, as it helps them realize their dream of owning a house they can turn into a home.

He describes the Magsaysay award as a recognition “of the existence of the poor and the squalid squatter settlements” that dot the pavements and railway tracks of Mumbai, formerly Bombay.

The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation cited Arputham for “extending the lessons of community building in India to Southeast Asia and Africa and helping the urban poor of the two continents improve their lives by learning from one another.”

Other awardees are Aruna Roy of India for community leadership; Jesse Robredo of the Philippines for government service; Liang Congjie, who founded China’s first environmental group, for public service; and Atmakusumah Astraatmadja of Indonesia for journalism.

Arputham, a native of Bangalore,

By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, India (CNS) — Jockin Arputham, winner of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award for international understanding, attributes the inspiration for his work among slum dwellers in Mumbai to Jesus’ humble birth.

“A poor woman without a house reminds me of Mary, who had no place to give birth to Jesus, and I feel like doing something to help her own her own home,” Arputham, 53, told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

The Catholic social worker, who lives in a slum in the western Indian city of Mumbai, sees his “little humble work” as “a manifestation of Jesus

electricity because he is convinced that “qualitative change in slums” is impossible without women’s initiative.

“I began my life living in a slum and one must be close to one’s cause,” Arputham said.

The Magsaysay Awards, often referred to as the “Asian Nobel Prizes,” were established in honor of former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a 1957 plane crash.

The Catholic social worker, who lives in a slum in the western Indian city of Mumbai, sees his “little humble work” as “a manifestation of Jesus

recalled that he came to work as a carpenter in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, in 1963 and lived in its first legal slum, Mankhurd Janata (People’s) Colony.

He said the filth and garbage that filled the colony of mostly displaced people made him want to do something about it.

Since the civic council did not come to clear the rubbish, Arputham gathered some youths and dumped it before the council office at 7 a.m. every day. After a few days, the council sent a van to collect the garbage.

Arputham said he set up the National Slum Dwellers Federation in 1975 to liaise with government and volunteer agencies. He has provided more than 5,000 homes for migrant workers and slum and pavement dwellers in Mumbai since then.

“Slum dwellers are treated like dogs, as they have no place in society,” Arputham said, adding that the federation now has 600 “slum pockets” and that it has united several slum groups to cover 230,000 families in the city.

In 1985 he formed the Mahila Milan (Women’s Union) in slums because “women alone can change a family’s life for the better.” The women’s union now encourages people to save money daily to buy their houses. Families build the tenements or buy them mainly from their savings, Arputham said.

“Owning a house has given them self-respect and dignity,” said Arputham, who lives in a two-room unit in a slum with his wife Rita and daughter Gloria, 21.

Arputham said he will donate the $50,000 award money to the Mahila Milan to build houses for the poor in Mumbai.

The awardee said he took social work seriously in 1964 when authorities evicted him from his slum.

“I realized the need for unity and formed a front to fight for our rights,” he recalled.

He now encourages women to fight for drinking water, toilets and

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Around the Dio-

Lincolnton, from page 1

August 18, 2000

Operation Rice Bowl Mini-Grants Awarded CHARLOTTE — Like ripples in ish, Mt. Airy, to purchase materials to

Photo by Joann S. Keane

The Costa Rican community of St. Dorothy Church brings a multi-cultural flair to the Lincoln County parish. Pictured is the parish planning committee. tallic images left in thanks for cures Luis Angel Ugalde, Alvaro Rodriguez, and miracles attributed to Our Lady Blanca Vargas, Alexandra Sibaja, Juan of Los Angeles. Pope Pius XI named Vega, Maria Elena, Alexis Rosales, the site as the shrine of Queen of the Victor Quesada Lopez, Ligia Jara Angels in 1935.

Mora, Eduardo Casbro, Lrian Sanchez, Back in Lincolnton, an overflow and Edwin Araya. This group coorgathering filled the 350-seat parish. dinated the fiesta, as they, and other People spilled into the narthex and parish members took responsibility further into the parish for the lavish layout of hall for the celebration of traditional Costa Rican Mass. From the closing food and drink. procession, parish memFor many, it was an bers, their families and opportunity to celebrate friends squeezed into the and perhaps visit with parish hall for a secondfriends not seen for ary celebratory feast: nasome time. Moreover, tive cuisine.

Rev. Mr. Medina says, A line quickly formed, it is a richness of faith and piles of rice, beans not just localized, but and chicken scooped onto universal and expressed disposable plates disapamong, and shared with peared as quickly as it was the community. served.

Young women danced Contact Editor Joann to the Latin beat as their Keane by calling (704) Photo by Joann S. Keane colorful costumes swirled 370-3336 or e-mail into a blend of kaleido- Ty Mashburn, age 1 1/2, jskeane@charlottediocese. scopic tones and hues. played one of the angels at org The little angels donned the celebration. their wings as they joined their friends caught up in the festive pace.

It took a month of planning for this culinary feast, with a committee comprised of: Yolira and Luis Pochet,

a pond each year the Operation Rice Bowl mini-grant awards spread Catholic social teachings to broader areas of the diocese. This year 13 recipients will use the grants for strengthening relationships with communities in Nicaragua, El Salvador and with immigrant and migrant populations right here in western North Carolina.

The seven-member Catholic Relief Services Diocesan Committee awards the grants from the 25 percent of the annual Operation Rice Bowl contributions that remains in the diocese. The remaining 75 percent of each year’s collection is forwarded to national CRS for its worldwide programs. During this ORB 25th anniversary year Catholics in the Charlotte diocese contributed $52,053.06.

Promoting solidarity between local church and school communities and global communities is the focus of the mini-grant program, established in 1997 by the CRS Diocesan Committee. Recipients this year include: St. Joseph Vietnamese parish, Charlotte, for text books and supplies to be used in the faith formation program; St. Aloysius parish, Hickory, for materials used in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for the Lahu Adult Literacy Program; St. Andrew parish, Mars Hill, for materials to train immigrant leaders to more fully participate in sacraments, liturgy and faith formation; Holy Angels par-

enhance a rapidly increasing Hispanic population; St. Joseph parish, Bryson City, for materials in Spanish to promote parish activities and involvement among Hispanics; St. Elizabeth parish, Boone, to provide materials for ESL classes for migrant workers; St. Francis of Assisi parish, Jefferson, for materials to nurture the spiritual growth and just working conditions for the Hispanic population; All Saints Catholic School, Charlotte, to assist with shipment of school supplies they will collect for children in Nicaragua; St. Luke parish, Mint Hill, to support a parish-wide, intergenerational program to foster greater interaction with other cultural groups, particularly Centro Hispanico; Sacred Heart parish, Salisbury, to encourage service by confirmation candidates to immigrants who are poor in the local community; St. James parish in Hamlet and Sacred Heart parish in Wadesboro, to provide materials for nurturing involvement of the Hispanic community in the local parishes; St. Peter parish, Charlotte, to strengthen the relationship between St. Peter parishioners and residents of Ciudad Segundo Montes in El Salvador.

August 18, 2000

Around the

Charleston hosts interreligious homecoming for Hunley crew

By JORDAN MCMORROUGH New Catholic Miscellany NORTH CHARLESTON — When the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley rose to the surface from its resting place at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean near Charleston Harbor the morning of Aug. 8, it was completing a journey begun more than 130 years ago.

And, after arriving at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at the former Charleston Naval Base to begin perhaps a decade of restoration work, an ecumenical service provided the final ceremony to honor the nine members of the Hunley crew, whose remains are inside the submarine.

Taking part in the ceremony was Msgr. Lawrence McInerny, pastor of Stella Maris Church; the Rev. Edward Counts of St. John’s Lutheran Church; the Rev. Alvin F. Kimel Jr., Church of the Holy Communion; and the Rev. James A. Holmes of Washington United Methodist Church.

The event consisted of Scriptures, specifically Psalm 130, a lesson from St. John, a prayer of consecration, a litany for the departed and a sprinkling rite or aspersion used in funeral services.

“It’s an honor to be here,” said Msgr. McInerny before the ceremony.

“This is a reminder that this (the Hunley) is not an artifact. It is a tomb and has been a tomb for more than 130

years. It is a solemn occasion.”

The monsignor added that the tale of the Hunley “is a beautiful story of history, valor, and solemnity. It appeals to everyone.”

At Stella Maris Parish, bell ringers were the harbinger of the news that the recovery barge carrying the Confederate submarine was entering Charleston Harbor, as crowds lined the beaches at Fort Moultrie to witness a part of history.

Deacon Michael Osbourne of Stella Maris coordinated the bell ringing of churches on Sullivan’s Island for the occasion. “We were the lookout,” said Msgr. McInerny. “The sentiment expressed by everyone was one of gratitude.”

A formal funeral service for the sailors whose remains are still aboard the Hunley will be conducted at a later date, perhaps a year. Currently, interment is planned at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

Republican State Sen. Glenn McConnell spoke briefly prior to the religious service. “We are committed to dealing with the remains with the deepest respect,” he said. “This ceremony has no precedent, this blessing of the Hunley.”

At the close of the 15-minute reception, a bugler, a Confederate reenactor in a white period naval uniform, blew taps. cutline: Msgr. Lawrence McIn-

The Catholic News & Herald 9

Catholic Campus Ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte Here is a list of the Catholic Campus Ministers in the Diocese of Charlotte: Diocesan Director of Campus Ministry Colleen McDermott 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203 704-370-3212 campusministry@charlottediocese.org Director of Development for Campus Ministry Reverend Dr. Frederick Dobens 1123 South Church Street Charlotte, NC 28203 704-370-3371 fdobens@hotmail.com Appalachian State University, Boone Campus Minister: Dr. Sal Inglese 828-265-9698 Belmont Abbey College, Belmont Campus Minister: Katy Volponi 704-829-7196 kponitale@juno.com Bennett College, Greensboro Campus Minister: Alberta Hairston 336-272-5868 theahouse1@juno.com

lege, Charlotte Parish Contact: Nanette Lide 704-536-2340 Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory Campus Contact: Rosalie Richards 828-328-7171 Livingstone College: See Catawba College Mars Hill College, Mars Hill Local Parish: St. Andrew the Apostle 828-689-3719 North Carolina A&T University: See Bennett College North Carolina School of the Arts: See Wake Forest Salem College: See Wake Forest Wake Forest University, WinstonSalem Camp Minister: Father Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv.

Associate CM: Julie Ostergaard 336-758-5018 jdeang8015@aol.com

Brevard College, Brevard Campus Minister: James Gensch 828-883-9572 gallivant@citcom.net

Western Carolina University, Cullowhee Campus Minister: Gloria Schwiezer 828-293-9374 cath_stu@wcu.edu

Catawba College, Salisbury Local Parish Contact: Lynda Cody 704-633-0591

UNC Asheville Local Parish: St. Eugene 828-254-5193

Davidson College, Davidson Campus Minister: Barbara Bagnall 704-892-2917 BB195@aol.com

UNC Charlotte Campus Minister: Mary Wright 704-547-4069

Greensboro College: See UNCG Guilford College: See UNCG Johnson C. Smith/Barber Scotia Col-

UNC Greensboro Campus Minister: Douglas Campbell 336-334-5548 dcamp66@aol.com

1 0 The Catholic News & Herald Book Review

Part of ethics series, new book offers reflections on dying Reviewed by Dimitra C. Bolger Catholic News Service A book on death is not exactly the kind one likes to mention at parties.

Neither is it likely to become the subject of an afternoon book-discussion group.

Although death is not the usual topic of discussion among friends, “The Eternal Pity: Reflection on Dying” still stands out as a recommended book — particularly for discussion in classrooms or book groups.

Edited by Father Richard John Neuhaus, who was named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the 32 “most influential intellectuals in America,” the book consists of 26 selections on various aspects of death — our own death and the death of loved ones.

“The Eternal Pity: Reflections on Dying” edited by Father Richard John Neuhaus. University of Notre Dame Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2000).

208 pp., $15.00.

The work is commendable for two key reasons: first because of the qualities of the selections themselves, and second because the work fulfills what it endeavors to do — namely, to invite the reader to look at the morality and ethics involved with death.

The book begins with a thoughtprovoking and insightful introduction in which Father Neuhaus relates his own experiences with life-threatening cancer and chemotherapy. From there, Father Neuhaus invites the reader to explore 26 thought-provoking reflections.

He divides the selections into three parts: “Thinking About Death: Twelve Classic Visions,” “When We Die,” and “When Others Die.” The readings themselves come in various forms — poetry, literature, essays, and philosophical discourses.

They represent thinkers from

August 18, 2000

Read-

many religious and philosophical backgrounds.

As an editor, Father Neuhaus stays true to his role and does not attempt to instruct or convince the reader of any specific viewpoint or argument.

Rather, he merely presents excerpts from a diverse group of thinkers and allows readers to then reach their own conclusions.

More important however is the significance of this book as a learning tool. “The Eternal Pity” is part of a series entitled “Ethics of Everyday Life,” edited by members of the Institute on Religion and Public Life in New York.

The series aims to take everyday subjects — such as leadership, work, teaching, and romance — and provides anthologies of reflections on each.

Are these works the best of what prose and poetry have to offer on these subjects? One could always make an argument for adding or removing a reading.

But on a whole, the readings stand out as excellent. Contributions by C.S. Lewis, Pieter de Vries, and Milton Himmelfarb are especially exemplary.

“The Eternal Pity” succeeds because it is a good selection of easy-toread, diverse and thought-provoking essays.

More important however, the book stands out as an invitation to true intellectualism, as readers are encouraged to think for themselves and to enter into the dialogue which has been ignited by means of these essays and reflections.

Death may never be a favorite topic at parties, but if people read books such as this, death is definitely going to be talked of much more.

Bolger recently received a bachelor’s degree in theology, philosophy and Great Books from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is a staff assistant at the U.S. Catholic Conference and continues her studies of Mariology.

Word to Life

Aug. 20, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Cycle B Readings: 1) Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:2-7 2) Ephesians 5:15-20 3) Gospel: John 6:51-58

By JEFF HENSLEY Catholic News Service This week’s Scriptures remind me of my own adult conversion to the Christian faith. Or perhaps, I should say my appropriation of the faith as my own, not simply what I was handed as a child.

When the Proverbs reading admonishes the simple who lack understanding to “come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed!

Forsake foolishness that you may live,” I am there.

When I first read these and similar invitations to wisdom when I was in my early 20s and an agnostic, they spoke to my hunger to find that which was solid, that which would lead me to a spiritual maturity I could only long for with the softedged longing of the seeker who knows there is something more in life than yet has been grasped.

As I turned to Scripture and prayer, even in my nascent belief, I found that I could say with the psalmist in Psalm 34:5, “I sought

the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears,” and I came to be able to join with him in the next phrase, as I came to faith: “Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame.”

And in time, as the road to full union with the church became possible for me as my interior barriers fell, I came to understand something of what Jesus meant when he uttered the mysteries in the John reading: “Just as the Father who has life sent me, and I have life because of the Father, so the man who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

Despite my weakness and foolishness, I came to understand that the fullness of being in God consists in continuing the eucharistic act of offering to God what we are that we may become the bread and wine that we consume — for others.

Question: Have you taken time lately to remember the first blush of adult faith when you no longer took for granted the goodness of God and the abundance of his mercy toward you?

Weekly Scripture Readings for the week of Aug. 20 - 26, 2000 Sunday, Proverbs 9:1-6, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58; Monday (St. Pius X), Ezekiel 24:15-24, Matthew 19:16-22; Tuesday (The Queenship of Mary), Ezekiel 28:1-10, Matthew 19:23-30; Wednesday (St. Rose of Lima), Ezekiel 34:1-11, Matthew 20:1-16; Thursday (St. Bartholomew), Revelation 21:9-14, John 1:45-51; Friday (St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz), Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matthew 22:34-40; Saturday, Ezekiel 43:1-7, Matthew 23:1-12 Readings for the week of Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2000 Sunday, Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69; Monday (St. Augustine), 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12, Matthew 23:13-22; Tuesday (Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist), 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17, Mark 6:1729; Wednesday, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18, Matthew 23:27-32; Thursday, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Matthew 24:42-51; Friday, 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, Matthew 25:1-13; Saturday, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Matthew 25:14-30

August 18, 2000

Entertain-

The Catholic News & Herald 11

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

This column looks at the films of Alec Guinness, a Catholic convert, who died Aug. 5 in London at age 86.

“The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957) Epic World War II adventure based on Pierre Boulle’s novel about British POWs in Burma who build a military supply bridge for their Japanese captors while British commandos make their way through the jungle to blow it up. Though the anti-war ending is more hollow than ironic, director David Lean excels in depicting the rigors of prison camp life, the military discipline that sustains the prisoners and, at the story’s center, the battle of wills between the British commander (Alec Guinness) and his Japanese counterpart (Sessue Hayakawa) over who will command the work details.

Some wartime violence and harrowing camp punishments. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Columbia TriStar) “The Horse’s Mouth” (1958) Wacky satire from the Joyce Cary novel in which a cantankerous artist (Alec Guinness) moves into the empty residence of an art collector (Robert Coote) and gradually turns it to rubble as he pursues his obsession of painting a giant mural, despite the best efforts of his caring friends (notably Renee Houston). Scripted by Guinness and directed by Ronald Neame, the story is subsidiary to the portrait of the artist as slightly mad, entirely egocentric and yet, for all his nastiness, an endearing old reprobate touched with genius — a challenging role not for all tastes.

Some sexual innuendo and disdain for property rights and people in general.

The U.S. Catholic Conference clas-

sification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (New Line) “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (1949) Stylish black comedy set in Edwardian England where eight members of an aristocratic family (all played by Alec Guinness) die in fatal accidents arranged by a distant relative (Dennis Price) in order to attain the dukedom he believes is rightfully his. Robert Hamer directs the proceedings with wit, elegance and much irony as related in flashbacks by the smoothly caustic perpetrator on the eve of his execution, though Guinness steals the show with his satirical parade of stuffy, doomed aristocrats.

Cynical attitude toward murder. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Facets, (800) 331-6197) “The Lavender Hill Mob” (1951) British comedy classic in which a timid bank employee (Alec Guinness) concocts a scheme to hijack a shipment of gold bullion with the aid of professional crooks (Sidney James and Alfie Bass), then melt it down in the foundry of an accommodating sculptor (Stanley Holloway) and recast it as Eiffel Tower souvenirs for export to Paris. Scripted by T.E.B. Clarke and directed by Charles Crichton, it’s a tongue-in-cheek depiction of a perfect crime that has one hilarious flaw after another, culminating in a wild police chase through London and a neat twist ending in South America. Comic crime caper and mild menace. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Facets (800) 331-6197) “Lawrence of Arabia” (1963) Set within the frame of a grand adventure is this interesting study of British hero-author T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole), whose World War I exploits in leading the Arabs against the Turks made his literary works popular in the 1920s. Director David Lean focuses on the diverse aspects of the man with an ambiguity suitable to the mystery still surrounding this

CNS photo from Warner Bros.

“Space Cowboys” Enjoyable action-adventure flick about four retired Air Force pilots (Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland) sent into space 40 years past their prime because only their technical knowledge can stop a malfunctioning Russian satellite from smashing into Earth. While the narrative’s plausibility is questionable, director Eastwood’s casually paced film maintains interest with colorful characters, impressive visual effects and slight intrigue as well as an unexpected conclusion. Brief menace with intermittent crass language and some profanity. The U.S. Catholic Conference 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. mythic figure. Bloody wartime battles and implications of a homosexual incident. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. (Columbia TriStar) “Scrooge” (1970) British musical version of the Christmas classic concentrates on poor old misanthropic (Albert Finney), a thoroughly craven humbug whose is never believable and hence all the more fun to watch. Directed by Ronald Neame, it’s light and amusing fun, using song and dance sparingly but well.

The ghosts (Alec Guinness, Edith Evans and Kenneth Moore) are especially imaginative and the mood of the piece is caught by Ronald Searle’s delightful caricatures appearing with the credits.

For all who still have enough of the child within them to enjoy an old-fashioned bit of make-believe. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. (Fox Video)

“Star Wars” (1977) Set in a galaxy other than our own, a desperate struggle takes place between evil usurpers of empire and a dedicated band of rebels (Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Alec Guinness). Written and directed

by George Lucas, the outcome never is in doubt because the movie’s conventions are as old-fashioned as its story of good triumphing over evil. The special effects are stunning, the characters imaginative and the narrative intriguing. Much stylized violence. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. — (Fox Video)

1 2 The Catholic News & Herald

August 18, 2000

Editorials & Col-

The Pope Speaks

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Pope condemns violence in Russia, Spain, Indonesia

By John Norton Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope John Paul II condemned separate terrorist acts in Russia and Spain and appealed for an end to ChristianMuslim violence in Indonesia.

“I hope with all my heart that every form of violence, the source of mourning and suffering, ceases and that hearts turn toward thoughts of intense and peaceful coexistence,” he said Aug. 9 at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Referring to a bomb attack in central Moscow Aug. 8 which killed at least eight people, the pope expressed “my strongest condemnation for this serious attack, while I assure my solidarity, which I accompany with prayer.”

Russian police blamed Chechen rebels for the rush-hour blast that struck commuters in a pedestrian underpass. The rebels, waging a guerrilla war against Russian troops in the Caucasus region, were also blamed for last year’s wave of Russian apartment bombings that killed hundreds of people.

The pope also condemned a fresh series of bomb blasts across Spain attributed to the Basque separatist group ETA. He said he extended his prayers “to the victims of the attacks which, unfortunately, continue in Spain.”

Three bomb explosions rocked the country in a 24-hour period, leaving five people dead and at least 10 injured. An Aug. 8 blast in a northern residential district of the capital, Madrid, wounded 10 people, including two children. The same day, a car bomb in the northern Spanish town of Zumaya killed a leading businessman, Jose Maria Korta. On Aug. 7, a suspected ETA commander and three accomplices were killed as explosives they were transporting by car detonated in the northern city of Bilbao.

In late July, the pope vigorously condemned ETA’s murder of a Spanish politician and emphasized that “no idea or political or social project can be imposed with violence.”

During his Aug. 9 audience, the pope also asked prayers for an end to continuing violence in the Indonesian Molucca Islands. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have been forced from their homes. In the fighting between Christians and Muslims, dozens of churches and mosques have been burned.

“We want to send thoughts of intense spiritual closeness to those suffering from the death of their loved ones, the loss of the goods necessary for existence and the destruction of their places of worship,” he said.

Many inhabitants had been forced to flee the islands, “where they have a right to live in dignity and security,” he said.

Pope John Paul prayed that order would be established in the Moluccas, that “the harmony of former days be found again soon, and that Christians and Muslims succeed at coexisting in peace.”

Transforming the marketplace For two years I attended a Tuesday Night Group with a dozen business people. We read the Sunday’s Scriptures and reflected about the office, factory and marketplace. The group told stories and focused on making the Gospel concrete in everyday life.

Stuart, one of the members, said he worked for an accounting firm in Atlanta. Every year his firm threw a lavish Christmas party in a swank hotel.

Inspired by the group, he told his boss he would skip the party because he saw a conflict. On Wednesday nights he and his wife worked at the homeless shelter in downtown Atlanta, and he could not reconcile his Wednesday ministry among Atlanta’s poorest with the Christmas party and its elegance. In fact, he challenged the firm to donate his portion of the expenses to the shelter. At first his boss resisted, saying the request would set a precedent, but Stuart prevailed.

The amount the firm would have spent on one couple fed 35 people at the shelter.

The challenge for believers today comes frequently as creative opportunities to transform the marketplace. The economic system promotes frivolous consumption, while advertisements further products based on vanity, power, prestige and greed.

The market lacks a moral compass and cannot differentiate between profits from authentic creation of wealth, or from the exploitation of workers, the environment or communities. But, people of faith can make a difference.

One need not be a Christian to be honest, fair or respectful. And, reasons for virtue may cover the spectrum from “it’s just good business” to a personal conviction about human dignity and the common good. To the casual observer, both a Christian in business and a highly ethical person may act the same.

However, the difference lies in a vision. The person of faith sees God’s power at work in the world and believes that power can transform society. God’s forgiveness can heal violence, God’s generosity can

On the Light Side DAN MORRIS CNS Columnist

one’s fingers.

Actually, the problem with saint tattoos, according to my friend Winston who knows these things, is finding any at all. And if you have one done, people would probably think St. Francis was Darth Vader.

It is definitely a challenge for folks interested in religious art tattoos.

On the positive side, I suspect it will not be long before you will be able to find lick-and-stick temporary tattoos of saints and other religious art in Christian bookstores. This just makes sense.

As a matter of fact, if I were a development or vocations director for the Franciscans or the Carmelites (St. Therese, remember?), I would be hopping on this one.

Can you imagine how popular temporary tattoos of things Catholic could become in Catholic schools and religious education programs across the country? Talk about fund-raising potential.

The Jesuits should be careful, though, if they were thinking about St. Ignatius of Loyola tattoos given the fact that images of their founder do, I am sorry to say, look a lot like Vincent Van Gough or a character from an Ann Rice novel.

Clearly this is an area in need of much more theological reflection and spiritual discernment.

Economy of Faith FATHER JOHN S. RAUSCH, Glenmary Guest Columnist share wealth and God’s love can insure a dignified life for every human person. Believers act like the hands and feet of God in the marketplace. But, the hands and feet of the Body of Christ need one another.

There is a follow-up to Stuart’s story. When he returned to the office the Monday after the Christmas party, he felt like a pariah. Folks avoided the company conscience. Gradually, on an individual basis, co-workers approached him with their own stories. One told how he supported a boys home for nearly 20 years, another how his spouse volunteers half-time with the Red Cross. Slowly Stuart realized the overtures did not focus on Carribean vacations or new red sports cars.

By his action, Stuart had transformed the level of awareness at the office from self-indulgence to service of others. Believers need their own Tuesday Night Group.

Meeting weekly, believers will find time for prayer and reflection. They will maintain their personal values and challenge one another to live a spirituality that will ultimately transform the marketplace.

Glenmary Father John S. Rausch writes, teaches and organizes in Appalachia.

Saintly tattoos As you know, the problem with having a large tattoo of St. Francis of Assisi ensconced on your left shoulder is that you might change your mind later and decide that St. Therese of Lisieux is actually your favorite saint. Then where would you be?

Naturally you would have to have a tattoo of the Little Flower memorialized on your right shoulder.

This is only fair.

Yet, as fickle as some of us can be, what if you next developed an incredibly deep devotion to St. Anthony? Put him on your shoulder blade?

A person could run the risk of becoming the record book’s entry for “most tattoos of saints on his or her body.”

I am not aware of this being addressed in either canon law or the catechism, so we Catholics fascinated by the current tattoo craze are kind of on our own on this.

It does make one think of those young World War II sailors who had the names of their girlfriends tattooed on their forearms. More than a couple of those men had those relationships fall through, and they were faced with some sticky options: Tell the new girlfriend that “Bettylu” was hs mother’s name; date only girls named “Bettylu”; have “just kidding” tattooed alongside “Bettylu”; change his named to “Bettylu”; always wear long-sleeve shirts.

Truthfully, it would be nice to think some of the young folks taking part in the tattoo fad would have asked these men’s advice prior to securing their own skin art, things like, “Do you think having barbed wire tattooed around my neck will present fashion accessorizing challenges in the future?” Or, “To anticipate my body changing a little in a decade or three, do you think a frog, lizard or iguana would warp least and look least like a map of South America on my biceps?”

Of course there is a presumption here: that a tattoo was an informed decision rather than something done after consuming enough “adult” beverage to significantly alter one’s vision and ability to snap

August 18, 2000

Editorials & Col-

Light One Candle FATHER THOMAS J. McSWEENEY Guest Columnist My sailing mate, reaching for the line with a pole, lost his balance, slid to the side of the boat, flipped over the lifeline, and plunged headfirst overboard. If it weren’t for the pole he took with him, I don’t know how I would have retrieved him. Holding it high enough for me to grab as he bodysurfed back to the boat, I was able to hoist him to the side.

Such are the days when everything seems to conspire against you: fog so thick you can’t read the compass, an atmospheric charge that electrifies the mast so that a green spark (“St. Elmo’s fire”) shoots clean down to the keel, water spouts that threaten to rip your sails into tatters. A journey can be difficult, even life-threatening, yet it is part of our nature to believe that risks are ultimately outweighed by potential benefits.

There are many times in life when we keep going purely out of faith and hope. But we have good reason. We proceed, not on our own, but as followers of Jesus who has both laid out the course and followed it. Our ability to recover from setbacks, our power to make the right choices, our stamina to travel through rough weather — all derive from Him. If Jesus could calm a storm at sea with the words, “Peace! Be still!”

(Mark 4:30), surely He can calm our troubled souls and guide us home.

torney, it seems you consider what your brother did as carrying legal sanctions.

If you’re not positive, it would be good to find out for sure before beginning a move to the courts.

For all this, of course, you will need the advice of an attorney.

You omit in your letter some morally critical information, but a few prudential questions will be essential in any case.

To begin with, you need to identify clearly what you wish to accomplish. You say you do not want revenge or punishment, but restitution. Is this money or something else? How much?

Then, is what you plan to do likely to be successful? For example, is the money, or whatever else, there to be returned?

Is what you want to do likely to accomplish more good than harm for you? Your mother? The rest of the family? Will it bring some closure or just reopen old wounds? Are other avenues possible to achieve your purpose?

This may seem a rather cold approach to an emotional situation. But these are basic, common sense questions to ask if you hope to arrive at prudent and otherwise virtuous decisions that will accomplish something positive for everyone concerned.

After we have reflected and done the best we can, leaving the rest to God is no cop-out. All life on this earth is imperfect, which means that, even morally, everything is not balanced or, if you wish, fair.

That full truth is, and can be, revealed only in eternity is still part of our faith and hope.

Questions may be sent to Father Dietzen at the same address, or e-mail: jjdietzen@aol.com.

Bon Voyage About halfway through the blockbuster movie “The Perfect Storm,” I broke out in a cold sweat that sent “shivers up me timbers.” Instinctively my heart and stomach bonded with the screen characters being helplessly thrashed by the unforgiving sea. In effect, each waterlogged scene stirred up a flashback to my own terror-filled memories of sailing Lake Erie.

From time to time, most of us are bitten by the “travel bug,” and usually the bite is not without its pain, especially for those who put out to sea. For sailors and boaters, it is a rare trip on which nothing goes wrong. They understand why the English word “travel” comes from the French word meaning “to suffer.”

My hometown is Pennsylvania’s port city to the Great Lake of the same name — Erie. During the summers, we natives get the chance to give in to the travel bug by sailing across the lake’s borderless wide expanse to visit the shores of Canada. It can be both exhilarating and hazardous.

Exhilarating because on a day when the wind direction and speed are just right, you can trim your sails to reach Long Point, Ontario, within 5 hours of shoving off from Erie’s shores. It’s just another 20 miles to the always friendly and inviting port of Dover where Canadians really express the Good Neighbor Policy.

Lake Erie is hazardous because it is the most shallow of all the Great Lakes. You might recall Herman Melville’s mention of Erie in Moby Dick as an example of how the highest waves are produced by the shallowest waters. In a few seconds, the wind can stir up a nearly placid lake into 12-foot swells.

I recall vividly a cloudless afternoon when the lake was absolute glass. Just as I disconnected the halyard, a line attached to the mainsail, a sudden gust of wind churned up frothy whitecaps that hurled the boat into roller coaster bobs. The halyard snapped from my hand whiplike and flew perpendicular to the mast like a taut clothesline.

Question Corner FATHER JOHN DIETZEN CNS Columnist

How is justice related to forgiveness?

Q. Your answer to “Is Forgiveness Really Possible?” was very enlightening. It’s not surprising you receive so much mail because this is a very common problem.

To take this one step further, what about justice? My brother committed various crimes against me and my parents, which ultimately caused my father’s death. I forgive him for what he did to me, but that he caused our father’s death is something I cannot accept.

I feel I must get justice for my parents. Saying God will punish him is a cop-out. I want to turn to the district attorney, but I keep asking myself whether I am really seeking revenge in disguise.

If we sit and “forgive” everyone’s crimes, we may as well abolish the police, courts and jails. Should we not attempt to stop the evil in this world? Revenge seeks to harm.

Justice seeks restitution. Can you help me figure this out?

A. First of all, I’m going to assume that when you say crime you mean crime. Crime is an activity, usually quite serious, punishable by law. So not every injustice, even a grave one, is a crime.

Did your brother directly cause your father’s death? Or did he bring about a family situation that, as you see it, occasioned the death? These kinds of facts will be significant.

Since you speak of approaching the district at-

The Catholic News & Herald 13

The Bottom Line Antoinette Bosco CNS Columnist Insights from a fisherman on the spirituality of work I’ve heard many a fish story in my day, but few caught my attention the way one did recently. I was at one of those nice, big family gettogethers and happened to get in on a discussion about a relatively new way fishermen can now have their fish and eat them too.

A soft-spoken young man named Joe Grieco was showing photos of truly artistically mounted fish, only these weren’t real fish bodies preserved by a taxidermist. They were fish reproductions, put together so perfectly that the eye-catching completed product looked absolutely lifelike.

I asked Grieco what I suppose was a poor question to ask a fisherman: What’s the allure of fishing for you? He gave me an unexpected answer. “Jesus was a fisherman, and so were most of his disciples. There has to be something very special about fish. At least that’s how I feel.”

I looked at the photos again, and this time the mounted fish, all Grieco’s work, seemed even more alive than before. I was reminded of a conversation I’d had recently with a priest who told me our work should be less about making money and more about finding how we can subtly serve the Lord through our work.

Grieco told me that his father had been a taxidermist and had taught him the skill of preserving animals in a lifelike mode. After his father died, Grieco had carried on the work part time as Joe’s Taxidermy, but found himself always choosing to work with fish.

He feels there’s something almost spiritual about fish, he says. “The fish was so important in the early church. It was the sign of belonging to Christ.”

I remembered that well, because the nuns often told us that the early Christians identified themselves secretly to one another by drawing a fish, frequently using their toes, in the sand of the roads.

When he learned that new processes had been developed for replicating fish, Grieco said he felt this was the direction his work should take.

Another positive side of fish reproductions, Grieco pointed out, is that a taxidermist can do a mounting from a photo.

As we talked, I felt this young man was a gentle teacher. He had studied to be a Franciscan brother for a while after high school, and his Catholic faith has remained his great source of strength ever since.

“The best part was learning that we were there in the monastery to help, to uplift one another,” he said, “which is what we must also do in the world.”

A devoted husband and father of two, he emphasized how Christ became and has remained his trusted companion and refuge. “I feel Christ holds me, and then I, in turn, must hold others.”

Recently I have been reading a lot about the spirituality of work. I felt talking with Joe Grieco about what he does with fish, and why, was a textbook on the subject.

1 4 The Catholic News & Herald

August 18, 2000

In the

Shroud of Turin unveiled in Italy for Holy Year showing

By Catholic News Service TURIN, Italy (CNS) — The Shroud of Turin, the controversial cloth believed by many to have wrapped the body of the crucified Christ, was unveiled in northern Italy for a special two-month showing during the Holy Year.

About 6,000 young people from around the globe, on their way to World Youth Day celebrations in Rome, were on hand for the unveiling Aug. 12 at the Turin cathedral. Hundreds of thousands were expected to view the shroud before the display ends Oct. 22.

Pope John Paul II, speaking from

ClassiEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Administrative Assistant: Applications are being accepted for administrative assistant at the Diocese of Charlotte Pastoral Center/MACS. Responsibilities include PC data entry, maintenance of cash receipts files, processing financial reports, maintaining records log. Minimum of high school degree required. Detail-oriented with Microsoft Excel experience. Send resume and salary history to: Business Office Administrator, PO Box 36776, Charlotte, NC 28236 Assistant Secretary: Asheville Catholic School. Attendance/First Aid Office.

M-F, full time. CPR and First Aid certification required. Call (828)252-7896 for information. EOE. Custodian, Full-time: Begin work immediately. Asheville Catholic School. Call Randy Penland, Maintenance Supervisor at (828)252-7896. EOE. Director of Adult Catholic Enrichment/Order of Christian Initiation: Holy Family Catholic Church of Marietta seeks a full-time salaried Director for Adult Catholic Enrichment (ACE) and the Order of Christian Initiation (OCI) programs. Applicants should have leadership experience in ACE/ OCI areas and/or have religious education degreed background suitable to develop high quality programs and volunteer assistance in the community. Must be practicing Catholic. If interested, please submit resume and cover letter to Ret Siefferman, Director of Religious Education at Holy Family Catholic Church, 3401 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, GA 30068. Fax (770) 578-0475. Inquire at (770) 973-7400, ext. 21 with questions.

Director of Music: Full-time position as Director of Music for growing parish of 650 families that love to sing! Responsibilities include: Liturgy preparation and planning; playing for 5 weekend masses, holy days, funerals. Weddings negotiated; directing and developing adult mixed choir; organizing and directing children’s choir; attend conferences and workshops for continued education and renewal; and attend weekly parish staff meetings. Competitive salary and benefits. Experience a plus, but musical accompaniment skills (piano & organ) a must. Send resume to Search Committee, Sacred Heart Church, 128 N. Fulton St., Salisbury, NC 28144, or fax to 704-647-0126.

his summer residence outside Rome Aug. 13, said the linen was a “singular witness of Christ.”

“Whenever there is an opportunity to contemplate it, one remains deeply moved. This has happened to me, too,” he said, recalling his visit to see the shroud in 1998, during its last public showing.

The 17-foot-long cloth, venerated

by Christians for centuries, bears the faint imprint of a man and the apparent signs of wound marks that correspond to the crucifixion.

Kept permanently in a special case in the Turin cathedral, it has been shown publicly only four times in the

Director of Planned Giving: The Diocesan Office of Development has an opening for a part-time director of planned giving.

Candidate must be a college graduate with a degree in marketing, business administration, or related field; and 3 years specific experience in planned giving or related experience. Applicants should have strong interpersonal and communications skills and the ability to interact well with diverse groups. Responsibilities include organizing and directing efforts to assist parishioners in developing and implementing long-range financial plans for their benefit, the benefit of their family, their parish and/or the diocese. Part-time position for 21 hours per week, beginning August. Please submit resume to: Jim Kelley, Office of Development, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203-4003.

Director of Religious Education: Holy Family Catholic Church in Marietta seeks a full-time salaried Director for its Religious Education programs. Practical leadership experience in the continuing development of a full range of primary, secondary, young adult and adult based Religious Education programs is essential. The ability to encourage a spirit of volunteerism to meet broad community needs is a must. Should be competent in managing all educational levels and administrative staff functions. Must have bachelors and/or advanced degree in education and/or religious training. Must be practicing Catholic. Holy Family’s Religious Education programs serve a multi-cultural community. Fluency in Spanish or equivalent background experience would be a useful asset. If interested, please submit resume and cover letter to Ret Siefferman, Director of Religious Education, Holy Family Catholic Church, 3401 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta, GA 30068. Fax (770) 578-0475. Inquire at (770) 973-7400, ext. 21 with questions.

Music Ministry Director: Holy Infant Catholic Church is in search of a full-time Director of Music. Located in Durham, North Carolina, a dynamic and growing area of the country near Research Triangle Park, this Vatican II parish consists of 900 households that are committed to ongoing liturgical renewal. Holy Infant Parish embraces its call to be hospitable, inclusive and Christ-centered.

This position works closely with the Pastor and a collaborative and supportive staff. Requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field although a master’s degree is preferred.

Must have music performance skill (e.g. piano, voice); choral directing; cantor training; knowledge of Catholic rites and rituals. Available no later than November 1, 2000. Salary commensurate with education and experience.

last 100 years.

Carbon-14 testing in 1988 dated the cloth to the Middle Ages, suggesting that the image on the linen was a fake.

But several experts have since questioned the reliability of the 1988 tests, pointing to the possibility of chemical or biological contamination.

Meanwhile, church officials have not ruled out future dating attempts.

“The church is not afraid of science,” said Turin Archbishop Severino Poletto, who favors additional research on the cloth.

Bruno Barberis, president of a shroud study institute in Turin, told

Vatican Radio that he thought additional tests would be carried out on the shroud.

But he doubted that the question of the shroud’s authenticity would ever be settled.

In his opinion, he said, there is already enough evidence to identify the image on the shroud with that of Christ.

The church has not pronounced on the authenticity of the shroud, but the pope has asked scientists to keep an open mind as they investigate its properties and origins.

Classified ads bring results! Over 115,000 readers! Over 45,000 homes!

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

Payment: Ads may be pre-paid or billed. For information, call (704) 370-3332.

Benefits package included. Send resume to: DOMM Search Committee, Holy Infant Catholic Church, 5000 Southpark Dr., Durham, NC 27713. Fax 919/544-1799. References required at time of application for consideration for this position.

Parish Secretary/Receptionist: St. John Neumann. 9am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Secretarial skills and experience, computer-literate, personable. Salary negotiable.

Benefits. Contact Fr. Thom Meehan, (704) 536-6520 or send resume and references: St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte, NC 28277. Fax: (704) 536-3147.

Principal, Elementary: Blessed Sacrament School, located in historic Savannah, Georgia and nearby Atlantic Ocean beaches, is seeking a principal beginning as soon as possible. Candidates must be Catholic and be able to enhance this family-oriented school with strong communication, leadership and financial management skills. Candidates must have a master’s degree in education and be certifiable by the state of Georgia. Salary is commensurate with experience and credentials.

Request application, and mail or fax resume to: Blessed Sacrament Search Committee, Diocese of Savannah, 601 E. Liberty St., Savannah, GA 31404. Phone (912)238-2344 or Fax(912)2382339.

Teacher: Asheville Catholic School seeks dynamic pre-K teacher. Must hold or be eligible for NC license. Call (828) 252-7896. EOE. Teachers, Library/Media Specialist: Charlotte Catholic High School has the following openings beginning August 2000: fulltime teaching positions for Religion, Drama, English, Math, Spanish, and full-time Library/ Media Specialist. Must have NC Certification.

Also, part-time Guidance Secretary is needed.

Call (704)543-1127 for application.

Teachers: Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Greensboro, NC (Grades K-8) has openings for a full-time Second Grade teacher, a full-time Middle School Social Studies/ Religion teacher, a part-time Middle School Spanish teacher, and a part-time Middle School Computer teacher. If interested, please contact

Ms. Roberta Hutchcraft, Principal, at (336) 275-1522. Applications are available in the school office (2205 W. Market St., Greensboro, NC 27403) between the hours of 9:003:00 p.m., Mon. thru Fri. Teachers: Sacred Heart School (PreK8) in Salisbury has the following teacher openings beginning in August: PE, Spanish, 5th Grade, and Middle School Language Arts. NC certification required. Call Kathleen Miller at (704)633-2841.

Teachers: St. Patrick’s School in Charlotte is accepting applications for parttime Music teacher and part-time Spanish teacher. Please contact school principal, Mrs. Angela Montague, (704) 333-3174 for interview. NC certification required.

Teachers: St. Michael’s School in Gastonia, NC is currently seeking dynamic teachers for the following positions: Fulltime Middle School Language Arts/Social Studies; and part-time Art teacher. NC Certification required. Please call Joseph Puceta at (704)865-4382 for more information.

Youth Minister, Part-time: St. Patrick Cathedral is in great need of a part-time Youth Minister to plan, implement, and oversee weekly activities for parish youth.

Undergraduate degree in a youth related field and experience preferred. Please send resume and cover letter to St. Patrick Cathedral, Attn: Joanna Catabui, 1621 Dilworth Road E., Charlotte NC 28203 or Fax: (704) 377-6403.

FOR SALE

Personalized Candy Bars. For ALL Occasions. CHERUBS-N-CHOCOLATE. To request a catalog, please visit web site at www.Cherubs-N-ChocolatebyDeb.com or call (919)689-9925.

PRAYERS & INTENTIONS

Thanks to St. Jude for prayers answered. L.A.B.

August 18, 2000

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Around the

Youngsters experience faith through arts and music

BY ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer CHARLOTTE — Parents and family friends beamed with pride as they clapped for their little ones, and cameras flashed as the young group performed with stars, rainbows and band-aids painted on their faces with their eyes shielded with sunglasses.

It was the final day of the “Gifts of Spirit Here” or GOSH! Arts and Music Camp at St. Luke Church, which lasted from July 31 through Aug. 4, and the young participants were taking part in a play in culmination the week’s activities.

This was the first year for the camp, which included about 58 parish children ages 5-10, separated into groups according to age. The youngest children were called the “Smiling Spirit” group, while the other groups were called “Happy Spirits” and “Glad Spirits.”

Gail Hunt Violette, the camp coordinator, was inspired with the idea for the camp while sitting in Mass and listening to a homily by Father Joe Mulligan, pastor, about sharing talents with others.

“I wanted to involve St. Luke parishioners and thought about who could work with children to help them to bring out their talents,” she said.

“Our children are gifts from God, and everyone has special gifts to share.

Violette enlisted the help of Marti Dushak, parish director of music, to offer her ideas and begin each day with a group song. Dushak said she decided to focus on songs that the children

Photo by Alesha M.Price

Volunteers Maureen Baisley, 17, and Brian DuBois, 17, lead the Smiling Spirits, five- and six-year-olds, in a song with hand motions at the GOSH! Arts and Music Camp at St. Luke Church in Charlotte. were familiar with from Mass and other church events.

“I wanted to keep the music upbeat so that the kids could move and dance.

I knew that they would be sharing their gifts with everyone at the ending performance,” explained Dushak.

Each day began with a daily scripture, and the first quote from Psalm 127:3 was a direct reflection of the idea of the camp: “Children are a gift from God, they are His reward ...”

The children participated in two classes per day based around the day’s Scripture, including pencil drawing

ity by sharing and showing how much God means to them and one another.”

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

and sketching, a visit from and elderly residents and Kelly Gibson, director of activities, dressed as a clown, from the Little Flower Assisted Living Community, watercolor and oil pastel painting, photography and videography.

The final day was filled with singing, liturgical dancing and a theatrical performance led by the five- and sixyear-old children, explained Violette.

“I liked the singing the most,” said Magdlena Rabiipour, 8. “It made me think about the love of Jesus and how great he is.”

Violette also had the aid of several parent and teen volunteers who helped to keep the children going in the right direction from class to class and to lead the singing and activities.

“This ties arts and music to our religion,” said Michele Raskob, who helped with the younger children and face painting.

“Our children need validation because they are oftentimes ignored as far as their spirituality is concerned.

This is one way that the children can feel good about their religion and their church.”

Mary-Brigid Spence, a parent volunteer who discovered she possessed artistic talent she did not realize she had, agreed, “The kids had the opportunity to get to know other kids in the church, which helps them want be a part of the community, and knowing that they are part of the community helps them to develop their spiritual-

1 6 The Catholic News & Herald

August 18, 2000

Living the

Quilting query quickens quite a quest

BY ALESHA M. PRICE Staff Writer SPENCER MOUNTAIN — The night sky shines with a blanket of stars, and with the North Star as a guide, African-Americans held in bondage on Southern plantations and farms travel via the Underground Railroad to the North. Along the way, homemade quilts draped over porch railings with particular patterns help to serve as secret signposts for their freedom journey.

Certain quilts that mirror the nighttime star pattern act as a celestial map, and other quilts depict disguised signs. “A bear’s paw trail” patch, a square with four triangles, signals to follow the northern trail of a bear, while the “flying geese pattern,” a series of eight triangles, shows which direction the slave had to travel with two darkened triangles.

Most of these original freedom quilts have not lasted throughout the years because of heavy use, just as the need for the Underground Railroad has dissipated.

In the quiet recesses of a small mountain town, parishioners from St. Helen Church are creating quilts, inspired by the past and a trip to an area museum, that symbolize family and faith. Under the direction of Ann Gardin, a seamstress by profession, women are making smaller versions of the quilts used by their ancestors for warmth, and for some, as part of an escape route.

Photo by Alesha M.Price

Photos of Ann Gardin’s grandparents adorn this quilt, crafted in memory of her caretakers.

Prompted by a church outing to the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte in April, Gardin and several others visited the exhibition “Spirits of the Cloth: Contemporary Quilts by African-American Artists.”

Fifty quilts created by 30 members of the Women of Color Quilter’s Network, a national organization of over 1,000 male and female quilters, were

on display at the museum with explanations of the origins and themes of the cloth creations.

“We wanted to get a feel of the spirits of the people who made those quilts,” said Gardin.

The tradition of African-American quilting has its roots in the production of textiles among various African tribes in Central and West Africa, where the male members of the community used colors and patterns distinct to their region in their weaving to distinguish themselves from other tribes. After Africans were brought to America on slave ships, the African weaving traditions were passed onto the women and were intermingled with the quilting being done by slave owners’ wives and mothers.

African-American women had to make their own family quilts with leftover material scraps, as their daughters and granddaughters watched and helped. Those skills have filtered down the generations through the years.

Musetta Glenn, a St. Helen member, who stressed that she does not have “much sewing experience,” is working on a family quilt with her daughter Dabney Wilson and her granddaughters Deshawna Wilson and Alexandria Wilson after Sunday Masses. Their navy- and melon-colored and flowered quilt includes biblical quotes and family pictures.

“I wanted my children to know who they were and to know Jesus,” explained Glenn. “This quilt is about faith, and if I can implant in them the roots of their heritage as AfricanAmerican Christians, then they can handle anything. The quilt tells where we have been and where we continue to go, and I can pass this down from generation to generation.”

Glenn’s daughter, Dabney, agreed, “I can keep up with this better than a scrapbook or a photo album. After my mother hands it down to me, I can pass this to my daughter Deshawna, and she can pass it on to her child.”

Three-year-old Deshawna cries, “I want to make my own quilt.” So, Gardin cuts a piece a fabric onto which she can glue pieces of pipe cleaner.

While Deshawna is occupied, Gardin explains the group of quilts that she has created.

One of the nearly completed quilts entitled “Homegoing: Celebrating the Lilies in the Valley” has miniaturized, laminated versions of the obituaries of St. Helen Church members and other family members with colored beads representing the number of children they left behind attached onto the pastel patches. One quilt dedicated to her grandparents includes pictures of fruit representing her grandfather, who sold fruit from a truck, and another red-flowered quilt reminds people to “stop, meditate and pray.”

Even though she has no daughters to which she can pass along the skill of quilting, her niece Renata Gardin, 14, joined the after Mass sessions. Moreover, a quilt dedicated to Gardin’s son Taurus now resides with him at his home on a wall on display, explained

Photo by Alesha M. Price

Three generations work on their family quilt. Dabney Wilson holds her daughter Deshawna, while Dabney’s mother Musetta Glenn pastes a picture of her granddaughter onto the fabric.

Gardin, smiling with pride.

The first quilts will be completed

by October to be hung on display in the church and during an upcoming fund-raiser. Gardin hopes that more church members will become involved with the quilting. “Our church is made up of family, and quilting is something that we can do as a project to further strengthen our family ties.”

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