Sept. 4, 2009

September 4, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives Hot wings to heaven; the purpose of work; learning to communicate

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI september 4, 2009

Bishop welcomes renewal for entire diocese

| Pages 14-15 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

no. 37

Old school, new building, continuing excellence Bishop dedicates Sacred Heart School by

KATIE MOORE staff writer

Invitation outlines blessings of 5th Eucharistic Congress

SALISBURY — A school with a long history has started a new chapter.

Students, teachers, parents and friends gathered for the celebration of Mass and the blessing and dedication of the new Sacred Heart School Sept. 1.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis was the principal celebrant with Father John Putnam, pastor of Sacred Heart Church; and Father James Ebright, priest in residence; concelebrating.

For a school with origins dating back to 1882, the dedication of the new school building represents a commitment to continuing Catholic education.

“I am proud of what has

CHARLOTTE — As the date of the Diocese of Charlotte’s 5th Eucharistic Congress approaches, Bishop Peter J. Jugis extends an invitation to all area Catholics to attend.

In a letter to Catholics in the Diocese of Charlotte, the bishop called on parishioners to pray for the success of the congress.

He described the congress, which is to be held Sept. 25-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center, as an opportunity to experience spiritual renewal, enhance appreciation of the gift of the Eucharist and refresh zeal for the new evangelization.

See BISHOP, page 13

vOLUME 18

photo by Katie

Moore

Students kneel for the consecration during the Mass and dedication of the new Sacred Heart School building in Salisbury Sept. 1.

Catholic Conversions Episcopal nuns, priest to become Catholics after years of prayer

by GEORGE P. MATYSEK JR. catholic news service

cns photo by

OWEN SWEENEY III, Catholic Review

Sister Emily Ann Lindsey and Sister Margaret Muraki pray in the chapel at the Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor convent in Catonsville, Md., Aug. 24. The sisters, part of an Episcopal order, will be joining the Catholic Church Sept. 3.

BALTIMORE (CNS) — After seven years of prayer and discernment, a community of Episcopal sisters and their chaplain were to be received into the Catholic Church during a Sept. 3 Mass celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien.

The archbishop was to

welcome 10 sisters from the Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor when he administers the sacrament of confirmation and the sisters renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the chapel of their convent in suburban Catonsville, Md. The Rev. Warren Tanghe, an Episcopal priest, also was to be received into the church and See CONVERTS, page 7

Culture Watch

Around the diocese

New books for college students; Pope John Paul II film festival

Local parish gives big; youth ministry workshop looks at new handbook

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 12

See DEDICATION, page 9

The gift that keeps on giving Couple creates endowment for seminarian training

by Katie Moore staff writer

WINSTON-SALEM — Faith and family are two things that have always been important to Eugene and Carmen Rossitch.

After immigrating to the United States from Cuba in the early 1960s, the Rossitches See GIFT, page 5

20 days until the

Eucharistic Congress September 25 & 26

www.goEucharist.com See back page.

September 4, 2009

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

Catholic cycles 20,000 miles to fight cancer

cns photo of

MIKE CRUPI, Catholic Courier

Michael Fahey, a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Hamlin, N.Y., has biked all over the world since 1996, raising money for the American Cancer Society along the way. The 67-year-old has racked up some 20,000 miles.

Bicyclist donates to breast cancer, remembers wife HOLLEY, N.Y. (CNS) — To residents of China, Russia and a score of smaller countries, it didn’t appear that Michael Fahey was riding a bicycle built for two.

Yet it’s really the only way he ever travels. The other rider is his wife, Ruth, and her seat is in his soul.

Fahey first took to the road in earnest during Ruth’s long bout with breast cancer. Some days he’d bike for prayer and reflection; other times he’d head off to buy Ruth’s medications.

After Ruth died in September 1995 at age 48, Fahey’s mother-in-law asked what he was going to do next.

“I said, ‘I cycled 2,000 miles this summer, so I think I’ll bike across the United States,’” Fahey recalled.

He made good on that idea the following year, beginning his crosscountry trek in Newport, Ore., and ending it 35 days later at the Chesapeake Bay — traveling an average of nearly 100 miles per day.

That sparked a series of megatours that have taken Fahey all over the world: Ireland and England in 1999; Western Europe in 2002; Eastern Europe in 2004; Eastern Europe and China in 2005; more areas of China in 2006 and again in 2007; nine countries in Africa covering 7,000 miles in 2008; and Australia this past April.

In all, these globe-trotting treks have seen the 67-year-old Catholic rack up some 20,000 miles. He also has raised approximately $10,000 for the American Cancer Society in memory of his wife.

Fahey, a former banker who is now a real estate broker, said all funds he collects go to the cancer society because he finances his own travel expenses.

His home is dotted with mementos as well as photograph albums containing images of everything from the Eiffel

Tower to a sign at the entrance of Lost Springs, Wyo. — population four.

Fahey plans his own routes as well as lodging that has included motels, hostels, the homes of kindhearted strangers and campgrounds where he unwraps his tent and sleeping bag that make up much of the 70-pound load he carries.

Fahey observed that people of all ages and nationalities, particularly the Chinese, have extended kindness after learning about his endeavor. He’s not versed in any foreign languages, but conveys basic needed information via phrase books.

Many of his conversations have occurred in bike-repair shops where Fahey has landed because of broken spokes and tire problems.

When not off somewhere touring, Fahey enjoys biking to weekday Masses and Communion services at his parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Hamlin.

“I try to stay in shape,” he said.

Next up for Fahey is a possible trip next year along U.S. Route 1, beginning in Maine and extending 2,000 miles south to the Florida Keys; or on the Natchez Trace, a 440-mile trek through much of Tennessee and Mississippi.

He also hasn’t ruled out a tour of South America, which would be his sixth of seven continents — although he said there are no plans to complete that list by biking in Antarctica.

“I don’t like to bicycle when it’s cold,” he said with a laugh.

Fahey said he might cut back the lengths of his world trips at some point, but for now his motivation remains especially high based on the ongoing threat of cancer on his wife’s side of the family. In fact, one of his three daughters, Shari, is in remission from breast cancer.

“I have to keep moving,” he stated.

Pope Prays for Priests Pope says families should create ‘spiritual terrain’ for vocations CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI said Catholic parents should make sure to create a “fertile spiritual terrain” for priestly vocations as they educate their children in the faith.

The pope, speaking at a Sunday blessing at his summer residence outside Rome Aug. 30, said he hoped for a vocations revival in the Year for Priests, which began in June. The year marks the 150th anniversary of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests.

“When couples dedicate themselves generously to the education of their children, guiding and orienting them toward the discovery of God’s design of love, they prepare that fertile spiritual terrain where vocations to the priesthood

Diocesan planner For more events taking place in the Diocese of Charlotte, visit www.charlottediocese. org/calendarofevents-cn.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE CHARLOTTE — An Ignatian Retreat for Young Adults in their 20s and 30s will be held in Biss Hall at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Consider setting aside some personal time for a morning that will help you develop tools of reflection for living in the present for the sake of tomorrow. The retreat will be followed by Mass. Parking is free in The Green parking garage next door to the church. To register, call St. Peter’s at (704) 332-2901 or e-mail yamretreat@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — The Gospel According to St. John, a 12-week seminar stressing the divinity of Christ, will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 6828 Old Reid Rd., Sundays beginning Sept. 13 from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the activity center. This seminar aims to create in attendees an interest in and a love for Scripture in order to foster spiritual growth.

For more information, call (704) 554-1622.

CHARLOTTE — There will be an inquiry meeting for those interested in joining a Dominican Laity Group (third Order of St. Dominic) Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. in room 132 of the New Life Center at St. Matthew Church, 8015

and consecrated life arise and mature,” the pope said.

He offered a prayer that in the Year for Priests, “Christian families may become small churches in which all the vocations and charisms given by the Holy Spirit will be welcomed and valued.”

The pope said the history of Christianity features innumerable examples of saintly parents and families, including Blessed Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi, who were beatified in 2001. The couple had four children, including two sons who became priests.

The pope appeared relaxed as he greeted pilgrims in the packed courtyard of his villa in Castel Gandolfo. He returns to his Vatican residence at the end of September.

Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. The group is open to all who are in conformity with the teaching of the Magisterium and who are seeking the Dominican spiritual life. For more information, call Mary Snow at (704) 847-4405 or e-mail info@ charlottelaydominicans.org. Or visit the Web site at www.charlottelaydominicans.org.

CHARLOTTE — “Come and See,” an informational social to answer questions regarding the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) will be held in the Parish Hall at St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Rd., Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to learn more about the Catholic Church, we would love to help you on your faith journey. Classes will be held the second week of September through the first week of October on Sundays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact Karen Polce at (704) 545-7580 or kmpsjn@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Young Adult Life presents Theology on Tap, a speaker series for Catholics in their 20s and 30s. The series will take place once a month from August through November. The series will take place at Harper’s Restaurant, 11059 Carolina Place Pkwy. Come and mingle at 6:30 p.m., speaker will start around 7 p.m. The next session will be Sept. 17 on the topic “Finding Meaning in Your Work” presented

by Deacon Mark King. For event details, visit www.meetup.com/youngadultlife or e-mail st.matthews.yal@gmail.com.

CHARLOTTE — A Blood Give-In will be held at St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., in the Parish Center Family Room Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sign ups will be in the Narthex the weekends of Sept. 5-6 and Sept. 12-13. Walk-ins will be accepted as time permits.

CHARLOTTE — The Fall 2009 Kick-off vigil for the 40 Days for Life will be held at St. Ann Church at 3635 Park Rd. Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. 40

september 14, 2009 Volume 18 • Number 37

Publisher: Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Interim Editor: Heather Bellemore STAFF WRITER: Katie Moore Graphic DESIGNER: Tim Faragher Advertising MANAGER: Cindi Feerick Secretary: Deborah Hiles 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203 Mail: P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237 Phone: (704) 370-3333 FAX: (704) 370-3382 E-MAIL: catholicnews@charlottediocese.org

The Catholic News & Herald, USPC 007-393, is published by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, 1123 South Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203, 44 times a year, weekly except for Christmas week and Easter week and every two weeks during June, July and August for $15 per year for enrollees in parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and $23 per year for all other subscribers. The Catholic News & Herald reserves the right to reject or cancel advertising for any reason deemed appropriate. We do not recommend or guarantee any product, service or benefit claimed by our advertisers. Second-class postage paid at Charlotte NC and other cities. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, NC 28237.

September 4, 2009

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

Top Vatican official dismisses talk of rollback on Vatican II No proposed modifications of liturgical books VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, has dismissed fears that Pope Benedict XVI plans to roll back major ecclesial changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council.

On the contrary, the German pontiff has demonstrated his commitment to the council during his more than four years as pope, Cardinal Bertone told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, in an interview published Aug. 27.

In the wake of recent reports about plans to reverse liturgical changes made since Vatican II, Cardinal Bertone said reporters and observers should stick to the actual actions undertaken by the pope since his election.

“The other ruminations and whispers about presumed documents of reversal

are pure invention, following a standard and stubbornly re-proposed formula,” he said.

A week earlier, an Italian newspaper reported that the Vatican’s worship congregation had given the pope a document with proposed liturgical modifications, including a curb on the practice of receiving Communion in the hand. A Vatican spokesman later said that, at present, there were “no institutional proposals for a modification of the liturgical books.”

Cardinal Bertone pointed to several areas in which he said Pope Benedict had promoted the teaching of Vatican II “with intelligence and depth of thought,” including relations with Eastern and Orthodox churches and dialogue with Judaism and Islam.

Days for Life is a nationwide, pro-life campaign seeking to end abortion through prayer and fasting, community outreach and a peaceful vigil outside of a local abortion facility. The campaign runs Sept. 23 through Nov. 1 and will be held outside of “A Preferred Women’s Health Center,” 3220 Latrobe Dr., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, contact Brian or Angela Williams at (704) 847-7311 or e-mail at angiegirl67@yahoo.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN VICARIATE SYLVA — Catholic Daughters of the Americas is seeking Catholic women ages 18 and up to join the organization. The Catholic Daughters were founded in 1903 by the Knights of Columbus and now have more than 95,000 members worldwide. Courts in the Diocese of Charlotte are located in Charlotte, Asheville, Statesville, Salisbury, Greensboro and Sylva.

Membership is open to all Catholic women.

For more information, contact Essie Walker at (704) 577-7436.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE GREENSBORO — The Men’s Early Morning Bible Study Group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. for an hour of prayer, sharing and Scripture study in the library at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Rd. A six-week program on the Book of Daniel in conjunction with the First and Second Book of Maccabees will take place once a week Aug. 25 through Sept. 29. The program will review the history of Israel in the centuries before the Lord’s coming. For more information, contact Gus Magrinat at gmagrinat@pol.net or John Malmfelt at jmalmsie@aol.com.

GREENSBORO —Free Spanish classes will be offered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., every Thursday for 8 weeks beginning Sept. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Beginner and advanced classes are open to everyone and class materials are furnished. For information or to register, call Nancy at (336) 884-0522 or email Dr. Kwan at Hlkwan@lexcominc.net.

HICKORY VICARIATE MORGANTON — The Cursillo Movement of the Diocese of Charlotte is hosting a diocesan-wide Grand Ultreya at Steel Creek Park/Campgrounds in Morganton, 7081 NC Hwy. 181 N., Sept. 19.

The Grand Ultreya begins at 11:30 a.m. with Mass at 12 p.m. Lunch follows. Participants are asked to bring a covered dish and a 2-liter drink; Cursillo will provide hamburgers/hotdogs. Other events include guitar music, group reunion, spiritual talks, and hiking/nature trails for children. The event ends at 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact Michelle Fabrize at mfabrize@aol.com.

Episcopal

calendar

Is your parish or school sponsoring a free event open to the general public?

Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 10 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to kmmoore@charlottediocese. org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

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

Sept. 6 (9 a.m.)

Parish Mass St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Mars Hill Sept. 8 (11 a.m.)

Presbyteral Council meeting Pastoral Center, Charlotte

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE W I N S TO N - S A L E M — T h e S e c u l a r Franciscans of the Fraternity of St. Clare is sponsoring a Blessing of the Animals Sept.

26 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 1730Link Rd. All caged or leashed pets welcome. For more information, call Anne Modrow at (336) 760-1938.

CLEMMONS — Eucharistic Adoration takes place every Thursday in the Curlin Center of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd., from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information contact Carole at pinmoney@bellsouth.net.

CLEMMONS — A Charismatic Prayer Group meets Mondays at 7:15 p.m. in the eucharistic chapel of Holy Family Church, 4820 Kinnamon Rd. Join us for praise music, witness, teaching, prayers and petition. For more details, call Jim Passero at (336) 998-7503.

Sept. 8 (4 p.m.)

Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving of Priestly Ordinations St. Patrick Cathedral, Charlotte Sept. 9 (7 p.m.)

Sacrament of confirmation Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Albemarle

Vatican approves US catechism revision WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Vatican Congregation for Clergy has approved a small change in the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults clarifying Catholic teaching about God’s covenant with the Jewish people.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Aug. 27 that the Vatican had granted its “recognition” to a one-sentence revision of the catechism that was approved by the U.S. bishops at their June 2008 meeting.

The revised sentence, in a section that explains relations between the Catholic Church and Jews, reads: “To the Jewish people, whom God first chose to hear his word, ‘belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ’” (Rom 9: 4-5; cf. CCC, No. 839).

The original sentence read: “Thus the covenant that God made with the Jewish people through Moses remains eternally valid for them.”

The statement from the USCCB said: “The clarification reflects the teaching of the church that all previous covenants that God made with the Jewish people are fulfilled in Jesus Christ through the new covenant established through his sacrificial death on the cross.

“Catholics believe that the Jewish people continue to live within the truth of the covenant God made with Abraham, and that God continues to be faithful to them,” it said.

According to the USCCB, the Catholic Catechism for Adults is about to go into a second printing. The 664page adult catechism was adopted by the U.S. bishops in November 2004 and later approved by the Vatican.

Miguel Diaz sworn in as ambassador to Vatican

cns photo, courtesy of the State

Department

Catholic theologian Miguel Diaz is sworn in as ambassador to the Vatican in the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department in Washington Aug. 21. Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon administered the standard governmental oath of office.

New US ambassador to Vatican arrives in Rome ROME (CNS) — The new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Miguel Diaz, arrived in Rome and said he was eager to help expand the “special relationship” between the United States and the Holy See. Diaz, a 45-year-old Catholic theologian, arrived with his wife and four children at Rome’s Fiumicino airport Aug. 27, six days after he was sworn in as ambassador in Washington. He was expected to present his credentials to Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony later this summer.

“I will be honored to serve President (Barack) Obama and the American people in my new role, and it will be a unique

honor to meet his holiness, Pope Benedict XVI,” Diaz said in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See. Diaz, a professor at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota, is the first Hispanic and the first theologian to represent the United States at the Vatican.

A native of Cuba who came to the United States as a child with his parents, he was the first of his family to attend college. He is a former president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians and a board member of the Catholic Theological Society of America.

He is fluent in Italian, Spanish and French.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

September 4, 2009

in the news

Upcoming Vatican conference focuses on role of the deaf in the church

Meeting to raise awareness, underline contributions of the deaf

by CAROL GLATZ catholic news service

cns photo by

JENNIFER REED, the catholic witness

Father Michael Depcik, a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, left, celebrates Mass in American Sign Language at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pa., June 28. Father Thomas Rozman, pastor of St. Patrick, right, offers voice interpretation at the Mass. Father Rozman is currently taking classes in sign language at Gallaudet University in Washington, in an effort to minister to deaf Catholics in the Harrisburg Diocese.

Priest studies sign language to better minister to deaf Catholics

by JESSIE ABRAMS catholic news service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The silence of the hallways is only interrupted by intermittent laughter and the occasional sound of moving chairs.

A man noiselessly converses with someone on a higher floor, turns away and heads up a spiraling staircase to join his companion.

At Gallaudet University in Washington, an institution specializing in undergraduate liberal arts education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, the pervasive quiet does not suggest a lack of activity.

D u r i n g o n e o f G a l l a u d e t ’s summer sessions, many classrooms were full of hearing and deaf students learning everything from elementary sign language to how to prepare for interpretation exams.

Father Thomas Rozman, pastor of St. Patrick Cathedral Parish in Harrisburg, Pa., was practicing signing with his classmates in one of the rooms, with desks in a circle to maximize visibility.

He is in his second consecutive year of summer studies at Gallaudet and is taking American Sign Language II, or ASL, in an effort to help more deaf Catholics feel a part of their faith.

“They feel like they don’t have a home in the church because they can’t communicate,” Father Rozman, who is not deaf, said. “A deaf person who wants to go to confession can write, but it’s uncomfortable.”

“Evangelization is so important in the church and I think it’s troubling when we hear that 96 percent of Catholics who are deaf don’t go to church,” Father Rozman said. “I think that we as evangelizers need to get the word across and a way of doing that is for someone to learn sign language and help them (deaf Catholics), especially with confession.”

Sign language and English are

not the same languages just conveyed in different ways, he stressed. Signed Exact English, or SEE, is the equivalent of English without sound, but he said from what he understands the deaf prefer ASL. For example SEE uses four distinct symbols to represent the question “What are you doing?” In ASL, it’s one symbol.

For now, regardless of whether they fully comprehend it, Duncan said, deaf Catholics should attend Mass in hopes they will pick it up little by little.

The priest said he hopes to return to Washington next summer to continue his studies in ASL and wants to attend a couple of conferences. Eventually, he said, he wants to be able to celebrate Mass entirely in ASL.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In response to numerous requests for how the Catholic community could increase its attention toward the deaf, the Vatican has organized an upcoming conference focusing on the role of deaf people in the church.

The Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry decided to dedicate its annual international conference this year to the condition, needs and experiences of deaf people, including deaf religious and laypeople and their families.

The theme of the Nov. 19-21 Vatican gathering, “Ephphatha: Deaf People in the Life of the Church,” recalls the Aramaic word meaning “be opened” that Jesus used to heal a deaf man.

The council said on its Web site that it wished “to respond to the numerous requests that we have received asking for the possibility of organizing a symposium” focusing on how the church could help raise awareness about the various situations faced by the deaf “so as to give them full dignity and respect of their rights.”

The council’s president, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, presented Pope Benedict XVI with the finalized program of the 24th international meeting during a private audience Aug. 26, reported the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.

The conference hopes to “offer the church an opportunity to underline the contribution of the deaf in various fields of the apostolate, thus giving them full recognition of the significance of their work,” the archbishop told the Vatican newspaper Sept. 1.

The meeting’s aim is “to raise awareness and foster concrete and

cns file photo

A choir uses sign language during a special meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and handicapped youths and their caregivers last year in New York during the pope’s U.S. visit. A Vatican meeting focusing on the role of deaf people in the church will be held in November. effective action in the church and society toward alleviating the disadvantages the deaf face,” he said.

The U.S.- and U.K.-based International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf Persons helped organize the event. Its president, Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, England, and executive director, Terry O’Meara, were to participate at the conference.

Other speakers from around the world were to include religious and laypeople who are deaf, those who work with deaf people either in the church or in society, and people who are in charge of pastoral programs dealing with health care issues.

Talks were to look at the medical, psychological and social aspects of deafness as well as pastoral programs that foster the participation of the deaf in church life and the wider community, according to the council’s Web site.

September 4, 2009

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Couple creates endowment for seminarian training GIFT, from page 1

worked hard to provide a strong, Catholic foundation for their five sons.

“We have been able to give all of them a good Christian education,” said Eugene Rossitch, which in his opinion is “much better for them even after we die than leaving them a lot of money.”

Although providing for their family has always been a priority, the Rossitches said the decision to include the Diocese of Charlotte in their long-term financial plan was an easy one.

“How lucky we are in having our health and our faith and our family,” said Eugene Rossitch. “It’s time that we share our good fortune and blessings with our church and our community.”

When the Rossitches immigrated to the U.S. in 1962, they were fleeing the regime of Fidel Castro. They came here for a fresh start.

“We are very grateful to the church

“It’s time that we share our good fortune and blessings with our church and our community.” courtesy photo

— Eugene Rossitch community and this country, which we have adopted as our own, and we are grateful that we could start our lives over again,” said Carmen Rossitch.

After living in Miami for a short time, the Rossitches moved to WinstonSalem, where Carmen Rossitch took a teaching position at Winston-Salem State University.

In Winston-Salem, they found their Catholic home at Our Lady of Mercy Church, where they have been parishioners since 1964. Their sons attended Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School and

Eugene and Carmen Rossitch are pictured with their children and grandchildren at a celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary in Charlotte in 2007.

Bishop McGuiness High School.

For the past four years, Eugene Rossitch has served on the Diocesan Foundation board, a position which has allowed him to see the many good works of the foundation.

When it came time to decide what they wanted their charitable gift to go towards, the Rossitches looked at the various needs within the diocese. After careful consideration, they decided to create an endowment fund designated for seminarian training.

“We think that one of the more immediate needs for the church is vocations and the education of future priests,” said Eugene Rossitch.

“We are aware of the shortage of priests in the church and we felt that was a very good way for us to help,” he said.

The Rossitches believe that “the future of the church will continue to depend on the people who are willing to answer the call to become priests.”

The Rossitch family has grown significantly over the years and the couple now has 16 grandchildren. Knowing that they have equipped their sons with the tools they’ll need to provide for their families, the Rossitches feel confident

about their decision to leave a charitable gift to the church.

“By leaving a gift from their estate to the foundation the Rossitches are leaving a legacy in perpetuity,” said Jim Kelley, director of the diocesan development office and director of the Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

“More and more people across the diocese are taking that kind of step in living out their lives of stewardship,” said Kelley. “I think that is inspirational and exciting.”

The foundation is a nonprofit organization established to provide endowments for the diocese and its schools, agencies and organizations.

An endowment is a permanent fund placed in the diocesan foundation that earns income over time. The original amount is not spent, but the income can be used in a manner stipulated in the donor’s estate plan or in an endowment agreement.

Once an endowment is established, anyone may add to the fund. A committee of three to five members is set up for each endowment to determine how funds will be distributed.

6 The Catholic News & Herald

September 4, 2009

In THe News

Three US bishops revisit controversy over Obama honor at Notre Dame

By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN catholic news service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — In two national Catholic publications, two U.S. archbishops and a bishop are revisiting the controversy over the honorary degree conferred on President Barack Obama by the University of Notre Dame.

Retired Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco and Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., the diocese in which Notre Dame is located, wrote separate articles about the matter for the Aug. 31-Sept. 7 issue of America magazine.

Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M., talked about the controversy and how it was handled at a June meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in an Aug. 12 interview with National Catholic Reporter, published in the newspaper’s Aug. 26 edition.

Archbishop Quinn said he felt the U.S. bishops’ response to the controversy “communicated several false and unintended messages” to the U.S. public, while Bishop D’Arcy said his refusal to attend the commencement ceremonies at which Obama was honored arose from his responsibility to see that Catholic universities “give public witness to the fullness of Catholic faith.”

Archbishop Sheehan, as part of a wide-ranging interview with the independent Catholic weekly, said he believed the majority of U.S. bishops agreed with him that “we don’t want to isolate ourselves from the rest of America by our strong views on abortion and the other things.

We need to be building bridges, not burning them.”

More than 70 bishops voiced their disapproval of Notre Dame’s

cns photo by

TIM HUNT, northwest indiana catholic

Bishop John M. D’Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., speaks to members of the Notre Dame Response Coalition on the university’s South Quad May 17. The rally was part of a demonstration against U.S. President Barack Obama as the school’s commencement speaker and the recipient of an honorary degree.

invitation to Obama and its decision to give him an honorary degree, with some saying it violated the letter and spirit of their 2004 statement “Catholics in Political Life.”

That document states: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

Critics of Obama said his support of legal abortion and embryonic stem-cell research also made him an inappropriate choice to be commencement speaker at a Catholic university.

The bishops discussed the controversy in executive session at their June meeting in San Antonio, and passed a resolution expressing “appreciation and support” for Bishop D’Arcy and affirming his “solicitude for (Notre Dame’s) Catholic identity and his loving care for all those the Lord has given him to sanctify, to teach and to shepherd.”

In his America article, Bishop D’Arcy said the controversy was not about Obama, a replay of the 2008 elections or “whether it is appropriate for the president of the United States to speak at Notre Dame or any great Catholic university on the pressing issues of the day.”

The central question, Bishop D’Arcy said, is: “Does a Catholic university have the responsibility to give witness to the Catholic faith and to the consequences of that faith by its actions and decisions — especially by a decision to confer its highest honor?”

Bishop D’Arcy said that, in his 24 years as head of the diocese in which Notre Dame is located, “I have never interfered in the internal governance of Notre Dame or any other institution of higher learning within the diocese.”

But he said a bishop “must be concerned that Catholic institutions do not succumb to the secular culture, making decisions that appear to many, including ordinary Catholics, as a surrender to a culture opposed to the truth about life and love.”

Archbishop Quinn, however, said there is “deep and troubled disagreement” among the U.S. bishops about how they should speak about abortion, which he called the “most searing and volatile issue in American public life.”

Archbishop Quinn urged the U.S. hierarchy to follow the “policy of cordiality” practiced by the Vatican, which “proceeds from the conviction that the integrity of Catholic teaching can never be sacrificed” but “consistently favors engagement over confrontation.”

“The Vatican shows great reluctance to publicly personalize disagreements with public officials on elements of church teaching,” he said.

CNS photo by Theresa Laurence, Tennessee Register

Larry Wise, right, is pictured Aug. 8 with Franciscan Father James Kallarackan, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., who founded the parish farmers’ market last year. Parish gardeners bring their surplus produce to the church on Sunday mornings in August and parishioners take what they want and leave whatever donation they can. The money is then divided among parish ministries.

Homegrown outreach

Tennessee parish farmers’ market shares bounty, supports ministries by

THERESA LAURENCE catholic news service

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (CNS) — St. Rose of Lima parishioner Larry Wise stood, sweat-soaked by the August sun, drawing in Massgoers like a midway barker, encouraging them to “get your fresh, homegrown vegetables right here.”

Franciscan Father James Kallarackan, pastor, stood nearby handing out plastic shopping bags and trying to persuade his parishioners to take a chance with the fiery hot peppers he grew in his own garden.

People stopped and perused the offerings at the St. Rose farmers’ market, scooping up handfuls of green beans, marveling at the squat purple and white eggplants, and carefully picking out the ripest red tomatoes.

Wise, a longtime gardener who raised six children on homegrown vegetables, started the farmers’ market last year as a way to share the bounty of his and other parishioners’ gardens, and to build community at the parish.

The thought was that, “if God’s been that good to us, let’s give something back,” Wise explained.

Wise, a leader in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program at St. Rose, also thought the farmers’ market would be a good way to get new Catholics involved with parish life, “beyond one time a week Catholics,” he told the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Nashville Diocese.

This year, Kurt Potter, who completed the RCIA last spring, is in charge of the market.

Potter, who also is a Knight of Columbus, said the Knights have “helped out a lot” with the market, which serves as a gathering point for all people of the parish. “A lot of good fellowship comes out of it,” Wise said of the market.

The concept and logistics for the market are simple, and Wise says they could be replicated at other parishes.

Gardeners bring their produce to St. Rose each Sunday morning and volunteers arrange it on the tables outside the parish’s fellowship room. Even if they don’t have a vegetable garden, parishioners can donate baked goods or fresh flowers to the market. Parishioners take what they want and leave a donation of any amount in the jar.

The proceeds are donated to the parish to be used for a variety of ministries, including youth ministry, the Haiti Parish Twinning Program and others. Last year, in a four-week period, the market raised about $1,000 for the parish.

The spirit of the market is “if you have something, you contribute,” said Father Kallarackan. “If you need it, take it.”

Dr. Bob Dray, one of the biggest contributors to the market, farms about one acre on his 50-acre lot.

“I think this parish has a lot of good community outreach,” Dray said. “Father knows there are needs outside the church walls” and encourages this creative approach to social justice action.

September 4, 2009

Episcopal nuns, priest become Catholic CONVERTS, from page 1

is discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest.

In an interview with The Catholic Review, Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, Mother Christina Christie, superior of the religious community, said the sisters are excited about joining the Catholic Church. The women religious have been studying the church’s teachings for years, she said.

Two Episcopal nuns who have decided not to become Catholic will continue to live and minister alongside their soon-to-be Catholic sisters.

Members of the community range in age from 59 to 94.

“For us, this is a journey of confirmation,” Mother Christina said.

“We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time.”

Once the sisters join the church they

From the Cover

hope to form the first diocesan institute in the archdiocese.

Diocesan institutes differ from religious communities of pontifical right, such as the Dominicans, whose governance model is under the authority of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Members of a diocesan institute are overseen directly by a diocesan bishop.

Chancellor Diane Barr said the archdiocese is working with the Vatican in developing the diocesan institute.

Whether or not the order will retain its name also is being discussed, she said.

Wearing full habits with black veils and white wimples that cover their heads, the sisters have been a visible beacon of hope in Catonsville for decades.

The American branch of a society founded in England, the All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor came to Baltimore in 1872. They have been at their current location since 1917.

In addition to devoting their lives to a

rigorous daily prayer regimen, the sisters offer religious retreats, visit people in hospice care and maintain a scriptorium where they design inspirational religious cards.

Throughout its time in Baltimore the order has followed its charism, which focuses on hospitality. The order has ministered with Baltimore’s poor, children with special needs and AIDS patients. Together with Mount Calvary Church, an Episcopal parish in Baltimore, the sisters co-founded a hospice called the Joseph Richey House in 1987.

Orthodoxy and unity were key reasons the sisters were attracted to the Catholic faith. Many of them were troubled by the Episcopal Church’s approval of women’s ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and what they regarded as lax stances on moral issues.

“We kept thinking we could help by being a witness for orthodoxy,” said Sister Mary Joan Walker, the community’s archivist.

Mother Christina said that effort “was not as helpful as we had hoped it would be.”

“People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on (in the Episcopal Church),” she said. “By staying put and

The Catholic News & Herald 7

not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct.”

Before deciding to enter the Catholic Church, the sisters had explored Episcopal splinter groups and other Christian denominations. Mother Christina noted that some of the sisters had independently contemplated joining the Catholic Church without the others knowing. When they learned that most of them were considering the same move, they took it as a sign from God and approached Archbishop O’Brien.

“This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit,” Mother Christina said.

The sisters acknowledged it has not been easy leaving the Episcopal Church, for which they expressed great affection.

Some of their friends have been hurt by their pending departure, they said.

“Some feel we are abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy,” said Sister Emily Ann Lindsey. “We’re not. We’re doing it in another realm right now.”

The sisters have spent much of the last year studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council. They said there were few theological stumbling blocks to entering the church, although some initially had difficulty with the concept of papal infallibility.

In addition to participating in ordinary Catholic Masses, the sisters are expected to receive permission to attend Mass celebrated in the Anglican-use rite, a liturgy that adapts many of the prayers from the Episcopal tradition. Mother Christina said several archdiocesan clergy members, including Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden, have stepped forward to learn how to celebrate the Anglican-use Mass.

The sisters expressed deep affection for Pope Benedict XVI. The pope exercises an authority that Episcopal leaders do not, they said, adding that the unity Christ called for can be found in the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope.

“Unity is right in the midst of all this,” said Sister Catherine Grace Bowen.

“That is the main thrust.”

8 The Catholic News & Herald

Kids helping kids

in our schools

September 4, 2009

Courtesy Photo Courtesy Photo

Altar servers Connor Guidry, Steven Knips, Kiley Gresser, Taylor Buck and

Children from the “Kids Helping Kids” group at St. Gabriel School sold

Keri Kenkel are pictured with Fr. Patrick Cahill, Msgr. John McSweeney and

lemonade and cookies around Charlotte during August to raise money for a

Fr. Patrick Toole at St. Matthew School’s first Mass of the year Aug. 26.

kindergarten student at Catherine’s House Inc., a ministry sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy that provides transitional housing to women and women with children who are homeless. The total sales of $988.39 exceeded their goal. They were able to purchase back-to-school supplies and clothes for the kindergartener

Hot shot

and three additional children living at Catherine’s House.

New leadership

Courtesy Photo

St. Pius X School in Greensboro has a new assistant principal. Ann Flynt, a native of New Jersey, received her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and her Master’s

Courtesy Photo

of School Administration from UNC Greensboro. Principal Anne Knapke says of her

Jack McArdle, a rising fifth-grader at St. Gabriel School, was national runner-up

new assistant, “Ann has a broad knowledge base of the varying levels of developmental and educational practices and is a proponent of differential instruction and professional development. Her educational experience and personality will greatly benefit our school family.”

Mrs. Knapke and Mrs. Flynt, both parishoners of St. Pius X Church, welcomed students

in the three-point shooting contest at the 2009 U.S. Basketball Association National Championship held in Myrtle Beach in July.

Jack made eleven three-point baskets in 60 seconds to take the lead in the contest, only to lose to a contestant from Richmond who made a 12th at the buzzer. He is a member of the QCAA

back to a newly-renovated school Aug. 24. This is the third consecutive year of record

FORCE 10-U Red AAU team of Charlotte. The team won its first five games playing in the

student enrollment since St. Pius X School opened its doors in 1955.

USBA National Championship and finished second.

September 4, 2009

from the cover

Bishop dedicates new school building DEDICATION, from page 1

been accomplished at Sacred Heart Catholic School,” said Bishop Jugis.

“The school families, alumni, parishioners and benefactors have worked together to present this beautiful new school building for the glory of God,” the bishop said.

The new school is part of the new Sacred Heart Church campus, which consists of 107 acres of land — half of which is owned by the diocese — located off Jake Alexander Blvd. in Salisbury.

Along with the new school, the property features a cemetery, dedicated Sept. 1, 2007; and a church, which is scheduled to be completed and dedicated before the end of the year.

“I think we are moving forward with the mission of Sacred Heart School,” said Dominican Sister Anastacia

Pagulayan, principal.

Sacred Heart School is an accredited SACS school with 187 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades.

In keeping with the mission of diocesan Catholic schools, Sacred Heart School strives to proclaim the good news of the Gospel and to develop each student spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and socially, so that each is prepared to live and serve in a changing society as a self-respecting and responsible citizen.

“It is wonderful to see the united effort of parishioners, school families and staff members to provide the beautiful school building for the Sacred Heart students,” said Linda Cherry, superintendent of diocesan schools.

“While the new paint, larger classrooms and extra storage are always nice, it is the sharing of Catholic education within those walls that speaks about the true meaning of Sacred Heart,” Cherry said.

Save $100- register Now!

A firm foundation Sacred Heart Church has had a school, off and on, since its inception in 1882. The first teachers were young women of the parish, who were aided by the pastor.

In 1910, under the pastorate of Father Leo Kuntz, an organized school was instituted and conducted by the Sisters of Mercy.

The convent-school of early days became a parish school in March 1942.

In 1949, extensive remodeling was done on the school and a new school building was built in1965, where classes had been held up to the present.

Building a future The new school facility, including a gymnasium and offices, is 30,133 square feet.

The school office and parish office are now located in the same building.

“I wanted to see a greater recognition of the connection of the church and school,” said Father Putnam.

Along with classrooms for prekindergarten through eighth grades, the school features a science lab, technology classroom, two breakout classrooms, media center, gymnasium and cafeteria.

“One of the goals that we had in building it was that we wanted it to be state of the art — a 21st century school”

The Catholic News & Herald 9

said Father Putnam.

All of the classrooms are equipped with the latest media delivery technology.

Perhaps the biggest highlight is the surrounding acreage and most notably, the grass.

“We’re just excited that we have more space,” said Mike Vaeth, parishioner and chair of the building committee.

“I have two older sons who graduated from the old school,” said Vaeth. “They grew up in long pants with holes in the knees from falling on the asphalt.”

Another highlight of the school is the gymnasium.

“We didn’t have a gym at the old school,” said Father Putnam.

In the past, gym time for basketball games was rented from a local YMCA and nearby middle-school.

The new gym has room for 600 people and will be used for parish and school events.

“We’re planning to really utilize that gym for big events,” said Vaeth, who mentioned that parish events were previously limited due to lack of space.

Along with the gymnasium and plenty of outdoor space, the new school facility will also feature a soccer field.

Contact Staff Writer Katie Moore by calling (704) 370-3354, or e-mail kmmoore@charlottediocese.org

photo by Katie

Moore

Students, faculty and guests sing as Bishop Peter J. Jugis incenses the altar during the Mass and dedication of the new Sacred Heart School building in Salisbury Sept. 1.

Setember 4, 2009

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

Young authors hope their books help peers cope Pocket-size books for faith answers, prayer, reflection

by TRISTA TURLEY catholic news service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — New pocket-size books by two young Catholic authors are aimed at helping their peers put their faith into action and find answers to problems in prayer.

The first book, “The Radical Bible”

by Kevin Ahern, is a compilation of scriptural passages, statistics and commentary by Catholic and nonCatholic contemporary thinkers. The selections address poverty, oppression and other major social issues the global community is currently facing.

“Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students” by Kerry Weber is a compilation of prayers designed to help college students cope with a variety of challenges ranging from homesickness to difficulties with a roommate.

Ahern, former president of the International Movement of Catholic Students, said he intends his book to be “a tool for personal and group reflection for those seeking to respond to God’s radical call for reflection and action in the world.” His book is a revision of a 1972 release of the same title.

Ahern told Catholic News Service that he received a copy of the original while working in Rome. He said the book — which like his was published

by Orbis — served as a source of inspiration to him while he traveled with the student movement, but he felt that it could be improved to resonate with modern-day readers.

His version is “very, very different from (the original,)” Ahern said in a phone interview. “I tried to add other quotes and other dimensions from Scripture that were more spiritual in nature.”

Ahern hopes that the use of widely resonating Scripture passages will unite Catholics in spirituality-based reflection and social action.

“One of the big problems in the church today is polarization between those concerned with social justice and those concerned with spirituality,” he stated. “I think Scripture provides a common ground.”

In selecting which social issues to address in the book, Ahern said he wanted to focus on global affairs rather than interpersonal issues. “I wanted to address the issues that are affecting the entire human family,” he said. “I also wanted to avoid getting into issues that would be too political in a sense.”

Weber said she wrote “Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students,” published by Twenty-Third Publications, while she was working as an editor

for Catholic Digest magazine. She said the concept of the prayer compilation originated as a group idea.

“We were looking to reach out to different age groups and thought this was a good idea (for college students),” Weber told CNS in a phone interview.

Weber said that she was chosen to write the book because she was only a few years removed from being a college student.

Her co-workers at Catholic Digest aided in the book’s development by brainstorming prayer topics relevant to college students, but all the prayers in the book are her own original compositions.

She said her writing was influenced by her own college experiences.

“I looked through some of my journals, some old photos and I tried to think about those experiences and what I was going through,” Weber stated. “I really tried to draw from those experiences.”

“Going through college for me was one of the first times that I was truly making decisions on my own to go to church, or to pray, or to really live my faith,” she said.

Weber believes that college is a pivotal period of faith formation for many students. “It’s a time when a lot of people are questioning and growing and deciding what they truly believe,” she stated.

Weber graduated from Dominicanrun Providence College in Rhode Island in 2004. This book is the first of what she hopes will be several published works. “I would love to publish another book for sure,” she stated.

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: Sept. 13, 2009

September 13, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle B Readings: 1) Isaiah 50:5-9a Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9 2) James 2:14-18 3) Gospel: Mark 8:27-35

Struggle teaches God’s grace, gifts of strength

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

I had to practically sit on my hands to keep from sending a check. My grown daughter had just been laid off from her job at the same time her apartment lease was up and her roommate moved away.

She called “to vent,” she said, but she wasn’t asking for financial help.

Nevertheless, throughout her brief lament I kept thinking it wouldn’t faze my bank account to send a little money, and it would ease her burden considerably.

Just a slight boost to buy her a little time would save a lot of stress. She’d pay it back later, and I wanted to think the pain and worry, really, weren’t necessary.

Of course, I simply didn’t want her

to have to suffer — even a little bit — if I could help it.

Luckily a cooler head prevailed: hers. “Don’t worry, Mom,” she assured me. “It’s annoying. But I’ll figure it out.

I’ll be fine.”

Sure enough, after months and months of temporary employment, several unsatisfactory living arrangements and a meager pantry, things worked out. In the meantime, she was fine.

She understood that struggle is a necessary part of life, and through it she learned a great deal about the strength and gifts with which God had endowed her. Also, she experienced God’s grace through helpful, loving friends and found joy even while enduring difficulty.

She more than survived. She grew — beyond what she could have if I had intervened to “save” her from discomfort.

In this weekend’s Gospel, Peter tells Jesus that he knows he is the Christ. He knows he was endowed by God to bring salvation. But in his human heart Peter didn’t want his loved one to have to suffer. For a brief moment Peter forgot to believe in God’s almighty ability to overcome the suffering and anguish of this world.

Jesus set him straight saying, in effect, “I’ll be fine.” Then he told his disciples that to follow him, they too must endure necessary hardship with trust that God will save them and give them lives greater than the ones they will surely lose in the process.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of September 6-12 Sunday (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 35:4-7, James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37; Monday, Colossians 1:24--2:3, Luke 6:6-11; Tuesday (The Nativity of Mary), Romans 8:28-30, Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23; Wednesday (St. Peter Claver), Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 6:20-26; Thursday, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 6:27-38; Friday, 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14, Luke 6:39-42; Saturday (Most Holy Name of Mary), 1 Timothy 1:15-17, Luke 6:43-49.

Scripture for the week of September 13-19 Sunday (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Isaiah 50:4-9, James 2:14-18, Mark 8:27-35; Monday (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross), Numbers 21:4-9, Philippians 2:611, John 3:13-17; Tuesday (Our Lady of Sorrows), 1 Timothy 3:1-13, John 19:25-27; Wednesday (Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian), 1 Timothy 3:14-16, Luke 7:31-35; Thursday (St. Robert Bellarmine), 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Luke 7:36-50; Friday, 1 Timothy 6:2-12, Luke 8:1-3; Saturday (St. Januarius), 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Luke 8:4-15.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

September 4, 2009

John Paul II film festival planned for late October in Miami

Directors hope to make festival annual occurrence, include more forms of art and theater

by JESSIE ABRAMS catholic news service

CNS photo by Giampiero Sposito, Reuters

An image of the late Pope John Paul II is seen on screen during a documentary film on his life screened last year. The film festival in Miami, to be held this October, honors the values of the late Pope through the art of film.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The John Paul II International Film Festival is set to take place the last weekend of October in Miami, but co-director Frank Brennan said the organizers still have a lot to do before the event kicks off.

Brennan has been working alongside two other co-directors since March to put together the event. He said they hope to make it an annual occurrence. In the future, he said, he hopes the festival will expand to include other forms of art and theater, but this year he wants to keep it simple.

“For this year for us it’s been: Stick to the films, stick to the festival, show the films,” Brennan told Catholic News Service in an interview. “Show the art and then at the same time show how faith is applied through the films.”

The biggest challenge for the team so far, Brennan said, has been dealing with time constraints. Most festivals, he said, take close to a year and a half to plan but these planners only allotted themselves nine months. Together he, his fiancée, Laura Alvarado, and Rafael Anrrich have been constantly picking each other up and keeping each other focused on their goal, he said.

The festival directors are searching for published or unpublished films that coincide with what they consider to be Pope John Paul II’s three most important values: human dignity, the sanctity of life and Christian unity.

The festival is open to people of all faiths and, as long as videos promote one of Pope John Paul’s values, filmmakers may submit them to the event.

Brennan said he and Alvarado are

both passionate about films and started a company together called 7eventhDay Films. Alvarado took an interest in theater when she was 9 years old. In 2007 she graduated with a degree in fine arts from the New World School of the Arts, a Miami conservatory. Since then, she has produced five independent films.

Brennan said he discovered his passion for writing, directing and producing films as a freshman in high school.

Anrrich also found his passion for religious films during his first year of high school after experiencing a “deep personal conversion” while watching “The Ten Commandments.”

He now works as a therapist to children, adolescents and adults, but has wanted to pursue his idea of a film festival for at least four years, Brennan said.

With time and money short, only a small number of videos at the festival will have been specifically made for the event, Brennan said. The majority of videos that will be included have already been released, but have not gotten as much attention in Hollywood, partially because they lack expensive special effects, he said. These films have good substance but have had a hard time making money in Hollywood, he added.

Before July, the team struggled to find financial support, and even with recent donations Brennan said the festival was still in need of funding and sponsors. To show the festival directors’ appreciation, Brennan said he would like to provide a ticket for one student from each of the Catholic schools in the area who exhibits a passion for any type of art.

“Youth is a big target in this,” Brennan said.

12 The Catholic News & Herald

Sheets, socks and smiles

Learning the ropes

Diocesan church helps local charities

Youth ministry workshop ties in Bishop’s introduction At a full-day youth ministry workshop at St. Francis of Assisi in Franklin on Aug. 22, pastors, parents, youth ministry leaders and coordinators of faith formation discovered the three vital areas of youth ministry.

Sponsored by the Western Regional Office of Faith Formation and conducted by diocesan Office of Youth Ministry director Paul Kotlowski, this workshop illuminated three aspects of Bishop Jugis’s Introduction Letter to the Diocesan Youth Ministry Handbook.

In his Letter, the Bishop described as vital three areas in ministry to youth: “The call to and promotion of holiness; the creation of safe and secure environments; and the formation of the ministers as persons commissioned to teach the Truth in Love.”

With regard to the call to and promotion of holiness, Kotlowski cited

September 4, 2009

around the diocese

by

HEATHER BELLEMORE interim editor

twelve spiritual disciplines essential to youth ministry. Groupings included the inward disciplines of mediation, prayer, fasting, and study, the outward disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission/obedience, and service and the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.

Kotlowski moved on to address concerns in the creation of safe and secure environments by referring to the policies of the Diocesan Code of Ethics, the Code of Ethics for Youth Ministry Leaders, and Protocols for Ministry to and With Minors.

Finally, to illustrate the formation of the ministers as persons committed to teach the truth in love, Kotlowski led the 18 participants in a reflection process upon “Catechesi Tradendae” (Catechesis in Our Time) by Pope John Paul II.

CHARLOTTE — The recent economic downturn and widespread decline in charitable giving didn’t stop a local parish from giving big to local charities in need.

Parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte recently collected 500 pairs of socks, 50 sets of sheets, and $5,000 for Urban Ministry Center and the Salvation Army Center of Hope.

“In these tough times when we are serving so many, we are thrilled to receive this gift from St. Thomas Aquinas,” said Deranda Metz, social services director for the Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte.

Urban Ministry Program Director Paul Hanneman agreed, stressing “We are very grateful for this gift in a time when our numbers have increased dramatically and the need is greater than ever.”

“We wanted to help,” responded Mark Nash, deacon at St. Thomas Aquinas church. “So we asked what was most needed and easy to collect.”

Hanneman requested “good, clean socks. It’s one of the items we need more than anything else.” Foot problems can be a health issue for clients, who spend the majority of each day on their feet.

Metz cited clean sheets as an immediate need for the Center of Hope.

She also stated that since Center of Hope clients may take sheets with them,

additional sets are always needed.

Helping Hands, the social outreach ministry for St. Thomas Aquinas, scheduled a speaker for each Mass the weekend of Aug. 15 and spread the word through bulletins for weeks prior to the collection.

The cart they placed in the vestibule was soon full of fresh white socks and twin-sized sheet sets. A free-will offering collected in a basket outside the church building totaled $5,000, a surprising amount given the recent completion of the church’s annual mission appeal and youth fundraiser.

Parishioners did not stop there.

They also prepared a meal to feed approximately 350 at the Center of Hope Shelter.

The monetary collection was split equally between Urban Ministry Center and Center of Hope.

Urban Ministry Center will use its $2,500 in its soup kitchen and for services provided to homeless clients.

The Center of Hope will use its half to purchase needed shelter supplies, such as hygiene products and diapers.

Urban Ministry Center in downtown Charlotte is an interfaith organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless with compassion and tangible help, including a soup kitchen and its Room in the Inn program that provides winter night lodging.

The Center of Hope on Statesville Road in Charlotte is a shelter for women and families serving over 300 individuals daily.

Courtesy Photo

Diocesan Youth Ministry Director Paul Kotlowski and Western Regional Faith Formation Coordinator Theresa Prymuszewski collaborate on the Youth Ministry Retreat at St. Francis of Assisi in Franklin Aug. 22.

Courtesy Photo

Tom McNamara and Kathy Sims, parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte, share smiles and a $2,500 check with Stacey Bergeron, director of operations for the Salvation Army Center of Hope, Aug. 27. The Center of Hope received the donation, 50 sets of new sheets and a meal to feed over 300.

The Urban Ministry Center also received $2,500 and 500 pairs of socks.

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September 4, 2009

eucharistic congress

The Catholic News & Herald 13

An invitation to all Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I look forward to welcoming you to our Eucharistic Congress on September 25 and 26 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The Eucharistic Congress is a time of spiritual renewal for the whole diocese. This is one important blessing we receive as a result of the congress. The congress inspires us and strengthens our faith.

A special enlivening of our faith takes place when we are gathered in such great numbers for this celebration. Even though the Catholic population of our diocese is only about 3 % of the total population, our coming together at the Eucharistic Congress reminds us that the Church is a big family after all, and that we have many brothers and sisters throughout the 46 counties of the diocese who share our faith.

Our faith and our love for the Lord are strengthened when we participate with thousands of our brothers and sisters in the eucharistic procession through the streets of Charlotte. Our faith is also strengthened when we participate with all our brothers and sisters in the eucharistic holy hour of adoration and in the vigil Mass at the close of the congress. Saint Paul reminds us that the Lord’s blessings abound as more and more people share in his graces: “Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4: 15).

Appreciation for the gift of the Eucharist The Eucharistic Congress gives us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of the Eucharist in our lives. This is another blessing we receive as a result of the congress. The celebration of the Mass is the center of the whole Christian life, as the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (n. 16) reminds us. The Eucharist constantly nourishes our faith and holiness. We constantly draw life from this living Bread, which is Christ himself. By participating in the Eucharistic Congress we grow in our appreciation for the great gift of the Eucharist, which then leads us to a more fervent celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass when we return to our home parishes.

Over the years I have been inspired by adults in our RCIA programs who have told me of their great desire to receive the Body and Blood of Christ once they join the Catholic Church. They already have a great appreciation for the gift of the Holy Eucharist, which draws them to the church. They understand instinctively that the Eucharist is the source and the summit of the Christian life.

Likewise, the Eucharistic Congress serves to increase in all of us an appreciation for our Lord’s dwelling among us in this holy sacrament.

Zeal for the new evangelization Another important blessing we receive from the Eucharistic Congress is increased zeal for the work of the new evangelization. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, and our present Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, have called us to evangelize our secular culture with the message of Christ. It is through our participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice that the Lord constantly enlivens us so that we can faithfully do his work in the midst of our secular society.

Pope Benedict XVI has pointed out that there is a strong connection between the Eucharist and the mission of the Church — that the stronger our Eucharistic faith, the stronger our commitment to Christ’s mission. He wrote: “The Sacrament of the Altar is always at the heart of the Church’s life: ‘thanks to the Eucharist, the Church is reborn ever anew!’ The more lively the eucharistic faith of the People of God, the deeper is its sharing in ecclesial life in steadfast commitment to the mission entrusted by Christ to his disciples. The Church’s very history bears witness to this. Every great reform has in some way been linked to the rediscovery of belief in the Lord’s Eucharistic presence among his people.” (Sacramentum caritatis 6).

The Eucharistic presence of Christ — his Real Presence — is the powerhouse of our evangelizing mission as the People of God.

photo by Katie

Moore

Bishop Peter J. Jugis (far right) carries a monstrance in the eucharistic procession during the 2008 Eucharistic Congress in Charlotte.

Prayer for the Success of the Eucharistic Congress September 25 and 26, 2009 Diocese of Charlotte O Jesus, who art really, truly and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament to be the food of our souls, deign to bless and bring to a successful issue all Eucharistic Congresses and gatherings, and especially the coming congress of the Diocese of Charlotte. Be Thou the inspiration of our labors, resolutions and vows; accept graciously the solemn homage we will render to Thee; send Your Holy Spirit to kindle the hearts of priests, religious, and all the faithful, especially the children, so that devout participation in the Holy Mass and frequent and daily Holy Communion may be held in honor in all the countries of the world; and grant that the Kingship of Your Sacred Heart over human society may everywhere be acknowledged to the glory of God, the Father. Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, bless the Congress.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Patroness of our diocese, pray for us.

Saint Paschal Baylon, pray for us.

Saint Patrick, pray for us.

See you at the congress!

There are many blessings we receive from the celebration of the Eucharistic Congress. The prayer card invites us to pray for the success of the congress. We pray that the congress will produce the fruits of spiritual renewal in all of us, a greater appreciation for the central place of the Eucharist in our lives as Catholics, and an increased zeal to do our part in the great mission of the new evangelization. These blessings and many others will be bestowed upon us by the good Lord.

I look forward to seeing you at the congress!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis Bishop of Charlotte

“The prayer card invites us to pray that blessings come to our diocese as a result of the congress,” said Bishop Jugis. “This year’s holy card depicts the famous painting

by Fra Angelico, “The Annunciation,” which reminds us of the congress theme: “The Word Became Flesh and Made His Dwelling Among Us.” At the mystery of the Annunciation, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. In the mystery of the Eucharist, the Word continues to make his dwelling among us as he changes bread into his flesh and wine into his blood. Christ is really and substantially present in the holy Eucharist.”

September 4, 2009

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Hot wings to heaven “And he will raise you up, on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His Hand.” That’s the refrain from the very popular song, “On Eagle’s Wings.” It was the opening hymn for the funeral mass of Gloria Semler, who died on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mother (Aug. 15) — a celebration that commemorates Mary’s entry into heaven. It’s an image evoked in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation, which talks about a woman clothed with the sun and taken to safety, born on the wings of a great eagle.

Mrs. Semler’s son was my classmate at the Pontifical North American College.

I am so proud of how he handled the celebration of his own mother’s funeral.

It is, I’m sure, one of the most difficult, but beautiful liturgical celebrations he will ever celebrate.

Father Semler summed up the final life lessons his mother taught her seven children as she lay sick in bed. He said, “Mom taught us to be happy, and to live our life according to the call to be God’s children. You can’t separate the two.” He spoke in a way that truly uplifted many people — their minds and hearts — to heaven. His words were truly like eagle’s wings.

Food for thought On a recent trip with Father Semler, I made hot wings. He said, as only a Texan can declare, that I made the best hot wings he has ever eaten.

Because I think a lot about food, I actually thought about those hot wings as he was giving his homily. Not because of the wings, but because of the songs that evoked images of the great wings of the eagle that brought Mary to heaven and the great wings of angels that protect us and shield us from sin. I thought about wings because, as humans, we’re not supposed to have them. Instead we are supposed to be carried by the angels who do. And we get to heaven by the levity of our souls. But the dead weight of sin can make it difficult for the angels to carry

Guest Column FATHER LEO PATALINGHUG guest columnist

such a heavy load.

This recent funeral celebration was so prayerful and peaceful because Father Semler recalled how his mother died after confessing her sins, and that she received viaticum — the Eucharist as the “food that accompanies us and strengthens us” to heaven.

In other words, we get to heaven not because we will someday “grow wings.”

We get to heaven because God has given us winged assistance — angels. We need their help. But we also need to help them by not “testing our angels” by putting ourselves in unnecessary harm and weighing down our souls with sin.

Gloria’s funeral Mass, celebrated by her son, was truly an inspiration for me, and for all of the people who attended.

This celebration, around a sacred meal, left my soul feeling a little “lighter.” And remember, a lighter soul makes it much easier for the eagle-like wings of angels to carry us to a better place — a place where death has no more sting and a place where tears are wiped away.

Father Semler is a real inspiration to me. As a way of sharing my support of him, I want to “dedicate” the hot wings recipe to him and his mother. Granted, these wings won’t bring you to heaven, but depending on how hot and spicy you make them, these hot wings will make you pray.

Father Leo Patalinghug is the author of the book, Grace Before Meals: Recipes for Family Life. He will speak at the Diocese of Charlotte’s 5th Eucharistic Congress Sept. 26. For his hot wings recipe visit www.gracebeforemeals.com.

Senator Ted Kennedy In the hands of God I have some problems with Fr. Byron’s column in the Aug. 28 issue of The Catholic News & Herald.

I don’t dispute that Sen. Kennedy was a popular political figure nor that his annulment gave him access to his faith.

The problem I have is Fr. Byron’s profession that “he was a Catholic in good standing” and his inference that the Senator is now with his siblings in heaven (my impression).

Would I be a Catholic in good

standing if I openly supported the destruction of unborn life, even to a point where the stomach-turning partial birth abortion would be supported? I don’t think so.

In his letter to the Pope, Kennedy asked for forgiveness for his shortcomings but at no time sought forgiveness for his failure to protect the unborn.

He bragged that he fought against the death penalty, but not the death penalty for the helpless unborn.

The purpose of work Laboring to create a Christianized economy Beyond having time off, enjoying cookouts and shopping for bargains, the time period around Labor Day is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the meaning of work.

If we don’t sometimes think about the purpose of work, if we don’t consider its divine origin and design, we run the risk of becoming cogs in the corporate wheel, buying unneeded things, making weapons of war, polluting the earth, becoming greedy and ultimately dehumanizing others and ourselves in the process.

From the beginning of time God worked, creating the cosmos. He exemplified for us the importance, beauty and wholesomeness of creative work.

Considering all that God made is good — especially human beings — and because God does not favor any one group of humans over another, the bounty of creation must be kept wellpreserved and made available to all people, for all time.

But society’s endless quest for profit, its insatiable hunger for more and more stuff at cheap prices, is an offense against the God-given dignity of countless men, women and even children.

The global economic Humpty Dumpty has fallen. And it appears that the world’s political and economic powers are doing little more than trying to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.

But like the nursery rhyme, it would be far better if all the king’s men could not put their Humpty Dumpty back together again. Instead of throwing trillions of dollars away attempting to rebuild an ethically sick economy, they should be creatively laboring to build a system that works for people everywhere.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his recent encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), writes about the absolute need for economic systems to be based on ethical values.

In addressing the crisis confronting the global economy, the pope writes,

Letter to the Editor As far as I am concerned Senator Kennedy did what was politically beneficial to himself despite how it would offend God. Whether he is reunited with his siblings is now in the hands of that same God, fortunately not in the hands of Fr. Byron.

— John Trovato Greensboro, NC

Making a Difference TONY MAGLIANO cns columnist

“the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity.”

The pope adds that food and water are the “universal rights of all human beings without distinction or discrimination.”

Yet our ethically sick global economy ignores the sad fact that over 1 billion human beings lack adequate food and water.

And in the United States, still the richest nation on earth — at least for some — the gap between the rich and poor is greater than at any time since the Great Depression. Over 12 million children live in poverty.

The economy is morally broken.

The U.S. bishops, back in 1986, wrote a wise and compassionate pastoral letter, “Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy.”

It’s still so relevant, it could have been written yesterday.

The bishops boldly proclaimed that “the time has come for a ‘New American Experiment’ — to implement economic rights, to broaden the sharing of economic power and to make economic decisions more accountable to the common good.

“This experiment can create new structures of economic partnership and participation within firms at the regional level, for the whole nation and across borders.”

Let’s do it!

Let’s create a new economic American experiment based on Christlike values.

Let’s labor to create a Christianized economy!

Write a Letter to the Editor The Catholic News & Herald welcomes letters from readers. We ask that letters be originals of 250 words or fewer, pertain to recent newspaper content or Catholic issues, and be in good taste.

To be considered for publication, each letter must include the name, address and daytime phone number of the writer for purpose of verification.

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Send letters to Letters to the Editor, The Catholic News & Herald, P.O. Box 37267, Charlotte, N.C. 28237, or e-mail catholicnews@charlottediocese.org.

September 4, 2009

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Youth ministry: A lifelong vocation Working together is the answer to new challenges As I flew to Chicago recently for a youth ministry meeting, I wondered, “Why am I doing this?”

During my first pastoral assignment, I was in charge of youth ministry. I spent many evenings chaperoning dances. Then for five years I was a campus minister, living in a dorm with students who acted out all sorts of rites of passage.

During my postgraduate studies, I was once again in a dorm with young students.

Eventually I felt I had paid my dues in youth ministry, so I moved on to ministering to families and the aged.

That Chicago meeting dramatically changed my attitude, however. It helped me to realize that no matter our stage in life, youth ministry is a lifelong mission.

Why do I say this?

Between 2001 and 2005, the National Study of Youth and Religion found that 84 percent of Catholic youth see their faith as extremely to somewhat important. The survey was funded by the Lilly Endowment under the direction of Christian Smith, professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame, and Lisa Pearce, assistant professor of sociology

at the University of North Carolina.

The survey’s results are good news. But what is disturbing is that a significant number of Catholic youth cannot verbalize what their faith is. The concepts found in our creed are either foreign to them or vaguely understood.

Furthermore, today’s youth are exposed to drugs more than generations before them, are increasingly raised by a single parent and live in a highly stimulated culture that often nullifies any taste for life-giving reflection and contemplation.

New challenges face youth.

How do we attract Hispanic youth, get on the wavelength of AfricanAmericans and relate to Middle Eastern cultures? What in Catholic liturgies needs re-examination to reflect our multicultural church?

It has been proven that those who cohabit before marriage have a greater probability of divorce. This is a critical message that is vital for youth to help them enter wholesome marriages.

The aforementioned is only the tip of the iceberg of youth issues.

Youth ministry is not solely about

The Human Side FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK

Growing up is hard to do, especially if you’re speech-delayed, meaning that you like to bolt before the tough conversations happen.

Having been raised in a dysfunctional family with the rest of America, I didn’t exactly learn good communication skills at home. I couldn’t articulate what I wanted or needed without a good silent treatment, screaming session or other manipulation technique.

But to keep friends and eventually win a husband, I had to learn how to talk.

About the important stuff.

In their book “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High,” authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler offer several tips to help guide the communication-challenged folks among us. I’ve condensed and excerpted their advice below.

1. Start with heart. Remember that the only person you can directly control is yourself; focus on what you REALLY want.

People who are best at dialogue realize that not only are they likely to benefit by improving their own approach, but also that they’re the only person they can work on anyway.

2. Learn to look. When caught up in a crucial conversation, it’s difficult to see exactly what’s going on and why. When a discussion starts to become stressful, we

often end up doing the exact opposite of what works.

To break from this insidious cycle: Learn to look at content and conditions, look for when things become crucial, learn to watch for safety problems, look to see if others are moving toward silence -- or violence!

3. Make it safe. When you’ve made a mistake that has hurt others, start with an apology. You have to give up saving face, being right or winning in order to focus on what you REALLY want.

Sometimes others feel disrespected during crucial conversations even though you haven’t done anything disrespectful.

Use a contrasting statement that addresses others’ suspicion about you. Clarify your real purpose.

4. Master your story. If strong emotions are keeping you stuck in silence or violence, try to do this: Get in touch with your feelings. Learn to accurately identify the emotions behind your story.

Analyze your story. Question your conclusions and look for other possible explanations behind your story. Get back to the facts. Abandon your absolute certainty by distinguishing between hard facts and your invested story. Watch too for clever stories. “Victim,” “villain” and “helpless” stories sit at the top of the list.

5. State your path. When you have a tough message to share or when you

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

cns columnist

people getting a degree in this field and working with youth. For it to be successful, parents, priests and the entire parish community need to be involved.

But how do we accomplish this with both parents working and priests keeping a greater distance from youth after the news of sex abuse scandals?

How do we come together in a spirit that says, “We are all in this together and need to roll up our sleeves for the task”?

As these questions buzzed around in my head on my return from Chicago, they reminded me that we never pay our dues fully when working with youth.

Youth ministry is a lifelong vocation.

Learning how to talk Six steps to better communication for tough conversations

Pope says people must become more humble, less materialistic

Our Turn THERESE J. BORCHARD cns columnist

are so convinced of your rightness that you may push too hard, remember to STATE your path: Share your facts.

Tell your story. Ask for others’ paths.

Talk tentatively (state your story as a story; don’t disguise it as a fact). Also encourage testing; that is, make it safe for others to express differing or even opposing views.

6. Explore others’ paths. To encourage the free flow of meaning and help others, start with an attitude of curiosity and patience. Then use four powerful listening skills: — Ask. Start by simply expressing interest in the other person’s views.

— Mirror. Increase safety by respectfully acknowledging the emotions people appear to be feeling.

— Paraphrase. As others begin to share part of their story, restate what you’ve heard to show that it’s safe for them to share what they’re thinking.

— Prime. Take your best guess at what they may be thinking and feeling.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In a world full of vice and sin, people need to radically change their lives, becoming more humble and less materialistic, Pope Benedict XVI said at his weekly general audience Sept. 2.

The pope, resuming a series of audience talks about influential Christian writers from the Middle Ages, focused his catechesis on St. Odo, a 10thcentury Benedictine monk and abbot of Cluny, France.

The pope flew to the Vatican by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, to lead the general audience in the Paul VI hall before about 8,000 pilgrims from around the world.

Pope Benedict looked relaxed and well-rested, though his right hand and wrist were notably swollen. He continued to greet visitors and well-wishers with his left hand, and had a friendly laugh greeting a priest whose left arm and hand were immobilized by a cast and sling.

The pope fell and broke his wrist July 17. Doctors performed minor surgery to stabilize and join the ends of the dislocated broken bones with wires later that day. The cast and wires from the pope’s wrist were removed Aug. 21; doctors said the healing process went perfectly and that the 82-year-old pope would recover the use of his hand after completing a program of rehabilitation.

Here is the text of the pope’s audience remarks in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Our catechesis today deals with another great monastic figure of the Middle Ages, Saint Odo of Cluny.

Attracted by the Benedictine ideal, Odo became a monk, and later the second abbot, of Cluny. At the beginning of the ninth century, Cluny was the center of an influential movement of Church reform, and Odo, by his example and teaching did much to further this spiritual renewal throughout Europe.

His writings reveal how deeply he was influenced by the monastic virtues of contemplation, detachment from this world and longing for the world to come. Odo was particularly devoted to the Eucharist, emphasizing the real and substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine. This conviction of faith led him to work for the reform of the clergy and to stress the need for a worthy reception of the Sacrament. An authentic spiritual guide for his troubled times, Odo blended the personal austerity of a great reformer with a constant and joyful contemplation of Christ’s infinite mercy.

September 4, 2009

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