Sept. 7, 2007

September 7, 2007

The Catholic News & Herald 1

www.charlottediocese.org

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte

Perspectives A revealing look at those in unsafe working conditions; Mother Teresa’s birthday; the secret to a sane life

Established Jan. 12, 1972

by Pope Paul VI September 7, 2007

Protecting God’s children

| Page 7 Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

vOLUME 16

no. 38

A resting place for resurrection

Bishop Jugis blesses new Catholic cemetery

Diocese found in compliance with U.S. bishops’ charter

by

KEVIN E. MURRAY editor

by DAVID HAINS communications director

SALISBURY — A Knights of Columbus color guard led the procession up the grassy hill, where a crowd stood silently, reverently, around a giant wooden crucifix.

It was here that Bishop Peter J. Jugis blessed with holy water the Diocese of Charlotte’s new Catholic cemetery in Salisbury Sept. 1.

“It is beautiful that we are gathered here on this mountain.

In Isaiah Chapter 25, we learn that on the mountain the Lord will destroy the veil that veils all people … he will destroy death forever and open up for us eternal life,” said Bishop Jugis to those gathered.

“We have a reflection of that here, on this mountain, this hill, here in Salisbury,” he said.

CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte was found to be in compliance with the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” during a recent audit.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis received the official notification of the compliance in late August from the Massachusetts-based Gavin Group, which conducts the audits of dioceses around the country.

The audit examined compliance to the 17-point charter of abuse response and child protection standards approved by the U.S. bishops in 2002. The charter was updated in 2005.

Audits of 195 Catholic dioceses and Eastern-rite

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

See AUDIT, page 6

Knights of Columbus surround a crucifix as Bishop Peter J. Jugis blesses the new Catholic cemetery in Salisbury Sept. 1. Assisting are Father John Putnam, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, and Deacon James Mazur, permanent deacon. The cemetery is located on the future site of Sacred Heart Church.

Creating an inclusive church Parish groups work to welcome Hispanics JOANITA M. NELLENBACH by

correspondent

Courtesy Photo

Jesuit Father Bill Ameche stands with a few of the 150 people who attended the first Spanish-language Mass at St. Barnabas Church in Arden Aug. 12.

W E S T E R N N O RT H CAROLINA — At St. Eugene Church in Asheville, it’s the Latino Advocacy Group (LAG); at St. Barnabas Church in Arden, it’s the Hispanic Ministry Committee (HMC).

Whatever the name, these groups and their parishes are responding to the needs of Hispanic immigrants coming to their areas.

“The Latino Advisory Group helps the larger Englishspeaking community be more aware of the Hispanics and how to help out,” said Jesuit Father Bill Ameche, who works with Hispanics in the Asheville Vicariate.

The LAG and HMC have Hispanic members, but most committee members are Anglos.

“The dominant culture has to have the welcoming See OUTREACH, page 9

See CEMETERY, page 5

Funding the future

Foundation grants assist students, Hispanics by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

WINSTON-SALEM — Students at St. Leo the Great School and Hispanics throughout the Winston-Salem Vicariate will soon have better opportunities for learning and expanding their Catholic faith, thanks to grants from the Foundation for the Roman See GRANTS, page 7

Vocations

Culture Watch

Youths in Action

Priests, seminarians, youths meet, discuss vocations

New book on Father Judge; Talbot celebrates 50 albums

Youths explore faith; back-to-school photos

| Page 4

| Pages 10-11

| Pages 12-13

September 7, 2007

2 The Catholic News & Herald

InBrief

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

CHA president chosen most powerful figure in U.S. health care WASHINGTON (CNS) — More powerful than bodybuilder-turnedgovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger? It’s true if you’re Sister Carol Keehan.

The issue isn’t about who can lift the greatest weight in the gym. It’s about who’s got more muscle in the health care arena.

Sister Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, the trade group for Catholic hospitals, finished first in the sixth annual reader poll conducted by Modern Healthcare magazine of the 100 most powerful people in health care.

California Gov. Schwarzenegger, finished third. Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor, was second.

Sister Keehan topped all comers, including presidents, presidential candidates, congressional movers and shakers, federal officials, hospital executives, educators and public policy vanguards in the survey, which was published Aug. 27.

‘Monsignor’ Martinelli

Diocesan planner ASHEVILLE VICARIATE CNS photo by Douglas Kaup, Pittsburgh Catholic

Joseph Martinelli stands with his pastor, Father James Kunkel, after morning Mass in early August at St. Colman Church in Turtle Creek, Pa. Martinelli, at 95, is still active in his parish, with duties that include overseeing the parish’s money counters on Sunday mornings and helping with the parish festival.

Active 95-year-old is listed as pastoral assistant in parish bulletin PITTSBURGH (CNS) — At age 95, Joseph Martinelli is a regular at daily Mass at St. Colman Church in Turtle Creek.

In the parish bulletin he’s listed as pastoral assistant, just hinting at the many roles he fills.

“He’s been active for many decades,” said Father James Kunkel, pastor. “He serves liturgically as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and reader, he takes Communion to the sick, does the prayers at funeral homes and goes to the cemetery.”

Martinelli also oversees the parish’s money counters on Sunday mornings and helps with the parish festival.

“He’s very holy, spiritual and dedicated to the church. He’s willing to help,” Father Kunkel said. “We call him ‘the monsignor.’ He looks like an Italian monsignor.”

Martinelli’s extensive church involvement is nothing new. It started the day he retired after 42 years as an electrical instrument calibrator. That day, his pastor told him he had something for him to do, and the work hasn’t stopped since.

Small in stature and agile, Martinelli is still able to genuflect and care for his own garden.

He was playing golf twice a week until a year ago when the people he played with got sick, as he put it.

And, after 12 years, he recently stopped delivering for Meals on Wheels, concerned about driving the winding, challenging roads of the area.

Martinelli came to the United States when he was 9 with his parents from the Abruzzi region of Italy. He earned his electrical engineering and political science degrees from the University of Pittsburgh by going to night school.

“I was blessed with good parents,” he said.

It was after he married his wife, Sophia, that he became really involved in church life at St. Colman. And as the father of four girls, he said he wanted to set a good example for them.

Though Sophia died 23 years ago, he talks of her often.

“She’s guided me a lot,” he said. “She came from a very good Catholic family.”

It was that influence, he said, that made a genuine impression on him.

As for his lifetime of work with the church, he said, “It’s pretty hard to describe. It seems to be the proper thing to do. I’ve enjoyed 95 years of my life, and I want to give something back.”

HENDERSONVILLE — Immaculate Conception Church, 208 7th Ave. West., will host a five-day mission Sept. 15-19 at 7 p.m.

Deacon Norm Carroll will speak on “Accepting the Spirit of Vatican II.” Other mission topics include the Bible, conscience, personal freedom and calling to greatness. We explore these topics in a deeply spiritual setting where at its conclusion you will be closer to Jesus and his church. For more information, call the faith formation office at (828) 697-7420.

CHARLOTTE VICARIATE

CHARLOTTE — St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., will host “Men’s Spirituality” the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 12 p.m. The hour-long meetings will include silence, prayer and faith sharing. The reading for Sept. 11 is Luke 14:1, 7-14; and Chapter 3: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth”). The reading for Sept. 25 is Luke 16:19-31; and Chapter 4: The Sermon on the Mount. For more information, call Michael LaVecchia at (704) 363-7729 or Kevin Bezner at (704) 907-3875 or e-mail mjl@seafoods.com.

CHARLOTTE — St. Thomas Church, 1400 Suther Rd., will present “The Acts of the Apostles” Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m., Sept. 12-Nov.14. This study program will include individual study, small-group discussions and taped lectures. For registration and more information, call Mary at (704) 948-8285 or Angela at (704) 400-8517.

CHARLOTTE — St. Ann Church, 3635 Park Rd., will continue its three-part adult educational series entitled “Worshipping with

She was ranked 26th in the 2006 survey. Sister Keehan had just assumed the CHA presidency the previous November.

In profiling Sister Keehan, the magazine said she “has somehow managed to connect with all the disparate interest groups without alienating any of them.”

But being the most powerful doesn’t get you everything.

“Quite frankly, I think we won’t have health care reform worthy of this country until the American people demand it,” Sister Keehan told the magazine.

Sister Keehan, 63, is the first woman to have ever topped the Modern Healthcare list, as well as the first former bedside nurse and the first former hospital CEO to make it to No. 1.

Over the past year, the CHA, under her leadership, has stumped for renewal of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, lobbied for greater access to health care for all, and advocated for the continued tax-exempt status of hospitals.

the Church” Sept. 12 and 19. Classes will meet 7-9 p.m. in the Allen Center cafeteria and will focus on deepening and enriching our experience of Catholic worship. For details, call the church office at (704) 523-4641, ext 221.

CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., will host a Christian Coffeehouse Sept. 15, 7:30-9:30 p.m. in the Banquet Room of the New Life Center. Single and married adults are invited for an evening of contemporary Christian music, food and fellowship. For more information, call Kathy Bartlett at (704) 400-2213 or e-mail kschwabent@aol.com.

CHARLOTTE — The Refugee Resettlement Office of Catholic Social Services will host a second Refugee Forum Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Levine Jewish Community Center in Shalom Park, 5007 Providence Rd. This event will focus on the work of resettlement agencies, how they operate and explain specific volunteer opportunities.

Also, business owners and managers who have hired refugees will speak about the positive influence they bring to their workforce. Refugee Resettlement Office employment specialists will be on hand to answer questions. At 8:15 p.m., a live interview with Ishmael Beah, author of the New York Times bestseller “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” detailing his childhood experiences fighting a civil war in Sierra Leone, will be broadcast via satellite. For more information, call Mary Jane Bruton at (704) 370-3283 or e-mail mjbruton@charlottediocese.org CHARLOTTE — Deepen your faith this fall with “Lunchtime Spirituality” at St. Peter Church, 12-12:45 p.m., in the Annex, 507 S. Tryon St. Bring your lunch, listen to a talk on spirituality and participate in a short prayer session — a great way to renew during the workweek and to prepare for Advent and Christmas. The topic for Sept. 20 will be St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s “On Conversion.”

For more information, call the office at (704) 332-2901.

September 7, 2007 Volume 16 • Number 38

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

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September 7, 2007

The Catholic News & Herald 3

FROM THE VATICAN

During visit to Austria, pope expected to strengthen faith’s impact

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — God gave people the duty to take care of the earth, but they “often abuse creation and do not exercise” their responsibility to be stewards of nature, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Citing the teaching of St. Gregory of Nyssa at his Aug. 29 weekly general audience, the pope condemned as criminal the suspected arson attacks that have hit parts of Europe.

Highlighting his concern for the recent “serious calamities” of flooding in Asia and “disastrous fires in Greece, Italy and other European nations,” the pope said it was impossible “to not be troubled by the irresponsible behavior of those who put people’s safety at risk and destroy the environmental heritage — a precious asset for all of humanity.”

“I join those who rightly stigmatize such acts (as) criminal and invite everyone to pray for the victims of these tragedies,” he said.

Greece was the hardest hit by

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI makes his first papal visit to Austria in early September, a threeday mission to strengthen the faith and its public impact in one of Europe’s traditionally Catholic countries.

The visit Sept. 7-9 will focus on the 850th anniversary of the Marian sanctuary at Mariazell, which has long been a spiritual beacon for Central Europe.

In keeping with the theme of the visit, “Look to Christ,” the pope is expected to emphasize Mary’s role as a gateway to faith in Jesus and as a model of the church as mother.

The rest of the pope’s schedule is designed to spotlight the importance of the Christian faith in Austrian history, the church’s recent signs of parish vitality, and its presence in social debates and works of charity.

Among Austrian church leaders, the hope is that the papal visit will mark a new and positive chapter after a troubled period. Over the last 10 years the number of Austrian Catholics declined by 6 percent, partly as a result of a seminary sex scandal and a bishop’s resignation, as well as new tensions between lay Catholics and the hierarchy.

The trip, the pope’s seventh foreign journey, will take him back to a country where he frequently visited and vacationed before his election in 2005.

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna said Austrians sense that the German

Pope condemns arson attacks, says people must care for creation

CHARLOTTE — “God Loves Us into Creation: A Retreat for Young Adults (ages 18-40)” will be held at St. Peter Church, 507 S. Tryon St., Sept. 29, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. in Biss Hall (below the church). Please join us for a morning of prayer and reflection focusing on God’s love. We will close our retreat together with a celebration of the Mass at 11:30 a.m. Parking is free in The Green parking garage next to the Church. To register call Kelly Payne at (704) 661-3302 or e-mail kelleepain@aol.com.

GREENSBORO VICARIATE

HIGH POINT — Free Italian Classes will be offered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., Wednesdays, Sept. 5-Nov. 7, 7-8 p.m. All class materials are furnished. For more information, e-mail Gianfranco Vettor at gvettor@yahoo.com or call Larry Kwan at (336) 688-1220 or e-mail hlkwan@lexcominc.net.

GREENSBORO — Father Daniel Mahan, a mission priest, will preach at St. Pius X Church, 2210 North Elm St., Sept. 8-11. Father Mahan will preach at the 5 p.m. Mass Sept. 8 and at the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Masses Sept. 9, and at 7 p.m.

Sept. 10-11. The topic will be “Catholic Stewardship as a Way of Life.” For more information, call the church office at (336) 272-4681.

HIGH POINT — Free Spanish Classes will be offered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4145 Johnson St., Thursdays, Sept. 13-Oct. Nov. 1, 7-8:30 p.m. All class materials are furnished. For more information, call Nancy Skee at (336) 884-0522 or e-mail nsskee@hotmail.com or call Larry Kwan at (336) 688-1220 or e-mail hlkwan@lexcominc.net.

GREENSBORO — The Greensboro Council of Catholic Women will start its 2007-08 fiscal year with a luncheon Sept. 26 at Cardinal Country Club. A social hour 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m., lunch 12-2 p.m. Speaker will be Laurie Thore, marketing director for the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, contact Carmen Wood at (336) 545-9266.

CNS photo by John Kolesidis, Reuters

Smoke and flames from a forest fire are seen behind the houses of a village south of Athens, Greece, Aug. 26. wildfires that began Aug. 24 and killed at least 64 people. The government suspects many of this year’s blazes were started by arsonists because the number of major forest fires throughout Greece more than doubled from last year.

HICKORY VICARIATE

MORGANTON — Dr. Ronda Chervin will present “Spirituality of the Emotions II: Personality, Character and Emotions” Thursdays at 7 p.m. beginning Sept. 13 at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 728 West Union St. This will be teachings, group sharing and prayer with the goal of allowing God to bring us healing and improvement in dealing with negative emotions. For some, this will be a follow-up to the summer sessions but anyone can join at any time. For more information, call Dr. Chervin at (828) 413-4624 or the church office at (828) 437-3108.

SALISBURY VICARIATE

MOORESVILLE — Jesuit Father Joseph Kappes, parochial vicar at St. Therese Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., will celebrate 50 years as a Jesuit with a Mass of Thanksgiving, Sept. 9 at 12 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (704) 664-3992.

pope loves their country and they have shown a positive and growing interest in the substance of his visit.

Essentially, he said, Pope Benedict is coming “to demonstrate how beautiful it is to follow Christ” and to encourage Christians to “live their faith in daily life.”

These two fundamental objectives are in perfect sync with the pope’s back-tobasics approach to his papal ministry. In the pope’s view, confronting secularization in Austria or elsewhere requires a double strategy: helping Catholics to reinforce their own faith and inviting them to make it count in society.

After arriving in Vienna, the pope will begin his public program in the city’s historic Am Hof Square. In keeping with the Marian focus of the visit, he will pray before the baroque Column of Our Lady that stands in the center of the square.

Then the pope will stop at the Holocaust memorial in Vienna’s “Judenplatz,” or Jews Square, where he was expected to briefly greet Jewish leaders. Most of the country’s approximately 200,000 Jews left Austria after it was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, and many of those who remained were killed in Nazi death camps.

The highlight of the trip is the papal Mass in Mariazell Sept. 8, the feast marking the birth of Mary. Some 40,000 Catholics have reserved transportation to the liturgy, which will be celebrated outside the shrine’s basilica.

Candles for Katrina

WINSTON-SALEM VICARIATE

WINSTON-SALEM — A course on Natural Family Planning will meet Sept. 16, Oct. 21 and Nov. 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at St. Leo the Great Church, 335 Springdale Ave. The Sympto-Thermal Method of NFP is safe and medically proven 99.9% effective. Couples with marginal fertility will also benefit from working with their natural mutual fertility instead of against it. Call Todd and Stephanie Brown at (336) 765-2909 for more information.

Is your parish sponsoring a free event open to the general public? Deadline for all submissions for the Diocesan Planner is 15 days prior to desired publication date. Submit in writing to kaevans@charlottediocese.org or fax to (704) 370-3382.

CNS photo by Lee Celano, Reuters

A man holds a candle in front of the St. Louis Cathedral during a candlelight vigil in New Orleans to mark the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29. With a thunderstorm providing eerie sound effects, Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans told the hundreds gathered at the vigil to persevere in their faith despite the pitfalls of a painfully slow recovery.

Episcopal

calendar

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

Sept. 8 — 5 p.m.

Sacrament of Confirmation Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville

Sept. 12 — 6:30 p.m.

MACS Ed. Foundation Circle of Celebration Charlotte

Sept. 11 — 11 a.m.

Presbyteral Council meeting Catholic Conference Center, Hickory

Sept. 15 — 4 p.m.

50th Anniversary Jubilee Mass St. Gabriel Church, Charlotte

Explaining that “hurricane” is a West Indies word for “divine wind” and Katrina means “cleansing,” Archbishop Hughes told them that they have a responsibility to remain hopeful that God will deliver them from the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

“On the second anniversary of Katrina, can we pray that the divine wind of the Holy Spirit may cleanse us of what was not right in the old New Orleans, that we might know new life in a new New Orleans,” Archbishop Hughes said.

ATTENTION READERS The Catholic News & Herald is back on its regular, weekly publishing schedule.

4 The Catholic News & Herald

September 7, 2007

around the diocese

High and holy notes

prayers and burgers

Sacred choral music to open 2007 Eucharistic Congress by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

Courtesy Photo

Father Rick DeClue talks with seminarians Jason Barone and Matthew Codd during an annual cookout and social for priests and seminarians at Bishop Peter J. Jugis’ residence in Charlotte Aug. 6.

Priests, seminarians gather for annual cookout CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter J. Jugis recently hosted a cookout and social for priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Charlotte.

The gathering was held at Bishop Jugis’ residence in Charlotte Aug. 6.

Approximately 50 priests gathered with most of the diocese’s 17 seminarians from four seminaries throughout the country, including two new seminarians — Brian Kaup of Brevard and Josh Bradford of Charlotte.

The annual event began in 2005, when the diocesan Presbyteral Council suggested a get-together to allow priests and seminarians of the diocese to get to know each other.

After praying evening prayer together at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte, the priests and seminarians went to Bishop Jugis’ residence for hot dogs and hamburgers, cooked by Knights of Columbus from St. Mark Church in Huntersville.

Day of discernment

Courtesy Photo

Diocesan priests are pictured with college, high school and middle school students from around the diocese during the annual vocations day of discernment, held at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton Aug. 10.

Students explore vocation possibilities at annual event LINCOLNTON — Male college, high school and middle school students from around the diocese recently gathered for the annual vocations day of discernment.

Diocesan priests gathered with approximately 50 students for the daylong event, held at St. Dorothy Church in Lincolnton Aug. 10.

The event provided a chance for the students to discern what God is asking of their lives and to explore their possible callings to the priesthood.

In addition to attending Mass, the students spent the day in prayer, eucharistic adoration and talks with

priests and seminarians on discerning a call to the priesthood.

The day also included sports and games led by Chris Beal, youth ministry director at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, as well as a panel discussion with a question-and-answer session about life in the priesthood and seminary.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about vocations to the priesthood, contact Father Christopher Gober, vocations director for the Diocese of Charlotte, at (704) 370-3353.

CHARLOTTE — A choir of heavenly voices will soon be heard rejoicing.

A collection of sacred choral music will kick off the upcoming Eucharistic Congress on Friday night, Sept. 21. The congress, free and open to the public, will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center Sept. 21-22.

“The concert will feature a crosssection of choral music — from English, French and American composers — including Gregorian chant,” said Dr. Larry Stratemeyer, director of music at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

This year’s performance will include selections by Martin Shaw, Franz Biebl, John Ferguson, Henry Purcell, Gabriel Faure, Andre Thomas, C. Villiers Stanford and Mozart.

“Mozart’s Mass is a concise work, with beautiful melodies — it’s a wonderful piece for such a large choir to perform,” said Stratemeyer. “The other pieces in the program fit that description as well.”

Stratemeyer and Tiffany Gallozzi, music director at St. Barnabas Church in Arden, have prepared the choir, comprised of nearly 120 parishioners from churches around the Diocese of Charlotte.

“This is a great opportunity for individuals to perform as part of a large choir,” said Stratemeyer. “Members of small parishes, especially those in rural

areas, don’t always get to sing with a choir.”

Stratemeyer said the audience will be invited to join the choir in singing “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven” arranged by John Ferguson.

The free hour-long concert is “an opportunity to experience live choral music, which is a treat,” said Stratemeyer.

The Eucharistic Congress will be “a time of celebration, adoration and teaching centered on the mystery of the Eucharist,” according to Bishop Peter J. Jugis.

In addition to sacred music, Friday evening will feature eucharistic adoration and a talk by Franciscan Father Benedict Groeschel entitled “What the Presence of Christ Means in Your Life.”

Saturday’s events will begin at 9 a.m. with a eucharistic procession from St. Peter Church in Charlotte to the convention center. The procession will feature choirs, Catholic organizations, youth groups and parishioners from all 92 parishes and missions in the diocese.

The congress will feature seminars, speakers and activities for adults, children and youths, and conclude with a Mass Saturday afternoon.

WANT MORE INFO? The sacred choral music concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Charlotte Convention Center’s Main Ballroom. For more information on the congress, visit www.goeucharist.com.

September 7, 2007

from the cover

The Catholic News & Herald 5

Bishop Jugis blesses new Catholic cemetery CEMETERY, from page 1

Bishop Jugis called the cemetery a sacred place, “because it will hold our bodies that are the temples of the Holy Spirit.”

“When we make the passover from this world to the next life, we want to make sure we are uniting ourselves with Jesus and living in communion with Jesus,” said Bishop Jugis. “Uniting ourselves with Jesus means … those who go to their deaths believing in him will also be united with him in the resurrection.”

“May we always respect and honor this place, those who rest here and ourselves, as we wait in hope for the glory of the resurrection,” he said.

A growing demand Located on Jake Alexander Boulevard at the site of the future Sacred Heart Church, the new cemetery is the sixth Catholic cemetery in the 46-county Diocese of Charlotte. It is only one of two, however, currently available for burial of the laity from any of the diocese’s 92 parishes and missions.

The Salisbury cemetery has 660 plots already designated, with room to expand to accommodate more. Future cemetery plans also include lawn crypts, a chapel, a mausoleum, an area designated for priests and a memorial wall for children.

Four Catholics are already buried in the cemetery. Paul Mendez, 19, a former altar server at Sacred Heart Church who died of cancer in May, was the first to be buried on the property.

“He grew up here. He was a very active and well-known parishioner, as

big a part of the parish as anyone,” said Derron Dulkoski, chairman of the parish cemetery committee.

“When he passed, we agreed he should be the first to be buried here and we worked to make it happen,” said Dulkoski.

The four graves are located around the 17-foot-tall wooden crucifix, which features a six-foot tall corpus of Jesus, carved by Eric Lawlor, a lifelong parishioner of Sacred Heart Church.

For the wood, Lawlor chose Eastern red cedar gathered from the church’s original property on Old Mocksville Road.

“The crucifix is tremendous — it really makes it feel like a Catholic cemetery,” said Dulkoski. “The fact that Eric is a parishioner makes it mean that much more.”

“To stand in the middle of the cemetery, it stands as a symbol of God’s love, who laid down his life for us,” said Bishop Jugis. “It watches over the bodies and keeps them safe until the day of resurrection.”

The cemetery is one component of Sacred Heart Church’s master plan to relocate to the new property. Parish growth is necessitating the move of the church and its school, and Father John Putnam, pastor, felt it was important to include the cemetery in the master plan.

“In planning for the new parish site, a parish cemetery was consistently requested by parishioners,” said Father Putnam.

“With the major influx of Catholics to our area — both transplants and converts — the need for a new Catholic cemetery is certainly here, both within our own parish and beyond,” said Dulkoski.

“The parish has a list of more than 100 people already interested in burial here, and we’ll soon be ready to sell plots,” said Dulkoski. “We’re fortunate to have enough land to do this. It’s an

Photo by Kevin E. Murray

Kaiden Dulkoski, 2, explores the new Catholic cemetery in Salisbury Sept. 1. important part of our faith.”

“In addition to the church building itself, a Catholic cemetery is considered a sacred place for Catholics where the faithful departed await the final resurrection,” said Father Putnam. “For Catholics, the cemetery is a place of special devotion and prayer.”

Burial over cremation The cemetery helps answer the request by Catholics for a final resting place that is identifiably Catholic. Some parishes had recently begun adding columbaria for cremated remains, but had not made any provisions for those who desired burial of the body.

In 2006, the Diocese of Charlotte implemented a moratorium on constructing and expanding columbaria and conducted a study on the use of columbaria and cemeteries.

“The church prefers the burial of the body of the deceased over the cremation of the body,” wrote Bishop Jugis in a Sept. 8, 2006 column in The Catholic News & Herald.

Bishop Jugis cited the Order of Christian Funerals — the Vaticanapproved rite used for celebrating Catholic funerals — which indicated three reasons for the preference: — Jesus willed to be buried; — the body at the funeral rite expresses in a natural way the manner people had been accustomed to relate to the person while he or she was alive, namely through a human body; — the body at the funeral rite expresses Jesus’ teaching regarding the supernatural dignity and destiny of the human body.

“These three reasons influence the church’s reverence for the sacredness of the human body in death, and explain the

church’s preference for the presence of the body at the funeral rites and burial of the body over cremation,” wrote the bishop.

The Order of Christian Funerals presents cremation as an exception to burial and allows Catholics to be cremated “when extraordinary circumstances make the cremation of a body the only feasible choice.”

In March 2007, the diocese issued its new policy on cemeteries and columbaria, which states parishes may offer at one location a resting place for both the bodies and the cremated remains of the deceased.

“We’ll see if there is a demand for a columbarium or mausoleum in our area,” Dulkoski said.

The policy gives the diocese the option to create Catholic sections in local cemeteries and to receive or purchase land for establishing a Catholic cemetery.

“With this policy, the diocese wishes to respond in a comprehensive way to the vision of canon 1240 to provide a resting place for the remains of the faithful departed,” the policy states.

“The cemeteries hold the bodies of the faithful departed, and they must be treated with respect and reverence,” said Bishop Jugis.

“Hopefully, parishes elsewhere will work to establish Catholic cemeteries in other areas,” he said.

Catholic cemeteries in the diocese — Belmont Abbey, Belmont (for clergy and religious) — St. Benedict cemetery, Belmont (Abbey property) — St. Joseph Church, Mount Holly (not active) — St. Helen Church, Spencer Mountain (for St. Helen parishioners only) — St. James the Greater Church, Concord (active) — Sacred Heart Church, Salisbury (active)

6 The Catholic News & Herald

around the diocese

Feast for a feast day

Holy Angels’ CEO elected to board of N.C. Center for Nonprofits

Photos by Carole McGrotty

Above: Father Wilbur Thomas, pastor of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, enjoys Mexican music and folk dancing with parishioners during a parish celebration of the feast of St. Lawrence Aug. 10.

Below: Parishioners enjoy a covered-dish dinner as part of the celebration.

Basilica celebrates patron saint with Mass, social by

correspondent

eparchies in the United States are conducted on a regular basis. The Diocese of Charlotte has been audited four times since 2004.

Church employees and volunteers throughout the 46-county diocese are required to attend the diocesan sexual abuse awareness training program, Protecting God’s Children, and are subject to background checks.

Since 2003, more than 15,800 people have attended the training and 13,760 background checks have been conducted.

WANT MORE INFO? More information about the charter and about reporting and preventing sexual abuse can be found on the diocesan Web site, www.charlottediocese.org.

Regina Moody practices and an advocate for the nonprofit sector as a whole.

Its mission is to serve, promote and represent the nonprofit sector and strengthen nonprofits’ effectiveness as they improve North Carolina’s quality of life.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Holy Angels, visit www.holyangelsnc.org or call (704) 825-4161.

Do you have a story to share with The Catholic News & Herald? Do you know of people who are living the tenets of their faith? Do you have photos of a parish- or ministry-based event?

If so, please share them with us.

Contact Staff Writer Karen Evans at (704) 370-3354 or kaevans@charlottediocese.org.

When asked by the Roman prefect to bring forth the church’s treasures, St. Lawrence brought forward the poor and told him that they were the church’s treasure. St. Lawrence was executed and suffered a martyr’s death Aug. 10.

Diocese found in compliance with U.S. bishops’ charter AUDIT, from page 1

BELMONT — Regina Moody, president and CEO of Holy Angels Inc. in Belmont, has been elected to the statewide board of directors of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

Holy Angels is a nonprofit corporation providing programs and services for children and adults with mental retardation, some of whom have physical disabilities and are medically fragile.

Moody is president of the N.C. Association of Residential Resources and serves as a board member for the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, Gaston Day School, Belmont Abbey College and the FEMA Board. She is on the advisory board for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s School of Nursing at Gaston College.

Founded in 1990, the N.C. Center for Nonprofits is a statewide coalition of 1,550 nonprofit organizations in all 100 counties across North Carolina. It serves as a network for nonprofit board and staff members, an information center on effective nonprofit organizational

Attention Readers! Have a Story to Share?

CAROLE McGROTTY

ASHEVILLE — Parishioners of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville recently gathered to celebrate their parish’s patron saint.

A bilingual Mass and dinner were held to commemorate the saint’s feast day Aug. 10. The parish Family Life Commission and Hispanic Pastoral Committee organized the celebration, which included a Mexican band and folk dancers in the parish hall.

St. Lawrence, one of the seven deacons of the early Christian church, was one of the victims of the persecution of Valerian in 258, along with Pope Sixtus II and other clergy.

September 7, 2007

September 7, 2007

from the cover

Foundation grants assist students, Hispanics GRANTS, from page 1

Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

Jim Kelley, director of diocesan development, presented two checks — one to Father Brian Cook, pastor of St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem, and to Georgette Schraeder, principal of St. Leo the Great School; and one to Pedro Trinidad, coordinator for the WinstonSalem Vicariate Hispanic ministry, during Mass at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem Aug. 26.

Listen and learn At St. Leo the Great School, a grant for $4,000 will be used to install an Audio Enhancement infrared sound system in the first-, second-, third- and fourth-grade classrooms.

With the system, the teacher wears a wireless microphone, which transmits her voice to a receiver mounted on the classroom’s ceiling and evenly distributes her voice throughout the room. The students sitting in the back of the room hear at the same volume as their classmates in the front row.

Although the system is designed to help the 15 percent of students who have hearing or speech impairments, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or other learning impairments, Schraeder said research shows that all students can benefit from the system.

“We’re excited to have this system ABOUT THE FOUNDATION: The diocesan foundation provides endowments for the Diocese of Charlotte and its parishes, agencies and organizations. Over the past 11 years, more than $2 million has been distributed by the foundation to parishes, schools and agencies.

WANT MORE INFO? For more information on the diocesan foundation and endowments, call Jim Kelley at (704) 370-3301 or e-mail jkkelley@charlottediocese.org.

— it will ‘level the playing field’ for our students who have learning impairments,” she said.

The system will be installed later this fall, and Schraeder said she will track the students’ test results to measure the system’s effectiveness.

St. Leo the Great School will be the only school in Winston-Salem using the Audio Enhancement system. Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point also uses the system.

“This is the latest in a series of grants we have been fortunate to receive from the foundation,” said Father Cook.

“In addition to the audio system, we have also been able to provide continuing education for our teachers and an innovative summer reading program for our students who need extra help in that area,” he said.

“We are grateful to the foundation for the opportunities to enhance our teachers’ continuing education and special consideration for students,” said Father Cook. ¿Por qué ser católico?

Kelley also presented a $1,500 check to Trinidad for the WinstonSalem Vicariate Hispanic ministry. The funds will be used to purchase reading materials and supplies for the Spanishlanguage version of the Why Catholic? program, ¿Por qué ser católico?

Why Catholic? is a program that fosters spiritual renewal and evangelization through parish-based small Christian communities.

“The Why Catholic? program has proven itself to be an invaluable catechetical tool for baptized Catholics who want some ‘updating’ in their faith, as well as for those people considering joining the Catholic Church,” said Father Cook.

“The funding provided by the foundation is a tremendous gift to Hispanics in the diocese,” he said.

Participants meet for six weeks at a time, twice a year for four years. Each year, an aspect of Catholic life is explored in small Christian communities.

The Hispanic program in the WinstonSalem Vicariate began meeting during Advent in 2006. The next session will begin meeting during Advent this year.

Trinidad said that about 60 Hispanics from three churches — St. Benedict the Moor Church in Winston-Salem, Good Shepherd Mission in King and Holy Cross Church in Kernersville — currently gather in small faith-sharing groups, to explore their Catholic faith.

“We hope the foundation will continue to support this valuable program,” Trinidad said.

“Over the last several years, the foundation has awarded 150 grants to parishes, schools and agencies in the Diocese of Charlotte,” said Kelley.

“Through these grants, we are helping those recipients to accomplish their lifechanging work.”

The Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte has more than 155 endowments, all but four of which have been established for specific parishes, schools and agencies. The four general endowments provide income to fund grants such as those presented at St. Leo the Great Church.

The Catholic News & Herald 7

Courtesy Photo

Jim Kelley (left), director of diocesan development, stands outside St. Leo the Great Church in WinstonSalem Aug. 26 with Father Brian Cook, pastor; Principal Georgette Schraeder of St. Leo the Great School; and Pedro Trinidad, Winston-Salem Vicariate Hispanic ministry coordinator.

The Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte distributed $69,500 among 31 grants in 2007 St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville Scholarships for the Justice & Peace Weekend Experience: $1,000 Sacred Heart Church, Brevard Youth leadership training: $2,000 CSS Office of Economic Opportunity Far West Families First Program: $2,000 International Friendship Center Hispanic newsletter printing: $2,500 Catholic Hispanic MinistrySmoky Mountain Vicariate Hispanic Ministry in the Smoky Mountain Vicariate: $1,500

African American Affairs Ministry African American Affairs Ministry program: $2,500 Sacred Heart School, Salisbury Tutoring program: $5,000 Sisters of Mercy Services Corp. DBA ARP/Phoenix, Asheville African American Youth Empowerment Program: $4,000 Hispanic Ministry, Boone Vicariate Equip and maintain Hispanic ministry office: $1,500 Hispanic Ministry, Greensboro Vicariate Hispanic evangelization: $1,500

CSS Latino Family Center, High Point Academic and socio-cultural camp: $2,000

Hispanic Ministry, Winston-Salem Vicariate Hispanic evangelization: $1,500

CSS Host Homes, Winston-Salem Children and teen outreach: $2,000

Our Lady of Consolation Church, Charlotte English for Speakers of Other Languages: $2,000

New Creation Monastery, Charlotte Facilitate a clergy association: $500 St. Joseph Church, Kannapolis Pre-school for low income non-English speaking children: $4,000 St. Leo the Great School, Winston-Salem Student Learning Support Services: $4,000

Genius of Africa, Inc., Charlotte Development of office for communication and education: $1,000 Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville Hispanic marriage ministry: $2,000

Spirit of Assisi Center, Winston-Salem Outreach Programs $4,000

St. Pius X Health Care ministry, Greensboro Fund a community health fair for the Greensboro Area Community $2,000

Charlotte Catholic High School Research lab for faculty, students: $4,000

CSS Refugee Resettlement Office Rent for program site office: $2,000

St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Mars Hill Cross-cultural outreach: $5,000

St. Matthew Church, Charlotte Hispanic “Why Catholic?” program: $1,000

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Charlotte Hispanic ministry: $1,000

St. James the Greater Church, Concord Hispanic ministry: $2,000

Holy Angels, Inc., Belmont Van acquisition project: $1,500

St. Michael School, Gastonia School and church playground equipment project: $2,000

Diocesan Hispanic youth and young adult ministry office Catholic Hispanic sexuality formation program: $1,000

St. Aloysius Church, Hickory Youth scholarships and trailer purchase: $1,500

8 The Catholic News & Herald

¡Bienvenido!

hispanic catholics

St. Luke Church welcomes Hispanic parishioners with Mass, outreach by

KAREN A. EVANS staff writer

MINT HILL — St. Luke Church in Mint Hill is joining other churches in the Diocese of Charlotte to minister to the needs of their Hispanic parishioners.

About a year ago, Edra Alonso recognized the need at St. Luke Church to offer a Spanish-languages Mass, as well as programs in Spanish.

Alonso, who grew up in Manhattan and spent 40 years living in Madrid, Spain, enthusiastically began working on ways to reach out to the local Hispanics.

This Sunday, Sept. 9, will see the culmination of the work of a small but dedicated group of volunteers led by Alonso, as the first bilingual SpanishEnglish Mass will be celebrated in the

“Most parishes have about five people at Mass when they first start offering it in Spanish. So, if there are 15 people there, I’ll be thrilled.”

— Edra Alonso

parish. Alonso isn’t expecting overflowing pews at the Mass, but she is optimistic.

“Most parishes have about five people at Mass when they first start offering it in Spanish,” she said. “So, if there are 15 people there, I’ll be thrilled.”

Father James Hawker, pastor of St. Luke Church and vicar for education in the Diocese of Charlotte, will celebrate the Mass. He isn’t fluent in Spanish, but Alonso isn’t worried.

“Father Jim will do his best, and the people appreciate the effort, even if his Spanish isn’t perfect,” she said.

Alonso has printed missals in Spanish and English, so that worshippers can understand the readings and prayers, no matter what their primary language is.

“They’re just like the kind we used when the Mass was said in Latin, but with Spanish on one page and English on the other,” she said.

In the near future, Alonso plans to offer faith formation classes, spiritual and social ministries targeted for Hispanics.

She also wants to offer English-as-asecond-language classes.

The bilingual Mass will be celebrated each Sunday at 1 p.m. at St. Luke Church.

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

September 7, 2007

September 7, 2007

The Catholic News & Herald 9

hispanic caatholics

Parish groups work to welcome Hispanics

“If we are welcoming to them, they are welcoming to us.”

OUTREACH, from page 1

committee to welcome the other culture,” Father Ameche said. “It’s very simple; it’s very humble.”

St. Eugene Church’s LAG, begun more than two years ago, focuses on identifying needs in the Hispanic community. About 16 people regularly participate on the committee.

“When you have a group of Anglos advocating for the Hispanic community, it’s more likely that something will happen right away,” said Antonio Garcia, Hispanic ministry coordinator for the Asheville Vicariate.

Among their activities, committee members go to A s h e v i l l e C i t y Commission meetings to advocate about Hispanic concerns.

It’s also essential to respond to Hispanics’ religious needs. Each year, Father Ameche said, more than 600,000 Hispanic immigrants leave the Catholic Church. Other denominations actively recruit and welcome the immigrants, even bringing pastors from Mexico.

“They don’t feel welcome (in U.S. Catholic churches),” Father Ameche said. “No one says ‘Hi.’” That changes when Anglos see Hispanics as vital members of the U.S. Catholic community.

“If we are welcoming to them, they are welcoming to us,” Father Ameche said. “There’s a new energy. I’ve noticed that the people on the committees are older, but they’re open to the gift.”

“If we just had national churches, we would have lost out. This allows us to be who we are as Catholics — we’re inclusive,” he said.

St. Eugene Church Anglo parishioners at St. Eugene

— Jesuit Father Ameche, Hispanic ministry

Courtesy Photo

Father Dean Cesa celebrates and Jesuit Father Bill Ameche concelebrates the first Spanish-language Mass at St. Barnabas Church in Arden Aug. 12.

Church asked for a Spanish-language Mass, which began in October; 250-300 people regularly attend.

Prior to starting the Mass, St. Eugene Church had an informal Englishas-a-second-language class, with 45-50 students. Soon, however, a more formal class will begin. The Asheville Literacy Council will provide some materials and will train the volunteers who will teach the class.

Like other Catholic churches, St. Eugene Church has an Easter triduum, but this year there was an added Hispanic dimension.

It began at 6 p.m. on Holy Thursday, with Hispanics from all four Asheville Catholic churches participating. They walked the Way of the Cross — the stations set up on the Asheville Catholic School’s baseball field, with people portraying Mary, Veronica and others.

Mass was at 7 p.m.: in English in St. Eugene Church, just up the street from the school, in Spanish in the school gym. After the Spanish-language Mass, the 400 attendees sang together as the Eucharist was carried to the church for adoration along with the Eucharist that had been consecrated in the church.

Together, the two communities adored the Blessed Sacrament.

Snow fell on Good Friday, so in the gym, after the liturgy, a special service was held, called the “Pesame a la Virgen.” A woman portrayed Mary. As the worshipers sang a song about Mary’s thoughts as she held her dead son, the cross was placed in her lap to represent Christ in death.

There followed a silent procession to the burial site, also set up in the gym.

“In the silence there’s no language problem,” said Father Ameche.

The Anglos liked what they saw of the Hispanic Holy Thursday and Good Friday services, Father Ameche said, “and were asking if they could have something like that next year.”

St. Barnabas Church At St. Barnabas Church, HMC formed about three months ago, after Father Ameche gave a presentation there about Hispanic advocacy groups.

About seven or eight people regularly

serve on the committee, including Father Dean Cesa, St. Barnabas Church’s pastor; Nick Grasberger, Gina Horecky, Ken Marino, Carlos Rangel and Lia Terrey.

“As a Roman Catholic parish, our ministry is to everyone within our parish boundaries,” Father Cesa said. “We want to be welcoming to everyone. So, offering Mass in Spanish opens the doors to an even wider population.”

Horecky and Marino attended an LAG meeting to learn more about how St. Eugene Church’s committee operates.

HMC developed a mission statement: “To support the Catholic faith of the Spanish-speaking among us by offering worship, friendship and assistance.”

HMC’s primary goal has been achieved: St. Barnabas Church has a Spanish-language Mass. Some 150 people, mostly Hispanic, attended the first one, at 5 p.m. on Aug. 12, with Father Cesa celebrating and Father Ameche concelebrating.

“I was really upbeat about the whole thing,” Marino said. “I thought it came off really well.”

About 100 people attend the weekly Mass, celebrated by Father Cesa or Father Ameche.

In addition to its plans to organize events that will bring the Anglo and Hispanic communities together, HMC is “collecting the needs of the people,” Father Cesa said. “We’re working to get a baptism class started for Hispanic parents who want their children baptized.”

A custom popular in Mexico is blessing children when they reach their third birthdays. St. Barnabas Church has already had one such blessing at the end of Mass. The outreach is important, Marino said.

“It just seemed to me that was something out there that had to be done.

I viewed it as a Christian situation, as do other people in our parish,” he said.

“After Father Bill gave his talk, Nick was in the social hall signing up people.”

September 7, 2007

10 The Catholic News & Herald

Culture Watch

A roundup of Scripture, readings, films and more

New book pays tribute to priest who said ‘yes’ to God

by JOSHUA GARNER catholic news service

WASHINGTON — Kelly Ann Lynch recalls her friend, Franciscan Father Mychal F. Judge, as someone who always said “yes” to helping those in need.

That’s why Lynch named her new children’s book “He Said Yes: The Story of Father Mychal Judge.”

“He said ‘yes’ to so many things,” said Lynch of the New York City fire chaplain who died ministering to victims in the rubble of the World Trade Center’s twin towers Sept. 11, 2001. “He was an amazing man.”

His story and life of service to others was the inspiration behind Lynch’s first book, which hits store shelves in early September.

The idea to write a children’s book based on Father Judge’s life came to her during Mass in late 2002 near her hometown of Lancaster, Pa. She was still grieving the loss of a man she’d known all her life.

“I remember thinking Father Mychal’s story was too important not to be told or shared,” she said.

She described him as a proud IrishAmerican with a soft and soothing voice, recalling that he would often speak to her in a crowded room as if she were the only person there.

Her life lessons and experiences with Father Judge are found across the pages of “He Said Yes.” The book features vivid illustrations by artist M. Scott Oatman of moments in her life when Father Judge was present.

Lynch said Father Judge was an emotional constant in her life, always there to provide support. She had known him since she was a young girl growing up in New Jersey.

By 23 she was married, with a 7month-old daughter, Shannon, who was terminally ill with a failing liver.

Abandoned by her husband, whom she said could not deal with the pressure of their child’s illness, Lynch said she was left to fend for herself. It was Father Judge who urged her to let go and leave it up to God, she said.

And it was Father Judge who told her, “God cannot heal Shannon until you

WORD TO LIFE

Sunday Scripture Readings: Sept. 16, 2007

Sept. 16, Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C Readings: 1) Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 2) 1 Timothy 1:12-17 3) Gospel: Luke 15:1-32

In God’s eyes, we are irreplaceable

by JEAN DENTON catholic news service

give her back.”

“I literally lifted her (Shannon) up to God and I let go,” she said. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Shannon Lynch, now 17, survived thanks to a revolutionary liver-transplant procedure. As with her mother, she said, Father Judge had become a constant presence in her life.

“I just remember all the love he had for us and our family,” she said. “He became a best friend to our family.”

And it was the love of the book that would eventually convince book publishers to print it.

Initially editors at Paulist Press said they did not know what to expect. After all, Lynch never attended college and most of her work experience was as a legal aide, not a writer.

“We loved Kelly’s manuscript.

We loved the incredible paintings” by Oatman, said Susan O’Keefe, children’s editor at Paulist Press. “But at some point we had to step away and ask, ‘Can we sell it?’

“We took the leap,” she said in an email to Catholic News Service.

The leap of faith is starting to pay off.

The book sold more than 600 copies in preorders, an impressive accomplishment for a first-time author.

K e l l y Ly n c h h a s b e c o m e a minicelebrity in her hometown of Lancaster, appearing on the cover of the local newspaper and participating in book signings and interviews with national media outlets. She has already completed two more children’s books.

Still, Lynch said she will remain dedicated to keeping Father Judge’s memory alive and passing on his message, “Listen for (God’s) voice and say ‘yes.’”

I rummaged through closets and drawers trying to make as little noise as possible because I knew I was indulging in obsessive behavior. But my grown son, visiting from out of town, heard me.

“Mom!” he called from downstairs. I heard the familiar mix of amusement and mild irritation in his voice. “Are you still looking for my sunglasses? Stop. I’m just going to get another pair.”

Really, I know I have this obsession — spending way too long and hard looking for lost things. Maybe it’s that son’s fault.

My memory is etched with the experience of a week when he, as an infant, lost his pacifier — the one and only that would, well, pacify him. It was “The Longest Week” as we tried numerous replacements to no avail and much wailing.

Somehow we all survived, but I think it left me a little weird about going out of my way to find lost things.

However, that primal need for security is in all of us. It’s not so surprising that we constantly search for the ultimate security of being loved.

The God of love placed that desire in us, reflective of his own desire for our love.

The Gospel parable of the lost coin could just as easily be for me the parable of the sunglasses. It tells me that just as I am irrationally driven to find this lost item, God can’t help but go out of his way to try to retrieve even one lost soul.

In the vast eyes of God, not one of us can be replaced — so his desire and his effort to bring back the lost cannot be dissuaded.

Completing the parable of the sunglasses, imagine them falling from a car’s roof onto the street where they are smashed under the wheels of a van, then swept into a storm drain.

Then imagine obsessive me finding one intact lens and following a trail of plastic bits into the storm drain and picking through the mud to find every last piece and miraculously (this would be me being God) restoring them to their original condition of infinite coolness, the basic quality of sunglasses.

That’s a distant approximation of God’s desire to have us always with him.

Questions: What experiences of loss speak to you about the joy of reunion with a loved one? When have you recognized God going out of his way to bring you, or someone close to you, back into his loving presence?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE Scripture for the week of Sept. 9-15 Sunday (Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time), Wisdom 9:13-18, Philemon 9-10, 12-17, Luke 14:25-33; Monday, Colossians 1:24--2:3, Luke 6:6-11; Tuesday, Colossians 2:6-15, Luke 6:12-19; Wednesday (Holy Name of Mary), Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 6:20-26; Thursday (St. John Chrysostom), Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 6:27-38; Friday (Exaltation of the Holy Cross), Numbers 21:4-9, Philippians 2:6-11, John 3:13-17; Saturday (Our Lady of Sorrows), 1 Timothy 1:15-17, Luke 2:33-35.

Scripture for the week of Sept. 16-22 Sunday (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14,1 Timothy 1:1217, Luke 15:1-32; Monday (St. Robert Bellarmine), 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Luke 7:1-10; Tuesday, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Luke 7:11-17; Wednesday (St. Januarius), 1 Timothy 3:14-16, Luke 7:31-35; Thursday (St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Paul Chong Hasang and Companions), 1 Timothy 4:12-16, Luke 7:36-50; Friday (St. Matthew), Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13, Matthew 9:9-13; Saturday, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Luke 8:4-15.

The Catholic News & Herald 11

September 7, 2007

Into the unknown future

Talbot celebrates 50 albums, prepares for break in recording, touring

by ANDREA SLIVKA catholic news service

WASHINGTON — John Michael Talbot’s newest album, “Living Water,” will mark more than one noteworthy occurrence.

In addition to being his 50th album, it will also be his last recording for an unknown period of time as he prepares to take a break from recording and touring.

“I don’t know whether or not I’m going to quit it, but I am going to pause for a while,” Talbot told Catholic News Service in an interview about his new album and his writing style.

He spoke by telephone from his Little Portion Monastery in Arkansas.

For the past 15 years, he has performed in four concert tours a year, traveling back and forth across the country numerous times and also visiting Europe.

“I’m kind of preferring to spend some time with nothing for a while,” he said, adding that what God wants him to do after that is God’s business.

He still plans to tour in the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009 to promote his new album, which was released Aug. 15.

Although touring is a lot of work, he said he loves doing concerts and would continue them, except, in prayer, he hears God telling him to stop and “stand still for a while” so God can direct him.

That could be back into touring, doing prayer walks again or even being a recluse for the remainder of his life.

“It’s up to God,” Talbot said.

“Living Water” contains a variety of new songs orchestrated in his traditional meditative style, which he hopes will help his listeners feel at home with the milestone album.

While he worked from his traditional style, he also experimented with different orchestrations. He said some songs have a more intimate feel with few instruments beyond his guitar, while others have full orchestration.

His own favorite songs are those that contain a combination of both styles, with intimate verses and musically expanded choruses.

In the world of Christian music, Talbot said, his music in general is unique because he does not follow the trends of popular music.

Instead, he listens to a variety of music — from chant to rock ’n’ roll — and then sits down with his guitar and “the music that comes out is the music

CNS file photo

Catholic singer and songwriter John Michael Talbot, who recently released his 50th album, is now preparing to take a break from recording and touring. that comes out,” he said.

As his songs go from the writing stage to recording, he identifies a theme for his album, chooses songs that reflect that theme and then begins recording his songs with his guitar and primary vocals.

Then he dubs his own voice for background vocals — often six overdubs of each part for a chorus of 18 voices.

Orchestration is added as the final touch.

Talbot said he is influenced by the Scripture of the day, prayers of the saints and his own current spiritual life when writing lyrics. He is particularly partial to the Psalms, Isaiah, the books of Wisdom, the Sermon on the Mount and the sections of Paul’s letters where “he really lets his heart show.”

In addition to Scripture, Talbot’s new album also contains Mass parts, although Talbot said he’s writing more for personal prayer than for its use as liturgical music.

But in writing music, Talbot believes it’s not his job to create the music but, instead, to let God inspire it.

“In the mind of God, the song has been there forever, and the job of the composer is to find that song,” he said.

However, he thinks a musical artist can fail by not working diligently enough to find the song and can also fail by overworking the song. The key is to find the right balance.

At the monastery that he founded in 1980, the community has recently started raising free-range chickens — those raised outside any kind of pens — in the middle of Tyson chicken country in Arkansas. He wants the community to be self-sufficient beyond what he provides through his music’s profits.

Local college student wins in video contest NEW YORK — Robin Taylor, a communications major at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., is a winner in The Christophers 20th Annual Video Contest for College Students.

Robin’s video, “Remembering Pamela,” was one of five entries to receive a $100 honorable mention.

Each year, entrants are asked to create a short film running five minutes or less — narrative or documentary — around the theme, “One Person Can

Make a Difference.”

The $3,000 first prize was awarded to Sean Brown of Southern University in Carbondale, Ill., for his film “Bright Idea.”

The Christophers, a non-profit organization, uses the mass media to encourage individuals to use their God-given abilities to make a positive difference in the world. The Christophers’ motto, adopted from the ancient Chinese proverb, is: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

12 The Catholic News & Herald

September 7, 2007

youths in action

Dancing in Denver

View from the top

Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

Students dance during the vacation Bible school held at Holy Spirit Church

Father James Hawker, pastor of St. Luke Church in Mint Hill, is pictured with Ascension, the parish’s teen choir, outside St. Margaret Church in Maggie Valley as part of a retreat July 21-25.

in Denver in July. Approximately 100 students and 30 volunteers enjoyed the program, themed “Avalanche Ranch: A Wild Ride through God’s Word.” The program included Bible skits, games and songs all centered on building a closer relationship between the students and God. A highlight of the week was the craft room, where more than 200 fleece bears were stuffed and sewn to be donated to Amy’s House, a shelter for domestic violence victims in Lincolnton, and to local police and fire departments to give to children in need.

Teens ascend to learn about Jesus, unity LAKE JUNALUSKA — Ascension, the teen choir at St. Luke Church in Mint Hill, recently shared a bonding and faith experience in the N.C. Smoky Mountains.

The group took part in a retreat, themed “More of Jesus, Less of Me,” at Lake Junaluska July 21-25.

Each day, the 24 teenagers and six adults shared prayer and devotional time, as well as team-building and recreational activities.

“Any time you get the teens away

Classifieds SERVICES

from their busy schedule, true bonding takes place. It’s really a mountaintop experience,” said April Ryder, an assistant with Ascension.

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To conclude the retreat, Father James Hawker, pastor of St. Luke Church, joined the teens for a roundtable discussion and celebrated Mass at St. Margaret Church in Maggie Valley.

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September 7, 2007

in our schools

The Catholic News & Herald 13

Scholastic achievement Back to the books

Courtesy Photo

Transition kindergarten teacher Bernie Armstrong at St. Matthew School in Charlotte reads to her class during the Scholastic spring book fair held at St. Matthew Church in May. The school recently won third place in Scholastic’s national elementary school book fair contest.

Courtesy Photo

Students prepare to play instruments in music class during the first week of classes at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.

St. Matthew School wins third place in national book fair contest CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew School in Charlotte was among eight schools to take third place in the Scholastic Book Fairs national elementary school contest.

Scholastic, a global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced the winners of the contest on its Web site Aug. 3.

As a third-place winner, St. Matthew School’s library receives a $1,000 shopping spree for instructional materials in the Scholastic Book Fairs’ “Instructional Resource Catalog.”

“The competition was very steep, with hundreds of entries

submitted nationwide,” said Deb Lee, school librarian.

“The contest process required us to document parent, student, teacher, administration and community involvement in the (school’s) Scholastic spring book fair,” said Lee. The spring book fair was held in the New Life Center at St. Matthew Church in Charlotte May 11-18, with students, parents and faculty participating in the promotion and running of the event.

“A great big ‘thank you’ to the entire St. Matthew community for their heartfelt support,” said Lee.

First Mass of the year Courtesy Photo

Second-grader Lexi Starets is greeted on the first day of classes Aug. 27 at St. Leo the Great School in Winston-Salem by Principal Georgette Schraeder; Father Brian Cook, pastor of St. Leo the Great Church; and Abigail, Father Cook’s dog.

Principal Mark Akerman welcomes eighth-grader Patrick O’Shea to the first day of classes at St. Pius X School in Greensboro Aug. 27. Patrick is a member of the teams of eighth-graders who walked new students to their classrooms.

The school welcomed 460 students to the new school year, the highest enrollment in the school’s 52-year history.

Courtesy Photo

Students of St. Matthew School in Charlotte serving as altar servers are pictured with Father Patrick Cahill and Father Patrick Toole, parochial vicars of St. Matthew Church, during the school’s first Mass of the year Aug. 29.

Courtesy Photo

September 7, 2007

14 The Catholic News & Herald

Perspectives

A collection of columns, editorials and viewpoints

Working in misery

Lord calls us to help those who labor in unfair, unsafe conditions Millions of workers in developing countries around the world did not have the day off on Labor Day. Instead they toiled like they do every day — in misery. Laboring long, exhausting days in hot, dirty factories for pennies an hour is their sad fate in life.

In recent testimony before the congressional Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism, Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee, explained how many American corporations abuse poor workers worldwide for profit.

Citing the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement as an example, Kernaghan said that from 2001 to 2006, apparel exports from Jordan to the U.S. soared by 2,300 percent — from $52.1 million to $1.2 billion.

But what most American consumers do not know is that these hefty corporate profits often come at the expense of human trafficking and involuntary servitude.

“Bangladeshi guest workers had to pay $1,000 to $3,000 each to unscrupulous manpower agencies in Bangladesh to purchase a two- to-three-year contract to work in Jordan,” said Kernaghan.

As poor workers, they had to borrow the money on the informal market at exorbitant interest rates of five to 10 percent per month.

“From the minute they took the loans, these workers were in a trap and a race against time to pay off their large debts,” said Kernaghan. “But the workers were promised that they would be able to earn $134.28 a month for regular hours and up to $250 a month with overtime.

All housing, food and medical care would be free.”

But there was a catch: The contract tied the guest workers to just one factory, prohibiting them from working elsewhere.

Upon their arrival in Jordan, Kernaghan said, 115 workers from Bangladesh had their passports and residency permits immediately confiscated by company managers.

Without residency permits, the workers could not go out on the street without fear of being detained by the police.

Kernaghan reported that instead of being paid the $250 a month they were promised, the workers earned $2.31 for a 98-hour workweek!

“Workers who asked for their legal wages could be imprisoned up to three days without food. ... Twenty-eight workers had to share one small 12-by12-foot dorm room, which had access to running water only every third day. These workers sewed clothing for Wal-Mart.”

One of the most effective ways we can help desperately poor workers is to

Making a Difference TONY MAGLIANO cns columnist

lobby Congress for the passage of the Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act. This anti-sweatshop legislation would prohibit the import, export or sale of sweatshop goods in the United States.

Once passed into law, this legislation would be an extremely powerful economic incentive for corporations to insure that humane working conditions and just wages are guaranteed to every worker making goods sold in the United States.

In 2000 the Dog and Cat Protection Act sailed through Congress and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. If Congress can pass legislation protecting dogs and cats, they can at least do as much for suffering human beings!

Please call, write or e-mail your two U.S. senators and congressperson, urging them to co-sponsor the Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act (S. 367/H.R. 1992). Also ask parishioners, family and friends to do the same.

In the Gospel, Jesus instructs us to remember that the laborer is worth his or her wage. The Lord is calling us to work overtime for those who labor in misery.

Will you answer his call?

A new look at bananas

Costa Rica visit coaxes different perspectives on life, food I will never think of bananas the same way again. Not after my recent trip to Costa Rica.

Three years ago I broke my ankle while whitewater rafting in Costa Rica.

After the hospital let me go, I was sitting in a little cafe in Quepos, wondering how I was going to get around town to buy crutches or my medicine.

A young man in the cafe, Eduardo, spoke English well. He offered to run errands for me if I paid him a little something.

Over the years we have corresponded. His family is very poor.

I have kept in touch with them and help them out from time to time as they seem to go from crisis to crisis.

This was my first trip back in several years. Eduardo wanted me to meet his mother in Cariari on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. His family lives in workers’ housing on a huge banana plantation owned by a large American corporation.

So we drove down from the cool mountain plateau to the hot coastal plain near the swamps of Tortuguero.

It was hot. Really hot.

Once past Cariari, we drove for mile after mile through banana plantations with thousands upon thousands of banana trees. Each tree had large banana fronds.

Most of the fruit had been wrapped in blue plastic bags to keep the insects and birds from getting to the green bananas.

The family was delighted to have a “gringo” visitor. They sat up late talking.

Their pet parrot kept jumping into the conversation.

The roads were bad, so we spent the night on the plantation rather than risk driving off a one-lane bridge in the darkness.

I thought that after the sun went down it would get cooler. Hardly. Not a breath of a breeze.

The cloudy sky covered the moon and stars, making it so dark that I could not see my hand in front of my face.

One of Eduardo’s cousins gave up

The secret to a sane life “Will those who work 40 hours or less please raise their hands?”

When I asked this question recently, no hands went up. Some people work from sunup to sundown. Others are forever taking “red eyes” to be on time for the next morning’s meeting.

No one is exempt from being overstretched! Where might we find the antidote to this? How about revisiting the biblical story of Mary and Martha?

It begins with Martha inviting Jesus to dinner. As she busies herself preparing the meal, her sister Mary sits quietly listening to Christ. Unlike Martha, who is rushed and multitasking, Mary is still.

Here we have two sisters whom we can presume love each other. Loving brothers and sisters are a blessing and help to fill out each other’s lives. Even if we don’t have a sibling, having a good friend who acts as one creates this same dynamic.

Many see Martha and Mary as sisters who are anything but complementary.

Mary seems to be the good one, while Martha is not so good.

When, however, we delve into the Greek version of the story, we learn Christ is not lauding Mary over Martha, but rather he is lauding a good Mary has chosen. The good is the grounding Mary adds to Martha’s multitasking, rushed life, the anchor that keeps a highly active life under control.

As much as we admire Mary, most of us are Martha in real life: frenzied and out of breath. We have very little Mary in us: contemplative, prayerful and still.

There is a growing interest in revisiting the benefits of Benedictine monasticism and other contemplative orders. In today’s hectic living, people sense a need for the powers of meditation.

Put another way, they are seeking

Parish Diary FATHER PETER DALY cns columnist

her bed for me to sleep in. As I lay there, sweating profusely, I could hear the mosquitoes hitting the screen over the window.

The combination of the heat, darkness and oppressively still air made me feel claustrophobic. I thought to myself, “This must be what hell is like.”

The next morning was beautiful.

The sun was bright on the banana plants.

The men were going out to the banana trees on bicycles or in groups riding on the back of pickup trucks. They all wore heavy rubber boots.

Eduardo explained that the ground around the banana trees was wet and there were snakes. Even though the boots were hot, it was better than the snake bites and jungle rot you would get without them.

I could hear small planes flying very low overhead. They were spraying the banana trees for insects, apparently with indifference to the health of the workers standing directly below.

As we bounced out of the plantation on the rough roads, I thought to myself, “I will never see a banana the same way again.”

I will think of the people at the other end of the supply chain. I will think of the heat, the sweat and the insecticide.

I will think of all the work it takes to bring that pleasant tropical fruit to the tables of the rich, that is, to us.

These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are members of our church.

When you sit down to the slices of banana on your morning cereal, think of them. Say a prayer for them.

The Human Side FATHER EUGENE HEMRICK cns columnist

the complementarity of Martha and Mary: Mary who is all “here” still and contemplative, and Martha who is all “there” with her multitasking.

It goes without saying that the world is forever urging us to be all there with it. When, however, we are all there, we don’t find the real peace that we seek.

No matter what our state of life or position, it need not be a hectic existence, an “all there” existence. All we need to do is to practice the complementarity of Martha’s being “all there” with Mary’s being “all here.” Achieving this balance is the secret to living a sane life.

September 7, 2007

The Catholic News & Herald 15

Mary’s September birthday

Month is good time to learn more about the Blessed Mother I wager that if I asked my fellow Catholics when we celebrate the birthday of our mother Mary, most would either hesitate or blank out altogether.

Not to keep you all in suspense, it’s Sept. 8. Ever since I was very young, September was a very special month.

And why not? My sister Rosemary, two years older than I, was born Sept. 2, my mother’s birthday was Sept. 17 and mine, Sept. 18.

More so, our mother had been given the very special name of Maria Nunciato (Mary/Annunciation) at her baptism, and she remained ever devoted to Mary, a spiritual gift she passed on to her children.

Most Catholics have no problem remembering Mary’s assumption into heaven, celebrated in August. But I think we should give equal time to her entry into earth. So I propose celebrating Mary’s September birthday by learning more about her.

I have just read an astoundingly detailed book, “The Catholic Companion to Mary,” written by Notre Dame Sister Mary Kathleen Glavich. Sister Glavich calls many of her surprising stories “trivial tidbits,” but I call them “gentle gems.”

She writes:

“A charming legend highlights Mary’s heart for sinners. One day Jesus asked St. Peter, the gatekeeper of heaven, why certain sinners were walking around paradise when he had banned them. Peter replied, ‘I shut the door to keep them out, but Mary opened the windows.’”

A good writer gets the reader to consider truths he or she may not have thought about before. Sister Glavich is very good at this.

“In Mary’s womb, Jesus drew his flesh and blood, his human life from her,” she writes. “Because Catholics believe that no man shared in Jesus’ conception, all of his DNA, all of his human traits, must have been derived from Mary alone.

“In effect, Jesus was more like his mother than any son has ever been. ...

What the incarnation means more than anything else is that there is no longer a gulf between God and humankind. God is one of us and knows what it is like to be a mortal being. ... We have Mary to thank for allowing that to happen.”

Another story in this book “tells of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Franciscan priest executed by the Nazis during World War II when he voluntarily took the place of a man who had a family,”

Abortion and human rights Church stands as beacon of light in darkened world Is it a woman’s fundamental right to take the life of a helpless infant in her womb if she so chooses?

There is a strong block in this country that insists that it is, based on the Supreme Court’s split decision in Roe v. Wade.

Back in March of 1994, the U.S. State Department sent an “action cable” to all its embassies instructing them to tell their host governments: “The United States believes that access to safe, legal and voluntary abortion is a fundamental right of all women.”

John Leo, writing in U.S. News & World Report (Sept. 19, 1994), stated: “The use of the term ‘fundamental right’ was part of an aggressive U.S. lobbying effort at the 1994 Cairo Population Conference” where abortion was being promoted as a component of a population control policy.

“It was a breathtaking leap,” Leo continued, “since abortion is nowhere outside of North America considered a fundamental right.”

This State Department memo amounted to an attempt to impose the ideological structure of Roe v. Wade on the rest of the world, thereby overriding the religious beliefs, laws and customs of

Spirituality for Today FATHER JOHN CATOIR cns columnist

other countries.

Leo added, “Most Third World nations are heavily dependent on U.S. foreign aid, so the implication left hanging in the air was that resistance to the concept of abortion as a fundamental human right might prove costly to the member nations.

“The March cable made it clear that the U.S. intended to play hardball, stating that ‘senior-level diplomatic interventions’ with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund would advance U.S. population policy interests.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Catholic bishops at the time quoted a Guatemalan government minister as saying, “If I do not go along on abortion, there goes my aid money.”

The Bottom Line ANTOINETTE BOSCO cns columnist

Sister Glavich writes.

“According to St. Maximilian’s mother, at the age of 10 he had a vision of Mary offering him two crowns, the white crown of purity and the red crown of martyrdom. Mary asked which one he wanted, and he answered, ‘Both.’”

Mary is the mother for everybody, including Muslims.

“Muslims, who regard Jesus as a great prophet, also highly esteem his mother Mary as a pure and holy saint. They, too, call her Our Lady, and the Quran upholds the Immaculate Conception and the virgin birth. Mary is the only woman named in the Quran.

It has 42 verses about her, more than the Bible. ...

“Perhaps Mary someday might provide a bridge for dialogue between Muslims and Christians,” Sister Glavich comments. Only Mary and John the Baptist are celebrated on their birthdays.

“The feasts of other saints are celebrated on their day of death, their birth into heaven,” the author informs us.

On Sept. 8, let’s not forget to say “Happy Birthday!” to our loving mother in heaven.

American cultural imperialism did not begin after Sept. 11, 2001; the United States has been flexing its muscles for many years. How did the world react to that State Department memo in 1994?

Pope John Paul II intervened and got about 30 other nations to oppose the United States in its efforts to foist on the whole world the idea of abortion as a “fundamental right of all women.”

The Clinton administration quickly backed down, and by the end of the week the U.S. abortion policy was removed from the family planning section of the Cairo conference. Clinton won his election with 43 percent of the votes; half of the voters considered abortion to be immoral.

The Catholic Church may have its faults and issues on the human level, and we apologize for our sins, but the church must always strive to speak the truth with love and to instruct the faithful to follow God’s will.

In favoring principle over the expediency of the moment, the church stands as a beacon of light in a darkened world. The church always has the right to oppose immorality even if a large majority is for it.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide the church to love the sinner but hate the sin. This means that we are for women, not against them.

The church has made a monumental effort all over the world to help women who are in post-abortion distress.

The church is the mystical body of Christ on earth.

Global wealth, resources also belong to world’s poor, says pope

The Pope Speaks POPE BENEDICT XVI

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The world’s wealth and resources do not belong to a select few, they also belong to the poor, Pope Benedict XVI said as he urged people to aid the needy and protect the environment.

“Christ is present even in the poor so they must never be insulted,” abused or deemed worthless, the pope said, citing the teachings of St. Gregory of Nyssa at his Sept. 5 weekly general audience.

Pope Benedict returned briefly to the Vatican from his papal summer villa south of Rome for the weekly audience and continued a talk he began Aug. 29 about St. Gregory, the fourth-century bishop and doctor of the church.

He said St. Gregory showed the different ways humanity could get closer to God, through prayer, “purification of the heart,” and love for others.

“Love for one’s neighbor is the true path up to the Lord because love is the stairway that leads to God,” he said.

According to St. Gregory, the pope said, becoming similar to God means “’becoming just, holy, good.’”

Here is the Vatican text of Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on the teachers of the early church, we once again consider St. Gregory of Nyssa, one of the great Cappadocian Fathers of the fourth century.

At the heart of St. Gregory’s teaching is the innate dignity of every man and woman, made in the image of God and called to grow more fully into his likeness.

Human fulfillment is found in a dynamic process of growth towards that perfection, which has its fullness in God; daily we press forward towards union with God through love, knowledge and the cultivation of the virtues. This ascent to God calls for a process of purification which, by his grace, perfects our human nature and produces fruits of justice, holiness and goodness.

In all of this, Jesus Christ, the perfect image of the Father, is our model and teacher. Gregory insists on Christ’s presence in the poor, who challenge us to acknowledge our own dependence on God and to imitate his mercy.

Finally, Gregory points to the importance of prayer modeled on the Lord’s own prayer for the triumph of God’s Kingdom.

May his teaching inspire us to seek that holiness and purity of heart, which will one day enable us to see God face to face!

September 7, 2007

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